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RəX Regent (349 KP) rated Downfall (Der Untergang) (2004) in Movies
Feb 19, 2019
The true story of the last days of NAZI Germany, focusing on Hitler and his cohorts as they sought refuge on his Berlin Bunker and is chronicled here with such honesty.
Told in a straight forward manner, we are given a portrait of not only Adolf Hitler himself, played perfectly by Bruno Ganz, who manages to humanize him without ever apologising for his heinous acts, but also those close to him. Shown through the young eyes of his final secretary, Traudl Junge (Alexandra Maria Lara), we are given a picture of what The Third Reich was to those who believed in it as well as what it had become for those who would suffer at it bloody hands.
Directed by Hirschbiegel to put us, the audience in the anterooms with these monsters, we are placed into a complex environment, edgy, atmospheric and most of all, real, as we witness noble acts of patriotism, conscience and pure, despicable horror, none less so that Magda Geobells, with the full consent of her husband, Joseph, first drugging, then murdering their six children as they slept, rather than “let them live in a world without national socialism.”
The only redeeming factors were their eventual suicides and in terms of the film, their first rate performances throughout this harrowing scene. Corinna Harfouch, who portrays Magda manages to portray this evil woman yet convey the emotion which was subdued deep beneath the surface. No small feat to allow such a fleeting glimpse of humanity during such and inhuman act.
But the same must be said Bruno Ganz, who manages to portray Hitler with such humanity; whilst showing us the true nature of his monstrosities, highlighting that the REAL monsters live among us and can seduce us at any time, any where, especially when we are vulnerable.
During one of the film’s early scenes, Hitler and Albert Speer (Heino Ferch), his Armaments Minister, discussing his vision for The Third Reich as he looks over a model of the new Germany which would be built after he won the war, a Germany without department stores, instead focusing on art, literature and culture.
Surely a noble goal, but as we all know, this cultural hub would have been built at an unacceptable cost, mainly with the blood of those who Hitler and his cohorts deemed to be inferior.
This is one of many clever methods used to convey a fair portrait of Hitler and The Third Reich. To demonstrate how bad they were, you first have to show impartiality, pointing out the good in what they do, play devil’s advocate as it were. Because whether we like it or not, evil motives are often built upon decent goals.
But as this film demonstrates, as Hitler shows his destine for anyone, even his own people, who will not give their lives for HIS vision of Germany, his Third Reich was being eaten away by a cancer of his own making, a Germany rotting from the very top.
Downfall is without a doubt one of the best World War 2 films which I have ever seen, delivering a compelling and immersive look behind the scenes of one of the most important defeats in modern history.
But being British and having to follow this with subtitles, which was great as watching this in its native German only adds to the experience, it can be a bit difficult to keep up with every plot machination, as we spend two and half hours reading about troop deployments, tactics and the philosophy of the Third Reich as we are presented with such atmospheric work, but if you can keep up with but the text and visuals, this is one hell of an education for those who do not know and an immersive masterpiece for those who follow WW2 history.
Told in a straight forward manner, we are given a portrait of not only Adolf Hitler himself, played perfectly by Bruno Ganz, who manages to humanize him without ever apologising for his heinous acts, but also those close to him. Shown through the young eyes of his final secretary, Traudl Junge (Alexandra Maria Lara), we are given a picture of what The Third Reich was to those who believed in it as well as what it had become for those who would suffer at it bloody hands.
Directed by Hirschbiegel to put us, the audience in the anterooms with these monsters, we are placed into a complex environment, edgy, atmospheric and most of all, real, as we witness noble acts of patriotism, conscience and pure, despicable horror, none less so that Magda Geobells, with the full consent of her husband, Joseph, first drugging, then murdering their six children as they slept, rather than “let them live in a world without national socialism.”
The only redeeming factors were their eventual suicides and in terms of the film, their first rate performances throughout this harrowing scene. Corinna Harfouch, who portrays Magda manages to portray this evil woman yet convey the emotion which was subdued deep beneath the surface. No small feat to allow such a fleeting glimpse of humanity during such and inhuman act.
But the same must be said Bruno Ganz, who manages to portray Hitler with such humanity; whilst showing us the true nature of his monstrosities, highlighting that the REAL monsters live among us and can seduce us at any time, any where, especially when we are vulnerable.
