esparcadia

In a miserable and bleak future world ...but we don't know why...a couple - the woman is pregnant - attempt to survive by entering the "safe" section - the United States of Europe, a hellish Orwellian world which demands a zero use of resources from its inhabitants....all, except of course from the elites that govern this world. Sound familiar? The couple finds themselves detained with little hope of making it out of a prison. Childbirth is outlawed except that allowed by corporations using artificial means...what does that mean for the heroine? Fascinating plot, excellent performances, very thoughtful film about the contemporary debate over climate and resources...well worth the viewer's time to watch.

Whether it's the fault of the novel which has led to this cartoonish adaptation filled with historical errors or whether it's the filmmakers poor judgement and regrettable choice to turn the book into a grotesque pop film, this retelling of Catherine Du Medici deserves nothing less than to be tossed into the dustbin of history. I guess we live in an age when nothing is sacred and certainly both the Catholics and Protestants are shown to be clownish foolish downright corrupt people...well certainly their leaders are. But the genocidal Ottoman sultan who has overstayed his welcome...snicker...is just a joy to have around. Look it would take several pages of analysis to describe how pitiful this series is...and my reflections are based on just 2 episodes...I could not bear to watch more.

Film icon Robert Mitchum epitomised the detective who slowly deliberately unraveled murder mysteries. His swaggering walk, his talk, his "less is more" performances were brilliant...But now Del Toro's awesome performance sets a new and higher standard for the tough no nonsense badass intelligent detective. His character is focused on finding the culprit and despite some missteps...well... watch to see the "surprise" climax. So yes a 10 for DelToro ...the rest of the cast try but cannot compete with the natural magnetism and deliberate patience of Del Toro. The only actor who comes close to a respectable performance is the understated but sneaky character performed by Timberlake - is he the reptile? The musical score is a blah...the set design and cinematography could use some inspiration...