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Blue Ruin (2013)
Lester the Unlikely
After watching Green Room and Rebel Ridge, I decided to watch this film. I was not disappointed.
Someone told this director and writer "show, don't tell" and this film takes that to heart. We don't even know why the protagonist is so disturbed to find out someone is getting out of jail, but slowly the story comes together as it needs to. Meanwhile, we watch as a rather milquetoast character exacts revenge with a lot of skill and a good helping of luck. I'm reminded of the obscure video game Lester the Unlikely, in which a bespectacled nerd in sweats embarks on an adventure worthy of Solid Snake, Samus, or Lara Croft. In this movie, a man clearly in over his head decides to harm those who have clearly harmed him in his life. Perhaps, his skills thoroughly shown by our brilliant director (hiding guns, setting up noise traps, branding into cars) are too much for a man who isn't an ex-marine, unlike Rebel Ridge. Perhaps it's unrealistic. Or perhaps he did his research or watched lots of films like this one. He clearly gets caught slacking at several points, so there is some balance.
In any case, it's a riveting tale of revenge, masterfully told with plenty of surprises and essentially zero expository dialogue. Quiet and sharp.
Terminator Zero (2024)
Not A Good Terminator Show
One reviewer said not to downvote this series if you don't like anime. I love anime. I love the Terminator franchise, despite some bad movies. And that is the problem. It was hard to watch another good setup go to waste, despite my low expectations going in. I watched 3 episodes and gave up.
My main issue is with the nerfed Terminator. The T-800 is supposed to be a killing machine, effectively unkillable in the 80s and 90s with street weapons. Yet in the first few minutes we see him missing shots like a Star Wars stormtrooper. That's ok, the hero Eiko is likely enhanced, which is why she's so good at killing and dodging bullets. Then another Terminator heads to the past where he has difficulty killing or even containing three schoolchildren in the 90s, and that's before Eiko arrives to help.
Meanwhile, the other main character, Malcolm is having a long drawn-out conversation with an AI which looks like 3 cyber ladies in Disneyland's Circlevision. Fine, it's good to have nice visuals rather than an engineer speaking to a box. But why is it taking him so long to think of any reason to save humanity? Why does his AI need convincing when he programmed it? What's his backstory anyway? Why are all the characters so annoying, especially the babysitter who stumbles absent-mindedly and loses the kids almost immediately to a ruse so bad even the older brother rolls his eyes? None of the characters are interesting or given a chance to show any dimension except Eiko, kind of.
We know why the robot cat wanders off: to have the little girl chase it in cutesy sequences. That's what every kid wants for Christmas: a toy that unexpectedly runs away from him/her so they have to go searching for it.
Even the action isn't very good: the Terminator shoots at one of the characters (the crossbow actually is very cool), misses, gets slightly damaged by Eiko, then dropped off a cliff somehow so that everyone can regroup.
From the other reviews, it seems there are large reveals that make the show worth it. After 3 episodes I didn't feel like wasting any more time.
Points for sticking to the basic concept of a Terminator show and keeping the Terminator emotionless, slow, and intimidating, even if he becomes a bad shot around the plot-armored main characters. I also liked the makeshift crossbow.
Loudermilk: Hit Me Baby One More Time (2020)
9/10 Great Episode
I'm a man, and I was honestly surprised anyone disliked the episode. The episode is objectively hilarious, from Tony and Loudermilk's insults, to the counselor's exasperation. The dude into pegging was a hilarious satire of dudes on the other side. While some of the dialogue was over the top, Mugsy's growth seemed real and organic. People who don't believe that should remember that Mugsy didn't even want to meet his kids in the first place, then changed. Then he didn't want to call his kids, then changed. It's easy to see how upsetting his daughter could cause him to see things from her point of view. People need to feel impacted before they can care about an issue. The fact that Tony and Ed don't change was very realistic. The only thing they got wrong was that the lady committed battery, not (just) assault.
Only 9/10 because the job offers were too laughably sexist to exist in real life and Mugsy's initial reaction was pretty dumb, too. Though, after reading other reviews, I suppose that cartoonishly sexist people might really exist.
