meezerfan123 Reviews

What Is a Woman? (2022)

Hard to argue with

[10/10 · 6 June 2023]

This is not a transphobic film at all. It is simply a film that asks a question that has become difficult to answer in our society. If we can no longer define what a woman is, how can we have women's sports, women's colleges, scholarships for women, a women's bathroom and woman-only clubs and spaces? Is the conclusion that there is no gender and we stop having separate anything for anybody? If there is no more gender, isn't that the end of LGBT because it's all irrelevant now? How can there be same-sex relationships at all if everybody is the same amorphous group and no gender can be adequately defined? These are all valid questions and Matt Walsh is the only one brave enough to ask them.

The Idol (2023)

I'm gonna watch it but it's no Succession

[6/10 · 5 June 2023]

I mean, I have to have something on Sunday night, right?

I had to watch it just to see how it turned out afer all the drama during filming. Lily-Rose is fantastic, very believable. What I'm not buying is that she'd be so taken with Tesfaye's character, who comes off very much like an uncool dork who's watched every Youtube video about how to win women over by negging them. Maybe that's a commentary on Levinson more than anything else? Anyway, if Tedros is supposed to be a dom, this ain't it. Maybe the series needed a BDSM consultant because no woman, no matter how naturally sub, is going to fall for this character.

I did enjoy the accurate portrayal of the music industry, and I'd watch a whole show centered on Jane Adams' character. She was the best. The clash between the old guard and the new woke internet people is amusing and true to life. Like I say, I'm gonna watch it. I just think it would have been a lot better with a different actor.

Don't Worry Darling (I) (2022)

Enjoyable but you could drive a classic car through the plot holes

[8/10 · 26 December 2022]

I enjoyed this movie but I do think the script could have been better. I mean, what's not to like about amazing MCM decor, gorgeous clothes, and gorgeous people? It's hard to see Victory as a horrific place for a woman; these women may do their own housecleaning and cooking but they also seem to have glamorous parties to attend every night (who IS watching all the children?), handsome husbands who adore them and, in the case of the main character, mind-blowing newlywed type sex.

At a certain point, Alice (Florence Pugh) starts to see things that are not quite right and she tries to figure out what's really happening. The problem is, the plot is so lame and unbelievable.

If a doctor disappeared from her entire life, I do believe they would look in her apartment as part of the investigation. Come on. Did nobody bring that up in a story meeting? Also, is Jack the only relationship she has - no family, friends, etc.?

I still liked it, it was entertaining and that's what entertainment is supposed to be. I just kind of thought the feminist message was lost because, really, Alice's life was pretty terrible before - 30 hour days but you live in a hovel? Why? If you can't give up the loser boyfriend, at least take your doctor money and get a decent place for the two of you to live. If she'd had an amazing, successful life and he wasn't her boyfriend but a stalker who had snatched her from it in order to own and control her completely in an alternate reality, that would have made more of the point that I think Olivia Wilde was trying to make.

Keep This Between Us (2022)

It's a real problem but I don't think she should be the spokesperson

[5/10 · 19 October 2022]

Honestly, this girl is just not the one. Yes, she got involved with an adult when she was 16. She also continued the relationship 5 years into being a legal adult, lived with him, and laughs about defaulting on a loan she got him to co-sign for. As an adult, she moved into the home he shared with his wife and had sex with him in that home when the wife was away. It also comes out that she cheated on him when they were two adults having a relationship. He's no prize but neither is she. It becomes more of a documentary about two bad people than a story about a bad person and his victim. I just don't feel sorry for her, so the whole thing seems pointless.

A Friend of the Family (2022)

Absolutely enraging but compelling story of a textbook narcissist

[10/10 · 8 October 2022]

I agree with other reviews that recommend watching "Abducted in Plain Sight," the documentary, on Netflix so that you understand the story going in since this adaptation does jump around in time quite a bit. That said, it is an incredibly compelling dramatization of a malignant narcissist and pedophile and what he did to a family whose strong religious beliefs led them to expect the best from people and at the same time, left them extremely vulnerable to manipulation. There isn't a weak link in this cast. Anna Paquin is excellent as a good mother who gets no validation from her strict disciplinarian husband, Colin Hanks. Hanks is spot on as the kind of rule-follower who believes that's all he has to do to get through life. Jake Lacy is the creep, but handsome and charming enough that you understand why he got his own way in situations where it is mind-blowing that he did. Lio Tipton plays his wife, meek with a side of just-as-psycho, and quickly makes us forget we first met her as a model. Finally, all I can say about Hendrix Yancy is this kid deserves an Emmy nomination - her portrayal of an abuse victim who still loves her accuser is so accurate that it is chilling. It is hard to watch because you know someone should be protecting this vulnerable child, but no one is! The show is making me want to yell at the TV which I'm sure is what they were going for. I hate that this is a true story, but the dramatization makes for A+ television.

