Glee: The Back Nine Review

Posted by Should I See It on Monday, June 14, 2010 , under , , , , , , , | comments (0)





Show: Glee: The Back Nine Episodes 14-22. (Fox)
Creator: Ryan Murphy
Starring: Diana Agron, Chris Colfer, Jessalyn Gilsig, Jane Lynch, Jayma Mays, Kevin McHale, Lea Michele, Cory Monteith, Matthew Morrison, Amber Riley, Mark Salling, Jenna Ushkowitz.
Plot: A High School Spanish Teacher attempts to revive the once promising Glee Club at his Alma Mata.


Glee has made its long awaited return from its mid season hiatus. Since then Glee has developed into somewhat of a phenomenon. Not only has it seen a spike in its ratings (ESPECIALLY here in Australia), Glee can now boast a swag of awards, a performance at the White House, a performance on Oprah (you can decide which is more impressive, or if there is actually any difference between the two), and launching its own national tour.


For the most part, the back nine episodes of Glee provide more of the same: Fun dance numbers, uneven character development and (sometimes) plots that take fascinating leaps of logic in order to get from point A to B.


Hell-o

Hell-o wasn’t really a strong return for the series. It spent most of the time recapping the last 13 episodes. One thing that really irked me about this episode was the dialogue that lead into “hello, Ilove You.’ It was definitely Glee at it’s worst.

However this episode also gave us THE BEST LINE OF THE SERIES: 'Did you know that dolphins are just gay sharks?' delivered absolutely perfectly by Brittany (Heather Morris).

Musical Highlight: I am going to say (probably quite controversially) Rachel and Jesse singing Lionel Ritchie’s ‘Hello.’ It was a delight to see Lea Michele reunited with her Spring Awakening co-star Jonathan Groff. And any time Jonathan Groff is singing is okay by me.


The Power of Madonna

While plot and character development were most decidedly on the back burner in this episode, It gave us lots of Musical goodness. It was lots of fun! The numbers were well chosen and pulled off with such energy and gusto that you couldn’t help but be entertained.

Musical Highlight: Sue Sylvester singing ‘Vogue.’ Omigod! Brilliant! Loved it! Though I think my favourite part of that episode was Kurt Hummel living out his America’s Next Top Model fantasy in the 'Vogue' video.



Home

This was probably my least favourite episode of the back nine. I was bored. Bored. Bored. Bored. I actually found myself fast forwarding through most of this episode.

Home saw the (totally unnecessary) return of Kristin Chenoweth as drunkard April Rhodes. While I loved her in Episode 4: The Rhodes Not Taken in the first half of the season, but this time around I felt as though she was playing a caricature of a caricature

Her earlier appearance certainly helped steer the show in the right direction, but now that the show has found its feet, she didn’t need to be there, at least not yet. Perhaps the writers could have saved her return for a little bit later in the show's run? (Perhaps when it is in desperate need of a lift?) I don't know that I could handle another Kristin Chenoweth episode anytime soon.

I quite enjoyed the scene between Quinn and Mercedes. Quinn has undergone quite the transformation hasn’t she? Just think, if Puck hadn’t gotten her pregnant she never would have turned into a nice person. But whether she is still nice in season 2 remains to be seen.

Musical Highlight: By default it is Kurt singing ‘A House is Not a Home’ because I hate ‘Beautiful’ (sung by Mercedes in this episode) and every other song featured Kristin Chenoweth being annoying.




Bad Reputation

Whenever Sue Sylvester is front and centre, Glee shines. Bad Reputation was no different. She became a top seven hundred recording artist in this episode!

Unfortunately we did get the return of Will rapping. But it was over quickly, thank goodness.

And I did love the ‘Run, Joey, Run’ video. It was totally Rachel Berry. They boy’s reactions were great too!

Musical Highlight: While I enjoyed half of the Glee Club attempting to create chaos in the Library with ‘U Can’t Touch This,’ the standout number was definitely Olivia Newton John’s duet with none other than Sue Sylvester! Let’s Get Physical!!!


