rosgembrun Reviews

Full Circle (2023)

What happened?

[5/10 · 17 August 2023]

I have to see everything by Soderberg. But the second half of this one is a disaster.

A resolution to a critical situation seemed to have been resolved. Then... Then who knows what happens.

The original story sort of explodes midway. The real story must be much bigger than first thought. It becomes something else, something that makes no sense to me. Literally, I cannot tell you how the first hand is explained and justified.

I will continue to look forward to Soderberg's next . Sometimes he is very good.

I would think that at the first reading someone would have noticed that the story needs help.

Claire Danes is really good. My first experience with her. The guy who plays the husband sort of evaporates after each of his scenes. He lacks presence. It's almost as if he isn't there.

Danes, on the other hand, is always very much there. You are aware of her.

The Strays (2023)

Not about animals

[3/10 · 24 February 2023]

I cannot believe I stuck with this through the end credits.

It is so awful.

It could have been a touching and heartfelt story about a woman who left her children and never looked back. And now must somehow find a way to welcome them into her new family.

But, no, instead we are server with a horror show.

It took me a long time before I understood why she felt so threatened by these 2 strangers coming around.

Once the 2 strangers are identified, we enter an entirely implausible situation.

She freaks out, seeming almost demented about the man and young woman who begin to invade her space. But then her 2 children become friends with the strangers and the mother is nowhere to be seen. And the father has no objections. Not likely. Especially having the girl over.

Also the boy and the man become friends. The man seems to be training the boy to be tougher . Together they attack a student from the boy's high school, who has been bullying him. What they do to him is horrific, probably a murder. But there is nothing mentioned about the attack afterwards. The bully did not report them to the cops? He was killed? Who knows. We will never know.

The very last minute, literally, is very satisfying.

I think this film is somewhat racist. The full Black ones are animals, and the mixed race ones are civilized.

Iluzja (2022)

What?

[6/10 · 28 January 2023]

I thought I would be watching thriller. I am always looking fir a good thriller. They are hard to find.

I am not sure what this is about. A couple's daughter has disappeared. That's basically it. The mother, grade school teacher is constantly looking for her.

A clairvoyant is consulted. The mother finds a photo of her daughter posted outside the garbage stall at their old apartment building. She consults 2 different people there, one a mute woman whose apartment she enters, and the other a homeless guy sleeping on the floor of the garbage stall. Why she picks on them I have no idea.

Her husband dies. He confessed to killing the girl. But, everyone knows he did not do it.

It6a meditative film. Lots of staring, lots of walking around and staring.

Really, not much of it makes sense.

Perhaps only Europeans understand and appreciate this type if film.

The ending is a doozy.

What?

Good Behavior (2016–2017)

Lady Mary goes wild

[7/10 · 22 January 2023]

What attracted me to this series was Michele Dockery. I am glad I did. I was familiar only with her performance in Downton Abbey.

She is a very good actress.

I liked the series as a whole but was bothered by the basic story: thieving female overhears plot to kill a woman and tries to prevent it, and becomes involved with the contract killer.

My problem, as the story unfolded was with the contract killer. That character does not seem credible. I went along with the story, but was never able to believe in him after the first killing.

Someone who kills for money , I do not think, is not a nice guy, beloved by (some) members of his family, and who wants to help Letty get her son back.

Also, Letty's son Jacob, who is played by a very dark skinned boy actor presented a credibility problem for me. Why was not the part given to a biracial actor.

I have never seen a child who was the offspring of a White and Black couple who did not look biracial but looked only Black. I am going only on my experience, on what I have seen and known.

The casting did not make sense to me. They could not find a biracial child actor?

To be fully enjoyable a story has to be believable, otherwise we are dealing with a fantasy. This story has several holes.

Letty and Javier are in a restaurant after the confrontation with Javier's father. Letty gets a call from her mother, who is in jail and needs to be bailed out. Letty springs into action. Suddenly she's a waitress in the restaurant, wearing a waitress T-shirt. She is now dressed as a waitress and serving tables and dipping into the cash box. Where, how did she get that T-shirt? Did I miss something?

The story is a but of a fantasy type of tale. Sometimes Letty seems like some type of Wonder Woman, with how quickly she is able to resolve a problem by quick thinking helped by disguises.

A lot is forgivable in this sometimes unbelievable story because of the pleasure of watching Michelle Dockery. She is marvelous. She deserves better material.

