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Reviews
Lou (2022)
Plot Twists/Writing Lower the Rating
The scenery, actors, and basic storyline were enough to garner this film a 7 to 8 rating. As the film progressed, however, at about the halfway point, unnecessary plot twists started getting thrown in that were not needed. It became silly to try to make the film something more than what it started out as and should have remained. Trying to add depth to something at mid-point, beyond the good guy thwarts bad guy dynamic, did no favors to the overall story and came off as absurd, my eyes hurting from eye ball rolling. It brought my overall rating down to a 5. Did I like it? Yes...but more in the first half without trying to add ties between the characters.
Atlas (2024)
It Has Issues
Good effects, interesting underlying story/plot, some good & seasoned actors, but it has an issue. I cannot tell for sure if the problem is writing dialogue, the performance of Jennifer Lopez, the direction, or a combination of all of them.
Right at the beginning the dialogue delivery of Jennifer Lopez is frenetic, harried, over wrought, and too emotional. It was akin to when a character was angry in the TV show The Facts of Life. Instead of coming off as a heroine she seems to be more of a recently released psychiatric patient that had ingested too much spice and bath salts. Her fault, the script, or the direction? I cannot tell. And the character pretty much stays that way until about the last 15% of the movie. The other actors give far better performances so my guess the issue is with Jennifer Lopez.
The heroine, Atlas, is supposed to be a Sigourney Weaver type like in Aliens, but Miss Lopez did not do enough studying of the Ellen Ripley character to pull this off. If not for the other performances I would have given this movie a 5. If Lopez had delivered this film could have been a 7.5 to 8.
Under Pressure: The U.S. Women's World Cup Team (2023)
Stuff Left Out
The documentary was well done with what was in it, but it kind of failed with what was left out. In that FIFA had a hand in its production, I think, explains this. FIFA does not want their brand to look bad.
So, to what am I am referring to? Well, there was nothing about the stink and controversies back at home in the U. S. regarding the behavior of Megan Rapinoe and others on the team. There was no mention of not singing the national anthem during group play and only three of the eleven putting their hand over their heart during it. That was a major ruckus back home, causing a loss of support and some even rooting against them, and all that got back to the team. Did it affect their performance? We do not know since, again, no mention was made of it. Did it affect the locker room? We do not know since, again, no mention was made of it. Was there a psychological impact? We do not know, since, again, no mention was made of it.
How what was the biggest story about the team, until elimination, was completely and utterly avoided is a head scratcher. It would be like doing a documentary on World War II and leaving out either Germany or Japan. There will be good information to be had but with something major left out. It was strange and peculiar.
The Killer (2023)
Entertaining
It was an enjoyable film with a good build up. The beginning was a narrative in the head reminiscent of Mark Dacascos in the History Channel's "Samurai: Miyamoto Musashi." The performances were quite good, especially from Tilda Swinton, hers being mesmerizing. Charles Parnell, Arliss Howard, Kerry O'Malley were all VERY good in their deliveries. Michael Fassbender was interesting in his performance as being a borderline automaton with blunt affect, save a few moments of surprise and amusement, but very toned down.
My quibbles that kept it from getting a higher rating were a few. The ending, while interesting, wasn't satisfying due to the effort of the lead to get to that point. Further, the ending was somewhat in contravention of the "rules" that the lead was espousing throughout the film, and it wasn't because of some epiphany of humanity. My final gripe was one of realism. There was a lot of surveillance from vehicles without tinted windows without any interference. As one who used to do that, with limo tint, after a couple of hours some observant neighbor or Mrs. Kravitz/Karen type would often confront or have the cops come out on a suspicious vehicle call.
The film is a solid 7, maybe even a 7.5. It could've been an easy 8 if the ending was different.
Idiocracy (2006)
Decent Time Killer
You got two hours to kill before the game, picking up the kids from a party, or waiting for your wife to get ready for an evening out? Well, this movie works.