Laryngitis

Finally an episode without Rachel singing EVERY SONG.

Is anyone surprised that Finn sang ‘Jessie’s Girl.’ I have been waiting for that song to come up ever since it was announced that Jonathan Groff would be playing a character called Jesse St James.

And who knew Santana (Naya Rivera) could actually sing?

Musical Highlight: As bizarre as the Puck/Mercedes relationship was, I really enjoyed the arrangement of their duet ‘The Lady is A Tramp’.




Dream On

The much anticipated Joss Whedon episode, in true glee fashion, was uneven. While it did give us a bit more back story to Rachel and Artie and Tina, it was the Neil Patrick Harris plot I couldn't stand.

Though there were some shots that were trademark Whedon (the flare of the sun in the background of the shot where Artie and Tina kiss and the final shot of the episode come specifically to mind) I expected more from him. It felt like we had to wait FOREVER for there to be a musical number

Surprise Surprise! Indina Menzel is Lea Michele's mother! But the big question is.... When do we get to meet Rachel's gay dads?

Musical Highlight: Artie’s ‘Safety Dance’, just because Kevin McHale never gets enough screen time and I loved the use of the video cameras inter cut between the ‘traditional camera’ shots.




Theatricality (otherwise known as the Lady Gaga Episode).

At least we know that McKinley High School is somewhat grounded in reality. Proof: it is packed with Twi-Hards (*shudder*).

The best part of the episode was definitely Tina the Vampire!

This week’s subplot was Finn and his mum moving in with Kurt and his dad. I really appreciate the way the writers have handled the relationship between Kurt and his father. This week was no different. The moment where Burt placed his hand on his son’s shoulder said so much about their relationship.

Musical Highlight: I really enjoyed the ‘Poker Face’ duet between Michele and Menzel. I think I liked this version more than the original. An honourable mention goes to Puck and the boys singing ‘Beth’.



Funk

Sue and Will… Oh my god! It was somehow amusingly painful to watch. However, I have real difficulty in believing that Will thinks the best was to hurt Sue is to break her heart. (‘What heart?’ I hear you ask. Yes, that is another mystery of the Glee-verse).

The pregnant girls dancing were ….weird. I can’t believe that any girl, no matter how good a dancer would be able to move that way with an eight month pregnant belly.

Oh and I hope you were paying attention this week, because somewhere between Theatricality (in which Jesse was conspicuously absent) and Funk, Jesse decided to quit the Glee Club. The Rachel /Jesse storyline started off quite well, but its conclusion was less than satisfactory. Jesse admitted to Shelby (the Vocal Adrenaline coach) that he did actually kind of like Rachel and yet had no trouble smashing eggs on her face or trashing the choir room. Yet another storyline left hanging. I doubt it will get any resolution.

Musical Highlights: New Directions singing ‘Give Up the Funk’ and proving they were not 'soulless automatons'.


Journey

I think we are all relieved to have the baby storyline all wrapped up. However, I did enjoy the scene of Puck and Quinn and the hospital watching over their new born daughter.

Think I went into shock when Matt (Dijon Talton) actually spoke! I thought he was mute. Seriously. I think that was the first time in the entire season he said ANYTHING!!! They are adding new high school characters in season 2. Perhaps they should hold off a little and develop the characters they already have. Perhaps they should go all out and let Matt have two lines next season!

Sue surprised us all by voting for New Directions. Though it wasn’t much of a surprise that they didn’t win Regionals. As much as we are supposed to root for New Directions, they are clearly inferior to Vocal Adrenaline in the choreography and staging of their numbers. So I am glad that New Directions didn’t win for two reasons: 1. it would have been TOO unbelievable and TOO cheesy, even for Glee and 2. Now we have a narrative drive for season 2.

I have to say I am getting a little bit over the whole: Sue Sylvester wants something, the school board wants something, the glee club doesn’t have any money.... so glee club might not exist anymore. Hopefully the writers can be a little bit more creative than ‘everybody hates glee club in season 2.

Musical Highlights: Vocal Adrenaline singing ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’, for sheer obnoxious over-the- topness.
 
