ChrisScreenwriter Reviews

Anatomy of a Fall (2023)

Boy, is this boring

[5/10 · 27 January 2024]

I had high hopes for this film since it won the Palme d'Or. And there was a Border Collie! And many possible killers.

But then. It went on and on with boring court scenes. And got duller and duller.

I finally gave up and went to Wikipedia to find out the ending, only to learn that the kid poisoned his dog on purpose to test a theory! Nope, nope, nope. On top of that, nobody is really sure whodunnit at the end of the movie.

I watch a lot of foreign films, and a lot of French films. This one is just plain bad.

So save your money. If you absolutely have to watch it, wait till it's streaming for free.

Palme d'Or -- what were you thinking??

NCIS: Sydney (2023– )

So many guns!

[6/10 · 23 November 2023]

I'm not a follower of the franchise, but I wanted to see Sydney.

I liked all the main characters. The mix of Aussies and Americans.

The show is kind of campy. Resolutions coming out if nowhere, onvenient suspect capturing etc.

But why so much gunplay? As the Aussies mentioned, cops don't carry guns in Australia. I wish the writers would dig into that and solve the problems in other ways. We have so much gun violence in the States, and this glorifies it.

Sydney is not New York. If they can adapt to the local culture, this will be a much better show.

. ......................................

Killers of the Flower Moon (2023)

What a disappointment

[5/10 · 23 October 2023]

Well that was a real snorer.

Scorsese took a taut thriller of a book, detailing a horrific crime against the Osage tribe of Oklahoma, and turned it into a boring history lesson 2 hours too long. I almost fell asleep twice.

Moreover, he significantly changed the facts of how the bad guys were sniffed out. In reality, J. Edgar Hoover's Texas Ranger, Tom White, went undercover, at significant risk to his life, to root out the evil mastermind and his henchmen.

Why screw with a masterpiece of writing? This could have been a nail-biting thriller exposing a terrible episode in American history. The decision to dumb down the actual suspense of the situation was a poor one. Sadly, this film will bypass generations of moviegoers who should have been given a film to watch and rewatch.

Go read the book instead.

Top of the Lake (2013–2017)

Too long and morose

[6/10 · 26 August 2022]

I stuck with the first season but just couldn't watch the second. Gloomy and weird, Elisabeth Moss was good, but the whole show dragged on and on. Not recommended.

The Princess (II) (2022)

SPOILERS - Brings all the emotions back

[8/10 · 18 August 2022]

The whole time you're watching this, you're waiting for the end. How they ever got that footage of the guys playing cards, and then hearing the news. It was a gut punch, just like we all felt then. Excellent and moving documentary.

Nine to Five (1980)

Not what I expected at all

[5/10 · 4 August 2022]

First time seeing this. Was expecting some kind of ladies' revolution in the office. What I saw was only mildly funny, with a bizarre turn of events. Very dated. Just OK. I was disappointed.

The Tourist (2022–2024)

Predictable and too long

[4/10 · 31 July 2022]

The best thing about this series is the character of Helen. She's great.

The rest is predictable. And the ending takes FOREVER to get to the point. Not recommended.

A Very British Scandal (2021)

Maybe more interesting for Brits

[6/10 · 21 July 2022]

For me, who had never heard of these people, it was a pithy story about rich people taking advantage of each other. The actors were all great, but it's not like the characters were Churchills or Kennedys.

Stranger Things: Chapter Five: The Nina Project (2022) Season 4, Episode 5

Much too violent

[3/10 · 29 May 2022]

Just awful. I fast-forwarded through at least half of the episode. This used to be somewhat campy and fun. Not now. .. ... .......(adding random characters to submit the review)...

Hello, My Name Is Doris (2015)

A poignant and realistic film

[7/10 · 25 May 2022]

SPOILERS

This is ultimately a sad film, because what we hope desperately for Sally Field's character, Doris, doesn't come true. The truth is that many women of a certain age do wish a gorgeous man in his 30s or 40s would fall in love with her. As do younger women who, through shyness, situation, or lack of beauty, don't get that chance. We hope against hope that Doris will get her wish, yet we know deep inside that she will not.

A good film with great performances.

Senior Year (2022)

Ruined by really foul language

[5/10 · 18 May 2022]

This is the kind of movie that families might think they could watch together. DON'T DO IT. The language was so foul I was shocked, and I'm an adult. There was no reason at all to ruin the movie like that. Can't recommend it at all.