Hunters: The Trial of Adolf Hitler (2023)
Outstanding Television
I was almost done with this show after episode 5, which was very hokey Hollywood crap. This episode was the complete opposite. We get a trial of Hitler that goes very much like it would in real life, in my opinion. The circus of a trial, the prosecutor who assumes he has the easiest job in the world, the faithful defense lawyer, and the narcissistic criminal who denies everything. The emotions run strong as witnesses give testimony. I have to imagine this might give some comfort to those who wish Hitler had been alive to stand trial for his crimes. After the trial is great, too. Without spoiling anything, the Colonel and Travis's scene was also amazing yet believable.
But for the trial alone, this episode is one of television's best moments. It shows a fantasy that would've been easy to make into a caricature, and I love that they didn't take the easy route.
Hunters: Blutsbande (2023)
Season 2 Goes Downhill
We understand why Jonah wants to go after Clara, he's emotional. Why does everyone else? They're throwing away 30 years of hard work. George would want them to find Hitler, not get revenge on low level Nazis. Joe shot George perfectly between the eyes but of course shoots Roxy where she wouldn't immediately die. The Nazis are uncertain if Joe will keep his loyalty when his friends show up, but trust him anyway with guns and supervising the hostage. Then, even though it's an ambush and the Nazis have similar or greater numbers, they fail to injure one of the Hunters, who kill them all like so many stormtroopers. The plot armor is thicker than a tank and of course Joe wakes up right when he needs to. Sad to see this once-great show wrapped up like an uninspired Hollywood B-movie.
Vivarium (2019)
Eerie Sci-fi Builds to Nothing After Premise
The premise is excellent. The execution is initially good as you see their emotional reactions to such a scenario. But once you're twenty minutes in, you've seen everything. From that point on, Eisenberg and Poots are stuck in a literal suburbian hellscape with no escape in sight. Each passing scene further confirms what the viewer already suspects.
This is the kind of movie that needs one or two twists. For example, M Night Shyamalan's The Village gave us a twist we were all suspecting, but at least it was a twist. This movie gives us none.
Is this vivarium really some other type of prison? Will they escape and how? Will the child become empathetic? Is he some third type of being? Is there some reason these two were taken? What flaws are there in this prison? Can they converse with other prisoners? Will they even attempt something other than the hole? Is there a large scale point to all this (what are the children for)? Can the child killed or even threatened? Will killing the child be possible or ethical? Will we at least see what the wardens look like? Will they at least come up with some sort of plan, even if it fails? Will they at least find some sort of distraction from their awful mundane task?
The answer to all these is no, no, no, no, it doesn't matter, and no. Once the trap is set, we basically are there to watch them suffer and die, strung along with the hopes that they might reach a point where they fight. Waste of a good premise, this movie has no middle and no end.
Nightmare Alley (2021)
Characters with No Motivation
The first half of Nightmare Alley is moderately good. Stan, a man with a dark past finds success as a carnie, where he compromises his morals on the job, and where he falls in love with one of the two women he courts. However, this story is only provided as foreshadowing for the next acts. This act could have been cut down for time, but it's the only part of the movie that actually works.
At the beginning of the second act, Stan is a moderately successful psychic with a beautiful wife, Molly, playing support to his mysterious act. For no reason at all, Stan begins a series of bad decisions that play out exactly as we expect. Despite his wife's pleadings, he does a "spook show" with a wealthy judge. It works, and he continues taking more risks by becoming the personal psychic to Ezra Grindle, an apparent mobster (?). It's never really explained why he's dangerous. Despite warnings from his wife and Grindle's bodyguard, Stan continues his charade even promising Grindle a vision of his dead lover. Grindle and his bodyguard continue to make very unspecific threats to Stan, should they find out he is not the real deal.
