cheekymonkey67 Reviews

Witch Hunt (I) (2021)

Bad on SO many levels

[2/10 · 4 December 2022]

This movie tried to be poignant but was FAR too poorly made to reach that. The story was bad, the acting mediocre, and the director/writer seemed to be using the story of Anne Frank but lacked the story telling and directing skills to pull it off in a believable manner. I do not care about the lack of action or use of witchcraft. This story was just not told well. It was far too predictable. The protagonist was not played well. I found myself laughing at a few moments of this film simply because it did not stay true to its own story. It rambled and contradicted itself. I am surprised a studio thought this was something to invest in. It may have touched a chord with a few but all it touched was my desire to have the time back.

Perfume (2018)

Imitation is not always flattering

[5/10 · 26 November 2022]

This series is okay but lacks substance and believability. The mystery is mediocre and not well told. Investigators touching everything. Every woman is portrayed as a victim of one sort or another. An ending that follows these themes to a fault. The acting was good, it just felt like the directing and story were not the greatest nor told to their full potential. I can understand loving Süskind's book and the movie was good. Both told the story well. This simply did not have the story or storytelling to be authentic. I would like to have seen this done by a good director and am surprised that Süskind wrote any of the screenplay. It would have been better served by someone that did more research on policework. Worth a look but do not expect believability from the story.

Living with Yourself (2019)

Pleasantly Surprised

[8/10 · 25 December 2019]

I have to admit that Timothy Greenberg is MASSIVELY onto something here. I had put off watching this, thinking it fluff, but was very pleasantly surprised at how darkly funny and thoughtful this show is. Given the technological times the subject of cloning is a much travelled road but they managed to not only keep me interested but eager to see how the story unfolded. Mr. Rudd seems like an obvious choice for a role like this yet he gives one of the most starkly real performances I have seen from him. I look forward to seeing how and if they continue this one. I hope there are more seasons of this. Nobody gives you a road map of how to deal with yourself. This literal interpretation is fairly entertaining. But the dance routine though...SMH... #MonkeyApproved

Descent (2007)

Partially Brilliant

[6/10 · 7 August 2013]

I have to admit that I enjoyed this film. It had a stark grit that is lacking in big budget films. I felt that the story of her "descent" and awakening to the power of allure and sexual appetite was well done with the exception of the skipping of large amounts of time. I had the feeling that this was to relay that her descent took time but it also detracted from the feeling of being emotionally connected to her to some degree. It would have been better served if we could have seen the progression from shock to being drunk in the club as well as other progressions. The culmination of her descent provoked many feelings in me: vindication, shock, arousal, ultimately sadness and futility. I gave this a 6 because of the disconnect in the emotional story line but as a story and cautionary tale this movie was right on the mark.

C.S.A.: The Confederate States of America (2004)

Not a laughing matter

[2/10 · 8 January 2008]

I was not impressed by this film at all. It was cheap in production which is fine if not coupled with a cheap ploy to seem controversial by using race as a platform. You might as well make a comedy about what if Al Qaeda took over the world or better yet if the American Indians had enslaved white people. Neither scenario is funny to think about. While written and directed by a man of color I can't help but wonder what his TRUE motivation was (aside from the afore mentioned attempt to create interest in his film through controversy) in light of the fact that there are actually still people that would like to see things the way he has portrayed them and he is just giving them, in his allegedly satirical advertisements, something to show at their next white sheet meeting. I am normally a big fan of satirical comedy, the more irreverent the better, but I had a hard time swallowing this as humor. I am completely capable of laughing at the mistakes of our past but give me something funny to laugh at....