davidhands Reviews

How It Ends (2018)

Thought required.

[6/10 · 15 July 2018]

If you watch this film with the expectation of a well ordered context and a clearly explained at the beginning of the film setting and a happy ever after ending then you're going to be disappointed. Watch the film as though you were in the character's shoes - something has happened, it happened somewhere else but was of sufficient magnitude to affect everything. Authority appears to have collapsed, there are no comforting messages on radios telling you what to do, the power's out. Highways you would expect to be clogged with traffic stand empty. No one you meet knows what's happened or have vague fragments of rumours. This film is, loosely, like a kind of 'Cloverfield, the Road Movie', (Bokeh has a similar theme) - 'most people have disappeared, no explanation is offered, the characters react'. It's not too bad a film, there are a lot of 'made for TV' disaster movies that are dreadful but this film isn't one of them. The relationship between the two characters develops obviously and there are few twists. The end sequence seems to indicate that the "big event" was, at least in part, volcanic in nature. I didn't regret watching it and I watched it through to the end.

Designated Survivor (2016–2019)

Compelling but clunky and periodically plain embarrassing.

[7/10 · 13 May 2017]

I've just binge watched it up to the end of Episode 18. The initial premise is interesting, whether or not it's actually based in reality. You always need to grant some leeway with "initial premises", especially these days. I stopped watching 24 after the second season because I found it too infantile and silly. I did watch The West Wing through to the end. This is a sort of 24 meets The West Wing. The show lets itself down with too many loving gazes between the President and his wife (does she have any flaws at all?), some terribly clunky lines and worst of all, the relentless US Patriot, buzz word laden speeches. "The American people deserve...". "Rebuilding our amazing nation...". "Rebuilding our fantastic Government". There's no mention of lobbyists or Corporate involvement in Government. There's no mention of the profound disconnect between citizen and Government that is a feature of contemporary politics. The various "third rails" of US politics are briefly mentioned. It is a show about a fantasy America and a fantasy American Government. It's the TV Show version of America that is challenged by the initial events and it responds the way TV Show script writers think such a world would respond. Having said all that, it moves reasonably quickly and the split between the two story arcs is well handled and engaging. The only caveat is - if you find "true blue, Mom and Apple Pie American sentimental patriotism" too much to bear, you're going to struggle with this show. But it's probably worth bearing with, all in all. There are far, far worse shows on TV.