During one of the film’s early scenes, Hitler and Albert Speer (Heino Ferch), his Armaments Minister, discussing his vision for The Third Reich as he looks over a model of the new Germany which would be built after he won the war, a Germany without department stores, instead focusing on art, literature and culture.
Surely a noble goal, but as we all know, this cultural hub would have been built at an unacceptable cost, mainly with the blood of those who Hitler and his cohorts deemed to be inferior.
This is one of many clever methods used to convey a fair portrait of Hitler and The Third Reich. To demonstrate how bad they were, you first have to show impartiality, pointing out the good in what they do, play devil’s advocate as it were. Because whether we like it or not, evil motives are often built upon decent goals.
But as this film demonstrates, as Hitler shows his destine for anyone, even his own people, who will not give their lives for HIS vision of Germany, his Third Reich was being eaten away by a cancer of his own making, a Germany rotting from the very top.
Downfall is without a doubt one of the best World War 2 films which I have ever seen, delivering a compelling and immersive look behind the scenes of one of the most important defeats in modern history.
But being British and having to follow this with subtitles, which was great as watching this in its native German only adds to the experience, it can be a bit difficult to keep up with every plot machination, as we spend two and half hours reading about troop deployments, tactics and the philosophy of the Third Reich as we are presented with such atmospheric work, but if you can keep up with but the text and visuals, this is one hell of an education for those who do not know and an immersive masterpiece for those who follow WW2 history.
Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated Call of Duty: WWII - The War Machine in Video Games
Jun 19, 2019
The second of four DLC packs for Call of Duty: WW2 has arrived for PC and Xbox One users and War Machine offers plenty of good things for fans of the series. The pack had been previously released for the PS4 and after 30 days becomes available to the other systems. The DLC set contains three new maps for multiplayer and a new War Map as well as a new chapter for the Zombie Mode saga.
The maps are available for various gameplay modes and I tried them in Hardpoint, Kill Confirmed, and Team Deathmatch modes and found I really enjoyed them.
Dunkirk
The first map I played was a highly-detailed recreation of the famous beach and seaport. Playing in Hardpoint mode, the battle featured plenty of objects to take cover behind as well as buildings with multiple levels which Snipers used to pick off anyone who came their way. I found the open area of the beach required some skillful navigation but the Ferry Terminal and abundant cover soon became my best friend during protracted battles.
Egypt
Believe it or not this is the first time a Call of Duty map has been set in this fabled locale and it is a very beautiful map complete with monuments, temples, and battle debris. The shadows in buildings give enemies a great place to hide and strike from as do the tight tunnels. I played Team Deathmatch in this mode and found myself in a constant state of run and gun as stopping to admire the scenic beauty is not advised.
V2
A rocket launch facility provides plenty of cover for those who want to stay moving but also abundant tunnels and a launch tower where sharpshooters can ply their craft. Playing Kill Confirmed was a fast and exciting experience as stopping to collect tags was highly dangerous thanks to the vast field of view from the launch tower and the abundant places for enemies to emerge from.
For The War mode of the game, the new map is called Operation Husky and it details aspects of the Allied invasion of Sicily where Allied units must locate and retrieve three key pieces of information. The Axis players must of course stop them and Trip Wires and other traps go hand in hand with the firepower one would expect.
If you are lucky enough to complete this phase, then the obtained data must be transmitted to the bomber which if successful, puts players in the cockpit of a fighter plane.
I found the plane very hard to control as it did not respond the way that I had expected it to from past flight simulators, but the action was intense and I at least was able to get a few enemy planes in my sites and unleash some damage along the way.
Of course no set would be complete without a Zombie mode, and The Shadowed Throne brings the heroes to a desolate Berlin where they must battle the unending hordes of undead in a series of locale. From a movie theater, museum, above ground and below, the enemies are fast, deadly, and just keep coming at you. Naturally you can get new weapons, abilities, and tools to help stay alive but I can tell you even after a 1hr and 25 minute match with some very skilled players, you never have enough firepower to truly be safe.
