**** stars

A story played by some actors.

There were some technical faults though.

Audio volumes for the leads were fine - but in comparison, the supporting cast was much louder than they were.

The sections of music chosen often didn't fit with the requirements of the scene. There were many times when the action was so short that the song barely got started before it had to stop again - it was like setting up an action set-piece (that was the expectation set by the musical introduction) only for it to fizzle out before it got started. A short section of music with a proper ending would have worked much better in each case.

Editing - the camerawork was generally , but I didn't see how Jay was able to smack-down the seemingly invincible robot agent.

There was also a well-botched computer scene. What's wrong with this?

[a computer with a blank screen is shown, the actors talk from off screen]

JAY: Hmmm - April 10th 2019

[the computer then flashes up April 4th 2019]

[the computer now shows Doctor Luka on the screen]

SANDY: hmmmm - Professor Luka

Those weren't the only goofs. Earlier in the film, some cyborgs invade Jay's apartment but their boss says over the radio "What's going on? Sandy's place is a war zone ..." Confusing - or did I miss the part where they went to her house?

So, in summary, a film that just lacked that bit of extra polish and attention to detail.

**** stars

I'm thoroughly enjoying this. The episodes flesh out the story and the characters, the opening sequence was great (superb music) and there were a lot of funny moments, such as in the headmaster's office (and the "masterpiece" lol!)

A witty, lively script.

The only thing that loses it a star is that most of the characters' voices sound the same. The performance of the lines is , but it's often confusing knowing which character is talking in the wide shots. With a full VO cast I reckon this would be a The Movies classic.

On to episode 1 - Part 2 ...

**** stars

The writing for that show was terrific, the non-linear structure of the storyline worked perfectly as the film ended where it began. In terms of directing a non-linear story, that was the best ever for a TMO film.

Camerawork was excellent as were the mods. I wondered why we never got to see Clover in the first part, but she was a bit of a bombshell, saving her until the second half was well worth it!

I liked the way the film took its time - this was immersive, classic stuff.

I would strongly urge this filmmaker to get some more voice actors onboard (make sure they're the best though) and re-release the film. It would definitely win my highest award. As it is, most of the VO sounds too similar for so many characters (which is why it gets 8/10). No single voice actor can ever pull off distinctive voices for all these characters convincingly.

I think this film deserves the best voice cast with plenty of lines being sent back if they're not done exactly right.

I was engrossed for all three-quarters of an hour. What a film!

**** stars

Purchased or not - I still want to know who made the music. One star gets knocked off for that (at least we got a website).

But other than that, this is superb. Very atmospheric and chilling towards the end. Beautifully shot throughout. Sound design was very .

The subtitle cards worked well.

Cinematography is straight out of the top drawer.

***** stars

Oh my ness!

It borrows heavily from Blade Runner (one of my all time favourites) - that last shot is almost an exact replica of the beginning of Ridley Scott's masterpiece. And, of course, the constant bad weather of the title features heavily in Scott's film.

But this is visually staggering - the atmosphere created and the excellent sound quality show that this is going to be an unmissable film!

THIS is how you do a trailer.

***** stars

A very horror film - I liked the twists. acting, especially during the climax.

All the characters were story tellers - and so, clearly, is the director of this film.

One minor criticism, I thought the actors were too high in the mix, but not by much.

This is up there with the best TMO horrors.

***** stars

A very film with an excellent voice actress.

It was quite touching initially when the robot asked to be loved. It does raise the familiar questions of artificial intelligence (indeed, the love theme is one that crops up in Spielberg's A.I.). Can robots genuinely feel loneliness if programmed to do so? Or can they they evolve these emotions if given a sufficiently complex program? All questions for the future when technology has advanced enough for us all to have robot servants.

Of course, it would seem VAL is a female version of that most famous of artificially intelligent machines, HAL (which should give you a clue as to how things turn out).

Anyway - a very film, one of the best in the early days of The Movies.

**** stars

The big scare was well worth it when it came and the repetitive pattern of events and atmospheric soundtrack built up the suspense very convincingly.

The english translation was a bit sloppy though, I didn't understand some of the early lines ("one night, awoke by person sign") - and she says "it was still midnight" after looking at her clock which clearly shows 5 to 2 (that one was VERY sloppy).

Still - if you're one of those people who feels the need to be scared witless, this film shouldn't disappoint! (as always, full screen and in the dark is the ONLY way to watch this kind of film)

***** stars

No VO, which is a shame because this script thoroughly deserved it (only VO mind you).

An excellent story which I'm pleased to have had the chance to watch - and the subtitles weren't badly translated at all. Very in fact.

This divine romp had everything, witty dialogue, twists and turns and - above all - whether intended or not, an exploration of the ludicrous nature of religion when it comes to sex.

It was completely believable that these two oppositites were assigned legitimately to the same task - the demon must get a young unmarried couple to fornicate, whereas the angel must get them to consummate their already (platonic)loving relationship.

