artetaden Reviews

Argylle (2024)

Very fun movie

[5/10 · 8 February 2024]

I was laughing half the time as this movie was lacking any sense, its plot is something born in mind of 5-year old child.

Negative points: 1) absolutely 0 sense plot, it is the time when I can say that even I would write a better plot. Every time something is needed for a plot - expect it to fall from the sky right in the hands of the character , without no motivation, no background.

2) awkward moments like dancing without any motivation 3) movie is so obvious, even I as not a movie critic or expert, could forecast 80% of points here.

Positive : 1) actors are fine, a lot of stars, they act good 2) taking into account all the negatives, it became one big positive point as you end up smiling all the time. Smiling not because of jokes, but because of how bad that is.

Taking all above, I would say that for a detective movie fan - its nightmare. But if you want to watch something without any idea or sense just to waste time and smile - it can be fitting this purpose.

The Fall of the House of Usher (2023)

Really nice one

[7/10 · 17 October 2023]

I liked this TV-series a lot but this "supernatural" part pissed me off. I feel like if this was just a detective series without supernatural thing, it could be way better.

I hate the introduction of that devil character, as with such characters you can explain any weak or senseless twist.

Just say that something supernatural exists and it causes all the problems - great solution instead of some logical sequence which could be harder to write.

Having watched the series, I felt disappointes as I got no conclusions, no logic, nothing. But I had a good time as several nights were spent watching entertaining series :)

Maigret (2022)

Not a great movie

[4/10 · 10 July 2023]

Though I love detective stories, this film was not the best one:

• Depardieu is definitely not fitting the character
• Camera work is really strange, felt like the one who held the camera, was a huge fan of rapid zooms or just had shaky hands
• Killers were obvious from the very beginning, there were no other suspects at all
• Film is very slow. Nearly at the middle of the film, I started doing all I can not to fall asleep

Among good sides of the film I can mention:

• Good acting of the majority of cast
• Cozy atmosphere

Taking all into account, I would say the film isn't good, but it can be OK to watch for one time.

The Portable Door (2023)

Entertaining but not logical

[6/10 · 30 April 2023]

This movie is a good one-time-to-watch film. You may bring your family to the cinema and you will spend a good time watching it in a relaxed atmosphere.

However, if you expect some mind-blowing plot or unexpected twists - this film will mostly disappoint you. In fantasy movies there is always a thin ice in terms of making the plot work in some "magical" world but you still believe it, and having some absurd world. This film is closer to the second variant. Sometimes you find yourself at the point when you think "OK, this seems to be stolen from Harry Potter", sometimes you are like "What the hell? What am I watching". This film is rather naive fairytale than a Lord of the Rings style saga, that you can watch over and over again and not feel yourself as a young kid forced to believe something just because it is said so in movie.

Thus, I would recommend going to watch this film. Just take it easy and turn off the movie critic inside of you :)

Pieces of Her (2022)

Intriguing start, awful end

[3/10 · 24 July 2022]

When I started watching it, I felt like this idea is great, it was very intriguing. The more episodes I watched, more boring it became. Last episode, which should've been something that blows your mind, was something hard to physically watch. Now I can state, that in the beginning it was very interesting to know who and why was chasing a main character, what would it lead to. And after watching, I don't understand really the basic plot and main characters, why everyone behaved this way. I don't recommend it.

The Chestnut Man (2021– )

Too naive and dumb for this type of series

[3/10 · 22 October 2021]

This movie has got me feeling like though image and idea are great, realisation and plot is very stupid in some places. For detective cinema in my opinion, plot has to be much more logical.

So, good sides of series:

• idea is very good and may help you understand something ( in my opinion, some parents can figure out they should spend more time with kids and pay more attention to them after watching this)
• image and atmosphere are 10/10. Really nice and pleasant to watch the nature and all the events in the series

Now, bad sides:

• Cast. All the actors are playing very well, but some of them seem to be unnatural on the given spots. Main character Thulin , I would no way imagine that this actress ( no disrespect here, she is playing very well in general) can be playing main detective, so I can not take her seriously while watching. To me it is like putting a small fragile guy as a main bodyguard, this is not something which will be seeming natural to me.

