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Awix (3310 KP) rated Zulu (1964) in Movies
Mar 2, 2018 (Updated Mar 2, 2018)
Politically somewhat problematic tale of stoic imperial soldiers blasting the hell out of disgruntled African tribesmen isn't quite as bad as it sounds, also made a star out of Michael Caine. Based on the true story of the battle of Rorke's Drift in 1879, at which 150 British soldiers fought several thousand Zulu warriors to a standstill.
Made at the time as a piece of aren't-we-great jingoism, Zulu still stands up well as a stirring war movie and a story of men finding common ground under pressure. Good performances from Caine and Stanley Baker (who was the actual star at the time). Many memorable moments, too, such as the sing-off between the two armies. The Zulus are actually treated with respect, as shrewd and honourable fighters. Chief Buthelezi (later a minister in the South African government of Nelson Mandela) plays his own great-grandfather.
Made at the time as a piece of aren't-we-great jingoism, Zulu still stands up well as a stirring war movie and a story of men finding common ground under pressure. Good performances from Caine and Stanley Baker (who was the actual star at the time). Many memorable moments, too, such as the sing-off between the two armies. The Zulus are actually treated with respect, as shrewd and honourable fighters. Chief Buthelezi (later a minister in the South African government of Nelson Mandela) plays his own great-grandfather.
Amy Norman (1042 KP) rated Page Eight (2011) in Movies
Apr 22, 2021 (Updated Apr 22, 2021)
If you enjoy an extremely slow brewed drama then great, this is for you.
Government conspiracies, and 'old school' espionage never looked so dull to me though! This film didn't require action and bullets flying but a little more suspense and mystery wouldn't have hurt.
I can't say a lot happens in this film, but I am sure there is an audience that will get behind the intrigue, and the discussions that this films brings up. It is a thoughtful and intelligent piece, with a painfully A-List British cast (apologies to those that aren't, and sorry for generalising) giving some outstanding performances.
An excellent film for those that enjoy this style but unfortunately not for me.
There are two sequels that follow some of the same characters, if you did enjoy this then look out for:
Turks and Caicos
Salting the Battlefield
From what I have heard they are marginally better.
Government conspiracies, and 'old school' espionage never looked so dull to me though! This film didn't require action and bullets flying but a little more suspense and mystery wouldn't have hurt.
I can't say a lot happens in this film, but I am sure there is an audience that will get behind the intrigue, and the discussions that this films brings up. It is a thoughtful and intelligent piece, with a painfully A-List British cast (apologies to those that aren't, and sorry for generalising) giving some outstanding performances.
An excellent film for those that enjoy this style but unfortunately not for me.
There are two sequels that follow some of the same characters, if you did enjoy this then look out for:
Turks and Caicos
Salting the Battlefield
From what I have heard they are marginally better.
Awix (3310 KP) rated Stranger from Venus (1954) in Movies
Aug 15, 2020
Yet another low-budget British knock-off of The Day the Earth Stood Still, distinguished (sort of) by the fact it's managed to secure the services of one of the stars of the original film, Patricia Neal (the movie never got an American release as it might have drawn a plagiarism suit from Fox). Bloke from Venus arrives in the home counties to deliver a grave message about the dangers of atomic weapons, engages in chaste sort-of romance with a woman who lives locally (Neal), is messed about by the government.
At least it's a little easier to take seriously than Devil Girl from Mars, but the production is even more primitive and it's a lot less fun. Helmut Dantine does the best he can, dispensing cosmic wisdom in a gravelly Austrian monotone, but the punishingly low budget really shows. The purest kind of rip-off - there's nothing here that isn't in the original movie, and everything that is here is less accomplished and less interesting. Not awful, though, nor is it without a certain historical curiosity value for SF aficionados.
