pcjm Reviews

The Beautiful Game (2024)

Not so uplifting

[4/10 · 1 April 2024]

Terrific performances from the dependable Bill Nighy and Micheal Ward. The latters performance being especially commendable in making you thoroughly dislike his character 'Vinny' throughout the entirety of the movie. And that's the problem here - many people become homeless through no fault of their own and remain thoroughly decent humans still able to relate and empathise with other people in challenging circumstances.

The character of 'Vinny' just seems to have a massive chip on his shoulder for the whole movie and is basically an unlikeable dick. The fact that the payoff is he 'wins' at football in the end doesn't cut it. His redemption is too late and too misplaced to redeem a movie that should have been so much better. Good acting, great location, duff movie.

Oppenheimer (I) (2023)

Enjoyable - could have been better

[7/10 · 13 August 2023]

I had really been looking forward to this movie as historical biopics based on real life events is one of my favourite genres. However I think the storyline and the 'A' list cast would have been better handled by a different director.

Nolan always seems to try to put his trademark on movies and they really shouldn't be about him and his style. This Nolan movie suffered badly from a lack of contextualisation around the two hearings from the outset. Who are these people? What is going on? How do they fit into the story? You have to work that out for yourself further into the movie, if you can.

As you are struggling to understand what is happening you are also bamboozled by Nolans favourite trick of monkeying around with timelines. Just like his Tenet and his Interstellar the movie jumped forwards and backwards at a dizzying pace, without really clarifying if you were in the past, present or future. Or when you were in the past or future, whether it was before or after the last point you went backwards or forwards.

Then there is the usual mumbled dialogue in places which is a feature of Nolan movies and one apparently that he is proud of. In the moment recordings I believe they are - but when the Artsy benefits detract from your ability to follow a film that should be straightforward but is already barely comprehensible it's just not helpful.

The score and cinematography were great, as were all the actors, and the story. Though to be honest history remembers Oppenheimer for the bomb, not the political fallout with a minor American politician, which added unnecessarily to the length of the movie and was a bit off-kilter in terms of where the plot and story should, and would have gone under a better director.

Mission: Impossible II (2000)

Slow and Soppy

[4/10 · 8 July 2023]

Didn't enjoy MI2 as much as MI1. I understand the franchise improves so I'll stick with it. This movies started really well, great cinematography and action. Sadly it then got bogged down for an extended period developing a love interest between the characters of Tom Cruise and Thandie Newton. Full of Nineties references sexualising Newton throughout. Eventually I got sick of it and went off to make a cup of tea whilst waiting for a plot to break out. The second quarter was a bit better as a plot did indeed begin to resurface. The second half of the film was pretty decent but hard to recover from the extended soppy period, and of course a soppy ending. If you don't fancy Thandie Newton you'll find this movie quite irritating.

Beyond Paradise (2023– )

Woke but alright if you can live with that

[5/10 · 19 March 2023]

So the lead white male plays the idiot as you would expect if you've been folloomwing the Paradise franchise. Nothing new there. This sequel series is largely filmed in picturesque Looe in Cornwall athough for reasons unkonwn it positions itself as Devon. We haven't seen a scone scene yet so we don't know for sure if these are Devonians on a break or they really are Cornish. I really enjoyed the first two episodes, eapecially the way they took the viewer through an immersive 'whodunnit' experience at the reveal. Very good. My dealbreaker came in episode three. My wife said 'I bet that's the Super!'. I said - yeah reckon so as the casting is a black female. And away we go yet again. Woke woke woke.

The Twelve (2022– )

Not family viewing

[1/10 · 7 August 2022]

Was looking forward to seeing Sam Neill in this. But its borderline unwatchable with a family. Some of the content makes for really uncomfortable family viewing and I felt deliberately screened out relatively early. Shame really as everything gets weighed up when I consider the value I am getting for my significant monthly Foxtel payment.

The Gray Man (2022)

Lacks a proper story arc

[4/10 · 24 July 2022]

For me for a movie to score above a 5 it needs a beginning a middle and an end. Good action scenes but plot was hard to discern at times. Got a bit bored with the endless fight scenes towards the end. Also didn't really end satisfactorily with too many loose ends. The trend of keeping endings open for a sequel is one of the most annoying facets of modern movies.

To Be Someone (2020)

Loved this

[9/10 · 6 July 2022]

Read the book and then the negative reviews in here and was expecting the worst. Look its not Shakespeare and the plot is naff but its a bundle of well dressed fun. I loved it. Great to see Mark, Lesley and Toyah again - none of us Quadrophenia kids are spring chickens anymore but they are all still gorgeous. Perry Benson from This is England was great casting. Watch it for the buzz, for the scooters or the clobber and don't get so uptight yer miserable gits.

Spencer (2021)

Americans

[2/10 · 6 July 2022]

Was looking forward to this one as I love a decent Royal period drama. But there was something horribly amiss about this portrayal. Add to that the absence of plot and context and you have a movie that is borderline umwatchable.

