Deadly Illusions sets off to a promising start before sliding gradually into farce. It feels as if those involved just went along with the flow, perhaps too naive or too scared of the director to speak up about the bizarre script and poor editing. Inconsistent pacing, curious but incomplete interludes and the laughable plot, combined with unconvincing acting and a pathetically weak ending, result in an altogether unsatisfactory performance. If this was produced as a showcase or proposal for a film to be made by a major studio, it would not have sold without significant improvements. As it is, it falls almost completely flat. The one bright spot (sufficient for a second star) is Greer Grammer's vindictive persona that finally emerges after far too much of her vacant sicophantic drivel in the first three-quarters. That at least was convincing and heart-felt, whereas the rest were merely coasting along.
Reviews
17 Reviews
MI-5
(2002–2011)
Overhyped fantasy
19 July 2023
Such an inconsistent series of episodes - a few quite good, most OK, some sheer farce, barely up to am-dram-panto standard ... and yet strangly addictive, wondering if the next episode will be worth watching or another big let-down. The entire premise is weird: a dozen spooks backed by a bevvy of silent extras, all studiously avoiding the limelight, and supported by an invisible army of tech wizzards capable of, of, well, whatever fantastic nonsense is required for the sake of the plot. Invisible, undetectable two-way comms - no problem. Instant teleportation anywhere in the city, why not? Trackers that go ping as the red dot crosses the map like an 80s video game, sure. A backpack bomb complete with LED countdown, naturally! I almost expected Bruce Willis to make a guest appearance, just behind Mr Bean.
Dog
(I) (2022)
A dramedy
26 December 2022
Despite a few amusing incidents, this is more drama than comedy - almost a shaggy dog story really, in good humour though.
Channing and the dog play very well together: both are fully convincing in their roles. Other actors not quite so much, but still more than merely passable.
The underlying theme of post traumatic stress disorder strings the whole film together nicely, for both dog and soldier, without descending too far into pity, mental ill-health or violence. The flashbacks to wartime are very subtle compared to other films of this genre, gently woven into the story line. Nicely done.
All in all, a surprisingly engaging film and a well-told story.
Channing and the dog play very well together: both are fully convincing in their roles. Other actors not quite so much, but still more than merely passable.
The underlying theme of post traumatic stress disorder strings the whole film together nicely, for both dog and soldier, without descending too far into pity, mental ill-health or violence. The flashbacks to wartime are very subtle compared to other films of this genre, gently woven into the story line. Nicely done.
All in all, a surprisingly engaging film and a well-told story.
Ordinary Love
(2019)
Ordinary film?
24 August 2021
The story is straightforward, the script humdrum, the cinematography and sound unobtrusive. The acting and direction, though, take this up a notch or two. Giving true-to-life, credible, natural performances on screen is harder than it seems - tougher perhaps than Liam's usual staged, choreographed and well-rehearsed action scenes. Those of us lucky enough to have experienced or still be in this kind of bond will surely appreciate the subtleties and realities of a deep, trusting relationship, communicating in tone and body language that I suspect was ad-libbed, fantastically well. All in all, this is a remarkably convincing portrayal of togetherness and love, a rich and uplifting character study.
Awakenings
(1990)
An outstanding tale
26 July 2021
This tells a remarkable true story, fantastically well. I can't think of any other film, especially on such a challenging subject, where the entire cast - literally without exception - is totally credible and convincing in character. We naturally anticipate or expect excellence from the likes of Williams and DeNiro, but the ensemble far exceeds expectations.
The script/screenwriting, directing and editing also deserve plaudits. The story presents numerous opportunities to exploit side stories, love interest and "drama", but no, they are subtly portrayed throughout. The fascinating story is very much centre-stage. I really appreciate the restraint.
The script/screenwriting, directing and editing also deserve plaudits. The story presents numerous opportunities to exploit side stories, love interest and "drama", but no, they are subtly portrayed throughout. The fascinating story is very much centre-stage. I really appreciate the restraint.
Ready 2 Die
(2014)
Abysmal
9 September 2020
This film has no redeeming features. The acting, script, music, cinematography, story, direction, editing, lighting, special effects, even the tattoos are rotten. The worst film I've seen in ages. An embarrassment to everyone involved. Excruciating to watch.
Armed
(I) (2018)
4 for the price of 1
20 February 2020
1) As a bold propaganda piece, the film overtly promotes gun control in the US, blending a few telling statistics into a strong emotional appeal. The style is vaguely reminiscent of An Inconvenient Truth, although not quite so direct without the monotonous voice-over.