All of this is just within the realm of believability. Like the main character in Uncut Gems, some people have an obsessive personality and a ridiculous desire to succeed at their risky craft, despite the danger. Still, it doesn't make sense when teetotaler Stan starts drinking alcohol for no apparent reason. He cheats on his gorgeous young wife with Dr. Ritter, the femme fatale psychiatrist, who is smart, but definitely past her prime. But not only does he begin an affair with her, he stores his money at her business for some reason. Granted, Dr. Ritter is rich enough not to care about stealing Stan's money, but there's no reason Stan can't take the money home, as his wife is up to date on his dealings. You hope this decision will be explained, but it never is.
Of course things end in tragedy when Grindle finally sees through the ruse. The only surprise is that Stan manages to kill Grindle and his bodyguard instead of the other way around. Then Stan goes to Ritter, who has, of course, stolen his money. Why? Because "he cares" about the money, even if she doesn't. So the mysterious woman who began her relationship by trying to discredit Stan... ends the relationship by trying to destroy him. Why? Because she's upset that he said she wasn't powerful or something. It's never really explained.
Dr. Ritter has tapes that she can use to make him seem unstable in case he wants to implicate her. And now that the Judge and his wife are dead, no one can prove that they have been working together. Except for her secretary, all the people in the crowd that saw them meet at the psychic show, and any of the people who worked for the Judge. Again, no one's motivations are ever really explained.
In the end, Stan finds himself drinking booze and in the process of becoming a geek for a different carnival than the one from the beginning. What does Stan do when he realizes the booze is probably spiked and the gig definitely isn't temporary? He continues drinking and accepts his fate. Because why not? He's got nowhere to go but down. What can he do, now that he's a broke nobody, running from murders he committed? Wait, that's exactly where he was at two years ago, in the beginning of the movie. Somehow the audience must believe this time is different and now he is hopeless. Because reasons.
A few stars given for strong performances and beautiful set design, although it is the least gorgeous of Del Toro's movies. Also the first act is mildly interesting.
The Midnight Sky (2020)
Misfire
The CG is perfection, the cast is solid, the basic plotline is interesting and full of promise. But the story tries to do too much. We follow one (kinda) character (Augustine) and his journey to save a ship headed back to Earth, and then in the second half, he's forgotten about as we follow the ship and their perilous journey back to Earth. There are flashbacks for the Augustine, but they don't add much to the story. It's also hard to care about Augustine and his "friend" when we know everyone on Earth is dead or dying, including him. If he were to die early, the only loss is ostensibly the crew of the ship. When they finally make contact, Augustine and his journey are not as important as it was initially made it to be (plot hole?).
I also disliked the sound editing, as some parts are ridiculously loud and at other times, the characters barely whisper. I had to constantly adjust the volume to hear dialogue, but not wake my neighbors.
Jett: Josie (2019)
Points lost for cruelty
I love this show, probably more than The Wire. This episode was also near perfection for the first 45 minutes: perfect acting, an amazing heist, brilliant characters, lots of twists and turns, and not even slightly predictable. Why not give this episode a 10?
*vague spoiling*
It's something I rarely ever say and I know non-sentimental reviewers will dismiss my review because of it: it got a bit too dark, even for me. I love ultraviolence, I love raw, unbridled sexuality. I grew up watching A Clockwork Orange repeatedly and I'm not timid in almost any circumstances when it comes to violence, realistic or campy on the screen. But a certain character's demise was too much. I've thought about this a lot and I am certain they have the worst "on screen" death of any non-evil character on the small screen or large, aside from the Red Wedding. The character had a lot of character flaws, but at the end of the day, they were a good person and not actually a threat to anyone yet. The death was dragged on and on, and given multiple spots where the character and audience are to that there is a chance at survival. It's needlessly cruel and never repaid in kind later on. I know that's not usually something people rate tv and movies on, but I don't care. Someone out there will heed my warning and steel themselves for this episode, and this review will have served its purpose.
Promising Young Woman (2020)
Hard Candy 2
It does the job that it's supposed to do: be a cathartic revenge flick on the men who have committed evil, served by a brilliant, calculating woman. In the case of Hard Candy it was pedophiles, in this case its fratboy rapists and the institutions that support them. If that's something you need to see, this is the movie for you. If you're looking a bit more, it falls short.
Bloedlink (2014)
Solid Remake
This is essentially a Dutch shot by shot remake of The Disappearance of Alice Creed, with minor differences. So it really comes down to which actors and language you prefer. I prefer the English version.
