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Being the Ricardos (2021)
A great film
I'm surprised by the 6.7/10 rating of this film, most criticisms are targeted towards the inaccuracy of the script. One person wrote: What's the deal with mentioning Judy Holliday who didn't make a splash in film until 1949? Well, isn't that a stroke of genius by Sorkin? Making it believable yet easily proven inaccurate. As a Lucy fan, I don't want to know who she bad-mouthed behind the scene, may the truth be forever buried with her.
This biopic is way better than most I've watched. Being a gen X, I never truly understood Lucille until I'm at a similar age to her character in the film. I'm finally able to relate to her struggle to gain and maintain control of her own destiny. This film showed many sides of her: ego, talent, hard work, savvy and honesty, no one can make it to the top without all of these skills.
Nicole's portrayal was flawless, she makes it completely believable that we're watching Lucy and not Kidman. Sorkin's rapid-fire dialog also brought out the best in every actor/actress, challenging viewers to not just watch the story but to think about it too. This film is about what it's like to be in Lucy's shoes, and if you can't grasp it after watching this film, then you shouldn't be watching this type of film.
Ojing-eo geim (2021)
Only possible outside of Hollywood
This is the bravest, most intelligent show I've seen in years, absolutely blown away by the thoughtfulness in the script. There's so many layers in the script, one has to be a parent/son/bread winner/unemployed to truly appreciate the full depth of it.
The first layer it puts down is the modern slavery that's known as debt. It uses the the Korean household debt crisis as the backdrop rather than some made up excuse like a sci-fi film. This makes watching the series so much more relatable.
Another layer worth mentioning is the father saying goodbye to his daughter. The depiction was realistic and poignant, none of the overacting typically seen in a Hollywood film. I personally felt the pain for the father.
The fact that characters can act according to their free will adds another layer to the plot. Ultimately, this series is about the ugly side of human nature. Nobody forces us to do anything but when push comes to shove, it often brings out the worst of us, a side that we never knew existed.
Overall, I feel this series is deep and thought provoking. It blends real social issues with fantasy thrills without going overboard. Though we may not have survival games like these in the real world, it is still quite true that debt can make a person vulnerable. So, spare a thought for someone around you who's in financial needs and offer them some help. I think that's the message from the filmmakers.
Minari (2020)
The most American film of the year
It's unfortunate Golden Globes had to categorize this film as "foreign". In my opinion, this is the most American film of the year. Where else can you find an immigrant family leaving their homeland behind, starting from nothing, try to build a farm, learning how to assimilate with the locals while still loving their own culture? Without such a family, we'd not have the strong multicultural society that defines us today.
I like this film for the fact that it focuses on hope and resolution rather than struggles and despairs. This is what the real life is all about. Unfortunate things do happen but most of the times good things will happen to people who put their heart and soul into their work. It's the journey that defines a person, not the end result and I think this movie has captured the essence well.
Tenet (2020)
So much hype so little substance
I liked Nolan's previous movie, Interstellar, so much that I thought this movie was going to stay faithful to the law of physics, at least to the limit that's allowed in a sci-fi film. But I was thoroughly disappointed when I realized this movie was actually the new installment of the James Bond franchise that involves time machine.
Who in the right mind will discover time travel and then hide the work in 9 different locations Temple of Doom style rather than just destroying it? Even if it's destroyed, wouldn't someone in the future's future discover time travel anyway? It's as if Nolan believes without Galileo, we'd still be in the dark ages right now.
This movie, unfortunately, falls into the same trap as other time travel movies: it exaggerates the potency of time travel and the importance of the main character. Making it nothing but a run of the mill sci-fi film.
Nomadland (2020)
So much promise so little substance
This movie's portrait of the nomads are people who choose to live that lifestyle. Just one harmonious community of people who want to live life to the fullest. When the situation hits rock bottom, there's always some family members to turn to and they're back on the road in no time. Unnecessarily glorified the nomads lifestyle.
I may be cynical but I believe most people became homeless or "houseless" not by choice but by the circumstances and they each have a story to tell. Why can't someone use these materials to tell a story and raise people's awareness on the subject?
I really wanted to like this film, but unfortunately, it just didn't live up to my expectations.
