TanakaK Reviews

Maestro (2023)

Technical masterpiece, but a dud.

[5/10 · 14 January 2024]

I share others' opinions that the film is flat. It should win an award for Cooper's makeup. But this comes off like a 2 hour trailer for a bigger movie. We get countless close-up clips of LB smoking and mugging in situations that are not always clear. Anonymous characters slide in and out.

And how could music play such a distant role in such a bio? And yet it does. Again, we get snippets of LB composing or playing a piano or conducting. But the title is "Maestro"?

My wife and I came away feeling we had just browsed a book, reading a page or two of all its chapters. Maestro borders on chaos and incoherence. Only the viewer's knowledge of the main character holds it together. And I wonder how many viewers are too young to know or care who Bernstein was?

To Leslie (2022)

Traditional Tale, Well-Acted

[7/10 · 7 June 2023]

This indy film is, contrary to its description, not really about a lottery winner blowing-out. It's a much more human and traditional tale about one woman's painful physical and social recovery from addiction (alcoholism, in this case) in west Texas. The casting is tight and the scenes tend to be spare. But the acting is top-notch and the editing becomes an unseen character in telling the story well. The best films of this genre are those that draw you in so deeply that you find yourself screaming "Don't do it! Drop that drink and run away!". "To Leslie" brought me to that point several times.

"To Leslie" is certainly worth a viewing. Just don't expect to see anything new if you're a cinemaphile.

Sexy Beast (2000)

80% Style, 20% Acting

[4/10 · 1 May 2023]

I know I'm 23 years late with these notes but I finally got 'round to watching this highly-celebrated film. I was shocked at how thin and unentertaining it was. After all the yabba dabba about Kingsley's "genius" performance I expected Ghandi. Not even close.

The story is old (retired thief recruited "one more time") and, here, is told very thinly. There's barely enough writing to fill even the <90 mins. Most of the screen time is devoted to the characters either staring blankly at each other or screaming at each other in unintelligible cockney slang.

I concluded that this must be a film that appeals only to Kingsley die-hard fans or British cockney audiences. I just found no entertainment in it.

Boston Strangler (2023)

Style with Little Substance

[5/10 · 22 March 2023]

Trying to tell this well-known story from such a remote point of view just doesn't work. It has its interesting points but ultimately it just fails to keep touch with the terror of the situation. The work tries to follow a line parallel to that of "All the President's Men" but fails to realize that political intrigue ain't the same game as mortal terror. The overly-heavy-handed dark, old-time-story-sickly-green color grading style doesn't help, either. The final weakening element is the realization that this story is not necessarily told as a documentary...it's "based on".

The original film version of this story held far better story telling, superior acting, superior writing, superior editing. It grabbed the viewer by the guts quickly. Watch Tony Curtis play DeSalvo and skip this style piece.

Escape (1940)

A Good WWII Story Degraded

[6/10 · 8 December 2022]

"Escape" is an engaging WWII-era propaganda adventure intrigue. The film is presented in the classically-framed and lit b&w style of the era. The whole thing just feels cozy...except for Bob Taylor's performance. As was so often the case his performance is completely over-the-top emotionally. He was such a ham. He's on level 9 in every scene, always on the brink of sinking his own cause of saving his mother.

Honestly, I have no idea how Taylor achieved such a legacy of being a highly-regarded actor of his times. His performances so often disturb most of the pictures in which I've seen him play.

The Batman (2022)

Technically Remarkable But Dramatically a DUD

[4/10 · 4 May 2022]

This latest incarnation of the Batman cinema seems to have invested most of its creativity in the technology of making stuff look more believable. Instead of relying on green screen compositing the director uses enormous LED display screens to create scene backgrounds. The difference is noticeable, as the characters are often literally being lit by the actual scene. So The Batman is worth a glimpse if only for such a technical innovation.

Beyond that this is a very amateurish production. The characters are unmemorable, like a cast from a college production. The acting is comically poor at times. And the writing is clearly aimed at easy translation to other languages.

Save yourself.

Inventing Anna (2022)

Well-Acted But...

[5/10 · 23 February 2022]

I just didn't like either of the main characters. In fact, they seemed equally deplorable to this old white guy's eyes after the first episode. Equally shallow ambitions. I felt most empathetic with the writer's unborn baby and husband who both seemed hitched to a desperately self-obsessed woman.

I tip my hat to the actors but I wish I had my hour back.

