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Belfast (2021)
Belfast (2021)
2021 | Drama
10
8.3 (4 Ratings)
Movie Rating
In short, Belfast is a very human and truly wonderful piece of cinema.
It's visual style is both stunning and simple, and is brimming with plenty of striking imagery.
It's themes are rich. The setting explores the civil unrest between Protestants and Catholics in 1960s Belfast. This turbulent moment in time is a constant presence for sure, but the main bulk of the narrative deals with a working class family who are struggling with debt, and are looking to potentially relocate to England in light of the city wide violence. The very heart of the story though is found in Buddy, the young son of the family who is dealing with growing up and not wanting to leave. Buddy's actor, Jude Hill, is excellent. He embodies innocent childhood and the adventure that comes with it. He's an 11 year old actor, holding his own against screen veterans such as Ciarán Hinds and Judi Dench (both fantastic as always).
Other than Buddy, most of the heavy lifting is undertaken by the mother, played by Caitriona Balfe, who really deserves an Academy Nomination for her role here. Jamie Dornan also stars, who proved to be a pleasant surprise for me, only knowing him from the obvious, and is a welcome addition to an all round stellar cast. Throughout this, the narrative touches upon loss and loneliness, and the moments of life that manage to be bittersweet.

Belfast is a sometimes heartwarming, powerful, occasionally funny, and often melancholy tale told with a lot of love and care. Kenneth Branagh has delivered a slice of cinematic gold.
  
    Draw a Stickman: EPIC

    Draw a Stickman: EPIC

    Games and Education

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    Pencil your way into one of the most creative drawing puzzle games ever designed: Draw a Stickman:...

    Draw a Stickman: EPIC HD

    Draw a Stickman: EPIC HD

    Games and Education

    (0 Ratings) Rate It

    App

    Pencil your way into one of the most creative drawing puzzle games ever designed: Draw a Stickman:...

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LeftSideCut (3778 KP) rated Stranger Things - Season 1 in TV

Jul 5, 2019 (Updated Jul 5, 2019)  
Stranger Things  - Season 1
Stranger Things - Season 1
2016 | Horror, Sci-Fi
Welcome to Hawkins
For me, the first season of Stranger Things is perfect, and I really, and truly mean that.
 
The acting is top notch, the young actors in particular are phenomenal, believable, hugely professional.
Winona Ryder is fantastic as Joyce Byers, a mother losing her mind over the disappearance of her son (or is she). David Harbour is possibly the most likeable TV character in recent history, as Hopper, and then we have a host of supporting characters who all have an individual impact on the overall narrative (Justice for Barb)

There is an impending sense of dread throughout, as the mystery of Wills disappearance is slowly unravelled, as the season flits effortlessly from 80s buddy adventure, to creature feature, to government conspiracy thriller - there are many plates being spun, and none of them fall off.
Some of the more tense scenes will have you on the edge of your seat (R.U.N.)
At times it even reminded of one of my absolute favourite shows ever - Twin Peaks.

The 80s setting is a smart move, shoeing in references to other media left, right and centre, without ever feeling to on the nose, topped off with a very retro low electronic soundtrack, the atmosphere is very well crafted.

All of these positives put together produce an astounding season of television, that is near impossible to watch in bits.

Easy 10/10 for me!
  
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Madbatdan82 (341 KP) Jul 5, 2019

Couldn't agree more esp about Hopper - total legend!

Tammy (2014)
Tammy (2014)
2014 | Comedy
5
4.3 (3 Ratings)
Movie Rating
Life for Tammy (Melissa McCarthy) is a struggle in frustration. She is an outspoken individual who is not shy about speaking her mind and acting out which is often as trouble seems to follow her everywhere.

Following one particularly bad morning, Tammy decides to move away from Illinois once and for all and when her mother offers her no real encouragement, Tammy takes to the road with her grandmother (Susan Sarandon).

Despite her health issues and love for the bottle, Tammy is happy to have the company as she admires the free spirit of her grandmother who wants to have an adventure and live life to the fullest at all times.

Of course trouble seems to find Tammy and before long she has to deal with a slew of problems as well as the increasingly self destructive behavior of her grandmother.

Complications arise when a farmer named Bobby (Mark Duplass), and his father Earl (Gary Cole), enter into the picture to provide distractions to the ladies and to make them start to see the consequences of their action.

Throw in short but solid supporting work from Kathy Bates and Dan Aykroyd, and this film should have been a laugh filled riot. Instead it stays in the bittersweet range far more than it does comedy, as many of the best jokes in the film were shown in the trailer.

I credit McCarthy, who along with Ben Falcone wrote the film, for trying to move beyond the manic comedies that she has done prior. The film is marketed as more of the same but it is not. The film drags in places as you keep waiting for the laughs to come and when they do it is very sporadic. Instead the focus in on emotions, life, and being accountable as well as other heady topics it is just a shame that McCarthy keeps having to play the lovable loser parts as to be honest they are starting to get old. I joked to my wife that a prison in the film looked much like the one in “Identity Thief”.

The film attempts to combine a buddy road trip with some deeper human issues but this is not “Thelma and Louise”, and it does seem that despite the best efforts of all involved, we have seen this trip many times before and it is one that did not need to be taken again.

http://sknr.net/2014/07/02/tammy/