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Reviews
Sugar (2024)
Decent show. Terrible format
I love crime shows, movies, and books. I like Farrell and plenty of the other actors. This show is 100% in my wheelhouse.
However, after 4 episodes, I'm giving up for one simple reason: why are the episodes 30 minutes?! It's unorthodox and unnecessary. Since the renewal period of my Apple subscription was two days away, I decided to cancel rather than keep it for weeks and weeks to finish this one show. If they were proper hour long episodes I could see it being more worth my money. However, since this is literally the only good show after they cancelled Shantaram, I'd rather put my money into a more consistent service. If Shantaram had been renewed, I would not have cancelled and would have continued watching Sugar week to week.
Now, I'll just log in when it's donee, watch, and cancel. In short: Apple makes some decent shows, but not enough to justify year-round no-discount subscriptions. You can literally log in for one or two months twice a year and not miss anything, especially when episodes are a half hour.
The New Look (2024)
So, so boring
I watched all but the final two episodes and just cannot continue.
How can they take this topic with this background and make such an uninteresting story from it? It's baffling.
Mendelson was fine. Not his best work but that's a high bar. Binoche was absolutely the worst I've seen her, and she's a favorite of mine. I'm not sure whether she was bad or the script was just so terrible and the character so uninspiring that she had nothing to work with but for sure this is a low point for her career. She seduces men left and right but is not seductive, she runs around so entitled and never seems to get what's coming to her...
Worse then the dead-on-the page writing is the fact that it's about fashion and the clothing id dreadful and bland.
I will not finish the series and am deeply disappointed as it's one that I was really looking forward to. What a waste of money and talent - don't also let it waste your time.
Mr. & Mrs. Smith (2024)
Terrific show - so much better than the movie
This is a great show. It's unique, well-acted and well-written. Those hating on it are deluded that the film it steals its premise from was any good to begin with. This show better explores family, love, relationships, and hell, action than the film ever did. Mostly, it's smart. It doesn't speak down to the viewer and respects us to pay attention and catch things from episode to episode. The cast of exceptional bit players is also wonderful to see.
My only real "complaint" about the show is that I'd prefer one case over a season rather than one case per episode. If they do a second season - and I think that they should - I hope the writers take this into consideration.
Glover and Erskine are terrific. Fantastic pairing!
The Capture (2019)
24 meets Black Mirror
This is an extraordinarily well-written, acted, and plotted contemporary drama that takes the pace of 24 and mixes it with the prescience and foresight of Black Mirror. I'd say it's impossible to predict at every turn and is one of the best examples of a modern thriller as one could hope to see. I regret that, though it appears to have aired in 2019, I've only just now discovered it (I'm in Canada and watched with a VPN). I watched both seasons in a binge over 2 days and have told everyone I know to check it out. Extraordinary, don't-miss television that will be hard to beat. Kudos to its creators and participants.
Stay the Night (2022)
So good!
Saw this last night and thought it was wonderful. So much life in these characters, which were impeccably acted. The story is simple enough to find yourself in and deep enough to really connect to these people. Everything about the movie was terrifically done: it looked great, sounded great, was beautifully shot, well acted, and the director's choices were always spot on. The theatre was filled people you could tell were having a blast, laughing in all the right places. This film will probably get buried due to poor promotion and the way the Canadian film industry works but you should do whatever you can to track it down. Can't wait for what Jeyapalan does next!
Le mari de la coiffeuse (1990)
Romance
Leconte has directed a ton of movies, and, in my opinion, three of them are extraordinary: Monsieur Hire, Girl on the Bridge, and The Hairdresser's Husband.
At first I think this film may a bit too pat. A bit too trite. But it stays with you and you think of it when you consider romance. At least, I do.
The performances are impeccable. The music and cinematography are grand.
It's just a beautiful movie, neither happy or sad, but real. I recommend everyone give it a watch. I saw it in the theatre when it came out and a few times since, and it's just a wonderful portrait of love. If you like this, check out Girl on a Bridge and Monsieur Hire.
The Gray Man (2022)
Meh
This is 3 parts Bourne, 7 parts John Wick and about a third as good as any of those pictures. The leads are perfectly competent but the script is just derivative. I'm not read the book but it just seems like someone took the over-riding elements of those two franchises and shmoosed them together. It's just not worth your time.
The Tourist (2022)
So bad it will make you angry
This starts off great and gets absolutely dreadful. The final two episodes are worse than first drafts, completely unfunny with dreadful acting, all why trying to be wacky. I would strongly advise you not start watching as you'll be very mad by the time it's done.
Among the worst TV I've ever seen.
Sort Of (2021)
Terrific
What a fantastic show. I'm not usually one for Canadian television but this was so well done: acting, writing, directing, sets... ! Everything was great. I've heard this has been picked up for a second season. I'm looking forward to it.
The Lincoln Lawyer (2022)
A Painful 15 minutes
That's it - that's all I lasted. The lead gives among the worst performances I've ever seen. Literally from the first words out of his mouth you're going, "Oh, no."
