Sandra Says Blog

  Last Tango in Halifax (2020) Seven years after Celia (Anne Reid) and Alan (Derek Jacobi) married and two families merged into one. Although they met at school this still reminds me of the BBC Sitcom ‘As Time Goes By’. With Geoffrey Palmer and Judi Dench as Lionel and Jean. However, they first met back Lionel was in the army and Jean was a nurse, before they drifted their separate ways and then met again and married years later. Now in Last Tango in Halifax I like at the beginning when they flashed back over the last seven years. It looks like there have been some ups and downs, family fall outs, as people have changed. I can see how a daughter would want to protect her father, but ultimately he has his own mind, although the heart attack must have been traumatic. I am not sure about the playing of ‘The blame game’ though. Now we come to the start of episode one, of this new series, Alan has a job in a supermarket, this is after some news of his brother Ted (Timothy West) coming ...

  Coming to America This film starts off setting up the story really well. Prince Akeem (Eddie Murphy) is extremely pampered, but it seems the pampering is not as great as you would think. I can see how it could be suffocating. When we see the actual life of Prince Akeem play out there is to be a change in the royal circumstances. However, not after one, you could say a ‘Red herring’, some cringingly awkward singing and a very obedient yet I want to say annoying, yet this doesn’t seem quite the right word on its own but coupled with the word unworldly, you can see why Akeem wants to meet someone else in America. The logic of this film is great, I am not sure of the coin toss but it works out well, also I can see that if you don’t know which part of a huge country to go to, east or west, a coin toss it is, but there is only one place for a Prince to go to find his bride/Queen, that is ‘Queens’. For a rich pampered Prince, let’s just say Queens New York is not the most luxurious plac...

  Notting Hill This film starts as any other normal day , complete with annoying customers that is until the famous actress Anna Scott (Julia Roberts) walks into William’s (Hugh Grant) shop. I do like how he carries on as his normal self. Including catching a thief. It is strange to see William and his flat mate Spike (Rhys Ifans ) watching a film Anna is in after their encounter. I don’t think ‘ After noon tea at the Ritz’ is going to be as William thought it would be. We do get an insight into the busy world of a celebrity though. So now you can see why Anna, having been treated like a normal person off the street, by William how that would make William appealing to get to know better. Sadly, virtually no privacy and awkward. The other interviews are fun to watch though. I can see why Anna just wanted some normality in her life and a family birthday party will accomplish that. Also why couldn’t Anna compete for the ‘Brownie’ a life isn’t always as it seems. And now yes ‘Nice ga...

  Sick Building (Doctor Who) by Paul Magrs At the start of this book it is clever to write it from the point of view of a creature in the woods. It is not clear of what type of animal, but her babies are referred to as ‘Cubs’. Chapter one, it turns out if I had read the paragraph on the back of this book and waited until I had read this chapter, I would have found out that the creature was a ‘Sabre-toothed tiger in the woods, wanting to protect her cubs. This chapter high-lights the importance of focusing and checking outside before venturing out onto a strange planet. Although this could be forgiven as the said planet known as ‘ Tiermann ’ s world ’ is about to be eaten within about ‘Thirty-six hours’. There is nothing like a short/tight deadline to ramp up the suspense. Chapter t wo, it is interesting that the D octor can talk to the animals, in this case the sabre-toothed tiger. I also feel a mix of, it is lovely to read that a family is living in luxury with staff, but yet I...

  Top Secret The idea for the storyline ‘A diversion by having a music festival’ is a good strong one. interweaved into this is when you see them the obvious in how they make the jokes. They are so obvious it takes geniuses to have the courage, knowhow and will to put them in a film. However, some of the jokes are not so obvious but really clever all the same. I am sure the name ‘Hilary’ (Lucy Gutteridge ) doesn’t mean what is said it does it actually means ‘Cheerful’ from the Paper Fronts Babies Names book by Andre Page. In a case of miss-understanding, the music is a little different to the planned repertoire, rock n roll has hit Germany. The car crushed scenes makes for a great double meaning scene. The B allet next, with the enhancements, the action and the police it is like no Ballet I know. Twenty minutes can seem a life time and Martin (Billy J. Mitchell) is beyond help although the gadget may help. Things look bleak but nothing in this film is sensible. Also can there be ...

  Darkest Hour This film is based on true events of Winston Churchill (Gary Oldman ) during World War Two. The atmospheric nature is cleverly done, giving depth to the era this film is set in. There is a well-known phrase ‘That behind every great man, there is a great woman’. In this film this is very much high-lighted in the well-acted portrayal of Winston’ s wife Clemmie (Kristi n S cott Thomas). A part that could be deemed as inaccurate is when Churchill goes to the king (Ben Mendelsohn) to become the Prime Minister. Winston talks, in the words ‘Your Majesty’ to the king first. Now I always thought the protocol was that no one spoke until after the king or queen had spoken first. This is not so much a war film just a film set during the war. This is cleverly done and shows that a film about the war doesn’t have to have many, if any actual fighting scenes . The script describes events without visual representation. Also it is strange to see a war film without hardly any action ...