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douglasleeisgrigg
Reviews
Frasier (2023)
We are listening!
The pilot of this show is the low point of the writing and voice of this new cast. With each new episode the show finds its legs and really has a lot to say by the end of the 10 episodes. It is sad to only to have two cameos from the old cast so far, but if it gets picked up I'm sure we will see more from the old guard.
When I first started watching the show I was a little concerned with how "on the nose" the story lines are. But I'm also watching the original show and you quickly realize, that while funny and always charming, the whole show was the same 3-4 plots played over and over again. In sitcoms this kind of story telling is okay and normal so it's something to overlook. So Frasier still struggles to love, and throw a successful party, it's predictable and still funny.
The thing that I am most impressed by is how well Kelsey Grammer fits into the sitcom format after all this time. He's still hilarious and funny with each predictable joke and set up.
Over all, I would've rated the Pilot a 5/10, but by the end of the ten episodes I was moved to a 7/10. The show really gets its sea legs about 3 episodes in, and then it really just slots right into that comfortable sitcom place in my heart.
Poor Things (2023)
Poor things become rich with story.
My wife and I decided to find babysitting arrangements in order to see this movie we knew nothing about. It looked like a fascinating movie with one of our favorite actress's so we took the plunge. Poor things is truly a mesmerizing experience that surprises and subverts expectations throughout each Act of this whimsical and dark comedy. You learn the ways of the world as Bella Baxter does and it surprises and delights and sometimes hurts to see. Emma Stone's performance is one for the ages, with her stellar portrayal of a reanimated human being with a lot to learn. However despite the joy, confusion and excitement the movie does struggle to develop some of its most interesting characters. Some of the Act changes feel like they are rushed for an already long movie. Sometimes I felt like I could have used more time getting to know the interesting characters that are quickly sweeped away in intervals. So despite those things and its interesting choices in the amount of certain types of scenes that don't necessarily add to the greater story, it is a great tale and experiment in the world of cinema. Definitely worth seeing, but don't go with anyone who minds sexual content.