The Banshees of Inisherin (2022)

Crazy Irish

[6/10 · 16 January 2023]

I liked this film up the the start of the finger chopping. From then on I was really disappointed. A funny story about two friends, one of whom dumps the other because he's dull, was to my liking. I like stories about eccentric types. The other fellow, the dull one, cannot accept being ghosted by his lifelong friend. Does he take the criticism as something helpful and try to be interesting? No. He becomes annoying.

From here on, it was downhill for me. I hate gruesome and I really hate fantasy films. Why fantasy I could not believe that a sane person would chop his fingers off to spite his annoying friend.

I could not buy it.

It could have been delightful and loony. But, no, it becomes gruesome.

The Menu (2022)

Tasteless

[3/10 · 4 January 2023]

When I tuned in I did not realize that this is supposed to be amusing. A satire.

I cannot think of one single scene that provoked even a slight chuckle.

Very soon I found it nonsensical and boring. Puzzling, too.

It's supposed to be a send up of pretentious high end restaurants. And it's also supposed to be critical of the wealthy and famous diners.

I think one would have to have some knowledge of those kinds of places and people to find the humor, the satire.

There is no subtlety here. Everything is extremely shocking and extremely unbelievable. It left me wondering early on what I was seeing.

I had not seen Fiennes for many years in any outstanding film. Had he run out of money and had to play what is really a ridiculous character?

Did the satire hit its target? Who knows, and who cares? I do not know any millionaires or celebrities, nor have I ever been to that kind of restaurant.

This is such a bizarre thing to create. We have numerous public figures that could use skewering. Kanye, The Donald, the Kardashians, Giuliani, Marjorie Taylor Greene. Basketball players who want to post antisemitic stuff but whose feelings are hurt because they are criticized.

We have a public scene that is rich with lunatics and grifters. All very, very wealthy.

Can anyone name one famous restaurant? I can't.

Glass Onion (2022)

Boring as hell

[3/10 · 24 December 2022]

I did not see the whole film? Not even half. After about half an hour, I asked myself, What is this movie about? I had no idea. A lot of talking had taken place, but none of the palaver seemed interesting or worth listening to. Not one likeable character. Benoit seems like a male Miss Marple. And, Craig looks old and tired.

I have seen some really good shows lately, like Emily the Criminal, The White Lotus, The Cleaning Lady. I am spoiled I guess.

I had actually looked forward to this film, having watched Knives Out and enjoyed it, although now in retrospect I cannot remember much about it except that I loved Anna de Armas and became a fan.

In this film I really liked the setting, and that's about it.

Merry Xmas.

The White Lotus (2021–2025)

Outstanding

[8/10 · 25 November 2022]

I saw the whole of the first season and am now into the second season.

Why had I never heard of Jennifer Coolidge before? She stars in both seasons, playing the same character. She is so good. Ditty. Pitiful. Sad. Wealthy. Looking to love and be loved. More of the latter, though.

She meets a fella in the first season and both are in 2.

Both seasons are set in resorts. Plush, expensive resorts. Several plot lines. Some funny. Some dramatic. A good mixture. Season one us set somewhere I'm Hawaii. Number two in Italy. Both are Ship of Fools kind of stories. The second one, at present in its 3rd episode is heading toward a series of murders.

The Wonder (I) (2022)

Manna from Heaven

[7/10 · 25 November 2022]

This film has introduced me to a director whose work I admire. And the lead actor, Florence Pugh, continues to amaze me. Having seen her in Don't Worry, Darling, I was recently surprised to learn she was the lead in Lady Macbeth. Terrific range Here she is quite good. The story is fascinating. Pugh plays a nurse who is tasked with trying to determine how a young girl has survived fasting for months. The girl and her family claim she subsists on "manna from heaven. I am still not sure about an important element of the story: Why. Why claim to being nourished by heavenly food? Also, why, after the nurse forbids the family from seeing the girl did not the girl beg to see her mother?

Although some of the plot is not entirely clear, I enjoyed it It certainly beats watching stuff like 1899.

Inside Man (II) (2022)

Difficult but wonderful

[7/10 · 25 November 2022]

I guess, after perusing some of the reviews, that I am one of the few who really enjoyed series.

It starts out bewilderingly in an American prison and then switches to an English village, but if you stick with, it all comes together.

I found the acting superb. The plot? Somewhat implausible. The Tucci part. Interesting, though.

The central situation, the thing between the pastor and his son's tutor, is entirely believable.

It's one bad decision after another on the part of the pastor. The denouement is fantastic. The last half hour had me sitting on the edge of my chair, screaming "Call the police!!!." I loved it. The script could have been better but it has wonderful actors and gripping elements.

