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Reviews
Nope (2022)
Nope -the nays got it right
Nope to Nope.
Save your money. I enjoyed Get Out and Us very much but this is nowhere near on that level. Very slow, boring, too long, not enough originality, no twists. Every great writer/director has a dud, and this one is Peele's. I really tried to like it but just couldn't. Not good. You've been warned.
I saw a lot of mixed reviews; some very high on it and some strongly negative. I decided to give it a chance because I really enjoyed Get Out and Us. But the nays got it right.
American Underdog (2021)
Perfect
American Underdog.
It was a wonderful film. Beautifully done; inspirational, emotional, and a tear jerker. Excellent acting, writing, and direction. Not just a sports movie but a love story. I loved it. Sorely underrated, just like Kurt was. A film for everyone to enjoy.
Being the Ricardos (2021)
Fantastic
Being the Ricardos was excellent. Far better than I imagined it would be based on the wildly inaccurate ratings here. Fantastic writing, acting, directing, and very interesting story. Andrew Sorkin sure does know how to make an entertaining, high quality picture. Type of film that should be in awards contention.
I have absolutely no clue why this film isn't rated much higher.
Who Killed Malcolm X? (2019)
Fantastic.
I'm shocked that this doesn't have a higher rating. I thought this was an absolutely fantastic, phenomenal, excellent documentary. I don't see how it could've been any better. If you like documentaries like the thin blue line, well researched, fearless, that show the truth, and reveal wrongful convictions, this one is for you.
Foreign Correspondent (1940)
Overrated
I generally try to post only positive reviews, enjoying sharing when something is really good or entertaining. But sometimes bad reviews help folks avoid wasting their time.
Sometimes we assume something will be good because of a certain director or the film's reputation, but then when you watch it, you realize it really isn't that good, or good at all.
Such was the case with Alfred Hitchcock's Foreign Correspondent. I was sorely let down. Story is meh, acting meh, screenplay meh, and the effects are so dated I actually found myself laughing at the climactic scenes. Sorry, but I say the emperor has no clothes with this one.
Promising Young Woman (2020)
Riveting
Promising Young Woman was fantastic. I had no idea what it was about or what to expect, and was riveted and pleasantly surprised. Excellent writing, acting, direction, very original story and execution. Kept my attention throughout. Might be one of the best films if not the best film that I saw all year. It deserves a lot more attention.
Boss (2011)
Riveting
Wow is this show is intense. The writing and acting are amazing, and it kept my interest throughout. Kelsey Grammer's best performance ever. It really is a 10, but the only reason I am giving it a 9 is because I am so disappointed it was discontinued after only 2 seasons. There truly should have been a third season allowed to wrap things up. A grave injustice done to a wonderful show.
Cobra Kai (2018)
Excellent show
Cobra Kai
Season 1 - great.
Season 2 - good.
Season 3 - fantastic.
If you were a Karate Kid fan, then you will find this show quite satisfying. Great blend of past, present, human drama, comedy, family, life choices, psychology, bullying, romance, business, ego, twists and turns, and fight scenes. It has a bit of a soap opera - high school drama aspect to it, and some of it is over the top, but it works. Excellent writing, acting, and story lines.
Raised by Wolves (2020)
Underrated
I am somewhat shocked to read all the negative reviews. They are unfair.
I found this show to be wonderful, riveting, entertaining, thought-provoking. I could not wait for the next episode.
The writing, acting, story, character development, all top notch. Visually stunning and beautiful. Great score.
This show had the ability to be a 10... but I understand the disappointment with the final episode. I too did not care for the ending. Final episodes of a season sometimes can make or break a show or season. I felt that way with The Boys - in which the final episode of season 1 made it all worth it. The final episode of Raised By Wolves was not up to standard, perhaps. Yet, that still does not diminish how much I enjoyed the first nine episodes. I still think there is a chance that an outstanding season 2 hopefully will make it okay, and as more is revealed, we all might embrace the ending of season 1 after all.
Battling Butler (1926)
Underrated
I think this film is shockingly underrated. I thought it was playful, fun, hilarious, and kept my attention the entire time. Put a smile on my face, and that was needed.
Faults (2014)
Great film
Well written, excellent acting, interesting story that kept my attention throughout, with a great ending. I decided to check it out after I really enjoyed the Art of Self Defense.I'm somewhat shocked that this film doesn't have higher ratings.
The Lighthouse (2019)
Boring Garbage
Slow, boring, confusing, goes nowhere. Not a great ending either. Weird for weirdness sake. Pure art film but not in a good way.True the acting and cinematography is good, but can't save something this bad. Do not waste your time. You have been warned.
