JulietteOpinions Reviews

Elsbeth (2024– )

Elsbeth, quirky lady ok, writing and narratives too simple

[6/10 · 9 June 2024]

I am OK with the Elsbeth character, she s a quirky crime solving genius so I cannot help compare to Columbo as others have, so on that front I like the show, and the protagonist rendered it watchable.

I loved the Good Wife, it was a 'smart' show that delved into current affairs, politics, the legal system, etc. And Elsbeth was a tertiary character on that show who turned up in random episodes. Elsbeth ais a quirky absent-minded genius, and as such, added a certain levity to 'The Good Fight'. However, 'Elsbeth' as a show, is not smart in any way. The simple story lines sacrifice the potential intelligence of a clever narrative to an attempt at comedy over mystery. I prefer humor to comedy, and this is not humorous.

Constellation (2024)

Great concept, tedious delivery

[7/10 · 15 April 2024]

I really love the concept of Constellation, but the delivery is tedious. Alice yelling 'mama' and mama yelling 'Alice' in the snow at night for ages is annoyingly long, had to fast forward through that, no tension just tedium - get on with it already! The acting is very good but also a tad as lackluster as the shows pacing. I love anything science fiction, other dimensions, time travel enigma and will watch anything with these themes, so I kept going but by the last episode, I kind of wanted it to end. This could have been an amazing 4-part series if they eliminated a lot of the yelling through the snow fields at night, and some of the faux intrigues that eventually did not really add to the narrative but just acted as vehicle to pretend to be mysterious.

Ripley (2024)

An Immersive Experience

[10/10 · 8 April 2024]

In addition to being a beautifully shot series nothing short of fine art, the acting of Andrew Scott as Ripley is artistry in of itself. We are immersed into the thinking of a psychopath, the meticulous nonchalance in which Ripley proceeds to accomplish his misdeeds.

The complexity of the narrative matches the visual complexity of Italian architecture, art, and history featured in this series. The parallels with Caravaggio and his adjacent murderous crime add an intriguing undertone, the symbolism of living in the shadows away from the harsh light of truth; a tribute to Chiaroscuro if you will.

I highly recommend this, and find a fellow artist with which to discuss it.

Apples Never Fall (2024)

Interesting family dynamics, keeps you watching

[7/10 · 15 March 2024]

Having read the book, and also having seen th excellent Big Little Lies adaptation by the same author, Liane Moriarty, this production is somewhat lacking.

The pacing is off, a hollow soap opera quality if you will; and the fake American accents by Australian actors Conor Merrigan Turner and Essie Randles are distracting. The author Liane Moriarty is Australian so somehow hiring Australian actors I guess is a tribute to that, accent be damned.

The 'mystery; itself is intriguing, as it was in the book, with a decent enough twist which I always enjoy. The family dynamics and individual characteristics of each family member is well done. I think Big Little Lies is the better adaptation, and I can't help but to compare it to that but definitely entertaining enough to keep me watching.

Harlan Coben's Shelter (2023)

Abysmal Acting

[4/10 · 26 August 2023]

The acting in this is just abysmal, so bad that it is distracting - even the recognizable actors are terrible in this. Although I do enjoy the twists and turns of Harlan Coben's books, even the ones including the Bolitar character included here as a young man, this 'teen' version is a misguided mess of a mystery. Also, a pet peeve of mine is using a long musical interludes to provide filler, this is not MTV, stop it. If you want to see a really great series adapted from a Coben book, see the Spanish language 'The Innocent' on Netlfix, excellently done, edge of seat, intelligent twits, interesting character, and frankly, much better than the book.