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Reviews
House of Sand and Fog (2003)
An emotional ride
This is a film that I assign my students yearly to learn about different aspects of American life, namely immigration and the challenges immigrants face. However, this film is much deeper. It's about longing for the past and sacrificing for the future. It's about wanting something that is not yours. It's about pride and desperation. It's about the meaning of life and death.
I've seen thousands of films, but I can say this is hands down my favourite film. It's a masterpiece, and it's hard for me to understand how it could get such a low rating here. It should be on everyone's bucket list to watch at least once.
Submarine (2010)
Bizarre
I like quirky films, but this one was honestly just bizarre. It was almost unwatchable.
Hunger (2008)
Heartbreaking and Inspiring
I was teaching a unit on the conflict in Northern Ireland, and this was suggested by an Irish friend. It really got through to the students on a very deep level. There was hardly a dry eye by the end. Highly recommend...
'71 (2014)
A Good Watch
I assigned this to my students to learn about the conflict in Northern Ireland. I needed a film with enough action to hold their attention and enough substance to give them a feel for what happened. This did both. Highly recommend...
Dublin Murders (2019)
Building Up to What?
I sat through hours of this show. I convinced myself that it was building up to something big, as confusing as it all was. Then it felt like the story fell apart and became confusing and unbelievable. Not worth the time...
The Good Witch (2008)
Did I miss the witch?
The title didn't seem to fit the movie or tv series. She's a woman who is good at solving problems. A witch? Who knows. It almost seemed like the show was too scared to commit to the idea of her being a witch for fear of losing the Evangelical viewers. Aside from that, it just seemed to check off every cliche for a made for tv movie. Love Catherine Bell, but this was just boring.
Why Women Kill (2019)
Interesting
Interesting and witty. I enjoyed the idea of having the same thread through different time periods. Definitely worth a watch.
Due South (1994)
I Grew Up On This Show
So I, an American, was sitting in a taxi with a Brit and my husband, an Iranian. We were discussing shows from our childhood that had a profound impact on us. "Due South" came up and it was amazing to see how this show had made it to all corners of the world! This show had incredible diversity between episodes and a wonderful tongue in cheek sense of humour. I haven't found anything to date that compares.
The Tuxedo (2002)
So, So Bad
I saw this at the dollar theatre during college. It is easily the worst film I've ever seen. So for those looking for a bad film, THIS IS IT!
Stranger Than Fiction (2006)
Perfection
I assign this movie to my students every year. On the surface it's such a fun and quirky film. But when you dig deeper, it brings forward many questions about our lives. What makes our lives meaningful? Are there small things that lend meaning in your life? Would you sacrifice your life to be immortalised in art?
Okuribito (2008)
Beautiful
Such a wonderful and deep reflection of death. I've probably watched this film a dozen times and discovered something new each time.
Wo de fu qin mu qin (1999)
Arguably Zhang Yimou's Best Film
It's between this one and "To Live" as to which film is Zhang's best. This film has so many wonderful details. The present is in black and white, while the past is in colour. A Titanic poster now hangs where one of Mao once did. And the culture is so richly shown. The respect for teachers, quiet and deliberate courtship, and local traditions. Highly recommend...
The Benefactor (2015)
3 Stars for Effort
I rarely turn films off before their done, so I didn't turn it off. Instead, I wandered off to do the laundry... which was comparatively much more exciting. I highly recommend doing anything: scrubbing the floor, washing dishes, correcting students' papers, etc. to watching this film.
Fleabag (2016)
Revolutionary
So many shows fit neatly into one category. Not this show. Many shows also avoid the pain. This show delves into it. It will have you rolling on the ground laughing, but also wincing as you relate to her dysfunctional family and personal pain.
Modern Love (2019)
Loved it
The whole series is worth a watch, but the first episode was an utter masterpiece.
Looking for Alaska (2019)
Wow... Just Wow
This show was randomly suggested to me by a website, and wow. I have never heard of any book, so I thought I was getting in to a goofy teenage drama. I don't want to spoil anything, so I'll just say this. Every aspect of the show was perfect. The script was right on. I chuckled at their dorkiness and cried my eyes out. The acting was first rate. All of the actors and actresses really drew you in. The characters were so well developed, that when combined with the acting, it was just stunning. Perhaps it's a small detail, but I LOVED the soundtrack. It was like the soundtrack of my college years, but covers. All in all, a very deep and relatable series that did an outstanding job doing what it set out to do.
Sanditon (2019)
Sobbing Quietly Into My Pillow
I delved into this series on accident. It was a random recommendation from a tv show website. I'm generally too cynical for rom coms or Jane Austen films, but this seemed like a decent way to pass the time. I was expecting to sit in my bed with my hot chocolate, huddled in a pile of blankets, rediscovering hope in love and humanity... or something like that. We'll just say it didn't go as expected.
The first few episodes were a bit slow, but that seems to be Austen's style. I had the feeling that we were building up to something, which one would suppose to be Charlotte and Sidney's happily ever after. We were building to something, but something perhaps a bit more realistic--- sacrificing one's love and future on the altar of familial love. Needless to say that I'm guessing it's all a ploy to get a second season, but in any case I'm preserving my Austenesque escapism by pretending that last episode never happened.