The War Machine takes the best elements of Call of Duty: WW2 and gives fans plenty to enjoy. With two more DLC packs to come and the release of Call of Duty: Black Ops IIII on October 12th, there are plenty of things coming to the series in the next few months.
http://sknr.net/2018/05/12/call-of-duty-ww2-the-war-machine-dlc-pack-2/
The maps are available for various gameplay modes and I tried them in Hardpoint, Kill Confirmed, and Team Deathmatch modes and found I really enjoyed them.
Dunkirk
The first map I played was a highly-detailed recreation of the famous beach and seaport. Playing in Hardpoint mode, the battle featured plenty of objects to take cover behind as well as buildings with multiple levels which Snipers used to pick off anyone who came their way. I found the open area of the beach required some skillful navigation but the Ferry Terminal and abundant cover soon became my best friend during protracted battles.
Egypt
Believe it or not this is the first time a Call of Duty map has been set in this fabled locale and it is a very beautiful map complete with monuments, temples, and battle debris. The shadows in buildings give enemies a great place to hide and strike from as do the tight tunnels. I played Team Deathmatch in this mode and found myself in a constant state of run and gun as stopping to admire the scenic beauty is not advised.
V2
A rocket launch facility provides plenty of cover for those who want to stay moving but also abundant tunnels and a launch tower where sharpshooters can ply their craft. Playing Kill Confirmed was a fast and exciting experience as stopping to collect tags was highly dangerous thanks to the vast field of view from the launch tower and the abundant places for enemies to emerge from.
For The War mode of the game, the new map is called Operation Husky and it details aspects of the Allied invasion of Sicily where Allied units must locate and retrieve three key pieces of information. The Axis players must of course stop them and Trip Wires and other traps go hand in hand with the firepower one would expect.
If you are lucky enough to complete this phase, then the obtained data must be transmitted to the bomber which if successful, puts players in the cockpit of a fighter plane.
I found the plane very hard to control as it did not respond the way that I had expected it to from past flight simulators, but the action was intense and I at least was able to get a few enemy planes in my sites and unleash some damage along the way.
Of course no set would be complete without a Zombie mode, and The Shadowed Throne brings the heroes to a desolate Berlin where they must battle the unending hordes of undead in a series of locale. From a movie theater, museum, above ground and below, the enemies are fast, deadly, and just keep coming at you. Naturally you can get new weapons, abilities, and tools to help stay alive but I can tell you even after a 1hr and 25 minute match with some very skilled players, you never have enough firepower to truly be safe.
The War Machine takes the best elements of Call of Duty: WW2 and gives fans plenty to enjoy. With two more DLC packs to come and the release of Call of Duty: Black Ops IIII on October 12th, there are plenty of things coming to the series in the next few months.
http://sknr.net/2018/05/12/call-of-duty-ww2-the-war-machine-dlc-pack-2/
BookInspector (124 KP) rated Cold Calling in Books
Sep 24, 2020
Even from the description, it was visible, that this book will contain tons of strong language, and it did. I believe all of us had to deal with a “cold call” at least once in our lifetime, and it is really annoying, to be honest. This book is an insight into behind the scenes of “cold calling” companies, and I found it incredibly interesting to read. After reading this novel, I promised myself not to be rude to people who work in this industry, because as it showed, their life is already not the best.
This book about a guy named Rhys. He works in a call centre and lives really sad and monotonic life. He hates his job and actually his life. His life is a routine of work, porn websites after work, casual drink with friends he hates, sleep, repeat. One day after a lot of drinks, he kills a family, takes their baby, cooks it and eats it. And it somehow changes his life, and he needs more… So this book is about a guy who from being an ordinary boring dude, becomes a vicious and exciting murderer. The characters chosen for this book are just like normal, ordinary lads, very believable and you see these kinds of people every day. Haydn Wilks has quite a bit of experience working in call centres himself, and I appreciate, that he shared the details of it with the readers.
The plot of this book left me interested and grossed out at the same time. I like horror books, but this one overwhelmed me. There were some really nasty parts in here, and if I would be a meat eater, it would put me off from it for quite a while. The details of cooking human flesh, eating it, and sharing with others just gives me nausea. So if you got weak stomach and you are sensitive, this book is definitely not for you. I really enjoyed reading about Rhys’s psychotic plans of how to find new victims and how to preserve their bodies, I like when books give insights into murderers thoughts, I find that very interesting.
