rayclister's Reviews

Fires (2021– )

5/10

30 September 2021

I was in two minds as to whether I really wanted to spend too much time on a disaster movie while we are still in the middle of a pandemic The first act of the kids on the beach showed how life was normal before disaster strikes. A not uncommon treatment used on movies like these However the situation that followed was not successful in portraying the obvious horror that ensured.

Maybe I'll give episode 2 a look but not impressed so far.

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Fisk (2021– )

9/10

Europe loves it as well

7 September 2021

Fisk has won a major European award and there will be a second series!

Found this series so much fun and have watched it three times and haven't finished with it yet Kitty is fabulous as is Julie Zamiro with that crazy hairdo The who cast were great making a great Australian series.

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Wakefield (2021)

10/10

Stunning, beautifully shot, well acted

16 April 2021

I binge viewed this series and was captivated with the it.

The performances were all top notch and the Blue Mountains have never looked so spectacular.

An intense performance by the charismatic lead actor (of Sri Lankan heritage no less, a great step forward in casting in this country) is the heart and soul of this deeply personal story.

I'll be rewatching when it hit the tv screens.

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Stateless (2020)

9/10

Solid start to an important story

2 March 2020

The first episode was essentially setting up the story of the main character (based on the Cornelia Rau experience) and the subplots of those that play a role in the context of later events. Cate Blanchett of course is the star power here and does not disappoint along with a strong supporting cast. Looking forward to see how this promising series progresses.

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Total Control (2019–2024)

9/10

Total Control

13 October 2019

Anyway Deborah Mailman shines as the central character of a Queensland senator handpicked by the PM to fill a vacancy. Having watched the first episode it has so much potential and already questions arise about the motives of the PM (Rachel Griffiths) and where this is going to head. Looking forward to the next episodes,

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Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood (2019)

6/10

Overlong overblown with usual QT ending

17 August 2019

Hard to figure the rave reviews by some. If you are a di caprio or pitt fan I guess there is enough in it to keep you interested. Margot Robbie had little dialogue and was wasted. Yes the era was faithfully reproduced but it could have been 30 minutes shorter without losing the elements of the story.

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Palm Beach (2019)

8/10

Engaging, humorous and entertaining adult drama

11 August 2019

I really do not understand the negative views on this film which I found to have a lot going for it. Intelligent script, good acting and well drawn characters results in a fine film. The cinematography was stunning given the location and although the lifestyle depicted is not something the average Joe would be over familiar with it demonstrates that no matter how well heeled you are, friends and family face problems that all can in some way relate to.

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Overboard (2018)

2/10

Why was this made?

20 July 2019

Yes I saw the original which was a laugh out loud movie made interesting by the two stars. This pathetic attempt to bring a role reversal falls flat on so many levels because neither of the two leads had an ounce of charisma and the script was lame.

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Glass (2019)

2/10

This film is garbage

18 January 2019

Where to start on this ridiculous film. Silly plot Lousy acting Probably the worst movie I have sern for years I would have walked out had it not been such a hot day outside Avoid!

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Moonlight (I) (2016)

1/10

A waste of a Sunday afternoon

28 February 2017

I'm afraid I could not connect with this film in anyway. Whether it was the actors mumbling and difficult to understand or that there was very little happening (or both)that made it the worst experience I have had a cinema in a long time. Apparently, it was some pretentious offering which ticked all the boxes for the Academy which was suffering from guilt from the allegations of the all white Oscars the previous year. I cannot think of any other reason why it got Best Picture. Looking at the other ratings it is obviously a film that divided audiences. The Academy did not find a way to honor a film like Lion with any wins but gave this film the major award is mind boggling.

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Lion (2016)

9/10

A beautiful film on so many levels

31 December 2016

This film has been on my to-do list since I first noticed it a couple of months ago. FirstlyI must praise Sunny Pawar as the five-year-old in the film. His facial expressions and the sheer reality of his circumstances could not have been brought to the screen any better.His instinct in realizing when things were not quite right when dealing with the adults around him was astonishingly portrayed. Dev Patel was also excellent in his role as the adult Saroo and a special mention to his uncanny ability to pull off the often difficult Australian accent was flawless. The support actors notably Kidman, Wenham and Mara were all excellent but perhaps all surpassed by the performances of the Indian actors in the film with special mention to Priyanka Bose who was extraordinary. Interesting to hear that the two actors who played the brothers in the film, Sunny Pawar and Abhishek Bharate have already made another film together where they also play brothers titled Love Sonia. The film is all about human emotions, the complexities that adoption can bring to a young person's life, and the need to discover your roots, whilst having obviously developed a close and enduring relationship with those who were able to bring some safety and stability to life and the recognition of the birth mother and how to deal with all these emotions while remaining true to yourself. A remarkable film.