2) As a graphic exploration of mental illness, PTSD, depression and paranoia from the sufferer's perspective, the film is truly outstanding. Covering such an intensely personal, private issue on the big screen is hugely ambitious and, for me, the film more than merely succeeds. The sets, scenes, lighting, music, acting and script, working together, open the window on torment - a seething, horrific nightmare playing on a loop inside someone's head. At the same time, the film is neither melodramatic nor pitiful. It treads the line perfectly, somehow managing to string the confusing episodes together in a way that makes sense, telling a powerful story that underpins the propaganda element.
3) As an action film, it's quite weak, passable but constrained by the other two threads. Rather than glorify violence or emphasise the carnage, it is restrained - just graphic enough to make the point but action is not the main focus or purpose. Once again, the film treads a fine line.
4) As a social commentary on US society, the film takes an innovative approach which left me feeling perplexed and helpless, almost hopeless. The tensions in the film are so strong, the positions so deeply entrenched and the interwoven issues so complex that there is no obvious resolution, not even gun control - a subtle paradox that the film brings to life in a truly creative and captivating way.
2) As a graphic exploration of mental illness, PTSD, depression and paranoia from the sufferer's perspective, the film is truly outstanding. Covering such an intensely personal, private issue on the big screen is hugely ambitious and, for me, the film more than merely succeeds. The sets, scenes, lighting, music, acting and script, working together, open the window on torment - a seething, horrific nightmare playing on a loop inside someone's head. At the same time, the film is neither melodramatic nor pitiful. It treads the line perfectly, somehow managing to string the confusing episodes together in a way that makes sense, telling a powerful story that underpins the propaganda element.
3) As an action film, it's quite weak, passable but constrained by the other two threads. Rather than glorify violence or emphasise the carnage, it is restrained - just graphic enough to make the point but action is not the main focus or purpose. Once again, the film treads a fine line.
4) As a social commentary on US society, the film takes an innovative approach which left me feeling perplexed and helpless, almost hopeless. The tensions in the film are so strong, the positions so deeply entrenched and the interwoven issues so complex that there is no obvious resolution, not even gun control - a subtle paradox that the film brings to life in a truly creative and captivating way.
Gravity
(2013)
A triumph of pixels over point
20 December 2019
The premise of this film is totally ridiculous. The back stories and love interest are manipulative and contrived. The laws of physics are blatantly ignored. And yet the computer graphics (if not the sound effects) are impressive.
Maybe on the big screen, it's possible to sit back, be wowed by the whizz and overlook the gaping black holes in this film.
Maybe on the big screen, it's possible to sit back, be wowed by the whizz and overlook the gaping black holes in this film.
The Vanishing
(II) (2018)
Tense, captivating drama
2 December 2019
Tension builds from the first scene to the last. Who are these men? What drives them to want to live in close quarters, stranded together on a small rock for weeks at a time? What if things go wrong between them, with no means of escape or summoning help?
While at times they bond and work well together, their psychological challenges bubble repeatedly to the surface. As an extraordinary situation unfolds, they take extraordinary decisions and must then live with the terrible consequences.
All the main characters are written and played convincingly. There's a depth and dark intensity to them that we seldom see in mainstream films. The rest - even the stunning Scottish scenery and the occasional violent outburst - is almost incidental, subtly under-played by skillful direction. What matters is what's going on inside their heads, and without resorting to crude storytelling through first person narrative voiceovers or flashbacks, the men's stories emerge in a way that explains their behaviours and gradually reveals their inner demons. If you can't fill in the gaps, you're not paying enough attention! Don't expect to be spoon-fed a simple or complete tale: this is a wonderfully evocative film that works by inspiring our imagination. How would we cope in the same position? Would we make the same decisions that, in context, seem almost inevitable?
While at times they bond and work well together, their psychological challenges bubble repeatedly to the surface. As an extraordinary situation unfolds, they take extraordinary decisions and must then live with the terrible consequences.
All the main characters are written and played convincingly. There's a depth and dark intensity to them that we seldom see in mainstream films. The rest - even the stunning Scottish scenery and the occasional violent outburst - is almost incidental, subtly under-played by skillful direction. What matters is what's going on inside their heads, and without resorting to crude storytelling through first person narrative voiceovers or flashbacks, the men's stories emerge in a way that explains their behaviours and gradually reveals their inner demons. If you can't fill in the gaps, you're not paying enough attention! Don't expect to be spoon-fed a simple or complete tale: this is a wonderfully evocative film that works by inspiring our imagination. How would we cope in the same position? Would we make the same decisions that, in context, seem almost inevitable?