When I first heard they were going with a non-white guy in this, I thought that it was a great idea. I was rooting for it to be good. But it is not good. If the first 15 minutes are anything to base judgment on, don't waste your time.
The Batman (2022)
Hard to believe just how bad this is
Where to start? The dreadfully boring plot? The complete lack of peril? The ridiculous plotline? The ludicrous logic?
Admittedly, I'm not a fan of spandex movies. I watched this because so many people told me, "It's not really a super hero movie, it's more of a classic film noir!"
Well, no, it's not. It's garbage. Don't waste your time.
Painting with John (2021)
Loved it
If only HBO were filled with content like this instead of superhero and teen stuff. Wonderful to listen to Lurie ramble on. I immediately went out and bought his memoir after watching this.
Z Nation (2014)
Dreck
Given how fantastic Black Summer is, I decided to give this a watch. It is the polar opposite. Absolute garbage. Terrible acting, unbelievably crap writing; I made it through 7 minutes and 12 seconds before shutting it off -- and it was the third time I was tempted to do so in that short of time. Writing that appeals to the absolute base demographic. Avoid.
En immersion (2015)
The most melodramatic and possibly dumbest cop show ever made
Wow. Stunning how bad this is. Nonsense, unbelievable plot. Characters you don't care even slightly about. Overwrought music and visuals. It really is stunningly bad.
It looks great though. More shows in black and white, please.
Hubie Halloween (2020)
As good a reason as any to cancel Netflix.
I watched 10 minutes of this and cancelled my Netflix. They're increasing their prices to help finance garbage content like this? No thanks.
The Courier (2019)
Hard to convey how awful this is
Among the worst movies I've ever seen. Could have been a 5 minute short and packed more punch. The acting is so bad it feels lot they shot the rehearsals. I would strongly encourage you to avoid.
Selling Sunset (2019)
Awful people selling beautiful houses
This would be a great show if it were about LA Real estate. Instead, it's about selfish, insecure women with dreadful tattoos and there inter-office politics. Not a one of these people would you want to sit and have a drink with for more than 5 minutes. I can't believe these are considered the most successful realtors on the strip.
The Stranger (2020)
Unbearably slow, predictable, and improbable.
I say don't waste your time with one. Every major twist is predictable from the moment each is set up and then you have to wait 2, 3, or more episodes for the reveal that you were right from the beginning. They've also stolen plot elements from multiple hit shows/movies like Sixth Sense, which are so blatantly obvious that you're aghast they were so lazy. To sum the show up in a word: ludicrous.
6 Underground (2019)
Unbelievable dreck
I loved Wayne, which was written by the same writers as this films, so was excited to give this a shot. It is unbearably bad. I shut it off after about 20 minutes and was mad at myself for lasting even that long. I come here to check out the other credits and see it's directed by Michael Bay. How am I not surprised. Don't waste your time. Watch (or re-watch) Wayne. Much better.
Us (2019)
Unfathomably bad
My god this movie was bad. So poorly directed -- not at all scary and in fact very boring for the majority of it. The lead was great and the two kids were fine but the husband gave one of the worst performances in recent memory. If I were you, I'd skip this one. Rewatch Get Out. No matter how many times you've seen it, it'll be preferable to this dreck.
Don't Look Now (1973)
Dreadful
This is a dreadfully dull, cliched, wreck of a film. For years I'd been avoiding it, but finally succumbed and wished I hadn't. The story is nonsense and overlong. I thought I was nearing the end and when I checked it was only half over. Sutherland and Christie are fine in it but they have absolutely nothing to work with. All the symbolism is so on the nose as to be useless and the script is so rife with coincidence and cliche that you'll constantly be rolling your eyes back in your head.
Drivel. Don't waste your time.
The Rook (2019)
Meh
Yet another production that treats its audience like morons. I gave up about halfway through the first episode and don't plan to return to it. Shows that think the viewer can't remember something they saw five minutes ago -- so it shows a flashback to it -- aren't really worth my time. This show did it three times in the first 30 minutes. It's the Law and Order / CSI mode of storytelling that has bled into to so many shows these days. Don't waste your time.
Polar (2019)
A movie made for idiots
This movie is so mindnumbingly dumb that you'd have to be an idiot to enjoy it. Mads is good, as he always is, but there's nothing else here. The story is perfectly fine and if not in the hands of a director more interested in style than substance it might be worth a watch, but as is, I'd say avoid it.
Also, why is Vanessa Hudgens made up to look 50? So weird.
Wayne (2019)
Pretty great
This show is better than just about anything on Netflix or Amazon at the moment. The two leads are fantastic and fantastic together. Terrific acting and great chemistry. The editing and music are also top-notch. I wish the rest of the Youtube Originals were this good.
Black Mirror: Bandersnatch (2018)
Unbearably boring
It is hard to believe how slow and boring this is. I fell asleep the first time I watched it and when I came back to it found it just as boring but plowed through to the end. Others who are going on in their reviews have clearly never encountered choose your own adventure books (also boring) or even simple things like tossing a coin. They're going to rewatch to see all the permutations?! Good god, why? I cannot imagine anything more tedious.