photographyscotland-969-933420
Joined Apr 2014
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Ratings25
photographyscotland-969-933420's rating
Reviews14
photographyscotland-969-933420's rating
First Series: Excellent.
Second Series: Good.
Third Series: Average.
Fourth Series: Poor.
The reason for my ratings? Judging the speed I went through each series. I flew through the first like starburst. The second I went through like I was going through a wormhole. Then I hit some sort of energy barrier. Most of the episodes in series 3 were a bit of a yawn although it finished on a gloriously apocalyptic high note. But series 4 just seemed to continue the yawn fest of the worst episodes in series 3. I guess the cast and the screen writers were getting a bit jaded towards the end and it shows in the final product. All the best creature effects were in the first two series and maybe they wanted to save money in series 3 and 4. The story lines in the first two series were along classical lines and they were enjoyable but series 3 and 4 it was all this flashback stuff, I found myself neither knowing or caring at the end of an episode what it was all about.
So there it is. Watch the first two series but I guess most will want to know how it all ends and watch 3 and 4 as well.
Second Series: Good.
Third Series: Average.
Fourth Series: Poor.
The reason for my ratings? Judging the speed I went through each series. I flew through the first like starburst. The second I went through like I was going through a wormhole. Then I hit some sort of energy barrier. Most of the episodes in series 3 were a bit of a yawn although it finished on a gloriously apocalyptic high note. But series 4 just seemed to continue the yawn fest of the worst episodes in series 3. I guess the cast and the screen writers were getting a bit jaded towards the end and it shows in the final product. All the best creature effects were in the first two series and maybe they wanted to save money in series 3 and 4. The story lines in the first two series were along classical lines and they were enjoyable but series 3 and 4 it was all this flashback stuff, I found myself neither knowing or caring at the end of an episode what it was all about.
So there it is. Watch the first two series but I guess most will want to know how it all ends and watch 3 and 4 as well.
I was surprised that this film missed out on Best Picture because it for me it beat anything else that year in terms of substance, intensity and creativity.
Best Actor and Best Supporting Actor winners here were well deserved, but I think Best Picture would've been justified. I thought Jared Leto's portrayal of the transvestite was amazing, so convincing in terms of fragility and the frustration of being a woman in a man's body, in addition to all the little quirks of mannerism exhibited by effeminate men.
There is so much in this film for the budding film student to consider, it's an absolute treasure of essay worthy material. The single most important topic in the film for me is a man's right to choose alternative medicine as a legitimate treatment for disease, in this case the focus was AIDS, but could also be seen in the context of cancer or anything else.
The ethics of big pharma is covered which is held in contrast to the ethics of the individual entrepreneur played brilliantly here by Matthew McConaughey. While the activities of big pharma are protected by law, the corruptive profit motive at the core of American industry is suggested in the film to be at odds with the public's best interests when McConaughey's entrepreneurial character offers a homeopathic alternative which appears to work. The authorities try everything in the book to put him out of business but the entrepreneurial spirit at the heart of his American Dream to challenge the pharmaceutical industry establishment refuses to concede defeat.
There is a sting in the tail however and I wont mention it here because it is a spoiler for those yet to see this movie. There is a lot more to this movie which includes bigotry, misogyny, homophobia, class struggle, to name but a few of society's least attractive characteristics. Dallas Buyer's Club is a huge dose of gritty realism we haven't seen for quite a while and a true story it appears. Go see it!
Best Actor and Best Supporting Actor winners here were well deserved, but I think Best Picture would've been justified. I thought Jared Leto's portrayal of the transvestite was amazing, so convincing in terms of fragility and the frustration of being a woman in a man's body, in addition to all the little quirks of mannerism exhibited by effeminate men.
There is so much in this film for the budding film student to consider, it's an absolute treasure of essay worthy material. The single most important topic in the film for me is a man's right to choose alternative medicine as a legitimate treatment for disease, in this case the focus was AIDS, but could also be seen in the context of cancer or anything else.
The ethics of big pharma is covered which is held in contrast to the ethics of the individual entrepreneur played brilliantly here by Matthew McConaughey. While the activities of big pharma are protected by law, the corruptive profit motive at the core of American industry is suggested in the film to be at odds with the public's best interests when McConaughey's entrepreneurial character offers a homeopathic alternative which appears to work. The authorities try everything in the book to put him out of business but the entrepreneurial spirit at the heart of his American Dream to challenge the pharmaceutical industry establishment refuses to concede defeat.
There is a sting in the tail however and I wont mention it here because it is a spoiler for those yet to see this movie. There is a lot more to this movie which includes bigotry, misogyny, homophobia, class struggle, to name but a few of society's least attractive characteristics. Dallas Buyer's Club is a huge dose of gritty realism we haven't seen for quite a while and a true story it appears. Go see it!
OK it was watchable fair but to win Best Movie Oscar in 2013 I'm very surprised because where historical biopics are concerned this wasn't exactly up there with Ghandi.
Admittedly it was an interesting story as obviously this operation had been classified until now but clearly there was significant artistic license taken with the veracity of historical facts. Others have written more about that but this film is also heavily clichéd and portrays every Iranian as a mad mullah. Hell, when you consider the historical context of America's puppet the Shah prior to the revolution then I would be mad as hell and wanting every American collaborator dead. Perhaps the Iranians at that point were mad as hell and weren't going to take it anymore.
I wasn't much taken with the build up sequences to the rescue between the movie moguls, found it boorish and conceited, meanwhile Affleck sniffs and shuffles his way through the movie equally conceitedly in a ain't I cool and up myself sort of way.
Still the movie was watchable and happy to give a 6, I did consider 7 but given the negative aspects already highlighted I leaned more towards 6. Probably 6.5 would've been just right.
Admittedly it was an interesting story as obviously this operation had been classified until now but clearly there was significant artistic license taken with the veracity of historical facts. Others have written more about that but this film is also heavily clichéd and portrays every Iranian as a mad mullah. Hell, when you consider the historical context of America's puppet the Shah prior to the revolution then I would be mad as hell and wanting every American collaborator dead. Perhaps the Iranians at that point were mad as hell and weren't going to take it anymore.
I wasn't much taken with the build up sequences to the rescue between the movie moguls, found it boorish and conceited, meanwhile Affleck sniffs and shuffles his way through the movie equally conceitedly in a ain't I cool and up myself sort of way.
Still the movie was watchable and happy to give a 6, I did consider 7 but given the negative aspects already highlighted I leaned more towards 6. Probably 6.5 would've been just right.