This book is quite short and really quick paced, so it is a quick read even though it doesn’t have chapters. This book is written in a very interesting manner, it is like a letter to yourself, about yourself. Here is the first paragraph of the book:
“You were born the year the Berlin Wall fell. For your generation, it’s impossible to conceive of life outside capitalism. It feels as permanent and natural as gravity or the four seasons. You were born into a system and you’ve inherited its world view. A person’s beliefs are shaped by their society. No preindustrial revolution European intellectuals were openly atheist. Human civilisation is an echo chamber. Imagine how ideas that are emerging now will get amplified and distorted over time. These are the thoughts that fill your head as you stare into the computer screen; at names and addresses and telephone numbers; black details on slow-blinding white.”
So this kind of writing style justifies the lack of chapters and brought something new to my reading spectra because I don’t remember reading anything similar. This book is easy to read and doesn’t have a difficult language. I don’t know was the author lazy or genius, but this book does not have an ending. The ending of the book tells the reader to create their own ending. As this is the first book I read by this author, I really don’t know if other books by this author have the same ending style, or it’s just this one. So, to conclude, this book was too strong for me, that’s why my rating for it is not the best. However, if you have a strong stomach, interested in behind the scenes of call centres, and like books about cannibalism, this one would be a great book for you.
This book about a guy named Rhys. He works in a call centre and lives really sad and monotonic life. He hates his job and actually his life. His life is a routine of work, porn websites after work, casual drink with friends he hates, sleep, repeat. One day after a lot of drinks, he kills a family, takes their baby, cooks it and eats it. And it somehow changes his life, and he needs more… So this book is about a guy who from being an ordinary boring dude, becomes a vicious and exciting murderer. The characters chosen for this book are just like normal, ordinary lads, very believable and you see these kinds of people every day. Haydn Wilks has quite a bit of experience working in call centres himself, and I appreciate, that he shared the details of it with the readers.
The plot of this book left me interested and grossed out at the same time. I like horror books, but this one overwhelmed me. There were some really nasty parts in here, and if I would be a meat eater, it would put me off from it for quite a while. The details of cooking human flesh, eating it, and sharing with others just gives me nausea. So if you got weak stomach and you are sensitive, this book is definitely not for you. I really enjoyed reading about Rhys’s psychotic plans of how to find new victims and how to preserve their bodies, I like when books give insights into murderers thoughts, I find that very interesting.
This book is quite short and really quick paced, so it is a quick read even though it doesn’t have chapters. This book is written in a very interesting manner, it is like a letter to yourself, about yourself. Here is the first paragraph of the book:
“You were born the year the Berlin Wall fell. For your generation, it’s impossible to conceive of life outside capitalism. It feels as permanent and natural as gravity or the four seasons. You were born into a system and you’ve inherited its world view. A person’s beliefs are shaped by their society. No preindustrial revolution European intellectuals were openly atheist. Human civilisation is an echo chamber. Imagine how ideas that are emerging now will get amplified and distorted over time. These are the thoughts that fill your head as you stare into the computer screen; at names and addresses and telephone numbers; black details on slow-blinding white.”
So this kind of writing style justifies the lack of chapters and brought something new to my reading spectra because I don’t remember reading anything similar. This book is easy to read and doesn’t have a difficult language. I don’t know was the author lazy or genius, but this book does not have an ending. The ending of the book tells the reader to create their own ending. As this is the first book I read by this author, I really don’t know if other books by this author have the same ending style, or it’s just this one. So, to conclude, this book was too strong for me, that’s why my rating for it is not the best. However, if you have a strong stomach, interested in behind the scenes of call centres, and like books about cannibalism, this one would be a great book for you.
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Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated Overlord (2018) in Movies
Jul 2, 2019
June 6, 1944 is the day known around the world as D-Day. This historic day marks the massive invasion of France by the allied forces in an effort to regain the country from the hands of Germany and push back the mighty German war machine all the way to Berlin. There have been many movies, books, and even videogames about the invasion over the years, so even the biggest war buffs might be wondering…really, they made yet another movie about D-Day? Well, the movie Overlord is quite a bit different from anything we have even seen previously. This movie is still about Operation Overlord but does not focus on the amphibious assault and instead shows us the missions leading up to it. Still not unique enough for you? Well, in Overlord we have all the battles, weaponry and Nazis of an excellent war film but in true J.J. Abrams fashion we now also have ZOMBIES!
