katemiller-18083 Reviews

Everybody's Fine (2009)

So many tears

[9/10 · 8 September 2016]

I really enjoyed this film, as depressing as it was. I was already soaked with tears 30 minutes in, possibly exacerbated by the fact that my family is 7500km away.

The character choices were great, and the reality of the family relationships made it very relatable. Parents and kids relationships change when the children become adults, and shifting loyalties cause strains in those relationships that were previously well-defined. It does annoy me when people act as if our elders are already part of history, like they're not still alive and there to enjoy and share with. Movies like this make me hope that they can be catalysts for change.

That's all I can write now, because I want to Skype with my family... that's what this movie did to me.

Schitt's Creek: Happy Anniversary (2016) Season 2, Episode 13

Absolutely charming episode

[9/10 · 2 August 2016]

I was looking for a show that would cheer me up on those days that were just a bit much, when I was rowing up the actual shit's creek without a paddle. This season finale well and truly delivered.

From the storyline of the parent's anniversary, we got to see both the past and present lives of the Rose family come together, and witness a positive change in their outlook of their situation. The awkward dinner became a moment of triumph for the Roses and the residents of Schitt's Creek over the snobby former friends.

I also noticed the subtle changes in Alexis' naivete/narcissism in how she was able to compare Ted's reaction to her hooking up with Mutt after their breakup, to the appearance of Mutt's new girlfriend on the scene. I do love Alexis' character's kookiness, but when you're watching a series like this it's nice to have a little bit of realistic character growth, even if they do jump straight back into their previous kooky ways.

Lost a mark for not being long enough. :)

Barefoot (I) (2014)

Missing pieces

[6/10 · 1 August 2016]

I enjoyed the premise of this movie, but it felt like there were pieces missing from the storyline. There wasn't enough backstory on either of the leads, the mother seemed to jump from meeting a stranger to all of a sudden becoming besotted with her, and the films synopsis focused on an arc that was over by the middle of the movie. There is so much that should have been added to the storyline that would made it a bit more likable. The characters were enjoyable, especially Daisy and her naiveté although these characters would have been better received (once again) if the story was fleshed out a bit more.

Not a waste of time, but also not a story I'd return to.

Gran Torino (2008)

Grumpy old man

[8/10 · 28 July 2016]

As the granddaughter of a couple of grumpy old men who are protective of their property, more than borderline racist, and often find themselves living in the past, this movie hit the nail on the head. It made me miss the grandfather who has left this world, and made me want to call up my Pop straight away to see how he's going.

The movie was a beautiful example of knocking down cultural and generational walls that divide us, and demonstrates that you can indeed teach an old dog new tricks. It was interesting to watch the dynamic between Walt and Sue, and between Walt and Thao. I spent a lot of the movie hating Walt's family and being able to connect their behaviour to members of my own family. "Your wife is dead. Time to move you to a nursing home." (When really they're thinking "One parent down, now we want to sell your house so we can have some cash.") And trying to pretend like they were doing it all to help him.

It seems that a few people have raised the question of inheritance. I have a very loving relationship with my grandparents, who other people label as "intolerant" or "grumpy", some of these people being their own children or other relatives. They disrespect them, behind their back and to their face, and yet when it comes to their wills, they expect to be included. A relationship with our elders is not just about wooing them into leaving us something, nor should being left something by an elder be an expectation just because you're a child/grandchild etc.

The points lost were for the religious dude. I can't stand religion, so I always have trouble when there's a forceful religious sycophant involved.

The Oranges (2011)

Not as bad as the reviews make it seem

[6/10 · 17 July 2016]

I'm not giving The Oranges an amazing rating out of 10, but it was fine for a Sunday afternoon movie binge. A lot of people are bagging out the premise, but I actually consider it to be a new take on the usual Hollywood BS of an older guy and a younger girl in a relationship. The story typically goes "Older guy falls in love with younger woman and vice versa, and no one really seems to give a crap about the age difference and they live happily ever after". Fortunately, this one is a little more realistic - "Older guy falls in love with younger woman and vice versa, and everyone reacts as you would expect them to - i.e. they freak the s*** out".

It's an enjoyable film that is worth the hour and a half.

Tut (2015)

Not a favourite

[5/10 · 16 July 2016]

I'm a fan of historical dramas, based heavily on true historical events but dramatised, so I thought that this series would be a decent way to pass some time. I was sorely mistaken. Other series of similar ilk (Rome, Vikings, Outlander) manage to give you the drama while still remaining consistent with the era they're portraying. Unfortunately, Tut does not achieve this goal.

In the shows defence, there is limited source material to ensure that historical accuracy is achieved, with Tutankhamun's life remaining fairly mysterious even with projects investigating the genetic lineage of the pharaohs of Egypt. However there are some basic pieces of knowledge that are ignored in this series, the most obvious being the age of the Boy King. History has been pretty clear that Tutankhamun rose to his position of pharaoh around middle childhood, between the ages of six and nine years, and was dead by the time he reached his late teens.