At least it's a little easier to take seriously than Devil Girl from Mars, but the production is even more primitive and it's a lot less fun. Helmut Dantine does the best he can, dispensing cosmic wisdom in a gravelly Austrian monotone, but the punishingly low budget really shows. The purest kind of rip-off - there's nothing here that isn't in the original movie, and everything that is here is less accomplished and less interesting. Not awful, though, nor is it without a certain historical curiosity value for SF aficionados.
Awix (3310 KP) rated Darkest Hour (2017) in Movies
Feb 10, 2018 (Updated Feb 10, 2018)
Doesn't quite get to the Nub of the Issue
Yet another trip back to the Second World War, with plucky little Britain taking on the world single-handed, etc, etc. Essentially a kind of companion piece to Nolan's Dunkirk, with Gary Oldman's newly-installed Prime Minister having to oversee the retreat of the British army while contending with voices in his own government who want to enter peace negotiations with the Nazis.
Well, obviously British film-makers do this kind of heritage project quite well, and this is a polished movie even if it doesn't offer anything terribly original. The whole thing is carried along by Oldman's bravura performance - it must be said that Gary Oldman, thanks to the magic of prosthetic make-up it took three hours to apply, does look very much like Gary Oldman wearing three hours' worth of prosthetic make-up, but his performance is good enough to make you overlook the (lack of) resemblance.
You could possibly take exception to the film's rather rose-tinted depiction of Churchill, but for me the real flaw in the film is this - the central question posed by the story is just where Churchill's resolve to keep fighting came from, when everyone around him advised otherwise, and the situation seemed so abject. Was he such an idealistic champion of liberty, or foe of fascism? (Historical evidence suggests otherwise.) Or was he just a contrarian old bugger in love with his own legend? The movie doesn't find an convincing answer to this question. Still, otherwise well-made and engaging, and unlikely to outrage mild-mannered elderly relatives.
Well, obviously British film-makers do this kind of heritage project quite well, and this is a polished movie even if it doesn't offer anything terribly original. The whole thing is carried along by Oldman's bravura performance - it must be said that Gary Oldman, thanks to the magic of prosthetic make-up it took three hours to apply, does look very much like Gary Oldman wearing three hours' worth of prosthetic make-up, but his performance is good enough to make you overlook the (lack of) resemblance.
You could possibly take exception to the film's rather rose-tinted depiction of Churchill, but for me the real flaw in the film is this - the central question posed by the story is just where Churchill's resolve to keep fighting came from, when everyone around him advised otherwise, and the situation seemed so abject. Was he such an idealistic champion of liberty, or foe of fascism? (Historical evidence suggests otherwise.) Or was he just a contrarian old bugger in love with his own legend? The movie doesn't find an convincing answer to this question. Still, otherwise well-made and engaging, and unlikely to outrage mild-mannered elderly relatives.
Awix (3310 KP) rated Ultraviolet in TV
Jan 3, 2021
British horror-thriller resists the temptation of going camp and is all the better for it. London cop Mike Colefield discovers the existence of a secretive government agency hunting blood-drinking, mirror-averse immortals and is eventually recruited by them. But can they uncover the enemy's plans before internal tensions tear the team apart?
One of the many post-X Files genre shows to appear in the UK in the late 90s, but much better than most of them, largely because it resists the temptation to go overboard with the flashy fantasy elements: vampires rarely appear in the early episodes and this more closely resembles a police procedural show. But definitely a horror series, and an effective one for the most part, written and played with great skill. Starts off as an episodic show before the serial elements gradually take over - the standalone episodes are best - and comes up with some clever new spins on vampire lore. One wishes they could have made more than just the six episodes (plus a US pilot with a mostly different cast and rather different approach), but as it this this definitely counts as small but perfectly formed.
One of the many post-X Files genre shows to appear in the UK in the late 90s, but much better than most of them, largely because it resists the temptation to go overboard with the flashy fantasy elements: vampires rarely appear in the early episodes and this more closely resembles a police procedural show. But definitely a horror series, and an effective one for the most part, written and played with great skill. Starts off as an episodic show before the serial elements gradually take over - the standalone episodes are best - and comes up with some clever new spins on vampire lore. One wishes they could have made more than just the six episodes (plus a US pilot with a mostly different cast and rather different approach), but as it this this definitely counts as small but perfectly formed.
