Reviews

James McAvoy was so good, I wanted to kiss him. Saoirse Ronan was so good, I wanted to punch her in the face.

This movie isn't like a lot of other romantic comedies or dramas. It isn't overly cluttered with subplots and pointless turns. It is a pure and simple story of falling in love and creating a deep bond with a complete stranger. After watching most romance movies, single viewers are left feeling more lonely than before, but Before Sunrise offers something different. It gives the viewer almost the exact opposite, a hope that somewhere out there in the world, there is a person that can complete you and understand you, and maybe one day you will cross paths. Even though the plot line is not particularly action-packed, it is so emotionally engaging. The movie is so successful in portraying the feeling of falling in love, in longing, loneliness, and pain in having to say goodbye. The simple blooming relationship between strangers is a beautiful picture of love and the human desire to connect on a deeper level with others. Even if you aren't a huge romance fan, Before Sunrise is definitely worth the watch.

To be completely honest, I knew nothing about the movie at all, other than that Tom Hardy was in it, before watching it. After the first fifteen minutes, I was beginning to wonder how much longer until he reaches the hospital? After scrubbing through the rest of the movie, I realized that the entire plot of the movie centers around the phone calls he receives on his way to the hospital. At first, I was a little upset by this, but I came to really enjoy it. The film finds a way to be engaging without much visual storytelling which I found very bold and unique. The film would have been an utter failure without an actor of Tom Hardy's caliber. He does a great job of engaging the audience with little to work with other than limited body language and his own voice. I'm not going to lie, parts of the movie were a little dull, but the uniqueness of the storyline made up for it in my opinion. This movie is definitely not for everyone, but it's a must watch if you want to look into to different types of fil making and story telling. I'm pretty unlikely to re-watch this movie any time soon, but in the end it's a worthwhile watch.

I'm going to be honest. I probably would not have completed season one if Henry Cavill wasn't playing Geralt. He carried the show on his buff, broad shoulders. Although there were some fun fighting scenes, the show was just too corny for me. I can't pinpoint it, but something made this show just incredibly cheesy. I'm sure some of it was cringe-worthy sfx makeup (the colored contacts and half-baked mythological characters were awful), a script that constantly flip-flopped between being corny and taking itself way too seriously, and a constant rattling on about DESTINY. Other than Geralt, the characters were generally unlikeable and static. Yennefer was particularly irritating. It seemed as though her character existed to complain about getting the things that she literally asked for. I'm not going to pretend I didn't enjoy some parts of the plot and certain aspects of the characters, I just feel like they could have been executed so much better. I will probably watch the next season when it comes out, so watching this show is not a complete waste of time. If you are looking for a show to watch just for fun, you don't want to have o pay attention too closely, and you're good at avoiding some second-hand embarrassment, go for it. You might really enjoy it. Hats off to Henry Cavill, he was enjoyable to watch.

I cannot stress enough how much I love this show. Initially upon discovering it, I tried to limit myself to two episodes a day (this was during quarantine, mind you), but I couldn't help myself and ended up watching all five seasons in four days. A few factors make the show absolutely unforgettable and a must-see.

First of all, Cillian Murphy's portrayal of Tommy Shelby is arguably the backbone of the show. His performance is transformative, and his natural shy and humble persona is completely stripped in favor of Tommy's clever hardness. Tommy's character is dynamic, and although callous and ruthless at times, he keeps the audience rooting for him. Tommy is a dynamic constant. Maybe it's just me, but I'm a sucker for a tough man with a soft side. I don't care who you are, you are going to fall a little bit in love with Tommy Shelby. he carries a sort of authority that is almost tangible.

Secondly, the soundtrack of the show is incredible. The alt/rock music that plays during important scenes adds a whole new layer of intensity that would not have been achievable with the type of music that would be traditional in a period piece. Nick Cave is featured several times, and the opening with the chimes of "Red Right Hand" is iconic. Additionally, the costume design is lovely. The 1920's were such a fun time for fashion and the Peaky Blinders crew really capitalizes on that.

Something that makes Peaky Blinders so engaging is the emotion behind all of the characters. Even seemingly background characters have a certain depth to them. I find myself feeling very strongly about almost every character. Whether it be loving or hating them, it creates a whole new level of engagement that keeps you clicking to the next episode.

My one complaint about the show would be (at least in the first 4 seasons) the show has a similar plot structure of introducing a new big bad guy, and then defeating them in the last episode. I really don't mind it too much because their is so much nuance within each season, but I can see how it could bother some people.

If you haven't seen this show, I cannot recommend it enough. My scatter brained review does not do it justice. Go watch it!!

If you've ever been to a private Christian or Catholic school, then you'll enjoy how painfully accurate many of the hell-fire and damnation speeches given by teachers in the movie are. The film has an interesting way of critiquing the hypocritical nature of the church while still remaining fairly light hearted. The last fourth of the movie kind of fell off for me as it became a little too cheesy for my taste (like the bar and speech scenes); however, I found the conclusion satisfying and effective. Overall, I thought the portrayal of Christian schools and youth retreats were pretty spot on, but the characters were pretty bland and forgettable (although I found Dyer's performance very convincing). Additionally, I expected the film to be much more comedic than it was. The beginning started off pretty strong, and then the jokes fizzled out quickly after. the film was well shot and portrayed a realistic high school very well. The film was worth the watch in the end.

First of all, the aesthetics of this movie were absolutely gorgeous which allowed the movie to remain, in the very least, visually intriguing and engaging. I have to admit that I've never read the book or watched the older version of the movie, but I enjoyed Lily James' and Armie Hammer's character performances. They weren't outstanding, but they were convincing and entertaining and visually appealing as a couple. You could really feel for Lily James' character throughout the story which added a needed emotional aspect that was quite effective. The movie did a good job of making you feel as though you were personally witnessing the events of the plot, giving it the feel of an intimate peek inside the secret lives of the characters. One of my only complaints about the movie is that I feel like they could have built up some of the more important scenes. A few of the turning points in the plot could have been made a bit more cathartic in order to make it more of a drama. I still found these turning points satisfying, but I feel as though they could have been presented more dramatically. I also wasn't a huge fan of the ending. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't particularly powerful either. I'm not sure how fans of the source material feel about the movie, but I found it thoroughly enjoyable. Even if you are a huge stickler for the source material, it is a worthwhile watch at least for the splendid visuals, cinematography, and entertaining performances. I am likely to rewatch this film on a rainy day.