Overlord focuses on a small unit tasked to take out a radio tower atop a church in a small village in France. The unit led by Corporal Ford (Wyatt Russell) and comprised of fresh out of paratrooper training Privates Boyce (Jovan Adepo), Rosenfeld (Dominic Applewhite) and Tibbet (John Magaro) are the only survivors of the doomed mission, but understand that if they do not complete it, then the allied invasion will be without crucial air support. During their trek to the church they meet a young French woman from the village named Chloe (Mathilde Ollivier) who offers to accompany them and assist in taking out the radio tower.
When the ragtag team reach the village, it immediately becomes apparent that everything is not as it should be. They go to Chloe’s house to formulate their plan and are greeted by howling and grunting coming from a closed door down the hallway. Chloe states that her aunt also lives in the house and is very “sick” after being taken to the church by a German soldier. At the same time, through a series of unfortunate events, Private Boyce discovers a brutal laboratory where other villagers are also being made “sick”.
For those who have seen the preview of Overlord and expect it to be war-based horror movie may be a little disappointed. While there certainly are horrific events, and plenty of scenes fighting the undead, Overlord is much more about the atrocities that the Nazi regime inflicted on innocents in an effort to purse the 1000-year-old Reich. J.J. Abrams spins a tale about how a small group of dedicated soldiers can pull out the impossible, even when there are hordes of Nazi soldiers and undead monsters standing in their way and does this in a spectacular and very believable way. The movie seems far more realistic than it should considering we are talking about zombie soldiers, but the events unfold as if they could actually happen. The movie is less The Walking Dead and more Saving Private Ryan, focusing not so much on the undead creatures themselves, but more the experimentation and mad-scientist efforts to create the ultimate super soldier. The story was outstanding and how they depicted everything from the soldiers to the zombies was top notch.
The movie is beautifully shot, standing tall next to other war epics such as Saving Private Ryan or Dunkirk. Even though the main plot of the film isn’t the invasion itself, it goes to astonishing detail to show how massive the invasion truly was. The opening scene is both epic and terrifying and the horrors of war are explored throughout. The acting was also superb, leading you to immediately care about the team and root for their success in the mission.
If it is not already clear, I absolutely loved this movie! They did a masterful job of blending the war/horror genre in such a way, that it never overly feels like one versus the other. It’s an action packed, edge of your seat thriller, with just enough jump scares included to remind you that it is billed as a horror movie. Overlord is a very unique take on an unfortunate time in history and it is one of the best movies I’ve seen in 2018.
Overlord focuses on a small unit tasked to take out a radio tower atop a church in a small village in France. The unit led by Corporal Ford (Wyatt Russell) and comprised of fresh out of paratrooper training Privates Boyce (Jovan Adepo), Rosenfeld (Dominic Applewhite) and Tibbet (John Magaro) are the only survivors of the doomed mission, but understand that if they do not complete it, then the allied invasion will be without crucial air support. During their trek to the church they meet a young French woman from the village named Chloe (Mathilde Ollivier) who offers to accompany them and assist in taking out the radio tower.
When the ragtag team reach the village, it immediately becomes apparent that everything is not as it should be. They go to Chloe’s house to formulate their plan and are greeted by howling and grunting coming from a closed door down the hallway. Chloe states that her aunt also lives in the house and is very “sick” after being taken to the church by a German soldier. At the same time, through a series of unfortunate events, Private Boyce discovers a brutal laboratory where other villagers are also being made “sick”.
For those who have seen the preview of Overlord and expect it to be war-based horror movie may be a little disappointed. While there certainly are horrific events, and plenty of scenes fighting the undead, Overlord is much more about the atrocities that the Nazi regime inflicted on innocents in an effort to purse the 1000-year-old Reich. J.J. Abrams spins a tale about how a small group of dedicated soldiers can pull out the impossible, even when there are hordes of Nazi soldiers and undead monsters standing in their way and does this in a spectacular and very believable way. The movie seems far more realistic than it should considering we are talking about zombie soldiers, but the events unfold as if they could actually happen. The movie is less The Walking Dead and more Saving Private Ryan, focusing not so much on the undead creatures themselves, but more the experimentation and mad-scientist efforts to create the ultimate super soldier. The story was outstanding and how they depicted everything from the soldiers to the zombies was top notch.
