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MrBread789
Reviews
Neal Brennan: Blocks (2022)
Razor sharp wit
Neal Brennan is a treasure! A brilliant comedian with the most precise wit that just hits the spot. His comedy is like one of those copper scalp massage things. It's like he can reach into my brain and directly tickle it. As an aside, I was appalled and infuriated to hear of Chris Rock's lame public joke against Neal. And seriously? Chris Rock? In his entire body, he doesn't have an ounce of the brilliant comedy that Neal has in his little pinky. But back to this special, it's fantastic. I love the dead pan delivery and I absolutely love the jokes themselves. They're sharp, relatable, and fantastically executed. Neal, please don't make us wait another 5 years for the next special!
The Bear (2022)
It tries too hard and is so loud
I was really excited when I saw 8.5 stars for this, but now that I've made it to the end, I think it's a disappointing show. It tries so hard to be a gritty, white tender underbelly, blow-your-mind with moments of raw humanity type of drama, but it misses the mark. Everything feels so forced and unnatural. And my God, the yelling. I muted it multiple times just to not have to listen to these whiny little babies try to outscream each other.
"You stare at the fire and think this place could burn down and my anxiety would burn down with it." - this line made me cringe. It's like open mic at a bad poetry slam and someone blew their own mind with their profundity and thought, "Oh, this has got to go in a movie, this is too good."
Everyone calling each other Chef at the end of every sentence they utter? So pretentious and phony. I think it was trying to be revolutionary and break down the chains of hierarchy or something, but it also made me cringe.
I just found it hard to care about any of these characters. They were so loud and annoying and childish. It's a sandwich shop, you loud babies! You'd think they were performing open heart surgery or colonizing Mars. I just didn't care about any of their struggles and I wasn't rooting for any of them.
And Tina being the hardened older lady with a chip on her shoulder because she has to answer to someone much younger? And all she needs is for Sydney to mutter under her breath "this tastes good" one time and suddenly her attitude problem is completely fixed? OK, sure.
Honestly, the only thing I really cared about was Marcus' donuts and I was dying to see a reveal of the pantone color masterpiece he was working on.
2020 (2021)
Outstanding series, exceptional ensemble cast
This series absolutely engulfed me. The story is addictive, the actors are next level. The characters are so distinctly fleshed out and the actors completely embody them. The lead actor (Kosai Khauli) is incredibly strong, but he doesn't overshadow anyone, they are all so talented and work together harmoniously. Though honestly, it's worth it alone to watch the series to see him deliver the line "God forgive us" in 50 different ways.
The story has everything: drama, suspense, romance, comedy, pearls of wisdom. I could watch 10 seasons of this and not get bored. The characters are so soulful and so human, I loved watching every expression and line delivery.
I so hope that there will be other seasons of it and I will wait with anticipation. I was enamored with the actors and kept googling them wondering, "Who is this person? What else have they done?" This is the only Lebanese show I've ever watched and it was great to get immersed into a completely different culture. Especially if you're American and used to standard American series, this is just a fascinating look into another part of the world.
Also, it was refreshingly wonderful to see romance portrayed with almost no physical touch. The yearning and passion were so strong, yet the actors communicated this with hardly a touch. It's interesting, living in an oversexed society such as the US, to see how powerful subtlety can be.
One of the best and most engrossing series I've seen.