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Murder Is Easy (2023)
David Jonsson
My husband and I are impressed with David Jonsson, whom we are watching for the first time. His character is classy, like old school acting we haven't seen in a while.
I am no more a fan of revising classic works than the next Marple fan. I've seen "4:50 to Paddington," with Joan Hickson, more times than I can count. When it was remade some years later, there were some tweaks to the story, but I enjoyed that version too, especially with Highclere as the filming location. As far as other retellings after Joan Hickson's time, I felt some were good and some not.
They never did "Murder is Easy," with Joan Hickson. In my opinion, Benedict Cumberbatch made the version he was in, as he assisted Miss Marple ("not a Miss Pinkerton" - no offense to the wonderful Penelope Wilton) because, frankly, the subject was particularly distasteful.
I am reviewing this before I see the second part of this new "Murder is Easy" because I already know my opinion of what makes watching this version worth at least one viewing: the lovely filming locations, Penelope Wilton, Douglas Henshall, Mark Bonnar, Matthew Baynton, and the old-style charm of David Jonsson, which is why I'm being generous with my rating.
I doubt the BBC cares what fans of British mysteries think of their revisions. There have been some pretty awful re-re-re-retellings of classic titles this past decade, to be sure. The best we can do is not watch what isn't good - but then we can't always know it isn't good until we watch. And maybe that's why the BBC keeps the bad revisions coming? No, they'll do what they want anyway.
Âya to majo (2020)
We Love Earwig
We are rewatching Earwig, so I came here to look up the voice actors, and was dismayed to see the disparaging reviews. I count on IMDB reviews, and the score "Earwig and the Witch" received shocks me, even if I am late to see it.
We are huge Miyazaki fans, our favorite being another Diana Wynne Jones adaptation, "Howl's Moving Castle," although it's really hard to have a favorite Miyazaki movie, they are all so wonderful. Before our thirty-something son showed us "Earwig," he said the fans were hating on it, apparently because the animation was different, and Goro, the son, directed it.
However, we fell in love with "Erica" at once. She is a hoot! If we could all be so resilient in our personal trials! The story is quirky and charming and oh so rewatchable, just like all of Miyazaki's movies.
Finally, we weren't in the least "put off" by the style of the animation. It in no way subtracts from the beauty of the hand painting of the other films, it simply highlighted and complemented the tone of "Earwig."
Good Witch (2015)
Success is How You Finish
My husband and I really, really enjoyed this show: bed and breakfast with endless fresh baked goods, hospitality, warmth, healthy relationships, and Cassie's "powers" were subtle and for the good of others. It was such a pleasant little escape to watch. Evolve to chaos: responsibilities of almost every imaginable kind placed heavily on the main characters, endless, complicated, heavy relationship woes, and although there were still plenty of fresh baked goods, there were TOO many - it was like they were compensating! :P Cassie's powers (powers, no longer in quotes) became heavy-duty hocus pocus level, focused on the Merriwick's. BIG change. Either the original writers/producers left, or, they became very distracted and/or disillusioned, whichever. Worst part, George was downgraded from a family member to a cherished maintenance guy - BOO!! We stopped watched season 7 a few episodes in, so I skipped through the final episode, to find out if anything good came out of it for any of the characters, and it seems it did for Stephanie and the Tinsdales. But for this show, and in life, the fact is, success isn't how you start, but how you finish.
My Dad's Christmas Date (2020)
Bad Branding
My husband and I really, really enjoyed this movie. It was branded as a light Christmas movie, and if the trailer hadn't hinted otherwise, I probably wouldn't have put it in our watchlist. It isn't a Christmas movie, per say, not in the gimmicky way we're used to. It's a very well done comedy/drama about a father-daughter relationship, which happens to be set during Christmas time. Jeremy Piven was so funny, and Olivia-Mai Barrett was a joy to watch. Beautiful filming locations added to the enjoyment. There was actually nothing gimmicky about this movie at all; the dialog and situations were refreshingly unique. My motivation for leaving a review is to express my disappointment in the branding: I believe it messed with people's expectations and earned a good movie a lower rating than it deserves.
I See You (2019)
Well Crafted
First off, I want to say that I am sick about all the people bashing Helen Hunt's appearance. I thought this was the age of anti-internet bullying. Just because someone has had work done, does not give any of us the license to be cruel about their appearance. If you know her personally, are in her line of work, or are a qualified doctor, contact her or her agent and have a conversation. Or, if you're someone who, if you were in her position, would enjoy having the same kinds of things said about you, criticize on.
Now, about the movie. It started out like a paranormal thriller, and paranormal things make me giggle. I was giggling the first 20 minutes. Then everything switched, and it became a different genre all together, and I was into it. The ending of any story will make or break it. The ending of this story made it. After watching and thinking about it, all I can say it is a tight, clever story. Well worth the watch.