ecrameri-45342 Reviews

Scoop (2024)

It's alright

[5/10 · 5 April 2024]

The film is based on Emily Maitlis's 2019 BBC Newsnight interview with Prince Andrew about his friendship with Epstein.

It is based on Sam McAlister's book, Scoops: Behind the Scenes of the Most Shocking Interviews.

The real life people are matched well with similar looking actors.

I got sick of looking at the super ugly Chanel jacket. The journalist producer (Sam) doesn't have that kind of lifestyle to believe she'd own luxury labels. The boss (Emily) might wear these.

I didn't watch the original interview but knew vaguely about it. The film offers no big revelations to what's been in the news.

The interview itself is compelling. The rest is a little ho hum.

The Epstein documentary on Netflix where they interview his victims is way more impactful and powerful.

Dubai Bling (2022– )

Where's the wife?

[1/10 · 16 February 2024]

Pros.

The only reason I watch the show it to see the over the top fashion. I like seeing the foreign spots and cultural elements.

Cons.

It was totally annoying to show Ebraheem Al Samadi's wedding but not his wife's face. If she wanted to maintain her privacy which is perfectly okay and understable...but don't show the wedding at all. It was a dumb decision. It seemed like an excuse to show off his rose business.

Some of the characters live a ridiculously unrealistic lifestyle.

I actually prefer to "watch" the show while the sound is muted and I'm mucking around on my mobile phone.

I'm not invested in any of the characters. The arguments and conversations are super fake and manufactured.

Wonka (2023)

Overacted musical

[4/10 · 26 January 2024]

Sadly this missed the mark. I don't love musicals at the best of times and this one has unmemorable songs. The overacting gets exhausting.

I didn't enjoy the laundry scrubbing scenes. It was a storyline that could have been reduced.

There's not enough about chocolate making.

I thought Atkinson and Grant's characters worked well.

Visually some of the scenes were great - other times there was a predictable cringe factor. I loved the fanncy boxes.

Overall by the half way mark I was bored. I just couldn't get invested in the characters. If I hadn't paid for a cinema ticket,and was streaming at home II probably would have switched it off.

Screwdriver (2023)

Independent thriller

[6/10 · 28 November 2023]

This is an independent thriller with four characters set in a house. I'm assuming it's on a budget, so they have done well with these limitations.

You don't get all of the answers neatly unfolded sequentially. As a result, you'll need to fill in gaps of the storyline.

There is good suspense and tension. I was surprised by the ending, which went in a completely different direction to what I was expecting.

The cinematography is also good.

I would have liked sharper editing with more natural movements. Sometimes the actor's expressions come across as exaggerated or overemphasized.

I could see this working well as a live stage play.

Magoado (2021)

Reluctant family reunion

[5/10 · 4 March 2023]

A homemade style film shot in sort of square. By Spanish director and writer Ruben Sainz.

So it's a low budget film and short in duration. Some scenes could have been reshot. The English subtitles are sometimes wrong.

The beginning is slow with a lonely fisherman and moody pipe music. There's fishing and drinking. But then he receives news and finds his long lost 'son' who doesn't like fish.

Reluctantly they get to know each other, and play dominoes. They catch up on some quality time fishing and sand surfing.

Old mate owes someone some money and gets in a tight bind. He gets beat up and threatened.

So he tries to make do by stealing a chicken and banana off of his neighbours. Then the pair eat grilled banana on a bench fire. His girlfriend confronts him about his drinking. He needs to raise the funds for a plane ticket.

Back home we find out the reason for absence and the trip.

The Velvet Queen (2021)

Not enough

[3/10 · 20 November 2022]

You could call this "watching two men take photos in the snow". It's long and slow in parts.

The animals get very little airtime. The snow leopards are elusive until the end. Then it's barely 5 minutes worth.

I know that's the point of it, but overall it's a frustrating experience. I didn't enjoy seeing the night vision.

They have dinner with the locals, and let the kids play with their gear. But we don't hear from the locals or see their daily life.

Two people walked out of the cinema half way through.

The music was good and atmospheric. The footage was hit and miss. I felt like they needed to go back a couple more times for better footage.

Chef's Table: Pizza (2022– )

Great show bad dubbing

[8/10 · 11 September 2022]

Why does the dub over not match the subtitles? It's super annoying. There are two voices and it's distracting.

It's the only downside to an interesting show.

Why does the dub over not match the subtitles? It's super annoying. There are two voices and it's distracting.

It's the only downside to an interesting show.

Why does the dub over not match the subtitles? It's super annoying. There are two voices and it's distracting.

