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The Returned (2015)
Just Don't. Watch the French Series Instead.
Sorry, but there is just no point in watching this show. Cancelled after one season, we have no closure on anything, and questions are answered. It's not like something being 'open ended', but rather like finishing the first three chapters of a book and then losing it. There is just an overwhelming sense of pointlessness that no fine acting or great writing is going to fix.
There is a completed French TV show that was released before this one. I watched one episode and it felt eerily similar. The camera work is much more compelling though, and the whole thing seems less 'TV'. So, French.
What there is of this American show is OK. The acting is fine, the writing is fine, everything is fine. Without the complete story, though, none of these things make it worth the watch.
I just can't recommend. Watch the French one instead.
Mildred Pierce (2011)
Schlocky, Melodramatic Disappointment
A love for Kate Winslet is not a reason to watch this series. It is a reason *not* to.
Winslet is a tremendous actor and is supported by a stellar cast. The problem is the direction. I say this with a heavy heart, as I loved "Carol", but Todd Haynes did not do this work justice. He turned it into a soap opera with too big a budget. The camera stays too long on Winslet's (lovely) face, the music is overly sappy, the performances seem stagey and wooden due more likely to poor editing than actual performance. We have a terribly implausible plot development toward the end that just... I don't know, maybe it could have been pulled off? But it doesn't land here.
I have never seen Winslet give a poor performance, but here she just comes across as emoting, and it is just as dreadful as watching a world class chef open up a can of ravioli and dump it into a pot. Sorry, but this is direction. Prior to this I watched Haynes' "May, December" and was underwhelmed. I'm beginning to think "Carol" was a fluke. What a shame, because this mini-series could have been so much better instead of the teleplay that it is.
His Dark Materials (2019)
Blown Away, Completely Unexpected
Just, Wow. I had zero expectations going into this series and have not read the books. I said Yes to James McAvoy, as always, and was so glad I did. This is not a children's story. It is dark, very dark. It delves into areas I never would have expected, creates a completely engaging world and unfolds the most wonderful story in a masterful manner. The acting is top notch, with an impressive effort by Dafne Keen and just a stunning performance from Ruth Wilson.
Most commendable in the writing is the examination of complicated relationships, even toxic ones. It does not provide simplistic resolutions, but ones that are as equally complicated. It is a beautiful love story. It is also a sweeping adventure, the pursuit of faith and the quest of knowledge. The story continued to evolve and just grew exponentially in such a way that completely surprised me.
For those who love stories, this one is for you. I don't grade many things above 8. Very few. I give this series 9 stars. If I'm honest, it's probably a 9.5...
I just want to thank everyone who put this together, because they have brought me so much joy. I haven't enjoyed anything this much in a very long time. Thank you!
Little Shop of Horrors (1986)
Still Good...
Just watched this again for the first time in decades. No spoilers, but Steve Martin steals the show. I'm not sure which version I saw as a kid, but I just watched the original version. It's amazing that they threw away the original ending for something else.
This movie will not delight all, especially those who do not enjoy musicals. The lyrics are fun though, and there is enough satire and parody here to keep you in sly smiles and light chuckles. Steve Martin is laugh-out-loud delightful though!
It is a difficult movie to rate, as it is not a great film. It's intentionally hokey. It's intentionally silly. The plot is not complex, there are no real twists or surprises. It is an oddly sweet film though. This black comedy is just a fun romp and a good choice for some pre-Halloween fun.
Hellraiser (1987)
Loved it as a kid, but upon rewatching.....
Here's the thing. Cenobites (sp?) are scary as hell, but this first movie is not. It suffers from poor writing and acting. It's not just that it looks dated. As a kid, I thought Hellraiser was great, but having watched it now, I can see that it is just the idea that was great (and the costume design, I think). It just is not handled well, and could have been so, so much better.
