senhor-ron Reviews

Aloft (2014)

Slow... But worth it.

[8/10 · 24 January 2019]

People giving this film a bad review are people who have either no patience or no experience with loss.

There is simply no bad acting. Cillian does what Cillian does best: dark and broody... Wonderful footage, shot with love for the harsh environment and people.

This film is for people who don't mind - or even like - to wait and not having the plot & the solution & the happy ending being presented in the first five minutes.

Take your time, it's worth it.

May God Save Us (2016)

What a flick!

[9/10 · 14 December 2018]

Ok, so...

Here I am, a Dutch guy living in Portugal watching a Spanish movie with English subtitles...

From the start, I am in love with what this movie shows. (In)compatible characters, working together to find out what the hell is going on. Knowing Roberto Álamo from the Fugitiva series I was intrigued by the character.

And yes... It is there. No spoilers, no analysis ... Just watch it.

Papillon (I) (2017)

Why???

[1/10 · 27 November 2018]

Read the book, watch the original movie adaptation and forget about this remake. What is wrong with H'wood? Have they lost the ability to create new, fresh material?

As if there have not been written fantastic books that are just waiting to be turned into movies.

And Rami Malek... What the H is wrong with you? It appears you sold your soul to the dollar bill... I thought you were an actor who played parts with impact - important stories to tell. Do you even remember Mr. Robot or Short Term 12?

This movie, together with the badly told Queen story, proves you have become part of the problem and not of the solution.

What a waste of time!

Cam (2018)

Makes no sense...

[2/10 · 27 November 2018]

28 Minutes in and I'm wondering why I'm still watching. Must be because I have a plate with nice food in front of me.

Seriously: this story has potential, but it's like the people telling the story are not sure about what they actually have to say. I think that in order to keep on watching, one either has to be a (porn)cam watching pervert or bored close to death already.

At 38 minutes I pull the plug. This narrative goes beyond stupid. Anyone who know the tiniest bit about hacking, phreaking and identity theft must be pissing their pants by now.

What a waste...

The one and only plus? The main character looks hot, but that depends on taste so you may disagree .... Just forget it.

Private Life (2018)

One big yawn...

[2/10 · 23 November 2018]

I really wanted to like this movie, even though I know that Americans don't really understand the comedy drama kind of thing.

But... A nice cast, so... hmmmm... Let's try.

And then it all gets blurry, because ten minutes into the movie I sense that I am falling asleep due to a lack of tension, a lack of engagement from Paul Giamatti.

Apart from the story-line (people who are not destined to have children, still wanting children and are prepared to do (almost) anything to have them) which I find pretty annoying. (Just accept that you can not have children and move on, please... there are bigger problems in the world that needs to be solved), there is this 'oh, this is a funny, yet deep sense to this movie´ that is trying to shoved down the viewer's throat. And that - together with not being capable of staying awake - is what does it for me.

Hollywood: please start taking the audience serious. We are not stupid. No matter how hard you try to numb us down...

Bodyguard (2018)

Trying, trying, but no success...

[2/10 · 23 November 2018]

I have to admit, I had my reserves when I started to what this series.

It starts of really nice. And then - episode after episode - things go down the drain really fast. It would be wonderful if someone would create a series where the people in charge are NOT being portrayed as total idiots.

It would be nice if the character being the actual traitor would NOT be so bloody obvious. The series feels like they are trying to copy some really great Scandinavian series, but fail rather dismally.

In short: Bodyguard is an insult to the viewer. It is an insult to anyone involved in protective services and/or anti-terrorist work.

Forget it, just forget it.

Don't Watch This (2018)

3 stars for the effort...

[3/10 · 7 November 2018]

These shorts could have been so good.

If only, the acting would have been above the level it actually is. One episode has a voice-over that lacks just about everything a voice-over should have. The first episode made me smile. Even though its childish, simplistic and very - and I mean VERY - predictable ending. After that it only got worse.

Don't watch this.

No better advice than that. It's a complete wast of time.

Hold the Dark (2018)

Almost a complete waste of time

[2/10 · 8 October 2018]

One of those movies that could have been good.

The music is good, the ambience is good. The acting is not bad. Jeffrey Wright does what he does best; he basically plays the same silent kind of character as he plays in Westworld, nothing spectacular. Alexander Skarsgård shows what he usually shows, brooding look without a lot of dialogue and 'unexpected´ violence.

If only the editors and producers had understood that not everybody who is watching it, read the book. Apparently the book explains what the hell is going on and why. Which is something the movie fails to do. As if parts of the movie have been left out to make it a bit shorter. Unfortunately those parts are the parts that give meaning to the story.

