gidister Reviews

Star Trek: Voyager: Prime Factors (1995) Season 1, Episode 9

Not an actual moral dilemma

[7/10 · 30 April 2022]

Well-written episode with some good acting. I think the greatest weakness was the premise of the moral dilemma. It certainly would have been immoral NOT to take the offer, even in underhanded ways. The only actual ethical consequence would have been...the disappointment of the planetary leader? (And still with a win: the collection of stories that they coveted so much.) Even if somebody from Star Fleet grumbled about it eventually - who cares, they got home. Now if there were an actual dilemma here, akin to the trolley problem - say, the death of one or more people in exchange for the chance to get home, this would have been more relatable. Still, I rather enjoyed it.

I Care a Lot (2020)

Story driven, not character driven, but with great acting

[7/10 · 26 April 2021]

I enjoyed the movie. Addressing a few points:

• For someone who is not knowledgeable about the elder care system in the US, the premise was believable. I'm sure that if I read up more about it, I will learn about the checks and balances that are in place to keep this sort of thing from happening. Be that as it may, for me it was a novel idea that was an effective hook for me to keep watching.

• The main attraction of the movie in my opinion is the story, specifically how they attempt to sabotage each other as a way to get what they want, and how these attempts play out in the world. It is not supposed to draw you on an emotional level to the characters (that much). Think Ocean's 11 but with very good acting. Basically, it's a story driven movie, not a character driven one, but the good acting brings some credibility to the characters in terms of their motivations and actions. It should also not be mistaken for a movie preaching about the issues surrounding the elder care system in the US.

• I'm honestly surprised why so many people have a need to find a character to root for, as if they always expect a hero (or antihero) vs bad guy story. No, it does not have to be this way. In this case it was "lawful but awful" vs. "unlawful", and it worked just fine for me. The story isn't about trying to get you to identify with a character, but to showcase how people with different shades of lawfulness (note how Marla uses a taser whereas Roman has no qualms with sending people to their graves) go about fighting for what they want. Yes, a character to identify with on a personal level can be a strong motivator to watch a story, but the strong performances by the actors negate this need in my opinion. Although they act unethical, they still come across as people with understandable motivations.

• Regarding lesbians, we are under no obligation to represent them as angels, just as people with issues like the rest of us. See Charlize Theron's "Monster".