From memory, the second film was really quite a lot better (I'm nervous now to rewatch it!). The selling point of this film is that you are introduced to these characters that will be better employed in later films. I don't think that our expectations should be lower for films just because of their genre. I take into account budgets and forgive poor acting if the story is great. The problem is, the writing and directing here do not make up for the films limitations. With Clive Barker at the helm, what was the excuse? We just have a very simple story and pretty unsurprising film making. By all means, watch Hellraiser II, but you can probably pass on this film.
Spy Game (2001)
Tell Don't Show Slow Spy Film
I wonder if Pitt regretted turning down Bourne Identity for this film.
On one hand I applaud the writer and director for making this a probably more realistic film that most spy movies. On the other hand I wonder if there isn't a very good reason most spy films are not completely. Realistic. The majority of this film is spent with the characters talking around different tables. This, however, is not Twelve Angry Men. There is no amazing dialogue or character or story development. There is nothing especially surprising, other than how well Pitt 'aged' from the flashbacks of Vietnam to the time of the rest of the story. Redford looked pretty much the same too.
If you want a realistic (in my mind) spy film, I would rec The Good Shepherd. Not only is it well written and well acted, but it is far more visually interesting than Spy Game. Spy Game is something that you can walk away from and just listen to without missing much. It's not an awful movie by any means, it is just not something that stands out for any reason. If you want a fun, fast, clever spy film, look elsewhere. If you want a slow, 'tell us the whole story' film that doesn't really require any additional thinking, this might suit.
What a shame. Pitt would have made a great Bourne.
Between Two Ferns: The Movie (2019)
Funny, but Don't Expect More
I'll just say the outtakes at the end are the funniest part, so if you end up wanting to switch this off, jump to the end. The rest of the film definitely has its funny moments, all the stars are great, the cast is good. There is nothing in particular that stands out, but maybe that is exactly why it feels flat. Everything is fine, but, yeah, just fine.
Maybe a mockumentary of the show itself would have been more fun. It does feel like a bit of a wasted effort and opportunity. I think this is literally the first time I just can't think of anything else to say to meet the character requirement for a review. Done. Lol.
Empire Falls (2005)
Shame. The book was so good....
Having read and loved this book several years ago, I was delighted to finally come across this 'mini-series'. I am usually reluctant to watch films of books I love, as a poor adaptation can taint the memory of a book. This film doesn't do that, but feels instead more like a different story. It's not that it strays from the plot, it just contains nearly none of the book's charms.
The highlight is the acting, with a brilliant and absolutely winning performance from Paul Newman. Hoffman, Wright, Harris, and many others create a star studded cast that could turn a shameful script into an enjoyable time. The screenplay is indeed lacking. Given that Richard Russo was the screenwriter, it either seems either an outsider could have done the book more justice, or simply that the book could not fit into a mere two-episode series. Either way, the result is a film that is filled with flat, stereotyped characters with no time to develop more substance. Newman's Max is the only character that really feels, well, real. That is a testament to Newman, as it seems everyone else may have listened too much to the director's cues.
Visually, the sets and locations give a good feel of the town described, but the editing and cinematography did not enhance this. I felt very aware that I was watching a film, and being told where to look, etc. This fit well with the voice over narration. Nothing feels cheaper than a disembodied voice telling me all I need to know about a film as it begins. It's a shortcut to actual filmmaking and makes me want to stop the movie before it embarrasses itself. I didn't though, and tried to overlook the sin. This was made even more difficult by the narrator, though, who sounded like he would be more at home in a Pepperidge Farm commercial. Adding more sin, we are gifted a truly sappy syrupy score that had no business being in the same film as any of these actors. The score alone loses this film two stars, at least. Try to ignore it, but I doubt that most can...
Lastly, a Maine accent is not easy. It's *not* a Boston accent. I'd say that a few of the actors went for it (Hunt, Hoffman) and did a respectable job, and some took a soft, mild approach or just none at all. This is a shame. A small town has an accent. People without that accent are not from there, left and came back, or are from money, etc. Of course this is not a major point of criticism, but it was a part of the story, with some characters having more power and control based on their education, class and background. William Fichtner's Jimmy Minty made this very point. Accents mark people.
