claytons-247-235960

Lesbian, yes, but not as full on as perhaps expected. Of course there are a handful of explicit scenes. However, this film is beautifully set in its time period - that of Margaret Thatcher's Britain - and with considerable complexity in all the characterisations. The film tells an all too credible story. Much as one might not care for the full-on gay lifestyle at times depicted it becomes apparent how one might be forced into it by the mores of the time. Fine acting, especially Rosie McEwen as Jean, and the rest of the cast were equally capable. The cinematography is both excellent and unobtrusive.

A different love affair, very well done. Why is it that we unthinking accept older men with much younger women, but jib at the reverse? Fanny Ardant might well change some minds - this was unquestionably a great role for her. Fortunately the rest of the cast are up to her standard. Some humour, some pathos, and a story line that knows where it's going, though perhaps falters a little at the end (a couple of times I thought, is this the closing shot? When it wasn't)

Well filmed in a variety of locations - though I doubt the Kinsale tourist bureau will be promoting this film! Most attractive and appropriate music, too.

It's hard to watch a film in which most of the characters - including the lead and customers in the restaurant - are unsympathetic; with no apparent plot; where the camerawork is all apparently hand held and hence shaky; and where nothing is sharp. The publicity for this film trumpets that it's been filmed in a single shot. This may be very clever, but what's the point of filming this way if it doesn't appear to make any real difference? It didn't work for Hitchcock in Rope (where he obviously faked it anyway), and seems pointless here.

Even most of the food looked unappealing. I simply don't understand the enthusiastic reviews this film has garnered.

We put up with it for half an hour, then walked out.

This could have been a successful film, had the writer/director decided upon a focus for it. Instead, he offered a multitude of possibilities: a film about the terrible losses of the First World War, with some documentary elements? About its poets and their poetry? About how those who survived were so often damaged? About gay life in the 20s and 30s? Or a biography of Sassoon? Their non-solution: a little bit of all of these, jumbled together. No wonder it runs over time.

As for Sassoon's life, we were offered his conversion to Catholicism, quite unrelated to anything else, and not even the dates of his life at the end.

I see a couple of other reviewers above have commented that this story is 'incomplete' or doesn't give us all the answers. How could it? Whether the painting is genuine is still uncertain.

What it does do, extremely well, is tell a fascinating story. Part 1 is about the painting's restoration and appraisal, Part 2 about its sale. But then there's a Part 3!

Finally, unlike so many films, it's the right length - not overlong.

I wasn't sure about this film, but it proved better than I'd hoped. Excellent acting from all the cast - Mick Jagger included - and lovely Italian scenery and moody cinematography. The plot took a while but the relaxed pace played dividends, there were some nice incidental bits of humour, and there were a couple of lovely twists at the end.

So far we've only watched the first three episodes, but I'm impressed. The First reminds me very much of For All Mankind, an outstanding series on Apple TV+. Both have a science fiction background: The First concerning a first trip to Mars, For All Mankind asking the question, What if the Russians had got to the moon first? But at least as important are the characters and situations they find themselves in. Far from space opera (such as The Expanse) both series deal with real issues, as does all serious science fiction.

Acting is excellent and the characters credible (Sean Penn the by far the best known name). If the SFX are not in your face, they are still impressive and there are a few nice touches. Some imaginative filming too.

So far this series is taking its own time, with no cliff hangers at the end of the episodes, and that's fine by me. If you want missile attacks, races and aliens, look elsewhere. But if you like thoughtful science fiction, do try this.

Take half a dozen stereotypical sf film ingredients, add digital sfx and stir. No need for imagination or originality.

So here we have a bug shoot. Oh, and the more ammo sprayed around the better. Of course all the principal characters survive - and naturally the coward redeems himself. Add in father/son issues, a father/daughter relationship, time travel, a crashed spaceship and you have it.

Marianne plays a transcription of a Vivaldi item on the keyboard, and then the orchestral original is heard at the end - a very touching conclusion. However, Vivaldi wasn't at all well known in the nineteenth century; he was largely rediscovered in the twentieth. The storm from Beethoven's pastoral symphony would have been equally effective, and was widely available in keyboard transcription.

Set almost entirely in a cryogenic capsule - albeit one a bit larger than most, fortunately - this is a compelling film which successfully drip feeds the situation to the viewer. Melanie Laurent is outstanding in what is all but a solo role. No spoilers, but there is a section near the end that's uncomfortable to watch.

To suit the needs of the plot, one aspect of the communication would have been impossible; to reveal that would be a major spoiler.

I'd read the book, but didn't recognise - or didn't remember - the plot. The country town setting, some of the characters and a prolonged drought are all here, it's just that I seem to remember the plot in the book was much more complex. Admittedly it's now some time since I read the book, and of course things have to be simplified and characters and details omitted to make a viable film script. The acting, especially Eric Bana's, was fine and the cinematography excellent.

Knives Out is a great spoof of the Agatha Christie whodunnit genre. I really enjoyed it, laughing out loud on several occasions. Well filmed, with a great choice of house to set it in, well decorated - especially a circular knives decoration.

No spoilers, but the plot does have some crazy twists and turns. The ending is very neat.

The cast is good too - especially Ana de Armas - with just one exception. Was Daniel Craig told to overact? Or was he simply trying too hard?