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2099 KP) rated City of the Dead in Books
Feb 27, 2023 (Updated Feb 27, 2023)
Breaking into a Museum is Only the Beginning
As this book opens, the team has been tasked with breaking into the British Museum and retrieving a couple of items from their exhibit on Egypt. These are sensitive items that the government doesn’t want to officially ask for back and doesn’t want to admit they even have. But the mission is not all it appears to be. What will happen when the team learns the truth?
Yes, I’m being vague in my teaser, but this is definitely a case where the fun comes in seeing how the plot evolves, so I’m giving as few spoilers as I can. There are plenty of twists that had me turning pages as fast as I could. I will say a matter of trust was resolved a little too easily for me to buy, but it was minor. As always, I love the characters, and I love watching their relationships. The growth here is great. We still get some laughs along with the adventure, too. The cliffhanger is going to make the wait for the next book even harder. Fans young and old will be delighted with this book.
Yes, I’m being vague in my teaser, but this is definitely a case where the fun comes in seeing how the plot evolves, so I’m giving as few spoilers as I can. There are plenty of twists that had me turning pages as fast as I could. I will say a matter of trust was resolved a little too easily for me to buy, but it was minor. As always, I love the characters, and I love watching their relationships. The growth here is great. We still get some laughs along with the adventure, too. The cliffhanger is going to make the wait for the next book even harder. Fans young and old will be delighted with this book.
Awix (3310 KP) rated Johnny English Strikes Again (2018) in Movies
Oct 10, 2018
Unwanted and underwhelming third outing for Rowan Atkinson's credit-card-advert-character from long ago. When a cyber-attack on the British government exposes the identity of every active agent, retired spy/moron Johnny English is brought back to find those responsible. Much obvious slapstick and many painfully telegraphed punchlines ensue; I did laugh a bit, but possibly out of sympathy.
This time around it seems obvious that the film is being pitched towards a very young audience, which explains its general silliness and reluctance to engage in anything resembling actual satire - as it is, the film's capacity to get real-world issues utterly wrong is almost uncanny (Britain and the Russians team up to stop cyber-terrorists). On the other hand, some of it feels aimed at older viewers who are generally suspicious and resentful of the modern world (the internet is bad, smartphones are bad, the Health and Safety Act is silly, etc). Maybe it's meant to be a film for right-wing grandparents to take their kids' kids to.
On the other hand, it's Rowan Atkinson, who is a superbly gifted clown, and there are inevitably a few amusing bits along the way - but not nearly enough, given his talent. Hopefully this is as close to actually not being funny as he will ever get.
This time around it seems obvious that the film is being pitched towards a very young audience, which explains its general silliness and reluctance to engage in anything resembling actual satire - as it is, the film's capacity to get real-world issues utterly wrong is almost uncanny (Britain and the Russians team up to stop cyber-terrorists). On the other hand, some of it feels aimed at older viewers who are generally suspicious and resentful of the modern world (the internet is bad, smartphones are bad, the Health and Safety Act is silly, etc). Maybe it's meant to be a film for right-wing grandparents to take their kids' kids to.
On the other hand, it's Rowan Atkinson, who is a superbly gifted clown, and there are inevitably a few amusing bits along the way - but not nearly enough, given his talent. Hopefully this is as close to actually not being funny as he will ever get.
Bob Mann (459 KP) rated Official Secrets (2019) in Movies
Mar 13, 2020
Cracking British all star cast (1 more)
Reminds you just how crazy politics was in 2003
The best little UK film you've never seen
A film about whistle-blowing against the backdrop of the Iraq War of 2003 doesn't sound like a very appealing watch, but "Official Secrets" defies all those fears. It's a cracking little UK movie.