The film is still worth a watch, but not something to have high expectations of. It is perhaps worth the time just to see two actors return from the grave: Paul Newman and his charming performance and Philip Seymour Hoffman who never disappointed. If your time is limited, just read the book instead.
The Shrink Next Door (2021)
Not what I expected...So much better
I will watch literally anything with Will Ferrell or Paul Rudd. Rudd has such a charming persona; no matter who his character, this brilliance shines through. His performance in "Mute" challenged this, and "The Shrink Next Door" really takes it to the next level. The performances are excellent all around. Truly a stellar cast. The writing is tight and the watching experience is ... visceral. For many of us, this show may be hard to watch. It was for me.
It's hard to review this miniseries without giving anything away. It's a dark, dark comedy, to be sure, but it is quite a lot more. It is rather a feminist work, in a surprising way. The writers knew what they were doing. For once, I am happy the protagonist is a man. It demonstrates that women are not the only victims, that it is about a type not anything to do with sex. It perhaps makes it even more powerful knowing that the show was based on real people and events.
I hope after watching this that people see the relationships in their life more clearly. It was hard for me to watch, in some ways, but I am glad I did. I heartily recommend this to most anyone. Just don't expect a comedy... It's a journey, and a rewarding one.
I fully applaud everyone involved in this production.
Red Sparrow (2018)
Better than expected, but some flaws
6.5-7/10 -- This film is engaging, even for as long as it is, with fine acting all around and some real gut-wrenching moments. I must admit to having turned my head away several times. It is a horribly violent film, much more so than I expected. The positive aspect of that violence is that very little of it is gun-based, which makes it feel much more genuine to me.
There were some aspects however that I feel were unbelievable. I've never broken my leg, but I bet if I had, I wouldn't be able to wear high heels three months later, or bend my legs and sit up on my knees. I actually cringed during these parts thinking about how painful it should have been, yet the character indicated no pain. Good acting on her part? I don't know, but the other more unbelievable part was a major plot point. It surprised and had the desired effect, but stepping back through the story, it just seemed unlikely to have happened. Too convenient.
This all is in addition to my general complaint of movies that set themselves in non-English speaking countries and then have all the characters speak English with each other with the accent of that country. I thought we were done with this. I understand watching a 2+ hour movie with foreigners speaking Russian is impractical, but then it leads to the question: Should Americans be telling this story? Of course, this film is not going to come out of Russia, and that is why we have to give some allowance here. It just ends up feeling a bit comical when two Russians in Russia are talking to each other in English. Are other viewers not fazed by this?
Those points aside, it was an engaging film. It was refreshing to see women portrayed as strong, intelligent and cunning, and not driven by romantic love. Love is important to the story, but not in a typical way. That itself makes it worth the time. The beginning scenes were cleverly and masterfully edited. Definitely the best part of the film, but the rest is worth a watch too! If you are not expecting a masterpiece but want a fine espionage film with a strong female lead, "Red Sparrow" should tick all the boxes.
The End of the F***ing World (2017)
Surprisingly Good Quite Dark Comedy
I don't usually write reviews, but I felt compelled to applaud this series out loud. It was not the quirky, funny teen comedy or the overly heavy angsty drama that I expected. It tells the story of two very unlikable people definitely swimming against the stream and the pitfalls of not being 'normal', but then it gets dark. Real dark. For all its very serious examination of trauma and the resultant behavioural changes, the series still manages to be quite funny. This is not the uproarious laughter of a crowd pleasing rom-com, but the surprise laughter of two people in the audience when everyone else is quiet, or the brief exhalation with a smirk of recognition. These characters are difficult, just like people we know and love.
The writing and acting are fantastic, bang on. Not a missed beat anywhere. Great music that actually feels like it moves the story forward and gorgeous filming locations. Above all of this, though, is a call to reexamine our treatment of mental health issues and of people who commit crimes. Throughout the show, we see how people end up thinking the way they do and making the choices that they make. It is seemingly a plea for a more understanding justice system that considers people redeemable and more than the accumulation of decisions that we make.
