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trudithnjudith
Reviews
A Brush with Love (2019)
Exceeds Expectations !!
I'm not usually a fan of Hallmark type movies that follow a formula but this offered a little more than the usual sap such as ...
... Chemistry. The two leads had it and that's hard to find. Also...
... **SPOILER** I loved that the final painting was of neither man but a self portrait underscoring the whole "before you can love another you must love yourself" concept.
However I also liked this movie for what it DIDN'T have:
--no sweeping declaration of undying love (aka melodrama). The relationship is new and feelings are guarded---which is so much more authentic. I'd gladly trade drama for realism. If you pay attention to the subtleties the emotion is there.
--no villain. Neither love interest is secretly plotting or cheating or metaphorically twisting his mustache. That makes her choice more significant and again, more real.
I wonder if the reviewers who say the characters are wooden we're perhaps just looking for more Hollywood drama than I happen to care for.
Oddly what I liked is what others hated so that shows you how subjective tastes truly are. See the movie and judge for yourself.
A Winter Wedding (2017)
Nick Bateman Saves This Movie
Nick Bateman Saves this movie.
Unfortunately this movie's plot is thin, focusing on one superficial aspect of planning a wedding. So the drama is very light. Dont expect life altering lessons from watching this movie.
However most of the actors do the best you could expect with the material. The main couple's chemistry is tame but then again it's a Hallmark movie not Showtime. Plus there's a secondary couple with a romanctic plotline too.
Ultimately, if you're looking for romantic escapism this will certainly do the trick because lead Nick Bateman is not just adorable but oozes charm. (Heart him!)
Not Fade Away (2012)
Skip the movie. Buy the soundtrack
Slow and sleepy with many abandoned plotlines throughout. The concept has not only been done before but also done better. Don't bother watching this. However the soundtrack is gold.
Dater's Handbook (2016)
I can't believe I watched this
Tired Premise: Perfect girl stuck in relationship with garbage man dumps him just in time to meet perfect man. Despite living in a city of several million they suddenly bump into each other everywhere they go. However girl rejects him for another loser only to realize her mistake after very little struggle or soul searching. With one kiss she magically fixes everything instantly--the end. What moron thought this was worth making?
Time (2020)
Deceptive film but not entirely without merit
WHAT THE FILM DOES WELL: 1) Illustrates the effect of incarceration on families and 2) inspires activism and positivity as a means overcoming adversity rather than succumbing to despair, anger, and decline.
WHAT IS DECEPTIVE: **possible spoiler alert** The film presents Rob Richardson's 60 year sentence as grossly unjust. The film and press promoting the film suggests he was a first time offender who plead guilty to a nonviolent crime. Very few details about the crime or backgrounds of participants are in the film itself. Lacking details, the viewer easily empathizes with the convicted Richardson.
Curious as to the details I read the appellate court records and learned he was not a first time offender. He or his codefendent fired weapons at police and Richardson and his wife tried to sway the jury by contacting members during the trial.
The implication of gross injustice now feels tainted by lies of omission.
In light of all that would I still feel his sentence was unjust? Probably but my empathy is soiled by my feeling deceived. What else aren't they being honest about?
Lo imposible (2012)
Haunting and Terrifying
I've read that this movie is fairly realistic which makes it horrifying but I'm glad I watched it to learn what happened to all these people.
After everything that happens it's crazy to think that this family is actually lucky. I suspect others had it even worse.
The Intern (2015)
No conflict. Plastic characters living in Pleasantville
My main problem with this movie is that it has no conflict until the 1h:25min mark and even then the conflict is underplayed and quickly resolved with no effort. And since there's no conflict what's the point? Not even the greatness of Robert de Niro can boost this movie to more than a 4/10. All the characters are perfect, plastic people, and everything is constant sunshine. This movie should be categorized as a fantasy because there's barely a drop of real life in it. This is the film equivalent of elevator music.
Garden State (2004)
Great soundtrack. Terrible movie.
Overmedicated man feels magically better after stopping meds cold turkey. The end. The rest of the movie is just filler nonsense---completely absurd events, characters, and dialogue that in no way approaches reality.
That's not what would happen if someone on antidepressants suddenly stopped them by the way, so, Kids, don't try this at home. Where's the withdrawal? Nausea? Illness? Mood swings?
Skip the movie and stream the soundtrack.
Sea Gypsies: The Far Side of the World (2017)
Terrible narration ruins the film's potential
I usually love sea travel stories, but this film's constant terrible narration ruins its potential. Every narration is an overused catch phrase or cliche spoken in a sing-songy tone that doesn't fit the mood of the action on screen. Actual narrator quote "we live in the moment and sail on a whim on a shoestring budget". Ugh. And every piece of narration is nearly this awful. (By the way, documenting a well-planned expedition with predetermined stops/destination is NOT sailing on a whim). It's a shame cause the rest of the crew seemed interesting but they were made quite secondary to the narrator's super pretentious babbling: "what are seen in abundance are fishing fleets that use the island nations as a staging ground for their thankless task of rapidly depleting the Pacific of anything semi-edible". Talk like human, you tool.
Celeste & Jesse Forever (2012)
Hilarious and Sensitive
Not since 50/50 have I seen a movie that manages to be both super hilarious and also emotional and sensitive. Realistic emotions make this anti-rom com a perennial favorite.
Café Society (2016)
Pointless and dull
Boring beyond belief. Most characters are mere caricatures who are wholly unlikeable and face few obstacles in this campy period pic. I was struck by how abrupt the ending seemed but that shouldn't have surprised me in a film with so little conflict and almost no plot.
If not for Eisenberg this wouldn't even rate 3/10 stars but even his charm can't save this. Stewart and Lively are the worst big Hollywood actresses of the last 20 years.
A Holiday Boyfriend (2019)
The Hallmark Style Movie for People Who Hate Those
I hate sappy Hallmark type movies, but this one is different in a few ways that makes it tolerable:
1) Realistically Horrible Depiction of Internet Dating in Your 40's. Dating really is that cringe-worthy and depressing. There's no sugar-coating it here.
2) Realistically Luke-Warm Depiction of Romance. The characters don't "meet cute." It's not love-at-first-sight. It's not all sunshine and roses. No one whispers "I love you" as the music swells and the snowflakes fall. Like life, the main relationship is awkward and uncomfortable, punctuated by brief moments of joy, with a slow-growing understated companionship.
3) The relatively low budget works in this movie's favor. By Hollywood standards, I'm guessing this movie is low-budget, but that actually helps make the movie palatable. Viewers don't need to watch some ultra-posh supermodel living it up in a beachside mansion fully paid for by her 4-hour a week job of cuddling puppies. There's a real person with a normal job wearing Target clothes living in a small budget style apartment.
Public Schooled (2017)
Badmovie, good soundtrack
You may like this if you like irrationally absurdist comedies. I feel it was just trying too hard to be funny. It could have worked with quirky characters but instead everything was pushed beyond farce which deprived the movie of real emotion. With a plot that hinges on personal growth, you need real emotion. Check out the good soundtrack though!
Death Comes to Pemberley (2013)
Backwards casting
The roles of Goode and Rhys should absolutely have been cast in the reverse. Goode has more gravitas; Rhys has more frivolity.