Dune (2021)

Visually Sophisticated But Otherwise Unengaging

[6/10 · 2 February 2022]

I came to this Dune cold. I knew of, had not read the books. I had not seen the previous film version. I had seen young Timothée Chalamet in "The King" and was very impressed. But otherwise I was cold.

So here is my take on "Dune" as a 67 year-old who has been a fan of the early Star Wars and Star Trek franchises since they were created. The computer graphics effects on Dune were spectacular, bordering on truly believably lensed moments. That's where at least 4 of my 6 point rating is based.

Otherwise Dune seemed to be a jumble of Star Wars, Middle Eastern Islamic overtones, and medieval chivalry all mixed together. The story seemed largely unintelligible, made more so by a hodgepodge of Eastern and British accented actors who whispered and mumbled most of their lines.of generally stiff, ridiculous dialogue. The fantasy world technology was earnestly depicted but was distractingly ridiculous, as well. Civilizations technically sophisticated enough to master personal force field protection and inter-planetary travel, but swinging medieval swords at each other?

I am told that this film only represented the first part of the author's first book, and the new film will finish that work. Count me out. It took six sessions for me to finish this film. I found it impossible to become engaged with the characters or the largely unintelligible story.

In brief I found Dune an over-hyped mess.

Portrait of Wally (2012)

A Worthy Documentary Told Tediously

[5/10 · 26 April 2021]

"Portrait of Wally" tells the story of the attempts to recover a painting stolen from a Jewish collector by the Nazis during WWII. The saga winds its way though a very wealthy collector and through MoMA. Like most such stories that have emerged in recent decades it's interesting.

Unfortunately at about the 30 minute mark it may start to grind on your nerves. Endless little sound bites from talking heads, some Austrian some American, become almost like watching a video ransom note, each mouthing a little bit of opinion on the moment's topic. In the end the painting was just not a big enough deal to me to hold my interest. I just wanted someone to call it and I didn't care who. Unlike other similar stories I was left with an aftertaste that greed rather than justice really was driving the recovery.

At the very least this 90 minute doc should certainly have been cut down to 45-60 mins., tops.

This Is a Robbery: The World's Greatest Art Heist (2021)

No. New. Info. Way. Too. Stretched.

[5/10 · 12 April 2021]

I love art heist docs and have followed the Gardner heist for 20+ years. But this Netflix series is kinda anemic. They take an hour's worth of summary and stretch it to maddeningly tedious length using Netflix-typical non-nutritive filler. And offer no new insights. If you're interested in this heist grab any of the three or so books available on the subject.

Hemingway (2021)

Sentimental and Unnaturally Prolonged

[5/10 · 9 April 2021]

I really wanted to engage with this series. But by the end of the first segment it was getting on my nerves. I have become accustomed to seeing documentary work drawn-out to tedious lengths in this era on Netflix and Hulu. But it was obvious that Hemingway was being treated with, if not kid gloves, the usual high degree of reverence found in the thousands of other bios of him.

I was disappointed with this Burns documentary and could not finish it. I am not an avid Hemingway reader and didn't enter with particular feelings or expectations. Your mileage might vary.

Debris (2021)

Produced in a Blender?

[5/10 · 3 March 2021]

Debris' pilot suggests a mess. The show has some very good aspects, most notably the apparent underlying theme that wreckage from a passing alien spacecraft is landing and wreaking really freaky havoc in places like ... Kansas?

But I said "apparent underlying theme" because the pilot plops us not in the beginning of the story of this "debris" but seemingly in the middle of a season. We're left to our own devices to pick up debris of what apparently has happened long before this pilot episode and what other nefarious subplots are under way. Yes, the writers give the attentive viewer just enough clues to begin drawing the picture.

But the writers also keep making what must be a global calamity of terror into a personal adventure between two uninteresting young hipsters who are special agents for the U.S. and U.K. . The rest of the world is being kept in the background.

Debris probably got a good start but seems to have become a smoothie of mush as a typical result of too many influences on the writing. At the end of the pilot I really wanted a wider angled view that gets me away from these two kids! But I could see that that won't really happen. Too bad. So count me out.

A Life of Her Own (1950)

I Was Glad to See "The End"

[6/10 · 2 March 2021]

Turner certainly earned her pay in this soaper. She really carries the weight of the show. The supporting cast also does good work, especially since the script keeps them all pretty small parts. But Ray Milland is just badly miscast here. He's just not a romantic leading man. That, plus a needlessly elongated and gassy script makes for a dull, forgettable movie that'll have you checking your watch.