If one was to adhere to every word in the Bible as truth, the christian world would have died out by now through lack of sex. That's what I got out of the middle part of this film. Indeed, the most amusing part was where the demon almost tries to talk the angel out of it. "But isn't sex a sin? They're not even married?"

Very well paced, always entertaining. With better music and some great VO, this would have easily been a classic TMO film. As it is, it's still a top-class story which will be preserved on my harddrive for eternity!

**** stars

So, some teenagers were "chased" by the police into a power station and died.

Their motive for hiding was to avoid a police identity check (which we see one teenager having to endure for no reason later in the film).

This, apparently, was the catalyst for a series of riots which practically had martial law instated in some urban areas of France for weeks.

A heartfelt film which approaches the subject of racism in France (and there's no doubt it exists) in somewhat simplistic terms, but through the eyes of black people from various different backgrounds.

I say simplistic, because I simply don't believe that two or three pissed off people, on the spur of the moment, decided to start a revolution on the internet. You can try it now! Go on YouTube and call for all black French people to go on a rampage. You won't get more than a handful of people showing up.

No, there was some serious orchestration behind the riots - I didn't get a sense of that from this film. I don't think it was solely a meme that spread like wildfire in a short period of time, even though that appeared to be the case.

What the film does get right is that racism is a serious problem in France - a country which regularly votes 20% for, effectively, the Nazi candidate in elections. Don't forget that in one recent presidential election (2002) - the run-off was between Le Pen (Nazi) and the slightly more liberal Conservative candidate Jacques Chirac. That means the Nazi came second! It's the equivalent of Adolf Hitler coming second in the USA despite more moderate Democrat and Republican candidates being on the ballot. That shows the scale of France's race problem. Le Pen did come 4th in 2007 though (maybe this film had an effect!)

Mamadou's story is the most interesting (not least because one study submitted identical resumes to French companies and found that those with "Mamadou" as the name often didn't get an interview). Unable to get the job he deserves and even the flat he wants to rent as soon as he mentions his name, this is the most powerful of the three stories as he is clearly not a member of the underclass. But, as with all racism, he becomes disaffected.

My conscience is clear anyway. I have been in the position of choosing housemates for a number of years. Some of my decisions worked well, others didn't. But those I chose to live with me included people from India, Czech Republic, Slovakia, France (lol), Spain and Israel. All it took was a warm smile on first meeting and a level of english speaking. (plus I deliberately left the house a bit messy to weed out the fusspots!) Most of the time, I got it right. A smile is the same in any country.

I think multiculturalism can work - as long as all sides leave their race baggage at the door. And I certainly have absolutely no time for those who are given shelter in my country and start making demands for things like Sharia Law. If you want that nightmare then go back to the Middle East. That may seem a strong, even racist, statement to make - and in France, which has a lot of French-speaking muslims from its former African colonies, this kind of problem is much more pronounced. But for me, you either agree to live by the law of your chosen country or go elsewhere...

... but that law has to be fair. Cops asking for ID from black people almost exclusively is not fair in any way. This is a road the UK will soon be going down - will it result in some teenagers bolting for the nearest substation and getting themselves electrocuted?

One thing's for sure, I will NEVER get an ID card. I was born in Glasgow, there's a certificate to prove it. I was born free from oppression, and that's how I'll stay until the grave. I'm caucasian, but I see even being made to carry an ID card as an infringement of my human rights.

Technically, the film wasn't perfect. It had many instances of subtitles moving far too fast, but I got the gist of what was being said.

I liked the last few lines relating to Liberty, Equality and Fraternity, none of which exist in modern France according to this film.

***** stars

I'm not sure what the title means, but there's no doubt that this is an excellent film.

Very well played by the lead, I was in no doubt that he was the character portrayed.

The music fit perfectly with the atmospheric goings on.

I thought the ending was heavy-handed initially (I'm talking about what appeared to be an unnecessary action scene), but the VERY ending made up for that completely. It turns out that this film is about massive consequences and not just about relationship breakdown.

Always engaging and thought-provoking and beautifully shot as well, this film is a TMO classic.

***** stars

This review is for the hi-res version of this film.

In this romantic drama we meet Cora, a singer, and her young dancer friend Kitty. And then there's Paul, Cora's friend, and Josh (who we never see but hear a lot about).

Kitty is enamored with Josh, but Paul is enamored with Kitty and we learn quite soon that Cora is secretly enamored with Paul and yet Cora and Kitty are best friends. Something's got to give, and does ...

Shot as if from around the 50s in black and white, the film has much to recommend it in its atmospheric jazzy soundtrack and sound design; the first song in front of an eager audience really captures that Jazz club feel. The singing is very by the lead actress on each occasion.

All three characters in the film are played very well, especially the two females who have demanding roles that cover a wide range of emotions. The contrast between these two characters couldn't be starker - one wears her emotions on her sleeve, the other is very reserved and secretive. This allows for some very interesting hidden dynamics to be revealed as the film plays out.

Camerawork and editing are of a very high standard - use of slow motion at key moments near the end of the movie too. During the singing scenes, a wide variety of shots help keep things fresh.

Overall, an excellent film with very performances.