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Reviews
Inventing Anna (2022)
Disappointing
When I saw this series coming, I found the idea interesting. After two episodes, that was enough. Garner, whom I loved in Ozark and the Assistant, puts forth this bizarre accent that seems to come and go. Her acting may be accurate to the character, but the quality of her acting here is questionable.
The overall production quality is poor and the use of music is just annoying.
This looks like something that could have been very good, but they came up short, very short.
The Little Mermaid Live! (2019)
Easily the worst live TV musical
Wow. This was utterly terrible, and I like the Little Mermaid. This crowd, obvious total disney plants, were screaming applause, to a ridiculous level, after every song. It all looked so amateurish. I see many 10/10 reviews and I have to wonder if Disney employees weren't sending out reviews trying to balance the real ones.
West Side Story (2021)
Loved the original and loved this one, too
As a huge fan of the original, I entered the theater hoping this would somehow measure up. It was fantastic. Excellent acting by the main 5 players, exceptional dancing, and the cinematography and film quality were just superb. I know a great film when I leave the theater and I really feel like it wasn't just watching a film, but it was a cinematic experience. This is that type of film. You can love the original, as I do, and love this remake. This film was that good.
The Power of the Dog (2021)
Beautifully filmed, but......
This is a well-acted and beautifully filmed movie. The problem is simple.... there is not enough of a plot line to hold up the entire film. There's an interesting twist at the end, but it was a long, slow ride to get there. This could have easily been a 45 minute film.
Annie Live! (2021)
It was a dud.
Celine, the lead, in real life is the right age, but she looked too old. I'm sure she was hired because she has a HUGE voice. Unfortunately, her songs are belted out without texture or sensitivity. Yelling out a note and being able to hold a note longer than most singers doesn't lead to a valuable musical experience for the audience. Taraji, playing a role meant to be overacted, overacted the role to an embarrassing degree.
Harry Connick mailed in his part, and he and Celine had zero chemistry. I have always enjoyed this musical, but in this case I couldn't wait for it to end. These "live" broadcasts usaully do not work so well. The best thing about this live production is that it wasn't as bad as The Little Mermaid live production.
The Harder They Fall (2021)
Some experiments fail
This has many standard Western features we like: revenge, really bad guys, some bad guys who are actually good, lots of action, some shots of the beautiful Western landscape, etc.... This movie features some really good actors who get a chance to show off what they can do. The problem is too much modern language just looks and sounds stupid in a period Western. The music of different genres so often does not at all fit what is going on in the particular film sequence. There are action sequences where the music just sounds ridiculous and distracts from what's going on. I love a good western. This one was just OK with a few experiments failing. With better/accurate music/scoring and more realistic dialogue designed for the time the movie is set in, this one would get more stars.
A Quiet Place Part II (2020)
Very engaging
So many movies in the horror and science fiction genre are just mediocre. The Conjuring part 22 doesn't cut it. This movie, as well as the first Quiet Place, are well-crafted, well-made films. The acting is largely facial expressions and the children in the family are especially excellent. This is a very engaging film worth your time. John Krasinski, well done!
The Handmaid's Tale: Vows (2021)
Poor Story progression
Moving June to Canada was a bad story development. For most of this season Moira, Luke and Emily were really in the story for no reason. The actress who plays Moira is usually quite good, bad her overacting in this episode and the next is really telling.
How will June adjust to Canada away from the horrors of Gilead? Didn't we already get a sense of this from Moira and Emily in previous seasons? During this episode I wondered what was up with Janine, Aunt Lydia, Nick, and Lawrence. I'm not really concerned if Moira's relationship will work out with her girlfriend. That doesn't really add or detract from the story of Gilead. The good news is that the episode after this one is somewhat better.
This Is a Robbery: The World's Biggest Art Heist (2021)
The Security Guard was involved, no doubt
I've been interested in this heist for a long time, but I agree with many that it could have been one of two episodes less. I have seen several news segments and have read much about this.
Ric, the security guard, is definitely involved, but they don't have the direct evidence to charge him. What points to Ric?
1. Ric lets them in violating policy.
2. They are buzzed in at an exact time when the other security guard is doing rounds, and Ric is alone with controls to the door.
3. He had buzzed someone in the night before, they have it on VHS tape, and Ric doesn't seem to recall that he did that or who the person was. Really?
4. Just a bit earlier, Ric had opened a door to outside for no apparent reason. Ric said he did it all the time although there is no evidence of this on other tapes.
5. The Manet painting was stolen from the Blue Room. The motion detector picked up Ric as the last person to enter and leave that room before the robbery occurred. When they later examined the motion detector, it was working perfectly well. The thieves never entered or exited the Blue Room. How could the thieves steal the painting from a room they never entered?
Ratched (2020)
Cartoonish script
Sarah Paulson is a fantastic lead for this and after the first episode I thought it had potential. After that, the script is nothing but a cartoon with constant semi-sexual content that rings false every time. The actor who plays the lead doctor (Doctor Hanover, I believe) is totally miscast. Several good actors wasted in this one. It's a shame since it did have potential.
Little Fires Everywhere: The Spark (2020)
Good acting and cardboard characters.
This is clearly well filmed and well acted; unfortunately, the writing has produced a bunch of one dimensional cardboard cutout characters. I hops this show gets better. Perhaps, the writers should have tried to make real complex people and focus less on creating "types" of characters.
The Outsider: In the Pines, in the Pines (2020)
How Can a Show Fall this Far?
The first two episodes were 10/10. Then, the roll down hill started and now I'm finished with it. The story has stalled, nothing important happens, and they've lost any excitement in the narrative. I've never seen a show fall this flat, this fast.
The Outsider: Que Viene el Coco (2020)
A Huge Dip
The first 2 episodes were an easy 9/10, perhaps a 10/10 each. The third episode was a clear 8/10 to 9/10. This episode, with it's method acting and semi-coherent story telling, jumped aroun meanderingdall over the place. This episode took quite a dip.
The Affair: Episode #4.3 (2018)
So far off course
There's a point in a television series where it's just over. The plot direction of the 4 characters has just become ridiculous, as the writers scramble to keep it relevant.
After this episode, I'm done with this show. The situation with Vic and Helen is just such a stretch to find anything to keep it going, and Noah's story is no longer interesting in the least. Alison could now be totally written out of the show and the viewer wouldn't be missing anything. This one is toast.
Black Panther (2018)
Too much hype for what it is
I'm not a huge fan of super-hero films. This one was good, but definitely not great. Unfortunately, due to all the hype I was really ready for a great super-hero/action film, and it just wasn't compelling enough. Some special effects were good, others weak. The first 20-25 minutes were pretty snoozer before the plot picked up. All in all good, but nowhere near the hype.