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A Few Best Men (2011)

7/10

Almost gets there as a comedy but not quite

31 January 2012

It is good to see that Australia is returning to the comedy idiom after such a long absence since Muriel's Wedding and Priscilla going back to the early 90's Having said that although I found it quite amusing the first half an hour was a bit flat and until it got into the silliness that most of the comedy consisted of it did not hit the mark. Olivia Newton John surprises in a comedy performance as mother of the bride and it was good to see this Australian icon back on the big screen. The absurdity of some of the situations that unfold is certainly reminiscent of Death at a Funeral but falls short of that comedy gem. Nevertheless it is worth going to see and has more laughs than some American so called comedies

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The Round Up (2010)

1/10

Why was this film made?

1 May 2011

Given that we can expect the usual offering of holocaust films year after year this one has to be one of the worst. The far superior Sarah's Key released recently covers the same ground in a far more interesting way with at least some respite from what was happening in France during the second world war through by the very clever use of flashbacks to allow the viewer the opportunity of leaving the cinema without being in a state of severe depression. There was no character development and the heavy handed direction left no opportunity to escape the very dark and grim storyline. Sure, these events may have really happened but by now after countless films depicting the horrors of the holocaust this one does nothing more than wallow in the misery of the victims. The over sentimental soundtrack also adds to the darkness of a film that I for one wish I had not spent my money on. Upon leaving the cinema I noticed a sign offering money back if you leave before 30 minutes into the film if you are not enjoying it. I so wish I had noticed this beforehand as I would have taken up the offer.

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Sarah's Key (2010)

8/10

A holocaust story with a difference

28 December 2010

I must admit that I approached this movie and it's subject matter with a fair amount of trepidation given the holocaust theme once again having sat through other movies such as Sophie's Choice, The boy with the striped pajamas and The Pianist. However I must say that the story here was compelling and the performance of Kristin Scott Thomas was excellent as I have come to expect from her in other movies I have her seen her in. Perhaps as it was the French who were first and foremost the main villains in this piece the story of those black days being diluted to a degree by the switch from the past to the present was in some ways a relief from other holocaust movies. Searching for the truth concerning Sarah kept me interested until the final minutes of the film and I recommend it to those lovers of European cinema.

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Eat Pray Love (2010)

4/10

I would rather be a single athiest on a diet than travel this journey

8 October 2010

Well there is very little in this story of an American woman going on a journey of self discovery to recommend apart from some exotic locations. Perhaps a storyline like this may have been handled better by a European filmmaker because it was, to me, a complete mess and far too long. Julia Roberts was far from convincing, the script was trite and in its attempts to delve into the issue of a woman looking for spiritual enlightenment falls flat. I think the problem rests primarily with the script which seemed to be riddled with clichés and no real emotional connection with the characters. The Roman episode was of very little interest apart from the role of the Swedish friend she happens to meet up with. Maybe this falls into the category of a chick flick in which case maybe it will find an audience with some female viewers, particularly those who haven't left the shores of their homeland and maybe go on this journey because they have not had the opportunity to experience foreign lands first hand. I hope this doesn't sound sexist but I cannot in truth find anything to recommend to anyone contemplating spending over two hours of their life watching this nonsense

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Four Lions (2010)

7/10

A risky plot succeeds with satire, comedy and pathos

19 August 2010

A rather brave film in many ways taking on such a topic and in a satirical way perhaps highlighting the tragedy involved when naive young Muslim men are misled into taking action to become martyrs in the name of their religion resulting in unexpected outcomes. Despite their bumbling attempts to do harm to society you can't help but become involved in the lives of these young men as they are undeniably like-able as played by the actors. The scenes towards the end of the film at the Marathon were quite hilarious and ridiculous to boot.Also their mis-adventures in Pakistan were funny. But there is an underlying message here about how young men can be recruited to jihad because of a misplaced faith in those who advocate such acts in the name of their religion. All of the actors I thought performed well especially Riz and I left the theater thinking how the lives of young men are exploited and that perhaps in the end they are not all that different from the rest of us were we to find ourselves facing similar circumstances.