Two years after 9/11, and the West has its sights set on Saddam Hussein's regime in Iraq. Tony Blair and George "Dubya" Bush (together with that behind-the-scenes pit-bull Don Cheney - as featured in "Vice") are determined to persuade the United Nations that WMD - Weapons of Mass Destruction - are in place, whether they are or not. London is threatened with being a nuclear wasteland within 45 minutes. Of course, while certain areas of the press (including the leadership of "The Guardian") support the war, the majority of the British people think this is total b*llocks! Two journalists - the irascible and volatile Ed Vulliamy (Rhys Ifans) and the head-down but relentless Martin Bright (Matt Smith) - are determined to uncover the truth behind the two government's machinations.
Enter Katharine Gun (Keira Knightley), an interpreter at GCHQ in Cheltenham who, when brought into a loop of the dirty government dealing, takes great exception to it. Unfortunately, she has signed the Official Secret's Act, a document incompatible with a conscience, and with a Kurdish husband Yasar (Adam Bakri) seeking British residence, she is in no position to throw stones.
Can Katharine's legal team, led by human rights lawyer Ben Emmerson (Ralph Fiennes), keep her away from a long prison sentence?
We've seen lots of fictional movies about the little guy up against the immovable mass and sunglass-wearing creepiness of the state: Will Smith's excellent "Enemy of the State" is a great example. Here the frisson in the script by Gregory Bernstein, Sara Bernstein and director Gavin Hood, based on the book by Marsha and Thomas Mitchell, is that it is all based on fact, brought brilliantly to life with interspersed news footage.
It's easy to forget, with nearly 20 years having passed, just how completely f****d up the world was after 9/11. Sabre-rattling became a US obsession, and the news-reel shots of Bush and Blair trying to justify their actions is really quite vomit-inducing.
Keira Knightley gives one of her best performances in years as the rather naive every-woman for appreciates she's digging a hole but has only dawning realisation as to how deep it goes.
But the supporting cast is also outstanding with Smith and Ifans being enormously entertaining as the journos, supported by their supportive boss - Downton's Matthew Goode. Ralph Fiennes delivers a typically underplayed and powerful performance as the legal beagle. Other well known faces popping up include Tamsin Greig and W1A's Monica Dolan.
How gripped you will be will depend on your memory! Mine is officially useless... so the denouement when it came was a surprise to me! But this is a little British film that really packs a punch. Extremely watchable and with a star cast, this ones a keeper. Highly recommended.
(For the full graphical review, check out One Mann's Movies here - https://bob-the-movie-man.com/2020/03/12/one-manns-movies-dvd-review-official-secrets-2019/ Thanks).
Two years after 9/11, and the West has its sights set on Saddam Hussein's regime in Iraq. Tony Blair and George "Dubya" Bush (together with that behind-the-scenes pit-bull Don Cheney - as featured in "Vice") are determined to persuade the United Nations that WMD - Weapons of Mass Destruction - are in place, whether they are or not. London is threatened with being a nuclear wasteland within 45 minutes. Of course, while certain areas of the press (including the leadership of "The Guardian") support the war, the majority of the British people think this is total b*llocks! Two journalists - the irascible and volatile Ed Vulliamy (Rhys Ifans) and the head-down but relentless Martin Bright (Matt Smith) - are determined to uncover the truth behind the two government's machinations.
Enter Katharine Gun (Keira Knightley), an interpreter at GCHQ in Cheltenham who, when brought into a loop of the dirty government dealing, takes great exception to it. Unfortunately, she has signed the Official Secret's Act, a document incompatible with a conscience, and with a Kurdish husband Yasar (Adam Bakri) seeking British residence, she is in no position to throw stones.
Can Katharine's legal team, led by human rights lawyer Ben Emmerson (Ralph Fiennes), keep her away from a long prison sentence?