I'm Thinking of Ending Things (2020)
Jaw-Droppingly Awful, Pretentious Art
Don't watch. If you take anything from this review, know that most moviegoers that watch will regret giving this a chance. If you love plotless arthouse films with unreliable narrators, zero character arc, and fake characters who only serve as metaphors for a theme, then go ahead, watch, and rate 10. But everyone else will hate it.
Ostensibly, this movie is about a young woman who takes a road trip with her new boyfriend to his childhood home: a farm where his parents still live. But (and I wouldn't really call this a spoiler since you have to understand this early on to get some enjoyment) his parents aren't really his parents (not in one time period, at least), his girlfriend isn't really his girlfriend, and he isn't really himself. The events, mostly didn't happen. In that case, this movie isn't really about a girlfriend visiting parents, is it?
This movie is instead about getting older and feeling regret. Other spoiler-filled reviews will point that out. What you see on screen is a mixture of memories, hopes, dreams, and/or ideas. Why do we need 2 hours and 14 minutes to present these ideas? Only fans of experimental theater know why length seems to be equated with brilliance. Surely not every scene contributes further understanding to the main character's ideas. If, say, the ice cream scene was removed, the movie remains intact. It doesn't make you laugh, cry, scream, or even further your understanding of the character. It simply is.
Why a 1 then? A movie can be plotless and characterless, and still contain enough to make you think or feel, right? This one cannot. Unlike another awful art film The House that Jack Built, you don't get scenes that shock you or action that excites you. You get embarrassing mom stories, anti-climatic spooky basement scenes, rude high school girls, a mediocre dance sequence, and an award acceptance speech. It's a hodge podge of unnecessary details that if you asked this movie's biggest and smartest fans about, they would be unable to give you an answer. What's up with the brunette ice cream server's rash, for example? Every detail is a throwaway random bit that the movie tricks you into thinking is significant until it's off to the next scene.
For your average moviegoer, this is infuriating. While the opening scene makes you think that Jake simply has telepathy, and the next scene makes you think the house is somehow magic, the lucky ones will figure out halfway throughout the movie that none of the details are significant because we don't know if they signify a real event or a concept. Why is Jake afraid of the basement? Ooh, we get to find out now! Nope, we don't! Fooled ya. Onto the next scene! That's why this movie gets a 1. This movie where every scene is a metaphor for something that happened or *could* happen has been done over and over, and it's been done better than this.
This movie is an affront of the art of cinema, a blemish on the resume of the cast and crew, a waste of film and talent, and a 2-hour regret I'll carry to my grave.
The Old Guard (2020)
Solid popcorn flick
Some really nice action sequences and a bit of depth to the story (what does it mean to be immortal?) makes this a solid 7. Great acting by everyone except Kiki Layne, who sadly phones in all her lines. The villain is a bit melodramatic, but not outside the realm of possibility, and there were more chances for reflection (e.g. all the people they killed). Most disappointing is the soundtrack, which feels like Alessia Cara's B-Sides. Hopefully, there's a sequel with a better music director.
The Wrong Missy (2020)
Silly, stupid, funny
A bit formulaic, but hilarious like most Happy Madison productions or any Vince Vaughn romcom. Affable nice but a bit uptight guy is put in silly situation and learns about himself. But the jokes are funny and off-color y this time, led by enormous talent Lauren Lupkus. She strikes the right tone between annoying wrecking ball and lovable manic pixie girl. While the age gap is a bit weird, it's hard to think of who else could fill this role. Spade's other love interests are a bit closer to his age.
Not everyone will love this. If you liked Blended and Just Go With It, this is close to those. I'm glad they made this movie for me.
Joker (2019)
A Troubled Man Becomes the Trouble
Visceral, raw, timely. Joaquin Phoenix gives a performance that even this film's mistaken haters cannot deny is phenomenal. The plot is a slow burn, but with plenty to shock you and induce sympathy while you're waiting to see Arthur Fleck transition to the Joker. How can such a weak man become the charismatic, insane, and flamboyant Joker? All of the pieces eventually coalesce under the masterful eye of Phillips in a way that is believable and fascinating.