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Invictus (2009)

6/10

Not one of Eastwood's best

20 January 2010

It will be interesting to see if this movie has universal appeal, particularly in USA where Rugby is confined to colleges mostly on the west coast. The thread of the story of course was more about Mandela's wish to find a way for uniting the country through sport and this came across quite well along with the scepticism on both sides of the political divide and the mistrust of the new administration. Personally I thought the sequences of the Rugby went on a little long although they were reasonably well done. The question remains though, would the film have been made had the result of the game been different? Character development was not strong apart from the Mandela character.Matt Damon was fairly convincing but the film, for me at least, failed to reach the heights of other recent Eastwood films. I am sure the film will have a large audience in South Africa and to a lesser degree other Rugby playing nations.

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The Baader Meinhof Complex (2008)

6/10

Long winded, confusing and ultimately uninvolving

3 May 2009

Warning: Spoilers

Living a long way away from Germany this film really is something of a curiosity. I was aware of the baader meinhof terrorist group and one would have thought that there was plenty of material here to make an interesting movie about a time of turmoil in German history. I was in fact living in England 1972-75 and was in Germany at times during this period. The film looked very 1970's and the acting was fine. I think that the problem with the film, and in my view a major one, was the lame script and a series of characters that didn't manage to get through to me in any human way and by the end I really didn't care about them or what happened to them. The second phase of the campaign to free the main characters was not explained in any great depth and just seemed to materialise from nowhere. Not a German classic in my opinion, not even a good film and perhaps at over two hours running time far too long and self indulgent by the director

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The Boy in the Striped Pajamas (2008)

7/10

Manipulates the feelings and questions your beliefs

23 April 2009

Without giving away the ending this is pretty much a run of the mill holocaust film, it's saving grace is that it does make you question your emotions as to what eventuates and as to whether your feelings should be shocked by the entirety of the whole or the circumstances under which the unexpected happens. In other words what shocks you more the overall tragedy or the way another innocent is drawn into the web of madness that was Germany during the second world war. The obvious English accents of the actors playing Germans grated for me and the film did drag for me for a lot of the time with stereotype Nazis being portrayed as evil against the naivety of the central character of the young German boy and the sad situation of his young Jewish friend. I understand this was adaptedfrom a well regarded novel and I was appreciative that I hadn't read it as I would have found the whole journey rather tiresome. The power ofthe film lies in its ending in my opinion

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Mamma Mia! (2008)

7/10

James Bond needs singing lessons!

10 July 2008

I did enjoy this romp in the Greek Islands and was surprised at how well Meryl Streep sang. It's light, full of froth and bubble and perhaps has some aspects of Grease and Bollywood in it. The reason the music works I feel is that they haven't really messed with the arrangements of the songs keeping them generally faithful to the Abba originals. But Pierce Brosnan's vocal efforts were abysmal, almost laughable. Perhaps it was meant to be a send up of the original songs all the way through but he really did manage to mangle the vocals in my opinion. If you have seen the musical on stage you will know what to expect and there are some funny moments in the film and the Greek islands are as always a superb backdrop for the action.

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Introducing the Dwights (2007)

8/10

Comedy-Drama hits the right note

28 June 2007

I have to say that I have not been entertained as much by an Australian movie since the early 1990's when Muriel's Wedding and Priscilla, Queen of the desert hit our screens. A very human drama of a working class family in Sydney's western suburbs that strikes the right note between comedy and drama which is often difficult to pull off. Brenda Blethlyn, playing the domineering Mother does so very well with the result that perhaps her character tends to grate a little by the end of the film but that was only after approximately two hours spending with her and not a life time that the characters around her have had to endure. She is perfectly cast in this role but for me the real stars were Emma Booth who plays the love interest of her son and Khan Chittenden her boyfriend and young man experiencing his sexual awakening. Also worthy of mention is Frankie J Holden as the father and ex-partner of the Blethlyn character. An entirely believable human drama that will have you totally engrossed in the characters until the final reel. How good it is to see that the Australian film industry can still put out such quality cinema with a universal appeal. Go see it you won't be disappointed!

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The Road to Guantanamo (2006)

8/10

David Hicks is still rotting in this hellhole!

