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Reviews
The Painter (2024)
So Disappointed
I was hoping this was one of those movies where the trailer was the only good part of the movie - but alas, that was not the case with this one.
This theme has been done a million times and it's overdone; they couldn't even hold our interest for the whole movie.
Sooooo many things don't make sense in this film - you don't even have to be that familiar with law enforcement to know what they're trying to do is ridic and would never actually take place.
Casting of the 'Bureau Chief' in particular was so horrifically bad in all ways, we couldn't stop laughing (so there WAS a bright spot, I guess). And even Voight, who has made some amazing movies was robotic and boring; takes a special kind of BAD to ruin a movie that should be fairly simple to make these days.
Ripley (2024)
Horrible Casting/Rendition
This was such a disappointment. Main characters are off-type and too old for the roles. The Ripley actor looks like a psychopath 24/7; there's no element of charm there, so tough to buy-in that he's getting away with anything or getting anything over anybody. The scenes are brutally slow and cumbersome - which to me means they didn't have enough content for the promised episodes. I don't mind the 'artsy' way they filmed this - though it seems a shame not to share the beauty Italy has to offer by shooting this with some color. I'm a Fanning fan - but this did her zero justice. She's very robotic and nuanced to death. The character Dickie was basically portrayed as being afraid of his own shadow, - which doesn't suit the story line at all. The whole thing was a colossal fail IMO.
The Fall (2013)
Spectacularly Written Series
This is my first real introduction to both Gillian Anderson and Jamie Dornan; what have I been doing with my life?! This story, these characters, the abject horror of what so many of them are facing during all three seasons had me breathless. I don't know how I let this series get past me all these years but it is honestly one of the BEST I have ever watched. Even with the procedural mis-steps towards the end - I ignored those and was able to continue my obsession with this series up until the very end. There were no kid gloves used in the filming of this series so be warned: it's not for the faint of heart. Loved, lived, loved it!
Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV (2024)
Deceptive Premise
This was an exaggerated attempt to explain why some 'child stars' became so messed up, and this ridiculous series failed in a colossal way.
They focused their attention for this series on Dan Schneider, who albeit was sort of a pompous prig, but all the players coming forward presented really weak stories as to why this guy was supposedly such a monster. Most of the 'reflections' came from bitter D-list actors who are obviously still feeling resentful they weren't the next big star. (Not everyone can be Amanda Bynes - not even Amanda Bynes these days).
This series was a pathetic attempt to turn petty behaviors into something felonious and abusive - which was such an obvious stretch, I ended up feeling sorry for the focus of their resentment (aka: Dan).
In my opinion, whomever decided to create this series was hopeful they could jump onto the tail end of something akin to the 'Me Too' movement- in the name of children who were supposedly abused by Dan. But they failed. And the true abusers of some of these young children who starred in these kid shows in the 90's will be able to hide behind the misdirected attacks at Dan for a little while longer.
I'll be honest, I've never understood why actual famous adults, who found fame at a young age, don't rat out those who took advantage of them and abused them (i.e., Britney, Amanda, Justin Bieber, etc), but no doubt their mental health has taken a huge hit, which is inescapable no matter how much time has passed.
The American Society of Magical Negroes (2024)
Missed the Mark
I'm really shocked ANYONE at ANY POINT thought this script was a good idea. It's one of those films that makes you uncomfortable - not due to the tropes they included, but because of the fact that this is just lazy lazy LAZY writing!
Any sort of movement forward has been pushed back by decades thanks to the 'brain trust' that came up with this garbage. It's 2024 - we're better than this, aren't we?
The premise of this whole film is insulting to our people - in ALL regards. The fact that it bombed at the box office is of no shock - nor should it be to anyone who saw it. Thank goodness we have American Fiction; at least that spectacular film made its point w/o being ridiculous .
Kynodontas (2009)
Bizarre - Naturally
For me, this guy's movies are hit & misses......mostly misses, if I'm being honest. I think the reason I continue to watch them is because I feel it lets me peek into how someone insane behaves in real life.
