mlouns Reviews

The Brokenwood Mysteries: Dog Day Morning (2021) Season 7, Episode 3

A great episode

[8/10 · 20 April 2021]

This is definitely the best of the first 3 from season 7. The writing is excellent, and directing is good also.

The overall whodunit is well plotted. I thought early on I had figured out the main baddie, but when the big reveal came, it made even more sense, and had been right there all along.

The robbers are well done, with each one entertainingly dim, but still believably so.

Notably, there is good writing for the characters of Trudy and Frodo. These two sometimes end up borderline annoying, but this time each one gets great scenes where they really shine.

Chalmers, the new main character, has a strong first episode. He is presented as quietly competent, without the script and direction pushing him too hard. There is not much for Mike, other than the usual, but at least Sims gets to be more humane again in this one.

The Brokenwood Mysteries: The Garotte and the Vinkelbraun (2021) Season 7, Episode 1

Disappointing start to new season

[5/10 · 1 April 2021]

I've seen all Brokenwood episodes up to this one, and I do like the show. But the season 7 opener is a letdown.

The good: It starts great, with a gruesome locked-room murder. The best part of the plot is the process of zeroing in on the timeline for the crime, with, as usual, everyone apparently having a good alibi for why they could not have done it.

There was good material for Dr. Kadinsky, the pathologist, who is always a colorful character in the series. Also, the surfer / electrician character was well written and well acted.

The bad: the rest of the writing is not up to standard. The show really loses its narrative thread by the middle, and mostly becomes scene after scene of short interviews with various suspects. This can work for one-hour detective shows, but there needs to be a stronger thread to keep interest over 90 minutes.

In other Brokenwood episodes, there is often an attempt to flesh out some local industry or hobby. This one had little more in that regard than tiresome squabbling among TV personalities.

There has been an effort to deepen Detective Sims' character in the past few seasons, but unfortunately this episode has her reverting to the shallow snippiness of the first seasons. Nor was there much of interest to color Mike or Breen.

The scenes of someone watching the gruesome zombie movie go on for way too long for my taste. I understand "Braindead" is supposed to be a classic NZ horror film in real life, but I'm not a fan of the genre, and I really didn't enjoy what seemed like minutes on end of splattery gore.

I'm hoping the rest of the season improves from here.

Shetland (2013– )

Mixed quality: 10/10 for first two seasons, 6/10 for later

[8/10 · 25 January 2020]

When I first started watching this, I was impressed by the mood, scenery, believable characters, and above all, the writing. It's very well constructed with an interesting mix of characters, and an emphasis on how crime-solving can be fraught in a rural area where everyone is related to, or at least acquainted with, everyone else. Each crime was kept to a tight 2-episode story.

Then in season 3, everything changed, and it became much more like a typical Brit crime drama with a 6-episode sprawling plot, multiple sinister organizations operating in the background, intensely vile baddies, etc. Most of all, the setting changed, with about half the scenes in a big city. This loses much of the intimate feel of the first two seasons. After seeing this, I checked the writing, and discovered that it was no longer based on Ann Cleeves' novels, but other TV writers, which is no doubt the reason. This continued in season 4.

I strongly recommend the first 2 seasons, but am not that impressed with the following ones.

Phantom Lady (1944)

Fairly cheesy noir

[4/10 · 8 January 2020]

I watch a lot of this style of movie, and this one is sadly not as good as most.

None of the main characters are very believable, and the villain is outright ridiculous, with the goofiest facial expressions at times. It's not a good sign when I find myself laughing out loud at what are supposed to be the tense moments.

The ending scenes are predictable and the writing is poor over all. There are not many snappy lines or tense scenes like you'd expect from a decent film noir.

Inside Man (2006)

Above average heist movie, but flawed

[6/10 · 15 October 2008]

Inside Man tries hard to be a smart, thinking man's heist movie. It does contain some clever ideas, but it has enough flaws that it does not leave you completely satisfied on further reflection, the way a truly brilliant bank robbery film would.

Much of the plot centers on a cat and mouse game between Detective Frazier (Denzel Washington) and Dalton Russell (Clive Owen). Russell conceives of a brilliant bank job that he believes will succeed. Early in the film he takes hostages, and Frazier is called on to free them and to nab Russell and his accomplices. Meanwhile, there are other things going on outside the bank that Russell is not aware of, which is where Jodie Foster's character comes in.

