This French series kept coming up on my Netflix recommendations; but I didn't take notice because I thought I had already seen it. I was confusing it with season 2 of Witnesses, another French drama, which had the English subtitle A Frozen Death when it was shown on BBC4.
The Frozen Dead is based on a novel of the same name by Bernard Minier.
It is only 6 parts, but I really enjoyed it. Mainly because it was similar enough to the Scandi-Noir thrillers that I love to be familiar; and different enough to have its own intrigue.
I am not going to give away too much here. But one thing that becomes obvious very quickly is that the police are not in control of the situation at all. There are several players manipulating them and pushing their own agendas. In that sense it is very different from your run-of-the-mill crime drama where something happens and then the hero cop solves it.
In fact the hero-cop is a total mess here. As are most of the characters...
And it turns out that, unlike in A Frozen Death, The Frozen Dead doesn't have any frozen dead people. Sure it is pretty cold in that part of France... but the title is a metaphor. Possibly for multiple things, like being unable to move on when missing presumed-dead loved ones cannot be found... and other things that I wont mention as it might spoil the plot.
I would recommend watching this in the original French with subtitles (assuming you don't understand French) rather than going with the dubbed version. Initially I felt like being lazy, but the English dubbing is very flat so I quickly reverted to the French.
I wish the Netflix player on AppleTV had a setting like "Original Language with English subtitles". Instead I seem to have to select the subtitle language and then select the audio language... which then persists. So I ended up watching part of a Jessica Jones episode dubbed into French!
Friday, 30 March 2018
Sunday, 4 March 2018
Mute
I read a newspaper article by a TV reviewer who was complaining about the volume of new material that Netflix were planning to produce in 2018. How was he supposed to review all of that?... he said.
Boo hoo. Hire more reviewers, maybe?
Anyway, one of his arguments was that there was no way all that material could be any good and that Netflix were just making rubbish to drown out the competition. To support his argument he named Altered Carbon, The Cloverfield Paradox and Mute as examples of recent Netflix productions that were not very good.
Really?
I had recently watched Altered Carbon and thought is was quite good. Not amazing, but certainly not rubbish to drown out the competition... whatever that even means.
So when Mute came up as a recommendation I thought I would try that and see if the reviewer was wrong twice. He was. Mute is OK too.
I can see how someone might watch the first 15 minutes and think "Blade Runner knock-off, 0/10". Is that what critics do nowadays? Watch just the first few minutes and decide. Or maybe not even watch at all... and steal some random comments from "social media" written by god-knows-who.
There is a good story in Mute. You have to watch the whole thing to see it. Because the connections only become apparent in the last third. Before that you are seeing the strands and they look disjoint, but they do come together.
TV has changed. There is already too much material for "professional reviewers" to cover. Get over it. Actually, get another job because you are already writing crap about shows and movies you don't understand or haven't even watched.
Netflix are in a great position because they understand their subscribers. They know what I have watched and what I liked. They seem to be good at making more stuff that I like.
Is there stuff on Netflix that I don't like? Of course. But why is that a problem? As long as I have enough to watch, then I am happy. I am sure the people who don't like what I do, but like what I don't, are happy too.
The notion that TV is either good or bad is outdated.
Isn't the internet brilliant !!!
Boo hoo. Hire more reviewers, maybe?
Anyway, one of his arguments was that there was no way all that material could be any good and that Netflix were just making rubbish to drown out the competition. To support his argument he named Altered Carbon, The Cloverfield Paradox and Mute as examples of recent Netflix productions that were not very good.
Really?
I had recently watched Altered Carbon and thought is was quite good. Not amazing, but certainly not rubbish to drown out the competition... whatever that even means.
So when Mute came up as a recommendation I thought I would try that and see if the reviewer was wrong twice. He was. Mute is OK too.
I can see how someone might watch the first 15 minutes and think "Blade Runner knock-off, 0/10". Is that what critics do nowadays? Watch just the first few minutes and decide. Or maybe not even watch at all... and steal some random comments from "social media" written by god-knows-who.
There is a good story in Mute. You have to watch the whole thing to see it. Because the connections only become apparent in the last third. Before that you are seeing the strands and they look disjoint, but they do come together.
