virginia-913-95834 Reviews

Madame (I) (2017)

8 stars without Toni Colette!

[1/10 · 19 September 2022]

Why oh why was Toni Colette cast in this role?!!!!!!

Every time she is cast an "upper crust" character, it is like nails on a chalkboard for me. I find her and "overactor" - overly earnest and contrived. And let's be clear - in a role wherein she is meant to be refined and cultured - she is bloody awful!!!!! Note to casting - what about Cate Blanchette, Nicole Kidman, Kate Winslet, and a hundred others? Did Toni (note - any name ending in and "i" indicates a certain lack of refinement) Colette have dirt on or is family to someone who was casting this?

I loved the actress playing the maid and the stepson is irresistible. The cinematography is absolutely luscious. However - to be clear -the only reason I know this is because I was stuck on a plane with the internet down and this was one of the few items I'd downloaded so I was stuck with it.

Inventing Anna (2022)

Shonda-fied Kinda Ruined It :-(

[3/10 · 25 February 2022]

Based on a true story, so could have been so much better. Too many revisionist liberties a la "Shondaland" for my taste. The real story is insane enough - didn't need all the fictional embellishments.

Salad Days (2014)

Excellent!

[10/10 · 31 January 2022]

Excellent and one of the best docs we've scene on the The DC hardcore scene. Very interesting insightful interviews with the original players and a great accompaniment to Dance of Days by Mark Anderson. One of the many interesting things we learned was that this scene was different than other punk scenes because a lot of these kids were children of white color parents who were forming policy in Washington and they had a lot to say about politics and society in a very smart, well-informed manner. So worth a watch.

Defending Jacob (2020)

Torturously Slowwwwwwww

[6/10 · 24 December 2021]

Slow. Slow. Tortuously slow. Great acting and interesting plot though. Wish there had been an advanced speed button to get through at a faster pace.

Not much more to say about it but at least 150 characters needed to post. So typing along until I meet the minimum requirement.

Mourning Son (2015)

Questionable Editing/Direction but fascinating man and story.

[6/10 · 5 October 2021]

The minute the director includes himself in the footage, I almost stopped watching. But I'm glad I didn't because the story packs a punch. One can't help but empathize w/Navarro and also admire him for his fortitude. Had this had a more talented director I think it could have been exceptional.

Britney vs Spears (2021)

Painstakingly slow. Nothing new.

[3/10 · 30 September 2021]

I'm always uncomfortable when the storytellers cast themselves in the film and boy did it get tiring seeing them over and over again. The 3 minutes of my life I lost watching a signature appear on a contract, the lack of any revelatory information, the friends of friends occasional interviews, blah blah blah. A big bore.

Clickbait (2021)

Painfully bad! Save yourself the time - read the critic reviews!

[2/10 · 25 August 2021]

Bad overacting, supposed to be Oakland but is Australia and it's obvious, worst writing/drivel - save yourself the time! You're welcome!

My Unorthodox Life (2021– )

Missed the mark - One long ad and Appears Scripted

[2/10 · 25 July 2021]

I usually love these sort of shows. This one somehow just misses the mark. How does a woman - in several months after leaving her fundamentalist community - suddenly live in a multi million dollar house in Tribeca and grab a CEO position, with no education? Conversations with her family members appear scripted, and the show is one long ad for Julia Harrt enterprises. Although she really is amazing - the show doesn't make clear that her husband is the one with the money (he was CEO of La Perla who brought her in and is also the owner of the current company - although I had to look that up because it isn't apparent from story editing). This series could have been so good. But it rubs off as inauthentic and forced.

The Last Cruise (2021)

What a missed opportunity for what could have been a great doc!

[4/10 · 1 April 2021]

When I started this I was definitely very interested in the topic and the situation. It just seemed like a doc of halfway developed arcs and never told a full story. I feel like there were so many missed opportunities to learn more about the backstory of the guests that were featured, the crewmembers, the families at home, comparing what was going on on the ship to what was going on in other places, etc. And also - my goodness - what happened to these people? What was it like when they got home? Who are the people that died? Who got sick after the flight? There was so much either left on the table or on the cutting floor. I think this documentary could've been so great and just wasn't developed enough.

