nszponar Reviews

The Man in the Hat (2020)

Good Try For International Appreciation

[5/10 · 5 February 2022]

I really like Ciaran Hinds as an actor - he could recite the telephone book and be good - there's the clue - he has only a couple of lines of dialogue in the whole film. I think the aim was to be charming in the French farce style and the movie is certainly beguiling with lovely locations and amiable participants - even possibly achieving the world wide appeal of Mr Bean with minimal dialogue. I don't know why everybody likes Mr Bean but they seem to do everywhere so perhaps that what they were aiming for here. Possibly Wes Anderson does this eccentric style better but what are they trying to say here. It is not profound and maybe it is a little charming but there are more charming movies to be found.

Patria (2020)

A Sympathetic Telling Of A Difficult Story

[10/10 · 1 February 2022]

I read the book that this series is based on some time ago and thought that it was an honest heartfelt attempt to tell a very difficult story. Liberation struggles and the means used to try and achieve them are nothing new and not peculiar to Spain. The book and the series successfully show the corrosive effects that violence has on the human soul. It also shows that people (on all sides of the argument) need to remember their humanity. The acting and the choice of the leads was impeccable. The author of the book, Fernando Aramburu, does not live in Spain, I believe, and I wonder if this gave him a better perspective. This is still a very emotive topic in Spain itself. I would hope that the book and the series help to promote understanding even if it is a very hard watch at times.

Saint Jack (1979)

Highly Under Rated Bogdanovich Movie

[10/10 · 20 July 2017]

Just watched this movie on DVD for the first time since I saw it in 1979. It has always stuck in my mind as a story about a character which you should not like, since he is a pimp, but you cannot help liking because of the strength of the performance by Ben Gazzara. The film also makes some maybe not so subtle points about the end of the British Empire and also the end of the USA's involvement in Vietnam. Any film with Denholm Elliot in it cannot help be good. All the best stories deal with the nature of friendship and loyalty and this film tells that story very well. I cannot understand why somebody was not nominated for an Oscar but maybe it is because it is an optimistic movie made at a time when optimism was unfashionable.

Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World (2003)

For those in peril on the sea

[8/10 · 27 August 2016]

I am working my way through the Jack Aubrey/Patrick O'Brian series of historical novels and thought it would b a good idea to see the film of Master and Commander. I was a bit apprehensive about the castings and in some cases they definitely did not work. However, thinking that Russell Crowe was not right for Jack Aubrey, having seen the movie, all I can say is I can't see anyone else doing a better job. In the books, this is a man with a zest for life, courageous and maybe a bit reckless - Russell Crowe captures this very well. Still not sure about the Maturin casting because he is definitely a man who is not what he seems and that does not come across. Boden - also not quite right. However, this is a proper rendition of the period and the spirit of the books. I can only say I wish they had made more - the books do have quite a few love interests in them so this would have been good to see. Of course, it must have been expensive to film but this is what film is made for - beautiful cinematography, great set pieces, a good story and really sound acting - much better than all the action hero stuff that is out there.

The Blacklist (2013–2023)

A Mirror to Society

[29 March 2016]

I like this series mainly because of James Spader who was rather unsettling in Sex Lies and Videotape but is always an interesting actor. I don't know how much editorial input he has, but the series has shown that they are prepared to confront issues in the US that may be uncomfortable. Right from the start you see a man who seems to be both moral and amoral since he is quite prepared to kill people who may be very bad but perhaps should not be dispatched quite so easily, so it is asking you to like a man who judge and jury and who is some kind of rather unbelievable super criminal. But hey it is only entertainment. The episode of Drexel has asides and a main theme which should worry many people. What do you do if you are a woman and don't want children and what do you do if you do want children and want a career. Are you bothered about increasing ability of anybody never mind the state to monitor your life. Most people say no I have nothing to hide but you should be concerned because a democratic state should understand it's boundaries and if it does not then we all need to be worried. Then of course, states are overtaken by the economic clout of multinational companies.

Marshland (2014)

Thriller in a classic mold

[8/10 · 16 August 2015]

When you think that thoughtful and intelligent films are not being made much any more, you remember that film exists outside the Hollywood blockbusters. Spanish directors and cinematographers seem to have a great eye for the visuals and this film looks very good especially in the exterior scenes. The interesting thing about the film is the setting in time and the location. It seems that Spain still finds it hard to tackle the Franco era head on and so you will find references embedded in films which are not overtly political. You have a an old guard policeman paired with a younger liberal policeman as an odd couple investigating a serial murder in a very traditional part of Spain (which is still a very traditional part of Spain). The time frame is not so long after Franco died and Spain became a modern democracy. The older unreconstructed policeman seems to be able to relate to people better but is also not averse to using illegal, old regime style means to elicit information. I would say this is an ambiguous part of the film but at least it tries to show that the world is not black and white. Well crafted and well worth a look.

