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michelmaas09
Reviews
Thriller 40 (2023)
Capturing the magic of that time
I was 11 when I first got stepped into the magic world that was Michaelmania. It's hard to describe how that felt. Michael was all around and he was indisputably the pinnacle of pop around the globe. Like mentioned before by many, it was like or must have been like Sinatra, the Beatles and Elvis. This documentary did a very good job in getting very close to that energy and excitement, for people that were born after the album came out and are witnessing it today for the first time.
The format is something we've seen before in official documentaries like 'the legend continuous' and many more, starting with the very beginning, seeing Michael as a kid being the lead singer of the J5 and the Jacksons. Instead of it being a showcase or marketing his back catalogue, it really built up to why and what he wanted to prove; making Thriller the best selling album of all time.
Would've loved to see more of Quincy and his team behind the succes, since it was promoted as more about the art, than the artist, but to me it was more about the impact it had on a cultural level.
A lot of never seen before footage, private audio fragments and a very good insight into his thinking, his strategy and his philosophy makes it a must see for everyone who wants to understand the creative, the business and the cultural impact it had and still has today on contemporary artists and even beyond.
Stowaway (2021)
A typical netflix timewaster
Netflix is full of disappointing movies. Usually i first imdb before wasting my time. Not this time. While on holiday I figured what the heck. Needed a time waster anyway.
Aside from how netflix runs their business and how they attribute their budgets, this is yet another disrespect for people's time. And it's clear from the start. Dialogue is poorly written, without a clear direction. My mind started drifting and I was thinking about how everything was framed by the camera. It made me feel that I was about to watch a low budget movie, which isn't a problem persé, but now it was.
I started to see two female astronauts that looked like they were getting unpacked in their cruise suites getting ready for a holiday in the Caribbean. Two female leads that continuously broke my suspension of disbelief. An asian scientist who was getting sick when taking off (obviously the weakest of three, don't know why though) and a black guy stuck somewhere, that nobody happened to miss back on earth. Made sense after a couple of mins, because I don't think I would have missed him either, when he wasn't in the script.
Netflix have once said that their biggest competitor is that people need to sleep. Well...in that case they're doing a terrible job. They seem to be promoting sleep instead. I fell a sleep three times. Dreaming of sipping my cocktail by the pool in the Caribbean.
The White Lotus (2021)
A 'shawshank redemption' kind of appeal
First of all, I'm done with a lot of the Netflix series which are written and constructed in a soap opera kind of way. Have always been a fan of HBO series and this one lives up to its legacy!
Season one and two both start with how the story ends, but the mystery of how this came to be leaves you as soon as the guests arrive. I once read a review of why shawshank redemption is such a great movie, even though it doesn't tick all the theoretical boxes. Basically you just love spending time with these beloved characters and atmosphere. The same applies to the white lotus.
There's a surprise around every corner, the holiday setting is mesmerising and just like its character development which is fresh and very well written (both verbal and non verbal are very well done) , even the holiday atmosphere progresses and pulls you in deeper as the season develops. Dialogue and characters are very natural and no one lingers to speak their mind. Topics that need to be addressed, are not stalled by switching to another scene like Netflix does so very often. Plus, every now and then, there are these scenes that take everything to the next level. For example (relax, no spoilers ahead) the scene in S1, last episode where the manager is being the perfect host in slow motion with the classical music in the background, or the girl singing a song behind the piano in season 2. Just amazing! Mike White is a genius!
Not sure about the awards the show has won, but the soundtrack (and score) should definitely win a few! It's mesmerising, sometimes surreal, warm, surprising, exciting and it definitely adds to the overall story development.
Okay, it's not for everyone. Then again, what is?