Story?

Why is 'Wolf Man´ called to the scene? At the end of the movie, I still have no clue. Why shoot all the cops? Absolutely no idea.

Basically, nothing that happens in the movie makes any sense. If you like that kind of stuff, I suggest you watch it. If you like more substance, skip this horrible edit and watch a Terry Gilliam.

The Sinner (2017–2021)

Season 2

[9/10 · 7 October 2018]

It's funny.

Many people seem to have an issue with the second series. "It's too slow. Nothing happens. The team does not know where to go."

For me, these negative reviews tell me more about the reviewers than about the series. So what if a series is slow? Don't you have any patience? Do you really want artificial action and GoT tension in every minute of every episode? Have you ever read a book???

Yes! The series starts of slow with the viewer seemingly knowing everything there is to know. And then it slowly unwinds, throwing us of balance every time we think we know what is - and was - going on.

Some actors do a great job, some do a bit less than that. Just like in any other series or movie. That is just the way it is.

The viewer has to want to watch the series. What the hell is wrong with that?

Age of Kill (2015)

Not worth the time

[2/10 · 15 June 2015]

Already during the first few minutes, I was having doubts.

A man gets followed by a team of what_you_might_call_them; apparently they have all the resources but need someone with a microphone to be close to the target to be able to listen in on his telephone conversation. The man runs and gets shot by our sniper, which makes no sense at all.

From that moment on the movie gets worse and worse. Skipping through some bad acting, over-acting and several continuity errors - the fighting scene on the staircase is laughable at best - we get annoyed by a lead investigator who needs some acting classes.

And then... about thirty minutes into the movie, for me it all ends.

Our hit-man is driving a black car for which The Bad Guy provided him the key, but police check the license and find the car is in The Hero's name...

Just forget about this movie - it never happened.

Dexter (2006–2013)

Oh well, it's a TV series, right?

[7/10 · 18 August 2013]

So, after the hype went away, I decided to watch the Dexter Series and write some sort of review...

The pluses:

As a concept, the story is intriguing. A serial killer following a code that most people will consider to be an OK one... Killing only bad people and only if the killer can find enough proof.

The serial killer working for a homicide squad, having access to every bit of information.

The serial killer trying to stay ahead of his colleagues while chasing the same culprit.

The minuses:

Too many visual and continuity errors - let's face it, corpses do not swallow and they don't move their eyes either.

Dexter's girlfriend, later his wife... If ever there was a character with a terrible voice it must be her. Her stupidity is beyond believe.

Dexter's sister, with her neurotic drama queen behavior... I wonder if anyone having such mental issues would ever be on a police force and survive.

Too many clichés, like police officers understanding and their superiors being stupid.

The horrible music between the scenes - especially in the first series - , too loud and it serves no purpose.

Conclusion:

This series must have been written in a hurry or with the intention to make the audience feel smart. I read comments from people that love the twists in the plot; seriously, how predictable can it all be?

Triangle (2009)

A real time waster if ever there was one...

[4/10 · 4 June 2013]

This is one of those movies, that I started skipping through...

An intriguing circular storyline, with a plot that could have been so good. If only...

If only the acting would have been nice or at least OK. Panic attacks that don't look like panic attacks... Dialogs that never touch the subject that one should touch when confronted with a situation like the folks in this movie.

The main reason I kept watching - while doing something else - was that I wanted to know the final solution being thrown upon the audience. An audience of which the director obviously thinks it consists of idiots...

Of course a strong storyline with a few twists can be enough..

Sure, the ending gives some clue as to what has happened, but without explaining and that is a good thing. Stories like these should not have a proper explanation. The mystery should remain...

But really, I think that most men watching this forgettable flick do it because of Melissa George. Let's be honest about it, OK? A woman who in every scene appears to start giving a blow-job is fun to watch.

A Single Man (2009)

Good story line, great acting, but...

[7/10 · 8 February 2013]

From the moment the movie started I was truly captivated. The haunting musical score, the beautiful cinematic and the way the viewer gets drawn into the story.

This is one of those movies that actually makes you think about aspects of life, we usually take for granted. Especially those of us who are not homosexual beings. How can we ever understand what it must feel like to be invisible and never be able to live our lives to the max, out in the open because society simply just does not allow it?

Why then, do I only give 7 stars out of 10?

Continuity, for one! There is one continuity error that is so obvious that for a moment I wondered if it was done on purpose. It is not that it breaks the movie, but is sure kicked me out the feel...

Also, I think the characters could have been more developed, but I am also not really decided on that...

Overall, wonderful movie that left me thinking about my own life...