There are amusing scenes and lines, but not being an easily humored man there were no LOL moments for me. Maybe because the humor was rather juvenile? Probably. Still, the movie is worth a watch much like Sponge Bob is if one just wants to shut the world out with mental cotton candy. Second watch? No, unless one is anal or OCD and wants to take in the myriad of sight gags. Though nowhere near as many as can be found in Airplane! There are more than can be absorbed with one viewing, just have your finger ready to hit the rewind and pause bottoms on the remote.
The most gripping thing about the film is actually what is said, right from the very beginning, about society no longer allowing social Darwinism and the effects that come about from having such a large social safety net, allowing the less intelligent amongst us to procreate and creating a new and larger generation of imbeciles & morons. It is something that we are already witnessing taking place. The higher moral libertarian notion of personal autonomy does get questioned into wanting the more utilitarian concept of forced spaying, neutering, and sterilizing the intellectual dullards and parasites within humanity.
Vampire Academy (2014)
Tries to be too much.
The movie was entertaining as a time killer but it could have been far better. The major issue was it trying to be too much with various genres and pulls from other vampire lore films. Is it a best friend flick? Is it a teenage angst film? A mystery movie? A love story? Maybe an orphan trying to find their way alone? How about an abandoned teen trying to establish connections? The problem is that it was all of those things, and a bit more, making it too busy.
Throw in other aspects from vampire lore and mystical films. There is a pseudo Hogwarts looking school...with magic going on, folks running around acting like they are Blade, day time walking vampires from Twilight, and vampire royals and feeders from Underworld. Again, too much with trying appeal to everyone that liked vampire flicks from the last 20 years. The movie could not get out of its own way to have its own identity.
Child 44 (2015)
Frightening Movie...But Not for the Child Murders
Tom Hardy is phenomenal in delivering his role, as a often is. He is likely the best actor of his generation. His supporting cast are quite good and are familiar faces. The scenery, period attire, props, etc., lend itself to getting the feel that it is 1953 Soviet Union.
The film is terrifying, especially in the beginning to about halfway through. The capricious arrests, searches, and executions of the citizenry are what nightmares are made of. The terror from seeing it portrayed is worse than the child killings being investigated. The second half of the film delves more into that along with petty co-worker back stabbing...which is oddly a relief to the watching of the authoritarian state from the first half of the movie. In a perverse, peculiar way it is easier to wrap one's head around child murder and conniving co-workers than paranoia Stalinist internal state security.
It is a good watch, but there are some slow and plodding portions, albeit necessary for character development and psychological insight.
Pieces of Her (2022)
Not what you think.
It was an odd show. In the first episode you think you are going to get one thing but it becomes es another. The lead protects grown daughter, does a wicked move to take out the perp, then becomes worried that she is now in the news. Sounds like a retired or in hiding assassin, spy, or spec-ops person, right? WRONG!! Instead it turns out she is in witness protection from having once been a domestic terrorist potentially targeted by one of her cohorts that just so happens to be the father of said grown daughter. Oh, and mommy is from a rich family. It was some sort of take-off of the Sybianese Liberation Army and the mom being Patty Hearst...except mom wasn't brainwashed as Hearst may have been. It was kind of bizarre.
The Munsters (2022)
Tough to Judge
The Munsters is rather tough to judge. Does one do it with an eye to modern sensibilities or through the lens of the source material, the TV show, circa 1964? If the former it is a 4. If the the latter than an 8.
The jokes, humor, and the like are very true to the original. Depending on one's take that is great or a let down. It being in color makes the scenery, costumes, and make-up of the characters pop compared to the black & white TV production, and even more than the 1966 movie Munster, Go Home! The lighting effects were also incredibly well done.
American humor has changed and I was expecting the movie to have evolved along the same lines. It was, however, in keeping with 1964 campiness. Personally, that was disappointing. If you are looking for or expecting something along the lines of the Addams Family movies of the 1990's or Netflix's Wednesday this film is not in keeping with those.
The Philadelphia Experiment (2012)
Have a 5, but really a 4.
I enjoyed the film as a mere time killer but there were some terribly awful things about it. First, what was good was the story concept and the acting of Nicholas Lea and Malcom McDowell were superb. The effects were fine as well.
