Change Your Image
![](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BMzcwMzA4NDAzOF5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTgwODM0NzY1MzE@._V1_SY100_SX100_.jpg)
millerwade3
Ratings
Most Recently Rated
Reviews
The Haunting of Bly Manor (2020)
Flanagan Does it Again
Flanagan is such a fantastic storyteller. This peaks in the Altar of the Dead and the Romance of Certain Old Clothes, both of which are gripping from start to finish. He has a way of framing individual episodes, let alone the season as a whole, that makes you completely fall into a character and his/her story. We saw that all over Hill House and he certainly accomplishes it again here.
The marketing (specifically the trailer) for the series is a tad misleading, which I could see contributing to lower scores. Bly Manor was barely a horror story. And yet, the trailer alone could give viewers nightmares. Compound this with the expectations that come with being the sequel to Hill House and I could see many viewers being disappointed. At the series' core is a mystery and a love story, which it thrives at. But, while I'm expecting an exciting horror, it can be tough to accept a slow romance monologue in a garden.
With that said, I really had few critiques of the series as a whole. Even at the slower points I still found myself captivated and anxious to start the next episode.
The Words (2012)
Two-thirds Excellent
It is a true shame that no one behind this film realized that one-third was legitimately difficult to watch. The one-third I am referring to is one of the three timelines, namely the "real world" Dennis Quaid and Olivia Wilde timeline. Between Quaid delivering the weakest performance in the film and the god-awful script in his scenes, it's hard as the viewer to even maintain interest. You would think it's an entirely different director and screenwriter at work solely for Quaid and Wilde's scenes together. The only good news here is that this timeline does have limited screen time and can be somewhat ignored in order to enjoy the two captivating inner stories. It is these inner stories that ultimately make this an underrated film (metascore is undeservedly low) and a definite recommendation.
The two inner stories contain two couples, all with great performances. Cooper/Saldana and Barnes/Arnezeder did an incredible job of evoking emotion for the viewer. I genuinely cared about the relationships and was fascinated by their respective stories. The last shot of Rory (Cooper) laying in Dora's (Saldana) arms had me itching for more time with them. The film also left me with that great feeling of needing to discuss it with those I watched it with. With all of this said, I would absolutely recommend it, but with the warning of having to mentally get passed the dreadful outer timeline.
Mile 22 (2018)
Haphazard action, horrible story
I understand that this is an action movie, which inherently garners a higher user score due to the entertainment value; however, this one is truly puzzling. This film has absolutely zero elements to it outside of its action. And yet, the action itself wasn't executed very well either. The action sequences barely even qualify for "shaky-cam" filming with how quick cut it is. Apparently the chaos alone is supposed to be appealing to the viewer because we certainly can't actually see what's going on.
As for the characters, wahlberg is certainly one of the best for this role, but the script renders his character barely likable. Lauren Cohen's character is quite likeable, but the lack of any character development whatsoever hurts any chance of connection. As a result of the inability to connect with a single character, it's pretty hard to even care about what happens in the end.
Love wahlberg in this role. It's a shame that this script and direction needed such significant improvement to even enjoy the action.
Beautiful Boy (2018)
Acting master class, not terribly entertaining
Carell and Chalamet put on two performances that may very well be the best of the year. This is a powerful story that is carried out to perfection by this cast. There isn't a single wasted scene here in developing each character needed to accurately represent how stories like these impact everyone involved. It's easy to see how this role will start to launch Chalamet into an elite category, specifically off the tail of Call Me By Your Name.
With that said, the movie does lack an entertainment aspect that will certainly deter less avid moviegoers. However, it is an excellent character drama that will leave you thinking about the story for some notable time post viewing.
Safe House (2012)
Criminally Underrated
Judging this movie strictly on the basis of entertainment value would surely give a 10/10. The action is non-stop and certainly intense throughout. The fight choreography is also extremely well done, while they don't adopt the "Bourne" method of just shaking the camera rapidly throughout the scene to give the impression of quicker and more complex fighting moves. The fight scenes with Ryan Reynolds, in particular, are shot in a way that show each individual move, which was incredible to watch.
As for the acting, Denzel needs no description and was absolutely ideal for the role. I knew exactly what kind of stellar performance I was going to see immediately upon his first line with the MI6 agent. Ryan Reynolds was the surprise here, as I had little to no respect for his acting ability prior to this role. His casting as the protagonist actually slightly deterred my interest in seeing the movie initially. I've now been on the Reynolds bandwagon since viewing Safe House due to how well he portrayed this character. His acting specifically after the last fight scene in the desert safe house was quite impressive. The chemistry between Denzel and Ryan carries the film and makes their gradual character development all the more believable. Safe House should be recommended to any viewer hoping for some action packed entertainment.