This particular movie is amongst the worst and it irritated me that I watched it until the end. But it's one of those things where you want to hang in there hoping it gets better or starts making sense at some point (it doesn't).
The concept was good - the execution: not so much. He continues with his normal dead pan characters (which are becoming quite boring) and tediously plays along the edges of the grotesque; seemingly for effect I'm assuming.
I will still watch Poor Things, but with reservation and some wonder as to why I keep subjecting myself to this man's work.
Dune: Part Two (2024)
RIDICULOUS
We have waited many, many years for a movie of this caliber. I'm 59 years old, a female, grandmother and retired - this was THE. BEST. MOVIE I have ever seen. I don't tend to like si-fi movies so I went along with my husband as a favor . The length of this movie wasn't even noticed by us; it wasn't long enough to be honest. We wanted MORE. It ended and we weren't done yet. We know how long it takes for sequels to come along - so who knows if I'll still be on the planet to see it. I hope I am. And I hope they can do it justice. The last time I remember a movie being THIS good: I was in high school in the 80's. DO NOT MISS THE OPPORTUNITY TO SEE THIS MOVIE IN THE THEATRE. CRAZY GOOD.
Life & Beth (2022)
Same Character
Amy plays the same character over and over again, it seems. It honestly gets more and more difficult to watch as each episode ticks off. Then you add even more awkwardness as each character arrives and it's tough to decide who you're supposed to pay attention to. The exception to this rule is the character Ann (protagonists sister). She's a breath of fresh air in comparison. The storyline is weak in spots, with abrupt energy and topic changes that come off far from seamless. Of I got to change anything about this series it would be to remove Schumer from it. After further consideration- SHE'S the problem in this series. If it's her writing - she should stick to that.
Feud (2017)
Great Season 2
I guess I'm in the minority- I did not care for the Davis/Crawford season - but loved the Capote one. The cast was perfectly chosen - and if you know ANYTHING about Capote, you understand they got this one totally right. I loved the uncomfortableness of the environment he creates for himself. The destruction he surrounds himself with is self-imposed but understood to be something he thrives on. The struggles of a writer who WAS very successful and is desperate to be again is palatable in this piece. And altho the 'swans' are secondary in this series, there are no shrinking violets in the group - in fact - there are several pleasant surprises in their casting.
Pimp (2018)
Horrific All Around
Characters are so bad that no amount of writing was going to save any of this. If you looked up 'stereotypes attributed to black youth in America', you would see every single one of these characters listed. If it wasn't such a sad attempt at describing ghetto spawns and how they come to be, it would be laughable. Whoever decided this garbage should be on the big screen should be given a medal for having the biggest balls on the planet. Or - they should never be hired for anything ever again (at least not in the entertainment industry). Hopefully all those who were cast were able to go on to better things. Keke is still trying to find her way......
The Unforgivable (2021)
EXCELLENT!!!
A few storyline gaps but nothing earth shattering. This is truly an amazing cast - with so many shining stars! I'm so shocked I didn't hear more about this when it came out. This is some of Bullock's best work; made me completely forget the other roles she's played throughout her career. I was completely absorbed in this story and even teared up a few times (which rarely happens). I always appreciate any film where I can't eventually predict what's going to happen next; this movie is not predictable in several ways. I will definitely be watching this one more than once! Hopefully Sandy will do more of these moving forward.
Beef (2023)
Why Get Lazy?
It took a while for me to watch this. I love AW and SY, but was afraid it wouldn't live up to the hype. My husband talked me into watching it, and we really enjoyed it for most episodes. The writing started out really creative, intriguing, and comedic. I wanted to binge watch this at first. But unfortunately, something happened around the last three episodes that completely turned it all around and it went downhill. Without giving anything away - I don't know if they switched writers around, if they lost their mojo, or if they just got lazy - but this show completely bombed for us at the end. Which totally bummed us out. This series started out so strong - and then just gave up on itself. Such a shame. With that being said: great casting.....THAT they really succeeded with.