Should I See It?

Of course, (but it would help if you have seen the first thirteen episodes!)


 




Glee Official Site here.

All photos courtesy of Fox.

Emma BBC Review

Posted by Should I See It on Sunday, June 13, 2010 , under , , , , , , , | comments (1)





Show: Emma (BBC miniseries)
Director: Jim O’Hanlon
Starring: Romola Garai, Johnny Lee Miller, Michael Gambon.
Plot: Based on the Jane Austen novel of the same name, this four part miniseries follows Emma Woodhouse, a lively and very rich young woman in 19th Century England.

Jane Austen adaptations always fascinate me. I always wonder who it was that thought yet another Jane Austen adaptation was absolutely necessary, let alone who thought THIS version of Emma was indispensable to the Austen canon.

The Jane Austen Renaissance of the mid nineties produced three version of Emma alone: the darker made for TV version starring Kate Beckinsdale, the light and sparkling film version directed by Douglas McGrath and starring Gwyneth Paltrow and Amy Heckerling’s teen comedy Clueless.

While each of those brought something different to the story (particularly Clueless, which, incidentally, is my favourite adaptation) this latest offering from the BBC seems to be nothing more than a rehash of what's already been done. It doesn't add anything new. Indeed, it does pretty much what the McGrath version does, but takes TWICE as long.

This version of Emma suffers from poor pacing, particularly in the first two episodes. There feel like there is a lot of filler as opposed to story. This is perhaps most obvious in the ill-advised opening sequence which focuses on the childhood of Emma, Frank Churchill and Jane Fairfax. Apart from shouting to the audience 'look at all the ways we are different to all the other adaptations!' the sequence itself is rather pointless.



Director Jim O'Hanlon and screenwriter Sandy Welch also utilise an odd variety of narrative techniques. The audience is privy to Emma's private thoughts, her fantasies and imaginings and (most bizarrely) Emma delivers full fledged monologues. They occur sporadically (*Clueless shout out!*) and inconsistently and seem out of kilter with the rest of the other wise naturalistic production values.

However, this version does allow Frank Churchill to come across as the blackguard he is (I always felt he got off a little to easy in the McGrath version). I also enjoyed seeing a little more of John and Isabella Knightley.

But perhaps the biggest obstacle Emma faces is not poor pacing, but Romola Garai. I am still trying to decide whether she was miscast or misdirected. Emma is not unintelligent, rather her intelligence, as Mr Knightley puts it, is misapplied. Unfortunately in the hands of Garai, Emma Woodhouse is almost insipid. Most of the time Garai is wide eyed and overacting. Emma is a character you love because of her flaws, however, Garai is just irritating without being endearing. It is difficult to believe that Mr Knightley would be attracted to such a silly girl.



Johnny Lee Miller is quite nice to look at as Mr Knightley (but once you remember that he was married to Angelina Jolie he loses some of his appeal). He is a gentler Knightley than other adaptations, oh heck, even the book suggests, but it works for Miller, even though you get the feeling that he knows that he is in love with Emma all along.

There is nothing particularly outstanding about the rest of the supporting cast: Jodhi May is watery eyed as Mrs Weston, and Michael Gambon just does the Michael Gambon thing.

All in all, this adaptation of Emma does not offer anything new. It is over long, a little too over indulged and severely lacking in focus. It even manages to lose the Austen wit and charm that is central to the enjoyment of the story.


Should I See It?

Most likely it will disappoint even the most die hard Austen fans.


 Emma Official Site here.

All pictures courtesy of the BBC.

What we learnt in Season 2 of The Mentalist

Posted by Should I See It on Tuesday, June 1, 2010 , under , , , , , , , , , | comments (0)




In Season 2 of The Mentalist we learnt that...


Rigsby's father was a biker.


Cho is awesome.


Cho is REALLY awesome.


The CBI has no screening policy for it's employees (Case in point: the CBI Psychiatrist, Rebecca).


The CBI has no screening process when people enter the building ('The Fixer' from Episode 2 [who ended up being a murderer] and a man we can only assume is Red John [who is a murderer/ crazy serial killer]).


