wildcard_doc23

The Northman...

An absolutely Epic story of Vengeance!

There is something of Conan The Barbarian in it, traits from the exceptional Celtic cult comic of the 1990s Slaine The King, many elements from Shakespeare's Hamlet (maybe the original idea is somehow based on it) , some parts of the Iliad and also the Odyssey, especially in regarding Odysseas voyage to Hades, with scenes of intense lyricism, especially when referencing his unjustly lost father and the Tree of the Blood of the Kings (An amazing ETHAN HAWKE steals the scenes here as the lost king) with exceptionally shot scenery and photography, always with this eerie and otherworldly "lighting" that grants them an intense mysticism, with a superb WILLEM DAFOE as the narator-priest in a small but equally important role, with the unwithering NICOLE KIDMAN in the role of the heartbroken queen-mother, but also the central duet of ANYA TAYLOR-JOY as the witch-seer and ALEXANDER SKARSGARD as the bloodthirsty avenger-warrior practically stealing the show, with their internal chemistry with each other amd their spotless and warm acting, bring this whole world to life, in a film where everything is dark, bleak, grim, frozen and savage.

Especially the fight scenes are fiercely realistic, bringing in mind of older films of such raw savagery in battle as BRAVEHEART and The 13th WARRIOR.

A honorary mention needs to be delivered here to The 13th Warrior, because of two important similarities.

Firstly, the the course of the protagonists are mostly "pre-determined" (here prophesised by the Nornes, the Fates of Norse Mythology) and secondly in the presentation of many folkloric elements and evidence of skandinavian lore (songs, hymns and traditions) that we are secretly a witness to.

The sound is perfectly immersive, together with the musical score submerging the viewer in the scenes of bloody battle, in the Viking ceremonies with beautiful Scandinavial "Psalms", and marrying it harmonically to the scenes of marvellous lyricism and the evocative landscapes of the volcanoes amid the barren terrain of Iceland.

In the end, a movie that effortlessly occupies the two plus hours of its length, without struggle or boredom, with mental images that roll with the rythm of book chapters, and that remains unfading in the collective memory as a whole and a complete experience, much more than the sum of its parts... I wholeheartedly and unconditionally recommend it!

"Hard Sun" As the name implies, a hard hitting, almost gut wrenching, dark and gritty series. With a complete "Luther-esque" enviroment and feel, it is "built" not only in the same universe, but in the same city of London. (That the creator, producer and writer is the same person as with Luther, Neil Cross, is by no means accidental) But it is not a spin-off of sorts from it, so if you haven't yet seen Luther, you are certainly missing out, but you will not miss anything of the plot. It does carry though, the same dark enviroment, extreme realism and violent streak, keeping the viewer actually on the edge of their seat. A great plot, it unfolds little by little, bits and pieces in every episode, until the final escalation - the final five minutes of the series are truly life changing. Stellar performances by the three protagonists of this story, an excellent Jim Sturgess, a frail and on the fringe but at times very dynamic Agyness Deyn, and our old familiar from the Luther series Nikki Amuka-Bird keeping up her superb performances as the antagonist of our heroes. I would also like to point out the genious of using the subplot in the two-part episodes three and four to introduce us more elements of the main story, through beautiful performances by Richard Coyle (of The Fall series) and another Lutheran familiar face Dermot Crowley (Schenk) as a catholic priest this time. All in all, a superb series promising to keep you on the edge of your seat and second guessing yourselves until the very end. I honestly don't know why people are giving it low ratings. I gave it a ten sans voir.

I hail form Greece and being part of the European Union (at least sometimes I think we are) we are no strangers to true British comedy. From the Kenny Everett show, to Men Behaving Badly, Only Fools and Horses, to the Benny Hill show and of course the Black Adder, along with numerous VHS tapes and occasional screenings of Monty Pythons's movies, we've seen and heard it (almost) all. But then a hidden gem like this comes along and brings a bright and nutty smile on one's face again. From the seemingly peaceful little British town and quiet paradise of Stempington comes a colourful array of innocent housewives, leading an ordinary and boring life. But things are much different below the surface, with gun totting criminals, naive police enforcement, corrupt officials, deviant old ladies and sex crazed menopausal wives, springled with asylum seeking refugees and cheese loving French gangsters, this series has it all! From bonkers crazy themes, to surprise attacks of equal amounts of laughter and mayhem, often at the same scene, it is a truly hilarious and darkly satisfying black comedy, promising to entertain you as only british comedies can. Before Vicious came into play, it is truly a marvel to behold. A special nod to then just aspiring actors Ruth Wilson (Luther/The Affair) and Tom Hiddleston (the name needs no introduction nowadays) as the Romeo-And-Juliet-esque doomed lovers, who show us a very different and comic performance than we are accustomed to...