Paddington (2014)

Just not good enough

[4/10 · 31 January 2015]

Should have been an endearing and heart warming story for small children without too many creepy elements or contrived characters but just seems to be a rather lazy attempt to capture a well loved character without affection for the story. I could not suspend any amount of belief for any of the characters as you are required to do when animals start talking to you. Sommany good actors look like they just turned up for the money. Julie Walters reprised Acorn Antiques with a dubious Scottish accent. Nicole Kidman added a rather unnecessary unpleasant element to the story. Hugh Bonneville played a fuzzy vaguely middle/upper class English person which seems to be his forte. Peter Capaldi just looked sick poor soul and no wonder. The family live in a house that only a Russian Oligarch can afford. Just all wrong. No heart no affection no marmalade

A Most Wanted Man (2014)

Better than the book

[10/10 · 7 November 2014]

I did not think that I would ever say that a film could be better than the book but I think that this film achieves this. John Le Carre is a marvellous writer who I think every now and again turns out a story that does not seem to ring true - I am hesitant to use pot boiler but sometimes that seems to be the case. In the book the emphasis is much more on the banker and his seemingly meaningless life until the young Karpov turns up to claim his inheritance. In the film the emphasis is much more on the German unit tasked with anti terrorist action post 9/11. Philip Seymour Hoffman even with a 'German' accent is wonderful in the role of the spy who is tasked with the entrapment of Karpov. His performance is on par with Richard Burton in 'The Spy Who Came In From The Cold' because as always, Le Carre's stories are very much to do with the betrayal of innocence and having to live (or die) withe consequences. Such a shame that Philip Seymour Hoffman has died because he always seems to inhabit his roles. I was not disappointed by the movie. I liked the book but I think the movie got to the core of the story and such a relevant story about the morality of the Middle East conflict.

Argo (2012)

Well deserved Oscar

[10/10 · 24 August 2014]

This is a feel good movie because of course the hostages are freed but the remaining hostages were held for considerably longer. However, with swipes at the artificiality of Hollywood - the iconic sign has been restored despite being pictured as it was in the eighties, this is a film which celebrates the will to survive. Ben Affleck makes good films and is really not a bad actor - his heart is in the right place and maybe this is the way that the American public needs to be served up information on a very complex issue. The film tries to be balanced but only gives a short mention to the reasons why one of the most civilised countries in the world descended into religious bigotry and revolution. Surely the message is keep out of what you do not understand and even if you think you understand because you have learned the language and studied the culture - you don't. Perhaps someone should have thought about giving support to a despot such as the Shah might have placed its citizens at risk. I have met exiled Iranians who had suffered greatly at the hands of the revolution but I also met Iranians who hoped for great things after the fall of the Shah. When I was a student, we had the Shah's secret service tracking students on our campus with Iranian students afraid to speak freely. We can only celebrate that these people were rescued and well done Canada.

Dom Hemingway (2013)

Guy Ritchie Meets King Lear

[1/10 · 4 April 2014]

I watched this movie because Richard E Grant was in the cast. He was the best thing about this movie. Unfortunately everything else was worse than than bad. From a supposed East End crook who appears to have a King Lear complex to various stock criminal elements such as homicidal Russians, West Indians, thieving Romanians and big hearted Cockneys , this is a complete waste of time. The film seems to be an homage to Guy Ritchie but if you want to see how it should be done try Get Carter. I hope that the ending of the film does not leave open the possibility that there might be a sequel. I am not sure whether the director intended the film to be a comedy or a tragedy but the latter seems more appropriate.

Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (2011)

Curate's Egg

[5/10 · 31 August 2012]

I can only recommend 1- read the book 2 - view the BBC series with Alec Guinness. Gary Oldman and John Hurt stand out but I was surprised to see that the budget was 20M. Obviously not spent on the script since very few people got to say anything and it looked like a made for TV movie in its set pieces. This is one of the seminal espionage stories so why mess with the details. Ricky Tarr's story was altered and none of the major suspects in the book were given any voice in the film. Characters were not developed properly - what a wasted opportunity. No sense of the betrayal of friendship which is what the book is about and no sense of the humanity, frailty and intelligence which pervades the book. Disappointing all in all.