Lisbon is not as straight laced as she thinks she is.


Sometimes Jane really deserves to be punched.


Patrick Jane is safe for anything short of murder.


Your supervising agent will let you date your co worker, but the big boss won't.


Sometimes the head of the CBI needs to tell the media where to stick it.


There are never any consequences if you are Patrick Jane.


It's okay to blackmail your co workers into doing what you want.


If you want to keep your relationship a secret, don't use the same shower gel.


Kristina Frye might just actually be a real psychic (or in cahoots with Red John, you can decide which is worse).


Red John likes poetry, scary masks, home movies, bloody mary's, and killing people. He dislikes copy cats, even though they (for some reason) think he's the best thing since sliced bread.


Did I mention that Cho is awesome?






The best one liners are.....


‘You're gonna die alone.’ Cho to Rigsby, Episode 2 The Scarlett Letter.

‘Semper Fi, sissy britches’ Jane, Episode 6 Black Gold and Red Blood.

‘Lisbon, I had a horrible dream. I dreamt that Jane escaped the county jail. I dreamt that the sheriff, the AG and the district super all called to yell at me. Now you're gonna wake me up, yes?’ Minelli to Lisbon, Episode 6 Black Gold and Red Blood.

‘Keep an eye on Jane. If he screws up too bad, shoot him. There's not a court in the land that would convict you.’ Minelli to Lisbon, Episode 8 His Red Right Hand.

‘Go to hell and take a toothbrush.’ Lisbon to Jane, Episode 11 Rose Coloured Glasses.

‘You're brain's a fool.’ Cho to a suspect, Episode 11 Rose Coloured Glasses.

‘Is that a useful aha or an annoying aha?’ Lisbon to Jane, Episode 11 Rose Coloured Glasses.

'I'm not the po-po, I'm the po-po consultant.' Jane, Episode 18 Aingative Baa.

‘You're the poster girl for the NRA.’ Jane to Lisbon, Episode19 Blood Money.

‘We’re like the FBI only more conveniently located.’ Cho, Episode 21 18- 5- 4.

'What are you using, dial up?' Jane to Kristina Frye, Episode 22 Red Letter.




Read The Mentalist Season 2 Review here.

Prince of Persia Film Review

Posted by Should I See It on Monday, May 31, 2010 , under , , , , , , , , | comments (0)





Film: Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time
Directed By: Mike Newell
Starring: Jake Gyllenhaal, Gemma Arterton, Ben Kingsley and Alfred Molina
Plot: Prince Dastan comes into a possession of a mystical dagger that can turn back time. With the help of Princess Tamina, he must return it to its safe keeping place before it falls into the wrong hands.


I know that Prince of Persia is based on a video game. I never played it, but for my brothers it was one of the defining moments in their game-playing lives (in other words the game is AWESOME). SO how well it compares to the original game I have no idea. I am sure there are plenty of fan boys elsewhere on the web who can tell you all about it, but not here I’m afraid.

I guess it's fun watching Jake Gyllenhaal jump around. His muscles are in good form, but his performance less so. He is uneven. At times, perfectly charming, at other times, he looses it. Though he thankfully never decends into the Orlando Bloom realm of boring (but more on that later).


 
Of course there is a love story, and for this type of movie, this couple fare better than most. I appreciate the film maker’s restraint in resolving the relationship at the end of the film.  Gemma Arterton as Princess Tamina does well enough. She has to deliver some awful lines. But she makes her way through with sunk and sparkle as best she can. 
 
Alfred Molina brings the charm and the funny that almost, though not quite, makes up for the lack of it in the rest of the film. I have to say that I did actually learn some thing from this film: Ostriches are really ugly.
 
Prince of Persia is a decent film, but it never crosses into the 'fabulous' territory that it desperately wants to. The dialogue could have done with some revising. A lot of the intended laughs fall flat. The continual references to destiny seem a little hyperbolic for a film of this kind. And, perhaps a more streamlined plot would have worked better: As it stands, the ‘dagger’ is lost and retrieved so many times it’s dizzying. This is a movie, people, not a video game. And at under two hours, it feels like a lot longer.
 
