Howe's World of Film and TV

Derry Girls Season 2 (2019) – TV Review

In 2018, ‘Derry Girls’ came racing onto our TV screens with a fresh and totally u wide angle to look at the teenage coming of age comedy, with a look at a group of (mostly) girls, and also having them growing up during ‘The Troubles’ in Derry.

In that first season, the show was not only totally hilarious and features fully fleshed out characters, but it also mad surprising moments of emotion (particularly right at the end of the season) mainly due to the bloodshed of the troubles.

In season two, especially the later episodes, the emotional aspects are really focused on to spectacularly effective results, with a final two episodes that will make the most hardened person tear up.

However, it also remained one of the funniest shows on TV, with the storylines and one-liners being laugh out loud funny, and delivered by one of the most talented ensembles on TV.

There was a golden period at the start of 2019 where airing weekly on British TV were the second season to ‘Fleabag’, ‘This Time in Alan Partridge’ and this second season of ‘Derry Girls’, and I struggle to think a better period of recent British Comedy.

This shows just how good ‘Derry Girls’ was that it could very much stand shoulder to shoulder with Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s masterpiece and Steve Coogan’s iconic character.

Due to Covid-19, it looks like a third season won’t air until 2021 at the earliest which is a shame, but I’m just thankful more of this brilliant show is going to be coming to our screens.

Rating = 5/5

Killing Eve Controversies – What will happen to Season 4?

I think it is worth noting that this situation is still developing and therefore some things may change, and also that a huge factor towards impacting season 4 is the Corona Virus pandemic which means everything is unpredictable, but this isn’t what this article is about.

A few months ago, ‘Killing Eve’ (which it’s worth noting has been my favourite show on TV since its launch) was riding high off two seasons of high viewership and massive awards acclaim, and was launching its much anticipated third season.

While that season didn’t quite match the buzz of the first two, it was another ratings juggernaut for the BBC, Jodie Comer delivered another stunning performance, and the show was already picked up for a fourth season.

However, many fans rightly pointed out how Sandra Oh’s Eve has been sidelined significantly this season, and this was made worse when a photo of an all white writers room for season 4 was posted on social media, and Sandra Oh also said she is usually the only non-white person on set.

This caused big backlash online (and despite no public backing from any of her co-stars), Oh did receive backing from the producers and Sally Woodward Gentle stated that the show “must do better”. Despite this statement, we don’t know if any active steps are being taken to make change.

Now, fresh drama escalated yesterday when Jodie Comer’s mystery boyfriend was revealed as James Burke, a man who fans believe they have proof is a republican and potential Trump supporter, and there are more photos of Comer and Burke constantly being revealed and it seemingly is getting worse for them (but it’s important to note this hasn’t been officially confirmed by Burke or Comer). This situation caused outrage among her fans.

Some in the press believed the outrage was at the simple fact she had a boyfriend, but it seems to me that really it was the fact that Comer plays the most famous LGBTQ character on TV right now and her career has massively benefited off the support of that community (she even posted a video for Pride earlier this week where she was described as an ally) but fans see it that in hiding the fact she is dating a republican, her support for these movements may be hypocritical and feel like a betrayal.

Comer has already played multiple LGBTQ characters in her short career so far, and has posted online her support for Pride and the BLM movement, which makes this all the more surprising.

I think it’s important to wait for all the facts and hopefully for Comer or her team to make a statement to clear the situation up before much more is done, but if Comer actively sides with a boyfriend who supports these views etc, I think people have a right to choose not to support her career anymore (although no one has a right to interfere in her personal life or threaten her or her family, and I hope it doesn’t escalate to this as it often can on the internet).

As for Killing Eve season 4, I think it will still happen as all the scripts are written and it hasn’t been anything offensive Comer herself has done that would warrant her being removed from the show, but I do think it will have a big drop in viewers and buzz if this situation isn’t resolved, and could lead to an awkward on set environment as Comer’s co-stars are a person of colour and a member of the LGBTQ community, who you would imagine (without ever wanting to speak for them) cannot be on board with how this is playing out.

I love Killing Eve, and as someone also from a working class English background, I’ve always really loved Jodie Comer and I really want this situation to somehow explain itself and not be the ‘scandal’ it seems to be and we can move on, but the longer her silence, the bigger the troubles grow for her in this new Twitter age.

One thing that remains unquestioned is that Comer is one of the most talented and versatile stars in the world right now, and I hope she doesn’t allow her personal life to affect her career opportunities.

At the end of the day, she should be allowed to date who she wants without people ‘cancelling’ her, but on the flip side, her passionate fanbase are allowed (as long as it doesn’t become abuse) to decide they no longer support her if her beliefs don’t match theirs.

I think this is very much a developing situation.

Hamilton (2020) – Review

A Walt Disney Picture, Written by Lin-Manuel Miranda, Directed by Thomas Kail.

‘Hamilton’ is arguably the biggest cultural phenomenon of the 21st century, and yet due to its insane popularity and high ticket prices, much of the world is still yet to see it, but that all changes now.