Mama
(I) (2013)
No preconceptions
11 February 2019
Don't read the reviews, just watch this film on your own terms.
It's a unique story, well told. It's unusual to find a horror film so well acted and so atmospheric: it's scary without the usual fake blood and gore.
If you have an active imagination and don't need to be spoon-fed every nuance, you'll probably enjoy it as much as me.
It's a unique story, well told. It's unusual to find a horror film so well acted and so atmospheric: it's scary without the usual fake blood and gore.
If you have an active imagination and don't need to be spoon-fed every nuance, you'll probably enjoy it as much as me.
Split
(IX) (2016)
Great story telling
13 August 2018
What a remarkable film! The premise of the film seems quite superficial at first but as the layers are peeled back there's so much more beneath.
It's a horror film without special effects gore, an action flick without any car chases. A high-tension psychological thriller for viewers with active imaginations, who don't need to be spoon-fed every explanation.
The acting is top-notch, the script sympathetic, the cinematography and set fantastic, and the music/sound subtle enough not to be noticed, consciously, while building the tension inexorably. It's gripping, un-turn-away-able.
Seriously impressive. I don't give 10's lightly.
It's a horror film without special effects gore, an action flick without any car chases. A high-tension psychological thriller for viewers with active imaginations, who don't need to be spoon-fed every explanation.
The acting is top-notch, the script sympathetic, the cinematography and set fantastic, and the music/sound subtle enough not to be noticed, consciously, while building the tension inexorably. It's gripping, un-turn-away-able.
Seriously impressive. I don't give 10's lightly.
Black Rose
(2014)
Amateurish in all bar one respect
8 May 2018
Everything about this film is rotten - the story, the script, the direction, editing, music, effects, acting, lighting, pace, action scenes, background scenes, link scenes, scenery in general ...
Oh hang on, there is one plus point: the actors are very well dressed, well groomed.
Nothing like any LA police I've ever seen though.
Nothing like any LA police I've ever seen though.
Bastille Day
(2016)
A xenophobic romp
21 August 2017
The action runs at full throttle throughout from Paris rooftop pursuit, a bomb, car chases, several full-on fights, to a bank robbery in the midst of a riot.
The acting is solid, the dialogue not bad and the characters just a bit more than two dimensional. The story is quite convoluted but not too hard to follow, if a little predictable in places.
Talking of predictable, the bullet-proof all-American hero single- handedly solving the world's problems is a tiresome theme. Why must Hollywood consistently portray the rest of the world as stupid, inept, racist and corrupt? Self-projection maybe?
The acting is solid, the dialogue not bad and the characters just a bit more than two dimensional. The story is quite convoluted but not too hard to follow, if a little predictable in places.
Talking of predictable, the bullet-proof all-American hero single- handedly solving the world's problems is a tiresome theme. Why must Hollywood consistently portray the rest of the world as stupid, inept, racist and corrupt? Self-projection maybe?
Billionaire Ransom
(II) (2016)
A scene too far
27 July 2017
Despite the contrived situation and "Survivors" production style, the story, the acting and the scenery keep things moving along ... until the last section when it all falls in a big heap, as if they ran out of time, money or inspiration.
Little and not-so-little inconsistencies in the plot accumulate steadily, gradually becoming more noticeable. I'm happy to suspend reality for a creative tale, well told, so long as whatever takes place is reasonably credible within the context of the story. Take things too far, though, and those inconsistencies become distracting. Reality reasserts itself and the moment is lost.
FWIW I suggest you stop watching when the FBI becomes involved and imagine your own conclusion.
Little and not-so-little inconsistencies in the plot accumulate steadily, gradually becoming more noticeable. I'm happy to suspend reality for a creative tale, well told, so long as whatever takes place is reasonably credible within the context of the story. Take things too far, though, and those inconsistencies become distracting. Reality reasserts itself and the moment is lost.
FWIW I suggest you stop watching when the FBI becomes involved and imagine your own conclusion.
Eddie the Eagle
(2015)
Insightful
12 July 2017
I remember Eddie the Eagle as a joke, a laughing stock, incessantly pilloried by the gutter press and sneered-at by the mainstream media alike.
This film made me realise just how wrong I was.
Those shots peering down from the top of the ramp at the tiny people in the distance barely hint at the terror, standing up there and knowing that when you set off, there is only one way down.
They don't so much fall, as plummet.
I enjoyed the humour and the music, but most of all the story ... just ... worked. I know it's dramatised, it's not a documentary. Doesn't matter. It was something unique, truly special. And the film captures the essence of Eddie's '15 minutes of fame' in a remarkably positive and upbeat way. A true Olympian.