All the Devil's Men (2018)

Sweary Mess

[2/10 · 30 April 2022]

Plenty of awful content - in the sense that the violence is intended to be shocking. Language so bad you wouldn't even find it on a rappers album. Wife and I on our phones before the end, so disengaged neither of us could tell the other how it ended.

Being the Ricardos (2021)

Flashbacks and Flashforwards everywhere

[2/10 · 10 April 2022]

This film was very difficult to follow if you prefer a story arc and a linear approach. Falls victim to the modern obsession with flashing forwards and back and if you can't follow it - you're the stupid one. Lost after about 90 minutes so gave it up.

Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (2011)

Decent for a Wednesday night, but not one for keeps.

[5/10 · 2 March 2022]

Should have been an 8 or 9 with that cast and storyline. Couldn't follow the storyline as it jumped around all over the place. If you didn't grasp that Spy A didn't actually cark it at the start you'd be utterly lost. Not the hallmark of a great movie.

The Beatles: Get Back (2021)

Masterpiece

[10/10 · 28 February 2022]

One of the worlds greatest directors with the greatest band the world has ever seen. How some of the most iconic songs ever made came into being. Unmissable.

The King's Man (2021)

A bit of a hard watch

[4/10 · 26 February 2022]

Not as good as the other Kingsman movies. Overlong, the usual Hollywood woke tropes, hard to watch unnecessary war scenes, too many dragged out fight scenes. No discernible plot or story arc until very late in the movie. Some ridiculous constructs. Other than that alright for a wet Monday evening.

Wild (I) (2014)

Slow and choppy

[3/10 · 19 February 2022]

Lots of potential in the story but butchered by the Director. Limited use of flashbacks in movies is bearable but if half the movie is flashbacks why not run the bloody thing in time order anyway? That way you get a better sense of the character rather than this mess where you get no empathy and no flow. Just annoyed me in the end.

The Gold and the Glory (1984)

Dated

[3/10 · 30 January 2022]

Interesting to see the Gold Coast in the early 80's. With its horrific pay off for the terrible father this movie is pretty much a case study in toxic masculinity. Way too much time spent on the band and ballet scenes too.

The Green Knight (2021)

Hard to watch

[3/10 · 27 December 2021]

Incomprehensible plot and story arc but the costumes were nice. Started well but totally lost its way about halfway. Was reduced to admiring the scenery and gratuitous porn by the end. Nice jizz shot towards the end. Not one for the family.

Jungle Cruise (2021)

Unnecessary Agenda Insertion

[5/10 · 26 November 2021]

Was really enjoying this until sexual preferences were shoehorned in totally unnecesarily. The movie was great slapstick fun, not taking itself too seriously until the jarring change of pace for the serious virtue signalling wokery. No problem with lgbt etc people. Just stop ramming it down our throats everywhere.

The Thing (1982)

Not as food as expected

[6/10 · 31 October 2021]

Probably had too much of a build up. Got round to watching it finally. Great fx but confused plot and little character development. Disappointing end. Expected more. No feels at all.

The Last Leg (2012– )

News delivered with politics

[1/10 · 12 October 2021]

Not too dissimilar from The Project. Hosts trying to be funny whilst delivering news with a left wing bent. Laugh at each others unfunny jokes and repartee. Deeply unedifying and a tough show to sit through.

Underwater (2020)

Watch with subtitles

[3/10 · 8 October 2021]

Some decent bits but vast tracts where you can't understand a word thats being said and at the end you don't care who lives or dies. Was glad when it ended.

The North Water: The Devils of the Earth (2021) Season 1, Episode 4

Poor episode

[5/10 · 8 October 2021]

Good series but found this one a bit Artsy and plagued by overacting. I think the Director indulged himself a bit at the expense of the viewer.

No Country for Old Men (2007)

Was going to give it an 8 but then a

[4/10 · 30 September 2021]

Really enjoyed this. Gritty, great cast and atmospherics. Decent plot but then just at the end, it stopped mid sentence. So I can only give it a 4 until such time as the director can be arsed to finish the movie.

Cinderella (I) (2021)

Enjoyed it

[7/10 · 26 September 2021]

Not made for my demographic and I expected it to be insufferably woke and cringeworthy so went in with very low expectations. Nice tunes, some decent comic acting and a nice storyline. Lovely set. Really quite enjoyed it.

Emma. (2020)

Absolute corker

[9/10 · 24 September 2021]

Beautiful movie. A well known story to nearly everyone, me being an exception as I've never read Austen. Really well cast with actors experienced at period dramas and beautifully shot around Syon. Costuming excellent. A complete joy. Would have been a 10 but my wife said I'd enjoy the Amelia Fox version more.

Infinite (2021)

Formulaic alpha male junk

[2/10 · 13 August 2021]

Watched this last night. Had to jump on here this morning as I couldn't remember the storyline or the ending. Instantly forgettable. Dreadful soundtrack. Some of the cgi was good, thats about it. Couldnt engage with the characters, felt nothing throughout and couldn't care who lived or died or who won.