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Marc_Lowell
Reviews
SOKO Potsdam (2018)
Murder doesn't need to spoil your day
Every episode a murder, every episode a guilty party caught, and all in 43 minutes! You might think you know who the killer is---we always know who the victim is right off the top of the episode---but I have been fooled more than once playing amateur detective. And it's not just the "girls" who make this Deutsche-noir enjoyable; they have three colleagues who round out the mix of five intrepid criminal investigation detectives plus a tactiturn forensic expert, and a jovial forensic pathologist who can't get over how smart he is or how much he loves to eat. All-in-all, a very likeable "posse" and they always get their man or woman. Worth watching just to see how quickly most people lie their way into confessing especially when Luna gets into their face and stares them down.
The Trip to Greece (2020)
Might as well stayed at home and ordered in Greek
Don't have too much to add to the already well-written review of "Trip to Greece" that is here, except to say I don't think I heard one genuine compliment come out of either of their mouths regarding the quality of the food. O if there was one, it sounded forced. There was nothing in their expensive gastronomy (one meal cost 300 euros) that inspired genuine appreciation at the skills of the restaurant. I know this is not a food travelogue and its a fictional premise, but if I was in a restaurant where two loud louts were carrying on oblivious to their fellow diners, there would definitely be some plate smashing...over their heads! This "Trip" was one trip too far for the franchise.
The Trouble with Maggie Cole (2020)
Finding a season of anything so well written is hard these days
"The Trouble with Maggie Cole" is that more people haven't discovered it yet either in the UK or now in the USA through PBS. It's well-written, well-acted and very well-directed but now I'm just echoing another reviewer. What makes it work so well is that there are no 'tricks' dropped in by the writer or director to smooth over a hole in the plot line because there are none. Each individual actor is so good and when they appear together as an ensemble the action just hums along. A little bit of comedy, a little bit of mystery, and a whole lot of great performances make this 6-part series worthy of your viewing time. Don't be in a hurry though because we are in a small seaside village that dates back to Norman times. If you are a fan of English seaside villages a la "Doc Martin", or cringed in your seat when viewing the antics of Ricky Gervais in the original version of "The Office", then TTwMC has a little bit of both.
Hindafing (2017)
German dark comedy that hits all the Marks...I mean Euros
Just finished watching all 6 episodes of Season 1 of "Hindafing" over two nights (would have finished it in one if I didn't have to get up the next morning) and it was time well spent! Who knew that Germans could be that funny, and Bavarians at that! The tale of a fast-talking, drug-addled small town Bavarian mayor (they don't even have their own exit off the autobahn) who more or less inherits the job (and his given name) from his father and then proceeds to step in one pile of Scheisse after another. A man who if he didn't have bad luck wouldn't have any luck at all. A man who consistently snatches defeat from the jaws of victory. A man who...you get the idea. Who is this man? Mayor Alfons Zischl Jr. and he is someone who definitely doesn't tread lightly through life but oh what a thrill it is to watch him go from one disaster of his own making to another and survive them all, albeit a little worse for wear. German actor Maximilian Brückner plays Mayor Zischl for all he is worth in a bravura performance directed by Boris Kunz. This 2017 German television series is currently available in North America either on a 3-disc MHz Choice DVD set or as an add-on "MHZ Choice" subscription to Amazon Prime Video (U.S. customers only). Start watching now and spend the best 266 minutes of your binge viewing time with this dark German comedy.
The Square (2017)
In lesser hands...
In lesser hands, this movie would have been a 'dog's breakfast', but in the hands of this director, cast and crew (and it is both sumptuously shot and edited) it pulls you into the protagonist's life with both arms. If you have ever had a 'bad week', then this is the film for you to commiserate with the protagonist as every one of his 'up's' is accompanied with a resounding 'down' (I don't think this is a spoiler to give you this little bit of information). Well worth your time and the effort to watch it (it is over two hours long after all...) and sometimes nothing seems to be happening until it does. I gave it a "9" to pull up it's overall average up to what I think is a first class film worthy of your attention if only scores above "8" get you interested.
Endeavour: Muse (2018)
Good, better, more better, best!
Endeavour (TV series) was one of those great finds that I have never regretted watching from the pilot onwards. Each new season, each new episode, is eagerly awaited and now that season 5 is available on ITV starting with the first episode, Muse, which debuted on February 4, 2018, I look forward to seeing where each of these characters goes at the start of the "swinging 60s" in Britain. Nobody does murder and mayhem like the Brits; must be the class structure.
London Boulevard (2010)
The titles were the best thing about this film
It's too bad the rest of the film was not as interesting as the graphics used in the opening and closing credits (I don't think talking about the closing credits can be described as a "spoiler"). This is the kind of film I would describe as a British version of the American genre "mumble-corp". It's one of the few times I wished I had set my preferences to show subtitles along with the English version of the film. The greatest crime perpetrated in this film is that good actors capable of so much better actually got paid for the rote performances they all turned in. The British gangster genre is something that stands on its own for the sheer villainy of the bad guys. However, the histrionic levels of punishment meted out by these gangsters is so over the top that you have to ask yourself: "Was that really necessary?". In the words of the late Toronto film critic, John Harkness, "Wait until it comes out in video and then don't rent it."
The Big Wedding (2013)
Thank G-d I didn't pay for popcorn, too!
I only end up watching movies like this when my mother gets 'conned' by some aggressive TV advertising the film. I'm not sure why this kind of crap gets made and actually appears on screen before going straight to video, but the Lord works in mysterious ways. This is strictly an "acting by numbers" film for all the big name stars. In a way, it's a tribute to them that they actually got through the film without being violently ill after reading the script. Perhaps that's what being a professional is all about: Show up on set; do your job; and then take the money and run. The late, great, Toronto film critic John Harkness once reviewed a film by writing: "Wait until this film appears on video and then don't rent it." This sums up "The Big Wedding" to a "T".
Il conformista (1970)
The DVD is here and the wait was worth it!
Just purchased the Paramount DVD of Il Conformista and aside from the surprise of a very reasonable price ($12.99 CAD) the transfer is excellent with none of the subtle colours lost nor any of the excellence in the sound track. This is my all time favourite film having seen it in the theatre at its first release in 1970 and then sporadically over the years until it was just not being projected anywhere due to a lack of decent prints, I imagine. The DVD version was worth the wait and instead of gouging the public for this cinematic rarity, Paramount has done the right thing and released a quality product for a very, very reasonable price. If you are a Bertolucci fan then this is the film you will want to start your collection. It's a winner on all counts. Only thing that keeps it from being a "10" is a slight lag in some of the sound track when the characters are speaking and that may have been in the original print as well.
Les patriotes (1994)
When you're in too deep to get out...
I picked this film out of the hundreds of foreign DVD's in Toronto's best video store - Bay Video. I thought it was a recent Israeli production and it wasn't until I got it home I realized the film was a French production made in 1994. However, I wasn't disappointed at all and consider this wonderful film one of the best spy 'thrillers' I have ever seen. Understated like the profession of spying and subtle to the point of seduction this film doesn't fudge the issues surrounding the necessity for such a service to exist in modern Israel nor does it gloss over some of the hard facts when innocents become collateral damage. The acting, the sets, the writing are all first rate and it's probably one of the best reasons to watch this film. I guarantee you won't want it to end without finding out what happens to all the characters.