sally-w Reviews

The Idea of You (2024)

A love letter to all women in uncomfortable relationships

[9/10 · 3 May 2024]

I really enjoyed this movie. OK so I have a penchant for romantic movies and this fits the bill.

The leads have great chemistry and the rest of the cast are pretty good too. Love the music and am always up for a boy band. The fashion and art fit well with the rest of the movie.

It shows a picture of the challenges any relationship has and how it impacts on lives around us.

I love the way it tackles public perception of unusual relationships and how people treat others.

Without giving away something if you enjoy a good romance you will enjoy this.

I am off to read the book since I am sure it fill me in on more details.

Blue Beetle (2023)

Terrible - we almost walked out

[3/10 · 22 September 2023]

Catering to every prejudice imaginable - the characters are Mexican (except the girl and she is from Brazil where she would speak portuguese) so they all speak english with weird accents - why would you do that either speak mexican with subtitles (some of it did) or english as they would.

A bunch of platitudes (they are undocumented mexicans) the big company is stealing their land and livelihoods.

It must be being loved by someone to get that rating however not by me and my friend.

There are so many holes in the plot that just don't make sense and are really hard to swallow - grandma really - finding guns someplace.

Find something better to go and see and keep this for a night when everyone can watch and talk about the holes in the plot.

The Mother (2023)

A bit of a jaded story line

[6/10 · 20 May 2023]

It follows that since she is an assassin there is a lot of shooting and fighting expected and there was.

Great film for a raining winter afternoon as it is in New Zealand today.

This is a kiwi director and if you haven't seen Whale Rider put it on your list as one of the most innovative and really different movies you will see. We produce some amazing stuff here.

I enjoyed this however there are a lot of other films like it. Jennifer Lopez is a great choice for the role. The acting was good and they looked like they had a lot of fun.

Like John Wick though who brings a knife to a fight when there are guns - the whole premise makes me shake my head.

The 19th Wife (2010 TV Movie)

I read the book then watched the movie

[9/10 · 26 January 2023]

I thought the movie handled the book really well - you can't fit all of a book into a 90 minute movie.

I have quite a bit of knowledge about the Mormon Church although my relatives are not from the fundamental branch. This is how life is run and how it is based on a money gathering men in charge society.

I have seen a few documentaries on the Canadian version of this and there is a lot of debate about how they use the social services system to collect money from the government that does not necessarily go to the women and children as intended so it was interesting to see a few digs at that.

Definitely worth a watch as a drama about a secluded life. If you are interested in the life try the book Educated by Tara Westover - fascinating and on a similar line.

My Life Without Me (2003)

How did I miss this when it came out

[10/10 · 8 January 2023]

A wonderful movie without a shred of self deception. A great script and wonderful photography. They are all a fantastically well chosen cast with the right amount of genuine emotion.

Real humans with real emotions and a real way of dealing with the issues of what to do.

Life-affirming and genuine humour with no gallows. I like the way they deal with the actual event.

I will come back and watch this again as it is my idea of a wonderful slice of life.

Great to see Debbie Harry - I think she is great in the movies I have seen her in. Always wonderful as a singer and great as an actor. Mark Ruffalo is great in these moving involving roles I love all his movies.

Cha Cha Real Smooth (2022)

A great coming of age story

[9/10 · 7 January 2023]

I loved this movie even though there are several cringe moments. For a guy who was probably 22 when he wrote directed and acted in this movie this is a person destined for great things.

It has huge amounts of heart and some really wonderfully inventive story lines. Brilliant acting which allows people to be incredibly human and imperfect with cracks showing.

It never appeared on my radar in 2022 - I don't know if it wasn't released in New Zealand - we had lots of COVID issues where theatres were closed.

I think we can expect lots more from Cooper Raiff.

Put on your to watch list if you like a slice of life movie.

My Policeman (2022)

A quiet achiever

[8/10 · 24 December 2022]

In a three person triangle there is a loser no matter which two you choose to look at.

A lovely love story beautifully filmed with attention to detail and a generous soul.

I really liked it for its slow burn, beautiful scenery lovely surroundings. I had friends who were in this situation and in particular one who would have fitted into this perfectly in the 80's - it wasn't legal it wasn't enforced under the law but so much was hidden until there were people who had no idea who they were.