The Double (I) (2011)

Really good flick

[9/10 · 13 May 2022]

Started a little slow, but then picked up and kept on going, and kept me guessing. Richard Gere at the top of his game. Watch this one! ..... ...... ..... .... ..... (adding filler here to meet the minimum word count).

Rescued by Ruby (2022)

Great dog movie

[8/10 · 20 March 2022]

It's a Border Collie! Best dogs on the planet. If you, like me, like all dog movies, you'll like this one. Based on a true story, gives fascinating detail of how K-9 search and rescue dogs work. Good family movie.

Around the World in 80 Days (2021– )

Simply terrific

[10/10 · 21 February 2022]

What a great series, perfectly cast. David Tennant is a wonder of an actor, well-accompanied by Miss Fix and Passepartout. The story lines were true to the era. Who knew that Jane Digby was a real person?!

Very enjoyable.

SPOILERS:

At the end of the series, the trio's lines come exactly from Verne's 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. What a great adventure for Season Two! One can only hope.

The Power of the Dog (2021)

Animal abuse unacceptable

[2/10 · 9 February 2022]

The whipping of the horse was not CGI. And there is no disclaimer that no animals were harmed in the making of this movie. There is no excuse for this.

Undercurrent (1946)

B movie with A-list stars

[7/10 · 22 January 2022]

Ok, this is at most a B movie melodrama. But Hepburn steals the show, as usual, and the eye candy provided by Irene's gowns and costumes is yummy. Watch it for film history. Not bad, worth a look.

Don't Look Up (2021)

So timely. It would probably happen this way

[10/10 · 29 December 2021]

What a great eye on the nutso society we live in now. Meryl is a spot-on female Trump, idiotic and self-absorbed. The scenario is absolutely how things would play out in a similar real situation. Worth several viewings.

Robin Robin (2021)

Too creepy

[3/10 · 30 November 2021]

The cat here was just plain scary, and not on a good way. Also, the animation of the bird was weird. What's with the ears? I thought this would be cute but it was very disappointing.

Alfred Hitchcock Presents: Pen Pal (1960) Season 6, Episode 6

Great story, pulled me in

[10/10 · 19 November 2021]

The two main actors were terrific together in this short story. It was fun to see a young and very handsome Clu Gulager. Didn't guess where the story was going either. Good show!

I'm Your Man (2021)

Terrific film about the human condition

[10/10 · 17 November 2021]

This is the kind of movie that stays with you. Heartbreaking and real, the two main characters, Tom and Alma, grow throughout the film, even though one is a robot. Interestingly, the German title chose the word mensch, instead of mann. In Yiddish, a mensch is "a person of integrity and honor." Mensch can also mean human. Would that we would all find partners as human as Tom.

Why Didn't They Ask Evans? (1980 TV Movie)

Convoluted and wordy

[5/10 · 29 October 2021]

Kind of cute, but definitely out of date, filmmaking-wise. The explanation at the end went on and on. Looking forward to the 2022 remake with Hugh Laurie!

Unforgotten: Episode #1.6 (2015) Season 1, Episode 6

Season 1 ending made no sense

[6/10 · 12 October 2021]

SPOILERS What about the nail in Jimmy's hand? And everybody else's flashbacks about him? That resolution made no sense. 😠

The Jury (2002–2011)

Terrific show

[10/10 · 30 September 2021]

Definitely worth watching.

Only 2 drawbacks:

1) Gerard Butler is only on the first season 😕 ; and

2) Somehow IMDB grabbed the second season and it is littered with stupid commercials. Interrupts the flow and is SO annoying. 😠

The Jury: Episode #1.6 (2002) Season 1, Episode 6

SPOILERS - the ending

[10/10 · 27 September 2021]

Ha! Great way to end the series.

Judging by the foreman's expression, he found the satchel and indeed, there was blood on the shirt. Just as I suspected. Good show!

The Woods (2020)

Waay too drawn out

[5/10 · 18 September 2021]

This whole thing could have been a 90-minute movie. By the end of the first episode only about 10 minutes of plot had been revealed. Too bad, because I was interested to see how Polish TV would handle a Coben story. I gave up and saved myself 5 hours by reading the summaries.