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Red Joan Reviews

Jul 20, 2024

You may have seen the over-hyped movie Oppenheimer, but I think this is better. Also easier to follow!

Feb 5, 2024

Boring movie about a fascinating story. You know every plotpoint in advance and nothing ist really interesting or suprising in this flick.

Jan 13, 2024

This isn't movie that puts you in a happy mood, but that doesn't make it bad. This movie was quite pleasent to see. It may not be 100% historicly accurate, but it doesn't have to be sence the true story was only an inspiration. It has a good dynamic, there wasn't a part of the movie where I was bored and in my opinion the story isn't going too slow.

Apr 4, 2023

First off, there are no really likable characters here, and Joan is probably the least likable of all. Even Dench couldn't make you like the contemptible subject of the story. In that regard, Cookson and Dench did incredible work because young Joan is not nice and doesn't improve in likability with age. The more Joan's story is revealed, the more you dislike her. Oh, they try to write her as semi-human and relatable. Still, she had an ego as big as a tree, destroyed some people's professional lives, betrayed others, and had a huge Messiah Complex - "I was trying to save the world, and I think I did!". Ugh. Pass the puke bucket. It's more like the bored girl was seeking thrills through espionage and betrayal, which all tickled her very healthy ego every time she got away with it and had praise heaped on her by her cohorts. The story is loosely based on Melita Norwood, who never had to pay for her betrayals. I wonder if she had a savior complex too. It sounds like it, based on what little I read of her. I'm not sure I want to get to know her better. Anyway, the writing is cloying and hokey, with such classics as "My wife will never give me a divorce" and "Think with your heart" (which is what people request of you when they don't want you to notice how despicably they behaved). Joan's son represents her in the legal proceedings (is that really a good idea?), and he has mixed feelings about his mother's activities. He gets very angry with her because of her treasonous activities, but somewhere along the line, he inexplicably has a change of heart. He shows up at the end, telling the press that his mother was not a villain but a hero. Good job, sonny boy, feed your mother's already-grandiose ego. All the people she injured and compromised are probably dead by now. She was no hero. While she was betraying her country, it was being bombed relentlessly by the Germans. The sovereignty of the UK was hanging by a thread until the US became an ally and got into the fight. Almost everything was underdeveloped and choppy - the writing, the characters, and the story in general. The acting was good to great, but the story and its pace did a disservice to the actors. It's tolerable but frustrating. I came because of Judy Dench and stories about spies. I left dissatisfied with the story, hating almost every character and wondering why I didn't find a better movie to watch. I'm sorry Melita Norwood's crimes weren't uncovered sooner when Great Britain still had capital punishment.

Feb 25, 2023

An interesting interpretation and well worth the watch. Hard hitting in a way I think most would shy away from.

Sep 2, 2022

This is a warm hearted, charming, sometimes sad and sometimes amusing family friendly watch. I was intrigued by the story given its based on a true story and I enjoyed the various characters. I like how the dog brought the local community together and the theme of the somewhat underdogs sticking up for themselves against others in the perhaps outskirts of town. This is a nice watch and I would recommend it.

Feb 14, 2022

A slow burner, and to be honest the story struggles to fill the length of the film. The bottom line is that Joan was a traitor and I don't think anything here convinces the audience otherwise. I guess its slightly interesting but nothing more. Maybe the book this is based on does a better job of explaining the story and reasoning.

Aug 19, 2021

Different, interesting take on WW2 spies.

Jul 11, 2021

We found it interesting would recommend it to stream.

Apr 24, 2021

I guess I like these "Based on a True Story" type movie. Dame Judy Dench is a good "little-old-lady" actor and presents with realism.

Aug 17, 2020

Red Joan is an incredible film. It is about Joan Stanley who was exposed as the K.G.B.'s longest-serving British spy. Judi Dench and Sophie Cookson give amazing performances. The screenplay is well written. Trevor Nunn did a great job directing this movie. I enjoyed watching this motion picture because of the drama. Red Joan is a must see.

Jun 5, 2020

Good movie about a British scientist who provided the Russian government with information that accelerated their research to mad a nuclear bomb , but she didn't do it as a spy & she didn't betray her country but she had good intents .

May 10, 2020

Red Joan was a movie with a lot of heart. The acting was terrific, however, the story telling occasionally fell flat. There were many instances that felt rushed when they deserved more time. Overall, this was a thought provoking film largely credited to the phenomenal performances by Judi Dench and Sophie Cookson.

May 10, 2020

This was a well told story inspired by a real historical occurrence and I found it extremely intriguing and interesting. And, of course, Dame Judy is always one to watch!

May 7, 2020

Not nearly as bad as the critics made it out to be. Good period piece about the British government's attempts to develop the atomic bomb in parallel with the United States.

May 4, 2020

It was a very good film, gripping from beginning to end. Acting was excellent, use of flashbacks appropriate and now overdone. It's amazing to me how a story like this one has not been prominently told before. Since it was only "inspired" by true events, I thought the producers could have explored the idea of a 온라인카지노추천 series like "The Americans." To me it has all the makings.

May 2, 2020

It's flashback heavy, which results in the wonderful Judi Dench not being given much to do over shortened screen time. Although Red Joan is a rather dull film to watch consistently throughout, it never lasted long enough at once to completely erase my interest level in what is quite an incredible story.

Apr 30, 2020

Pretty interesting that a woman in her 80s would be discovered as a spy (in real life) - but this movie plods along. Dench doesn't get the majority of the screen time - and everyone else is close to a bore.

Mar 1, 2020

I think the reviews of this film are very harsh. An incredibly powerful and complex story told over generations. Bravo!

Feb 17, 2020

This movie did have an interesting tale to tell but it got lost in the sheer banality of the manner in which it was told. How do you take a talent like Dame Judi Dench and almost literally do nothing with her? This could have been a timely, tense and thought provoking tale about the slow and pernicious methods used to radicalise the young and impressionable but really fails to sparkle and engage in any meaningful way. Trevor Nunn has directed so many brilliant productions for the stage but really does himself no favours here.

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