I am going to watch it again.

Windfall (2022)

Puzzlement

[5/10 · 18 March 2022]

If you have not seen it, do not read this.

From the first few minutes I could not believe this story. A billionaire's vacation home is not secured? You can just walk in? The perpetually did not break in. There is no sign of forced entry.

The owner also just walks in. Nothing is locked.

Then, throughout the interactions between the burglar and the owner, the owner makes no attempt to place a good blow on the guy. There are many times when it could have been very easy.

Really, a very flimsy, shambolic screenplay. Equals = rather boring.

Interstellar (2014)

Forgettable

[5/10 · 14 January 2022]

Totally forgettable. Can't remember much about this film. It made no impression on me. I was surprised to learn that Anne Hathaway and McCounehy we're in it. I do not remember them. It's the story. The story was not interesting. I can tell you the Star Wars story. The 2001 story. Even The Arrival plot. But not this one. Almost nothing. It was about nothing, I guess.

Landscapers (2021)

Nah

[5/10 · 2 January 2022]

I have to confess that I did not watch the final episode. I kept hanging on because I admire the two principal actors. But from the very beginning there was something off about it. The acting seemed like acting. There was no suspension of disbelief. I kept wondering why the two had taken this one on. They needed the money.

Sorry. I just could not get into it. Could not believe it or care.

Blood Will Tell (2019)

Patience

[7/10 · 25 December 2021]

It takes a good while before this movie starts to make sense, and once it does it is very much worth the wait. I think the movie deservef better editing. The opening sequence left me wondering why it was included. And the scene where Sebastian tried to force his son to tell him something about the grabdfather, this scene could have been left out. Despite the puzzling beginning and the editing issues, it is a a good watch.

Everybody Knows (2018)

What about DNA?

[7/10 · 28 November 2021]

If you have not seen this film, do not read this.

I liked this after about the first half hour or so. I kept wondering, what is it every one knows? Is it that they all seem to think they should have become flamenco dancers? Also , later on, I had a problem being sure who was who, because some the women look very much alike, as do some of the men.

At the end O wondered if Paco's wife stayed with him because he sells the estate without her consent. Does she consent? Is it not their property, not just his.? Apparently, she does not count. IAnd, I would think he would want proof that the kidnapped girl is his flesh and blood. In that kind of situation, I would want proof.

It's a good flick, with excellent actors. The plot lacks something, explication, perhaps, because when the peeps are revealed. I had no idea who they were, and were they doing it just for the money. Why does the female perp say to her guy, I will miss you? She is not going to profit from the heist?

And what about Paco and his wife.? No estate, no income.

A story like this almost begs for a sequel, because their are so many unanswered questions about characters that you have come to care about.

It could also be that I am not very attentive.

Dune (2021)

Why

[6/10 · 22 October 2021]

Why was this made? The sets are fantastic as are the special effects. The costumes seem middle eastern and some seem medieval. There is even a bagpipe. Weird. I still do not understand what is going on most of the time . Apparently, this is the first of two movies. I think I will pass on number two.

There is a lot of action, sword fighting. Yes, swords and knives. This is supposed to be thousands of years from now, I guess, but they are still fighting with blades.

Here we are in the middle of a constitutional and political crisis and we are coping with a pandemic and hundreds of millions were spent to make a film about the fight to control production of spices. Really.

It's actually kind of boring. Like who gives a ....

Nomadland (2020)

For the blind

[3/10 · 11 October 2021]

A very minor film that won very big awards. Why? Who knows.

Another production featuring an unidentified, unseen narrator, who throughout the film thinks we are blind, that we did not see people do things, like lighting a cigarette, opening a door, sitting down, get into a car, but feels she has to Tell us, "He puts his hands in his packets and..." This after you see the guy do exactly just that. What does the narrator add? Certainly not new information we would not otherwise have. Very annoying gimmick. Totally unnecessary. When the voiceover would start, I would hit the mute button. This is an Oscar winner I will never watch again .

I gueds the Academy voters felt they had to give the awards to a person of color. Not to take away from the director's skill, of which I know nothing.

I thought Kelly Reichardt's First Cow was superior in every respect. I really liked it. Had never seen one of her flicks before.. Marvelous story beautifully told. Emotion. First Cow touched me. This film did not.

This film is so dull. It is documentary-like, about people who live the van life. I kept thinking, Americans live like that?

I hope Academy voters have the fortitude to cast their votes for what they like, not for what the woke folks want them to like.