I suppose it helps to identify a bit with Fleck. If you've never felt beaten down by life, or you can only see his privilege, you may not get it; that is the only reason I surmise some of the critics' reviews are negative. To me, this is a updated, colorful Falling Down, but with a character who is much easier to identify with, at least until he begins to do evil things. From that point it becomes even more watchable because he is becoming the always-entertaining clown prince. The Joker has captivated audiences across different media for decades for a reason. He's a great character.
There's definitely parallels to the incel subculture here, but more prominent is what this movie says about classism. Fleck's struggles are mostly due to his poverty, and, more importantly, his followers' only gripe is wealth inequality.
But ignore all that. Go see a troubled man lose his sanity, morality, and patience with society's rules and become one of the greatest supervillains of all time.
The Favourite (2018)
Almost
I always hate Rachel Weisz in films. She always picks roles where she plays an unempathetic sociopath where she desires success at the expense of other characters (see The Shape of Things for the quintessential example of this). However in this film, Emma Stone plays her foil, who assumes her role better than she can, and in doing so, becomes the antagonist. This rather clever turnabout makes The Favorite an enticing watch until the end in which she is given no respite, despite her cleverness and her seemingly unbreakable accord with the queen. This makes the film seem rather one-sided and a bit hard to believe, despite Stone's clever rise to glory. The erotic lesbian scenes help pique the viewers interest in an increasingly disappointing war of political enemies, but it is not sufficient to save the film. The overall concept is brilliant, but the execution hints at a twist that never comes. The end is possible, but improbable, disappointing, and feels lazy.
Midsommar (2019)
Nice Visuals
I was extremely excited to see this movie after having seen Ari Aster's Hereditary. By the last leg of the movie, I was bored and waiting patiently for it to end. What went wrong here? Firstly, the plot is The Wicker Man. Westerners visit an archaic agrarian culture that ends up being a cult that commits human sacrifice for the "greater good." Once you realize this, it becomes pretty apparent halfway through what's going to happen to most of the characters, then only question being how. This really kills the suspense. Additionally, other than Dani, the characters are pretty underdeveloped. We've got the mean "bro" who doesn't like his friend's girlfriend, the geek, the bad boyfriend... The bad boyfriend is especially one-dimensional, and he Andy Dwyer's his way through the entire movie. But worst of all, the characters commit the common horror movie trope of making bad decisions and hoping for the best to their own peril. For example, the commune gives a sign of their ambivalence of towards human life very early on. Aside from two characters, no one sees these signs as any serious threat or deal-breaker aside from two characters. As more hints are dropped that the guests are in danger, most of the characters double down on their interest in the cult, especially the one character who should really know better. The commune's tapestries in the movie foreshadow major plot points. The characters see these tapestries, and are then surprised when members of the cult perform the same rituals that they've already seen described in said tapestries. I kept waiting for the escape plan part of the plot and it never came, so I suppose that counts as a small "surprise." This is a complete change from the excellent character development, surprising plot developments, and relatable trauma of Hereditary.
The movie's saving graces are it's well-done jokes and beautiful cult traditions (dancing, eating, architecture, art).
Upgrade (2018)
Great action, fantastic AI
I rented this movie because I wanted to see a fun action movie. I did not expect a chilling and thoughtful treatment of AI. The settings, pacing, and dreams were top notch. The cinematography was simply the best of 2018. Excellent futuristic camerawork made both action and dramatic scenes visceral.
Some of the acting was just okay, but a mostly perfect film.
The Birth of a Nation (2016)
Amazing Story That Must Be Told
I cannot understand the hate this movie has received. The mere 6.3 rating (as of June '17) this movie received is far below what it deserves--in my opinion an 8, but a 9/10 would be perfectly understandable. I think it's mighty ironic that switched halfway through the boring Star Trek Beyond (7.1) to watch this riveting drama.