11 November 2006

As an Australian this docu-drama should bring home to all my fellow Australians that have the social conscience to see it the grave injustice that the continued incarceration of an Australian in Guantanamo Bay for about five years without any charge, namely David Hicks, has been subjected to. Picked up in Afganistan in 2001 and hauled halfway across the world to Cuba this man is still being denied the basic human rights that western democracies are supposed to be fighting for. His case has recently been taken up by Amnesty International with a call to either charge him in a civilian court or bring him home to Australia. Perhaps I am getting away from reviewing this film but if what was portrayed in this film is anywhere near accurate then all of the'silent majority' of Australians stand condemned in my opinion that our government led by John Howard continues to insist that Hicks is being treated fairly. Whether Pakistani, Afgani, British or Austraian no-one should be treated in such an appalling way by governments that like to consider themselves civilized. This film has made me angrier than ever about the governments of the so called coalition of the willing and the sycophantic behaviour of the Australian PM John Howard and his cronies in relation to the Bush regime. Can we hope that the recent mid-term election result in the U.S. will change this unacceptable behaviour? Thank you to the director and everyone associated with this gripping piece of cinema and it surely deserves to reach a wide audience

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The White Massai (2005)

7/10

Why try to change what you find appealing in the first place?

16 July 2006

Warning: Spoilers

I may be at a disadvantage because I have not read the book and perhaps there were other issues which were not played out in the movie that caused the Swiss woman to behave in the manner she did and ultimately lead to the destruction of the love through a combination of naivety and stupidity. Of course she was always going to be extremely challenged in embarking on such a risky and impetuous liaison with a Massai warrior and attempt to embrace the culture of her husband without putting her own values on the culture in which she found herself and attempting to apply those values. The relationship for me seemed to start to disintegrate when she attempted to become an independent woman in such a society and relegate her proud husband to almost a subservient role when she established the shop. Also this enterprise seemed to introduce alcohol into the equation without her even realizing that would come with consequences. I suppose I would like to hear the story as told by her husband to attempt to get some balance in this story. The sudden relationship problems and his suspicion of her taking a lover all seemed to be attributable to her steadfast determination to change the culture of the tribe and assert her female independence about which she was warned well before she entered into the relationship. Having said that I did enjoy the story for what it was and the insight into such an African tribal culture was very interesting but ultimately not surprised at the outcome. Perhaps she was fortunate that she was able to take her daughter back with her as it would seem to me that it could easily have turned out to be quite different. Whether that is going to better for the child in the long run is one of the unanswered questions to come out of this movie

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Kokoda: 39th Battalion (2006)

6/10

Like Gallipoli this story needs to be told, but..........

21 April 2006

The Kokoda Track is firmly entrenched in the history of World War 2 from an Australian perspective and I personally was hoping that I would leave the cinema as affected as I was by the Peter Weir film Gallipoli made 25 years earlier. Sadly, I wasn't. The battle scenes in the jungle were certainly well staged and the conditions portrayed that the 'chocolate' soldiers experienced were no doubt very close to the dreadful nature of the terrain and the ruthlessness of the enemy was evident in a rather confronting way. But unfortunately where the film fell down for me was the lack of character development of the soldiers, particularly in the early part of the film where I think an opportunity was lost to establish the 'greeness' of these inexperienced soldiers and how they came to be in the situation they found themselves. There is no doubting the importance of this chapter in World War 2 and the ultimate halting of the Japanese advance towards Port Moresby was a crucial time in the Pacific campaign. A cast of relatively unknown actors were adequate but I was not as emotionally involved with the characters as I would have liked to be. Maybe this subject needs to be re-visited in a few years with hopefully a more satisfactory result.

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The King (2005)

9/10

Bernal does it again

18 March 2006

Gael Garcia Bernal has a knack of choosing roles that really challenge the viewer (Bad Education, And your mother too come to mind) and his role in The King is no exception. Superb performances from all the leads that left me with a chill down my spine as I left the cinema. It's impossible to comment too much on the plot of the movie without giving too much away but I was totally engrossed with this tale of Elvis seeking out his father who just happens to be a Pastor in the bible belt of Texas and what ensues. The camera work as it spans through the house of the Pastor in some of the final reels of the film serves to build up to a chilling finale to a story that goes places quite unexpected and deals with issues that are not usually addressed in today's cinema. Certainly not in such an effective way as is in evidence here. Bernal's quite detached way in which he plays this role leaves you with some unanswered questions about his initial motives but in my opinion does not detract from the performance or the film itself. Well worth the price of admission.

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