A lot of the tricks in the robbery (slowly revealed over the course of the film) are indeed brilliant, if perhaps all are not entirely plausible in real life.

The letdown comes from the non-criminals. First, Frazier repeatedly acts in ways that seem quite hard to believe from a trained hostage negotiator. His first verbal exchange with Russell is not at all the measured way of establishing rapport that you would expect. At times Frazier shows flashes of brilliance, but equally often he ends up looking like he is out of his depth, needlessly gambling with the lives of dozens of people for no real gain.

Jodie Foster makes a brave effort, but her character is just not very believable. Due to the fairly cheesy lines and situations she is involved with, she ends up looking more like a plot device than an actual person.

In the end, the film is certainly no turkey, but there are better caper films out there with better scripts.

The Greatest Game Ever Played (2005)

Well crafted, overlooked gem

[9/10 · 6 September 2008]

This is first of all a good, exciting story, with well developed characters. But all the other details are well crafted on top of that, leading to a wonderful film. Don't let the Disney label lead you to think this is dumbed-down or only for kids -- it has a lot to offer to all ages, whether you like golf or not. One of the more impressive things is that the film manages to make a golf game look really exciting. And speaking as one of many who can't abide golf on TV, this is no small feat.

The first half of the film does a good job of laying out the basic characters with their motivations and backgrounds, enough that you end up liking all the important competitors once the pivotal match begins halfway through. Sure, you root for Ouimet's character all along, but his primary opponents are likable and interesting in their own right. The background layer is important once the golf match becomes a match using minds as well as golf clubs, since you get a good understanding for what each person's strengths and weaknesses are as the play progresses.

The computer effects are flashy, but they do help the story more often than not. The directing has all sorts of clever golf shots, and the period costumes and sets are really top notch.

There are a few small quibbles -- many of the minor characters seem a little too stereotypically cast from the class warfare mold, but this is forgivable with the major characters so well drawn.

Shia LaBoeuf playing Francis Ouimet is, as usual, callow and sympathetic. But the real standout is Steven Dillane, playing Harry Vardon. He rarely moves his face, but his intense, often sad, eyes and minor changes of expression say so much.

Ouimet's caddy Eddie Lowery, played by Josh Flitter, steals the scenes he is in. After you see the film, Google to find the actual photograph of Ouimet and Lowery at the tournament, to get an even better appreciation of how incredible this match truly was.

Diamonds Are Forever (1971)

The limpest Connery Bond

[4/10 · 26 December 2006]

"Diamonds are Forever" has the checklist of Bond film ingredients, but precious little of the zip that you get in the best of the films.

The setting used for most of the film is dull. The only foreign scenery Bond visits is the Netherlands, but he quickly ends up bogging down in Las Vegas and environs for nearly the entire film. Early 1970's Vegas looks dreary rather than glitzy, and the Nevada desert is not exactly a glamor spot either.

Jill St. John certainly has the bod for a Bond girl, but she somehow misses to have any charm or mystery about her. She seems way too ordinary most of the time.

Worst of all, Sean Connery looks as if he is going through the motions in this one. He rarely looks as dangerous or menacing as he did in his early films, and generally comes across as an action figure without much personality or charm.

The Wint and Kidd henchmen duo seem especially goofy, and just plain weird rather than fascinating.

On the good side, the Willard Whyte parody of Howard Hughes is clever, and the Bambi and Thumper scene works quite well.

This is worth seeing if you simply must see all the Bond films, but it is probably not one that you would pick from all the rest.

The French Connection (1971)

Mixed bag of good and bad

[7/10 · 5 January 2006]

"The French Connection" presents a period cop thriller in early 1970's New York.

First, the good parts: Gene Hackman does a great job as a rugged, somewhat sleazy cop trying to do his job. His counterpart, Fernando Rey, plays an urbane Euro-crook, down to the heavy gray coat and accessory umbrella. And the rundown feel and stale smell of 1971 New York is done very well.

There is a fantastic chase sequence of car vs. subway. The filming of it, from the car's bumper view as the car weaves between various obstacles, will really rattle your dentures. And the second half is really well paced, with some great setups and a couple good twists leading up to an appropriately cynical ending.