Dark Waters (2019)
Thank you
We all grow up watching hero movies, they often look like superheroes or movie stars. In real life, most heroes are people like Rob Bilott, who becomes a hero by simply doing his job. He could've easily walked away from this case and live a normal life but he decided to take it on and fight for his clients for 20+ years, it's a determination few people possess. I also believe Wilbur Tennant is a true American hero by not accepting his fate and insist on justice. Without him, we'd still be thinking Teflon is harmless.
I really think this film perfectly combined a real story with dramatization, great acting with great scripts and cinematography. It's both educational and entertaining. It doesn't leave you heavy hearted, nor does it provide you with the joy of David defeating Goliath and quite often, that's what the real world is all about.
Knives Out (2019)
Watching this is truly as painful as pulling knives out
Why the hype? I have no idea. Fortunately I had one advantage over the audience at the theaters: fast forward. It was so painfully slow throughout, by the middle of the movie, I was thinking this is either gonna end like the usual suspect or dumb and dumber. It became clear after the lawyer read the will. I mean, think about it, even before the sweet and caring Marta can gain control of the assets, she has to clear a lot of hurdles. The family members can file for a court injunction, sue her for wrongful death, undue influence and theft. If she's really lucky, she wins every legal battle and gets to run a small company, but does she understand corporate accounting and intellectual property laws? If she's less lucky, she gets to settle all the lawsuits by selling or giving away all the assets to the circling sharks. If she's out of luck, she'll be incarcerated and tried for murder. The old Thrombey had basically put Marta in a living hell. If I were her, I'd give up all the assets in exchange for not pressing charges and move to Uruguay and live a normal life.
Gisaengchung (2019)
What's the hype?
I don't understand the hype surrounding this movie. First, similar subjects have been covered many times before, e.g. "Shattered glass", "Catch me if you can", "Bling ring". Second, this film isn't particularly educational or anywhere near a real event. Third, this film doesn't even stand out among Korean films, the acting, cinematography, scripts are good but not great. I'm sure most people would have no recollection of this film in a few years because it's a movie about ... nothing.
Mou seung (2018)
A promising start but disappointing the rest of the way
Seldom do you see a Hong Kong film spending so much time on explaining the technicality of something as specialized as printing fake money to the point it almost feels like a true story. Well, as it turns out, it is based on a true story. The true storyof Arthur J Williams, a Chicago man who grew up in a poor neighborhood and took on counterfeiting the new 1996 bill as a challenge because his girlfriend joked that he couldn't crack the security. The movie would've been great if it kept following the story of Williams, but it didn't, maybe because HK film makers didn't want to pay him millions of dollars to make his bio pic.
The fact that this movie took on the usual suspect's plot should come as no surprise for anyone who lived in the 90s. To me, it was a case of wondering how much crap this director can put in this film before announcing that big surprise at the end? Well, I got my answers by fast forwarding most of the armor vehicle heist, the Rambo in south east Asia scenes, and the ensuing love story. At least the cops-and-robbers part was a little bit more interesting but it was still all too predictable. And when the end came, the director decided to make it politically correct and not let the bad guys walk free, maybe that's the only way it can be shown in mainland China?
I feel this movie tried to be too many things at the same time and ripped off a great true story and made it into a mainstream action film. Apparently, Arthur J Williams' is negotiating with Hollywood producers for the movie right to his story. Hopefully the Hollywood's version will be more focused and hence more watchable than this film.
Flight (2012)
A great movie, but ...
A great movie, riveting from the first scene to well, the last 15 minutes or so.
The biggest let down for me was the typical Hollywood, politically correct ending, which in my opinion is very unnecessary and counter intuitive. Had the movie ended on the moment captain Whitaker walks into that NTSB hearing, it would've been just as effective and probably more moving.
As for Denzel Washington's performance, there's no doubt he's delivered one of the best in his career. He literally held the movie together single-handedly; you'd struggle to find a scene without him in it. It's like watching a heavy weight champ at work, he knows exactly when to deliver a punch and where to deliver it to. I'm glad to see him finally back in this kind of roles after so many forgettable ventures in the last 10 years.
The Avengers (2012)
2 hrs and 23 mins of fluffs
For those of you who are looking for more than just action sequences, this is going to be a very long film for you; my advice is: visit the restroom as often as you'd like, don't torture yourself.
