I have never before seen such a powerful piece of documentary filmmaking. To say that "The White Helmets" moved me is truly an understatement. I had to watch it in two sittings. While watching the first half, I became so overwhelmed with emotions that I had to turn it off. It was the mix of emotions that did me in. Anger. Sadness. Frustration. Hopelessness. But also hope. And love. And patience. And strength. As I said: it was all just too much. Each emotion was stronger and more powerful than the one that came before it. Listening to the stories of the men who have dedicated their very lives to the mission of the White Helmets tore me up. Watching the video clips of bombings was an assault on my mind. Watching the video clips of them rescuing people, particularly the "miracle baby", was a downright shock to my system. I did not make it through either half of the viewings without many tears. This documentary is a must-see for the whole world.
Reviews
41 Reviews
The White Helmets
(2016)
Such a difficult and necessary piece of documentary brilliance
12 April 2024
Ripley
(2024)
Death by a thousand dull moments
11 April 2024
This production is, in a word, dull. Just so dull. I do not like to use the word "boring" to criticize films, because I do not want to give the impression that I need movies to thrill me with scene after scene of snappy dialogue or car chases or shocking twists. But please, let's not let our film be dull. The production suffers from major missteps on several levels. First, the casting of Ripley is wrong. Let me say that Andrew Scott is one of The Most Brilliant Actors working in cinema and on stage today, but he is just (I think) too old for this part. Isn't Tom Ripley supposed to a contemporary of Dickie Greenleaf? (I haven't read the books, but I have always had the impression that they were close to each other in age.) His Ripley is so restrained. So grave. Which leads me to the next issue: the pacing of the film is so slow, it's downright lethargic. This wouldn't be a problem if there were any kind of energy or chemistry between the main characters, any kind of crackle to their interactions. But there just isn't. For someone who looks with such envious eyes on the privileged world that Greenleaf inhabits, Ripley does not seem to possess any refinement or worldly intelligence. His tastes are gauche. For me, this makes it a stretch to see him pulling off his schemes, petty though many of them are. The cinematography, though crisp and beautiful in black and white, adds to the rather sterile and soulless feel of the production. The one element of direction that I did find somewhat compelling was the use of gazes. Ripley gazing at Dickie's ring, for example. The postman looking at Ripley after he has asked an indiscreet question. Marge noticing Ripley covet Dickie's ring. Then there's the cat. (ha) I made it through the first three episodes, and I just don't care to continue.
Resident Alien
(2021– )
Alan Tudyk is great, the rest ... not so much
7 March 2024
First things first: Alan Tudyk is great as the alien hiding in plain sight. He makes the show. The lines and situations written for him work because he is so good. The rest of the townspeople, on the other hand, are just your standard B-grade sitcom types. There is absolutely nothing special or interesting there. I get that the creators of the show were trying to get a Northern Exposure vibe going, but they don't succeed. The sheriff is downright horrible (and by that, I mean both the character and the actor). Truly horrible. I cringe whenever he comes on, and then I fast-forward until I cannot see his face. The two federal military officers (or agents?) are also pretty bad. Bad lines, bad acting. Just bad. The only other character that is interesting is the boy (Max) who can see the alien in his true form. He and his storyline are actually interesting and add a different element that the show desperately needs. After all these years of television, you'd think that a team of writers could steer clear of the stupid crap and give us a well-rounded show.
The Parallax View
(1974)
Excellent conspiracy film
11 February 2024
The first fifteen minutes (or so) of the film are a tad awkward in terms of pacing and dialogue. Rather typical of cinema of the 70s, unfortunately. But aside from that, and a couple other slightly awkward or odd scenes, it was an excellent movie. Top-notch conspiracy plot.
Beatty is excellent in his role. Supporting cast were good, too.
At the time, i suspect that this film caused quite a stir among the moviegoers. I suspect it came across as rather chilling. Today, of course (a full 50 years later), conspiracy ideas are everywhere. And they get quite kooky.
This film makes everything believable.
Beatty is excellent in his role. Supporting cast were good, too.
At the time, i suspect that this film caused quite a stir among the moviegoers. I suspect it came across as rather chilling. Today, of course (a full 50 years later), conspiracy ideas are everywhere. And they get quite kooky.