Filmed in 2016, with all the original cast, this innovative recording of the musical comes to Disney Plus and it does not disappoint. Director Tommy Kail uses innovative techniques to capture every aspect of the performance, and the editing and sound design is also excellent.

I won’t go into deep detail on a review of the actual show as so much has already been said about it in the last 5 years, but I will say that it is quite simply one of the best musicals ever made.

The way it explores history, while making it seem relevant to today with the almost entirely non white cast and hip-hop style, is genius and allows for us to be much more engaged in the actual history than if it had just been told traditionally.

Every single member of the ensemble is extraordinary and deserve all the acclaim and opportunity they get, but I wanted to pick at just a couple who particularly leapt off the screen for me.

Leslie Odom Jr delivers a really strong dramatic performance, Daveed Diggs is energy personified and really demands your attention, Renee Elise Goldsberry performs her songs with such incredible depth and charisma, and also Jonathan Groff is the perfect comedic relief and excels in his short camels as King George.

The music is non-stop throughout and the way Miranda manages to tell a story, create iconic musical numbers, pay tribute to past theatre shows, and much more all with his songs is simply spell-binding and I could go into detail on all of them (check out the full cast album on Spotify etc it’s brilliant) but I wanted to mention a few that stuck out to me on first viewing:

Alexander Hamilton (such a strong start), You’ll Be Back (hilarious), Satisfied (one of my favourite ever musical theatre moments), The Room Where It Happens (Passionate), and Who Lives, Who Dies, Who Tells Your Story (perfect emotional ending).

Lin-Manuel Miranda created a masterpiece and deserves all the incredible acclaim he has received, and he surely will be an EGOT in no time.

He didn’t throw away his shot!

Rating = 4.5/5 (If I saw it live in a theatre this would easily be 5/5 but as a film its 4.5).

Casablanca (1942) – Review

A Warner Bros Picture, Written by Julius J. Epstein, Phillip G. Epstein, Howard Koch, Directed by Michael Curtiz.

‘Casablanca’ regularly appears on many lists of the greatest movies of all time, and very often near to the top, and it’s almost impossible to argue against it.

It is a film of such style, importance and yet enjoyment, it mixes romance and war perfectly, and therefore has something for everyone.

It is very tough to tell a war story when the war is not yet over, but this does it well by focusing very specifically in one location and on one man who has left the fight, and the way he is drawn back in.

The story is superbly played out, packed full of surprises and stand out moments, and due to some iconic lines, it is probably the most quoted film in movie history.

Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman deliver really stormy lead performances packed full of charisma and emotion, and their chemistry is off the charts. One of the ultimate golden era movie couples.

There’s a few moments, mostly in the first act, where the film feels quite slow (which allows for a big pay off later on) which prevents it from being the perfect film, but it is very close to that.

The story of standing up against immeasurable odds to do the right thing, and the battle between love and self preservation has rarely been told better.

Rating = 4.5/5

Inside Llewyn Davis (2013) – Review

A CBS Films Picture, Written and Directed by Joel and Ethan Coen.

The Coen Bros are one of the best and most respected writing/directing forces in the indie film world, due to their amazing works on countless classics.

This is one of their more low key releases, but it equally has a very passionate fan base. I can appreciate why, due to the compelling performances and strong capturing of the New York folk music scene in the 1960s.

Oscar Isaac is superb and the film acting as a real character study is very interesting and I appreciate that, but I was just never able to fully connect to the story and really feel emotionally gripped by what was going on.

It featured some amusing and strong supporting performances from the likes of John Goodman and Adam Driver, and also offers up a really strong Carey Mulligan performance but barely utilities her at all, and every time she isn’t on the screen the film feels slightly flat, and she only really appears in cameos.

This is a good film, and I understand why people think it’s a great one, but it’s just didn’t quite click for me the way many others Coen movies have.

Rating = 3/5

Derry Girls (2018) – TV Review

Some people originally tried to pin this as just a ‘female Inbetweeners’ but as soon as it was aired, we saw it was much more. While it does contain some of the brilliant aspects of that show, it is also incredibly unique to its focus on a group of young (predominantly) girls growing up during ‘The Troubles’ in Derry.

This adds a historical and emotional backbone to the story, but the show is also non-stop laughs, with every character in the main cast being incredibly singular and hilarious in their own right.

The whole cast is superb, with particular stand outs for me being the live wire performance of Saoirse-Monica Jackson, the hilariously uptight Nicola Coughlan and the hilarious supporting turn from Ian McElhinney.

Writer Lisa McGee is detailing some of her own experiences and mixing them with fictional, and in doing so, she has created one of the finest comedy shows of the past decade.

Rating = 4.5/5

Into the Unknown: Making Frozen II (2020) – TV Review

This six part documentary looks at the behind the scenes making of the biggest animated film of all time, ‘Frozen II’.

