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Our Father (2022)
An "okay" documentary about a very interesting topic
What a wasted opportunity. This could have been a brilliant documentary. Documentaries should aim to educate and inform, to spark the watcher's interest and make us question. The job of this documentary was only to enrage us. We were told over and over about how bad this was, and far-reaching baseless theories were put out. The main victim daughter did not come across well. Her purpose in life seems to be to punish this man. What he did was wrong. However, a more nuanced documentary that explored the topic without taking such a one-dimensional approach would have respected the intellect of the viewers more. The anti-Christian stance of the documentary was also off-putting. If anything, documentaries like this are "opium for the masses" which leave no space for thinking and ask us to just agree to exactly what the filmmaker's point of view is.
Crime Stories: India Detectives (2021)
The best of Netflix... Crime, Reality TV, India!
If you love watching crime and are also interested in learning about different cultures, this is the show for you. Each episode starts off with a call to the Police about the crime (usually murder, but there is also one kidnapping). You then follow the Police to the crime scene, through the investigation, to catching the accused. This show is just very authentic, something that you can't script. The golden nuggets of conversation are the highlights for me in seeing how things work in such a non-PC manner. E.g. Police commenting that the female accused isn't bad-looking and would look ok if she were to put makeup on; the Police saying they won't tell the witness boy his mother has died as otherwise he will go straight into depression and not help them in the investigation; the relatives (of the accused who killed her mother) telling the accused 'burn in hell' and saying to the police 'why are you helping her? Just put her under a train?'; the police telling the accused 'we have been talking to you nicely but I can make these cameras go away, you understand what I'm saying?' It is just fascinating! These cops are here to get the job done and it's a treat to watch - thank you Netflix!
Just to add, I turned on the original Kannada audio on with English subtitles, as I think you get a better feel hearing the people speak as if you were there, than hearing the English or Hindi dubbing.
Blood Brothers: Malcolm X & Muhammad Ali (2021)
Inspiring but emotive and sad.. a taste of past revolutionary times
I really enjoyed this. I just wish it had been longer and with even more details.
Both Muhammad Ali and Malcolm X are inspiring figures. Ali is like a sports jock with the muscles to push the ideas forward, and Malcolm is a true intellectual who was the first to question Elijah's authority. What a hero Malcolm is to pay for his life knowing the risk he was under for criticising the fervour of the Black Muslims' devotion to false messenger Elijah. There was a review blaming religion. No, the problem was the cult of Nation of Islam. The religion of Islam actually enlightened Malcolm X to treat all people, white or black, as equal in brotherhood despite his previous experiences of being marginalised as a black man in America. Religion is what inspired Malcolm to fight for higher ideals of justice and truth, rather than the usual pursuits that people like to go after of money, fame and accolade. He risked his life for what he believed in.
Appreciating the true revolutionaries of the past helps to put the present situation into perspective. More like this please Netflix..
Elize Matsunaga: Era uma Vez um Crime (2021)
Definitely worth watching if you like true crime stories
I almost didn't watch it due to the negative reviews. It feels like people are leaving reviews of what they think of Elize rather than actually about the watchability of the docu-series.
It is very watchable and interesting. The way the show is directed, you become quite absorbed into the story. You get to really understand who Marcos and Elize were, and why the relationship erupted as it did.
I didn't think Elize came across as likeable. She seems like another Amanda Knox character, quite self-absorbed.
But what this docu-series does do is give a story. And it doesn't just give Elize's version. There are plenty of voices calling Elize out for being a psycho - the prosecutor, the friends of Marcos, and his siblings.
This show isn't a eulogy to the victim, but it also isn't a one-piece propaganda for the murderer.
A series about the murder without Elize's voice would be incomplete. The fact that Elize is very good at portraying herself as Little Miss Innocent is not the fault of the producers. For a discerning viewer who likes to analyse, this docu-series is excellent.
Vanilla Sky (2001)
Mind-blowing MUST watch film
This film is absolutely mind-blowing fantastic.
I originally watched the Spanish "Abre Los Ojos" with English subtitles. I feel the plot came together better at the end of the Spanish film for some reason.