Reckoning (2019)

WTF

[6/10 · 5 October 2021]

Very early you know who the serial killer is. But why his wife does not know is the real mystery. Early on the guy wakes up with blood all over his face, which he becomes aware off when he gets up and seed himself in the mirror. He is shocked, bewildered, likevwtf, how did I get blood all over my face? He then goes back to the bedroom, where he sees lots of blood all over his side of the bed. As he is looking, his wife walks in,. They stare at each other. The quality of this series is shown by the fact that this scene leads to nothing. Apparently she asks no question, like, Honey, did you have your period last night? Not any time later is there any reference to this important scene. Why did the editor not leave it out?.

The ending makes absolutely no sense. If Mike knows who the killer is, why not arrest him? And the wife knows what he has done, yet she engages in torrid sex with him.

Premonition (I) (2007)

Confused

[5/10 · 3 October 2021]

Made 14 years ago. No wonder Bullock looks so fresh and lovely and young. This movie, though, is confused and confusing. It tries in the end to be inspirational but it has its head all wrong.

Had she not urged him to turn back he would not have been killed. That's the weird thing about this film. In the end she is responsible. It's her fault. But the "premonition" did not include that bit.

Till Death (I) (2021)

Surprise

[6/10 · 2 October 2021]

I was getting ready to switch to some other flick but the gun went off and then the fun started. Suspenseful right down to the last frame.

That Megan Fox is really foxy. Gorgeous. And she can fight.

The Guilty (2021)

Yes, but...

[7/10 · 2 October 2021]

If you have not seen this film, do not read this. It has spoilers.

I like Gyllenhaal a lot. He is an excellent performer. But this film left me asking, but what about? Too many times.

The father finds that the mother has hstmed their little boy, and he takes her where? Why are they in a van on the freeway and the wife is calling 911? Why are they not at an emergency room with their child, trying to save his life?

Why does the little girl not know that her brother has been harmed? And, what is it about this whole experience that leads Joe, the cop working the 911 call, to change his mind about lying about how and why he killed someone while on duty. He and his partner, Rick, have their story ready for the trial the next day. But after the the ordeal of the mother and father and children that's the core of the story, after all that why does he decide to admit that he is guilty of killing a young man.

A lot here does not make sense. If the husband wife situation is not a hostage situation, then, what is it. It makes no sense.

And, at the end, did Emily, the wacko mother jump off the bridge. She says, before hanging up, that she is going to the little boy, who she thinks is dead. But a female cop, reporting back to the dispatchers, congratulates Gyllenhall on doing a good job: "Yeah. She came down off the bridge. Good work , Joe." Probably meaning that the mother did not jump. Whatever.

The Kingdom (2021–2023)

Hooked

[7/10 · 26 September 2021]

I got hooked because I thought, correctly, that it was going to be about fraud and corruption. And, mistakenly, that it was based of real events.

No matter. The actors are excellent. Some of the elements, like the children, the boys, are not presented in way that you can see the connection to the main plot. However, towards the end their importance becomes clear. Also, one whole episode is a retelling of the previous episode. Nothing new is learned or added. That whole episode could have been left out entirely.

Excellent cast. I liked it.

The Wolf of Wall Street (2013)

God awful

[3/10 · 26 September 2021]

Another Scorsese film that I recently found awful. Like Shutter Island. Not the acting. The story is boring.

I watch movies for the stories. Some directors are very good at telling a story. The story, for me, has to touch me somehow, so that I come to care, or am fascinated somehow, so that I want to continue watching.

I kept wondering, What is supposed to be so good about this sh..ty flick?

Maybe Scorsese is overrated. He used to be very good, beginning with Mean Streets. I pretty much felt the same way about The Irishman. I cannot bring to mind one single image or scene from that film, yet I can recall scenes from The Age of Innocence, Good Fellows, Casino, and, of course, Mean Streets.

Goliath (2016–2021)

Too bad

[4/10 · 26 September 2021]

The low rating is for Season 4. It has an annoying voice-over. You see him open s door and a voice says, He opens the door. What is it with this kind of story telling? I do not need for someone to tell me what I just saw. It's really bizarre and annoying.

If the voice-overs provided information that is not pictured, yes. But that is not what we have here. It's as if you were listening to a radio show.

That was the first episode. I tried other episodes. Same voice-over. I removed it from my watch list. I am really disappointed. This was a series I really liked and had been looking forward to the new season.

The Master (2012)

Survival

[8/10 · 17 September 2021]

Freddie survives the Master's BS. That is what I got from this wonderful film. The 2 lead actors are outstanding.