This film makes everything believable.
Project Runway All Stars
(2012– )
Poor 1st, 2nd seasons grow into better seasons
1 February 2024
(My review addresses the different seasons separately.)
Let's start with the element that for me is the worst part of the first season: the hostess, Angela Lindvall. How on earth did she get herself cast in this role? She has no flair, no vivacity, no life. She is a big fake-sounding dud. (It is January 2024, and I am just getting round to watching this 1st season. I am very happy to report that she was only the hostess for the first season.) The next element that I found quite cringe-inducing was the mentorship of Joanna Coles, the editor-in-chief of Marie Claire magazine. I had seen her in some guest appearances on the original Project Runway, and I always liked her. She seemed quite savvy, rather no-nonsense, and spoke both candidly and kindly to the contestants. But here on All Stars, she seems to be following some awful directive from the producers to drum up drama and anxiety among the contestants. "So, who are you sizing up among the other designers? Who do you see as your competition?" What the hell kind of question is that?! (She asked that question of Rami in Episode 2 of the 1st season.) And she did essentially the same thing to Austin Scarlett. Tim Gunn is incomparable in this role: he spoke to the designers as intelligent people and he always kept his focus on their designs. Christian Siriano has also made a good mentor, though I think that he tends to hover around the workroom too much and harangues the designers about what they are or are not doing. Anyway - I have found myself fast-forwarding through the workroom scenes in All Stars and just skipping right to the runway show. I love the creativity of the designers and their amazing end products. (Well, many of them.)
(Update)
I have just finished watching Season 6, and I am happy to see that changes were made to the show. First, I actually thought that Alyssa Milano was a fine choice as the host of the show. As an actress, she has a nice stage presence. Also, she seems genuinely nice. You need that in someone who is going to be axing contestants at the end of each episode. The next GREAT thing about the later seasons is the addition of Anne Fulenwider as the mentor. SHE IS WONDERFUL !!! She is a no-nonsense mentor. She has a singularly keen eye for good fashion, and she is also very kind in her candor. I love her as the mentor. She gives excellent feedback. So, all in all, I am happy with the show.
The Hateful Eight
(2015)
What an utterly unengaging slog
15 January 2024
When I first read the synopsis for this film, my first thought was: "Okay. But what's it about exactly?" I knew that Tarantino directed, so I thought I'd give it a chance considering that I have liked his previous work. This film, though, was quite a long uninteresting slog of a film. I forced myself to watch the first half, then I just skip-forwarded through the rest of the film, stopping here and there to listen to dialogue for a moment before pressing on. I could tell that I was not missing a damn thing. The cinematography in the snowy landscape was quite nice, though. So there's that. But if you don't actually need a story to make much sense, then this film might be for you!
Cold Pursuit
(2019)
The trailer did NOT do this movie justice!
3 December 2023
When you see that Liam Neeson has made another revenge movie, you think to yourself that you already know this film already. Right? Because it's always formula formula formula. Not much variation in the scripts except for, maybe, the location and the names. If you let that prejudice keep you from seeing this film, then that would be a terrible shame. Because this film was actually quite good. For a revenge film, it was surprisingly nuanced. There was the serious theme, of course: the son of the main character is murdered. And the main character (Leeson), sets out to exact justice. Along the way, there is genuine humour. Quite unexpectedly, but there it is. There is also something else. I can't quite put my finger on it. This movie was inclusive and validating of certain people. And I appreciated that. In short: I recommend this film.
Dune
(2021)
A brilliantly executed film - ticks all the boxes
9 October 2023
This adaptation of Frank Herbert's masterpiece novel Dune is nothing short of cinematic brilliance. This is elevated cinema. It ticks all the boxes.
Villeneuve's outstanding direction, coupled with the stellar script, pace the film perfectly. The action follows the novel very faithfully, which is very important as it allows the moviegoer to immerse themself gradually into the world, absorbing not only the moving sensual experiences but the new vocabulary as well. Atreides. Harkonnen. Caladan. Arrakis. Spice. Lisan al-Gaïb. Crysknife.
