Tag: PierceBrosnan

The Thursday Murder Club

Published on by DanielaLeave a comment

Based upon Richard Osman’s 2020 novel of the same name, The Thursday Murder Club follows four individuals who meet every week to try and solve cold cases. Elizabeth (Helen Mirren), Ron (Pierce Brosnan), Ibrahaim (Ben Kingsley) and Joyce (Celia Imrie) couldn’t be more different save for their love of true crime. When one of the co-owners of their retirement home is found dead, they finally have the chance to put their sleuthing skills to the test.

I did read the book shortly after it came out, but I really don’t remember it. What I do know is that I wasn’t a big fan and soon put it out of my mind. I did find my interest peaking when news of the film broke and especially with that cast. I honestly did not know what to expect going into it though I wouldn’t be surprised if me not recalling any details helped with the overall enjoyment.

Mirren, Brosnan, Kingsley and Imrie are practically British royalty. To have them star together in such an adaptation is a lot of pressure; we all know that mixing big names together doesn’t always have the desired effect. With that being said, I actually think they were perfect. Mirren helmed the film effortlessly – she was Elizabeth. There was also so much more to her character that we simply didn’t get to see so hopefully there will be more opportunities for that in the future. They all had their moments to shine, however. I do think that Kingsley and Imrie could have been a little bit more at the forefront though.

The rest of the cast was absolutely stacked as well, I can’t not mention them. Naomi Ackie is Donna, a police officer who ends up working closely with the Murder Club on the case. Tom Ellis is Jason, Ron’s son and former boxing champ. Jonathan Pryce is Elizabeth’s husband Stephen who has dementia. David Tennant is Ian, another owner of the retirement home who is into all sorts of dodgy business. And Richard E. Grant is Bobby, a mysterious man who has disappeared, but who has a specific connection to the case. I loved seeing who would pop up where and thought they all did brilliantly in their roles.

I wouldn’t be surprised if one of the reasons why I didn’t enjoy the book as much was because the mystery was more of an Agatha Christie whodunnit and not so much of an earth-shattering twist that I’m always gagged for. I didn’t mind that in the film. It made the whole atmosphere quite cozy and autumnal which is fitting considering we are soon entering the ber months. These aspects combined with the beautiful backdrop of Coopers Chase (a literal castle?!) complete with it’s stunning manicured lawns and a cemetery really just enhanced the whole experience.

Overall, I enjoyed The Thursday Murder Club more than I thought I would. I would one hundred percent be open to them adapting the other books so let’s hope that they do. This has also prompted me to revisit the book – maybe I will appreciate it more now.

Rating: ♥️♥️♥️

The Outlaws

Published on by DanielaLeave a comment

I don’t think I’ve ever given a movie one heart before, but I guess there’s a first time for everything.

The Outlaws, Netflix’s newest comedy/thriller offering, follows Owen Browning (Adam Devine), a straight-laced banker who is getting ready to marry the love of his life Piper (Nina Dobrev). It’s all going according to plan when his bank is held up by the infamous Ghost Bandits. Putting two and two together, Owen starts to believe it may be his future in laws (Pierce Brosnan and Ellen Barkin) who just so happened to arrive in town for the wedding.

I wanted so badly to like this film. It boasts an incredible cast and the trailer looked funny though I should have known better. How many times have I been duped before by big names just to get traction? The only shining lights for me here were Brosnan and Barkin who, while I still don’t have a clue why they’d star in something like this, did what they could to carry things along. In addition, Richard Kind and Julie Hagerty, who starred as Owen’s parents, had some great one liners and managed to steal the scenes they were in.

Devine, on the other hand, was so incredibly annoying that I had to force myself not to mute him. The high pitched screams and his mannerisms were way too over the top that it simply did not work. I can’t help but wonder if the film would have been better without him in it. And I wish I could say that Dobrev was a saving grace too, but she was kind of sidelined throughout. Even with the likes of Michael Rooker as Agent Oldham and Poorna Jagannathan as fellow bad guy Rehan, it was a lost cause.

