Tag: film review

The Prince’s Scoop

A Netflix Movie Review

This weekend, before I returned to work after the Easter holidays, I wanted to cosy up and watch a film on TV.

Noticing that Gillian Anderson had made a movie about the Prince Andrew scandal, I chose ‘Scoop.’

Having watched the infamous BBC Newsnight interview back in 2019, I was intrigued about how events unfolded.

My Review

Gillian Anderson played Emily Maitlis, the clever TV reporter who gave a one hour interview with Prince Andrew about his involvement with Jeffrey Epstein.

It turned out that the central character was actually Sam McAlister (Billie Piper). She was the booker who had the difficult task of being the first to arrange an interview with Andrew after a new bunch of revelations hit the news.

Rufus Sewell did a good job of playing the despicable prince and wore prosthetics that made him look very convincing in the role. His Private Secretary was played by Keeley Hawes.

The subject matter in the film is very grim as it was unpicking allegations made against Andrew which were later dismissed in a settlement where one of the girls involved supposedly received an 8 figure payoff.

Billie Piper played her role excellently and it was good to see her back on our screens. She portrayed a single parent who had a track record of persuading unlikely celebrities to appear on Newsnight and discuss their featured stories

I thought the filmmakers did a brilliant job of producing a film which put the whole story under a lens.

In A Nutshell

Overall this film was well made and brilliantly acted. Billie, Gillian, Rufus and Keeley were all flawless in portraying real people.

I know that the subject matter may be upsetting for some viewers but if you are interested in the scandal, check out this film.

In terms of pace, narrative and realism this movie was very good.

Damsel – A Dragon Story

Although my picture may not represent the Irish dragon who lurks beneath a mountain in this Netflix movie, it captures the mood of the film. In this post, I review this entertaining movie which stars Millie Bobbie Brown and Nick Robinson.

Lasting 1 hour and 49 minutes, this adventure story depicts the joining of two important families by marriage. Elodie (Millie Bobbie Brown) is brilliant as the girl who is betrothed to a prince in order to fix her father’s financial difficulties.

Unfortunately, after the marriage, Elodie is dropped into the cave where an evil dragon dwells. She was meant to be an offering made to keep the dragon away from the medieval town.

My Thoughts

The initial wide images look a bit like cartoon scenes as the special effects are less sophisticated than you would find in the cinema. However, that is soon forgotten as you get sucked into Elodie’s adventure.

Millie really shines in this movie. With Ray Winstone playing her dad and Angela Bassett as her step mum, she is in good company.

I really enjoyed the twists and turns that the main character took as she tried to escape the dragon. Her awkward relationship with the prince (Robinson) was also interesting.

This was never going to be a heavy script with social issues grappled with. It was, though, hugely entertaining and a good piece of escapist television.

If you want a distraction and to be taken off to a medieval world where a dragon threatens civilisation, this is certainly worth checking out.

I totally recommend spending an afternoon following this narrative. Damsel is satisfying, fun and was a Number 1 success on Netflix.

Saltburn – Wow!

As a film lover, I like to pride myself on being fairly eclectic. I have certain genres of movies that I love but also like to try different types of films now and again. In fact, I often relish small independent films or movies in foreign languages.

Saltburn caught me by surprise.

I think I first heard about this film randomly on a podcast and then slowly, it crept into my life. First, the BBC radio presenters kept talking about it; then my friends were telling me I had to check this quirky project out, so we could discuss its highlights. I was assured it was nothing but “quirky.”

What’s Unique?

This unique story of a university lad who made friends with an aristocrat’s son is definitely an eye-opener. Starting slowly and easing the viewer in, the script then takes us on a whirlwind adventure involving parties, fantasy, curiosity, and moments of complete insanity.

Although it isn’t a horror, there were moments that I wanted to cover my eyes.

Starring Barry Keoghan (from Dunkirk) as Oliver and Jacob Elordi (The Kissing Booth) as Felix, this roller coaster of a screenplay was thrilling. With beautiful scenes and incredibly awkward moments, Emerald Fennell directed a stellar cast. Rosamund Pike and Richard E. Grant played Felix’s welcoming but archaic parents, and Carey Mulligan had a short segment as aptly named ‘Poor Dear Pamela.’

With groundbreaking scenes of sexual weirdness, this film is not for the faint-hearted.

Final Thoughts

This movie has gotten a lot of attention lately on social media because of some controversial scenes. The storyline is unpredictable and interesting, and the acting is brilliant.

The screen is shaped like a 1990s TV with a 1.33:1 aspect ratio rather than the usual rectangular movie cinema frame. This touch adds something — which again, enhances its appeal.

I totally recommend watching Saltburn, which is currently available on Amazon Prime. Its runtime is 2 hours and 11 minutes and will easily maintain most people’s interest.

Have you seen Saltburn and discovered its peculiarities yourself yet?

Check out my review of Wonka – The Movie and please consider following my blog for similar future content.