The Sunshine Boys (I) (1975)

Burns, Matthau, Benjamin, Simon! What's Not to Like?

[5/10 · 12 September 2020]

Everything, as it turns out. Walter Matthau was among my favorite actors but he was prone to over-acting without careful and firm direction, neither of which this film had. In fairness, this really wasn't among Simon's best stories. It drags and never develops much past the first 30 minutes. Burns and Benjamin do respectable jobs to keep this one-liner alive. But the 55 year-old-playing-a-73-year-old Matthau goes overboard in that first 30 minutes and never gets back on board. His character is just an insufferable old idiot.

Skip this if you've not seen it, even if you're a fan of each of the big names.

The Outsider (2020)

Thin and Gettin' Thinner

[4/10 · 24 February 2020]

The Outsider, like most of these series, started engagingly but has become very thin after several episodes. Like so much of King's writing the material here is little more than a re-combination of elements from other writers' works. Ok, I expected that. But each episode offers less forward movement of the story. Upon reflection you'll realize that a third or more or the screen time is consumed either watching the actors think or travel.

It's the typical King beach brick drawn out as long as possible. Pass unless you're serving a long prison sentence. Life's too short.

Joker (I) (2019)

Plodding Portrait of Mental Illness

[6/10 · 22 January 2020]

Joaquin Phoenix is unquestionably among the best actors of our times. His efforts on Joker should convince any skeptics.

That aside, this film suffers from its comic book character heritage. It would have been more respectable if it simply purported to tell the story of a person whose personal misfortunes, including his loss of medical services, gradually shove him into a complete state of violent insanity. It's a story oft repeated in American society and it's worth portraying to garner better public understanding.

Unfortunately most people pay their money to see a violent new comic book chapter. In this case, they spend most of their time watching the main character disintegrate from within.

The Hard Way (1980 TV Movie)

Quiet Isn't Always Smart

[6/10 · 16 December 2019]

This is, indeed, a quiet film with little dialog and few characters. Unfortunately, that style of filmmaking relies heavily on expert acting, an extremely sharp screenplay, and top-notch cinematography to succeed. The cinematography was fine. But the rest, not so much. McGoohan and VanCleef were both fine actors. McGoohan made his career by saying as little as possible so he fits perfectly into this style. But when they're asked to actually speak ... ugh. The dialog is generally hackneyed and stiff. The story elements, in general, were quite cliche'd even by 1979.

Overall I'd recommend watching it if you're a McGoohan or VanCleef fan. But otherwise you won't at a loss for missing it.

The Irishman (2019)

Paying My Respects

[7/10 · 12 December 2019]

I have nothing but respect for Mr. Scorcese and this dream-team cast. Collectively and individually they have given me countless ours of true entertainment over the past 40 years and I expect more in the coming years.

But I have to honestly admit that this was not their best work. It was way too long (even for Scorcese), too thin a story, and felt too much like a montage of past highlights. I tried to ignore the digital time machine effects but honestly it was sometimes impossible. The eyebrows sometime were just.... well.

Yes, I made it through to the end but I'm not sure how much I really remember! Casino, Goodfellas I remember each scene and line. Irishman...uhhh. ..

Still, I salute the effort and salute Netflix for writing a blank check for this project.

Real Fake: The Art, Life & Crimes of Elmyr De Hory (2017)

Interesting Material Made Incoherent

[5/10 · 30 January 2019]

I love good documentaries about art forgery and theft! So I was eager to watch this film after I stumbled upon it on Amazon. But as interesting as Elmyr De Hory's long, lurid career as a top art forger was it was nearly immediately dulled by the choppy editing, the terrible amateurish sound and the thick accents of the people interviewed. I managed to last 20 minutes before I gave up of this mostly incoherent documentary, Very disappointing.

The Last Tycoon (2016–2017)

A Comic Strip

[5/10 · 2 January 2017]

The concept for such a series is strong and intriguing. Sadly, this pilot does not represent a very good effort. As is so often the case these days the emphasis seems to be technical rather than talent. The scenes are nicely dressed although often lit too strongly and too cool. But the bigger problem is that most of the characters are just that: characters. The dialog is insipidly cliché. The actors all look and act like 21st century teenagers.

Translating period pieces onto any screen in an engaging way has always been challenging. Translating Fitzgerald doubles that challenge, as his stories are virtual bear traps for lesser talents to create comic strips like this.