In terms of the senses, the film is a feast. Not only are we served breathtaking panoramas of the earth-water world of Caladan but also of the sand-ocean world of Arrakis. While we are busy delighting in the aesthetic choices made for wardrobe (Lady Jessica's gown, for example, when they land on Arrakis is a vision of rusty, flowing elegance amid the army of drab Atreides soldiers and ships) and sets (the blending of Japanesque clothing styles with Arabesque repeating patterns in the wrought iron window grillwork), our ears are being assailed by a truly moving sound track. The ambient music frequently includes ultra-low bass sounds that will for me forever be synonymous with the arrival of space armadas.
Each role was cast perfectly. Timothée Chalamet was born to play Paul Atreides. Rebecca Ferguson as Lady Jessica is the perfect blend of beauty, duty, and discipline. Oscar Isaac as the doomed Duke Leto is outstanding, a terrific blend of strength, love, determination. Stellan Skarsgård is delightfully horrific as the Baron Harkonnen, himself a study in powerful corpulence, which grounds the character and keeps him from being a mere charicature.
Every aspect of this film was clearly planned, clearly thought out.
In my view, there was one very small omission in the script (i.e. Something left out of the novel). In the film, the point is not made that the Duke and Lady Jessica had been grooming Paul from the moment of his birth not only to be a great future Duke, but also to be a Mentat. Mentats are essentially super-computing geniuses. (In the film, they are the advisors whose eyes gloss to white while they are performing their super-computations.) A Mentat-Duke would be a very formidable player in the Imperial game. Of course, it is mentioned that Jessica bore a son because she was hoping he might be the Kwisatz Haderach. But the idea of him having Mentat abilities was an important bridge (in the novel) between Paul's obvious high intelligence and his later spice-induced mystical abilities.
All in all, a tremendous film. I've watched it twice and plan to watch it again.
Villeneuve's outstanding direction, coupled with the stellar script, pace the film perfectly. The action follows the novel very faithfully, which is very important as it allows the moviegoer to immerse themself gradually into the world, absorbing not only the moving sensual experiences but the new vocabulary as well. Atreides. Harkonnen. Caladan. Arrakis. Spice. Lisan al-Gaïb. Crysknife.
In terms of the senses, the film is a feast. Not only are we served breathtaking panoramas of the earth-water world of Caladan but also of the sand-ocean world of Arrakis. While we are busy delighting in the aesthetic choices made for wardrobe (Lady Jessica's gown, for example, when they land on Arrakis is a vision of rusty, flowing elegance amid the army of drab Atreides soldiers and ships) and sets (the blending of Japanesque clothing styles with Arabesque repeating patterns in the wrought iron window grillwork), our ears are being assailed by a truly moving sound track. The ambient music frequently includes ultra-low bass sounds that will for me forever be synonymous with the arrival of space armadas.
Each role was cast perfectly. Timothée Chalamet was born to play Paul Atreides. Rebecca Ferguson as Lady Jessica is the perfect blend of beauty, duty, and discipline. Oscar Isaac as the doomed Duke Leto is outstanding, a terrific blend of strength, love, determination. Stellan Skarsgård is delightfully horrific as the Baron Harkonnen, himself a study in powerful corpulence, which grounds the character and keeps him from being a mere charicature.
Every aspect of this film was clearly planned, clearly thought out.
In my view, there was one very small omission in the script (i.e. Something left out of the novel). In the film, the point is not made that the Duke and Lady Jessica had been grooming Paul from the moment of his birth not only to be a great future Duke, but also to be a Mentat. Mentats are essentially super-computing geniuses. (In the film, they are the advisors whose eyes gloss to white while they are performing their super-computations.) A Mentat-Duke would be a very formidable player in the Imperial game. Of course, it is mentioned that Jessica bore a son because she was hoping he might be the Kwisatz Haderach. But the idea of him having Mentat abilities was an important bridge (in the novel) between Paul's obvious high intelligence and his later spice-induced mystical abilities.
All in all, a tremendous film. I've watched it twice and plan to watch it again.