It's the only downside to an interesting show.

Why does the dub over not match the subtitles? It's super annoying. There are two voices and it's distracting.

It's the only downside to an interesting show.

First Class (2022)

Utterly ridiculous

[2/10 · 29 June 2022]

I love Barcelona and the fashion. But the dubbing is annoying. Editing is choppy. Overall, it's just too fake and too staged. Utterly ridiculous and completely unbelievable.

Luxe Listings Sydney (2021– )

Plastic plants

[2/10 · 15 June 2022]

Rich people do not have plastic plants in their house. Super tacky.

In 2022, I'd like to think staff members could take a few weeks to go on maternity leave guilt-free and not have to babysit the boss.

Byron Baes (2022)

Gives Hippies a Bad Name

[2/10 · 28 March 2022]

Please do not think that this is an accurate portrayal of Byron Bay. The people are friendly and accepting. It's an incredibly beautiful part of Australia.

The show is ruined by some mean girls. The storylines are bizarre and that's what keeps you entertained. The love triangle seems forced.

But ultimately, the show is really not satisfying. It's like fairy floss.... you might wonder why you started watching it and regret it afterwards.

Please do not renew this show.

Nine Perfect Strangers (2021)

Disappointing and slow

[3/10 · 12 September 2021]

Not much happens. Lost interest after 5 episodes. It might have worked better as a movie.

The Killing of Two Lovers (2020)

Fragments of an ambiguous film

[3/10 · 30 August 2021]

Unfortunately this film requires more work. Some of the scenes are too long and slow. There's weird noises that make you think it's set in busy seatown or industrial area. But it's not. The films title and opening scenes are misleading. The ending makes no sense. I was expecting more.

Nine Perfect Strangers (2021)

Super slow

[3/10 · 28 August 2021]

Super slow. Weird artificial dialogue. Fake teeth and body doubles. None of the characters are believable. The soundtrack does not work at all.

Pieces of a Woman (2020)

Tough subject. Stupid trial.

[4/10 · 13 January 2021]

It's a tough subject - and the film goes on for way longer than it needed.

The characters do things - but we're never sure why. The scenes jolt together and bore. Feelings simmer but there's an ackwardness to the relationships.

I don't know why the trial went ahead - I thought it was low and ugly to blame the midwife. The final scene was syrupy.

Bridgerton (2020– )

Random history mashup to get hitched

[3/10 · 4 January 2021]

Okay, I stuck with Bridgeton until the end of the season. It's a bit of a guilty pleasure -and I wondered - just how bad can it get?

The storylines are pretty dreadful and dated. Attempting an abortion via a homemade tea, zero sex education, and a hot/cold love affair. Forging love letters is pretty low.

It's hard to emphasize with any of the characters. I'm not really sure why? The dialogue is stilted. The scenes cut sharply from one to another - there's no finesse in the editing.

Perhaps the most intriguing bit - who is Mrs Featherington? When you find out, it's rather unbelievable and a let down.

But then there's the liberal addition of black characters - but no other races, like Asians? It's bizarre considering the realities of the Regency time period.

The show feels historically inaccurate in many ways.

The costumes are overdone - it looks like someone got drunk and glued on way too many haberdasheries and jewels.

The sets are tacky and tizzy - let's ram as many chandeliers and flowers in as we can. Let's over decorate the houses with way too much stuff.

Bridgerton is a "fan film" of the books created with minimal historical research. It's simply a 'Mills and Boom' romance based on a fantasy historical period.

Happiest Season (2020)

Disappointing

[1/10 · 16 December 2020]

It's really not funny at all. Except two the characters are pretty annoying and it's just painful to watch. The story had potential, but the script is so cringeworthy.

Nashville (2012–2018)

Stop at Season 5

[6/10 · 26 April 2020]

Stop at Season 5. The last season goes too far, it beomes a country music version of days of our lives. Blah, blah, blah. I lost all interest and respect for the characters.

Chasing Asylum (2016)

Worst documentary of this decade

[1/10 · 25 April 2020]

Incredibly manipulative. Depressing. I couldn't finish it, it was that bad.

Burning Kiss (2018)

Awesome Dark Twisted Aussie Noir

[10/10 · 22 April 2020]

Burning Kiss is a dark, twisted tale set in Australia. You'll probably only enjoy this film if you have visited the land down under and aren't in the middle of cooking dinner. Sit back, and enjoy the young actors and actresses in their prime.

The dialogue runs over the scenes, so the story line can be confusing. I still don't know if I know the lead? I probably have met him or his brother? Whatever. I can't wait for the squeal. Bring it on.