The good points of this show were numerous. The acting was quite good, even from Theo James. Boy can act--- now please apologize for all those horrid films you tortured us with, like "The Benefactor" and "Divergent". Perhaps Sidney's miserable marriage to Mrs. C is a form of atonement. In fact, all the roles seemed perfectly cast. Miss Lambe was especially interesting as a spunky addition, and I enjoyed immensely when she broke out into was it pidgin or creole?
The bad parts, however, are also quite numerous. Parts felt ripped straight from Pride and Prejudice. Then again, all that forced dancing would probably get to the best of us. Parts seemed trite and too modern like Charlotte's ability to play cricket (and win!). Some of the scandalous parts would probably have been more appropriately hinted at, rather than splayed on the screen in all their scandal. Also, the ending. What can we say about the ending? Life is hard enough. Don't rob us of our expected Happily Ever Afters in the interest of getting an as of yet unsure second season!
All in all, it wasn't bad. Without a second season, it's not one I'd be keen to recommend. There are too many loose ends as of yet.
Why does Miss Lambe still insist Sidney is a bad person? Why didn't Miss Lambe or Susan donate money to preserve Charlotte and Sidney's happiness? Why didn't token proletariat bricklayer seize the opportunity to bare his soul? Why did Sidney happen to know houses of ill repute in London seemingly well? Why does Mrs. C want to marry someone who doesn't love her anymore? Why don't they let their brother rot in debtor's prison? I mean, the first rule of adulting is to buy every kind of insurance available. If you don't, you'll catch ebola and die alone outside of the hospital. Or your city will burn down. Something like that. So why not let him suffer the consequences of adulting like most of us do?
So while the series was captivating and fun, it did have its weak points. But everything happens for a reason. Perhaps this happened in order for us to get another season, or perhaps it was a warning to never fall in love with sulking gold diggers who ride horses and wear odd hats. They may seem fun to date, but they're not going to marry you, honey. Or perhaps it's better this way... Sid and Nancy ended in tragedy. Sid and Lottie is a much smaller tragedy by comparison.
Sanditon (2019)
Sobbing Quietly Into My Pillow
I delved into this series on accident. It was a random recommendation from a tv show website. I'm generally too cynical for rom coms or Jane Austen films, but this seemed like a decent way to pass the time. I was expecting to sit in my bed with my hot chocolate, huddled in a pile of blankets, rediscovering hope in love and humanity... or something like that. We'll just say it didn't go as expected.
The first few episodes were a bit slow, but that seems to be Austen's style. I had the feeling that we were building up to something, which one would suppose to be Charlotte and Sidney's happily ever after. We were building to something, but something perhaps a bit more realistic--- sacrificing one's love and future on the altar of familial love. Needless to say that I'm guessing it's all a ploy to get a second season, but in any case I'm preserving my Austenesque escapism by pretending that last episode never happened.
The good points of this show were numerous. The acting was quite good, even from Theo James. Boy can act--- now please apologize for all those horrid films you tortured us with, like "The Benefactor" and "Divergent". Perhaps Sidney's miserable marriage to Mrs. C is a form of atonement. In fact, all the roles seemed perfectly cast. Miss Lambe was especially interesting as a spunky addition, and I enjoyed immensely when she broke out into was it pidgin or creole?
The bad parts, however, are also quite numerous. Parts felt ripped straight from Pride and Prejudice. Then again, all that forced dancing would probably get to the best of us. Parts seemed trite and too modern like Charlotte's ability to play cricket (and win!). Some of the scandalous parts would probably have been more appropriately hinted at, rather than splayed on the screen in all their scandal. Also, the ending. What can we say about the ending? Life is hard enough. Don't rob us of our expected Happily Ever Afters in the interest of getting an as of yet unsure second season!
All in all, it wasn't bad. Without a second season, it's not one I'd be keen to recommend. There are too many loose ends as of yet.
Why does Miss Lambe still insist Sidney is a bad person? Why didn't Miss Lambe or Susan donate money to preserve Charlotte and Sidney's happiness? Why didn't token proletariat bricklayer seize the opportunity to bare his soul? Why did Sidney happen to know houses of ill repute in London seemingly well? Why does Mrs. C want to marry someone who doesn't love her anymore? Why don't they let their brother rot in debtor's prison? I mean, the first rule of adulting is to buy every kind of insurance available. If you don't, you'll catch ebola and die alone outside of the hospital. Or your city will burn down. Something like that. So why not let him suffer the consequences of adulting like most of us do?
So while the series was captivating and fun, it did have its weak points. But everything happens for a reason. Perhaps this happened in order for us to get another season, or perhaps it was a warning to never fall in love with sulking gold diggers who ride horses and wear odd hats. They may seem fun to date, but they're not going to marry you, honey. Or perhaps it's better this way... Sid and Nancy ended in tragedy. Sid and Lottie is a much smaller tragedy by comparison.
Divergent (2014)
A Real Snoozer
The real shame of this film is that the beginning was decent... and then it fell apart. There was no real character development of which to speak. By the end of the film you feel you *still* don't get the main characters. The acting seemed forced (especially on Kate Winslet's part), and there was no real storyline. I checked out the book to see whether it was a problem on the part of the author or the screenplay. The original material was incredibly poorly written. The redeeming quality of this film comes in the random details, such as Four's tattoo.