Brightburn (2019)
Oh yeah
Now this is my kind of superhero movie. I enjoyed it a lot. Hope it will lead to other films of its kind.
Free Solo (2018)
AMAZING
Absolutely riveting. Had me on the edge of my seat the entire time. Beautifully filmed, excellent at capturing the personalities of the participants and the risks involved. I found myself sweating, squirming, screaming, and calling out. Oscar well deserved.
Us (2019)
Wow
US was just wild. It is very unique and different. It kept me intrigued and riveted throughout. I can see why it might not be for everyone, but it is entertaining, it will hold your attention, and you will want to think about it afterwards. I think this film deserves a lot more love than it is receiving.
The Founder (2016)
The Amazing Beginning
THE FOUNDER was an excellent movie. I was riveted. Michael Keaton was great. Really interesting story about how McDonald's got started, was able to explode, and the business decisions behind it all. Anyone interested in business, and how a great idea comes to fruition should watch this.
Unbreakable (2000)
Another great Shyamalan film
Several M. Night Shyamalan films are terribly underrated and underappreciated, and Unbreakable is one of them. I think this film is an absolutely brilliant work of art, with excellent acting, writing, direction, and as usual, Shyamalan flavor. If you enjoy this, check out Split, another amazing film with great acting, writing, and direction in its own right. A third installment, Glass, will be coming out soon.
The Village (2004)
Underrated
I am horrified and shocked at the relatively low ratings this film has received. It is one of my favorites. I enjoyed it tremendously the first time I saw it in a theater, and still enjoy it over and over again every time I have watched it since. Great story, beautifully written, excellently acted, and deftly directed. Don't watch it with any expectations regarding what it is about or what genre it is. Just experience it.
Valhalla Rising (2009)
Beautiful work of art
Valhalla Rising is one of my favorite films. That said, it definitely isn't for everyone. You have to be in a certain mood to enjoy and appreciate it. Anyone who goes into it expecting classical Hollywood cinema storytelling, or your typical action film, will be disappointed. This is not that by any stretch of the imagination. Personally, I think it is a beautiful work of art. It is mystical, mysterious, intriguing, challenging, and thought-provoking. You may love it, hate it, or simply be confused by it. It is unique. Yet, I have watched it several times and have enjoyed it each time. There is something about it that I find mesmerizing. It is written and directed by Nicholas Winding Refn. You might be familiar with his style if you have seen the film Drive.
Mads Mikkelson is one of my favorite actors, and believe me, pulling off a wonderful acting performance while never saying a word is harder than you might think. Yet, I found his character utterly captivating. On one hand there is a vicious violent realism to the film, but it is mixed in with religion, history, and mysticism. There is a certain minimalism to the film, long quiet shots, and yet there is depth, color, and symbolic meaning as well. I appreciated the somber tone, the dark lighting, contrasted with the eventual lush beauty yet bubbling fear and violence behind the new world the explorers encounter later in the film.
Spoilers from here on:
On one level, the film is about a one-eyed slave who battles in fights to the death for the amusement and gambling purposes for his Norse owners, his quest for freedom, his travels with a young boy, who becomes somewhat of a friend, communicator/translator, and eventually someone whom One-Eye seeks to protect in their travels together with their new-found freedom. Who are they? Where are they from? Where do they want to go? Who do they want to be? Do they even know? Either way, clearly this is a violent brutal world. All this man has known or understands about this world is violence. It is all he expects, and he is prepared to participate if necessary.
I found this film to be both a religious allegory, and a statement about humans in an era of the Crusades. Several worlds, cultures, and religions collide in this human drama. We have the Vikings and their Norse religion, the crusading Christians, and eventually the Natives of what appears to be the Americas. The Viking world is under attack and becoming converted by the emerging Christian world, which threatens to supplant it. One-eye and his young friend are recruited by Christians on a quest to conquer the Holy Land, and to convert heathens. The one-eyed main character has premonitions of the future, and is unbeatable in battle. This appears to be an allusion to the Norse god Odin. The Christians aren't so sure about him, and at first want to kill him, but decide that they are more interested in bringing him along with them, given his reputation for fighting prowess. He might be of service.
One-eye encounters different kinds of Christians. Some genuinely want to teach the true meaning of Christianity. One-eye is informed that Christianity is a religion of love, forgiveness, and belief in the soul. Yet, several members of the group clearly want to force conversion on others through violence. Ultimately, several of the Christians are no different than the Norsemen in this world - violent conquerors, and at times ignorant, narrow-minded, and irrational in their beliefs. Christianity was the mere façade several used as a basis for conquest and personal gain. Others are blind in their total genuine faith, but often misguided, at times to their detriment.