The movie is beautifully shot, standing tall next to other war epics such as Saving Private Ryan or Dunkirk. Even though the main plot of the film isn’t the invasion itself, it goes to astonishing detail to show how massive the invasion truly was. The opening scene is both epic and terrifying and the horrors of war are explored throughout. The acting was also superb, leading you to immediately care about the team and root for their success in the mission.
If it is not already clear, I absolutely loved this movie! They did a masterful job of blending the war/horror genre in such a way, that it never overly feels like one versus the other. It’s an action packed, edge of your seat thriller, with just enough jump scares included to remind you that it is billed as a horror movie. Overlord is a very unique take on an unfortunate time in history and it is one of the best movies I’ve seen in 2018.
Bob Mann (459 KP) rated Paddington 2 (2017) in Movies
Sep 29, 2021
Bear faced brilliance.
I never went to see “Paddington 2” at the cinema when it came out. Well, it’s a kids film isn’t it? And my grandkids I thought… well, their probably a bit too young for the long haul on this one. But – after catching up with it recently on a transatlantic flight – I’m sorry I missed it. For it is brilliant in its own way.
Having not seen the first “Paddington”, also directed by Paul King, there is a useful little flashback to the Peruvian origins of the little chap before we pitch into the plot proper. Paddington (voiced by Ben Wishaw, “Spectre“) has nicely settled down to life with The Brown’s in their London home and is a well-loved member of the community (well, well loved that is by everyone except the cranky Mr Curry (Peter Capaldi, “Dr Who“, “World War Z“). But he longs to buy his Aunt Lucy (Imelda Staunton, “Finding Your Feet“) a special birthday present – a pop-up book of London scenes that he’s seen in a local antique shop. But for that he needs a lot of cash, and so proceeds to earn it through a variety of different jobs.
However, fading actor Phoenix Buchanan (Hugh Grant, “Florence Foster Jenkins“, “The Man From U.N.C.L.E.“) also shows an unhealty interest in the book and, after it disappears from the shop with Paddington’s paw prints all over the scene, the poor bear finds himself on the wrong side of the law.
This is a continually inventive movie, which rockets along with truly impressive verve and panache from scene to scene. As a particular example of this, an animated walk through the pop-up book is marvellously done: a tribute to the 2D retro nature (even in those days!) of the TV animation of the 70’s that will go over the heads of younger viewers. There are plenty of slapstick scenes – notably of Paddington trying window cleaning, and his job in a barber’s shop – which will not only delight younger children but also made this 57 year old laugh out loud too! The prison sequence also delights, with a laundry blunder by the bear leading into a comical showdown with the prison’s chief poisoner, sorry, head chef played by Brendan Gleeson (“Alone in Berlin“, “Live By Night“).
Vision AND sound! Paddington with incarcerated friends, including Brendan Gleeson (centre).
The cast all seem to revel in their parts, with Hugh Bonneville (“Viceroy’s House“, “The Monuments Men“) energetic as Mr Brown and Oscar runner-up (surely!) Sally Hawkins (“The Shape of Water“) very chirpy as Mrs Brown. All of the residents of Windsor Gardens are a who’s who of UK film and TV, and each cameo has a lovely little tale behind it: Julie Walters (“Brooklyn“) as Mrs Bird, the Brown’s help; Sanjeev Bhaskar as Dr Jafri, forever nearly locking himself out; Miss Kitts (Jessica Hynes) and the crusty Colonel Lancaster (Ben Miller) in a ‘will they/won’t they’ potential romance. Elsewhere, Jim Broadbent (“Bridget Jones Baby“, “Eddie the Eagle“) is great as the antique store owner; Tom Conti adds both gravitas and humour as Judge Biggleswade and Richard Ayoade (“The Double“) is very funny as a forensic expert.
The Brown family: from left; Mr Brown (Hugh Bonneville); Jonathan (Samuel Joslin); Mrs Brown (Sally Hawkins); Mrs Bird (Julie Walters); and Judy Brown (Madeleine Harris).
Head and shoulders above all of them though is Hugh Grant who is just outstandingly good as the puffed-up and self-important ham-actor. His Best Supporting Actor nomination for a BAFTA was surprising, but having seen the film so very much deserved. Hang around in the end credits for his last words of the film which are cornily hilarious! One can only hope that Phoenix Buchanen returns for Paddington 3.
