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jell95
Reviews
Videoland (2024)
Cringey and painful.
Love nostalgia, love queer stories; hate bad acting, bad writing and so much second hand embarrassment you want to die.
The premise of the show is great and has so much potential behind it, but it is ruined by the over the top delivery and cringey writing. What it thinks is funny, really isn't. There are some great nods to 90's queer culture, and it would have been more triumphant had it leaned more heavily into that, but instead it tried for cheap laughs that didn't come off.
There are some poignant moments that probably wouldn't hit better without the director casting herself into the older queer mentor role. It just got lost in what felt like a high-school short film.
Lee (2023)
Winslet is mesmerising!
If this performance doesn't land Kate Winslet her second Oscar, there is something very wrong with the film industry.
This film is moving, provocative and spellbinding, all on the back of the subliminal work of Winslet. The emotion evoked didn't stop after the final scene, I was still wiping tears from my face 5 mins after. The realness of the war and the reactions from people learning the full extent of the atrocities was something to behold. An incredible piece of filmmaking and acting by the entire cast. Andy Samberg in a much straighter role by his standards was understated but perfect, and although only in a couple of scenes, Marion Cotillard reminds us all why she is an Oscar winner.
There is something so genuine and heartbreaking about this piece that it stays with you long after it's over.
The L Word: Generation Q: Quiz Show (2022)
Yawn!!!
Could this show get any more boring or reductive? Oh look, Shane cheats for the 900th time. No relationship can be faithful or monogamous, it's the same old rinse and repeat rubbish. The Gen Q characters are so dull they're not worth the screen time, and now with Bette and Tina gone it leaves most of the heavy lifting to Shane and Alice. So when Shane is just doing the same old thing, I can't help but wonder why they ever bothered reviving the show? There's too much of the writers trying to right the wrongs of the past and not enough enjoyable storyline's. The OG was trashy, but as a viewer I didn't need it to be anything more. Now it's just monotonous without the addictive trashiness. The show is soulless.
Long Story Short (2021)
Best Aussie rom-com in a long while
Wasn't sure what to expect of the quality of this film given Australia's pretty poor track record when it comes to rom-com's, but this one is a stand out. The film starts out strong, admittedly it stalls a little with repetitiveness in the middle, but comes home with a bang. Really enjoyable, very funny.
More Beautiful for Having Been Broken (2019)
What an embarrassment
Well that was two hours of my life I'll never get back. And about 90 mins of those were taken up by ridiculous dance montages and incoherent flashbacks. Any time the film actually started to show any promise, it was cheapened by another gimmick shot. Nicole Conn just needs to give up the film biz, everything she makes is an absolute dumpster fire and this is no exception. This was such a waste of a film that could have actually been decent in different hands. Zoe Ventura and Kayla Radomski had some decent chemistry when their scenes weren't broken up with nonsense, and Cale Ferrin as Freddie was an absolute delight. Lastly the stupid narration over the top was pointless. If a film is well directed and scripted, it shouldn't need someone to explain every scene to you. Avoid this unless you're into cheap Wolfe Video movies that wish they could be only as bad a Lifetime movie.
Making It (2018)
So wholesome!
I love this show. It's the only reality show where I wish they didn't have to vote anyone off. It's so wholesome and friendly and just the tonic the world needs right now.
Holding the Man (2015)
Missing the magic of the book
This was a decent movie, but doesn't really capture the full essence of the book. Perhaps with a bigger budget it could have used better locations to give us a better sense of the era, but it all feels a little flat. I adore the book and felt really connected to Tim and John while I was reading it, I feel that the documentary 'Remembering The Man' does a better job of giving that same feeling of connection.
First Wives Club (2019)
Not bad, just not great.
Pretty decent effort here, but missing a little of the charisma and spark of the film.
Dolittle (2020)
Solid family fare
If you don't take Dolittle too seriously I'm sure you'll find enough enjoyment in the experience. It's really a family film, probably aimed at kids in the 6-12 demographic. It's got a few good laughs and it's a feel good adventure. Is it amazing? No, but it's not a bad way to spend a couple of hours.
The Gloaming (2020)
What a load of rubbish!
Firstly the casting director takes us all for fools. Rena Owens is an incredible actress but she's also Maori with a thick Kiwi accent, yet here we're supposed to believe she's a white Australian with two white Australian full sisters? Then people say stuff like 'they're odd, come from convict stock'. No one in Australia talks like that. Being set in Hobart in one small part of an already tiny city, we're also meant to believe that no one knew that three sisters just up and changed their names, apparently that makes them entirely different people. Even taking away the supernatural elements of the show, the normal parts aren't even plausible. It's clear that the show was created for an overseas audience because it's an insult to Australians.
Always Be My Maybe (2019)
A lot of meh
What could have been a good movie was ruined by the over played notion that a beautiful, successful woman would fall in love with a pathetic, unambitious stoner with few redeeming qualities. In 2019 we've come to expect more from our rom-coms.
The Good Wife (2009)
Where it all went wrong....
I just finished binge watching all 7 seasons as I never caught it on the original syndication. After a couple of episodes I was well and truly hooked and it's been a long time since I've been this emotionally invested in TV characters.
The first 4 seasons of The Good Wife are excellent. They follow a basic but brilliant formula; a legal procedural with quality background content. Each episode revolved around the law firms cases, but also had Alicia's issues with Peter and Will to add layers. Then came seasons 5.
The show really started to go pear shaped when Josh Charles decided to leave the show, but was made worse by the writers decision to kill off the character of Will, rather than simply have the character leave. Charles was signed on for 15 episodes of season 5, but a greater solution would have been to have him film 10 episodes in season 5, culminating in him leaving Chicago to head up one of Lockhart Gardner's new offices in LA or NY. This could have allowed 5 episodes to bring back Will when the show was wrapping up, to allow for Alicia's 'happily ever after' moment. The whole Will and Alicia story-line was enticing because it gave the viewer hope that Alicia would come through all of her heartache in a better position than she was in before. By killing off that Will, it killed off that hope. Attempts to replicate that chemistry with Finn Polmar and Jason Crouse just weren't the same (although I much preferred the Finn possibility than Jason).
After Will died the whole direction of the show changed. The legal procedural side of the show took a backseat to Alicia's political campaign, Cary's time in prison and the never ending merry-go-round of law firms and partners. The show lost the focus and stability which had previously been it's strength. There's a reason why some shows last longer than others. Think Law & Order: SVU or NCIS. They've got a winning formula and they don't mess with it. When shows go off track and try to change what they are, it alienates the viewer. Another example of this happening recently was with Criminal Minds; as soon as that show started focusing on one story arc (Mr Scratch and Reid's false imprisonment) it became boring and arduous to watch, resulting in its recent cancellation.
The series finale of The Good Wife also feels like a rip off. We've spent 7 seasons following Alicia's journey, only to see her right back where she started; standing by her disgraced husband and being alienated by her friends. I think the viewers deserved more than this.
I felt emotionally invested in Alicia's journey, and the ghostly re-appearance of Will broke me more than it should have. It was a giant reminder of where the show could have and should have ended.
The first 4 seasons of The Good Wife are a solid 10/10, but the remaining 3 are more like a 6/10.