But with Vanilla Sky, it felt more human and relatable.
In a world where everyone's goal seems to be to seek happiness (be rich, in love, hedonistic pleasures), what about if you were really given that option with modern future technology to put your brain into a permanent dream-state to enjoy those things. There is something about real life, the sourness with the sweetness, that is irreplaceable.
Abre Los Ojos made me really appreciate the plot and the concept that the world can be dream-like where you choose everything that is happening.
But Vanilla Sky made me appreciate more the need for authenticity of real life. Somehow a magical life where you are the star of the show and have everything seems to lack meaning.
This film is so superb that words fail me. Please watch it.
It's a film that makes you feel good for being alive no matter what is going on in your life, like waking up from a nightmare.
Justice: Qalb Al Adala (2017)
Realistic courtroom drama without all the egos!
It is a beautiful soulful courtroom drama without all the antics and egos in a big western show. Each episode revolves around a court case, which is usually resolved in 1-2 episodes. The characters are played beautifully by the actors, especially the 2 main lawyers Hassan (who comes across like a gentle thoughtful Atticus) and the young independent Farah. The cases themselves are interesting with a good semblance to real life - from kidnapping, murder, inheritance, drug smuggling to the more mundane real life of 2 parents who are disagreeing on the care of the autistic daughter. One of the most real TV moments I've ever seen in a fictional programme is when the 10-year-old girl with autism/Asperger's syndrome returns to the office to tell the junior clerk that she hoped he didn't feel bad that her parents listened to the senior lawyer and not to him. I can only imagine the stories and characters are based on real life situations. I commend everyone involved in this show, especially considering all the bad press that the UAE/Middle East receives about dictatorial justice. I'm not from arab culture so I was pleasantly surprised by the portrayed beautiful humanism of their court system. The system is different and you can expect death penalty for rape, but it never feels wrong, just intriguing. It's nice to see a world where defendant and prosecution lawyers aren't sworn enemies but actually try to resolve matters and talk to each other. I'll admit there isn't the high-grade forensics Sherlock Holmes' style analysis in the show, but it doesn't need it. I recommend everyone to see this show, although I know only few people will be able to appreciate the beauty of its simplicity. The fact that women can portray a role without the focus being on their looks, fashion and glamour is anathema to 99% of western shows created in recent times. So take a chance, you may love it!
Get Out (2017)
Don't pay to support a racist film!
I really regret the £10 I spent to watch this doubly-racist tripe. It's not a horror movie. But it's not a thriller either. It feels more like a drama film you'd find late-night on channel 5. The film is racist to both black and white people. I can only imagine a black person wrote the movie as there would rightly be an uproar if it was a white person saying to black people "hey this is how you talk, this is how you dress, your skin colour is important, and no, you're not people who give handshakes, only fist pumps". I dislike this movie so much that like so many other 1-star reviews here I can't even summon the energy to write about it. After I watched the movie, I saw the trailer for it. THE TRAILER IS THE MOVIE. Every important scene is in the trailer. You're better off just watching the trailer and reading the plot on Wikipedia. Save your energy and don't contribute any money towards a racist project.
Enough Said (2013)
It's okay!
The fact that this film has so many raving reviews is just testament to the decline in the film industry as we are served so much dross, that when we see a film which has more realistic dialogues, it is seen as amazing. I recommend people who liked this film to watch some international films where realistic dialogues are a standard.
I didn't think the film was amazing. Amazing is Incendies or The Prestige or About Elly. This film is just okay, nice. I'd give it 5-and-a-half stars. The couple are nice, and the ex-wife is interesting, and things seem to just roll. It's an alright film; the type I might randomly have on my TV on a Saturday afternoon. But by no means, an amazing film that I would rave to my friends about. Nothing spectacular happens. Most of the film is seen in the trailer. And that is it.
I really just do not understand the hype for this film. Is it because people are so prejudiced against the idea of developing a relationship with a slightly overweight middle-aged man that it is seen as mind-blowing when we discover that he is a nice fellow human being?
As another reviewer said, watch this film without having any high expectations for it and it can be a nice watch.
Krisha (2015)
Just not enough..
