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The Crossing Guard (1995)
Unhinged and Hilarious!
I know this movie is supposed to be one of the best tense thrillers of 1995 but it is so corny! I was laughing throughout the entire movie because of how overly dramatic it was. I absolutely love Angelica Huston and Jack Nicholson is great but this movie did not do them justice. The movie is not a bad idea, but it was not executed in a way where I was going to take the subject matter serious. The Lifetime Movie soundtrack, the odd timing, the ridiculous dialogue. Jack Nicholson as Freddy was so over the top it was hilarious! He's so unhinged in a comedic way. How Sean Pean managed to put together a cast of truly talented actors and give them a sloppy, cheese ball script is incredible. Angelica Huston even looks like she wants to laugh in some of the scenes. The scenes where the character John Booth (played by David Morose) is in his trailer wearing sunglasses and practicing his moves, saying "come and get me" was cracking me up!! In the end, Freddy chases John Booth around for about 10 to 15 minutes. Freddy shoots at John while he's trying to climb over a chain link fence and the bullet grazes him in the neck, despite the fact he was shooting directly at him the entire time and somehow missed. Finally they end up in a cemetery where John is lying on Freddy's daughter's grave weeping. We see Freddy put away his gun as he begins to cry, realizing this is the first time he's actually seen her grave stone. He walks over to John and lowers to his knees where they kneel over Emily's grave and begin to hold hands. Then the camera pans out over the trees and in text it says "Dedicated to Henry Charles Bukowski Jr. Miss you, my friend. -S. P." Hilarious!! It's definitely an entertaining movie but by no means to be taken seriously. Maybe I'm being too harsh but, I thought it was a pretentious and sloppy film. But if you enjoy making fun of movies and are fans of the actors, it's a good watch!
The Curious Case of Natalia Grace (2023)
Just finished season 2, this series is trash!
The ending is total garbage. They give you all this solid evidence proving that she was a child when she was adopted by the Barnetts. They allow her to explain in detail the abuse she went through, not only with the Barnetts but her entire childhood was a tragedy. This young woman has been through so much unimaginable trauma, I could literally see in her interviews how much she has detached from herself. I'm sure she really has no identity because it's been stolen away from her. But the producers continue to flirt with the idea that she may be lying and could be this nefarious character, all while showing you evidence that the adults in the situation were truly terrible people who shouldn't be trusted and they obviously were child abusers, not only to her but their own sons. Despite the fact there was a DNA test proving her actual age, several doctors confirming that she was a child and the dentist showing us her X-rays where she has literal baby teeth in her mouth, they still want to keep us on the edges of our seats wondering if this poor young woman isn't a victim. They let her sit with her abuser (Michael Barnett) while he cries about being a victim too, despite him being a pathological liar who contradicts himself in the entire series. And then they end it with a vague 30 second sound clip of her new adoptive parents telling the producers she's the enemy of the house. Something about them doesn't sit right with me either. The only person I feel bad for is Natalia, who has clearly been victimized her entire life. I truly hope this woman can get the help she needs because it seems like, at the end, no one is really looking out for her. Everyone is only looking out for themselves, including the people who made this series.
The Woman in the Window (2021)
Meh.
This movie was such a bore, which is a shame because I do love Amy Adams. The cast in general is great! Gary Oldman, Julianne Moore, Jennifer Jason Leigh! What's not to like? Well even they couldn't save this snooze fest. This movie was so boring it made me laugh. If you like really slow moving thrillers that don't seem plausible and lack excitement then this is the movie for you.
The White Lotus (2021)
Very enjoyable dark comedy series about white upper class privilege
I really really liked this show. It felt very real to me and I was genuinely frustrated for the staff of the hotel. I think it's a pretty accurate portrayal of white upper class Americans and how they feel they should be doted on hand and foot like royalty during a time when the working class are treated more and more unfairly, much like before WW2 began. I blame over population, materialism, and imperialism, of course. The performances by Murray Bartlett and Jennifer Coolidge stuck out to me the most. I thought they were both brilliant in their roles. I thought Natasha Rothwell was exceptional, she did an outstanding performance and I really felt for her character. I will be interested in how they go about doing a second season.
Really enjoyed this show. There were some very sad parts and laugh out loud funny moments. A well mixed blend of dark and light.
Nine Perfect Strangers (2021)
Good show
I actually liked this show. I wouldn't say it was my favourite, but I thought it was very well done. I have always liked Nicole Kidman...she has definitely changed a lot over the years and strikes me as someone who strives for unattainable perfection. There were times the story was a bit over dramatic and the ending was a bit "white savior"-y but I thought overall it was very entertaining and I liked the happy ending. I think if it were a dark and more open ending like the series "White Lotus" I would not have liked it. I loved White Lotus.... I actually enjoyed that series more than this show but I still thought this was a good watch. The ending suited it, even though it was rather silly. The acting was great and the overall story was pretty good. I think it dragged a little, probably would have done better as a film.
Howards End (1992)
Wonderful, romantic film
I found this film to be absolutely marvellous. I was only 7 years old when it came out so I had no interest in watching it as a child, but I decided to give it a watch on Netflix recently and I am so glad that I did. I think this now may be one of my favourite movies of all time. I adore Emma Thompson's character and I think her and Anthony Hopkins have amazing chemistry, along with being incredible actors. I believed their romance and enjoyed watching their love story unfold. This film is beautifully done, the locations are gorgeous. It is very aesthetically pleasing and the actors are brilliant. I thought Vanessa Redgrave and Helena Bonham Carter did an excellent job in this film. I think I may watch it again soon. It is truly a satisfying movie to watch. If you like early 20th century British tragedy's/romance with a happy but bittersweet ending, you will love this film.
The Starling (2021)
Melissa McCarthy really is a great actor but...
I found this movie to be underwhelming. I really wanted to see more development with the characters and more focus on what this married couple was going through emotionally rather than just some on the surface story with a sappy, unrealistic ending. Some moments were so underwhelming I found them to be unbelievable. I read some other reviewers say this film seemed realistic in depicting people who have gone through trauma, tragedy and difficult subjects such as mental illness and suicide but honestly I found it to be a bit too clean/black and white...tragedy and trauma is a lot more messy than what is seen here. Chris O'Dowd's character just came across as too distant and selfish, and oblivious to his wife's grief. Almost as if he she didn't share the experience of losing a child with him. His psychologist in the mental facility seemed disingenuous and disinterested. I found some of the dialogue to be silly... And then it's all fine and happy in the end? Which just added to how unrealistic it felt. Also about half the movie was a boring soundtrack of songs that all sounded the same. Don't get me wrong, I love a happy ending but I was not impressed nor touched by this story. I didn't like the story surrounding the starling and the CGI was not good at all. If starlings are such intelligent birds as they tout in the movie, can't they use actual starlings? But perhaps the budget combined with limited locations and filming during a pandemic was to blame. I didn't think it was a terrible movie. There are a lot of great actors in this film. I love Kevin Kline and I actually do enjoy Melissa McCarthy as an actor in more dramatic roles along with Chris O'Dowd. I thought they went well together as a married couple. It was really the script more than anything that i found to be lacking genuine emotion. The film seemed rushed and I feel with such sensitive material, about a couple losing their child and the father ending up in a mental facility, they should have taken more time with it. I would definitely not pay to see this movie but if you have a Netflix subscription it's a good movie to watch to pass the time on a day you're feeling a little down or bored.