Disclaimer: Perhaps it is due to the fact that I am black that I find slave movies fascinating for all the exact reasons I find World War II movies fascinating: the existence of a distinct, clear, and unforgivable evil in our history being shown on screen, as well as the pathos evoked by the victims of such evil. These stories become the ultimate drama, incapable of being considered melodramatic because of the real horror they portray. I like to think that the critical art consumer in me sees past this movie preference and can rate the film objectively.
So why does this movie deserve an 8 or 9 out of 10? Excellent acting, a fantastic score, and the unapologetic and accurate brutality depicting a story of unquestionable heroism. Nate Parker becomes Nat Turner, a slave preacher in the 19th century who led a slave revolt. The pacing is excellent, you follow each rise and fall of multiple characters until Turner is pushed over the edge to commit his acts. It's been compared to Braveheart in other reviews (e.g. Matt Seitz at rogerebert.com) and I think that comparison is apt: it's bloody, inspiring, and perhaps too kind to the hero, but not in a way that ruins the movie. All of Turner's actions in this movie really happened, it's just the omissions that make it less than perfect.
So this movie would deserve a perfect 10 were it not for some minor historical inaccuracies. For example, Turner's revolt also killed children, and while the slaves are shown killing women, they omitted the killing of kids. They omitted many of his "visions" that may have been signs of his mental illness. His death happened slightly differently. It's hard to think these revisions were done for any other reason than to make him seem flawless. But even those who opposed the violent evil that was slavery should be depicted for who they really were. This brings it down to an 8 for me. The overall movie is mostly accurate and incredibly well-told.
I can speculate why this movie was rated poorly, even by those who haven't seen it; I urge those who would rate this movie lowly to please watch it anyway.
Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising (2016)
More Awesomeness
I don't get the hate. This movie has literally double of everything that made the original great. I rewinded several times over a few funny jokes ("black cock!"). There are plenty of drawbacks and this would probably get a 9/10 if it was less similar to the original, but there was plenty of new ground tread here. Plus it had a pro-grrl spin, but not overly so for the dudes who are threatened by that. Rose Byrne's boobs were a sad omission from an otherwise fresh and hilarious sequel.
Tangerine (2015)
Funny, Moving Indie Flick
It's hard to describe this movie to others in a way that would let them know if they want to watch it. This movie is not for everyone. But I thoroughly enjoyed it. It helps that I'm fascinated by sex work, different sexual orientations and non-traditional gender roles.
The trailer and positive reviews sold it as a glimpse into a lifestyle very different from most viewers'. On that, the movie completely delivered. We are taken to through the daily lives of two transsexual female prostitutes, but the movie isn't just about prostitution, transsexuality, or femininity. It's about friendships, relationships, and the shame of its characters.
The acting is superb, the visuals are beautiful (especially considering this was shot on a phone), the characters are very three-dimensional, and the movie is quite funny. Some have said it's fast-paced, and I have to disagree there. It drags at times, and the whole movie seems to take place in a relatively small section of LA, but there is lots of walking and bus riding. The movie is greatly helped by an outstanding soundtrack to make the transportation scenes go by quickly and kick the action scenes into high gear.
It's hard to rate the honesty of the film. I don't know the truth behind the lifestyle (for example, do female prostitutes have different "traps" than transsexual prostitutes?). But the emotions are raw, honest, and very relatable.
Fifty Shades of Grey (2015)
A Review from Someone Who Likes This Stuff
I'm a man in his early thirties who's written and read a decent amount of erotic fiction, most of it involving some sort of BDSM. Most of my relationships have been "regular", but I fancy myself a dominant when I am involved with a willing submissive. For this reason I had to see this movie (I hadn't read the book). I had to see if this movie was "real" BDSM and whether the main character was truly "abusive". I also had to see this movie because I couldn't trust any of the reviews. The first 10 or so user reviews on IMDb I've read rated the movie low because the main character was reportedly a bad guy or because they had high expectations for the dialogue. I didn't mind either of these flaws.
