flatwatr Reviews

Justified: City Primeval (2023)

This Series is a 30-gallon hat on a 5-gallon head.

[3/10 · 9 August 2023]

Dismal. Everything about this is dismal: the light, the tone, the direction; the writing; the people. The liveliest thing has been irritating, situationally foolish teen, Willa. She has been the only spark of light in the piece. She is at least curious about where she is. Even Raylon is grey. Kentucky Raylon would not have watched the bad guy slowly drive by a crime scene when the police and he (Raylon) were there to find him and his dumb as dirt moll!

Also, the folks of Detroit should protest at the depiction of their city. If nothing else, it should have a little... heft. Especially more than an obligatory, fleeting and oblique reference to Miles Davis. I am not really an Elmore Leonard fan except that he does create solid characters and a strong sense of place. This is more akin to Frank Miller Sin City graphic novel noir. Givens is on autopilot here. Competent, but ...dismal.

Paranoid (2016)

Must the women always be so $%#@^ neurotic.

[6/10 · 7 May 2023]

The Suresh character was irritating enough without all the really misguided biological clock stuff. There is a woman in France about her same age with several children.... That entire story line was so maddening. That said, Ms. Varma did a wonderful job and the non-stop talking was idiosyncratic enough.... The acting overall was really good, I thought, but the script let them down. I really liked the. Glenister / Sharp relationship. Polly Walker was brilliant in what could have been a really simple role. The mystery itself was rather simple and meh....

For me, Robert Glenister really stole the show. It is really nice to see people of a certain age find meaningful connections with other folks.

That is all I have to say even though I am being prompted to say more.

From Darkness (2015)

Quite possible the worst British mystery service I have ever seen.

[2/10 · 16 April 2023]

The main character, Claire Church, is reprehensible in all ways. I wanted to shoot her myself after the first episode. I did watch the ending. Lord. THE weakest woman character ...perpetuating women as victims. The DSI telling her to choose between being a martyr or a victim was exactly correct. She chose to stay a victim and betrayed everyone. I love British crime; it is the best in the world, I believe. Much of that is the players. Duff is a good actress, but I cannot understand why anyone with her skill would be willing to play such a weepy, indecisive, maudlin, narcissistic heroine. Maybe it is Scandanavian noir lite; I cannot watch Wallander for the same reason.

Sherlock: The Empty Hearse (2014) Season 3, Episode 1

Way too much style; way too little substance.

[3/10 · 27 January 2014]

I have re-watched Seasons 1 and 2 numerous times. I enjoy them each time. This episode however is wasteful of what has been built to date. I understand they are introducing a new villain, but less than 1/5 of the plot is about that. This episode is about the cult of personality, really, and if this is the new direction, I will be very, very sad because I have no interest in that; I can watch numerous other ...stuff to see celebrities enamored with themselves. The reason Spock/Sherlock Holmes (and yes, maybe even House) has been so successful is that even if/when elements of humanity emerged, it really was in service of something. Understand Spock not Holmes, but the reason people watch these guys is because they represent clarity in the face of adversity; a path to justice and ultimately a path to humanity based on service and loyalty aided by the gift of their respective "eccentricities". They are archetypes because they rise above. This Holmes is NOT Conan Doyle's Holmes. A sadistic Holmes torturing Watson about a bomb - gleefully - does not track, not even for this updated Holmes. It is spiteful, not fun or based on fundamental respect. It is not in service of the plot as are his usual misdirections, disguises, etc. The storyline with Anderson - Huh? I understand about saving face and religious conversions but this smacks of wanting to elevate the character that writers have already gone to lengths to discredit and viewers have come to disrespect. All I see in this episode is the writer and director; the manipulation too egregious for me.

Anyway, friends to whom I had recommended this series watched, then called perplexed when they viewed this episode. I had to back peddle and point them to starting at the beginning. The shortcomings of this episode are the writer's and director's. I have bought the season on iTunes and am downloading The Sign of Three now. Will see how this one goes but I truly hope The Empty Hearse is an aberration in this excellent - as in driven by excellence - series. I have nothing but respect for the creators' and participants' storytelling skills and will hang with them as long as I can, but to me this presentation has represented a cut below what has gone before. Please do not let Holmes sink into just another personality. He has survived for a long time because he is so clearly drawn, so ...elemental.

A Flash of Green (1984)

This is when I first noticed Ed Harris - he is wonderful in this.

[9/10 · 25 June 2007]

I had seen Harris in The Right Stuff and Under Fire but happened to catch this little movie - unexpectedly - and fell in love. I watched FoG because of Blair Brown; had just recently seen her in Altered States, but Harris gives a performance that I believe is one of his best. It is a real shame this is not out on DVD; I have only seen it twice and would love to see it again but not on grainy VHS. I thought that after the success of Pollock that this might get ported over to newer media, but not so far....

Richard Jordan is wonderful as smarmy small-town big fish, but this is Harris' movie. And the flash is for real.

The Last of the Mohicans (1992)

Love this movie, loathe the DVD release

[8/10 · 10 March 2002]

I have probably seen this movie 20 times; it stays on my personal top 10 list. I own a copy of the VHS and have seen later DVD or VHS release with the "restored" footge as deleted scenes/alternate ending editions.

The DVD version I rented last night and eagerly brought home to view threw me for a loop. All the formerly "unseen footage" has been placed into the film, tha Clannad song that halps set the tone for the last act is gone from the score. It is the score that is most alarming to me in this edition. I own the original-issue CD (in addition to the VHS), have listened to it many times, so I enjoy the Jones/Edelman music. But not in this new release. The scoring throws the entire movie off balance for me. It is too loud, too omnipresent, and totally overbearing. I believe there was some controversy about the music during the making of the film and so maybe this is an attempt to appease someone about something - I don't know. It does not work. The other big disappointment for me is the insertion of what I think of as the "preachy" alternative ending. I admire Russell Means for his work with AIM and I know that the movie presents an opportunity to make a political statement. For me the beauty and power of the original edition is in its essential spareness. Watching these characters move is poetry because of the purity of their motivations and actions; that they have the skill to live their lives they way they can is a testament to their integrity. That for me is the most compelling statement that can be made in this venue.

The 13th Warrior (1999)

What a pleasure.

[25 February 2001]

I have never submitted comments about a movie before, but in case there are others out there who are considering watching this but are being dissuaded by the professional reviews - ignore them; rent the movie.

This movie is worth watching just for the team of men that comprise the 13 warriors. There is probably lots to say about lackluster script, direction, staging, etc, but the real story turnes out to be the joyfulness and tightness of this group of gorgeous men of varying ages.

Dennis Storhoi is a beam of light; the fatalistic worldview he espouses as Herger the Joyous lays the groundwork for a group of warriors who are robust, fearless, and full tilt into the wind - laughing all the way. I agree with one of the other reviewers: women who like men will like this movie. It is fun