Everything That Dies, Some Day Comes Back

This film about a real-life serial killer (from the 1960s) suffers from a huge handicap in that it is bound to suffer in comparison with the masterpiece that is 'Zodiac', also about a real-life serial killer of a similar vintage. On the other hand I figured it should have a couple of things going for it. Firstly, whereas the Zodiac killer was never caught, the Boston Strangler was, so at least there should be a satisfying conclusion to the police investigation (spoiler alert, I was completely wrong in thinking this) Secondly, the hunt for the Strangler is shown here from the viewpoint of a woman journalist, so we get the added dimension of the misogyny she suffers in trying to pursue the story, because (shock horror) women weren't meant to do that sort of thing then.   The journalist in question is Loretta MacLaughlin, played by Keira Knightley.   For some reason I always struggle to lose myself in any of her performances, which is certainly the case here because thr...

Somehow this 2019 film went under my radar despite it being right in my wheelhouse: a political thriller based on a real-life case of a whistle blower in the runup to the Iraq War. The whistle blower in question was Katherine Gun, a translator at GCHQ, and she leaked a memo which revealed that the US and UK governments were looking to dig up dirt on some UN delegates who were likely to vote against a vital UN resolution. She is played by Keira Knightley who gives the best performance I can remember by her.  She is ably supported by a fine cast, including Matt Smith, Matthew Goode and Rhys Ifans as Observer journalists, and especially Ralph Fiennes as Gun's defence lawyer when she is charged under the Official Secrets Act. I guess you could criticise it for being a little predictable but it has the merit of being an accurate depiction of a brave action which might have saved a lot of lives.  And I was certainly on tenterhooks as to how it would all end. RATING :  ✓   ...

Judging by this fifth outing Jack Ryan is a dull character, which probably explains why attempts to build a franchise around him have failed (Chris Pine here is the fourth actor to play him).   The first half hour is so generic and forgettable that indeed I had seen this film before and forgotten the early scenes where we meet three of the four main characters: Jack himself, a marine recovering from a serious war injury, Cathy (Keira Knightley) a British trainee doctor, and Harper (Kevin Costner) a CIA high-up  who recruits Jack. Jack is so boring that the best use for him that the CIA can find is to put him in a bank on the off-chance he might learn something to the CIA's advantage. Fast forward 10 years (!) and Jack is in New York still hoping his stint in the bank will pay off. And guess what?  He discovers some suspicious financial trades pointing to a Russian bank, and off to Moscow he is sent.   One small problem is that Cathy is now his fiancée but h...