Robert Servaud-Dickinson

Predictable social realist fare, slow-paced to the point of stasis at times. Little sense of forward movement, merely a series of moments which failed to engage, the viewer always the outsider, manipulated by the over-direction of the central character of Cleo and her relationship to Gloria. A film so self-consciously understated to the point of not much ever really being stated. As John Cage once said, "I have nothing to say and I am saying it". As did this film.

It's 'grim up north' neatly sums up this over-rated, genetically depressed, award winning drama-saga beloved of the critics and apparently everyone in the UK and the rest of the world. Yet again, 'national treasure' Sarah Lancashire receives plaudits for rehashing the same stereotyped role she's been churning out - with considerable expertise let it be said - over countless different dramas over the years. God's own country awful yet brilliantly adept in its patronising portrayal of the bleak north of England with its gritty, no-nonsense, tragic characters tagged with names such as Cawood, Cartwright and Cowgill - oh, how northern. There's light on the horizon however as the final season is currently playing out its very last stereotyped breath.

The problem with 'Killing Eve' is that it draws you into its world of conspiratorial nonsense and extreme violence in an almost addictive manner, which in regard to the violence the viewer takes for granted by the final season. It's so easy with the stylish production and excellent acting for it to mask what is at base level a creative celebration of comic-strip eroticised violence in which psychopaths are elevated to almost mythic status and with whom the viewer has a degree of unconscious empathy. At the conclusion of season 4 I was left feeling manipulated and ultimately quite empty.

A thoroughly unpleasant movie which had little sense of direction and in the second half descended into the realm of soft-core bondage porn. Cliche ridden from start to finish it made one wonder as to why Bruce Willis became involved. His sudden disappearance at around the half-way point speaks volumes. Stay away from this abomination at all costs which seemed to delight in portraying women as helpless victims to a soundtrack of cover versions of Mark Knopfler's 'Brothers in Arms'. Recycle with extreme prejudice. Dire.

Despite being cancelled for a third series by Netflix back in 2019 and negative reviews by the usual professional critic suspects, as of 2022-23, 'Salvation' appears to have been given a new lease of life by Netflix with the original two series being positively promoted. Could it be that Netflix are making amends for their error in 2019 ? It's a series with so many parallels with what has transpired in the real world since 2019, obviously I'm not talking an asteroid hitting the planet. There's Darius Tanz, a sort of left-field Elon Musk character, then a Trumpian President who meets his come uppance and who uses language and populist rabble rousing so very similar to the orange one and there's much more. I read one 'professional ' review which commented on the low production values which is light years from the truth. The reality is that this drama series is gripping with so many twist and turns and well-developed characters over the course of its 26 episodes. Highly recommended science fiction rooted partially in fact. The asteroid angle isn't that far away from reality also especially when one now takes into account recent stories in the news about new developments to deal with the possibility of an asteroid colliding with our planet. Stay the full course for this highly compelling science fiction drama. Netflix redeem yourself with a series 3 !