Killers of the Flower Moon (2023)
Bought Into The Hyoe
This was an incredibly disappointing movie - but I blame myself. When I couldn't get through the book, I very much looked forward to seeing the movie. After all the award-winning I was confident the film would rectify my misgivings about this story. It didn't. For a movie to have such an amazing story - I don't understand how this turned out so poorly. And the cast is so spectacular - I figured there was no way they would sign on unless it was spectacular. It wasn't. Long, boring, poorly acted - and a total waste of time. This story should absolutely be told --it's a shame they were unable to do it justice.
The Killing of a Sacred Deer (2017)
Total Mind-F
This film is a total trip - can't believe I haven't heard of it until now. I felt it was hard to get past the stilted/robotic way everybody spoke in the beginning - I'm assuming that was purposeful. And there were small gaps in the story - which again, I'm assuming was intentional and was up the the viewer to sort out. Everything eventually smoothed out and the perceived iciness amongst the family and friends became easier to translate. I'm hit & miss w/this creator's past films and this film falls somewhere in the middle. However - the casting was expertly done and it's a true testament to Kenough's talents watching him play someone much younger than his actual years, and still scare the crap out of you. This actor is also new to my awareness and I'm 'chasing' his work so I can watch more of him. He plays such odd characters - all different in their own right - but all still odd. I have to wonder if he is actually ON the spectrum and that's what makes him and his mannerisms so unique.
Saltburn (2023)
Holy Cow!
This was a crazy train; very true to what we would expect (and want) from this author. I can't say I like it more than PYW, but it's hecka close. This OG cast was beyond, and the newbies were all perfectly cast. I typically hate feeling so awkward watching a movie but could not tear myself away from this film. It's extreme bougie, in its truest sense - which was fun. The opulence was strangely understated - but vulgar at the same time. This was my first introduction to Barry and I will now enjoy searching for his movies. Quite the powerhouse. He feels like a subtle tsunami that comes when it's darkest.
No One Will Save You (2023)
Weirdly Good!
This whole story is so weird - but I couldn't stop watching it. It was terrifying in a lot of ways, and kind of confusing in others. I love scary movies but finding good ones to watch is a challenge. There's very little dialogue in this, which means the main actress needed to act her butt off - which she did btw. She had to carry this movie, which again - she did. Such a crazy premise but I got sucked in - and you will too. I will probably watch this again- and probably enjoy it more b/c I'll be able to relax this time around. (The required word count on these reviews is too high!) watch it- you WILL be entertained.
They Cloned Tyrone (2023)
Predictable & Lazy
Why can't they get away from using the same tired characters time after time in these movies?!?? Is it because they know a certain percentage of the U. S. population will find these stereotypes comforting somehow? The writing in this lame film is just plain lazy - and so disgustingly predictable. They take, what could have been a creative and interesting concept, and weigh it down with so much ridiculousness, you're left wondering how many story lines are actually going on right now? Don't let the big name actors fool you; at this point I'm assuming they lost a bet and starring is this movie was their penance.
And Just Like That... (2021)
So Not Good
I barely got through the first season, and couldn't even finish the first episode of Season 2. If you want to see a Walmart version of the Golden Girls, behave like they're in their 20's, including hooking up with men (and women) way out of their league, then this may be the show for you. This show is so incredibly out of range, it's almost insulting that they feel any true SATC fans would buy into it. Well - maybe they DID know, because bringing Samantha back(ish) was probably the only 'hook' they could come up with to try and get people to watch. It's unfortunate because they truly could have made this new series into something respectful, realistic, and nostalgic.