I cannot recommend this show enough. I look forward to more from all of the creators of this show.
Brand New Cherry Flavor (2021)
Full of cringe horror not gore, Totally Binge-worthy!
This one is for those of us who love fantasy/horror/adventure/SF to transport and captivate us entirely for a brief escape. With a couple exceptions, this is not a gore series; instead, it does a fantastic job making the viewer turn away from the screen anyway (I don't want to add any spoilers!). The acting is great (so good to see Keener again). The larger story isn't supposed to be a surprise, I don't think, just something that slowly reveals itself. While at times funny, the show does not descend into silliness and the horror/action is compelling.
I think they also did a great job illustrating sexual harassment and presenting a strong, unpretentious female lead who is not afraid to go braless. I'm not sure why I noticed that, but it just made the character more believable to me. [Hey, if you've got it, rock it!]
This series was a fun ride, especially the first few, that just sucked me in and convinced me it was okay to watch hours of TV that day... Completely binged this. I recommend you do too!
If you enjoy this, you might like Salazar's other mini-series 'Undone', with Bob Odenkirk. It is not much like this one at all -- no horror -- far more philosophical, but just as engaging. Happy Watching!
Strange Days (1995)
Not Great, Not Sci-Fi, Not SF
This is basically cat and mouse game with the slightest nod to cyberpunk. Please don't call it sci-fi or SF. It is really neither, and that is a shame.
It took me quite a long time to get around to seeing this film. The general look of the film is great, so are Bassett and Fiennes. Lewis shows off her vocal abilities but not her acting skills. The writing is fair to middling at best, which is a shame. You have to remember that when this film was made, Rodney King was still fresh in everyone's mind. The killing of Jeriko One and what followed should have been handled with more nuance and care. This was a chance for compelling social commentary that was largely squandered. The ending felt a bit ridiculous and disappointing, to me anyway. This all comes after far, far too many minutes. I cannot understand why this movie got away with its length. It could easily have been edited down and not lost anything. I had the distinct impression that the filmmakers were being too precious with their work and not seeing that sometimes trimming makes for a stronger work.
I don't know who I would recommend this film to, I guess fans of Angela Bassett, because she is fierce and gorgeous in this film and definitely worth watching. (...in a not creepy way; she is just always so impressive to me!)
13th (2016)
Not as Good as It Should've Been...
Let me start by saying any doco or movie that aims to illustrate the endemic inequality in the US is to be applauded. '13th' is no exception. It contains a lot of information that should open the eyes of many. Having said that, it is not a great documentary.
My first objection is the music. While the songs used intermittently were effective, the score throughout was beyond heavy handed and distracting. The music was in direct competition with the people speaking and I, at least, found it difficult to follow along. It just never stopped and played throughout the movie. It was also unnecessarily emotive. I mean, the subject matter alone was pretty emotionally heavy, I didn't need any musical cues about how to feel. The other more technical complaint i have is that visually, it was a bit lacking. We see lots of talking heads from different angles, jumping from one person to the next quite rapidly. The occasional break to newspaper article was beyond welcome. There were still pics and such now and then, but not enough to switch it up. More graphic illustrations would have helped.
As for the most important part -- the information -- it could have been more balanced and meatier. I'm not saying the info was not true (definitely not!) but there could have been more statistics and facts to back up the points. For example, there are the shocking numbers on the rise for incarcerations. Great, very effective, but why not simultaneously show the stats for whites, hispanics, etc. Compare the percentages. There were some other moments where I really wanted them to give more information to better paint the time and place, or give a better perspective. I could have done with fewer people 'teaching' me and repeating a lot of the same things.
I would still recommend this movie to just about anyone. It was worthwhile, but just did not deserve all the praise it received as a documentary. 6.5/10
Arrival (2016)
Best Picture? Yeah, Not quite...