The best of the Fantastic Beasts films but still not quite there
6 October 2023
This is easily the best of the three 'Fantastic Beasts' films thus far. I gave 5 stars to 'And Where To Find Them', 6 stars to 'The Crimes of Grindelwald', and I have given 7 stars to this latest installment.
If I were a child, I suspect that I would like the first film much more. Whether a film has a well-developed plot doesn't really matter to a child. What matters is funny action and silly elements, and the film has lots of silly elements. Like the kleptomaniac platypus with an eye for shiny bling, or the horny rhinoceros-like creature that has to be rounded up in Central Park. There were so many pieces flying around in the first film, it never felt cohesive. And the silly elements kept it from feeling like a mature film.
This third film does have humour, which I liked, but it doesn't dip into so much wacky silliness, or make it the focus of many scenes. We still have the kleptomaniac platypus but his contributions are actually important to a particular scene. And thankfully we still have Newt Scamander, whose disarming charm and clear love for all creatures is a great beacon in the film. The humour that he injects into the films is actually central to the moments in the film where we encounter it. It's the whole juxtoposition of his serious, bookish nature with his funny unexpected actions that makes the humour work so well.
In terms of plot along, "Secrets of Dumbledore" was certainly laid out better than the other two, and it progressed more like a serious movie would. I felt that it was definitely a more mature film.
And yet, there is still something missing. The fact is, we are not seeing a lot of depth here, not in the characters, and not in the plot points. The plot is largely just a string of actions with a minimal amount of emotion thrown in.
We get to see Newt do his thing, but so many of the gags of the situations into which he gets thrown keep drawing focus. The same goes for Kowalski, the muggle baker. I understand that his presence in the film has to do with Queenie, the mind-reader. But he adds very little to the film.
And then there was Lally. I could never tell whether she was supposed to be American or British. Her accent wavered around so much. And the actress who played her overacted everytime she was on screen. The first scene in which we encounter her was so ... superfluous. What was the point of the whole thing? The writing in that scene, coupled with her terrible acting, really set a terrible note right at the beginning.
I hope that there is a fourth installment, and that they finally learn their lessons about how to craft an interesting, compelling story with depth and great characters who are actually needed to propel the plot.
If I were a child, I suspect that I would like the first film much more. Whether a film has a well-developed plot doesn't really matter to a child. What matters is funny action and silly elements, and the film has lots of silly elements. Like the kleptomaniac platypus with an eye for shiny bling, or the horny rhinoceros-like creature that has to be rounded up in Central Park. There were so many pieces flying around in the first film, it never felt cohesive. And the silly elements kept it from feeling like a mature film.
This third film does have humour, which I liked, but it doesn't dip into so much wacky silliness, or make it the focus of many scenes. We still have the kleptomaniac platypus but his contributions are actually important to a particular scene. And thankfully we still have Newt Scamander, whose disarming charm and clear love for all creatures is a great beacon in the film. The humour that he injects into the films is actually central to the moments in the film where we encounter it. It's the whole juxtoposition of his serious, bookish nature with his funny unexpected actions that makes the humour work so well.
In terms of plot along, "Secrets of Dumbledore" was certainly laid out better than the other two, and it progressed more like a serious movie would. I felt that it was definitely a more mature film.
And yet, there is still something missing. The fact is, we are not seeing a lot of depth here, not in the characters, and not in the plot points. The plot is largely just a string of actions with a minimal amount of emotion thrown in.
We get to see Newt do his thing, but so many of the gags of the situations into which he gets thrown keep drawing focus. The same goes for Kowalski, the muggle baker. I understand that his presence in the film has to do with Queenie, the mind-reader. But he adds very little to the film.
And then there was Lally. I could never tell whether she was supposed to be American or British. Her accent wavered around so much. And the actress who played her overacted everytime she was on screen. The first scene in which we encounter her was so ... superfluous. What was the point of the whole thing? The writing in that scene, coupled with her terrible acting, really set a terrible note right at the beginning.
I hope that there is a fourth installment, and that they finally learn their lessons about how to craft an interesting, compelling story with depth and great characters who are actually needed to propel the plot.
