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Reviews
Together (2018)
A wonderful quaint film
It's a story of a death in a non-traditional family and homophobia in a small town. The partner of the deceased is fighting to stay together (see the title?) with his step daughter against the neighbours and her grand-parents. It's a wonderfully acted film with great directing and fresh cinematography. It touched me!
It's obvious good films CAN be made with small budget too!
Behind the Candelabra (2013)
an OK flick
I have heard about Liberace and his flamboyant shows and outfits but never really gave it much thought about his sexuality. I suppose I knew he was gay but was not really interested ether in him, his music nor his personal life. But when the film came out I thought it would be in interesting view. And it is. The story is quite depressing: an old queen afraid of being outed, lonesome in his golden cage and a young innocent gay man lured into the light of bling - and we all know what will happen: he'll get tossed as soon as Liberace gets bored. No surprise there then. I find the film well made, acting is superb. All in all I'd like to hear more Liberace's playing and music. Apart from few Chopin clips and his show in the beginning of the film, music is pretty scarce which I find a big minus.
White Collar (2009)
pretty good actually
What do I need on a Sunday night? A good glass of wine and an entertaining series on the telly (to simplify it gravely). And White Collar is just that. Great entertainment. Of course a handsome lead doesn't hurt at all. Certainly I won't learn any new tricks and it's not very educative, but that's why I also have Discovery and History channel, not to mention a library.
The acting is fine, I like the way the characters develop and become more and more individual as the series progresses.
All in all i find it very sleek show, though Bomer sometimes does look pretty camp, not to say gay. Which does not bother me at all, but did notice it. I have to mention though that the best characters for me are actually Elizabeth Burke and Mozzie...
Am looking forward to the continuation of the show! Sometimes it's a bit too sweet for my taste, but with Nurse Jackie, it's a pretty good balanced TV nutrition ;)
Step Up (2006)
horrid horrid
This has to be one of the worst films I've ever watched. A huge dance amateur I was expecting good dance routines and great music. Needless to say both are very mediocre. The plot is ridiculous and so cliché you know how the film will end before it begins, the same goes for endless boring scenes. Acting is on the level of a porn clip. Channing has basically one single (!!) expression the whole film through and even that one is fake. He looks utterly stupid and the fact that he really cannot move to music does not help his pathetic excuse for acting. Bottom like he looks like a Shrek or a jarhead that wants to dance. The rest of the cast is, alas, not much better. Jena Dewan does not convince us that she's a rich girl trying to follow her dancing dreams. One of the reason for that failure is that the lady cannot dance to save her life. One of the most disturbing flaws in the script are the things with obvious homophobia and the notion that jazz and ballet are boring and stuck up and that one needs a thug from the slums to bring some life into the dancing. The scenes are too long and too boring, there's NO chemistry between the protagonists and the film as a whole is just simply flat (even the murder scene leaves us uninvolved to say the least). Avoid it and spend your hour 43min better!
The Reader (2008)
better than the book
The novel left me really completely cold, perhaps because at the time everyone was raving about it. I found it too moralizing, slow and poorly written. The most important thing about the book was the story itself. This is why I loved the film. It is very visual, I find the narrative very well transported to the visual media and the dialogues are great. I find the portrayals of young Michael sublime and Winslet is also perfect for the role of Hannah. Not being German, but speaking the language I somehow felt the whole time it's wrong the film is made in English and that it should be in German, probably also because the photography is very European. It feels like a German film which is in this case a good quality.