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The Flatshare (2022)
Mind-numbingly bad
This show started out okay. It seemed like a classic British rom-com with charming leads and eccentric minor characters; the perfect cross between "Four Weddings and a Funeral" and "Bridget Jones's Diary".
And then it went on, and the longer it went on, the worse it got. The major problem is the leading character. She's supposed to be a neurotic young journalist, who second-guesses herself at any turn. But the actress who plays her (and rather badly, at that) is an extremely beautiful woman, and that's so jarring that it becomes almost comical. Are we supposed to believe that this gorgeous woman is unceremoniously dumped by her boyfriend? And that she's so insecure about her looks that she's reluctant to join a dating app? Give me a break.
And then there's the whole Richie business. He went through a criminal trial *and* an appeal process, but it takes a young junior barrister to discover the discrepancies in the CCTV footage? No one noticed it before? Richie didn't mention it before? Seriously?!
And the cherry on top of the cake is the utter lack of chemistry between the romantic leads.
It could have been cute. It could have been whimsical. But it was merely a second-rate, predictable take on the "meet cute" genre. Yawn.
Dr. Death: 191 (2023)
Absolutely heartbreaking
The second season of "Dr. Death" started out bad. It sensationalized a true story that was already almost too crazy to believe. The parts with Mandy Moore's character, Benita, were the weakest of them all, with too many cheesy and over-dramatic elements (which were also entirely unnecessary).
Until Episode 5, which was also the only one not focused on the couple. Yesim, a young and lovely Turkish woman, comes to Dr. Macchiarini with the hope that he could fix her trachea, which was injured in a freak accident during a previous procedure for treating excessive sweating of the hands. The doctor, naturally, is eager to help, and what follows is a string of surgery after surgery, as the implanted "bio-synthetic" trachea wreaks havoc on Yesim's entire body, culminating in 191 surgeries carried out on the poor woman. The whole ordeal is painstakingly depicted, in all its gory details. I had tears in my eyes watching this miserable woman wheeled in for yet another procedure, which would naturally not help her, as the underlying cause of her suffering and physical decline was still implanted in her throat.
Never in my life have I watched such a raw depiction of medical malpractice. I wanted to scream at the TV, warning her not to do the surgery that would ruin her life. And what a life she had - despite the accident during her first procedure, she was a lovely, optimistic young woman, who loved her family and wanted to be an artist.
The scene at the end, where she's moved to a private wing so as to hide her from public view, was almost too heartbreaking for me to watch.
Season 2 is extremely disappointing - especially in comparison to Season 1, but this episode is its redemption. And what a redemption it is. It should be shown to medical students and to others in the medical field as a cautionary tale, with a single and most important lesson: Ego can kill.
The Summer I Turned Pretty: Love Game (2023)
Absolute cringefest
Season 2 has been bad, but this episode is the absolute worst. The gang of 20-something year old actors running around the boardwalk trying to look like teenagers was pathetic. As an actual adult, I found the characters especially annoying, and would absolutely hate to run into them in real life. Surely not all teenagers keep skipping and giggling all the time. And the whole "we have to keep the house" storyline gets extra ridiculous in this episode. Telling the real estate agent that the house is no longer for sale, hoping she'll believe it and just leave? Seriously?! Hopefully, the next episodes will be better.
Grey's Anatomy: No Time to Die (2021)
Mercy killing? Please!
This has got to be one of the worst episodes of the show EVER. The whole Schmitt storyline was so over the top that it was almost becoming comical. Jo and Linc hooking up is extremely unrealistic. And don't get me started about Bailey and Webber. Why are they behaving like four-year-old children? This is so unlike the characters. Even the actors seemed embarrassed. Someone do this show a favor and pull the plug. It would be a mercy killing indeed.
The Rookie: Under the Gun (2020)
Cringe-worthy is an understatement
This show is pretty dumb to begin with, but sometimes it gives us some extra cringe-worthy moments, and this episode is full of them. John and Nyla are taking a bunch of juvenile delinquents on a "scared straight" prison tour. And what do you know - a prison riot breaks right then and there, and the poor warden is taken hostage by the prisoners. To her rescue come not the guards, not a SWAT team, but John and Nyla, sans their weapons, but armed with some broken furniture. And it works!