The Idol (2023)
My Rating h Was Still Generous
I love so many actors in this series - but man oh man oh man....it's not good. And I really REALLY wanted to like it. It has heavy inferences that lead you to acknowledge the tragedies that have befallen the likes of Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, Amanda Bynes, etc etc etc. It gives the viewer a snapshot into why so many of them have suffered mental breakdowns and self-medicated. But there's no depth in this series. I feel like all they wanted to do was continue to glorify the savage treatment of young female artists by those who they should have been able to trust the most. They could have really made this into something - but they squandered the opportunity. If you want to see a lot of scantily clad, seemingly young (minor?) women being taken advantage of by everyone around them - then I guess this is the show for you. Personally, my time is worth more then what this show deserves.
Daisy Jones & The Six (2023)
Weak
So disappointing...... This was weak all around: songs, script, performances, etc. I'm a big Riley Keough fan, and it was great to hear her sing - but even several of her singing scenes seemed light. You can tell she has real depth to her voice but she didn't always follow-through; almost like she didn't trust herself sometimes. I read the book and understood the storyline - but not sure what happened once they made this series - something got lost in translation I guess. I felt they had a real opportunity with this story and this cast.....but they kind of blew it, in my opinion. I'm sure we'll see them all again; this series isn't important enough to ruin anyone's career.
Knock at the Cabin (2023)
This Was Entertaining (Enough)
I was pretty excited for this movie to become available and I have to admit it didn't rise to my expectations. That being said, it was worth watching and I may even give it another go in case I missed something . This film has a lot going on, with some sub-par performances thrown in - which complicated and sometimes hindered me being able to fully relax and enjoy it. But you can't deny the premise being intriguing .... and able to ask yourself: Could YOU make such a sacrifice? MNS's creative vision still interests me and as long as that is the case - I'm fine with giving his movies a try when they hit streaming.
Wellmania (2023)
I've Been Waiting For This!
This is a great, light, and funny show and the best part is Celeste Barber! I've been following her for a long time and always wondered why she wasn't doing something like this. There are bugs to work out with the writing, and I wish they would let Celeste ad lib more. She's organically talented and they've done well with the supporting cast - but there does seem to be something missing. Even though this is a comedy , there's still a need for some substance. I look forward to seeing this show stretch it's wings more; you can tell this can really be something so I hope it makes it. It deserves to be seen. As does Celeste.
Swarm (2023)
Could Have Really Been Something
I hesitated on watching this show - I wish I would have stuck with that. This show could have really been something. The story line started out interesting and maybe even inventive. It's unfortunate they decided to waste all that potential by ending this in the most ridiculous, laziest way possible. There is definitely some talent in this cast, and they probably recognized it was bullocks by the time it was edited and finished. I still suggest you watch this - but prepare for the end. If you sit there in awe and disbelief like we did, then you will understand the 'cheat' that turned out to be: SWARM.
My Policeman (2022)
Great Story (Mostly)
I watched this movie with trepidation, not quite having confidence in Harry Styles acting chops. I've seen him in movies before and felt he was talented - but this story would be, what I felt, was a departure from his past gig; there would be more heavy lifting on this one. Well, he's talented alright, and blew me away in this film. Styles has always played to his 'ambiguous lifestyle' freely, so this character isn't a stretch , but that is beside the point. Styles has shown (ala Ledger and Gylennhall) that if you're a world class talent, what and who you are in real life doesn't matter. Because you're able to play any part to perfection. And people will believe it because YOU'RE. JUST. THAT. GOOD. Bravo to all associated with this film; it was great casting, producing, directing, etc. And although some of the storyline lends itself to some predictable elements, I appreciated the awkwardness and slowness that it needed to reach its admirable conclusion.
Spin Me Round (2022)
So Awful
Loved the cast - especially Aubrey & Allison but this was just all around garbage. There's no way this movie doesn't become the "....one movie they regret" type of experience. We really had high hopes when it began, but then it was like they completely ran out of money, interest and time and just lumped a bunch of LSD-induced visions together to finish. But - if you're into that kind of thing, this may be the movie for you! I used to believe I would watch anything Aubrey was in, I no longer feel that way. I'm guessing she was drunk when she read this script - and drunk again when she signed on.