nickphelan-25748

I liked Knives Out though not as much as everyone else. It was overhyped in my opinion. I still looked forward to this but its a big letdown to be honest. It has a very good middle section but a preposterous ending. A slow start to a movie full of camp over the top and unfortunately unlikeable characters. I imagine the starry cast had fun making it but Daniel Craig is really the only one whose performance I enjoyed as much as the actor did. There's a glossy set which sums up the movie, style over substance. It's a mildly diverting movie which I'm glad I got to see on Netflix rather than shelling out cash in the cinema for.

One of my first crushes was Whitney Houston. The video for Saving all my love for you, she was so glamorous, sexy, sophisticated but pure and that voice!!! Then as has been well documented in books, media and documentaries things went pear shaped a few years later with bad boy Bobby Brown getting blamed almost everywhere. There's nothing really new in this except the Robin relationship being acknowledged head on. Naimi Ackie is brilliant. Looks nothing like Whitney but as the movie continued all I saw was Whitney. The songs, so many good ones!! A lot of the story is rushed. There's a good TV series here but it was a nostalgic, diverting night at the cinema. You could hear a pin drop!! Unfortunately a reminder of a too early loss of a massive talent but what a catalogue she has left behind. If you're a fan, you'll enjoy this movie.

One of my favourite books ever is A man called Ove by Fredrik Backman. The story of a curmudgeonly old fella who is obsessed with rules and patrols his community zealously for any misbeviour. Its not a spoiler to say Ove who in thus movie is called Otto has enough with life.

A very fine movie of this book is already available and is perhaps truer to the book but here comes hood old nice guy Tom Hanks playing against type for a big Hollywood version. The schmaltz is laid on with a shovel but I still fell in love with the movie. New neighbours move in and see through the old crank for what he really is and the journey is delightful, though a woman in front of me at the cinema really went through a supply of tissues. This is good old fashioned family fare. Predictable? Yes. As good as the book? No. Thoroughly enjoyable? YES.