Change Your Image
adamfstone
Reviews
A Gentleman in Moscow (2024)
An oasis in a sea of ratings chasing stream engines
I hadn't read the book and I understand that those that have love to crow at how much better it is - but was it ever thus. I have however watched every episode. Initially (knowing nothing of its pedigree) I skipped it on cursory glance, but after a friend who had read the book urged me to watch it, I decided to give it a go. Oh boy. I instantly fell in love with it.
Filmed almost entirely in one large set you could be mistaken for thinking it's a stage adaptation, but the claustrophobia simply reflects the plight of the titular character, condemned to live under house arrest in poverty whilst observing the last vestiges of Moscow opulence around him. In many ways this is why I fell in love with the production. Instead of blowing millions on location shooting and expensive CGI, the show focuses instead on the characters who intertwine and flow gracefully through the story.
These characters are so beautifully observed by both the writer and the cast that you become deeply invested in their stories and ultimately their plights.
McGregor has risen to new heights for me. I always thought positively of him but as a character actor, the natural evolution of all actors as they approach middle-age, he does a magnificent job of bringing Alex alive. The gradual growth of the character through the ages in terms of his emotional development and his reaction to the affection from all around, is a dream to watch.
I know there have been some comments about the choice of ethnicity for some of the characters at a time and place where it would not have been commonplace and as a stickler for historical accuracy I understand that. But, ultimately the choice works well in reflecting the backgrounds of those characters and only adds to the richness of the tapestry.
A Gentleman in Moscow is a must watch if you harken for a time when a great story was allowed to breathe and develop and those involved believed passionately in the work beyond simply a means to a pay cheque.
Westworld: Que Será, Será (2022)
Intelligent life does exist
Stories that make you think are rare these days in the age of Facebook and super-heroes. Westworld went out of its way to spread the pieces of the puzzle, inviting the viewer to bring them together before the big reveal. Excellent on all levels with a show stopping performance from Aaron Paul that was deeply moving.
Morning but applause from this corner of the world!
Undone: The Cave (2022)
Great to see it back
So pleased to see Undone back for a second season. Beautifully written and skilfully executed with a genuinely fascinating premise. Deserves a much wider audience.
Finding Alice (2021)
Finding malice
Being a huge fan of Hawes and noting her credit as co-creator we thought a treat was in order. Sadly not. A completely implausible main protagonist (Alice), who exhibits sociopathic tendencies at times leaves the audience feeling a complete lack of any sympathy for this character. What's more the almost cult-like worship by everyone of the deceased Harry - who from all accounts sounds as big a pillock as his partner, does nothing to encourage sympathy.
Not short on budget or pedigree it simply failed to deliver. A missed opportunity. Never mind Keely - after the near perfect It's A Sin, you are allowed the occasional stinker!
The Irregulars (2021)
Here we go again
Nothing at all to commend here. Perhaps the simplest way of putting it is my daughter, who is at the age the producers were clearly aiming this bloat-fest at, hated it. A life long Sherlock Holmes fan she thought it was a travesty. At least with the Cumberbatch Sherlock they didn't hide its 21st century values while sticking to the great man's legend and bringing unique value.
This is just a colossal waste of money that cynically hijacks the Holmes brand to lure in unsuspecting viewers delivering nothing back in return. I'm sure the pitch to the Netflix commissioning panel was infinitely better.
Another Life (2019)
The curse of the 21st century...
... is that thanks to Facebook everyone thinks their opinion has value. Reading 90% of the reviewers here proves that is definitely not the case. How can anyone condemn an entire series after watching one episode, worse not even finishing that?! Plots need time to build a story arc which is what the concept of a series is. For crying out loud it's universally accepted that Breaking Bad only becomes the genius that it is after the first few episodes of setting out the premise.
Anyway, we come to Another Life. It is definitely a grower that needs time to develop. By episode 5 the characters are fully fleshed out with complicated inter-rationships evolving and the story is on it's way to developing towards a satisfying conclusion. The production is of the quality we now associate with Netflix Originals and you get the sense of the writer trying to develop the plot in interesting unique ways to the genre while at the same time enjoying a tip of the hat to classics such as Alien (complete with Ripley underwear and stasis chamber). There are some plot leaps that don't fit and it's probably safer to call it a space fantasy than pure sci-fi, but in many ways it makes up for it with occasional flashes of inspiration - including one of the first positive trans characters I can recall seeing in a production like this.
Good effort worthy of sticking with. I just hope the wall of 1 star, 1 episode entitleds didn't put you off!
The Lion King (2019)
Groundbreaking CGI - a masterpiece!
I don't get the panning disney lion king is getting - especially on YouTube. Personally I preferred it to the original cartoom and technically it's literally groundbreaking! No CGI before has come this close to reality. Breathtaking.
I get if it didn't give you the emotional buzz you got when you went with mommy, aged 3, but 1 star out of 10? 1? Really? Come on!
They say it's because the animal's faces don't show emotion. The animators deliberately worked within what was physically possible for real animals. The emotion is definitely there, but like a talented actor it's subtle and believable, blending realism within the fantasy of the story.
If you want your anthropomorphism to be higher up the human dial, go and watch Cats! Oh you don't like that because they look too human? How about stopping with the entitlement and respect a movie as the art that the makers intended rather than disliking it because you have totally missed the point!