• Characters don't call a sympathy. A killer, who was all the time nice person and I really liked him, is now dead though even in the end I didnt feel much hate about him as he had his own idea that parents should help their kids(in some way he even reminded me a Dexter character). While 2 detectives, one of whom was a bad mother and the other was a rude annoying person, are alive and I should have a sympathy to them, though it doesnt appear.

• Plot. Here I need to admit that 4-5 episodes were really good to me and i enjoyed them fully , a surprising reveal of main bad guy was logical and satisfying. Though, 3 first episodes seemed too complicated. After watching 3 first episodes, I had a mess in my had and couldn't remember any names, especially victims'. At some point I understood that in dialogues I am not understanding at all who the characters are referring to. Also there were some logical troubles in plot, which totally are not explainable. Here are some, which I could remember:

1) In the 5th episode, when assistant of detective finds out who the killer is and we see this scene, suddenly, this killer starts being aggressive and arguing with a main detective in the car, though this detective still doesnt know that he is a killer. Unlogical here is that in all the episodes, killer was the nicest character who never argued or never was rude, and now when other person finds something out about him ( and killer doesn't know this fact), he suddenly changes his behaviour. Is he a telepathist?

2) Assistant of detective is shown mostly like a tough rude person, who doesn't care much about anyone except accomplishing work task. However, while interviewing the suspected criminal in the hospital, he breaks down after an easy provocation and assaults this person. Why?

3) Whole last episode is more a comic episode, than dramatic. Why didn't killer murder Thulin while she was turning her back from him in the house, waited for her to realize everything and put her pistol's trigger on him? Why when she did so, she didn't shoot him, but started approaching so he could neutralize her and put the gun away? Why did the killer give Thulin and Rosa so many ways to escape while having conversation near the table? Why did the killer lock up Thulin so carelessly in the bathroom? Why when he locked up Rosa and detective's assistant in the room, he didnt worry about destroying a TV where they could see whats doing on and taking all the sharp objects away from 2 victims? Why didnt these victims burn, being poured with gasoline and while all the room was burning? Why not killing Thulin and drive alone or tie her up in a more reliable way, instead of driving with a person, who will do her best to escape and kill/capture you?

All these questions made me watch the last episode with laugh, not with some drama . I felt disappointed that main characters turned out to be immortal gods, because previously very clever and accurate killer, became extremely dumb in the end as the creator of a film needed to show a happy end. In the last 10-20 minutes, I could even predict some phrases which would be said , so this end is a total disaster to me . Especially taking into account that this is not a sort of Fast and Furious film, but a detective one.

So, after watching this series, I became upset.

The Irregulars (2021)

Such a boring series

[3/10 · 7 April 2021]

Having watched 2 episodes, i found myself surfin the internet, making some tea and other things, not connected to watching this . Plot is dumb, things are hardly ever explained. For example, everyone gets angry at rich guy for no reason in 2nd episode, though in first one no one had arguments with him. In such detective-style episodes the plot should be on 1st place, but here plot is quite week.

Though, most Actors are fine IMO( except Bea, she seems not fitting the role, and except Billy who should be a tough guy but is a thin no-muscle kid), atmosphere is fine too.

So, if you are looking for good plot, avoid this film.

7500 (2019)

Not a disappointment or waste of time, just a boring film

[5/10 · 18 December 2020]

First 40-50 minutes are very interesting, however after that movie is hard to watch. Endless conversations, which are messing the characters, low intensity and murder of several characters i felt with(which had to cause much feelings, but didn't) - makes all boring.closed the film 5 mins prior to its end.

Dexter (2006–2013)

A magnificent series

[10/10 · 13 November 2020]

While watching 1st season , Dexter was something not so interesting or breath-taking , mixed feelings. However by the end of the season i started to like it very much. After watching all 8 seasons i can say that every season is a high class masterpiece, capturing your attention and love once, it won't leave you. Even severely criticized last episode of 8 season to me seemed pretty fine. I like Dexter even more than such series as Breaking Bad and Sherlock.

13 Reasons Why (2017–2020)

Long boring story

[4/10 · 13 November 2020]

Having watched 1 season and 6 episodes of 2 season, I couldn't take it more watching this boring episodes. 1st season was ok more or less, but ended without any unexpected turn of events, just like you were interrupted from watching. 2nd season is just talking and talking and talking and almost nothing else. If you have already watched all good films and can not find what to watch next - you can watch this one, but watching this right after such series as Dexter and Fargo - lowers the mark significantly.