My other key critique of the series is the casting. Ben Kingsley was an OK choice, however (and I have to say it otherwise I'm just not being honest), the entire time he's on screen it just seemed like he was thinking "I was in freaking Iron Man, and now I'm reduced to this?!" He flittered from being bad-ass puppet-master (which again, that was historical at least) to being an emasculated mess. I couldn't tell if he was an ally or an enemy. It was confusing. Then you've got Sybilla Deen, who spent the series looking super uncomfortable in her costumes to the point that it distracted from the dialogue. She's wearing something similar to Leeloo out of Fifth Element, but the way she was holding her body was like she was afraid her boobs were going to pop out at any second and scare the life out of Mr Kingsley.

Marco Polo (2014–2016)

Brilliant

[9/10 · 14 July 2016]

I've just finished the first season, putting it off until I'd left Mongolia so that I wouldn't be persuaded to enjoy it for nostalgic reasons. All I can say is, why the hell did I put it off for so long?!

Let's tackle some of the less-than-respectful reviews, where people have denoted the historical inaccuracies (let's face it, in order to make it entertaining and grab as much attention as possible, producers are being forced to twist historical facts to make the story more appealing to the masses. If you want lower historical inaccuracies, you're kidding yourselves. History has always been written by the winners, and unless you can talk to Doc Brown and use a time machine to actually experience history first-hand, you're going to find inaccuracies); the stiff dialogue (Unless the story involves native English-speakers, any dialogue that is performed in English is likely to be a little stiff. Taking into account historical English dialect and the fact that most non-native English-speakers are less likely to use conjunctions, dialogue's going to be less than smooth; and finally, the completely inaccurate attacks on the character of Marco Polo. I found that character to have decent story arcs and provided a sort of external observer's account of the Mongolian empire during the time of Kublai Khan.

I thoroughly enjoyed this season and I may have to take some time to get through the 2nd season ASAP.

Janet King (2014–2017)

Amazing Australian Television

[9/10 · 14 June 2016]

I've deducted points for the skipping over of stories. I understand that there was a snowball intent - throwing losses in the courtroom with a sex scandal and murder attempts at Janet in quick succession - but what it felt like was that there were issues that were being brushed under the carpet and being left unresolved.

That being said, Janet King is modern Australian television that teeters between "you f-ing go girl" to conspiracy theory central. They tackle the massive arc-topic of child pornography and rings of illicit activity operating within the upper echelons of public service that could actually be so close to the truth it's uncomfortable. They demonstrate the difficulties that come with working in the public service and the risk to both body and mind that comes with working on such horrible crimes.

I absolutely applaud the efforts of this show, and the cast and crew.

The Beautiful Lie (2015)

Brilliant Australian television

[9/10 · 13 June 2016]

I wasn't 100% sure about this show, being a huge fan of Tolstoy, so I was pleasantly surprised at the drama and the consistency with the storyline of Anna Karenina. The casting was superb, and the setting was surprisingly consistent.

Sarah Snook as Anna was an amazing casting choice. Her portrayal was perfect, beginning to end. She played out the snowball of drama that came about from that initial decision in such a meticulous way, drawing it out and making me (i.e. the viewer) feel the heart-wrenching conclusion to this classical story in a surprisingly new way.

The other noteworthy casting choices: Sophie Lowe as Kitty (that melodramatic, super-clingy and naive little girl who transitions into a mature, considerate woman); Daniel Henshall and Celia Pacquola as Kingsley and Dollly; and Alexander England as Peter.

If you want to experience Tolstoy in a new and unexpected way, give this series a try. (It's also incredibly easy to binge-watch.)

Criminal Minds: Beyond Borders: The Harmful One (2016) Season 1, Episode 1

Initial thoughts -room for improvement

[17 April 2016]

I'd read a lot of really harsh reviews of this spin-off, so I didn't have great expectations when I started the series. I was surprised that there are actually some redeeming qualities that have kept me watching rather than switch it off. It definitely has a lot of room for improvement.

The biggest issue I had was the cultural assumptions. I've worked with police in many Asian countries, and as a woman I have seen the misogynistic elements, but certainly not the extent that is portrayed on the show. What they did show was the FBI team showing unrealistic expectations of their influence on another culture. Rather than saying "Well, let's do what we can to show them that women can contribute to law enforcement" all they seemed to do was criticise it. In my experience, you have to take time to build relationships, and not assume that you're the only one who has something to teach.

Other issues I had was that the episodes were a bit formulaic; the part with Rossi in the beginning seemed to be pretty consistent with the opinions a lot of people have about American law enforcement: that they shoot first, ask questions later.

Unlike the original CM, which came out the gate pretty strong, this one needs improvement but I really hope they give it a chance.