WeCrashed (2022)

One of the best things I've ever seen on streaming

[10/10 · 16 April 2022]

Jared Leto and Anne Hathaway are so good in their roles that you forget they are Jared and Anne. You truly believe they are Adam and Rebekah and that they are crazy in love, and crazy period. The writing is excellent and I care about the minor characters just as much as the stars. It's always a little challenging to dramatize a true story but this is so good that I'm excited every time Friday comes around and I have a new episode to enjoy. I hate to see it end!

The Undoing (2020)

Extremely well done but I would have preferred a different ending

[9/10 · 28 January 2021]

Love the writing, the acting, the directing - but not the ending. There were easy ways to put a much more interesting twist on the ending, and they simply didn't happen. Had I been writing it, Grace would have been the murderer, and everything else about her decision to set her husband up for the crime. I didn't find the murder the way it played out to be believable. But I still have to give it nine stars for the overall execution.

St. Elmo's Fire (1985)

I could guess the age of reviewers by the ratings

[8/10 · 20 September 2020]

You had to have been there. That's all I have to say about this 80's movie about twenty-somethings struggling through their first years in the adult world. This is who we were. We didn't have social media, we didn't have therapists, and if we asked our parents for help, we got a lecture about learning to stand on our own two feet. So yeah, by today's standards, it doesn't play that well - in particular, one character's pursuit of a woman who is just too nice to clearly tell him no comes off extremely stalker-ish to modern eyes. But it accurately portrays the messiness of life and relationships if you were alive at that time, and it's still a fun watch with great music. Demi Moore is just wonderful in this and so is Rob Lowe. They're hot messes, but such pretty hot messes!

The Great Gatsby (2013)

I enjoyed it - but it could have been better

[7/10 · 21 July 2020]

Leonardo DiCaprio was excellent as the mysterious Jay Gatsby. I was less impressed with Carey Mulligan as Daisy and thought the casting wasn't on target; in my mind Daisy is much more elegant, a show-stopping kind of a girl who draws every eye in the room to her, and that's just not how it played.

The parties were awesome and the production design and costuming outstanding. I did not care for the modern music being woven in as I didn't like how it affected the realism of the piece otherwise. I would have liked to know more about Gatsby's business.

However, the ending hit exactly as the book did, with the main point being that the characters' own failings lead to an ending that. while shocking, is also not all that surprising, and that ultimately Jay Gatsby has thrown his life away for a woman who was never, ever worth it. It also spotlights how class and wealth often determine your entire life instead of hard work, a message that will never get old for most viewers.

Run (I) (2020)

A wild ride about a familiar fantasy

[10/10 · 28 April 2020]

The bad reviews make me laugh because I'm pretty sure most are from guys who think a woman wouldn't do what Ruby does. Truth is, most have that guy for whom we would and it's never the guy you actually marry. Let us drink our wine and watch our fantasy! I'll be tuning in every Sunday.

Richard Jewell (2019)

A horror movie for our time

[10/10 · 12 December 2019]

What if someone decided you were guilty of a horrible crime? What if the news said you were guilty and your friends, neighbors and co-workers believed it? What if the police tried to bully you into a confession when you were completely innocent the whole time? This is the true story of Richard Jewell, an innocent man who was cancelled by the media long before cancel culture existed. Excellent acting by Paul Walter Hauser and Kathy Bates and of course directed masterfully by Clint Eastwood. If you're not frightened by this movie - you're not paying attention.

Sharp Objects (2018)

Honestly terrible

[1/10 · 17 July 2018]

I can only imagine that the good reviews come from people who read the book and know something is going to happen. I didn't read the book and gave up on anything interesting ever happening. Just flat out BORING! Amy Adams cannot save this train wreck.

In Vino (2017)

Clever and hilarious!

[28 July 2017]

Saw this tonight at a sneak preview screening and really enjoyed it! It's very funny and the writing is super clever and unpredictable. Ed Asner is remarkable...if anything, he is getting better with age. He was so freaking funny and his facial expressions were hysterical! Sean Young rarely gets cast in a comedy, which makes it all the more fun to see a completely different side of her as billionaire Asner's scheming third wife. But who isn't scheming here? The only question is who will come out on top! The writing and the acting put this one a big cut above other low-budget comedies.