No spoilers: Usually when a movie has such an abundance of one star and 10 star reviews, one can safely assume that the movie was fiercely hyped. I advise throwing out all of the 'oh my god! worst/best film ever!' reviews. The truth is this movie had a bunch of pretty big flaws, but still had a compelling story and good production values. Depending on what you like, you will most likely give this movie 4-8 stars, and that is what it deserves. How this film was nominated for an Academy Award is beyond me. (Great to see an SF movie nominated, just wish it had been The Lobster instead.)
This movie is speculative fiction, but the lack of science in this film is devastatingly apparent. There are a couple of other points that seemed very weakly written, but the movie on whole was well crafted. Acting, production values, score, etc. were all solid. The concept of the movie was great, but the plot and script needed work. I personally found the film engaging and was not bored. There is enough here to think about, but so much more could have been done with this film. Personally, I rate it a 6.5/10.
== SPOILER ALERT == So, the big problems as I saw them were in the plot. Once communication was achieved, data is collected and understanding of the language advances without any real reveal on how this was accomplished. We are just supposed to swallow that and move on. OK, maybe, but... it's just too much. As someone interested in linguistics, I want to know more about the possible processes used to communicate with an organism that does not share our cultural objects, our environment, an alphabet, etc. It struck me as odd that a classical linguist would be given this job instead of some scientist who studied other species and non-human communication. Wouldn't a Jane Goodall have had far greater insight into the language of an alien race?
The second big gripe I had was one single line at the end of the film. The linguist hugs her colleague and they realise they want to be together. OK, boring, but fine. Then she says this one line, basically if you knew what would happen in your life ahead of time, would you change anything? Why would she ask this question? It seemed to me that if she had truly 'learned' this alien language and all the philosophy it included, she never would have asked this question. She would have accepted it all, and not asked something so 'Philosophy 101'. She would have known there was no changing anything and that things are only as they are. I'm not a philosopher or a linguist, but I never really bought that she was either.
On the plus side, I thought the 'memory/vision' flashes were cleverly done. We viewed them as dreams or memories when they in fact a glimpse of the future. I felt like they pulled this off quite well, and that twist of the plot was clever. For me, this is where the movie scored extra points, along with the visual communication aspect of the aliens. Just different enough to give the brain some food for thought.
====End Spoilers=======
The fact that this movie was nominated for an award is an insult to SF. I have seen several far, far better pictures in the last few years. I cannot believe that this really viewed as the best one by the Academy. Unfortunately this just shows the politics and sway that factor into the nominations. By all means, watch this film. It was enjoyable and good entertainment. If you want to watch good SF though, give The Lobster a try.
The Interview (2014)
Wasted publicity
I'm struggling to imagine a movie-goer who would actually enjoy this film. I really don't want to insult the future young men of the world by suggesting a twelve-year-old boy would think this film is 'the tits'. No nice way to say it; this film is just rubbish all around. Shame, because who could have asked for better publicity?
Let me first start by saying I had reservations about the very basis of the film. I imagined how I would feel if the film were based on my country and president. I would be really disturbed by that, even if it featured a president I don't like. It's just sort of wrong to make a comedy about killing a real present-day president, regardless of the politics involved. I chose to reserve judgment though. Perhaps it was possible to pull it off. Maybe the North Korean government was just being defensive.
Well, I have to say, the N Korean government has every right to be upset. So do Americans. I won't spoil it, but toward the end is just an absolutely gratuitous use of violence. It's gory, and COMPLETELY unnecessary. I mean, I thought I was watching a comedy. I don't like seeing that kind of graphic violence in a comedy. It's just highly disturbing. Again, I swapped out the presidents and felt incredibly sad. 'This is just sick,' I thought. Some little fantasy for a very violent person.
IF you are not turned off completely by the violence, then perhaps the absolutely sophomoric humour will do it. It just wasn't a very funny film. Not even in parts. I'm not opposed to any kind of humour, it just has to actually be funny. This just felt tired and trying. Additionally, the pacing for the first half was far too slow. I got bored, and I am the type of person who enjoys slow, artsy movies. The acting was tolerable, but Franco's performance was just pitiful. Hammy, over-the-top, and just.... terrible. He was channeling early Jim Carrey and doing a really bad job. Completely unbelievable character, grating and just freaking annoying. Seen "Your Highness"? His performance was like in that, a total joke. I'm starting to think he's not actually very good, or should at least stay away from comedy. Seth Rogen was the only good thing, really, and he wasn't even that good.