However, unlike Disney Plus’ other behind the scenes series ‘Disney Gallery: The Mandalorian’ this is a proper documentary that tracks all the members of cast and crew from start to end of this project, as opposed a retrospective talk, and even though that was interesting, this is much better.

The unprecedented access to the process and input from all the different members of the crew gives us a brilliant idea of all the wide ranging aspects that go into the making of an animated film of this scale, and it gives people the respect they deserve.

It’s also fascinating to see how kind and warm an environment Jennifer Lee has built at Disney Animation and how even the biggest starts treat the lower level staff with such respect, that it makes everyone feel valued and therefore create a better product.

There were some unexpectedly emotional aspects too, including co-director Chris Buck discussing the loss of his son and how he is incorporated into ‘Frozen II’ and Jennifer Lee discussing her life as a working single mother.

Overall, I just really found this illuminating and now I am able to understand the process even better than I did before, I respect the movie even more.

This should be a way forward for Disney Plus and series’ like this should be made for all there major projects, including the future Marvel and Star Wars entries.

Rating = 4/5

About Time (2013) – Review

A Universal Picture, Written and Directed By Richard Curtis.

Richard Curtis, the legendary writer behind hits like ‘Four Weddings and a Funeral’, ‘Notting Hill’ and ‘Love Actually’, brings us another romance, this time with a time travelling twist.

It’s worth noting up front that I do find it problematic how Gleeson’s character goes back in time whenever (for most of the film) to make his relationship with McAdams’ character better, without her ever knowing. They clearly love and are great for each other anyway, but her lack of knowledge of the situation is an issue.

However, all the character are well meaning and kind people that we root for, and that’s mainly due to the lead performances.

Gleeson is a very strong screen presence but I didn’t think he shone particularly here, but he does a decent job. McAdams on the other hand is a delight and is so effortlessly charming, with great comedic timing and emotion bubbling under the surface. She’s a gem.

The supporting cast all round is so strong here, with great work from the likes of Bill Nighy, Tom Hollander, Lindsay Duncan, Vanessa Kirby, Lydia Wilson, Richard E. Grant, and Richard Griffiths, and all their contributions, big or small, really help the film rise above any shortcomings.

The film is also Margot Robbie’s first major movie appearance, in a supporting role where she is essentially only used as a distraction to the lead due to her stunning looks, but thankfully her career took off later this year in ‘The Wolf of Wall Street’ and we were all able to see what an incredible talent she is.

The film has little interesting in the sci-fi elements or exploring butterfly effects of time travel, and is much more focused on the emotional impact it can have on the individual, and while I would’ve liked to see the concept explored a bit more, this is never what this film was about.

‘About Time’ is such a sincere and heartwarming movie that you are mostly able to put the problems to aside and enjoy it on its own merits, especially with such a strong Rachel McAdams performance.

Rating = 3/5

Four Wedding and a Funeral (1994) – Review

A Rank Film Picture, Written by Richard Curtis, Directed by Mike Newell.

This is one of the most definitive rom-coms in history and has been much referenced and copied in the years since it’s release, but is it actually that’s good?

Well the answer is mostly yes. This definitely enjoyable movie is structured in five distinct parts (as the title would have you suspect) which makes for amusing scenarios but gives little chance for much real story or development.

However, the writing and cast are great, with lots of opportunity for witty interplay between the cast and for Hugh Grant to do his classic ‘charming posh boy routine’. In my opinion Richard Curtis and Mike Newell have both made better films than this, but it’s understandable why it is one of their most famous.

A small part of the film I also admired is how it treat a deaf character. He was treated with compassion but his condition never defined him as a character, and it was simply another part of him as a person that everyone accepted, and it’s refreshing to see that and is quite progressive for a mid-90s film.

Grant and MacDowell have great chemistry when they are on the screen together, and you instantly root for them to get together, even if their potential relationship is never explored enough to actually make the final payoff worth it.

That sums most of the film up, it’s a charming and enjoyable ride with little substance underneath, but sometimes, that’s all you need for a fun time at the movies.

Rating = 3.5/5

The Salisbury Poisonings (2020) – TV Review

Based on the shocking true events, this three part mini-series has proved a ratings sensation for the BBC (partly due to more people being home) and it is fully deserved. It takes fascinating and complex events in Salisbury in 2018 and turns it into really compelling TV.

It’s something I still struggle to understand why it isn’t a bigger deal to the general public (maybe because little is actually known about what happened) but only two year ago Russia deployed a weapon of mass destruction on British soil, resulting in the death of a British citizen, and little happened as a consequence.

The cast is really good, with Anne-Marie Duff in particular shining as a very normal person put into a very un-normal situation, and being responsible for the lives of thousands.

The actions the authorities took to quickly lock the situation down and save thousands of lives is slightly sad to watch now we know just two years later the utter incompetence that the government would deal with the Corona Virus pandemic, but the local authorities of Salisbury are undoubted heroes.

I feel like there’s more to this story but the show is firmly focused on the town and it’s ordinary people, and it really effectively tells all the sides of that story.

Rating = 4/5