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smartarsebutler
Reviews
The Strays (2023)
Flawed, but not as hopeless as the reviews would convince you
I clicked on The Strays knowing nothing about it, and i'm glad I did as I think the preconception of it being terribly acted/scripted would have dampened my viewing experience. Yes, there are flaws here but I don't think these are down to the actors abilities, so much as a mismatch of direction, staging and direction. It felt like it didn't know what it wanted to be. Was it a horror? Was it a gritty british itv drama? Was it low budget? High concept? It seemed to travel through all those identities and didn't seem to settle until the crescendo at the end of it being a horror thriller....kind of.
Having now read that the writer wanted to portray Neve as a multi layered character, neither good nor bad, I can make sense of what they were trying to achieve. The actors did the best with what they presented, but unfortunately there was a bizarre mix of surreal and realism that just became confusing. I couldn't help but think 'is this trying to be Get Out lite but got lost on the way?'. Also characters needed fleshing out a little. Details were scant apart from a mention of a stay in a psychiatric unit, children being 'got rid of', and a maybe abusive relationship. There was no explanation as to how Neve had achieved her position, or what her intentions were at key moments.
Saying all this, I'm glad I watched The Strays. It kept me gripped, I was interested in the subject matter, it just failed in a consistent tone or a fully rounded narrative sadly.
Marriage (2022)
Transfixing, multi layered, Golaszweskis finest work to date
Please ignore the negative reviews. I think the issue is that the BBC overestimated it's audience, as opposed to any flaws with the show. Golaszweski's writing is astounding, slowly peeling back painful truths, whilst subverting narrative expectations the world of tv has lulled us into needing. I watched it all in one sitting and the last episode truly had me a blubbering mess. This is a masterclass in writing, acting and direction. Characters are exceptionally observed, multi dimensional and complex. If you have half a brain and an attention span, you won't regret investing in this. Truly magnificent.
Sally4Ever (2018)
Magnificent, grotesque and I'm left wanting more
I love everything Julia Davis does, and have followed her avidly since Human Remains, having seen her previously in The Day Today, Brass Eye, Jam and touring with Steve Coogan. I understand that Julia tends to have one note in her creations, which would generally be a bleak, psychotic, sociopathic darkness that runs roughshod over societal norms. Some people enjoy that, some don't. I am one that loves it.
Sally4ever, like Julias other offerings, takes the grotesque elements that are common in peoples characters, and multiplies them, where shame and conscience aren't a feature for some, whereas politeness becomes almost a conduit to self harm. Following the story of a woman trying to break free of a loveless relationship and controlling parents, only to become a slave to another flawed selfish human being. Bonus points for the Sean Bean cameo, which is the cherry on the psychotic cake. If you get her brand of comedy, you will, like me, watch this on repeat over and over.
Greed (2019)
A great message, but sadly a little too aimless
There are a lot of good moments in this film, and the cast is a who's who of the british comedy world. I had read the reviews so went in with extremely low expectations. Initially I was pleasantly surprised, although i'm not sure whether that was just the impact of seeing so many comedy actors who I admire greatly popping up so often. I feel if you weren't aware of the subject matter that this film is based on, clearly Philip Green, you'd be a little lost.
Plotlines are set up, only to go nowhere. Relationships are set up, only to have very little depth, the same with characters. You're left a little confused at the motivation behind a lot of the scenes. As a person I am very much on board with the message, so perhaps that helped me enjoy it more. However I didn't really know how to invest in any of the characters that technically, I should care about, because their back stories were shoehorned in flimsily.
Of course, the protagonist gets his karmic fate, but given that you are left wondering what exactly the point of various characters being brought in were, or why they were even there just leaves you confused.
However, I would recommend you watch this. Coogan is great as always. It's entertaining and the subject matter is important information that we all need to be aware of. Don't expect to be wowed, or feel the need to revisit it at any point though.
The Mind of Herbert Clunkerdunk (2019)
It made me very unhappy.
Now I love a bit of surrealist comedy, I adore vic and Bob, the mighty boosh being the obvious reference points. I'd seen Spencer's stand up and enjoyed him. This however, I felt nauseous, I didn't laugh but I did feel uncomfortable and actually had a panic attack!
Stath Lets Flats (2018)
You either get it or you don't. I feel sad for those that don't.
I have followed Jamie Demitrou and his sister for a few years now. They make absurdist comedy that is consistently brilliant (see 2016 Year Friends). Please ignore people who don't get it and try it for yourself.
Josh (2014)
I want to love it but it's impossible to
For years I had caught snippets of this show and it appealed to me as much as Not Going Out, which I'd NOT ONE BIT. However having a soft spot for jack Dee and Elis James I decided to give it a go. I dragged myself through the entire series and was very disappointed. Also Beattie Edmonson CAN NOT ACT. She's terrible! I mentioned this to someone in comedy at the bbc and was informed it's well known she is there for anything but her talent. Makes sense. The best I can say for this is that if you're poorly in bed you can have it in the background playing and you can easily ignore it if needed, and you don't laugh. Not the highest praise
Behaving Badly (1989)
Judy Dench carries a heavy burden with this cast...
