williecroft Reviews

The Holdovers (2023)

Very good. Well directed and well acted.

[8/10 · 25 December 2023]

Kind of knew this would end well but with a bit of a twist. My test of a good movie is simple; do I care what happens to the characters. I don't need to believe that they are real or anything - just care what happens. All the cast without exception were great excellent and drew me into the story.

The only scene I thought was a bit naff was the slightly ridiculous street prostitute. I think a different way of implying that Mr Hunham was a virgin would have been better. It made me think Alexander Payne was going for the Holden Caulfield vibe just for the sake of it.

Otherwise top notch. Tying together the diverse problems of the three was really well done.

Luther: The Fallen Sun (2023)

Quite an Achievement - Worst Movie Ever Slapped Together.

[1/10 · 18 March 2023]

Should be re- named "Ludicrous".

Badly acted, badly written with a frankly daft plot, atrociously cast and directed, Americanised cops running around London with big assault rifles and Americanised dialogue (always a giveaway when cops say "I'm gonna need you to do" whatever).

The only saving grace was Andy Serkis's mad hairdo.

There's almost no point going through the plotline. Others here will have rightly pointed out how lazy and trash it is. At least 007 villains had global domination in mind. The villain here had no discernible motive at all.

The Norway Fortress of Solitude was particularly nonsense. Still, at least a ferry from Dover goes there. A ferry where it's no problem to bundle an intended murder victim into the back of your big LandRover and roll on roll off. A LandRover that won't drive on a flat area with snow on it (but only at first, works ok when Luther is given time to jump aboard.

Lucky good ol' wotcha Luther can hold his breath for half an hour at a time. Also lucky that the rescue late to the party cops bring fully equipped divers and ice-breakers whenever they go out.

In summary, I can suspend disbelief no problem but this film insults your intelligence.

Ludicrous!

The Northman (2022)

did i watch a different movie?

[3/10 · 14 May 2022]

Now here's the thing. I use IMDB as the one good reliable source of review. I know everyone's taste is different and that's why the I ignore the high scores for the Marvel stuff. But this! 7.7! Kidman is a great actor but not in this tripe. The rest are so with viking accents ranging from irish including Belfast to american to pakistani/indian. The fantasy stuff was boring and looked like bbc special effects circa 1971. The story was kids tv from same era spiced up with brutality. Oh my! Have you ever seen such cruelty? The utterly unconvincing Olga of the Birches character was the last straw. Preferred noggin the nog.

Scot Squad (2014– )

Used to be funny

[4/10 · 7 February 2022]

Loved this at first and the characters are spot on but really, same old gags episode after episode. The characters were well observed so why on earth move nice but dim volunteer Ken to Sgt when the joke was around well-meaning but out of depth volunteers. Just showed they had run out of ideas. I think time to call a halt.

Damnation (2017–2018)

Could have been good.

[4/10 · 6 December 2021]

Well, interesting story, the striker/strikebreaker tension was historically reasonably accurate (although the killing was not quite on the WW1 scale portrayed here perhaps). The plot lost its way very quickly however with the guess what? Stuff, he's really my father, brother, whatever, stuff. Nevertheless I watched the series up until the hunting party episode where it just became too ludicrous. When the "housewife's" sex machine was included I knew the show was doomed. I gave up regular viewing but watched the final episode and a kid at school could have predicted how it would finish. Basically a good yarn wasted. High tripe content.

Midnight Mass (2021– )

Fun but twice as long as it needed to be.,

[6/10 · 19 November 2021]

This is an easy show to review. Loved the isolated location although the Islanders were a messy, untidy lot. Loved the handling of the background Islamophobia and the USA brand of unthinking Christianity, loved the tale itself with its nods to Jonestown and Trumpian gullibility. Decent actors

Minuses - not too many. Mostly the unavoidable plot holes when things get too mystical. For example the doctor; all her patients' blood samples exploding in sunlight (must check that out in the next few weeks or so), the hunt the foetus bit (same, although i saw it with my own eyes, oh well I won't bother checking further ). The mum of the doctor's naff "oldie" make-up with those daft glasses, the early disappearance of the drug dealer that the hardly over-worked sheriff wasn't too bothered about, a few other bits n pieces. All ok really but good grief, those long, long barrack-room philosophical monologues that everyone indulged in. Even the kids. Coupled with the syrup laden, hymm singing, luvey-dovey behaviour of the town's adult couples (after they all committed mass murder mainly) it tended to destroy any interest I had in the outcome or any of the characters. At times I was hoping the Angel of the Lord would swoop down and take me. Or at least wake me up.

Blood Father (2016)

wooden, big explosions, lazy

[1/10 · 10 September 2016]

not much to say about this instantly forgettable rubbish. no cliché was left unused. the drug dealers were drug dealers, the king of the cons was a king of the cons, the bikers hung out at a bikers bar, the bike chase was the bike chase, daddy Mel could fight any amount of baddies, goodie bullets hit their targets baddies (had military grade weaponry - like everyone in America) couldn't hit a barn door, i think you get the picture.

Mel isn't exactly a great actor but my goodness, such guff! the acting was awful - even William Macy was rubbish.

Iam trying hard to think of pluses but cant!

save yer cash is what i say!

Sunset Song (2015)

Extremely Disappointed

[1/10 · 13 December 2015]

Without a doubt the biggest movie disappointment of the year. It's hard to add much to the other user reviews but from where I was sitting the accents were awful, Deyn was completely wooden and although I'm a bit of a fan if his, Peter Mullen played hard dad Peter Mullen as usual. believe me I could go on because there are so many truly naff issues with this film. The fact is the Grassic Gibbon story was butchered. I doubt if any of the film maker even read it! OK exaggeration but not much of one.

Its not a documentary and like everyone else I'm at the movies so happy to suspend disbelief but there were too many "that's nonsense, they widnae dae that" moments for me and I could hear a general stifled groan in the Glasgow audience. I mean, who comes into your house and just starts singing for flip's sake?

lastly, can't anyone other than a Scot recognise a true Scots accent? Grass Gibbon's trilogy was so great, so well adapted by the BBC all those years ago and in fact so well loved that it makes me sad to watch this movie.