In addition to the mismatched cast and over the top shenanigans, the movie itself was just not funny. A few of the so called jokes may have got me to chuckle, but only halfheartedly. As for the thriller element? There was none. Right from the get go you know what’s going to happen. Sometimes that’s a good thing though it wasn’t the case here.

I truly feel like The Outlaws is one of the worst movies that I have ever seen. It wasn’t funny, it was way too predictable and the cast made no sense whatsoever. Although I kept it on in hopes that it’d get better, I should have listened to my gut instinct and either switched it off halfway through or never given it a shot in the first place. I know that Netflix are notorious for the questionable quality they put out sometimes – I’m starting to think they should make some better decisions.

Rating: ♥️

Black Adam

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It has been 5,000 years since Teth Adam (Dwayne Johnson) became a demi-god and was imprisoned for misusing his powers. When Adrianna (Sarah Shahi) frees him from his tomb, the anti-hero must learn how to cooperate with the good guys if it means saving the world.

What worked for me here was Johnson’s performance as our protagonist – or antagonist – ? I thought he was perfect for the role. He had the look and the right attitude, though I wish we could have seen him grow more throughout the course of the film. Origin stories never give us enough time for that. I also liked the inclusion of the Justice Society. The casting for Dr. Fate (Pierce Brosnan) and Hawkman (Aldis Hodge) were genius, however, Cyclone (Quintessa Swindell) and Atom Smasher (Noah Centineo) were very one dimensional and didn’t get nearly enough screen time. It was as if their characters were an afterthought more than anything else.

I must admit that for once the CGI effects were impressive. This franchise is notorious for having struggled in that department in the past so I am glad that they are getting better. Not only that, but I really liked the soundtrack choices too.

Unfortunately that’s about it as far as my enjoyment goes. In true DC style, it seemed like the story took ages to get going. I didn’t find the script to be particularly groundbreaking and the scenes that didn’t involve any action were pretty lacklustre. Plus, the jokes, few as they were, did not make me laugh at all.

I heard many claim this was a turning point for the DC universe. While I want to agree with them, I still think that a lot of work needs to be done. Was it the worst I’ve seen out of the bunch? No, it wasn’t. And while I have always and will continue to defend DC to my dying day, there was that spark missing for me with Black Adam that had me yearning for more.

Rating: ♥♥.5

Cinderella

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A modern take on the classic fairytale, this new version of Cinderella follows an ambitious woman named Ella (Camila Cabello) who dreams of becoming a dressmaker. Living in the basement of her stepmother Vivian’s (Idina Menzel) house with only three mice (James Corden, James Acaster & Romesh Ranganathan) as friends, Ella knows she has what it takes to change her life for the better. When she bumps into Robert (Nicholas Galitzine), a handsome stranger who just so happens to be the prince, her choice of pursuing her dreams or following her heart suddenly seems impossible to choose between.

Let me start by saying that I think people are taking this movie way too seriously. It’s supposed to be fun and light and I think it succeeded. I enjoyed the updated plot and how they tried to blend together pieces of the original in with the twenty first century.

While some of the casting choices weren’t the best, I have to say that Camila Cabello’s acting wasn’t as bad as I thought it was going to be. She wasn’t my favorite by far, but she didn’t bother me like I had anticipated. Idina Menzel was fabulous as Vivian and I appreciated how we were able to understand more about why her character was the way she was. Tallulah Greive who played Princess Gwen was a surprise; I only wish we had more of her. The best part of the whole film was Billy Porter. He brought a whole new meaning to being a fairy godmother and his one scene was simply not enough! I only wish Pierce Brosnan and Minnie Driver as King Rowan and Queen Beatrice were more convincing in their roles.

The best part of Cinderella was the singing and dancing. Mixing famous covers and original songs was brilliant and the dance sequences made me want to get up and sway along.

Overall, Cinderella was a good time and I think people should give it some more credit.

Rating: ♥♥♥