 
 
 
Of course, comparisons with Pirates of the Caribbean are inevitable. the film is coping a lot of criticism for not being 'clever' like Pirates, as is Jake Gyllenhaal for not being Johnny Depp. But in perspective, Johnny Depp was the only good thing about the first Pirates of the Caribbean movie (the other two I cannot comment on). Without Depp, there is no movie. At least Gyllenhaal fares better than his real POTC counterpart Orlando Bloom, who manages to be as bland as rice crackers in every movie he's in.
 
But, back on topic.
 
Mike Newell could have been a little bit more adventurous shot wise, particularly in the action scenes. I was actually excited about Newell directing this, as I really enjoyed what he did with Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. But, I don't know, he didnt bring the funny that I was after.  Nor did he bring the depth of character that I expected.
 
 
 
To sequel or not to sequel, that is the question.
 
Even though i dont think this film is strong enough to warrant a sequel, I cant imagine it's far from the producer's minds. Films far less worthy have had sequels. I guess it will depend on the $$$$$$ it makes at the box office.







Should I See It?

If you just want a bit of fun, go for it! But don’t expect anything too……deep.





Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time Official Site here.

The Mentalist Season 2 Review

Posted by Should I See It on , under , , , , , , , , , | comments (0)






Show: The Mentalist: Season 2 (WB/CBS)
Creator: Bruno Heller
Starring: Simon Baker, Robin Tunney, Tim Kang, Owain Yeoman and Amanda Righetti.
Plot: After is wife and daughter are murdered by serial killer Red John, a former fake psychic joins the Califonia Bureau of Investigation. He uses his extraordinary powers of observation to help close cases often  to the chagrin of Agent in Charge Teresa Lisbon and her team: Agents Cho, Rigsby and Van Pelt.


Please be advised that spoilers abound. Don't read if you don’t want to know!





 



In 2008 the first season of The Mentalist burst onto screens, quickly becoming one of the most watched programmes in the United States (and here in Australia, too).

Is the second season of The Mentalist as good as the first? No, not really. It's getting too easy to spot the killer and too easy to recognise when Jane is pulling one of his stunts.

Actually the stunts are getting old, too. And, I never thought I would say this, even Simon Baker’s charm is wearing thin. Patrick Jane is incredibly narcissistic, no doubt about it, but this season he has turned into a downright jerk.

Season 2 has been plagued with inconsistencies and an inability on behalf of the writers to really follow through. Unfortunately, Season 2 suffered from a severe lack of character development and team dynamics. The writers were dropping character based subplots faster than you would hot potatoes. For example:

We learn that Lisbon was in love with Bosco…. And? She looks morose for a couple of episodes, and then it‘s never to be mentioned again.

Then we have Grace give that ‘pretend’ speech about her sister committing suicide…. And…..that’s it. Surely if you were going to the effort of bringing back Kristina Frye, you would have her interact with the only member of the team that ACTUALLY believes in psychics. We could have found out if there really was a dead sister… or we could at least have some clue as to what the ‘trauma’ was that makes her so emotionally unavailable and afraid of commitment.



Well to be fair, the season started of close enough to what we originally knew as The Mentalist. But something, somewhere changed. The tone of the show changed. The show has always had a glossy exterior, but you were always aware of the tension lurking underneath. It’s almost as if Season 2 has been stripped of both the gloss and the tension. I have no idea how that happened. All I can put it down to is poor writing, particularly the character of Jane. So much of the show relies on Jane. And maybe that’s the problem. The focus on Jane means the (incredibly talented) supporting cast are neglected. Unfortunately.

Since we are having a go at the writers, let’s have a look at some of the biggest mistakes they’ve made this season.


THE BOSCO STORYLINE:



The plot of the first eight episodes was enough to fill a whole season. Then we would have at least been emotionally invested in Bosco and his team.

His Red Right Hand (Episode 8) had too much story, too little time. Actually it would have made a great two-part season finale. The introduction of Madeleine Hightower would have been a great way to kick off season 3.

