Pasckie Pascua's Nerdy Squirrel Reviews: Movies.

“The Amateur” (1981, Hulu), directed by Charles Jarrott , and  “The Amateur” (2025, Hulu), directed by James Hawes , spy thriller based on the 1981 novel by Robert Littell . A CIA cryptographer seeks revenge after his wife is killed in a terrorist attack in London. When the CIA doesn't pursue the case to his satisfaction, he blackmails them into training him as an operative to take matters into his own hands. He embarks on a dangerous journey to track down and kill those responsible for his wife's death.  Clearly, the 2025 version is a lot more exciting than the 1981 version. Rami Malek’s Charlie Heller is more engaging and concentrated than John Savage’s version. Plus we have engaging performers such as Rachel Brosnahan , Caitríona Balfe , Michael Stuhlbarg , Julianne Nicholson, and Laurence Fishburne as star-quality support to Mr Malek. Though Christopher Plummer was fine in the former. 🎥💻📽 <>“Official Secrets” (2019, Plex) British drama , based on the case...

“A Small Fortune” (2021, Amazon Prime) Canadian crime drama. A man lives in a small village in Prince Edward Island makes a subsistence living harvesting sea moss on the coast, resisting the urging of his wife Sam that he leaves the province to look for more stable and well-paying work. One day he finds a large stash of money on the beach and hides it for himself.         This noirish “thriller” is pretty well-acted to complement the crisp writing and minimalist direction. Reminds me of the Coen brothers’ classic “ No Country for Old Men .” To think that this indie is Adam Perry's feature directorial debut, an expansion of his earlier short film “A Blessing from the Sea.” He needs to make more movies, this guy. 🎥💻📽 “Sweet Virginia” (2017, Tubi) neo-noir thriller. In a small town where there has been a spate of recent violence, a former rodeo star meets a young man who he develops a burgeoning friendship with. However, he is unaware of his new...

“Sid and Nancy” (1986, Plex) British biographical film , portrays the life of Sid Vicious , bassist of the punk rock band the Sex Pistols , and his destructive relationship with girlfriend Nancy Spungen . Gary Oldman is Sid; Chloe Webb is Nancy. Both performances are awards worthy though they had some over-acted sequences somewhere.         But definitely, Mr Oldman's Sid is the best Sid wasteland portrayal ever, especially if we compare his gig with the two others who channeled the punk icon: Ade Edmondson in 1982's “The Comic Strip Presents: Demonella” and Louis Partridge in 2022 “Pistol,” both TV series fares.        Gary's hilarious antics while onstage with the Pistols was better than Sid himself, LOL! Alex Cox's direction was point-blank cold as the fury and filth of the era but the impressionistic wanderings don't impress me.             But th...

“Metropolis” (1927, Tubi) German expressionist science-fiction silent film directed by Fritz Lang and written by Thea von Harbou (in collaboration with Mr Lang), from von Harbou's 1925 novel of the same name . Made in Germany during the Weimar period , Metropolis is set in a futuristic urban dystopia and follows the attempts of Freder, the wealthy son of the city master, and Maria, a saintly figure to the workers, to overcome the vast gulf separating the classes in their city and bring the workers together with Joh Fredersen, the city master.         The film's message is encompassed in the final inter-title : "The Mediator Between the Head and the Hands Must Be the Heart.” I must say that this movie, replete with astounding sets and well-choreographed pantomime (because it’s “silent”) was game-changing. The surrealist theme can be confusing or baffling but I did enjoy the elaborate black and white production design. 🎥💻📽 “The Last Man on...

“The Passenger” (1975, Tubi) drama thriller film directed by Michelangelo Antonioni . A disillusioned Anglo - American journalist, David Locke ( Jack Nicholson ) assumes the identity of a dead businessman while working on a documentary in Chad , unaware that he is impersonating an arms dealer with connections to the rebels in the civil war. Along the way, he is accompanied by an unnamed young woman ( Maria Schneider ).        Michelangelo Antonioni (d. 2007) was a hot property then after his globally popular “Blowup” (1962). His films substantially influenced subsequent world art cinema . But I am not very impressed with “The Passenger,” although it had a compelling and seemingly exciting plotline.         Jack Nicholson and Maria Schneider had magnetic chemistry but I find the pacing lumbering and the pursuit of the otherwise thrilling premise lost somewhere. 🎥💻📽 “The Taking of Pelham One Two Three” (also ...