Innocence is a wonderful thing and love is an everlasting thing. Harry Styles is great - surprisingly great. The rest are fantastic too.

Causeway (2022)

Jennifer Lawrence is brilliant

[8/10 · 2 December 2022]

I love Jennifer Lawrence and she is great in this. She is brilliant as the injured on the path to getting better.

The desolation of the person returning home to live in a world as it used to be however she is not who she was.

A film with lots of subtle hints at how people deal with this sort of event shown with empathy and understanding.

A very slow burn with every one's issues sitting below the surface. I love the way the town is shown in not very bright colours except the rich people's pools - it is subtle and hints that things might be better behind the walls and I get it.

Not much dialogue - it lets the atmosphere say more.

The People We Hate at the Wedding (2022)

Some definitely funny moments

[7/10 · 2 December 2022]

I liked it in the end - it is a bit disjointed to start and a bit formulaic however it hits it's stripes after a while and I found it quite human.

The people have normal human if a bit exaggerated feelings and when weird things happening to them and they deal with them in normal human ways.

Good for a rainy Sunday afternoon. I am biased I love Kristen Bell.

Lovely scenery - weird cars - great clothes - England and USA meet in a great misunderstanding - Alison Janey is her usual fantastic self.

A typical dysfunctional family having a great dysfunctional time with some weird assumptions challenged.

Conversations with Friends (2022)

I loved it

[8/10 · 20 May 2022]

It is a wonderful love story with some very clever dialogue and fantastic juxtaposition.

It shows ordinary people in ordinary families doing ordinary things with the usual spectacular failure to communicate well resulting in a bunch of things that don't go well.

Sally Rooney has the ability to portray the introverts amongst us with hugely human hearts and desires resulting in endings we support with all our being because we wish they happened to us.

I love the way no-one in these shows is your traditionally beautiful wonder however they are fantastically human, loving and lovable (apart from the bad ones..)

Give it a go - I loved Normal People and Heartstopper give me a love story any time especially one with life-like people.

Heartstopper (2022– )

So so good

[10/10 · 10 May 2022]

My goodness the Brits can make a great series - this is fantastic covering the gambit of growing up slightly different from the norm. Keep it up - people are well rounded, make mistakes, behave like real people and say fantastic things I wish I had thought of.

This rates right up there with Sex Education as wonderful. As the geek/nerd girl in small country schools it was my experience as the outlier with some of the local farmers kids being just awful.

Cyrano (2021)

Some of the greatest words of love

[9/10 · 25 February 2022]

I found the first 5 minutes odd however once I settled into it I found it wonderfully engrossing. Some memorable songs and truly memorable scenes however it was the heartfelt words of love I found really moving. I was not expecting a musical from the shorts I had seen the week before and I really enjoyed it. Peter Dinklage you rock and you are incredibly believable as the intelligent wordsmith.

I loved it so much I will go again if I get the chance.

And Just Like That... (2021– )

Stop just stop

[1/10 · 11 December 2021]

I watched SATC originally, reruns and when I felt in the mood - I own the DVD set and the clothes were lovely.

This is awful - 5 minutes in and I can see Charlotte's fillers and lip work in a discussion about colouring grey hair no just no.

I was expecting the tackling of women's issues and interesting thoughts on the world and I miss Samantha.

I am so sad - the originally was full of energy and real emotional stuff - this is not that so I am switching off with a tear in my eye.

Sex/Life (2021–2023)

A train crash romantic series - I loved it

[7/10 · 10 July 2021]

I have a thing about train crash romantic stories and particularly like New York ones where I can see places I have been, and I love the ending.

There are so many points where you think "Don't do that" you can see it is going to be a disastrously bad thing but people do that in real life too.

I really liked it although the life portrayed couldn't possibly belong to more than 10 people and like Sex in the City I love looking at the scenery and the clothes never mind the relationships and the fun.

Worth the watch, although I told my son more for woman than men, just like Sex in the City. The complexities of relationships and their issues are for me. If it tells you anything about what I like I adore Moonstruck my favourite movie, The Secret Life of Us an Australian series making a comeback, and I am from New Zealand nearly the only place in the world where this could be happening for real.

Lockout (2012)

A Boys' Own Movie in outer space

[8/10 · 25 January 2021]

Not bad for the genre. I thought they handled most of the gravity and space issues pretty well. A pretty standard plot however it was a lot of fun and I really enjoyed it. Guy Pearce did a great job which he does on any day.