Psychokinesis
(2018)
Serious themes wrapped in (mostly) comic plot
20 May 2023
I cannot understand how this truly outstanding film (as of May 2023) can have only 5.9 stars. This is such a wonderfully crafted and entertaining ride!! I recommend it highly.
The filmmakers have managed to pull off quite a cinematic feat: they have taken some very serious themes (deadbeat father, police violence, poverty, corruption, corporate greed) and wrapped them in a mostly comic plot. I say "mostly" because these same serious themes also require a certain number of scenes that depict an upsetting vision of violence and sadness. You definitely feel the frustration and anger of the people being evicted.
The main character (Seok-heon, a security guard and father) is a terrific blend of types: the not-too-bright and relatively lazy underachiever who is looking for shortcuts to get ahead. But he has a good heart that just requires the right set of circumstances to make it beat harder.
As I said, this film was very entertaining. Not a dull moment from start to finish. I recommend it highly!
P. S. Why on earth does everyone keep mentioning "Train To Busan" in their reviews?!?! They aren't even remotely similar films. Who cares that they are from the same director. "Busan" was a zombie film that leans toward horror. "Psychokinesis" is a slightly dark comic film that is essentially an examination of Korean society. It is utterly moronic to compare them.
The filmmakers have managed to pull off quite a cinematic feat: they have taken some very serious themes (deadbeat father, police violence, poverty, corruption, corporate greed) and wrapped them in a mostly comic plot. I say "mostly" because these same serious themes also require a certain number of scenes that depict an upsetting vision of violence and sadness. You definitely feel the frustration and anger of the people being evicted.
The main character (Seok-heon, a security guard and father) is a terrific blend of types: the not-too-bright and relatively lazy underachiever who is looking for shortcuts to get ahead. But he has a good heart that just requires the right set of circumstances to make it beat harder.
As I said, this film was very entertaining. Not a dull moment from start to finish. I recommend it highly!
P. S. Why on earth does everyone keep mentioning "Train To Busan" in their reviews?!?! They aren't even remotely similar films. Who cares that they are from the same director. "Busan" was a zombie film that leans toward horror. "Psychokinesis" is a slightly dark comic film that is essentially an examination of Korean society. It is utterly moronic to compare them.
A return to a coherent and engaging storyline
13 April 2023
I understand that the writers of this season had a vision in mind and that they had to introduce various elements of this new storyline together in order to bring us to the action of this episode. But. There was surely a much more skillful and artistic and coherent way to have accomplished that. This episide finally returns us to the feel of the Star Wars universe and to the energized feel that the first two seasons held. Glad to see it. I do have one question to throw out there: why would a people try to settle a planet that is so full of gigantic creatures that want to kill and devour them? Eh?
The Night Agent
(2023– )
Good lead actor cannot save this show
9 April 2023
I understand that this is just a show (on Netflix) and not a big blockbuster with a big budget that could afford a crackpot team of experienced and intelligent writers. But still. You'd think that they could have cooked up a better script than this. The lines that they have some of the characters say just make me cringe. For example, when Rose (Luciane Buchanan) learns that her aunt and uncle have been killed (which she witnessed, by the way), her response is, "No. Everyone loved them." And this line is not delivered as one might expect: with great anguish or tears or anger. No. She just says it rather woodenly. When the agent (Gabriel Basso) is attacked by a pair of conspiracy-addled morons, their lines and their acting are just so cringe-worthy. Then there is the very obvious attempt by the writers to craft a situation where the Handsome Agent (and yes, he's very handsome and hunky) gets put in very close situations with a pretty female, the woman that he is supposed to protect. This just smacks of cliché to me. We see it over and over and over. In fact, after just one episide, I feel that I have already seen this show and I don't want to watch the rest of it.
The Mandalorian
(2019– )
The great start has fizzled
9 April 2023
Season 1 of 'The Mandalorian' was great. It introduced us to this enigmatic and interesting new character and roped us into the dilemma of his situation: take the money and keep a low profile or save the little creature. The episodes were interesting and gripping and I enjoyed them immensely.
Season 2 continued with an equal sense of urgency and intensity, and I was right there with Din Djarin. Gotta save the kid and get him to the Jedis so they can train him.