I really wanted to like this film. I commend the filmmakers in trying to make a film that is different and relatable.
The opening scene is inexplicably haunting. It is the sound of death and the face of a woman with pain and heartbreak and loss seared in her face, looking ready for death. And then the film starts and it is about Krisha coming to visit for Thanksgiving dinner. The whole film is based on that 1 or 2 days.
I give the film 10/10 for atmosphere. It really builds up an expectation of something that will happen. But nothing really happens. I mean sure, it would be interesting for the family if this was a real-life event. But for a outside viewer, we need more darker secrets and twists. Otherwise it just seems like a Thanksgiving dinner in a slightly more dysfunctional family than most. But meh.. it's hardly breathtaking.
So well done filmmakers for starting the film well and giving a good atmosphere. And the cast are fantastic. But this film needs a remake with a different middle and ending and it could then be something really amazing.
Bridget Jones's Baby (2016)
How depressing!
It's a shame as I liked Bridget Jones... seeing her at 43 being as inept as ever, and not having achieved anything, the movie seems a bit sad. It's basically a film that I would have loved as a 13-yr-old (or even 10-yr-old) teenage girl with the fantasy of being chased by 2 super-rich potential daddies to a baby. Of course a guy isn't anything unless he's a billionaire (cue Jack - but we know this is women's fantasy already from 50 shades). This is a milder version of women's fantasies where their only problem in life is being fought over by 2 devilishly handsome men before being married into the sunset with a baby boy, Seriously why is this film lauded with so much praise? The best place for a film like this is in the secret closets of women where we don't admit to being so weak and pathetic. By the way, I liked that somebody else commented that this film is 40 years too late in its portrayal of London - you don't seen the full hectic crowd rush of London life and there's hardly any ethnic minorities represented in the film. Except if there is an Indian, we must point out his difficult name foremost. It is a film for white middle class London back when it used to be like that. And for good effect, it adds in sexist and homophobic tripe. I'm only giving it an extra star as I liked Ed Sheeran taking photo scene (but even that joke had to be overplayed with "starbucks guy" 2 times over) and I liked Rihanna's song 'Stay'. So enjoy..
Cocktail (2012)
Such awful misogyny... makes me sad and angry.
I was repulsed by this film's message so came to IMDb reviews to assure myself there are other sane people in this world too, which I'm glad to say there are.
Who exactly was this film made for? It's made for primarily MEN and weak incapacitated women who despise feminism.
I'm not a feminist but this film saddened me.
Veronica is a liberal lady living in the West, she's rich, enjoys life, parties and comes across as a good person. However she is not Human. How can she be? She's not a virgin, she drinks alcohol, she wears shorts, has boyfriends.....
So then comes "saadi shareef" Meera who Veronica with her kind heart lets into her house, only for Meera to then STEAL her boyfriend.
And that is the story. Saif and Meera live happily ever after.
The film clearly sides with Meera. She is portrayed as a gentle soul rather than a psychopathic devil who steals her best friend's boyfriend. Veronica's feelings do not matter because she is IMPURE because she is not a virgin. And Saif, well he is a man, so obviously a HERO. It's not even relevant how many women he's screwed over before opting for "pure" Meera.
Uuuuugggghhhh.... what an awful film.
Fellow sisters, there is nothing wrong with being educated, confident, having self-esteem and making our own choices. We should boycott films that promote messages of misogyny where a woman's worth is only her so-called purity that is her virginity, no matter if she destroys the life of her liberal sister since our liberal sisters do not have hearts and thus have no capacity to feel LOVE. LOVE is only for the shy sweet woman who slyly steals and slays hearts.
Zero stars for such a crap message this film sends.
Incendies (2010)
Best film I've ever watched! 100/10
Thank you to the film-makers of Incendies for making such a moving and beautiful film.
I cannot rate this film high enough. In terms of a film, it scores 10/10 on every scale that a film can be rated on. Plot, interest, link to reality, beautiful cinematography without being artsy. If you do not like this film, then I imagine you simply just do not like films. People criticising it on IMDb were probably looking for a history documentary or TV drama.
It is captivating from the start. And it really holds your interest right up till the credits show at the end.