TV has changed. There is already too much material for "professional reviewers" to cover. Get over it. Actually, get another job because you are already writing crap about shows and movies you don't understand or haven't even watched.
Netflix are in a great position because they understand their subscribers. They know what I have watched and what I liked. They seem to be good at making more stuff that I like.
Is there stuff on Netflix that I don't like? Of course. But why is that a problem? As long as I have enough to watch, then I am happy. I am sure the people who don't like what I do, but like what I don't, are happy too.
The notion that TV is either good or bad is outdated.
Isn't the internet brilliant !!!
Gods of Egypt (2016)
Last Friday night I had a few drinks and ended up looking through the Netflix film collection for something to watch.
Gods of Egypt caught my eye, because it is an eye catching film, so I watched it.
The effects are quite good... as expected. The story is a bit rubbish. The acting is a bit rubbish. Overall... it's a bit rubbish.
But I watched it all the way through... because I was a bit drunk.
Gods of Egypt caught my eye, because it is an eye catching film, so I watched it.
The effects are quite good... as expected. The story is a bit rubbish. The acting is a bit rubbish. Overall... it's a bit rubbish.
But I watched it all the way through... because I was a bit drunk.
Saturday, 24 February 2018
The Villainess (2017)
I really like Korean action films and this is a classic. If somewhat baffling at times... because two of the main characters change their appearance dramatically and that makes things a bit confusing for them and the audience.
One of the refreshing things about Korean action is that it is far less predictable than the western equivalents. There are similar elements, but they always mix it up and you can never be sure that some main character isn't actually going to die... just because we aren't near the end yet.
The main (anti) heroine is quite like Hannah (from the movie Hannah) in some ways... but then completely opposite in others (she has a child that she cares for so she isn't emotionally blank).
Lots of things happen. There is a mystery agency doing terrible things that may or may not be for the greater good (we never find out). There are gangsters. There are whole sequences that feel more like watching someone playing a video game...
It is very violent. And yet it is also thought provoking ... and sad ... and entertaining.
A real achievement to pack so much into one film.
One of the refreshing things about Korean action is that it is far less predictable than the western equivalents. There are similar elements, but they always mix it up and you can never be sure that some main character isn't actually going to die... just because we aren't near the end yet.
The main (anti) heroine is quite like Hannah (from the movie Hannah) in some ways... but then completely opposite in others (she has a child that she cares for so she isn't emotionally blank).
Lots of things happen. There is a mystery agency doing terrible things that may or may not be for the greater good (we never find out). There are gangsters. There are whole sequences that feel more like watching someone playing a video game...
It is very violent. And yet it is also thought provoking ... and sad ... and entertaining.
A real achievement to pack so much into one film.
Wednesday, 14 February 2018
The Ghoul
This is a fascinating movie.
The first time I attempted to watch The Ghoul I had had a few glasses of wine and completely lost track of what was happening after 30 minutes; so I bailed out.
A few days later I tried again, sober, and really enjoyed it. I still can't say that I understand it. I will probably have to watch it again... was Chris an undercover cop investigating a shooting, or a mental patient imagining an alternative life as an undercover cop?
Or are we not supposed to be able to tell the difference?
Mystery.
The first time I attempted to watch The Ghoul I had had a few glasses of wine and completely lost track of what was happening after 30 minutes; so I bailed out.
A few days later I tried again, sober, and really enjoyed it. I still can't say that I understand it. I will probably have to watch it again... was Chris an undercover cop investigating a shooting, or a mental patient imagining an alternative life as an undercover cop?
Or are we not supposed to be able to tell the difference?
Mystery.
Altered Carbon
I thought that Altered Carbon was barrelling along nicely until about the 3/4 mark and then, for me, it hit the buffers.
All the cyberpunk aspects are something that you either buy into or not. The idea of everyone having a device implanted into their spine at birth seems horrific... but in 350 years, why not - only 35 years ago it would have seemed ridiculous that everyone would willingly carry round a device that allowed them to be contacted and tracked 24/7.
I didn't quite get where all the normal bodies come from. The rich have clones, I got that. But if the poor only get to reuse the bodies of dead people, then aren't those bodies pretty useless? They just died. Were they reconditioned or something? And if so why not fix them before death? Or is medicine just too expensive for most people? (i.e. the US healthcare approach, not the UK one)
Anyway, that was all OK. But then we find out who is really behind all the chaos surrounding Kovacs. And I thought... What? That is just mad.
