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Ball of Fire (1941)
A Sugarpuss and Professor Classic Comedy!
Ball of Fire is a fun wickedly funny movie! Featuring Barbara Stanwyck as Sugarpuss O'Shea- a nightclub singer and dancer- and Gary Cooper as Bertram Potts- a Professor of English and Grammar who is writing an encyclopedia along with his seven dwarves colleagues-, the plot moves quickly and thickens into a comedic romance. Sugarpuss is on the lam and avoiding a "supenee" from the law which puts her in the house where these isolated men are living and working. Though the Professor initially is documenting linguistic conventions that only "ordinary" people can shed light upon, Sugarpuss also teaches Pottsy about the art of love. In the end, they both steam up the screen together. A classic film made for laughter and it delivers!
One Bad Apple: A Hannah Swensen Mystery (2024)
Fun New Beginnings!
The new Hannah Swensen movie- One Bad Apple- featured a returning cast with Hannah featuring her sparkling baker mystery solving prowess! I especially loved Delores as a sleuth who ran around in Where in the World Is Carmen San Diego clothing- fun hats and trench rain coats. Barbara Niven sparkled in that role! Her sisters remain in the cast as does Norman the dentist. But Mike is gone- off to FBI school. He's gone but not forgotten. There is a new guy or two in town, one of whom is murdered. Alison Sweeney was so much fun as Hannah, adding just the right mixture of fun, excitement, and yummy cookies 🍪 🍪 🍪! Much improved story line over the last two plots- a must see for all fans of the series!
All the Light We Cannot See (2023)
Fabulous Story and Fabulous Acting!
The book was superb! It is rare for a movie to live up to the book- this one did! Wonderful story portrayed by powerful performances by the actors. I especially enjoyed the way they threaded the story over different points in time. Hitter's Germany was no match for the love story captured here. The film version altered some of the story line of the book but it was true to the characters and I liked it this way, too. The power of radio stories and connections with people in different places at the same time in history was also intriguing. When the characters linked up in the present, they had a shared past. I highly recommend it!
L.A. Confidential (1997)
Once in a Million Movie!!
Brilliant Once in a Million Movie!! Complex action-packed storyline, superbly acted by all, particularly the roles of Lynn Bracken (Kim Basinger) and Bud White (Russell Crowe). The plot thickens with viewings and leaves a lasting impression in the ongoing challenge of good versus evil, of love triumphing over the shadow, of light winning over darkness, of the thin but impermeable line between morality and immorality. This movie comes full circle as it addresses the age-old question: Does the end justify the means? I was surprised by the outcome and impressed by who really won as the story drew to a close.
Killing Eve: Hello, Losers (2022)
Killing Villanelle- A Cheap Shot at an Iconic Character
The ending of Killing Eve was cruel and heartless to the fans and to the growth shown by the main characters- Villanelle and Eve- over time. People form close relationships and become attached to favorite characters. They become our friends. When the writer kills a favorite character- in this instance Villanelle- the audience mourns her death, as we treated Villanelle as if she were real. Indeed, fantasy is the willingness to suspend reality, and that's what makes fictional tales work.
Endings in which favorite characters are killed to end a series are cheap shots- literally in this case- designed to elicit emotion. They do. Huge numbers of the Killing Eve fans are devastated.
Villanelle represents a queer character who the audience loved. I see no reason to continue the destructive trope of Kill the Gays. It's an ongoing patten that needs to be addressed. The symbolic annihilation of gay characters is a message that was not missed by the fans. Villanelle deserved a chance for Happiness, as Luke Jennings gave her in his books. So did her fans.
Bridgerton (2020)
The Incredible Season 2!
Loved Season 2!! Romantic, amusing, with back stories that explain character motives. The personalities of the new women characters in this season were engaging, as was the plot. Tension galore! And if you like horses, this season is for you!
Dark (2017)
Amazing Storytelling!!
I must confess that keeping track of all the characters and their relationships was a challenge for me at times. Nevertheless, the plot was amazing! It made me think. More importantly, the ending was AWESOME!!! Dark is one of the best series I have ever seen- Hats Off!!
Endeavour (2012)
Bravo!!