So you can imagine my great disappointment when Season 3 starts with absolutely none of the energy or sense of urgency that the first two seasons held. In fact, it seems like a completely different show. It does not feel like it picked up from where Season 2 left off. The feel of the whole show is different, and not in a good way. The writing is just bad. The dialogue is not logical. The storylines are just plain idiotic. And the episodes are very disjointed, jumping around from this story point to another with no sense of connection. And now I don't give a d@mn about what happens either to Din Djarin or to Grogu. The collective creators of this show (the producers, the directors, the writers) have effectively killed what was a very promising show.
Season 2 continued with an equal sense of urgency and intensity, and I was right there with Din Djarin. Gotta save the kid and get him to the Jedis so they can train him.
So you can imagine my great disappointment when Season 3 starts with absolutely none of the energy or sense of urgency that the first two seasons held. In fact, it seems like a completely different show. It does not feel like it picked up from where Season 2 left off. The feel of the whole show is different, and not in a good way. The writing is just bad. The dialogue is not logical. The storylines are just plain idiotic. And the episodes are very disjointed, jumping around from this story point to another with no sense of connection. And now I don't give a d@mn about what happens either to Din Djarin or to Grogu. The collective creators of this show (the producers, the directors, the writers) have effectively killed what was a very promising show.
The Bourne Legacy
(2012)
Positively gripping
8 April 2023
About 40 minutes into the film, i happened to look at the time elapsed and thought, "Only 40 minutes have gone by?!" They had packed so much action and information into those 40 minutes, it almost felt like a complete movie. From the start, i was invested. They made Aaron (Jeremy Renner) likable right from the beginning. And very relatable. The way he came to be this super-charged agent could have been any army grunt. Could be any person. The way that the filmmakers shifted between the three worlds also made for compelling storytelling: from Aaron to the Washington Stringpullers to what was happening with Bourne (off-screen, in the news feeds). Outstanding film. All actors were fantastic. Direction was fantastic. Script was gripping and entertaining.
John Wick: Chapter 4
(2023)
Ultimately disappointing
2 April 2023
The ending of 'John Wick: Parabellum' (a.k.a. Chapter 3) promised a few important things. And it is pretty clear that the makers of Chapter 4 have not delivered on those promises.
First, we saw no real plan from John Wick or Winston or The Bowery King (Lawrence Fishburn) to take on The High Table or The Elder. A couple characters (Winston being one of them) actually point this out, and John Wick's only answer is, "I'm going to kill them." But that doesn't solve his problem: the High Table isn't just going to stop.
Second, i was IMMENSELY disappointed that Lawrence Fishburn did not have a more central role in this chapter. The ending of Chapter 3 suggested that this vendetta and war against the High Table was as much his as it was John Wick's. It would certainly have made for a far more interesting plot to have the Bowery King's forces join with his royal counterpart in Paris or Berlin or Osaka or wherever in order to fight The High Table.
And lastly, the fight scenes were quite ... well, boring. Just the same shoot-shoot-shoot, thrust, stab, flip enemy over shoulder, shoot or stab until dead. Then repeat ad nauseum.
Also, John Wick is not a superhero with mutant superpowers. When he falls 30 feet and lands hard on his midsection, he should be hurt. Badly. Or even be dead. His ability to keep getting up and never get get hit by a bullet just seemed contrived and sloppy.
I had hoped for a bigger and cleverer send-off for this story.
First, we saw no real plan from John Wick or Winston or The Bowery King (Lawrence Fishburn) to take on The High Table or The Elder. A couple characters (Winston being one of them) actually point this out, and John Wick's only answer is, "I'm going to kill them." But that doesn't solve his problem: the High Table isn't just going to stop.
Second, i was IMMENSELY disappointed that Lawrence Fishburn did not have a more central role in this chapter. The ending of Chapter 3 suggested that this vendetta and war against the High Table was as much his as it was John Wick's. It would certainly have made for a far more interesting plot to have the Bowery King's forces join with his royal counterpart in Paris or Berlin or Osaka or wherever in order to fight The High Table.
And lastly, the fight scenes were quite ... well, boring. Just the same shoot-shoot-shoot, thrust, stab, flip enemy over shoulder, shoot or stab until dead. Then repeat ad nauseum.
