Change Your Image
silence-26
Reviews
Conclave (2024)
Great Film Marred By A Preposterous Ending.
I was really on the edge of my seat through 95% of this film. This is a terrific 'thinking person's film', and if you don't mind the slow pace that comes with a movie like that, this will probably be for you. Fiennes, Lithgow, and Tucci are a treat, and matched by an excellent supporting cast. I'd be shocked if Fiennes doesn't, at a minimum, get nominated for Best Actor. If he wins, it would be well-deserved.
However, the last ten minutes or so of the film is an example of pulling something completely out of left field that has little to do with the story you've been watching, simply so whomever wrote this could say "SURPRISE" in big bold letters, while thinking to themselves they'd concocted something that's clever. It wasn't. The end is little more than a sophomoric detour which in my opinion was completely pointless.
Despite placing a "spoiler" notice on this comment I'm still not going to risk ruining it for anyone by getting into the specifics of the ending. I would just say that my dislike of it has nothing to do with politics, or social commentary, or my personal values. I simply would have preferred an ending that seemed more attached to the movie I'd just sat through. If not for that ending I would have rated this a solid "9".
Nobody Wants This (2024)
A Grand Slam Home Run!
Can't say enough about how much I enjoyed this Season 1. Accolades for this show indicate there would probably be some sort of armed revolt if it's not followed by several more. The two leads are remarkably good, their chemistry is off the charts. That they're matched by a supporting cast that over and over again rises to a competitive level with them is incredibly impressive.
One aspect of this show that I don't see many people mentioning here is the super choices in the music soundtrack. Every once in awhile I'll see a production where they get this sort of thing right where music so perfectly complements what's going on in a story at a given moment. However, generally that only happens maybe once or twice during an entire production. In NWT, it happens multiple times during every single episode. I have no idea who was in charge of that aspect of this production, but they went about this in the most meticulous way I've ever seen! The number of times song lyrics so perfectly matched the precise thread of the story at a particular moment blew me away. I couldn't help but wonder if Foster's father had a hand in it, given that the man is a walking, talking encyclopedia of music.
I could go on praising this show, but for now I'd prefer to just spend the time watching it for a 2nd run. It's that good.
Bad Monkey (2024)
I'd Forgotten How Much I Like Vince Vaughn,,,
This was really a terrific show. Watched the last Ep of the season tonight, and was sorry to see it end. Hopefully they will come back for more, this project and ensemble is most deserving on continued exposure.
Cast here is all terrific, the writing crisp, and the humor very well done. The laughs come at a time they're particularly needed in our world, a fact which could not go unnoticed. Vaughn is still as sharp, funny, and intelligent as he ever was. Where the heck has he been? He's a gem!
Fingers crossed Apple finds merit in an S02. It would be a shame to see this much fun draw to a close too soon.
Congrats to the cast, crew, and showrunners on a job very well done!
Alice & Jack (2023)
Bravo, Riseborough and Gleeson!
I enjoyed this tremendously. Riseborough and Gleeson are such breathtakingly wonderful actors. I felt privileged to have these couple of hours with them.
After watching the full season, I read some reviews of the show. Sadly, some were less than positive, but I couldn't help think they missed the point and the beauty of this story. I suppose if you're of the mind that sentimentality is to be reviled, you may agree with reviewers of that ilk and this production won't be for you. Indeed, this series is overtly sentimental, and at times quite melancholy. But for me at least, I felt the real message was one of hope. In a world that's become so fragile, and often seemingly broken, every once in a blue moon, there's a thing or two that can miraculously rise and remain unbroken. In these tumultuous times, I felt that a message worth hearing.
Alice & Jack isn't really a study in two characters. The main character here is the love between them, a love that likely should have dissolved time and again, and yet try as they might, will never go away. Again, a big standing "O" for Riseborough and Gleeson. They've done a wonderful job here.
Reacher (2022)
Haven't read the books...
I really don't get the negative reviews I'm reading here. Maybe it has something to do with my not having read the books. All I can say is that Seasons 1 & 2 have been terrific! Ritchson is the perfect find for this role and the supporting cast is all game and top notch. In fact, this is some of the most fun TV I've seen in a long while. Sure, it's basically a cartoon with human beings instead of animation, but maybe that's what people could use a healthy dose of right now. I mean, the world has been getting pretty intense over the past few years. Some action, humor, and a lead actor who is clearly in on the joke never hurt anybody.
My only gripes... I wish they would bring back Willa, and it's really too bad that it'll probably be too long a wait for Season 3, which I recently read already has the go-a-head. Can't wait!