I read the summary of the film and I wasn't expecting much. A history quest in Middle East isn't a film I would go for, but that is totally the wrong description of this film. This film is about who you are and your history which starts from your parents and what we think we know and what is actual. In its essence, it is about a mother striving.
Someone wrote that it's not a feel-good movie, but I disagree. It is a movie that jolts you back to reality and makes you count your blessings. But it doesn't shy away from the gruesome callousness of the world. It is a needed film because there is so much war in the world, especially in the Middle East, but the film doesn't try to patronise or teach us about war. The film is about a mother and her love.
It is not a film to watch with your family and maybe not for the faint-hearted either. But it is a film if you want a true look at the different forms reality can take in this world.
Keeping Up with the Kardashians (2007)
Extra terrestrial life finally seen!!!
I like this show. I know I shouldn't but I do. I've always been interested in what alien life would be like so it's wonderful to finally be able to witness it. And let's admit it, now that our planet's biggest obsession is documented as Kim K's butt, no other specimens of intelligent life will ever talk to us, so let's satisfy ourselves with the only aliens we'll ever witness. Everything they do is different. When mum calls for a babysitter, in comes a former porn actress. When mum misses having a baby, they adopt a pet monkey. When the girls need to be taught about security, the guys do a mock break-in with ski masks and fake guns. I suppose that's happened to everyone. A few times in the show there are touching moments, such as when the girls and their mum talk about the senior Robert kardashian and their grief. But mostly it's just alien events. As the series have progressed, the alien behaviour has increased. I definitely prefer the earlier series in which Bruce was my favourite person and tried to speak the voice of reason. The family seemed more normal back when Kim would dither about doing a nude shoot and would proclaim that there is no way her brother will date a stripper. But slowly money and fame seems to have changed the girls. It's actually quite sad. It seems their life is now just about social media and self-promotions and chit-chat since they have nothing left to strive for. Their talk is overly lewd and sexual. I actually think Kim has very low self-esteem and very low self-confidence which is why she's constantly trying to prove that she still has it. I mean she sits down at the dinner table with the announcement that her private parts have returned back to normal following her second childbirth. It's actually sad. I'd like to see them all as happy and as relaxed as they were in series one again. But I think part of the problem is that they've all put on masks to shield themselves from public criticism. Their behaviour seems far more contrived and dramatised in series 12. It seems they wanted to hide their true selves from the public eye but I fear they've only gone and lost themselves. As the song goes "if I lose myself I lose it all". They've gained all this fame and money, but I can't help but think they've lost a part of themselves. I hope things get better again.
I Am Cait (2015)
Like watching a car crash...
Let me start this review by saying I like Bruce Jenner and I like Caitlyn. It's too easy to criticise and hate but we all have to play with the cards that life deals us, and in a way this programme invites you to look deeper into the human psyche and the struggles human souls face and how we relate to one another. That said, I feel really sorry for Caitlyn. Bruce was unhappy and I'm sorry to say that Caitlyn looks unhappy. Compared to the trans women on the show (candace, chandi..) who appear so relaxed, Cait sticks out like the odd one out. I think Bruce was always a loner and as he says in his own words, he didn't fit in with the boys and didn't fit in with the girls. I'm sorry to say that he doesn't look like he fits in with trans women either. It's interesting in the show when he keeps referring to the trans women as "they" and compliments that "they've achieved so much", at which point his trans friend embarrassingly has to remind him again that it's "we". I believe Bruce was struggling and chose transgenderism as an escape to the boundaries in his own psyche. But since he never really dealt with why he had the inner turmoil to begin with, it seems the problems have just passed onto Cait. The irony is that as transgenderism is accepted more into the mainstream, Cait becomes less of the outcast and has to deal with relating to people as normal again which is what her real struggle was to start with. As an aside, what is the big deal with gender? So Bruce hasn't changed his genitalia, dresses as a woman, likes male activities and likes women, yet it's so important that the world calls him a woman. It seems he's gone from being a very masculine man to being a masculine "tomboy" lesbian trans woman. Surely it would have been easier to just call himself a transvestite man. Anyway I wish Caitlyn all the best. I hope she finds herself and can be truly happy.