The Bosco storyline did provide some insight to Lisbon's story (though I am finding Lisbon a little bit annoying this season) but as previously mentioned it didn’t go anywhere.

For the record, I actually liked Bosco. I just thought he was terribly under used.


RIGSBY AND VAN PELT:



How could we discuss season 2 of The Mentalist without talking about Rigsby and Van Pelt?

Well, I started out happy that they FINALLY got together. Though when it happened in Episode 5 I was a little concerned that it might be a bit soon. And, my concern was not unwarranted.Unfortunately, they were majorly mistreated by the writers (and that’s not just the disgruntled shipper in me talking).

Red Bulls (Episode 7) gave us the wonderful scene of the pair in the ambulance. I thought it was well written and well played by both the actors. Actually, Amanda Righetti proves that she is a MUCH better actress than her credits (The OC, the Friday the 13th remake) would have you believe. However, I found this scene to be incredibly misleading. After watching this I was convinced that the writers were going to treat the characters and their relationship with respect. I almost feel a little betrayed by writers for giving them the incredibly childish argument that ended with, ‘Fine, do whatever you want, Grace,’ merely six episodes later. We are seriously expected to believe that they decided to announce their relationship to the rest of the team without discussing their future together or the future of their careers (particularly as this was an obstacle for them getting together in the first place)?

Why resolve the ‘will we be able to keep our jobs?’ scenario in Episode 13 only to have it repeated a few of episodes later with the introduction of Hightower. My question to the writers: why would you get them together if they are only going to breakup 13 episodes later???? (and for two of those episodes they were barely speaking to each other). We didn’t learn anything about them in order to actually justify the breakup (or the relationship itself, for that matter).

And as a side note: All that canoodling in the office, did they really expect to keep it a secret?


THE LATE ARRIVALS:



Madeline Hightower and the return of Kristina Frye.

Two of the most poorly though out arcs of the show.

Hightower. DO NOT LIKE HER. She has eyes like a snake. You can never tell what she is thinking. It’s almost as if she is waiting to strike.

And let’s not ignore the way she has made Lisbon completely redundant, undermining her authority over her team, in front of her team, too.

I miss Minnelli. He cared about the other characters. He ALWAYS had the team’s back. Jane was expendable.

Hightower has some weird reversal of priorities. She is ready to off anyone, EXCEPT Jane. Can she not see that he is the root of (most) of the trouble????


And don’t even get me started on Kristina. Who ever had the idea to bring her back should be permanently removed from the writing staff. A LOVE INTEREST FOR JANE? ARE YOU KIDDING ME???? Their ‘flirting’ scenes were embarrassing. Seriously, I had to close my eyes, they were that disturbing.

Did anyone actually care that she was ‘taken’ by Red John? Good riddance, I say.


*exhales* Rant nearly over.

So, overall, there were some good episodes and some …. Well, not so good.

In brief:

Episode 7: Red Bulls

As previously mentioned, I thought the Rigsby/Van Pelt relationship was particularly well written in this episode. However, overall I thought it was an enjoyable episode. I particularly liked the chase scene. Most importantly, I liked the scene between Bosco and Jane at the end. Very insightful, particularly into Bosco’s character. Too bad he was offed in the next episode.


Episode 10: Throwing Fire

I didn’t seem to hate this episode as much as some people did. I particularly enjoyed the performance of Chris Brochu as young Jane. Lack of curly hair aside, I felt he resembled Baker, not only in looks, but he did a particularly good job of capturing the mannerisms of Patrick Jane.


Episode 12: Bleeding Heart

Sean Maher guest stars! Two Simons in one episode! (FYI Sean Maher played Simon Tam in Joss Whedon’s Firefly). I thought I was going to die of excitement! i liked the interviews with each member of the team: particularly Cho's. Omigod. Cho is awesome.


Episode 13: Redline

Welcome Currie Graham as Walter Mashburn! What a breath of fresh air! I would have like to see him romance Lisbon a little bit in later episodes; for example having embarrassingly large displays of flowers sent to the office. As Jane says ‘A little empty glamour, would have been good for her!' I hope he returns soon!!!!