Great show, and congrats to the cast and production team for creating such a big hit.
Surface (2022)
Disappointing
I'm a fan of Mbatha-Raw. I'd probably watch just about anything with her. That said, "Surface" is pretty bad. I'm generously giving it a '5', mostly due to her welcome presence, but this is at best a 2nd or 3rd rate production. It's rare to hear dialogue that's this cliched outside of daytime soap operas, but they're hitting that mark here. A story about some ultra-wealthy pretty folks with problems is hardly ripe in this (almost or hopefully..) post-pandemic period. It's hard to even care one bit about these characters, or the very obvious story line. Surface is just a disappointing mess.
Money Heist: Korea - Joint Economic Area (2022)
Why?
For the life of me I can't figure out why they did this. I was expecting something new story-wise, with a major twist in casting. All this seems to be though is precisely the same story, re-casted. Was a big fan of the original, but I doubt I will continue watching this new take on Money Heist. I was quite satisfied with the casting of the original.
The Old Man (2022)
Damn!
Now that was a first episode if there ever was one.
Terrific to see Bridges looking well and in such great form. Lithgow, as always, a treasure.
This is going to be fun!
61st Street (2022)
Powerful!
I noticed another reviewer described this as, ' a Hollywood documentary trying to convince us that cops are corrupt and evil.'
Sorry. This is a show which explains just how corrupt and evil cops really are.
I live in NYC. I've seen cops pull the routines described in this show time and time again for decades. This show is nailing it when it comes to illustrating the truth. There's a great cast here doing stellar work. And as always, Courtney B. Vance is absolutely terrific.
Starstruck (2021)
Rom-Coms Aren't My Thing, But This Is Excellent!
Well done, well-written, and lot's of fun. They've put together an excellent cast that I was mostly unfamiliar with, and given them a truckload of crisp, witty dialogue that had me laughing quite a bit. Standing 'O' for a job well done. I hope this is brought back for several more seasons.
1883 (2021)
Is it just me or is Isabel May an awful actress...
I kind of like this show. Sam Elliot, McGraw and Hill all do a fine job. However, the script seems to be turning into a 'disaster of the week' repeat that starts to get boring. What horror will the pioneer settlers encounter next week?? This week a tornado, next week must be a flood or a cooking fire. Tune in!
But putting that weakness aside for the moment, I then must consider Isabel May. While certainly pleasant to look at, this young lady has the acting ability of a carboard box. It's puzzling that out of all the young actresses that no doubt were vying for this role somehow they landed with her. When viewing closeups of the show's actors, most seem to have an honest and enviable level of intellect in their eyes. But not Isabel May, who appears to have been hired for her goofy smirks, and blinding white teeth. For Ms. May, even the all-too-frequent narration she's tasked with sounds phony and unpersuasive, with a Southern drawl that makes me want to fire her voice coach STAT. Is the only point of her character and acting chops to see who she smooches with in the next episode? Given her very featured presence in the show, I doubt 1883 will hold my interest much longer. Any show is only as good as its weakest link.
Ray Donovan: The Movie (2022)
A Valentine For The Fans
I never missed an episode of Ray Donovan. Not one. When Showtime cancelled the show, I cancelled Showtime. 'The Movie' is a sweet gift for all their fans. I particularly liked how they brought back so many of the characters from season's past for this venture. It was the show's way of giving them a chance to say goodbye, one that was stolen from the fans by Showtime's surprise cancellation. I'm not going to tell anyone that this movie is one of the greats, yet somehow I enjoyed every single minute of it. And while it may seem like a last goodbye for these old friends, I can't get past the fact that at the very end, Ray is somehow still alive as he's carted away. Who knows, maybe Showtime (or some more reputable network) will come to their senses and bring these folks back for another round. Until then....
The Power of the Dog (2021)
Watched the first hour, then gave up.
Scene after scene in this film either made me cringe or feel uncomfortable. I assure you, I'm not the type that only looks for upbeat movies. But even in the most difficult to watch films there needs to be something intermittently redeeming to soften the blow. I just couldn't seem to locate that in this film. Surprised it has been such a 'darling' of many film critics.
The Midnight Sky (2020)
Much better than many reviews here would have you believe..
This is a wonderful, thoughtful film. People here saying they don't know what it was about?? Geez, there's a few dots to connect but it hardly requires Einstein territory. Terrific cast and acting, and clearly no one minced with Clooney on the budget as it looks beautiful. Desplat does his, as usual, marvelous score. If you're looking for a 'bang 'em up' action flick this probably won't do. But if you don't mind sitting back for 2 hours of a mindful little netflix gem, this is terrific. And bravo Clooney, one of America's brightest talents.