I had a enjoyable Sunday afternoon watch.

I Still Believe (2020)

I watched it on a small screen - watch it in a theatre if you can it is great

[9/10 · 14 May 2020]

A lovely albeit sad movie and an impressively true story. Great job team and well worth the time to watch. I am saying that in spite of not being a country music fan and not a Christian music fan.

K.J. Apa is a good kiwi lad and I am a kiwi too. I had read that he did a pretty good job in this movie - understated - he was awesome. Jeremy Camp must be thrilled.

I thoroughly enjoyed it especially since in lockdown I can't face watching anything that is violent or nasty so this was a brilliant choice.

Military Wives (2019)

Take your tissues

[9/10 · 7 March 2020]

A brilliant balance between the sad and uplifting with wonderful acting and great singing. Paints the picture of the life of families who have a partner away on a military tour and the balance of how the military expects wives to behave and what they are expected to do.

I loved it as I love lots of these slice of life movies - Fisherman's Friends,The Full Monty, Brassed Off and always great to see the real people at the end of it.

The final song is wonderful and absolute joy to listen to and ties up the movie finale brilliantly.

The Professor and the Madman (2019)

Stunning engrossing enjoyable - Mel's best performance in a very long time

[9/10 · 22 February 2020]

A great story. Great dialogue, great acting and great filming. Mel and Sean made such a great job of it that it was easy to believe they really are friends. Well done all. I had read a little bit about it before so the see a lot more was just great.

Not a Hollywood blockbuster an enjoyable movie with a story.

Veronica Mars (2004–2019)

Season 4 - a lovely trip down memory lane

[9/10 · 10 August 2019]

I loved it - apart from missing Mac. Eight more episodes of Neptune and the people. Another set of interesting stories glued together with a longer one. Worth spending the time to watch. Thanks Rob from all the fans. Veronica does it again.

River (2015)

A fantastic series

[10/10 · 18 July 2019]

I love the off beat and somewhat wacky situation he finds himself in. Like The Singing Detective the people aren't pretty or cute or any of those other things - this is a nitty gritty police detective story. It was a fantastically interwoven heart wrenching story with heart.

A fantastic bit of acting from Stellen Skarsgard and the rest of the team absolutely awesome.

After (I) (2019)

If you have read the books you will be disappointed however it does make for an OK movie

[3/10 · 4 July 2019]

Generally I try to see movies and the books they are from as separate things because you can't fit a whole book into a single movie and some times whole things are missed from the plot. However in this case the whole book is different from the movie or at least in my opinion and therefore missing the point. I guess the original drugs excess alcohol and sex is just too much for a teen movie however that is a big part of what makes the books so good.

So on to the movie I never felt the magic make its way to the screen.

Boy Erased (2018)

Moving meaningful and thought provoking

[8/10 · 10 February 2019]

I read the book before I watched the movie - if there is one I find it easier. An amazing movie and so awesome the portrait of a family in the bind of religion and the love of a child.

I loved it and I love the characters who find their way first into then out of hell challenged by a religion that ties them to a believe that denies the reality of their child's world.

Well done Joel Russ and Nicole a project worthy of you and a credit to Jarred for making it a story worth reading and watching.

Mystery Road (2018– )

Brilliant and the scenery is amazing

[9/10 · 16 September 2018]

Yes the plot and the dialogue might have a few holes however it is wonderful - great filming, amazing scenery and views and has the fell of the outback in a way that is truly authentic and enthralling.

I have been to all those places and it is fabulous to see them on the screen. Go Australia may you produce more of these.

Yes it does have all those people that you know from other things and they do a great job. Judy Davis you rock:-)

The Spy Who Dumped Me (2018)

A great night out

[9/10 · 10 August 2018]

Not going to challenge your intellect or give you something to think about however it was laugh out loud funny. If you are a fan of Outlander's Jamie seeing Sam in something else is great. Made by a women starring women. A couple of hours of fun entertainment.

Hannah Gadsby: Nanette (2018 TV Special)

Genius

[10/10 · 11 July 2018]

Intelligent, articulate, thoughtful talks about several elephants in the room Hannah Gadsby you rock. I laughed out loud and shed a few tears. Lots of love and shared experiences for woman. Stunningly good.