All I can say is, I'm sorry, North Korea. That, and I'm glad I didn't pay to see this at the cinema.
Gran Torino (2008)
Disappointing
That sums it up. This is sadly a really straight forward story, with absolutely no surprises. Everything you think will happen does. That is not necessarily a bad thing, if you add amazing cinematography, excellent character development and a poignant script. This movie lacks all of those things. Eastwood has done some fantastic acting, but seems a bit of a caricature here. The other actors leave a lot to be desired. A lot. Bits here and there were funny or touching, but did not add up to much. The progression of the gang story line didn't seem believable. A lot didn't seem believable. I'm sorry, but the nicest thing I can say about this film is that it was disappointing. I think all the people involved are capable of doing much better. I give this movie five stars for trying, but I will never watch it again, and I will probably forget all about it in a month or two.
Added insult: the extras on the DVD. Sexist idiocy about men and their obsession with cars. Remember when extras were actually interesting, instead of just garbage manufactured to market something? sigh.
Bridesmaids (2011)
Worst movie I've seen in a long time
Few movies compel me to write reviews. I am writing this one as a warning. I am not opposed to a romance, but this was such a pathetic attempt, and more about desperation than love. I don't know if this film was supposed to depress me about the current state of marriage, but it did. People spending thousands upon thousands to look good, and thinking everyone should not mind spending a ton on dressing up, on attending or throwing multiple parties and then on at least two gifts. I have a feeling though that I was not supposed to be thinking about all that. Unfortunately the director and writer left me no alternative. What they gave me was an absolutely unbelievable script that was amazingly humourless and painful. ...but not in a good way.
I was hoping for a simple, stupid comedy, but I just got a simple, stupid, depressing, laughable attempt at a movie. The worst part is knowing that so many people out there thought this was a funny and enjoyable movie. jeez, how depressing is that?
Safety Not Guaranteed (2012)
Could have been pretty good.... shame.
Let me preface this review by saying I am a science fiction fan, but did not expect this movie to be science fiction. That is good, as there was no science in it. It was a light-hearted, mildly comedic, mildly dramatic romance. That's fine. Low budget, not-stellar acting? Fine. If it is a science fiction movie, or even just about time travel, I use a sliding scale, as these movies typically are under-funded and not so popular, therefore the director needs to work with a bit less and not completely realise the project. So it seems incredible to me that here we have a decent movie with an interesting script, with an at least average-grade plot and with a surprisingly capable cast, all but the lead female role.
I will never forgive Andy McDowell for her performance in Four Weddings and a Funeral, but I have since watched that movie at least ten times again. Unfortunately, with SNG, I truly will not be able to watch this film again. The main character was just so poorly developed and acted that it just killed the movie for me. When I become aware of an actor's acting, it's over. The whole point of acting is that we are not aware of the acting. A good actor just breathes life into a character and that character becomes a real person. That's why we laugh and cry, love them or hate them. That's what I believe, at least.
The female lead was just not believable. Her actions and expression just did not match her character. It became a sappy, dumb love story because of this. It's a complete shame, because this film, even with the plot holes, the not-so-good audio, etc., etc., could have been a 7-star movie. It just needed some actual heart. Pity. 5/10 stars
Your Highness (2011)
what a waste
I'm bummed. I am a fan of gross out humour and did not think this movie's humour was crude or rude, it just wasn't that funny. The film suffered most from poor direction, lousy editing, mediocre writing and a surprisingly poor performance from Franco. At some point, the director should have stepped in and told him to stop smiling so much and remember to act. It felt like the cast had a really good time making this film, perhaps so much that they forgot about the audience.
On the plus side, the opening credits were good. You could probably stop after that and not miss much. There were a few funny parts and jokes, but they aren't worth the wait. I really am sorry to pan this movie, but I have to.