Was that the point? That after pursuing a cause for 250 years, by whatever means you can employ, the process can destroy the whole point of the cause you started with?
I didn't get it. That's what I think was happening. The "villain" was just insane. The original "client" was unhinged too. So I guess all the people who were very, very old just went mad. Kovacs was cool because he slept for 250 years.
Is there a sequel? I hope there is more to the madness if so.
All the cyberpunk aspects are something that you either buy into or not. The idea of everyone having a device implanted into their spine at birth seems horrific... but in 350 years, why not - only 35 years ago it would have seemed ridiculous that everyone would willingly carry round a device that allowed them to be contacted and tracked 24/7.
I didn't quite get where all the normal bodies come from. The rich have clones, I got that. But if the poor only get to reuse the bodies of dead people, then aren't those bodies pretty useless? They just died. Were they reconditioned or something? And if so why not fix them before death? Or is medicine just too expensive for most people? (i.e. the US healthcare approach, not the UK one)
Anyway, that was all OK. But then we find out who is really behind all the chaos surrounding Kovacs. And I thought... What? That is just mad.
Was that the point? That after pursuing a cause for 250 years, by whatever means you can employ, the process can destroy the whole point of the cause you started with?
I didn't get it. That's what I think was happening. The "villain" was just insane. The original "client" was unhinged too. So I guess all the people who were very, very old just went mad. Kovacs was cool because he slept for 250 years.
Is there a sequel? I hope there is more to the madness if so.
Saturday, 3 February 2018
Black Mirror 4
You might think that Charlie Brooker could have taken Netflix's money and just churned out more of the same Black Mirror ... but he hasn't. It is still getting better with some brilliant episodes here in series 4.
1. USS Callister
This is going to be known as "The Star Trek one" by everyone who likes to wind up Star Trek fans... sorry guys. But you should see it as a homage rather than a spoof. Although casting the bad guy as a fan might upset more. Nice unwinding of the twists as you realise what is going on.
Probably one of my favourites right off the bat.
2. Arkangel
Classic episode because the obvious question of "would a parent go that far?" has an equally obvious, but uncomfortable, answer of "yes, some would."
3. Crocodile
Mixed one. I liked the acting but it was too obvious what would happen when the insurance woman started doing her thing. Apart from the shocking length that the perp went to to hide the truth... and her eventual mistake.
4. Hang The DJ
Another candidate for favourite. I guessed some of what was happening but the ending was a surprise. Brilliant that it now seems obvious; so hiding it so well was a real triumph.
5. Metalhead
I love Maxine Peake and this was a creepy episode. Shooting in black-and-white was a good idea. The reveal about the contents of the box was cool... but somehow, for me, the lack of context killed it - why were the dogs doing that and who were the people?
6. Black Museum
Probably my favourite. Lots of tech gone wrong and a brilliant reveal at the end which had a real Tales of the Unexpected feel about it.
1. USS Callister
This is going to be known as "The Star Trek one" by everyone who likes to wind up Star Trek fans... sorry guys. But you should see it as a homage rather than a spoof. Although casting the bad guy as a fan might upset more. Nice unwinding of the twists as you realise what is going on.
Probably one of my favourites right off the bat.
2. Arkangel
Classic episode because the obvious question of "would a parent go that far?" has an equally obvious, but uncomfortable, answer of "yes, some would."
3. Crocodile
Mixed one. I liked the acting but it was too obvious what would happen when the insurance woman started doing her thing. Apart from the shocking length that the perp went to to hide the truth... and her eventual mistake.
4. Hang The DJ
Another candidate for favourite. I guessed some of what was happening but the ending was a surprise. Brilliant that it now seems obvious; so hiding it so well was a real triumph.
5. Metalhead
I love Maxine Peake and this was a creepy episode. Shooting in black-and-white was a good idea. The reveal about the contents of the box was cool... but somehow, for me, the lack of context killed it - why were the dogs doing that and who were the people?
6. Black Museum
Probably my favourite. Lots of tech gone wrong and a brilliant reveal at the end which had a real Tales of the Unexpected feel about it.
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