I don't know where all the glowing reviews are coming from. I cannot imagine many others saw this pilot any differently than I did.

The Age of the Medici (1972– )

A History Text, Indeed

[5/10 · 26 December 2014]

An earlier (the sole, in fact) reviewer of this series suggested that one should approach this 3-part series as an illustrated text rather than a film. S/He was so right! I would speculate that most people should pass on buying this set. Yes, Rosellini's costumes and sets are wonderful. Nearly every frame would make a frame-able painting. And the the daily life details -- the wet horse-dung in the streets, the general filthy conditions of the period, the exquisite artisan-ship of garments for the wealthy -- are sublime.

But this series is filled wall-to-wall with dense, rapid dialog in Italian. It's nearly impossible to follow with English subtitles. And the characters just start to blend into a smear by the end of the first episode. There is virtually nothing to break the series out of its yak-yak-yak drone, historically significant though it may be.

I think even Italians will have a great challenge to remain conscious for this series.

Ghost Bird (2009)

Nor Really About a Bird

[6/10 · 27 July 2011]

Contrary to earlier comments the subject of this documentary is -not really- a rare woodpecker. The bird is merely the conduit for a documentary about much stranger animals: people. It's about how a Mayberry-like community in the deep American South dealt with a brief spotlight of fame when the bird is spotted in its vicinity. It's about excited ornithologists and amateur bird-watchers. It's about the media hungry for feel-good stories amidst a swamp of feel-bad daily news.

Yes, if you're a bird watcher you'll certainly enjoy this doc. But if you could not care less about birds you'll nevertheless be entertained by the portrayal of people's reactions to this spotting, as it's just barely this side of being a bit snarky.

One technical criticism: the audio design is rather poor. For example, the stints of background music become unnerving because they often overwhelms the dialog and is often just distractive noise. Very annoying. But for the poor audio design I would have given this a 7.

The Honey Pot (1967)

Dull

[4/10 · 15 April 2011]

I was quite surprised by my utter boredom with this film. I had read so many high opinions of it. The cast and general description would have suggested an enjoyable feature for me.

But, alas, it stunk. I expected the film to be stagy, as it was adapted from a stage play. But there was just nothing in the silly story to like. Stories like this need to work up to a crescendo of confusion and gaffes. But this one just became a deeper and duller yak fest.

There was also zero chemistry with the cast. I must, here, admit that I do not enjoy Rex Harrison in anything. His hammy, self-centric style always seems completely out of place on the screen. But that aside nobody clicked in this thing. They just talk at each other throughout this bewilderingly pointless plot.

Clearly there are folks who enjoyed this film. More power to 'em. I am just not one of them.

Here Comes the Groom (1951)

A Shining Example

[4/10 · 6 April 2011]

Bing Crosby! Jane Wyman! Alexis Smith! Franchot Tone! And directed by ...(wait for it)...Frank Capra!! What could be wrong with this picture? As it turns out, just about everything. This is a perfect example of how so many wonderfully talented ingredients can produce a stinker. As usual, the writing seems to be the main culprit. The script seems to be swinging for comedic home runs in nearly every scene but spends no time building the characters or their rapport. And speaking of the characters, sheesh! Mostly shrill, self-centered and un-charming. Jane Wyman comes of as a harpy while Bing just sings (un-memorable tunes). Meanwhile Tone and Smith spend most of their time as bystanders. Each character just seems to be doing his/her own thing. This was very surprising to see in a Frank Capra film.

Yes, I realize that audiences had panned this dud long before I was even born. But for newcomers...watch this only to see a contrast example of how all the best ingredients can be cooked to create an indigestible dish.

The Phoenix Lights (2005)

Entertainment Only

[6/10 · 2 April 2011]

Watch this for entertainment value only. This is by no measure a documentary featuring any significant critical thought on this subject. It's basically a continuous stream of "Gee I saw sumthin'in the sky!" testimonials which, as an earlier reviewer noted, becomes very tedious after 30-40 minutes.

I have no doubt that thousands of people "saw sumpthin'" unusual in the night skies over Phoenix in March of 1997. But this "documentary" trades purely in the most outlandish and exotic explanations (i.e. visitors from another planet) for that spectacle.

So if you're the type of person who enjoys such meta-science documentaries you'll probably enjoy this film. But if yours is a more critical mind don't waste 90 minutes on it. You wont be either (a) better informed, or (b) convinced by the thesis.