Minimalism: A Documentary About the Important Things (2015)

All Over The Place - This Movie is Self Promoting Hodgepodge

[1/10 · 2 March 2021]

So disappointing. Loved No Impact Man so thought I would like this. A few parts were mildly interesting but this movie has no focus and was a hugely missed opportunity to present more facts and less random clips of generalizations and self promotions. Zero depth.

I Care a Lot (2020)

Utterly Ridiculous Slop

[2/10 · 22 February 2021]

We were laughing by the end it was all so ridiculous. Plays like it was written by a 24 year old boy. Rosamind Pike was superb - especially given this horrific screenplay.

Downhill (I) (2020)

Manage Expectations

[7/10 · 17 October 2020]

I really liked this film. I saw Force Majeure and didn't make the connection until the avalanche scene. This film is much more European-styled, with a slower pace, beautiful imagery intermixed with a quirky soundtrack, and a plot where the people and resolutions (or lack there of) are more like real life.

The Social Dilemma (2020)

Fascinating and Thought Provoking

[6/10 · 29 September 2020]

The subject matter and the interviews were timely and fascinating. The actors that were supplemented in, including an actor playing "Artificial Intelligence," were distracting and, frankly, so weirdly conceived. Would have been much better without.

I'll Be Gone in the Dark (2020–2021)

WOW WOW WOW!

[9/10 · 29 July 2020]

Excellent Filmmaking - every episode leaves you wanting for the next. The interviews with Michelle pre-dating her death are mixed in with presentation interviews with those intimately involved with case and also her life are so well done and I imagine was not an easy edit. Spellbinding fascinating and exquisitely put together!

Unsolved Mysteries (2020– )

BORINGGGGGGGGGGG

[2/10 · 29 July 2020]

Love true crime and was so excited for modern/present day version of Unsolved Mysteries. So incredibly boring. What a disappointment - especially since this is usually a genre that HBO does so well.

Circus of Books (2019)

Painfully Boooooooringgggg

[4/10 · 24 June 2020]

Looked like an interesting one but I found it painfully boring.

Don't F**k with Cats: Hunting an Internet Killer (2019)

Couldn't Turn Away!

[9/10 · 24 June 2020]

What a fascinating documentary! Overall nearly perfect. Would have liked to learn more about his childhood and thought "the ending" was ridiculous. But otherwise very very good.

Little Fires Everywhere (2020)

If You Liked The Book This May Disappoint

[3/10 · 3 May 2020]

I completed the book just prior to watching this miniseries I was really excited to watch it. Sadly I found myself having an inner turmoil around whether to give up on it. It may be a personal bias in that - although I think she's beautiful - I find Kerry Washington to be an overactor - and I'm always too aware that she's acting. I also felt the screenwriter took A LOT of liberties with the character profiles and subplots which were too far a diversion from the original tale which was great.

I'm Sorry (2017–2019)

HILARIOUS!

[9/10 · 19 October 2019]

This show is hilarious!! Crying laughing! Following the hilarious pursuits of a comedy writer mom and wife with no inner dialogue! A refreshingly happy marriage and an honest reaction to life's absurdities. Heard about it word of mouth - originally on Tru TV and now streaming on Netflix!

Sid & Judy (2019)

Fascinating!

[8/10 · 18 October 2019]

Really quite fascinating doc about Judy Garland as told through archival footage and her 3rd husband's journals. Jon Hamm as the voice of Sid Lyft is exceptional - Jennifer Jason Leigh is horrific as the voice of Judy Garland (forced and distractingly bad).

Otherwise great film!

Miss Sloane (2016)

Lead Difficult To Watch - Horrible Acting - Yet Issues Fascinating

[3/10 · 3 July 2018]

Jessica Chastain's performance is terrible (and I generally really like her) and this played out like a wanna be earnest idea of lobbyists by writers who don't actually know Washington or that world at all. - Yet the facts included and the obvious need for change around the 2nd Amendment are compelling and fascinating.