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Fresh Off the Boat (2015–2020)
10/10
Something Fresh On Television
6 February 2015
"Fresh Off The Boat" is so funny, so smart, and so charming that I enjoyed every minute of the first two episodes. I hope the creative team behind it, and the wonderful actors can maintain this high-level of quality.

Randall Park is terrific as Louis Huang the optimistic - perhaps a bit naive - patriarch of the family that has just moved to Orlando from Washington D.C. Park shows refreshing depth to his complex character by understanding certain realities while maintaining optimism; optimism that he hopes can carry him and his family through some rough adjustments.

Constance Wu is spectacular! She is the most beautiful woman on television. Her character - Jessica Huang - makes sure things get done. She makes changes at the family's restaurant, she makes sure the children study hard, and she makes an effort to get to know the neighbors; all of which is shown in smart and funny ways. As demanding as she can be, her mind is open and she shows great empathy and compassion when it makes sense. Jessica is a well-written character performed brilliantly by Constance Wu.

Their three boys in the show are funny, and smart which is quite refreshing compared to other kid characters on television. The grandmother character is like many grandmothers with a foreign background; she may be equal parts traditionalist and "ready for anything" - she seems to enjoy the oldest boy's taste in music more than anyone else does.

Sometimes a stranger, a newcomer, sees people more clearly than they are willing to see themselves...
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Another Earth (2011)
4/10
Another Earth/Another You - So What
30 July 2011
Warning: Spoilers
Would anyone really want to spend the day with himself/herself if he/she found there was a planet that contained an identical self for each of us? "Uh, remember in 5th grade when I-you-we..." "Yep, I remember, I was there too..." Who cares. Interesting premise, but I think most people would be bored of themselves pretty quickly; even identical twins/triplets/quads aren't that similar. And everyone would always suspect everyone else of playing "switch-a-roo" tricks on others.

The movie asks a lot of questions heavy-handedly, and the audience fills in its' own answers - that's weak writing.

And what is the John Burroughs character going to do on "Earth 2"? Is he going to find his other self with his wife and children, and say, "Uh, I know it's not your fault that a drunk-driving ditsy-ding-bat slaughtered my family on Earth, but, uh, I want to take your place up here on Earth 2 so I can be with my family again...uh..." ?

The acting was a bit stiff throughout, but it wasn't terrible. Brit Marling as "Rhoda Williams" was perfect as a sort of gawky "Olive Oyl" with a pretty face; she played an "outsider" really well. I never felt bad for the "Rhoda Williams" character, but I could not take my eyes off of her either.

It's a very moody, atmospheric film of little consequence.
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