Tag: netflix

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Film Review

The Negotiator (dir. F. Gary Gray) 1998

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This is a taut thriller. It stars Samuel L. Jackson and Kevin Spacey. It didn’t do well at the box office when it was released, but it has some good visual set pieces and it has excellent performances from both lead actors, who were at the peak of their powers at that time. It has a fine cast and it is a great movie for spotting actors who went on to do other things in TV and film.

It feels dated because, although it was made in 1998, less than 20 years ago, almost the only women in the film are Jackson’s wife and J. T.Holmes’ secretary (deftly played by Siobhan Fallon Hogan). I guess, at least it shows how we have moved on in that time.

Having said that, it does what you want a thriller to do and I was involved right to the end. If you want an easy, entertaining evening in front of the TV, this will do nicely.

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Film Review

Moon (dir. Duncan Jones) 2009

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Moon is a science fiction film with a distinctly retro ambience. It is set in the 2030s but feels like it was made in the 1970s or ´80s.

Sam Rockwell puts in a great performance as Sam Bell. He needs to, because although this is not quite a single hander; he is almost the only character in this film and the next biggest role is GERTY the computer.

The director has kept everything spare and simple to focus on the story. This works well because story is strong enough to support it.

There are plot holes if you think too much about it, but the film is both engaging and thought provoking.

I really enjoyed it.

Categories
Film Review

The Wolf of Wall Street.

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This film is based on fact – the autobiography of the self proclaimed best salesman in the world about the decade he spent off his face on any drugs he could get his hands on. Perhaps not cold hard fact, then.

This is a funny, fast action romp with great performances, brilliant set pieces, and masterful direction. It is long for a film these days, but there is no let up in the action.

It is subversive. There is objectification of women – it is in the book and is central to the story. It does glamorise fraudulent drug fuelled excesses. It says that greed is bad but it depicts the opposite.

I hate to admit it, but I enjoyed the ride too much to worry about the morals of the person driving the car.