The ending of Season 6 of Endeavor is stellar!! Too many writers lose sight of the forest for the trees. This episode raises the bar on what good writing is as it addresses the insurmountable spirit of the characters who find their way even in the midst of challenges and temptations. Many do not know how to end a story. This series does. Hats off!!!
Game of Thrones: The Iron Throne (2019)
Yes, Great Stories Are Enduring- This Is NOT One of Them
The conclusion of GoT was so disappointing. The biggest disappointment for me is the destruction of Dany into madness and her murder by Jon, the man who loved her. Great stories pit goodness against evil, but that struggle is within us and within the characters. Love is the force that turns darkness into light. The writers failed to allow Dany to recover from her losses, to become her better self through her love of Jon. Instead, it takes a powerful woman who helped save them from The White Walkers and who took down Cersei, and they betray her through assassination. Jon is then sent into exile, and who is elevated to power? Bran who is all head and no heart- great choice for a leader; Sansa, the manipulator, who now wears a crown (and hid while others- including Dany- fought for her kingdom); and Tyrion who is an accomplice to murder (he instigates Dany's murder and also hid during the battle of Winterfell), and he now runs the show while Bran hangs out with his ravens. Really? Arya is the only one who deserves her destiny in the final episode. Dany deserved so much more, and so did Jon. When will writers learn that viewers want their heroes to survive and thrive???
Killing Eve (2018)
So Much Promise, Such a Callous Ending
I'm leaving my original review up below when this began as a Great Series! The writers changed and it went downhill thereafter. In Season 4, the writing was particularly weak and the ending was cruel and heartless. Still love the actors Jodie Comer and Sandra Oh! The writer for Season 4- Laura Neal- was a Loser. Too bad Neal had the last word as she ruined the program. My review of 1 is based on the final outcome. So much promise, such a disappointment. Don't waste your time on Season 4.
My original review, which had a rating of 9, follows: Killing Eve traces the evolution of the relationship between Villanelle, an assassin, and Eve, a security desk worker gone rogue spy. This journey explores the shadows of these two women through an international cat and mouse game of intrigue and murder.
The shadow is the dark side of personality that also animates us, that keeps us from being flat. As an assassin, Villanelle has a large looming shadow, with a backstory that remains largely unknown about how she became a killer. Her counterpart, Eve, begins behind a desk with a boring career. Her shadow becomes animated and brought back to life in her quest to capture Villanelle. Both women are intellectual equals. Both become intrigued and infatuated with one another. Their story twists and turns through a field of wry humor and lies- lies sewn more by Eve than be Villanelle by the end of this phase of their story.
In life, as in fiction, the shadow emerges to protect us from harm. It is driven by love or loss of love. Love conquers the shadow, bringing us close to another person and to our humanity. Loss of love propels us into the dark side of the shadow and away from others. In this story arc, the influence of Eve pulls Villanelle towards love. However, Villanelle kills people along the way, including Eve's best friend, and costs Eve her husband and two jobs, leaving Eve with feelings of anger and loss. Eve's obsession with Villanelle and the loss of loved ones results in Eve's shadow emerging, leading to a life that is passionate but uncomfortable for her. In this quandary between feelings of love and hate, revenge wins as Eve strikes Villanelle with a knife during an intimate moment. Eve is immediately remorseful and tries to make amends, but the damage is done, both physically and psychologically.
It is unclear whether Eve meant to kill Villanelle, or if she was caught in a moment of passion in which revenge won over love. Villanelle had discarded her weapon and at Eve's request, had promised not to kill Eve. Instead, it is Eve who is drawn into the shadow, and it is Eve who betrays Villanelle's trust. Regardless of Eve's motive, the chances of bringing Villanelle away from the shadow were lost, as her trust in Eve- and perhaps her trust in humanity in general- has been betrayed.
The game of cat and mouse will continue in Season 2, but at a cost. The opportunity to change the trajectory of Villanelle toward love has been squandered, instead putting her deeper into the shadowy depths of revenge. Will Eve be able to change Villanelle's life? Will Eve even want to help Villanelle? Will Villanelle seek revenge? Will she find it in her heart to forgive Eve? We shall see as the plot thickens next season.
Hats off to Jodie Comer, Sandra Oh, the entire cast, and the writer- Phoebe Walter-Bridge- for a compelling and intriguing first season!