We've seen lots of fictional movies about the little guy up against the immovable mass and sunglass-wearing creepiness of the state: Will Smith's excellent "Enemy of the State" is a great example. Here the frisson in the script by Gregory Bernstein, Sara Bernstein and director Gavin Hood, based on the book by Marsha and Thomas Mitchell, is that it is all based on fact, brought brilliantly to life with interspersed news footage.
It's easy to forget, with nearly 20 years having passed, just how completely f****d up the world was after 9/11. Sabre-rattling became a US obsession, and the news-reel shots of Bush and Blair trying to justify their actions is really quite vomit-inducing.
Keira Knightley gives one of her best performances in years as the rather naive every-woman for appreciates she's digging a hole but has only dawning realisation as to how deep it goes.
But the supporting cast is also outstanding with Smith and Ifans being enormously entertaining as the journos, supported by their supportive boss - Downton's Matthew Goode. Ralph Fiennes delivers a typically underplayed and powerful performance as the legal beagle. Other well known faces popping up include Tamsin Greig and W1A's Monica Dolan.
How gripped you will be will depend on your memory! Mine is officially useless... so the denouement when it came was a surprise to me! But this is a little British film that really packs a punch. Extremely watchable and with a star cast, this ones a keeper. Highly recommended.
(For the full graphical review, check out One Mann's Movies here - https://bob-the-movie-man.com/2020/03/12/one-manns-movies-dvd-review-official-secrets-2019/ Thanks).
Erika Kehlet (21 KP) rated Walk in the Flesh in Books
Feb 21, 2018
***NOTE: I was provided a free copy of the book in exchange for my honest review***
In Walk in the Flesh, Neil, an ex-soldier on the brink of death, is given the chance to live on and exact revenge on the people who killed his wife in a terrorist attack. The British government will use nanotechnology to insert his consciousness into host bodies, allowing him to carry out covert missions undetected. Now, besides becoming a perfect killing machine, Neil has also become a monster. Or perhaps he was one all along
The story has a very scary premise and one that technology might not be too far away from making a possibility. There is no shortage of action in this thriller, and I was caught up in it right away. The story moves quickly, but it takes a while to really understand what is happening with Neil. Eventually the reader knows more about him than he does himself. The most suspenseful bits come near the end when he has a young woman travelling with him, and youre left guessing at his motivations.
There were a few editing issues. Once or twice I had to re-read a sentence due to a missing word, but the issues were infrequent or the story kept moving well enough for me not to notice too much.
If you enjoy military adventure novels, cyberpunk, or techno-thrillers, this one is worth a read.
In Walk in the Flesh, Neil, an ex-soldier on the brink of death, is given the chance to live on and exact revenge on the people who killed his wife in a terrorist attack. The British government will use nanotechnology to insert his consciousness into host bodies, allowing him to carry out covert missions undetected. Now, besides becoming a perfect killing machine, Neil has also become a monster. Or perhaps he was one all along
The story has a very scary premise and one that technology might not be too far away from making a possibility. There is no shortage of action in this thriller, and I was caught up in it right away. The story moves quickly, but it takes a while to really understand what is happening with Neil. Eventually the reader knows more about him than he does himself. The most suspenseful bits come near the end when he has a young woman travelling with him, and youre left guessing at his motivations.
There were a few editing issues. Once or twice I had to re-read a sentence due to a missing word, but the issues were infrequent or the story kept moving well enough for me not to notice too much.
If you enjoy military adventure novels, cyberpunk, or techno-thrillers, this one is worth a read.
Gareth von Kallenbach (971 KP) rated The Foreigner (2017) in Movies
Jul 11, 2019
STX Films is releasing the film The Foreigner this weekend, and stars Jackie Chan and Pierce Brosnan. It is directed by Martin Campbell who also directed Casino Royale.
This film is full of action from the first few minutes on. It made me actually tear up within the first 20 minutes, when Quan, the main character, loses his daughter in a bombing.
The bombing is politically motivated, and is under investigation by British officials both in London and in Ireland. Quan just wants the names of those responsible, in order to exact revenge on the death his daughter.