Suicide Squad (2016)

Horrible edit but some intense and compelling performances

[8/10 · 28 February 2017]

I have to still give it an 8 because Robbie, Leto, Hernandez and Smith are absolutely at the top of their mutual games here.

Margot Robbie could not be more spot-on as Harley Quinn. She has the physical look to match the character and obviously spent a lot of time getting the mannerisms and personality just right. She's athletic and did most of her own stunts in the movie, including a particularly frightening long underwater scene.

Jared Leto is the only Joker I've ever seen that I found compelling - but I'm a woman. I understand why the overgrown fanboys don't particularly care for sexy gangster Joker, but every woman I know thought he was smoking hot in the role. Leto has aaaaahmazing chemistry with Robbie and if D.C. has the good sense to focus a movie on their Joker & Harley Quinn, all I can say is, take my money.

Will Smith's portrayal of a cold blooded professional hit-man who cares about one thing - his young daughter - is equally exceptional. It's hard to think of a bad guy no matter what he's done because of the humanity and vulnerability he brings to the role. He did a great job without having a lot to work with script-wise.

Viola Davis is an excellent villain in this. She's everything that has ever been wrong with the government and she really makes you relate to the so-called criminals who are at her mercy.

Finally, Jay Hernandez is terrific as a villain trying not to use his highly destructive superpowers. He knocked it out of the ballpark. I would love to see more of his backstory in Suicide Squad 2. For that matter, I'd watch a whole movie about the character.

The Enchantress plot is weak and, quite frankly, boring. Kinnaman and Delavigne have zero chemistry so you don't care about their relationship, which might have made it a lot more interesting. Some characters are just filler (Captain Boomerang, Katana, Slipknot - who cares?) The biggest problem is that they sliced and diced this movie to the point where a lot of it makes no sense. It looks like it was edited by a chimp. The extended cut is MUCH better but I wish they'd release a full version with everything they actually filmed.

The sequel is coming so hopefully WB/DC can do better this time. Give us a lot more of the Joker and Harley relationship - those two are scorching hot together! - and definitely more Smith and Hernandez in their roles. Don't sacrifice backstory and character development for action. Half your audience is women - you can't just blow stuff up and expect us to be into it. You've got some amazing actors here, so use them!

Until the Night (2004)

If you live in L.A., you know these people

[10/10 · 29 June 2004]

The thing that struck me the most about this movie is that I felt like I was at a party in L.A. watching real people. Elizabeth (Kathleen Robertson) is a successful businesswoman who cannot admit her life is imperfect even to her close friends. She's married to Daniel (Michael T. Weiss), a once-hot actor who now can't seem to motivate himself to do anything but sit around and drink. She cheats on him in a desperate search for some kind of emotional fulfillment, but still feels so responsible for him that she cannot leave him and cares for him like a mother with a sick child. Elizabeth's ex-boyfriend, Robert (Norman Reedus), a fashion photographer, lives in a world full of plastic hotties who have nothing of substance to offer him - certainly not the intelligent and understanding ear he needs. Yet, he cannot seem to relate to his live-in girlfriend, ex-actress Mina (Missy Crider), in any way that doesn't involve a video camera. Karina's mood swings don't help things much. When Robert and Elizabeth encounter one another again, sparks fly and they fall back into an affair without thinking too hard about it, a move that impacts everyone's life.

It is ironic that the character who comes off as the most emotionally healthy in this film is Cosma (Sean Young), the Hollywood madam Robert visits for instant gratification. Cosma seems to understand the futility of it all and has chosen to have a good time rather than analyze things too deeply. This is a sharp contrast to Robert, who is so typically L.A. in this aspect - he would analyze the label on a can of soup. All of these characters are incredibly wrapped up in themselves. They are so inside their own heads that you want to slap them and say "Snap out of it! Go volunteer somewhere! You're young and attractive, you live in L.A. and your life does NOT suck!" Instead, they analyze and give vent to all of their emotions and self-destruct in various ways. So, so true to life. A brilliant character study with some truly fine performances, most notably Kathleen Robertson, Norman Reedus and Sean Young. I highly recommend it!

Kingpin (2003)

Wow, I'm actually watching network TV

[10/10 · 9 February 2003]

After years of only finding good dramas on HBO and Showtime, I'm finally watching network TV and enjoying it thanks to this show. The show is both well written and acted. Sheryl Lee is a pleasant surprise - I think I've only seen her before as Laura Palmer on Twin Peaks and had no idea she was so talented. Brian Benben's morally conflicted plastic surgeon is equally intriguing. This is one miniseries that definitely needs to return for a full season!