I had not heard of this prior to spotting it on Channel 4, but seeing as I would have been ten years old when it was originally aired, it's not a huge surprise. It's an interesting take on some cliché'd ideas, deconstructing them, dealing with gender role stereotypes etc, but the problem is the script, the direction, and the supporting cast....so basically, everything. The mother in law makes very painful irritating viewing, and it's almost as if she's in another production and has accidentally wandered onto the set, so bizarre and jarring is her ranting. The flat-share is badly thought through, and Joely Richardson is so horrifically BAD at acting that she fills the screen every time she appears, so much so I had to stop myself from punching it! Then the love affair with the Giles character, it just crops out of nowhere, no indication it's going to happen, no build towards it, and then they're away, and.....you're just left a bit confused as to why you bothered watching it. Yes, it tells us that nothing in life is certain, that we must be strong and self sufficient, that we should be brave and live our lives, however, the way it tells you is rather hollow, badly constructed and irritating. I would recommend you watch it, just to see how bad it is....
The Savages (2001)
A flawed gem....
Sadly overlooked, the Savages combined warmth with sharp wit and a (mostly) fine cast. Marcus Brigstocke, although slightly self conscious at times, delivers a likable and genuinely amusing performance, whilst Victoria Hamilton was fantastic as his sarcastic, weary but adoring wife. Geoffery Palmer was a good catch for the series too, and I was surprised that it didn't get picked up for a second series, as it had a lot going for it. I think one of the major flaws was the casting of the children, who were frankly dreadful, and when children are that bad at acting, they can throw off the atmosphere of an entire episode. A travesty really, seeing as everything else was pretty much spot on (as far as I'm concerned anyway!).
I would love to see this released on DVD, just so I can have a quality copy instead of the dreadful one I've made for myself. Sadly I think this is going to be forgotten, even though it could have grown to be well loved by many. Simon Nye is clearly a very gifted man, it's just a shame that there wasn't a future for the Savages...
Hollyoaks: Let Loose (2005)
Dreadful, reprehensible, rotten rubbish....
Against my better judgement, I've always been rather fond of Hollyoaks. I always liked Ben, especially Ben and Izzy, even if they did become a little bit of a formulaic comedy sideline for while, and I always really liked the Hunter family, and I liked Lisa. What I didn't like, or could even understand was Ben and Lisa. Ben had always been one of the older set, the grown-ups, and Lisa was one of the kids, and dated boys her age, so as soon as Lisa was legal, Hollyoaks sent her off on a vastly slutty weekend away at a hotel, and when she returned I suppose they expected everyone to view her as an adult and adult enough to go out with a man who'd just been married and had a baby. She wasn't though, she was a kid, so it seemed a bit...urgh. Let Loose just went to reinforce this feeling of urgh from the offset, and on top of that it was needlessly lurid (like most post watershed hollyoaks offerings) and very very weak storyline wise. I think I watched about four episodes of Lisa playing with the grown-ups before I had to switch off for fear of breaking my television.
In summary - AVOID AT ALL COSTS.
The Worst Week of My Life (2004)
Derivative but strangely refreshing
Okay, so you could almost describe it as Britain's answer to 'Meet the Parents', but that is doing this fantastic sitcom a huge disservice. Ben Miller and Sarah Alexander do a fantastic job as an uptight, very much in love and very middle class couple, desperate to get through their pre-wedding week, and the casting of Alison Steadman as the hysterical perfectionist seating plan obsessed mother is a masterstroke. The comedy is constantly farcical and slapstick, but without becoming gross-out (i.e.Farrelly brothers). Do not let claims of tired ideas being rehashed put you off this fantastic britcom, because yes, the basis of the sitcom has been visited a few times before, but this is a fresh take, and the result is an invigorating and exciting exercise in programming. Highly recommended!
Hollyoaks: After Hours (2004)
Worse than I could have imagined!
I'd never seen a late night Hollyoaks before, I'd always felt that I'd missed out, so the night this was on I made sure I videoed it so I wouldn't always be wondering what happened in the sure to happen 'dramatic event' that always seemed to take place in these. Now, don't get me wrong, I'm aware that Hollyoaks is pretty poor, but there is good in it, like Lee Hunter (I hope being in hollyoaks doesn't ruin his career for him, he's pure gold!) and er, I'm sure there are other things...ahem. I was expecting something like the Ellie and Toby Mills drama, but what did I get when I settled down to watch this after a hard nights work? Nothing of any worth whatsoever. Caprice with not many clothes on, some pointlessly kinky action with no real plot behind it other than the chance for Caprice to show her rather lacking acting abilities in her small pants. It was basically soft porn with a bit of swearing slotted in all too often (not that I'm easily offended, it was just overkill and sounded silly). Lisa walks around with very little clothes on, and has a lot of sex with a middle aged business man who then tricks her into having some non consensual lesbian foreplay, and she uses these experiences in a positive way to show her that she can be whatever she wants to be because she's a strong woman. What it actually showed was she was a bit of a ripper and she's spending an awful lot of time down the gym.
It was in two parts as well, TWO PARTS! Blimey, it was actually punishing to watch, and I think it was meant to be titillating and racy. My boyfriend said he felt slightly queasy. Well done Hollyoaks!