However, the dialogue, script, and other acting performances from the other main characters made me think I was back in high school in the early 80s watching my classmates stage a production. The dialogue was horrible and predictable, such as the government characters will not listening to reason, being fixated on destroy, even if it means greater destruction and their own lives lost. The script writer should have been given a Razzi.
One of the worst acting performances I have ever seen was from the main governmental villain played by Gina Holden. Overwrought, not comfortable in the characters skin, plus made all the worse because of the lines she had to deliver. Her performance and lines made me think of the Iowa state fair...very corny. Where did they get her from? Was she some studio exec girlfriend or was the casting director really impressed with some sort of shampoo ad she might have been in?
Oh, more corn...the plain clothes governmental agents all ran around wearing the same tan fishing vest. Yeah, that really blends into society well.
The Ottoman Lieutenant (2017)
Acting Turns a 7 Into a 4
The Ottoman Lieutenant had tremendous potential to be a decent film rating a 7. There where, however, some glaring failures.
The casting done by Francine Maisler and Melissa Kostenbauder...well...whichever one was responsible for hiring Hera Hilmar to play Lillie Rowe, the lead, ought to consider another career or only deal with extras. Actually make it both since one didn't stop the other. I haven't seen such a stilted, dead pan, unenthusiastic performance before in my life. Hera Hilmar's acting was worse than Kristen Stewart's in the Twilight saga. Her moments on screen and dialogue delivery came off like an NPR or radio BBC reporter stoned on either weed or quaaludes.
Additionally, Josh Hartnett being cast...didn't we see him already at the losing end of a love triangle in Pearl Harbor? Give the man a break before he's typecast.
Final quibble, the Armenian Genocide was somewhat glossed over in the film, hardly touching on the barbarity of the Turkish military, instead showing it was merely rogue units and the population at large being responsible. The truth of the matter is it was a deliberate and concerted program of the Turks.
Ben Kingsley gave a wonderful performance, as did Michiel Huisman. The scenery was fantastic and shot really well. Dramatic battle scenes were engaging. Those few things saved the film.
Duck Soup (1933)
A different time.
I gave this movie a six (6), and being generous with that, it more a five (5). The extra star was taking into account cultural relativism for the time.
My main issue with the movie is what I have as the same issue that with musicals: the script/storyline is written around the jokes or songs, respectively, instead of the joke or songs written after the script for the story was put on paper. This causes in many instances the jokes or sight gags not flowing organically, creating a jerky-jerky feel and flow to the film. The sight, pun, entendre, insults, slap stick, and turn phrase/word play is all good by themselves put seem shoe horned in. This isn't "Airplane!"
Again, this may be an era relativism hang up. I wasn't born until after three decades had passed since the film was released, cultural tastes maybe having changed. Looking at films from he 80's that I liked, for instance, I now cringe when I see them now...and now for the fashions.
Im Westen nichts Neues (2022)
Know "Inspired" By The Book
If you're looking for a movie that adheres to the book or the original Oscar winning film this movie isn't it. There are things are true to both in context. It is, nonetheless, still as anti war as the author intended.
First, unlike the book, there are portions that deal with the armistice negotiations and signing in the film. Additionally, the thoughts and perspective of a high ranking German general is also include.
Some things are missing from the book or have a substitute. The meeting with French girls for sex in exchange for food isn't had. Instead one soldier does go away for that and returns with a woman's scarf. The scarf then serves the role of cursed boots found in the book and B&W movie.
The patriotic teacher is in the film, but the return home on leave and disabusing the teacher and his new students about the glory of war is not in this film.
The poignant stabbing of a French soldier in a shell crater it still present, but not with as much reflection and pathos found in the book or first film. It is not a gloss over but it is not anywhere as poignant as previously read or seen. Paul, as this point in the film, has had more up close and personal killings that has not effected him, yet his humanity does come out in the shell crater.
Kat getting wounded, carried by Paul, and being dead is in the film, but the context is different. Kat is shot by a civilian on the last day of the during a raid of farm for food.
Also, instead of days before the armistice Paul dies minutes after it, in a trench and not by sniper sketching a bird. Paul being a sensitive artist is nowhere present in this film.
Good movie. I enjoyed/appreciated it, but if a purist to the book and original film one may be irked or disappointed.