A career best… Hugh Grant as the devilishly slippery Phoenix Buchanan.
I would have thought that some of the scenes towards the end of the film, particularly one where Paddington seems doomed to a watery end, might be a little frightening for younger viewers. Thank heavens Sally Hawkins has gills! 🙂
Overall, this is a movie I would gladly watch again, with or without kids. In a movie landscape that is pretty devoid of good comedy, here is a movie that really did make me laugh out loud.
Having not seen the first “Paddington”, also directed by Paul King, there is a useful little flashback to the Peruvian origins of the little chap before we pitch into the plot proper. Paddington (voiced by Ben Wishaw, “Spectre“) has nicely settled down to life with The Brown’s in their London home and is a well-loved member of the community (well, well loved that is by everyone except the cranky Mr Curry (Peter Capaldi, “Dr Who“, “World War Z“). But he longs to buy his Aunt Lucy (Imelda Staunton, “Finding Your Feet“) a special birthday present – a pop-up book of London scenes that he’s seen in a local antique shop. But for that he needs a lot of cash, and so proceeds to earn it through a variety of different jobs.
However, fading actor Phoenix Buchanan (Hugh Grant, “Florence Foster Jenkins“, “The Man From U.N.C.L.E.“) also shows an unhealty interest in the book and, after it disappears from the shop with Paddington’s paw prints all over the scene, the poor bear finds himself on the wrong side of the law.
This is a continually inventive movie, which rockets along with truly impressive verve and panache from scene to scene. As a particular example of this, an animated walk through the pop-up book is marvellously done: a tribute to the 2D retro nature (even in those days!) of the TV animation of the 70’s that will go over the heads of younger viewers. There are plenty of slapstick scenes – notably of Paddington trying window cleaning, and his job in a barber’s shop – which will not only delight younger children but also made this 57 year old laugh out loud too! The prison sequence also delights, with a laundry blunder by the bear leading into a comical showdown with the prison’s chief poisoner, sorry, head chef played by Brendan Gleeson (“Alone in Berlin“, “Live By Night“).
Vision AND sound! Paddington with incarcerated friends, including Brendan Gleeson (centre).
The cast all seem to revel in their parts, with Hugh Bonneville (“Viceroy’s House“, “The Monuments Men“) energetic as Mr Brown and Oscar runner-up (surely!) Sally Hawkins (“The Shape of Water“) very chirpy as Mrs Brown. All of the residents of Windsor Gardens are a who’s who of UK film and TV, and each cameo has a lovely little tale behind it: Julie Walters (“Brooklyn“) as Mrs Bird, the Brown’s help; Sanjeev Bhaskar as Dr Jafri, forever nearly locking himself out; Miss Kitts (Jessica Hynes) and the crusty Colonel Lancaster (Ben Miller) in a ‘will they/won’t they’ potential romance. Elsewhere, Jim Broadbent (“Bridget Jones Baby“, “Eddie the Eagle“) is great as the antique store owner; Tom Conti adds both gravitas and humour as Judge Biggleswade and Richard Ayoade (“The Double“) is very funny as a forensic expert.
The Brown family: from left; Mr Brown (Hugh Bonneville); Jonathan (Samuel Joslin); Mrs Brown (Sally Hawkins); Mrs Bird (Julie Walters); and Judy Brown (Madeleine Harris).
Head and shoulders above all of them though is Hugh Grant who is just outstandingly good as the puffed-up and self-important ham-actor. His Best Supporting Actor nomination for a BAFTA was surprising, but having seen the film so very much deserved. Hang around in the end credits for his last words of the film which are cornily hilarious! One can only hope that Phoenix Buchanen returns for Paddington 3.
A career best… Hugh Grant as the devilishly slippery Phoenix Buchanan.
I would have thought that some of the scenes towards the end of the film, particularly one where Paddington seems doomed to a watery end, might be a little frightening for younger viewers. Thank heavens Sally Hawkins has gills! 🙂
Overall, this is a movie I would gladly watch again, with or without kids. In a movie landscape that is pretty devoid of good comedy, here is a movie that really did make me laugh out loud.