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Reviews
Top Million Dollar Agent (2015)
Yes, it is probably the worst show I've ever seen
The previous reviews of this show are correct. Self-parody, schlocky, painful, and fake are all terms used to describe what can charitably be called a horrible train wreck. Like a train wreck, a multi-car pileup on the highway, or a public execution, though, you may find it difficult to avoid watching it, even if for a minute.
If you need some unintentional humour at the end of a bad day, this may be your show.
One thing to note: the show's description says it is "based on the lives" of Toronto realtors. I'm not sure if that was there originally. In other words, it is completely fake, except for the agents themselves.
And on that note, the agents cannot seem to speak without using scripted lines. This is extremely curious, as other reality "real estate" shows use real people that actually seem to be able to speak without using a teleprompter, e.g. Luxe Listings, Love it or List it, Property Brothers, and so on.
These people deliver stock, cardboard lines with the same wooden delivery style every episode. I fail to see how these agents add anything to the home buying experience with lines like: "look at the attention to detail...over here, you've got your fireplace, over here, you've got your family area...here's the beautiful master bedroom with balcony, and you can have your coffee in the morning overlooking that view." Gack. One exception is Inez, who seems like she knows what she's talking about and comes across as a real person.
The first season seemed somewhat "real" but we were skeptical, so we looked up some of the people listed in the credits. Sure enough, they were actors of varying sorts.
The homes themselves are a mixed bag. It's interesting to see some of the places in the GTA and environs that we've always wondered about - the multimillion dollar mansion. Some are breathtaking. A lot are actually pretty ghastly. There's no accounting for taste, but I cannot believe how awful some of the decorating is in the homes of the super rich. If I had this much money, I would hire an interior designer. Quite a few look like mausoleums or funeral homes. "Grotesque" often comes to mind.
The other big thing to note is this series is just one big ad. It looks like it eventually was sponsored by major homebuilders as it ends up in later seasons showcasing a lot of homes built by certain companies. Then, various sponsors just "show up" in the show to talk about interior design, landscaping, and so on. Yeah. Also, we get hair salons, restaurants, men's clothing stores, and other various businesses written into the show.
In the first season, they do this by writing in mini "real-life stories" about the various agents and their activities which have no connection to real estate whatsoever. They are distractions (ads) that make you think "What the @#$% is going on?"
These go from distractions to full-blown storylines, stupefyingly mindless in their execution. By the third season, the writer(s) seemed to glom on to the idea of including "mini-dramas" where couples have huge blowouts (in front of two cameras) about which house to buy, and there is a memorable line about realtors having to wear many hats, including "marriage counsellor." Ha ha ha ah ha. Of course, there is no counselling happening here, just "let's step back and take a breath..." This is where we started to get really suspicious because the "acting" is so bad that it seemed like they could barely keep from laughing. And within 30 seconds ... all is resolved!
Another mini-story involved one of the agents becomes "involved" with a client who happens to be a model (probably an actor too) and jets off to various spots in Southeast Asia looking for expensive properties for Canadian clients on the side. Huh? Does this happen a lot? If my realtor was doing that, I'd fire them. The real estate in the area is interesting; the storyline will want to make you stick forks into both your eyes.
The awfulness grows season by season. The agents rotate in and out, so by the time we hit season 4, we only have 2 "originals" and several other newbies. Unbelievably, the execution gets worse. The homes in season 4 are mix of beautiful and jaw-droppingly ghastly. So many of them looked like they used the Disney Haunted House ride as exemplars.
Why is Canadian television so horrible?
Millennial Nation: The Lost Generation (2019)
Absolute garbage
I was hoping this would be an informative documentary on Millennials, perhaps examining their use of media, their philosophical outlook, with sociological insights. Sorry, no. Instead, this is a slapdash assemblage of video footage with an incessantly annoying narrator pontificating on the disconnectedness of humans with nature. A not-so-subtle attempt at proselytization to some sort of New Age-y religious worldview. Don't waste your time.
The List (2007)
Sorry, wish I could, but can't recommend this one
My wife and I just finished watching this and we both agreed that it was ultimately disappointing. The main problem we had with it was that the story was disjointed and didn't come to a persuasive and satisfying climax. I can't agree with most of the comments made previously. The acting was OK, the sets were ... fine, though not superlative as most previous reviewers thought. And yes, if you want a film that doesn't have a lot of vulgarity, violence, or gratuitous sex, then this would be a good choice. Unfortunately, the main problem here was the story. It was a confusing mix of a supernatural "thriller", a romance, a courtroom drama, and a "faith story." I'm still not exactly sure what happened in the end.
I was disappointed because I wanted this story to work. It does has an element of religious faith in it and I was hoping that people of faith would be portrayed in a fair light, not as muddle-headed fanatics as so often occurs in films. Unfortunately, while the film portrays people who have some kind of faith fairly, they are not fully fleshed-out human beings, and so in the end fall into tired stereotypes (thus, the ex-missionary who spends most of her time doling out platitudes and praying). Too bad, because there was some promise here.