finnbarrett-44041 Reviews

Oldboy (2013)

Conflicted Feelings

[5/10 · 8 August 2019]

This was the first version of the film I watched as I didn't know about the Korean Original (I was just scrolling through Netflix) and on the first viewing, I just enjoyed it as a decent B movie.

However today I saw the original "Oldboy" in the cinema and I have to say, as a stand alone film this version is alright. But compared to the Korean original, it's just absolute garbage.

I'm glad I saw this version first as when I watched the original, I wasn't as shook up as I may have been with how the plot unfolds. The Korean version is in every way superior and much more dark, but this film is a much more simplified version of he story and a decent B movie if you haven't seen the original.

It's worth watching, but watch the original too.

Aziz Ansari: Right Now (2019 TV Special)

A different type of special

[9/10 · 10 July 2019]

As a fan of Aziz from his work on Television such as Parks and Recreation and Master of None, I haven't watched any of his previous specials. Knowing the situation that he was involved in in the height of the "Me Too" movement, I was wondering how he would or if he would come back to television / stand up again and after turning on Netflix today I was surprised to see this stand up special.

I usually don't enjoy stand up specials as there are only a few comedians I would sit down and watch an hour + of so going in, I wasn't sure what to expect.

The director chosen for this special was in my opinion what made this special so unique. It's not filmed with multiple cameras, perfect shots, lots of lights and hd quality. Aziz chose to use about 2 camera men with rigs attached to them to be on stage / in the audience to deliver a very fresh take on a stand up special.

Comedy wise the stories told and the way he delivers them left me laughing and then he manages to take a moment from comedic, to heartfelt and beautiful with stories of his grandmother or reflections on life.

Regardless of what you may think of him after what he was involved in, I believe how he handles this special and explains where he's at in life is a perfect example of how somebody can change as a person and use their experiences to help others learn from their mistakes.

This is definitely one of the best stand- ups (if I can even put it in that category) I have seen in a long time and the different artistic direction with the overall message really makes this a great return for Aziz.