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andrewspg152
Reviews
Madam Secretary (2014)
Well made... but ultimately disappointing
I've now watched the entire series...
And I still give it 5 out of 10...
The production values, the actors and the performances are superb...so that gets 5 stars...
However, the way the show represents US politics and foreign policy is very hard to swallow.
The chaotic way that every single issue has to be negotiated with multiple parties (democracy or anarchy?) and the way individuals can create problems out of thin air just by talking to a ravenous and all consuming media (freedom of the press or anarchy, freedom of speech or anarchy?) I found quite 'alien'. I come from a more ideological and nationalist tradition... Eurasian not Western...
The politics only really become dominant after Season 3. But then they simply begin to take over and dominate, and US 'globalism' ('we can and will interfere with other nations' sovereignty whenever we want, but you can't do the same to us...') becomes wearying and sickening.
By the final season, 'she becomes President', the humour is almost vanished, and it's all politics and speeches...
It's curious, but there used to be a UK TV comedy 'Yes Minister' in the 1970s. A bit like Madam Secretary. It, too, lost its humour once said Minister became The Prime Minister. Much the same happened when Madam Secretary becomes Madam President. I much preferred Keith Carradine as the President.
Some US critiques said it was too much like Hillary Clinton's time in office. Too much 'Democrat Moralising' some said.
For me the satire was present, but it was too weak, and was eventually replaced by a sort of Democrat moralising propaganda ...
While I did enjoy the initial humour and comedic aspects... they disappeared far too quickly...
I think I would prefer the US TV series 'The Americans' about Soviet sleeper agents. That kept its focus and its quality right through the series. It wasn't comedic, but it was definitely engrossing, thanks to superb performances.
US TV series should avoid both politics and foreign affairs...the way they do both leaves much to be desired...
Alexander: The Making of a God (2024)
Enjoy as drama...
Alexander the Great is a legend. A wonderful legend. But only a legend. And this series is just entertainment.
I'm a m/t Greek speaker, so I'm watching it mute with Greek subtitles... Works quite well, as entertainment.
I'm a fan of Valerio Massimo Manfredi, the Italian archeologist/ancient historian and novelist, whose Alexander Trilogy is a masterpiece of storytelling.
I'm not interested in Alexander's 'historicity' because for me, he is a legend and that's how I know and love him.
So, this series relates that legend in a certain way that I find quite enjoyable, in Greek!
If I want 'accuracy' I'll go to a book. For me this is simply pure ancient escapism! Wonderful!
Madam Secretary: The Greater Good (2015)
Some unnecessary nonsense
In an otherwise excellent and totally enjoyable series, the one fly in the ointment is the way it portrays 21C Russia. Russia is either 1) still the Soviet Union, 2) the disintegrating country of the 90s, 3) a neo-Soviet dictatorship intent on recreating Empire, 4) a Garrison/gulag state. Any and all of these...
I've studied Russia all my life, having Russian ancestry. So I put up with this nonsense because I enjoy the rest of the series, and especially Tea Leoni and Tim Bradley immensely.
But the opening scene of this episode is such complete nonsense. Anyone who knows anything of the Ukraine conflict knows that a) NATO will not engage in any act of provocation against Russia and b) that the Russian air defence is among the best in the world. This is acknowledge in real life. So the scenario of US combat planes shooting down 11 Russian combat planes is pure fantasy. Russian air defence would have downed the US planes well before they got near any Russian forces. This series depiction of the Russian Armed Forces is somewhere in between late Soviet post-Afghan and 90s shambolic. It bears no resemblance to the Russia AF of the Ukrainian conflict. It speaks very poorly for the intelligence of the US audience and very powerfully for the brainwashing of the US by the corporate interest that wants to take over Russia, that even such an enjoyable and well-made series has to have such stupid and inexcusable nonsense about Russia in it. Pity the poor US that simply can't handle reality.
The Diplomat (2023)
The whole show is excellent...and it grows on you...
This series takes all 8 episodes to really grab our attention. But then it does so in spectacular fashion.
Russia comes into the picture: there is a kind of question about this underpinning the series. Did they or didn't they? It's an intriguing and fascinatingly unanswered query until towards the end when the Russian role become much clearer, and not what one might expect.
But the story does unfold. The attack on the carrier. Who was responsible? The revelations on that score become intriguing. The politics lead to several possibilities. The cliffhanger is mostly but not entirely surprising if one understands the dirty underbelly of geopolitics.
For me, this is a hugely intriguing series thriller. Much better than I first imagined. Kudos to the production team for the way stuff is revealed and/then 'not revealed'.
I'm now watching it for the... 3rd... time... and the quality of the writing, the script, the interactions and the dialogues is stellar! The more I watch it, the more entertaining, enjoyable, witty and sophisticated the script becomes... The actors, esp. Keri Russell, are superb! She is a Revelation! I haven't laughed so much at political-diplomatic double-entendres and 'dancing around' within the script since dear old 'Yes Minister' of the 1970s UK TV. It's one of the best written shows of the Millennium, IMHO.
As for that final cliffhanger... The genius who put that in should get an Oscar...
Let's hope there is a Season 2. There really, truly needs to be a Season 2.
In the Valley of Elah (2007)
Excellent TLJ movie - for intelligent viewing
I'm nearly 60 so I'll shoot from the hip on this one. This is a film for adults. Its a film for people who've been through life and its experiences, who've been through wars, and who know a bit about human nature.
Its slow, painstaking and often painful. Its realistic, sometimes horribly so. And yet its one of the most thoughtful and intelligent films of recent years. Its not for the whiz kid or the whoopee brigade. But it should be shown at every high school and military academy. At least give the kids some idea of what another reality in the world can be like if adults mess up, when adults mess up.
Tommy Lee Jones is superb. Susan Sarandon is exceptional in the restrained playing of her supporting role. Charlize Theron complements TLJ very nicely. But its his movie. Its what he's best at, taking command and getting the job done with a gruff but real sympathy and humanity. I'll be really sorry when he retires.
Its easily a 10. I won't say more. I'll let the film speak for itself.