Spider (2002)

Slow-moving character study, not Cronenberg's best

[6/10 · 1 January 2003]

I really liked previous Cronenberg films such as Crash and Existenz, so I was sorry to find this one disappointingly slow. I was waiting for the pace to build but it never really happened. The performances are excellent - Fiennes is amazingly consistent as the mentally disturbed character he plays, Richardson deserves an Oscar nod as well, and Byrne and Redgrave are also terrific. But overall, I just don't think it's as innovative or interesting as Cronenberg's other films.

Hedwig and the Angry Inch (2001)

If this is bad music, what do you like?

[10/10 · 22 December 2002]

I feel compelled to comment on the previous user's comment.

If you think this is bad music, you have no taste in music. Someone had to say it.

Personally, I think the soundtrack to this film is among the best I have ever heard. You will find yourself singing the songs to yourself for weeks afterward, which is pretty humorous if you stop to consider the content.

I have dragged several friends to see this movie and even the people I thought were going to freak out about the subject matter loved it. While you aren't likely to share the main character's problem, the themes in the movie are universal and easy for anybody to relate to. It's a great movie with terrific music and I highly recommend seeing it. If you're in L.A., I strongly recommend the Rainbow Carnage midnight show with the live action alongside the film. Hilarious!

Majorettes in Space (1996)

Hilarious but there is a serious message

[10/10 · 10 September 2002]

First of all, I have to say that I laughed harder at this short film than I have at any film of any kind in literally years. The narration is hysterically funny precisely because it doesn't try too hard - it's like the guy you know who, in a perfectly serious tone of voice, says things that are unintentionally funny.

By the end, however, it has all tied together to present a very serious message. A lot of the humor is aimed at helping you see how idiotic and illogical anybody who would argue with the film's message is, and since I do agree with these filmmakers, kudos to them!

Secretary (2002)

One of the best movies I've seen in a long time!

[10/10 · 9 September 2002]

I saw this film today at the Toronto Film Festival. First of all, the acting is excellent - James Spader and Maggie Gyllenhaal both put in top-notch performances. Second of all, the script is actually clever and not predictable which I find is very rare these days. I was surprised (pleasantly) at the ending and that almost never happens for me since I'm so familiar with the typical "formulas". Shocking? Only if you're so easily shocked that you should stick to watching Barney & Friends. The movie's original, lively, very funny at times and best of all does not preach or judge regarding its subject matter. Two thumbs up!

The Invisible Circus (2001)

Guess you either loved it or hated it...

[8/10 · 12 January 2002]

I loved it. I had just sat through half of "The Glass House" (turned it off...god what a morass of predictable plot and bad acting) and then I saw this movie. I thought it was terrific. Loved both Cameron Diaz and Jordana Brewster in it. I liked the escapism of the whole setting, the traveling around Europe in the 60's thing - yet they made it more realistic by showing the dark side and all of the bad things that could happen. It held my attention completely, even if I did think that parts were unbelievable.

Eye for an Eye (1996)

Telling it like it is...

[10/10 · 14 September 2001]

...seems to have enraged some viewers of this film. The bad guy is really bad. Guess what, they're like that in the real world too. There are plenty of bad guys out there who have no redeeming qualities and do laugh at the system, assuming it will never be able to really punish them. I found this movie very believable and thought the acting was terrific and the climax very satisfying. It was nice to see something come out of Hollywood that wasn't skewed in perspective by the left coast that produced it. Anybody who thinks Robert Doob as a character is too one-dimensional to be believable has never met a violent criminal in the flesh.

The Others (2001)

The kind of movie they rarely make anymore...

[10/10 · 2 September 2001]

Oh, I'll agree to a point with the naysayers - twenty minutes in, I thought it was going to be slow as molasses - but I was wrong. This is a fantastically directed, written and acted movie and it does have that old-movie feel to it. I did NOT see the ending coming - I had part of it figured out but the complete truth of it shocked me. I gave it a ten out of ten.

Six Feet Under (2001–2005)

Brilliant new series

[25 June 2001]

I can't believe I'm saying this, but I enjoy this show even more than "Sex and the City". These days, television is full of sloppy writing that assumes the viewers are idiots who won't notice, but this show is different. It's slick, the dialogue is clever, and it makes sense. The characters are well structured and incredibly human and believable. I particularly like Rachel Griffiths, but I can't think of anybody who's doing a poor job on this show. Two thumbs up!