Film Reviews by WP

I must admit that I was not expecting much when I hired this. A cheap cash-in on some 60s nostalgia, I feared. Instead it is a very well made, well acted and surprisingly engaging series. It's got a lot of holes - the science is nonsense, some plot lines are ridiculous, but it is none the less entertaining and you actually start to care about at least some of the characters. Nice tension when it comes to the robot as well. Good to have some real family entertainment (beware of some scares and very occasional bad language though).

If you are looking for a joyful, dramatic cinematic experience this is definitely not it. However if your prepared to once again feel the brutality of Nazism, then I think this film has some really worthwhile aspects. It shows through the experience of an average married couple how easily an entire society can be dragged to the bottom when there are few who are prepared to take any kind of stand, but also just what even the most minor stand can cost once the descent has started. The whole feel of the film is low key, so when the brutality appears it is all the more shocking. It is probably more comparable to a good television play, but how many of those are there these days.

Other reviews point out many of the positive aspects of this film while warning that it is not what most would call entertainment. Nothing wrong with that, we need films which inform and challenge. However, I think I would want to question many of the films assumptions. Is it really the case that all philosophies and religious beliefs are equally valid? Is there no such thing as truth? Do those who peacefully seek to promulgate their understanding of truth deserve to be equated with those who brutally suppress what they consider to be alien? Some may say that the film raises such questions, and to the extent that it does, it is welcome. However, it seemed to me that it was pushing the case for the prevalent "We're all just feeling different parts of the elephant, so let's not criticise anybody" view of faith. Well, you may be persuaded that the snake like object you are feeling is the elephant's tail, but watch out for it's bite.

I think if I had watched the accompanying documentaries first I would have been worried. Joe tells us everything will be great and that he has always wanted to do an all acoustic concert with unusual instruments, but somehow you are not sure you believe him. However, the music really is good as long as you are not expecting the heavy blues rock sound that Joe was and is famous for (and why would you?). I admit that I am quite a fan of acoustic blues and celtic folk so I was very happy to hear the fiddle, accordion and the amazing nyckelharpa giving some of Joe's material a new lease of life.

Maybe not for everyone but I would welcome another acoustic venture along these lines.