The first half, though, is really not all that great, with not much to hold your attention. The plot in the first 20 minutes is pretty confusing, and to make it worse, Gene Hackman seems to mumble about half his lines. The script lurches along for a while before it finally gets going right around the subway chase scene.

By the time it wraps up you realize that it was a pretty good film. But for it to have won 5 Oscars, 1971 must have been a weak year.

Manon of the Spring (1986)

Masterpiece of story, photography, and acting

[10/10 · 3 January 2006]

"Manon des Sources" finishes where its previous film, "Jean de Florette," left off. It takes up the tale of Manon, the beautiful young daughter whose father is gone due to the evil deeds of their neighbors.

It is 10 years past "Jean de Florette," and Manon is reduced to being a lone shepherdess in the hills for a small goat herd. Meanwhile, Ugolin, one of the men who wronged her family, has fallen in love with her.

As the movie progresses, the dark secret from "Jean" is fully revealed to all. The crime involves not only the two Soubeyrans behind the plot of the first film, but it even extends to implicate the entire town. As more is uncovered, Manon is driven to consider dark plans of a fitting revenge on them all.

The film binds all the people in town in a wonderfully spun knot of love, hate, crime, guilt, vengeance, repentance, and the possibility of forgiveness. And just when you think you've seen the completion of a superb story, there is one rich twist at the end that ties it all up into a perfect masterpiece.

Besides the wonderful story, the scenery is again gorgeously photographed. The acting is wonderful -- you end up feeling deep sympathy for all the characters in the film, no matter what their wrongs.

The first film was a solid 8, but this is definitely a rare 10.

Jean de Florette (1986)

Solid film about selfishness and idealism

[8/10 · 1 January 2006]

"Jean de Florette" explores how people end up in dire life situations, from their own devising and from the evil of others.

The plot is fairly simple: Jean, a city man, inherits a country farm, and tries to achieve his grand plans of success. Meanwhile, his neighbors conspire to ensure that he fails so that they can get the property from him.

The film explores how Jean's own naiveté and blind idealism get him in over his head in the first place: a man's wild dreams that deny hard reality can endanger himself and his family.

At the same time, it also shows how his neighbors can justify any bad action to get what they want. Whenever one of them doubts whether his bad deeds against Jean should continue, the other is always ready with a justification. The combination of Jean's actions with those of his neighbors prove dangerous for him.

The story is set against stunning countryside -- even in the midst of showing its most unforgiving side, the natural surroundings always seem gorgeous.

The acting is outstanding. The film is at heart a character study, and the main characters are able to bear up under strong study. A lot can be read simply in the faces of Jean and the peasants, and the final shot of a child's face is especially suggestive.

The film lacks a certain charm that keeps it out of the ranks of the truly great films, but it is well done and worth watching, and can provoke a good discussion afterwards.

The Cowboys (1972)

A surprisingly tough Western with good acting

[7/10 · 30 December 2005]

"The Cowboys" gives a solid performance by John Wayne, with excellent support from Roscoe Lee Browne and especially Bruce Dern.

John Wayne plays his role well as the aging rancher who needs to get his herd on the trail and has trouble finding help. He shows softer moments than is typical for him, and seems almost wistful at times.

The supporting cast of about a dozen boys who end up helping him do a pretty good job as well. When the film gets under way, the boys make you think you are in for a relatively smooth ride, but some of the later scenes get pretty intense.

Browne has the somewhat trite role of a wisdom-dispensing African-American, but he does have some good lines that he does well with. Whereas many films today might downplay the issue of his skin color, "The Cowboys" has fairly realistic reactions from a variety of people to a black man working in the West.

Bruce Dern comes off as one of the creepiest bad guys in a Western. In early scenes his (unnamed) character tries to pass himself off as smooth and sweet-talking, but eventually his true colors show, and he is downright scary. He has an especially frightening confrontation with one of the boys, and a wild-eyed showdown with John Wayne that really cements him as one of the worst bad guys ever played in a Western.

The story is pretty much by the book, with only one big surprise in a fight near the end. It also takes a little while to get going, but by the first scene with the boys in the corral, it hums along.