The Comey Rule (2020)
Terrific!
Great cast, crisp writing, Jeff Daniels never disappoints. This may have been released too soon after the actual events to allow viewers to thoroughly sort out where they stand in relation to what transpired. That's particularly so with Round 2 coming up just a few weeks from now.
However, I'm convinced this will stand as a superlative historical document, and lesson, in years to come. It shows, with great clarity, how a well-intentioned system can fall prey to going so utterly wrong.
The ReidOut (2020)
Expected little, that's what I got..
Ms. Reid and her network were a bunch of Bernie Sanders bashers throughout 2019/2020 (and back in '16 as well), and I expected little from this show due to that. Those calling Ms. Reid a 'progressive' must be joking. Like many on MSNBC, she's at best a "Republicrat". When she's not busy being a homophobe, she's also fond of slurring Muslims. What a great choice to host a show! Any minute I expect her to pull off a mask only to find Chris Matthews back underneath. Matthews was no longer tolerable to the network, so apparently the MSNBC wiz kids grabbed the closest thing they could find in his place. Someday perhaps we'll get back to real news in the U.S., not endless hours of opinion-hawking from lowlife minimal-mind journos like Reid. Would have preferred a no stars rating, but I don't think IMDB allows it.
The Good Fight (2017)
Have had to withdraw some 'stars' on this one..
If you'd asked me about this show through Seasons 1 & 2, I would have said one of the best on TV., really a treat. Season 3 appears to have gone off the rails, at least to some degree.
You still have some great actors, and some truly excellent writing. The problem comes with some new slapstick approach they've tried to add to the story lines that completely detracts from the import and seriousness of some of the topics the writers are tackling. And so, in E05 this season, you have a plot line that involves alt-right Nazi types who riot at a polling place, mixed with a cartoon segment that was about 'I don't know what', because I went away from the TV shortly after it began.Why? What does it possibly add to the story line?
I've noticed similar detours from story lines throughout this season. It's as if the writers lost faith in the import of their message and felt some odd desire to add comedy to the mix. The Blum character is so over the top I feel as if I'm watching two different shows all at once.
I hope they get back on the mark. This was a great show. Would be nice to have it back again.
Ray Donovan (2013)
Greatness
I've always thought highly of this show, but Season 6 brings it to a level of greatness I just wasn't expecting. Terrific, just plain terrific.
The Sinner (2017)
Stellar!
Bill Pullman is a national treasure. Nothing more really need be said.
The Looming Tower (2018)
The Lead Up to 9-11, Combined With Soap Opera Romance
I'm both a Jeff Daniels fan and something of a political junkie, and so I really was looking forward to The Looming Tower. It's an engrossing story, but for the life of me I can't understand why they felt the need to muck it up with soap opera-ish romance filler.Did we really need to know about everyone's affairs, or the budding romantic relationships experienced by on-the-go government agents? How in the world did the writers conclude that such fodder would be necessary in order to keep people interested in the events that led to 9-11? The history of this great American catastrophe really needed some romantic spice to keep people's interest? I don't know what the writers were thinking, but they took magnetic subject matter, and some terrific actors, and seemed to have made a mess of it with soap opera silliness.
Jessica Jones (2015)
Why in the world is it fashionable to down-rate S02?
Let me begin by saying if there's a better part for Krysten Ritter somewhere down the line, I can't even begin to imagine what it would or could possibly be. She is just stunning as Jessica Jones and deserves all the accolades in the world. This is indeed her moment.
Sometimes I think there are people that have to find some fault in order to feel cool. I've read a few different reviews that adhere to that, mostly opining something along the lines that there wasn't a worthy villain in Season 2. I think they're just plain crazy. There are wonderful character studies in this season, the story lines go to unexpected places, an unjaded viewer should find this exceptional viewing. I began watching this early Saturday morning, and swore to myself I'd parse the season out over a week or so at least. By early morning Sunday I'd finished up the entire 13 episodes. For the life of me I couldn't stop watching.
So thanks to all those that have contributed to this for some wonderful viewing. In my opinion this is the premiere effort by Netflix and Marvel. And my greatest appreciation for Ms. Ritter. She's a wonderful actress and I can't wait to see more of her. Hopefully she'll put aside her knitting now and then so we can get to see a greater sampling of her exceptional performance as an actress.
Now when is Season 3 going to begin????