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That Damn Michael Che (2021)
Gratingly unfunny
I couldn't make it past the third episode. A thoroughly repugnant show that is neither funny nor original. Everything from the jokes to the ideas seem stale and recycled.
Bonding (2018)
Bonding
Ultimately this is a bittersweet exploration of self identity and learning to love yourself told through the lens of a professional dominatrix.
The humor often falters but the actors are charming and the sets and camera work delightful. Also despite the 50 shades of Grey inspired recent boom in the portrayal of this world there are still so few mainstream movies/series that present the world of bdsm in a fun, positive and somewhat accurate light in the way Bonding does that that makes it stand out from the pack of such several other whimsical comedies on offer in Netflix.
P.S. More Tiffany dominating Rolf scenes please.
The Big Bang Theory: The Fetal Kick Catalyst (2016)
One of the low points
I love TBBT. It's like comfort food, I really loved the first few seasons and it ended strongly. I repeat watch episodes often when I need a 20-25 minute break.
But man, seasons 9 and 10 were rough. The jokes were stale, they made Penny and Bernadette moderately unlikable and this episode thinks stereotyping of a foreign Romanian lady is somehow the most hilarious thing ever. Just as a cherry on top (and inconsistent to his character as well) Sheldon tells Stuart at one point that Raj is their least favorite but they can't say it because he's a minority.
Sheldon has always respected Raj academically and that throwaway joke is nothing but lazy writing.
Shazam! (2019)
An Overall Triumph
Shazam! absolutely hits it out of the park by bringing the one thing to the superhero genre that had been missing in the recent renaissance of comic book movies : the joy and wonder that is associated with being super powered. You'd think that is something very fundamental yet we have only explored the responsibilities that come with power (think SpiderMan), the empowerment that comes with it (think Wonder Woman), the sacrifice that comes with it (think Batman, Captain America) and so on.
It's a movie with a lot of heart, offers a lot of chuckles and is a genuinely good time at the theaters.
Triple Frontier (2019)
A solid Entertainer
JC Chandor's follow up to A Most Violent Year mostly lives up to the expectations. Featuring a solid cast, some great cinematography and a tense background score, Triple Frontier is a heist movie that is more concerned about what happens after the heist than the heist itself. There are some issues with the pacing throughout, but the movie sticks the landing and the gorgeous locales (shot in South America) coupled with the A-list cast bringing their A game helps hide the flaws.
The Umbrella Academy (2019)
Great Music, Terrific Production Design and an even better Ellen Page
I see a lot of targeted attacks against Ellen Page (the exact same words in multiple reviews) because of course there will be some people who do not agree with her politics (politics = treating everyone equally) and therefore feel the need to troll her work as that gives them some sense of purpose. But she is fantastic in this weird, oddball, superhero genre mashup. Influences from X Men are pretty evident, but the story stands on it on because The Umbrella Academy is singularly interested in not studying the powers of each of the members but of the tragedy that comes with it. In a way, it's a lot like The Haunting of the Hill House only in a starkly different sand box.
Among other performances Cameron Britton's stands out. He was terrific as the serial killer Ed Kemper in Netflix's Mindhunters and he does an equally great part here as an assassin partnered with Mary J Blige's (!) character who is mild mannered to a fault and disillusioned about his life.
The production design is as good as any blockbuster movie and a lot more imaginative to boot. And then there's that soundtrack.
Sex Education: Episode 3 (2019)
Beautiful
Sex Education continues to surprise. That title coupled with the way it was promoted implied a bawdy sex comedy about teenagers, but this is such a lovely, quaint almost beautiful coming of age story about a whole bunch of characters : each written and portrayed with care.
Nothing highlights that more than this particular episode set mostly in an abortion clinic, that gets just about everything right in terms of details, tone and in general storytelling. The use of music is stellar. A whole different article can be written about how good the soundtrack of this series is and this particular episode uses The Smith's 'Asleep' and Ezra Furman's 'Feel Everything' (an original creation for this show) to great impact.
Highly recommended.
Overlord (2018)
Punch the Nazi Zombie in the face.
This rather unfortunate box office flop is a meats and potatoes old school entertainer about a band of soldiers trying to infiltrate and destroy a Nazi stronghold in a remote French village. What ensues is a mix of blood, gore, suspense and zombies.
Competently acted, stylishly shot with some really great stunt and vfx work, Overlord is a smart new genre entry.