brianljohns7

IMDb member since September 2013
    Lifetime Total
    10+
    IMDb Member
    10 years

Recent Check-Ins


See more

Reviews

The Family Court Murders
(2022)

Too long, amateurish
Is it a movie or a documentary? Bits of interviews, over the place. If I want see a interview or a statement I want to hear and don't need music. What's the point of the smo slo for the grief ?

Dublin Murders
(2019)

Waste of Time
Do yourself a favour and give this show a miss. The first couple of episodes are intriguing: a nicely posed mystery of who murdered Katy Devlin and why and what is the connection with the missing children case, but then a new, completely improbable story concerning an identical twin takes over, with no relevance to either. I lasted to episode 6. I took a look at User Reviews here and learnt that we never find out what happened to the missing children - well, WTF ?

What/If
(2019)

Laughably bad
If it didn't have Renee Zellweger in it I would rate it at under zero.

The Anderson Tapes
(1971)

Ahead of its time
A landmark movie, which seems to have been forgotten or deliberately rubbed out like the eponymous tapes. It's interesting to read Roger Ebert's review now and see how he thought the emphasis on secret taping was an unnecessary addition to the story, when in fact it was of the essence.

Long men fei jia
(2011)

A brilliant spectacle
I enjoyed this movie right from the start with the huge sweep of the camera through the docks and swooping right into the action as Jet Li's character bursts into the assembly of extravagantly dressed officials. It's a long story, with a sort of Lara Croft like finale, and spectacular action scenes, at least 2 lookalike characters, and a love story on the way. You might want to watch it a second time so you can fully understand who's who, but I reckon thus is a masterpiece.

Widows
(2018)

Disappointing
With a cast including Liam Neeson, Viola Davis, Robert Duvall,Michelle Rodriguez, and Colin Farrell, and a story written by Lynda La Plante, one is entitled to be disappointed in this film. Too long, too slow to develop, and too many side stories (like Alice's escort client, the recruitment of Belle, for example ; and did the Amanda character add anything?) When we finally got to the robbery, the exciting music was good and the action good, but the denouement with Veronica and Harry was a bit limp and cliche-ish I thought. The best parts by far were when Robert Duvall was on screen.

Eight Days That Made Rome
(2017)

How to make important events boring.
A fairly superficial coverage of significant events in Roman history.. I don't think I learnt anything new at all, and I thought the dramatisations a bit simplistic, and quite unnecessary. I also though it a mistake to have the presenter dressed so as to emphasise her ample cleavage. Bring back Mary Beard - she makes the most mundane of Roman things interesting and exciting.

The Siege of Jadotville
(2016)

Brilliant ! A new classic is born.
Wow ! What a surprise packet this is. In the same vein as, and at least as well made as "Zulu". The direction, casting, and acting are all first rate, and the combat scenes are realistic and convincing, and without any corny Hollywoodisms. Thoroughly engrossing war action. In addition, the film gets across to us an understanding of the global situation at the time and the significance of the assassination of Lumumba and the purported secession of Katanga from the Congo. The strongest message though is how the major powers failed to support the UN in the Congo, so that not only were a company of soldiers expendable, so was the UN Secretary-General himself. And De Gaulle had no hesitation in sending in legionnaire mercenaries to fight against UN peacekeepers. Jamie Dornan as Commandant (major) Quinlan and Mark Strong playing Conor Cruise O'Brien were outstanding, and I thought the actors playing the parts of Prendergast, Tshombe, and the legionnaire leader of the mercenaries were top class too. For a movie to be so good all round, a lot of credit must go the director. Looking at IMDb, it appears this is Richie Smyth's first directorial effort. I don't think it will be his last. Interestingly, or ominously, this movie comes out at a time when the clouds of civil war appear to be gathering over the Congo again, so there is a topical relevance as well.

Kiss of the Spider Woman
(1985)

Flawless
This is in the top drawer of movies ever made to date. It is flawless, a work of art in which the whole canvas is filled with colour and richness, and the true meaning of the movie gradually unfolds through a harrowing course to a powerful, moving finale. Acting and direction are all superb, and in my opinion the placing of "the spider woman" as the central icon of the movie is sheer genius, made complete by the casting of Sonia Braga, a unique beauty. The final scene with the death of William Hurt's character, the unfolding of the last petal, reaches out and grabs our heart, not unlike the final words of "Chinatown" when Nicholson's sidekick takes him aside with "Forget it Boss, its Chinatown".

40 Guns to Apache Pass
(1967)

Quaint Museum Piece
This is just superficial, weak, clichéd Hollywood crap. There's hardly a western movie cliché that's left out. I should say that I've enjoyed quite a few Audie Murphy movies, but when the movie is otherwise bad, he comes across very unconvincingly. He's such a brave boy isn't he ! What is interesting and museum-worthy is the basic premise of the story, namely that the natives are the bad guys for trying to stop the European settlers taking over their land. I was surprised that this ethos could be on display as late as 1966 when the movie was made. If this was the mainstream attitude at that time then it is no wonder the US felt no reluctance in waging war on Vietnam as punishment for its outrageous behaviour in objecting to the US invasion. Times were of course achangin' : "Little Big Man", one of America's greatest movies,was made only 4 years later in 1970.

See all reviews