Episode 14: Blood In, Blood Out

The episode was a bit of a mixed bag. It started off well enough, but was let down by a completely unbelievable final act. The best part about it was that it gave Tim Kang a chance to shine; he proved himself to be a very talented actor; with an ability to convey so much with very little. He proved himself worthy of being a leading man.

And NOTE TO WRITERS: one big episode for Cho does not mean that he should be abandoned for the rest of the season. Apart from a couple of Awesome! chase scenes, Cho had very little to do except say ‘yes, boss’.


Episode 16: Code Red

I really disliked this episode. Though there was some classic banter between Lisbon and Jane (‘go and buy yourself a candy bar’). Jane’s behaviour to Lisbon (making her think she was dying) was absolutely cruel. Not to mention some dodgy acting from the guest cast.


Episode 23: Red Sky in the Morning


Great title, but what a waste of a season finale.

First of all, whose idea was it to bring back Kristina Frye?

Secondly, whose idea was it to bring back Kristina Frye?
Apart from the appearance of Red John in the last 4 minutes of the episode (which actually freaked me out a little but more than I would like to admit), this episode was pretty much a joke.

Note to the writers: the season finale is supposed to make viewers excited about the series return, not make them loose all hope that this show will ever be good again.



So, season 3…..

I give them four episodes to win be back. Unless they get back to what made the show good in the first place: the cleverness, the unexpectedness, the charm AND the darkness co existing, I will be switching off The Mentalist for good.

Maybe the writers are just getting complacent, since they have one of the highest rating shows in America. But for how much longer, I'm not sure. FYI for the overseas readers, the ratings for The Mentalist in Australia are far below what they were in it's first season. Most weeks it barely scrapes into the top 20 most watched programs.
Perhaps the writers will pay attention to the outcry and sharpen up their act.

But, I doubt it.



Should I See It?

Meh. Not nearly as good as Season 1, so don’t say I didn’t warn you.



Read What We Learnt on Season 2 of The Mentalist here.

The Mentalist official site here.


All photos property of CBS.

Beneath Hill 60 Review

Posted by Should I See It on Wednesday, May 26, 2010 , under , , , | comments (0)





Film: Beneath Hill 60
Directed By: Jeremy Sims
Starring: Brendan Cowell, Gyton Grantley, Harrison Gilbertson.
Plot: The extraordinary true story of an Australian mining division on the Western Front during World War I.






Beneath Hill 60 is actually a better film than I thought it was going to be. Actually, let me clarify. I really didn’t know what to expect, apart from the fact that it is a war film, and I wanted to support the local film industry.

But despite my expectations, (or lack thereof) Beneath Hill 60 is a remarkably well made film which engages the audience from start to finish.

It is very violent and graphic. There is a real sense of danger and death always feels as though it’s lurking just around the corner. I mean it is a war film. The violence and brutality forms so much of the environment of risk and danger that it can’t really be done without.

But even out of the horror of war, in true Australian fashion, come many moments that are as funny as they are endearing.



I am not as against the use of flashbacks in the film as some of my fellow film critics have been. To be honest, I do understand their criticism. The flashbacks do feel as though they have come out of another film. However, they provide a necessary escape from the brutality of war. The light, colour and air of rural Australia allow for temporary relief from the bloody battle front. And it also allows the audience to be privy to the wonderful dynamic of William and Emma Waddell (Gerald Lepkowski and Jacqueline McKenzie).

Performances all round are engaging. As an audience, you care about the characters. It is genuinely distressing when SPOILERS *some* of them die END SPOILER. Brendan Cowell as Oliver Woodward, the captain of the mining unit, is a solid lead. The ensemble are terrific. Particular standouts were Alan Dukes and Alex Thompson as father and son fighting side by side, and Harrison Gilbertson as young recruit Tiffin.