For those interested, yes, this is one representation of a BDSM relationship. While Anastasia is naive and apprehensive throughout most of the movie, there is sexual bondage, domination and submission, making it BDSM. Some of the action flirts the line of Safe, Sane and Consensual, but that doesn't change the definition of words. Christian Grey is somewhat abusive. There is nothing as bad as I've been led to believe, but there is severe jealousy and light stalking, not unlike you might see in a movie about a regular relationship. For me, the movie could still rate a 10, because I don't need all my main characters to have the golden morals of Superman. Flawed characters make for better stories. The problem with Fifty Shades is the *lack* of story.
The buildup is quite good. The characters aren't brilliant and the dialogue is definitely unnatural at times with Christian spouting one-liners reminiscent of made-for-TV movies. The sex scenes weren't overly titillating, but they were moderately hot and seemed to be edging closer to some hot grand finale. The actors are nice to look at in their barely-R-rated nude scenes. In my head, the movie was getting a 6/10 for the first 30 or so minutes.
But then the movie stalls. The characters stop growing, the plot goes in circles, you wonder where the chemistry went. Why do they still like each other? Finally, it's over before anything significant happens.
I can forgive lackluster dialogue and stereotypical characters, but the lack of sexy, BDSM, and plot in a sexy BDSM movie is unforgivable. Watch Secretary instead.
Gone Girl (2014)
Great Build Up to Ultimate Letdown
I get why there's a huge buzz about this movie. It's incredibly well directed, mostly well acted, and features a story with several unexpected twists and turns. For most reviewers, that's good enough. Had it followed any of its logical conclusions to a satisfying ending I'd probably be giving Gone Girl an 8 or 9. But there's no satisfying ending, or much of an ending at all. It's hard to describe without spoiling the movie. Let's just say the writer made efforts to make sure the book (and now movie) had an original ending instead of an complete story arc or having the characters act logical.
My friend and I both left the movie feeling depressed and ripped off. 2.5 hours is a lot of time to invest without a complete story arc.
The Leftovers (2014)
Can't Do It
I watched 3 full episodes of The Leftovers and the beginning of episode 4. I wanted to like this show so much. I like Justin Theroux and the other actors seem like sufficiently talented actors. But there are just too many issues.
I just don't care about any of the characters. I hate the decisions they make. I find myself wishing Kevin's daughter and son would die, especially. The whole show setup seems strange. Only 2% of the world is supposed to have gone missing, but it seems that about everyone in the town is missing someone from their nuclear family. Everyone acts insane. It makes more sense if you pretend that they're saying 20% of the world went missing. But there doesn't seem to be a strong plot line yet.
The Guilty Remnants cult is probably the most nonsensical of all. The constant smoking and vow of silence is supposed to do what? How does that remind people of the departed? Do people even need to be reminded? Since this is written by Lindeloff, I know I will never get answers to most of my questions. Having seen Lost and Prometheus, I know that he likes leaving mysteries unexplained, even when they are vital character-driving mysteries.
I read a synopsis of the book to see if the plot would get interesting, and I wasn't impressed. Still, I gave The Leftover another chance. I saw part of episode 4 when a strange man randomly assaults Christine and Tom. I asked myself, "Why am I watching this?" When there are so many great dramas on TV and Netflix that were successful with their pilot episodes? I'm sorry, I know it's an HBO show, but I just can't get into this terrible show.
Srpski film (2010)
Transgressive
Intrigued by the rumors of what some have called the most transgressive film ever (in the reviews of Deadgirl (2008) and others), I watched A Serbian Film. I was expecting a cinematic version of the aristocrats joke and it did not disappoint in that area. However, I mentally numbed myself before watching so it's difficult to review the acting, storyline, realism, pace, etc. that I'd ordinarily pay attention to. I wrote 7/10, but I'm really just guessing.
Let's just say if you want to see some messed up stuff, check this movie out. There's gore, there's sex, there's sexual exploitation, rape, and the whole nine yards. Not date night fare.
More words: Milos is a pretty likable character, although you know early on that he didn't ask enough questions about the job. Not sure about the realism because I don't know much about Serbian culture. For example, the wife's casualness regarding her husband's old job (porn star). I suppose the casting is a bit unrealistic, as every woman in the movie between 18 and 50 looks like a supermodel even though only two of them are porn stars.