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Flowblue99
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Reviews
Sound of Freedom (2023)
Worth watching
This is an inspiring story in the face of an ugly slave trade that most of us are not aware exists. I applaud the courage of the real life hero who saved these children, his wife who supported him despite huge risks to their family, & the actor & production company who made and distributed the film in spite of many barriers. There are almost zero films I will see at the theater anymore since they are boring and degrade our culture. I'm glad I made an exception for this moving story. BTW, the theater was sold out for a Wednesday morning show...perhaps movie makers should notice this high demand for this type of content!
Moonage Daydream (2022)
Bowie deserved better
If you want a documentary about Bowie's life and his career evolution, you will be disappointed. This film is an art house flop. It's overly long, disjointed, & repetitive. It's packed with distracting visual "space age" nonsense and noise only loosely related to his image. The focus is on Bowie's unique attire & desire to be different, while his legacy of musical talent doesn't get the respect it deserves. Some great songs are featured (Major Tom) but many of the best are overlooked. Finally, all the dialog is from old video cuts & interviews of Bowie about his artistic muse, which make him sound arrogant (probably unfairly). Perhaps this type of artsy film appeals to some; but not me. Sadly, I left the theater liking Bowie less.
Death and Nightingales (2018)
Kept hoping it would improve...but it didn't
At first I thought maybe it was just slow moving, and that something interesting & uplifting would happen soon .... but it never did. The story was depressing and grim to the very end. It failed to inspire empathy even for the abused main character since she was cold and frankly, a little odd. All the other characters were predictable and one-dimensional as well. Only the maid Mercy shows some warmth, but when she behaves unkindly, too, the viewer is left with literally no one to like or admire.
This series was dark, dull and with no redeeming life lesson to justify such an overly-long and painful slog through their miserable lives. Not recommended.
Little Women (2019)
Middle of the road remake
I love literary movies, which are increasingly rare, so kudos for making this movie. The costumes, sets and atmosphere were visually beautiful and historically accurate. That said, the director wanted to make the often-filmed story different from older versions by using flashbacks, but the scrambled time sequence doesn't work. It was choppy and didn't allow viewers to develop empathy with the characters & made the story hard to follow. The only characters that were fully developed were the 2 rival sisters; everyone else's role was too minor and didn't get enough screen time. Bottom line, I hope we get more movies of this type, but they would be more effective if the story was told more completely and directly.
A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood (2019)
Creeped me out
Not what I expected at all! I never thought that Tom Hanks' version of sweet and kind Mr. Rogers would creep me out, but his one-dimensional portrayal made my skin crawl. Hanks nailed the mannerisms for how he would talk for the children's show, except he acted the same in every situation and with every other person. It seemed like he was using "baby talk" with adults which insults Fred Rogers capabilities and many accomplishments.
Further, I thought the movie would be about Mr. Rogers' life. Nope! His story line was minor and secondary to an uninteresting tale about a journalist who interviews him for a publication. Given that "journalists" today are held in the same low regard once reserved for used car salesmen, gaining audience sympathy isn't easy...especially when they feel a bait and switch with who is really the main character.
The movie was not the kind of tribute to Mr. Rogers that it could have been had the story centered around him and his life & legacy. Too bad...a wasted opportunity and a disservice to his memory.