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coldinan
Reviews
The Marvels (2023)
A Big Budget But an Even Bigger Yaaaaawn
Here is another good example of how spending a huge amount on a movie does not guarantee that you will make a GOOD movie. Many much, much better movies have been made at a fraction of the cost of this debacle.
The writing is nonsensical and the direction woeful, so it is now wonder that the acting is third rate. Thinking back to those very good tongue-in-cheek performances in the early Marvel movies (think Iron Man) you wonder what has happened to the franchise. The actors here take themselves much too seriously and in the process overact to the point of comedy.
All in all this is a real mess.
Oppenheimer (2023)
Murphy stars in a great movie
Now this is a movie to savor. The story is fascinating enough - nuanced and complex, but very rewarding if you stick with it.
The writing is great, the driection superb and the acting peerless, especially the performance from the star, Murphy.
This came out at the same time as the movie Barbie and both did well at the box office. The difference between the two is that one is nuanced and profound, the other propogandist and shallow. Take one guess.
It is a real treat to watch a movie with substance, given the rubbish that we are fed most of the time (Barbie being a very good example of the latter.)
Homeland (2011)
Tense with a solid storyline
This is a very good series. It has all the ingredients - intrigue, suspense, action and, best of all, a plausible and logical storyline.
The direction and acting are excellent and the attention to detail is something the modern series could learn from. Clare Danes is great as are the rest of the cast.
One thing that stands out is that this is not your rah, rah jingoistic American military/spy series. It is well thought out and respectfully and reasonably highlights the fact that the US does not have a mortgage on principle or morality. It is a shame that more of these shows do not fo the same.
The Equalizer 3 (2023)
More of the same but see it for Denzel
Yes, this is more of the same that your have seen in the first two movies BUT Denzel is at hs very best so it is well worth seeing just for him.
The acting and storyline are so so, but the action sequences are very good indeed. So, overall there is nothing new by way of concept or execution but the ever-cool Denzel Washington is so good that the movie is worth 9 stars from me.
More of the same that your have seen in the first two movies BUT Denzel is at hs very best so it is well worth seeing just for him.
The acting and storyline are so so, but the action sequences are very good indeed. So, overall there is nothing new by way of concept or execution but the ever-cool Denzel Washington is so good that the movie is worth 9 stars.
The Morning Show (2019)
Milking the concept
Season One was a very good take on morning TV, but the latest offering is just bland.
What is wrong with the creators of TV series these days? They come up with a good idea and then just milk the concept until there is nothing of interest left. It treats us viewers as idiots without any ability to discriminate between fresh and mundane. News flash! Most of us can!
Some of the reviews here seem to be created by members of the families of writing crew. Yes, they are so wide of the mark that I find i hard to believe hat they are legitimate.
The direction is also so-so; just look at the performance of Jennifer Aniston (who needs a top notch director if she is to put in a creditable performance).
Nowhere Special (2020)
Heart-wrenching and profound
It is not very often that you see a movie which is both heart-breaking and non-exploitative. The setting is realistic, the story plausible, the direction spot-on and the acting, well to simply say that it is convincing is trite. It is overwhelmingly convincing. I recall seeing the adult star in a British TV series - Happy Valley, and being very disappointed (in the series and the acting). This series shows you what a great actor he can be when given a wonderful script and is in the hands of a master Director.
Do not shy away from the series because of the fact that it is heart-breaking (you WILL cry, unless you are a psychopath). It will enrich you.
Les Gouttes de Dieu (2023)
Really excellent
Now this is a series of true excellence. The story itself is fascinating (interesting, profound and even exciting in parts), the writing is great, the direction excellent and the acting almost universally wonderful.
It is a French-Japanese co-production and straddles the cultural differences sensitively, illustrating the common thread of humanity which binds us all. So much of the noise around us promotes division, but shows like this demonstrate our capacity (and deep desire) to relate.
I have never written such a glowing review for any movie or series, but this show truly warrants it. Do not miss it! It will change you - for the better.
Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny (2023)
Outlived its use by date
There is quite a bit of moderate entertainment in this movie, but it looks like all involved realise that the concept has run its course.
Harrison Ford does a decent job as the aging Indiana Jones and Phoebe Waller-Bridge is ok as the god-daughter but there is very little spark in anything appearing on the screen.
The movie also suffers from the obvious compulsion to include 'strong' women characters, with some of the physical stuff involving Waller-Bridge looking simply silly. (How, for example, is she able to fight better than seasoned killers?) Hollywood could learn quite a lot from European movie-makers in this regard.
Down for Love (2022)
Challenging
This is a very challenging series. On the one hand it seeks to portray the search for love of young adults with Downs Syndrome with sensitivity, and on the other it attempts to avoid any exploitation or stereotyping. Not an easy task. And it is understandable why some parents with Downs kids are cautious with their praise for the series.
On balance, I think that the series does a very good job with a most difficult task. It gives you a real insight into the fact that these people are just like you and me. They may have some limitations but at the core they are you and me. Desiring love and companionship.
Mad Men (2007)
Excellent in so many ways
Now this is a truly entertaining series. We just watched the entire series for the second time and were surprised how well it still stands up against newer shows. In fact, the writing, direction and acting leaves many of the newer 'blockbuster' series in the dust.
The attention to detail, including the language and dress of the era, is great. There is very little sliding into modern phrases or even modern ideology. It portrays the era honestly and intelligently.
We compared it to the dreadful 'Minx', and these two series are chalk and cheese. Mad Men is intelligently written and avoids the temptation to preach. The other is the polar opposite.
Barbie (2023)
Glitzy and preachy
This is not a movie to take your 10 year old girl to. On the surface it looks flashy and appealing, but if you listen to the messages you start to realise that it is preaching. And in the least subtle way you could think of.
There are a few funny moments, but not enough for it to be considered to be a comedy. And as far as the depth of the 'message' is concerned, all I can say to the writers and director is: do not give up your day job.
There is nothing wrong with delivering an important message, however, to be effective it must be done with persuasion and not a sledgehammer. This movie does not understand that.
Warrior (2019)
Great action sequences but not much else
Bruce Lee would have been proud of this series. It pays homage to him and does so very effectively. The choreography of the fight scenes is very impressive indeed.
However, the storyline leaves a lot to be desired. The direction is also patchy, so there is quite a diversity regarding the acting. Some is quite good, especially from the lead, but some is really weak, particularly from the leads sister.
Still, if you get hooked on Warrior you will not be doing so because of the direction or acting. You will love it for the fight scenes. And they really are excellent. Go for it if that is your hook.
Minx (2022)
Simply pathetic
The aim of this series appears to be to demean men. The contrived, explicit and clearly exploitative nudity presents men as objects of comedic helplessness. It could well be described as 'revenge porn' - 'revenge' for the perceived historical 'objectification' of women.
The creator's expressed intentions reveal an insecurity behind her desire to emasculate. This is so clearly misandry, heterosexual misandry to be precise; the weak excuses of 'relevance' are very unconvincing. Gay men, as portrayed on the show, seem to be co-opted into aligning themselves with the overall heterosexual misandry.
Male nude soft porn magazines of the era depicted actually gained a strong gay male following. I suspect that this series does also.
Minx follows a trend where creators, writers and directors who are (overtly or covertly) 'sympathetic' to the feminist cause, believe that belittling men is the most effective way to further that cause. History tells us that attempts to divide and demonize seldom achieve anything other than division.