When the travelers go off course and wind up in what appears to be the Americas, the Christians encounter a new culture - the Native Americans, whom the leader of the group intends to convert. But the natives are not too thrilled with these visitors' presence, and more violence ensues.
Huge spoiler alert:
Ultimately, One-Eye, despite his tremendous fighting prowess, does not put up a fight against the Natives, and sacrifices himself voluntarily, seemingly as a way of protecting the boy from angering or incurring further wrath from the natives, and appeasing them. I saw this as the culmination and intersection of the worlds he had encountered - the Norse and the Christian. He is a great warrior who has foreseen his death, but he also embraces it, decides not to fight and kill when he could have done so, and like Jesus, voluntarily allows himself to be killed as a sacrifice. In doing so, he has justified his entry into heaven, if not Valhalla.
Lars and the Real Girl (2007)
A film about compassion
Believe it or not, LARS AND THE REAL GIRL actually is very sweet and has a heart. At first blush it appears to be a comedy, and it is funny, but really that isn't what the film is. If you knew only about its advertised premise, you might be deceived. It is more of a family film than you might think. The film is about a mentally ill man and the psychological struggles he endures and deals with in his own unique way. What makes the film nice is the support he receives from family and the town. Although there is the occasional snicker, and yes, you can't help but laugh at some of it, the way that everyone gets in on it and plays along, pursuant to the town doctor's request, eventually serves to help him, and that is a valuable lesson of compassion that makes this film worthwhile viewing. It also is well written and well-acted.
The Affair (2014)
Just okay; I couldn't get past 4 episodes
I had read so much positive about this show, noticed it got nominations/awards, so I had to give it a chance, even though I must confess that the premise - an affair - was less than interesting to me in the first place. I did like the concept of different perspectives. So true in life. But it doesn't seem to be going anywhere in any significant way. Am I wrong? Not based on what I have read in other reviews here. Acting is solid, writing pretty good too. And yet, I never felt myself getting into the story. It just couldn't hook me. So unless someone tells me this show gets radically better after the fourth episode, I am moving on.
Red Sparrow (2018)
Riveting
RED SPARROW. I really enjoyed this film. It kept me riveted and interested throughout. I kept trying to guess what was going to happen next, but rarely knew, and even when I did, or I thought I did, it still was fun to watch. I liked how it was very psychological, rather than a shoot-'em up. Jennifer Lawrence was excellent as always.
Heaven Is a Traffic Jam on the 405 (2016)
Amazing Life Portrait of an Artist Suffering From Mental Illness
This is an amazing and intimate portrait of an artist, Mindy Alper, who has suffered from life-long mental illness. I was mesmerized throughout, listening to the interviews, the life history, interactions with family and friends, the serious struggles, the impacts upon her life, and how art, those in the art world, and those in the mental health profession, have helped to give her some modicum of joy in an otherwise depressing life. Interwoven into the film is her art, and it interacts perfectly with her state of mind. Even the way Alper speaks, and her pronunciations of words, was utterly unique. Instead of "when I was 19," she would say, "when I was one-nine." Instead of saying 10 years, she would say "after ten times around the sun." And once you watch the film, you will understand why. If I had a vote, I would choose this to win the Oscar.
Traffic Stop (2017)
Powerful
Although anyone can enjoy and be impacted by this film, as a defense attorney, it really spoke to me, and I am glad this documentary was produced. It is about a traffic stop for speeding that turned violent. What made it unique was how it humanized the person who was stopped, a 112-pound schoolteacher named Breaion King, showing her life and personality, and hopefully will cause an incident of excessive use of force by an officer, combined with potential racial factors that may have influenced the incident, to be brought home to the viewer in a more meaningful way. I think the film highlights all the more why video recordings - both in-car and body-worn cameras - are extremely important and should be required by law.
Edith+Eddie (2017)
Who Controls Our Lives?
This film was thought-provoking in that it asks us whether, even though a woman is 95 or 96 years old, and suffers from some mild dementia, and is under a guardianship, she should be able to get married, and have some say over her own life. The film has its clear point of view, painting the legal caretakers as monsters who are out to break up an elderly interracial relationship, and showing Edith and Eddie's need for love, camaraderie, and affection, and Edith's desire to remain in her own home with Eddie despite the will of the powers-that-be, and it certainly does a good job of it. This film will make you afraid to get old, and question whether the American legal system, particularly when it comes to the elderly, is getting it right. I