On the whole, a good Western with some excellent acting.

The Man Who Knew Too Much (1956)

Good suspense, but not first-rate Hitchcock

[6/10 · 23 December 2005]

"The Man Who Knew Too Much" does a good job with its drama, but somehow it lacked a draw in human warmth that it should have had, or at least interesting characters.

I did not sense a real attraction between James Stewart and Doris Day, and their son seemed more annoying than he ought to have been. While that can work, none of the main characters seemed all that intriguing on his own, and none of the supporting characters had much color either.

The early Morocco scenes conveyed a good air of creepiness right from the start -- that something was not quite right on the family vacation. But where the McKennas ought to have been laying the groundwork of their relationship, establishing sympathy to the viewer, I just found them stilted and uncomfortable without much charm at all.

The later scenes in London lost much of the lingering menace, until two climactic scenes in the last half hour. By this time, the family relationship of the McKennas was pivotal to evoke sympathy for their circumstances, and the lack of depth there took away much of the impact of the scenes.

The film also lacked the humor that is common in most Hitchcock films, with extremely few laugh lines or situations.

On the whole, it is a decently done suspense film, and it does entertain, but it is not one of Hitchcock's greats.

The Secret of Roan Inish (1994)

A lovely magical tale in 1940's Ireland

[9/10 · 10 October 2005]

The film examines a young Irish girl, Fiona Coneely, and her search for her baby brother, Jamie, in the late 1940's. Jamie disappeared a few years earlier, and hints begin to emerge that he may have been carried off by the many seals that haunt the island where he lived.

Fiona is portrayed quite well. Although she looks frail physically, she nevertheless conveys a deep strength and fearlessness as she uncovers strange elements of her family's past and begins to believe that Jamie may still be alive

The Irish setting is played up very strongly. There are lovely seascapes and good use of Irish music. The faces of the people are very evocative as well, with many rugged, homely appearances that feel very honest and comfortable. The magical elements are portrayed seriously and delicately without getting too corny -- no dancing leprechauns.

The messages of the film are done intelligently, without much dialogue, relying mostly on visuals. One thing I noticed in a second viewing is how much of the time the film shows people working. It opens up in a tough-looking laundromat or factory of some sort, and many of the key scenes are set with the main characters talking while they are busy with the work of their daily lives. There is an important scene where children labor especially hard for something that has a strong influence on the resolution of the story. At no time is there an overt quote about working, but the importance of labor comes through seeing people do it.

"Roan Inish" works well for young children as well. My younger sons were swept into it, although it is quite unlike any film they had seen before. They definitely thought it was unusual, but they seemed to enjoy the characters and situations and had a lot of interested questions about what was going on.

To Catch a Thief (1955)

Wonderful light Hitchcock

[8/10 · 7 October 2005]

A very entertaining romp through the French Riviera with Cary Grant and Grace Kelly.

Both Grant and Kelly are at the height of their career in this one, with some wonderful ensemble acting and witty dialog. Grace Kelly comes across as gorgeous, elegant and seductive at the same time, with some wonderful lines. The fun comes from seeing her constantly try to throw Cary Grant off balance, and seeing him fight to maintain his air of having it all together in spite of her.

Hitchcock keeps it light, with excitement rather than high tension throughout. This goes well with the sunny Mediterranean scenery, opulent parties, and the background chatter in French. The result draws you in to feeling as if you have spent a fun weekend in the Riviera.

Hang 'Em High (1968)

Compares poorly to Leone's Westerns

[5/10 · 7 September 2005]

As a big fan of Clint's roles in the Leone trilogy, I was looking for a good movie in this, but I ended up disappointed.

The movie begins very well, and the first half cooks along. But about halfway through, things begin to wander. The romantic subplot feels token-ish and unreal, as if it was only there to fit some requirement from the studio.

More disappointing was Jed's role. Compared to the Leone films, Clint is way too soft and malleable, yet without any real charm either. By the end of the film, it is hard to figure out his motives at all, and the movie concludes feeling rather unfinished.

The final confrontation scene in the film was not very suspenseful, and did not provide the kind of catharsis that is required in a good vengeance film.

There are some good scenes, and the judge character is interesting, but other than that, this just doesn't have a lot to recommend.