Also, John Wick is not a superhero with mutant superpowers. When he falls 30 feet and lands hard on his midsection, he should be hurt. Badly. Or even be dead. His ability to keep getting up and never get get hit by a bullet just seemed contrived and sloppy.
I had hoped for a bigger and cleverer send-off for this story.
Tangled
(2010)
Very entertaining movie with genuine humour and great songs
26 January 2023
I am a 55-year-old man and I love animated films. There. I said it. I have avoided this film since it came out in 2010 (and it's 2023 now), because I thought that it looked cutesie and hokey. Based on the recommendations of a few acquaintainces recently, though, I decided to give it a go. What a film!! Yes, it is a re-telling of the Rapunzel story but with its own flavour, so to speak. And it was genuinely funny!! Also, the songs were actually good! I usually hate singing in animated films, and sometimes Disney films can have the sappiest, schlockiest songs. But these were wonderful. The song "Mother Knows Best" is a combination of great lyrics, great singing, and great emoting on the part of the actress/vocalist who performed it. The song in the Cuddly Duckling was GREAT. And the duet between Rapunzel and Flynn/Eugene was quite touching and lovely. So yes, you should watch this film. Right now.
Andor
(2022– )
Superbly crafted series with a compelling story
11 November 2022
This series is exceptional on all counts. The perfectly selected cast, the high production values, the keen feel for directing ... they all work in perfect harmony here. The script and the pacing of the action are outstanding. I wouldn't change a thing. It is very difficult for a series to "get it right" early in its first season, but this show manages it. I was engaged by the end of the first episode. By the end of the second episode, I was invested. And by the end of the third episode, I was hooked. I have been waiting for this calibre of Star Wars-themed show for a very long time. ('Obi-wan Kenobi' is also very good and I enjoy 'The Mandalorian', though I am not sure where Season 3 can take us.) Each episode does a fantastic job of balancing storylines.
I just finished Episode 9 (Season 1), and each week the tension just seems to get ratcheted up! Superb writing. Great character development. Outstanding pacing.
I just finished Episode 9 (Season 1), and each week the tension just seems to get ratcheted up! Superb writing. Great character development. Outstanding pacing.
Misfit episode
12 August 2022
I can see that the essence of this episode is very needed in the overall arc of this first season. We have to see how John's vision of a new world would ultimately crash and burn and would lead to the destruction of humankind.
But ... the way that the episode is structured and paced is just too boring for me. After about 15 minutes, my patience was at an end. I just skipped through remainder of the episode until the final bits.
I think that this plot issue (i.e. John's plan and his emergence as a foe of Morpheus) would have played out better if they had written it over three or four episodes. We could see John walking through the city and making wishes come true, and then we would see the bloody aftermath.
But ... the way that the episode is structured and paced is just too boring for me. After about 15 minutes, my patience was at an end. I just skipped through remainder of the episode until the final bits.
I think that this plot issue (i.e. John's plan and his emergence as a foe of Morpheus) would have played out better if they had written it over three or four episodes. We could see John walking through the city and making wishes come true, and then we would see the bloody aftermath.
Uncharted
(2022)
Ugh - such bad writing
6 August 2022
I am 14 minutes into the film, and I already feel compelled to write this review. I need to consult my thesaurus for adjectives to help describe just how amateurish, insipid, and just plain bad the writing is.
The pacing of the script is awful and makes the story come across as completely unbelievable. Some supposedly big-time treasure hunter / thief (Wahlberg) is just going to recruit some bartender / thief (Holland) to join up on his treasure hunt without vetting him thoroughly? I don't think so. Who cares if he's the brother of someone that you knew.
The pacing of the script is awful and makes the story come across as completely unbelievable. Some supposedly big-time treasure hunter / thief (Wahlberg) is just going to recruit some bartender / thief (Holland) to join up on his treasure hunt without vetting him thoroughly? I don't think so. Who cares if he's the brother of someone that you knew.
Hap and Leonard
(2016–2018)
Interesting story, amateurish writing
5 August 2022
The premise is quite engaging. Sadly, the writing of the script was not. The characters are not particularly three-dimensional, and the dialogue comes across rather amateurish.