Take away the very predictable first 45 minutes of team assembly and the final 45 minutes of predictable one-sided mano-a-mano, there's still 50 minutes in the middle to put together a decent story. But when all is said and done, you'll find it's impossible to describe what the movie was really about. After all, no one ever promised it's a movie about anything.
Worry not though, no one is ever going to ask you about the storyline. Your sole responsibility is to remember the details of the special effects e.g. how the smoke coming out of a broken rotating blade is sucked back into it. Abandoning that, and you've just wasted a good chunk of your life.
So, choose wisely. If you're like me who can think of a million other ways to spend 2.5 hours of weekend time, you probably should choose one of those instead.
The Iron Lady (2011)
A truly great subject ruined by a truly awful script
Hands up those of you who knew the life of Ronald Reagan in his final years. Not many, I guess, because we respect his privacy. So why did the writers and director of this biopic decide to devote 2/3 of the film on a speculative version of Margret's life after politics rather than telling the factual events of her 11 and half year as prime minister of Britain? Surely even an Oscar is not enough an excuse to warrant such heinous act.
In the movie, Margret Thatcher's portrayed as a sufferer of hallucination and dementia, which we all get 5 minutes into the film. Every time when we thought that's the end of that, the director, Phyllida Lloyd, decided to give us some more of it, playing out scene after scene of Thatcher in mentally unstable condition and ultimately used them to form the fabric of the film. Whether Phyllida's sucking up to the academy judges may never be known. But there's one thing very clear: the ones really hallucinating are those behind the camera for they can never explain how they gained access to such intimate knowledge other than to admit it's all just a fantasy.
Meanwhile, the real Iron Lady herself showed up in a London Park last week (March 19, 2012) looking as classy as ever, smashing the so called "mad" theory to pieces. She even refused to use a walking stick just to prove a point. She may not be a picture of perfect health, but to most of us, she's as healthy as a 86-year old can be. One can only wish to be like her if and when we reach her age.
The Kingdom (2007)
Lots of acting, lots of actions, but not sure what it's all about.
I watched this movie over the weekend in 2 parts, and I felt like I was watching 2 different movies
The first part, in my opinion, was pretty well made. The writers and director had the guts to tackle the true story of how Americans live in Saudi Arabia. A kind of "You don't mess around with me, I don't mess around with you" standoff between 2 cultures. The gruesome attacking sequence was also very well made; dramatic, swift and to the point without any unnecessary gore. I was under the impression that this may turn out be a serious movie after all by a couple of "Academy-award caliber" actors in Foxx and Cooper.
But as soon as our 4 fearless FBI agents departed with that military jet, so did the story. Instead of sticking to telling the truth, the director decided it's time to tell a tale. I don't disagree that US lead leaps and bounds in crime scene investigation over Saudi, but the fact that 4 agents took less than 2 days to gather most of the damning evidences with virtually no help from the locals is simply an insult to the Saudis and the rest of FBI. If investigating a terrorist attacks was so easy, why did FBI spent so much time on Oklahoma city bombing?
The last portion of the movie was more or less the final nail in the coffin for this lackluster movie. I couldn't make up my mind whether I was watching a western cowboy film with assault rifles or Miami Vice II. The characters were warned that terrorists would "Trade 10 of them for one of you", but somehow it turned into 100 for none. I've lost count how many times our heroes cheated death by shooting down bad guys with unlimited ammo and Robinhood like precision. The fact that they not only managed to weave through a hostile Suweidi territory but also managed to wiped out a well-equipped, well-organized militia before rescuing one of their own virtually unscathed was just too hard for me to swallow. It made me feel like I was watching a computer game rather than a movie.
All in all, I feel this movie tried to be too many things at once but succeeded in none. I kept thinking what ifs? What if the agents trying had to retreat? What if agent Leavitt didn't make it? What if they couldn't find the terrorist group's leader? It probably would break a few American macho hearts, but will certainly hit home one important message: Every peace maker at some point gets bitten by his own work - just like a bomb maker. Unfortunately, the writers and producers either didn't realize they were onto something or they simply decided to look the other way, and missed a great opportunity to tell a great story.