Quan zeros in on Liam Hennesy (Pierce Brosnan), an ex IRA leader and current high ranking official Irish Diplomat who answers to the British government. Hennesy claims to have no knowledge of who committed the crime, but investigation reveals that the parts of the bombs are stolen from old weapons stores that only his group would have knowledge of.
Quan demands names, Hennesy repeatedly refuses, and Quan reverts to desperate and ingenious measures. He rigs up bombs out of what looks like regular groceries, inside Hennessey’s business offices and rattles Hennesy into fleeing / retreating to his farm in the countryside.
Quan follows and consistently picks off Hennessey’s men, always beating the odds in creative ways to come out ahead in the fight against men that are younger and outnumber him, at times 10 to 1.
Hennesy, meanwhile, is actually actively trying to figure out who set off the bombs, and sets up a plan to try and catch the bombers the next time they attempt a bombing, but somehow the next bomb goes off without any of the given code words that were assigned, which leads Hennesy to discover that at least one of the perpetrators is in fact directly tied to him, and helping the terrorist group.
Hennesy and the British police track down the bombers holed up in an apartment building, but Quan gets to them first and takes care of business, leaving one bomber to be able to tell the Brits where the last bomb is, and where its headed.
Whether they manage to get to the last bomb I will leave for you to find out……
I really liked the film, as did my husband. I thought that some of the Irish accents were a bit horrid, but overall the film was enjoyable, full of action, and we thought that it had a good storyline too. It had enough twists to be interesting and a few “AH HAH” moments, but not so convoluted as to be annoying.
The fact that Jackie Chan is still able to pull off hose stunts was amazing to us and we loved watching him get his revenge and overcoming seemingly impossible odds.
The only part we both we taken aback by was how “quiet” the very end of the film was. It wasn’t a big deal, but after the action of the movie it was definitely a different “feel”
This film is full of action from the first few minutes on. It made me actually tear up within the first 20 minutes, when Quan, the main character, loses his daughter in a bombing.
The bombing is politically motivated, and is under investigation by British officials both in London and in Ireland. Quan just wants the names of those responsible, in order to exact revenge on the death his daughter.
Quan zeros in on Liam Hennesy (Pierce Brosnan), an ex IRA leader and current high ranking official Irish Diplomat who answers to the British government. Hennesy claims to have no knowledge of who committed the crime, but investigation reveals that the parts of the bombs are stolen from old weapons stores that only his group would have knowledge of.
Quan demands names, Hennesy repeatedly refuses, and Quan reverts to desperate and ingenious measures. He rigs up bombs out of what looks like regular groceries, inside Hennessey’s business offices and rattles Hennesy into fleeing / retreating to his farm in the countryside.
Quan follows and consistently picks off Hennessey’s men, always beating the odds in creative ways to come out ahead in the fight against men that are younger and outnumber him, at times 10 to 1.
Hennesy, meanwhile, is actually actively trying to figure out who set off the bombs, and sets up a plan to try and catch the bombers the next time they attempt a bombing, but somehow the next bomb goes off without any of the given code words that were assigned, which leads Hennesy to discover that at least one of the perpetrators is in fact directly tied to him, and helping the terrorist group.
Hennesy and the British police track down the bombers holed up in an apartment building, but Quan gets to them first and takes care of business, leaving one bomber to be able to tell the Brits where the last bomb is, and where its headed.
Whether they manage to get to the last bomb I will leave for you to find out……
I really liked the film, as did my husband. I thought that some of the Irish accents were a bit horrid, but overall the film was enjoyable, full of action, and we thought that it had a good storyline too. It had enough twists to be interesting and a few “AH HAH” moments, but not so convoluted as to be annoying.
The fact that Jackie Chan is still able to pull off hose stunts was amazing to us and we loved watching him get his revenge and overcoming seemingly impossible odds.
The only part we both we taken aback by was how “quiet” the very end of the film was. It wasn’t a big deal, but after the action of the movie it was definitely a different “feel”