James Purefoy needs some acting lessons. His portrayal is lacklustre. Michael Kenneth is much more engaging but his scowly, grumpy routine ends up sounding like one note.
Thankfully, the show gets a much-needed shot in the arm in Episode 4 (Season 1). The action itself propels the story. The two psycho villains are over-the-top in their villainy, which again speaks of amateurish writing.
James Purefoy needs some acting lessons. His portrayal is lacklustre. Michael Kenneth is much more engaging but his scowly, grumpy routine ends up sounding like one note.
Thankfully, the show gets a much-needed shot in the arm in Episode 4 (Season 1). The action itself propels the story. The two psycho villains are over-the-top in their villainy, which again speaks of amateurish writing.
Rampage
(2018)
Coulda been so much better ...
19 July 2022
... if they had not written the two Wydens characters as such over-the-top comic book bad guys. The male Wyden was particularly unbelievable. How does someone with that level of fratboy stupidity secure a position of importance in such a company?
There are other issues with the film, too, of course.
Are we to believe tha this company was able to create a space station? How did they get there? They had their own space shuttles, too?
And there was no oversight of any kind over their labs on Earth?
The premise is prety rock-bottom stupid.
There are other issues with the film, too, of course.
Are we to believe tha this company was able to create a space station? How did they get there? They had their own space shuttles, too?
And there was no oversight of any kind over their labs on Earth?
The premise is prety rock-bottom stupid.
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story
(2016)
hands down, the best Star Wars movie
14 July 2022
This is, without a doubt, the best film in the entire Star Wars oeuvre. In fact, I would count it among the top 10 best science fiction films ever made. The script is perfection. Such an ingenious idea: to explain how such a weakness could have been included in such a colossal weapon as the Death Star. The direction is quite deft. So many wonderful details, all kept in perfect balance. The casting was also wonderful. So refreshing not to have any big-name egos in key roles. The actors chosen were perfect for their parts. Yeah - I really liked this film. Can you tell?! (ha)
The Boys
(2019– )
A singularly fantastic ride of a show!
1 July 2022
Absolutely everything about this show (writing, directing, pacing, acting, casting) are simply amazing. Near perfection. With one notable exception: what the hell is up with Karl Urban's bad attempt at a cockney accent? Why didn't they just let him be a Kiwi or an Aussie? Fortunately, it doesn't ruin his character's effect in the show. He's pretty awesome. The whole show is awesome. But when he starts to sound like Johnny Depp doing a half-drunk Jack Sparrow, it does tend to grate on the nerves.
School of Chocolate
(2021)
A High Bar: something for more competition shows to emulate
22 April 2022
This show is fantastic on so many levels! Chef Amaury Guichon as their host and mentor is simply perfection. He embodies an ideal blend of artistic rigour, commitment to the craft, and gentle encouragement. You can tell that he enjoys his craft and he loves teaching to eager students. This is very different from other competition shows. I also LOVE LOVE LOVE that no one was eliminated until the very last episode. It was a very creative move simply to make some participants sit out the centrepiece challenges rather than forcing them to leave outright. As this show demonstrates: sometimes a person isn't the best in one single event, but overall they are great. I wish that other competition shows would adopt this feature. Additionally, the challenges were interesting not only from a technical but an entertainment perspective, too. It was enjoyable watching the challenges get progressively more difficult, and to see the students grow. Marvellous!
Chappie
(2015)
Outlandishly, Shocklingly, Wildly Good In So Many Ways
8 February 2022
What Neill Blomkamp and Terri Tatchell have accomplished in the script of 'Chappie' is nothing short of genius. While the cinematic world has certainly dealt with the idea of sentient computers and robots before, we have never seen anything like Chappie. He is a truly new consciousness that grows and learns and develops his own personality. What further separates this films from other films about robots is the perdicament in which Deon, Chappie's maker, lands himself. His plans to develop and observe a nascent Artificial Intelligence go horribly awry. But the results are very human. This is a must-see films for anyone interested in questions of humanity, of identity, and of just plain good cinema.
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