This film made me realise just how wrong I was.
Those shots peering down from the top of the ramp at the tiny people in the distance barely hint at the terror, standing up there and knowing that when you set off, there is only one way down.
They don't so much fall, as plummet.
I enjoyed the humour and the music, but most of all the story ... just ... worked. I know it's dramatised, it's not a documentary. Doesn't matter. It was something unique, truly special. And the film captures the essence of Eddie's '15 minutes of fame' in a remarkably positive and upbeat way. A true Olympian.
Before Sunrise
(1995)
Banal and contrived, yet intriguing
10 June 2016
The plot throws a young couple together in a contrived situation with an arbitrarily short deadline, and we watch dutifully as the story (such as it is) trundles along to the inevitable conclusion ...
... And yet, at the same time, there's something truly captivating in this tale. The passing scenery, the predictable story, the unlikely meeting and dissonance between the characters, the tedious, naive, pretentious drivel that passes for dialog, the cow act (yes, really) ... these are mere distractions, perhaps specifically and intentionally arranged to prevent us being totally swallowed up by the huge vortex consuming our two brave protagonists before our very eyes. Despite everything, despite everyone's best efforts, fleeting glimpses of reality, little gestures and entirely credible, honest, convincing reactions escape, giving the game away: turn out this is not a film after all, but a fly-on-the-wall documentary. We're mesmerised, and the vortex has us.
This film is not for everyone but if you make it past the first 15 minutes, it's all downhill from there. Before you know it, you'll find yourself picked up and swept along on the same emotional roller- coaster that is taking the actors to places they hadn't anticipated going either.
Just before the final credits roll, we're treated to a recap of the now empty scenery from key points in the film, reflecting on what we've just been through in the same way as the departing characters. Nice touch.
Bottom line: well made, well acted, a captivating, romantic love story.
... And yet, at the same time, there's something truly captivating in this tale. The passing scenery, the predictable story, the unlikely meeting and dissonance between the characters, the tedious, naive, pretentious drivel that passes for dialog, the cow act (yes, really) ... these are mere distractions, perhaps specifically and intentionally arranged to prevent us being totally swallowed up by the huge vortex consuming our two brave protagonists before our very eyes. Despite everything, despite everyone's best efforts, fleeting glimpses of reality, little gestures and entirely credible, honest, convincing reactions escape, giving the game away: turn out this is not a film after all, but a fly-on-the-wall documentary. We're mesmerised, and the vortex has us.
This film is not for everyone but if you make it past the first 15 minutes, it's all downhill from there. Before you know it, you'll find yourself picked up and swept along on the same emotional roller- coaster that is taking the actors to places they hadn't anticipated going either.
Just before the final credits roll, we're treated to a recap of the now empty scenery from key points in the film, reflecting on what we've just been through in the same way as the departing characters. Nice touch.
Bottom line: well made, well acted, a captivating, romantic love story.
Vertical Limit
(2000)
How to watch this film
1 June 2016
1. Imagine you are 8 and have never been to the movies to see an action flick (unless you think Bambi qualifies)
2. Imagine that the director is the one being swept away by an avalanche or dangling over a cliff edge
3. Imagine that the film's climbing advisors are so incompetent that it is they who are sliding down the mountain after their packs.
4. Ignore the characters and the "action". Put some good music on your iPod and just enjoy the New Zealand South Island travelogue.
5. Get drunk. Very, v e r y drunk.
6. Pretend it is a Star Trek film, with Kirk and Bones and monsters consisting of 3 blokes under a carpet. Watch out for the tribbles.
7. Get high. Very, v e r y high. 28,000 feet is not nearly high enough.
8. Take a small sip of vodka every time you spot a technical gaffe.
9. Make out in the back row.
10. Write a review while watching the film, to fill-in the gaps.
2. Imagine that the director is the one being swept away by an avalanche or dangling over a cliff edge
3. Imagine that the film's climbing advisors are so incompetent that it is they who are sliding down the mountain after their packs.
4. Ignore the characters and the "action". Put some good music on your iPod and just enjoy the New Zealand South Island travelogue.
5. Get drunk. Very, v e r y drunk.
6. Pretend it is a Star Trek film, with Kirk and Bones and monsters consisting of 3 blokes under a carpet. Watch out for the tribbles.
7. Get high. Very, v e r y high. 28,000 feet is not nearly high enough.
8. Take a small sip of vodka every time you spot a technical gaffe.
9. Make out in the back row.
10. Write a review while watching the film, to fill-in the gaps.
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