John may be good in swatting riots, but he is unlucky in love. After reuniting with his college girlfriend, the good doctor, it sure looked like a happy ending. She's separated from her husband, and is obviously into John. But, in this very episode, she sadly informs him that her son is acting out because of the separation, so she and her ex are getting back together for his sake. Oh, honey. The 1950's called: They want their sanctimonious crap back. But, hey, at least no one was kidnapped and buried alive in this one!
Cyber Seduction: His Secret Life (2005)
Self-righteous without even disguising it
I watched this terrible film on TV only because the plot synopsis made it sound like a genuine exploration of a wide-spread phenomenon. Little did I know that it would turn out to be nothing more than laughable, sanctimonious garbage. I get it that addiction is a real problem. But a teenage boy spiraling down to theft and deception due solely to internet porn? Give me a break. The simplistic juxtaposition between the sexy "bad girl", who, at only 18, has her own pornographic website, no less, and the virginal, church-going girlfriend is not only ridiculous, but also extremely infuriating. Naturally, the sexually active girl is also a liar and a cheat, and gets her rightful punishment, in the form of rejection. I haven't witnessed such double standard morality in ages. I wouldn't have bothered to comment on this film, but, in my opinion, it is dangerous - since what it ultimately teaches teenagers is that sex is evil, and can only lead to bad things. And that's a far cry from a supposedly realistic depiction of a serious problem. Shame on you for making such non-educational trash.
War of the Worlds (2005)
Good start, disappointing ending
The first hour of 'War of the World' was mesmerizing; I can't remember the last time I was glued to my seat, with goosebumps running down my spine. It was all too real, too scary. And the strong effect continued until about midway. Then it all started to go downhill.
It's a well-known cinematic principle in horror films that the less one sees of the creature, it is bound to be more terrifying. Therefore, before we actually see the aliens, they are as scary as can be. And then they come into full view, looking, as a friend of mine put it, like "bad ETs". They were just too cute, too cuddly, too, well, Spielberg-y. It seems that the acclaimed director just can't let go of 'Close Encounters of the Third Kind', which featured kind and benign aliens. The creatures in 'War of the World', despite their frightful spacecrafts, are nothing more than a metallic version of Gizmo (of 'Gremlins' fame).
In addition, the relationship between Tom Cruise's character, Ray, and his son is absurdly simplistic. It seems that it takes an alien attack on earth for them to finally hug and admit that they love each other. And how the son survived his woes is another unbelievable mystery, which, conveniently, remains unexplained. The one redeeming character is Ray's daughter, Rachel (Dakota Fanning), who so convincingly conveys the emotions of fear and confusion one assumes would be felt during such a catastrophe.
Don't get me wrong - 'War of the Worlds' is not a bad movie; it is simply too ambitious for its own good. If you choose to ignore the underlying (and totally ridiculous) Oedipal undertones and philosophical arguments, what you get is one effective and frightening horror film.
Hitch (2005)
What a great romantic comedy!
Boy meets girl. Boy loses girl. Boy gets girl back. Curtain. Think you know romantic comedies? Think again. In this charming film, Will Smith is Alex 'Hitch' Hitchens, a 'date doctor' on a mission: To help dorky, nerdy, shy or just plain helpless guys get the girl of their dreams. Enter Albert Brenneman (the excellent Kevin James from "The King of Queens"). He is infatuated with a top model, no less, and desperately needs Hitch's help. The doctor sets out on this seemingly impossible task, with hilarious consequences. Meanwhile, doc sets his own eyes on Sara Melas, a gossip columnist with an inherent distrust of men.
More subdued than his usual characters, Will Smith is absolutely adorable, and doesn't have to resort to any of his over-the-top antics to deliver the laughs.
This is a great date film, which, luckily, you can also watch with a partner, a group of friends, or even alone. After all, there's hope for all of us...