The only notable exception to otherwise exceptionally strong cast is Bella Heathcote as Oliver Woodward’s love interest, Marjorie Waddell. She is wooden and unnatural, and she made me cringe every time she came on screen. The ‘romance’ troubled me greatly in this film. Oliver seems far to old for Marjorie, who is only sixteen at the beginning of the film. I couldn’t see his interest in her to be anything more than loyalty to her dead brother.

Aside from that misstep, the film does provide same interesting moments: such as Oliver’s interaction with a sixteen year old stretcher bearer, the insights behind the German lines (all done in German too!) and seeing the men return from the war.

Ultimately, this is a really solid entry into Australian filmmaking. Beneath Hill 60 brings to light an aspect of Australian History that has not been widely known. This film is a worthwhile contribution to the cinematic ANZAC legend. While it won’t exactly leave you on an ‘upper’, making the effort to support the local industry is definitely worth it!




Should I See It?

Yes, Absolutely!





Beneath Hill 60 Official Site here.


Beneath Hill 60 Official Blog here.


You can also check out some great behind the scenes footage on the Beneath Hill 60 YouTube channel.

Die Fledermaus Opera Australia

Posted by Should I See It on , under , , , , , , | comments (0)





Show: Die Fledermaus
Presented By: Opera Australia
Directed By: Lindy Hume
Starring: Antoinette Halloran, David Hobson, Amelia Farrugia
Date Reviewed: Friday 14 May, 7.30pm
Plot: I’m not even going to tell you the plot, because really there isn’t much of it, this show is all about farce, silliness and fun.


I was very excited to see Die Fledermaus as part of my subscription to Opera Australia. But this production of Die Fledermaus is a bit of a mixed bag.

The show starts off well enough. Actually, Act I works very well even with the complete translation into English. I didn’t even mind setting the show in the 1930s. It added a touch of class, glamour and sophistication. The direction is energetic and there is a pizzazz that carries the whole thing.

Then, unfortunately interval happens. All the energy and whim that made Act I so enjoyable somehow disappears. And the questionable directorial choces begin.

What the HELL is Cole Porter’s ‘Night and Day’ doing in a Strauss Opera???? And don’t even get me started on the random appearance of Marlene Dietrich in the party scene in Act II. Well, I know what it was doing there; It was meant to capture the ‘flavour’ of the thirties. Unfortunately their addition sat at odds with the rest of the show. And it doesn’t help that Yvonne Kenny sounded like a drag queen and completely managed to ruin a perfectly lovely song. If you are going to the trouble of adding a song (God knows why you would want to do that to Strauss, I’m sure he’s probably turning in his grave) why don’t you just put it in a key she can sing it (oh, I know she was actually trying to sound like Marlene Dietrich, but why ANYONE would WANT to sound like her is beyond me). And it didn’t help that it was accompanied by some seriously awkward choreography that made the whole song far more painful than it needed to be.

And then there was the random “let’s put in all of Strauss’ famous waltzes so we can have a pointless dance scene where the leading actors, their dialogue and the plot get completely lost!!!” scene which seemed to go FOREVER. And then there was a very big misstep of the extended third act opening, which included interaction with the conductor and concluded with an extract of ‘Take Me Out to the Ball Game.’

There is not a lot of plot to begin with, and with all of the (unnecessary) additions to the second and third acts, as well as TWO intermissions for a running time that totals 3 hours and 15 minutes, the plot and the momentum get completely lost (much like the purpose of this sentence). In making these decisions, director Lindy Hume managed to suck all the energy and freshness out of the show, leaving the rest of it less than satisfactory.

There were a few high points: The sets were remarkable. They perfectly captured the style of the era. Amelia Farrugia as house maid Adele was the stand out performance of the night.. Loving the hammy characterisation- clearly enjoying herself and the audience enjoys watching her. Also charming, well actually HILARIOUS was Stephen Smith as Italian lover, Alfredo.

The rest of the cast were decent, but not outstanding. Antoinette Halloran flubbed several of her big notes, and David Hobson was not nearly as debonair as the role needed him to be.

This could have been a fabulous show, but some unfortunate decision making left this production as merely decent.





Should I See It?

Well, it's not a must see.


Opera Australia Official Site here.