Change Your Image
Ash-lee
Reviews
Joyeux Noel (2023)
Not Quintessential Hallmark
I typically rate movies on the Hallmark app, but I went back and noticed that anything with a less than favorable rating was not approved while my reviews for the movies I loved are on each one. Fine - Hallmark wants to skew its reviews, I'll come to IMDB. The only good thing about this movie is the scenery and the leading man who tries to carry the scenes. Jaicy is the Hallmark Kristen Stewart: one note acting and no emotion. Well, that's not entirely fair because she does show one emotion: a smirk with dead eyes. I've watched her in three Hallmark movies now, and it's the same acting in each one. I'm so tired of seeing her praised as the "every woman." Yes, she's close to my size, but that doesn't mean I have to automatically love her. I'm also blonde - that doesn't mean I have to love every natural blonde actress either. I expect more from a movie that is supposed to be entertaining. She was clearly hired to tick a box, because she doesn't fit the role at all. I did appreciate the scenery - it was gorgeous. And I didn't mind that it's not a typical ending to this type of mystery, but this movie fell very flat.
Obsession: Dark Desires: Just a Wall Away (2013)
What??
This is one of the better episodes. This is the definition of stalking - someone tracking your movements, following you, threatening you. And when it's someone of the same sex, that does make for a more layered problem. I have no idea what the other reviewer is talking about - the vast majority have not - and should never - have to deal with a scenario like this. Especially not and sweep it under the rug as: Oh, it's a mental health issue and that equals harmless. I've had scenarios where neighbors have been yelling at each other for an hour and that bothered me - I can't imagine being subjected to unhinged ranting at all hours of the day and night for months at a time. If someone is impacting your quality of life, mental health is not an excuse or a crutch. You have the right to feel safe in your home. Repeat after me: Your rights end where mine begin.
Obsession: Dark Desires: Final Fantasy (2016)
Gaslighting
I don't know what kind of gaslighting BS the other review is talking about. Asking someone to leave after they've overstayed their welcome and then getting stalked (and having to move and change your number) after breaking up with a boy is no excuse for them using a car to run a person down and then beating them. I can only assume the other reviewer is Paul or a member of his family. As for the episode itself - the story is tragic, the execution of the filming of it was lackluster. I came here to see if anyone else has noticed how bad the acting is - I don't expect Emmy worthy performances, but this felt like I was watching a school play. Overall, I love this show, but this was a poorly filmed episode. That's usually not the case - some are absolutely haunting.
The Equalizer (2021)
Not the Best, Not the Worst
I like Queen Latifah and never watched the original show. This was pretty good, but didn't hold my attention for long. She was great in the action scenes (and the camera angles and style was nice), but those were few and far between, despite what the commercials insinuated, and it didn't draw me in enough to care about any of the characters to even learn their names. I'm watching the episode live and I'll finish it to see the resolution, but it won't be a series I keep up with.
Bridgerton (2020)
It's Not Bridgerton, It's Featherington
If the show hadn't deviated so far from the book, it would've been more enjoyable. It started out promising, adding layers and color and a bit more substance to the first half of the book it was based on, then started throwing in random characters and plots that had nothing to do with it. Marina, Colin falling in love (when he actively avoided marriage until his own book, which was the fourth in the series), the absurd scenes with the Queen when she was never even mentioned in seven books (and multiple second epilogues) of the series. Turning Mrs. Featherington into a villain who locks women in their rooms and threatens them? Horrendous.
Anthony being the most unlikable character and nothing like his literary counterpart, trying to arrange his sister's life without her opinions, making you hate him from the first few episodes all in an excuse to show that Daphne is a strong, modern woman. A better story would've shown that she is that with a supportive and loving brother at her side, the way we know her to be. But the further destroyed his character by creating an obsession with his mistress that would've had book-Anthony rolling his eyes in absurdity. Why should we be excited about season 2 when they've done everything to ruin the leading man's character? Anthony Bridgerton was the head of the family, but let his mother make most of the important decisions for his sisters, while he focused on making sure they were provided for and making sure the family's reputation was impeccable because anything less than that would harm his younger siblings. He liked women, but felt strongly about none - even when he decided to marry, it was for the good of the family and not because he wanted a significant attachment to any person. Netflix-Anthony shares nothing with him, except the same hair color. The idea that he would invite his mistress to his sister's ball? So ridiculous I nearly fell out of my seat. He NEVER would've embarrassed his mother that way or ruined his other sisters' chances at good marriages.
And the second reason the series is so disappointing: We didn't spend anytime with the Bridgertons! Most of the storylines, aside from Daphne and Simon, revolves around the Featheringtons/Marina and their household. We barely got a glimpse at Bridgerton House or the dynamics of the family. Violet seemed to be pulled along by the wave of her family, instead of setting the tone and being the strong and capable widow she is in the books. They cut out the best storylines they had in front of them with the family interacting with each other and taking the humor out of the story in favor of gambling plots, boxing matches, the Queen's appearances, an unwanted pregnancy, and unmasking Lady Whistledown (which should've stayed in its place, with book 4, where it belongs). It's like they ripped the book in half, used what they wanted and then created an entirely new ending.
And now for Daphne and Simon. These two are wonderful together. Their chemistry is great, they look fabulous when sharing the screen, and when they were given good material to work with, they sell it. It's clear the casting choices were impeccable, knowing that these two would need to lead season 1. It's a shame they didn't put that focus on the rest of the cast. It's like they didn't expect there to be a season 2, since they obviously didn't want anyone interested beyond Daphne and Simon. The Bridgerton brothers are supposed to carry the next three stories - how can these particular brothers do that when viewers hate them? How can they not see that they brought Simon to life and left the others to be caricatures? The brothers all look tiny, when they're supposed to be large men. They could've cast three actors who had as much charisma and looks as Simon, instead they look like short little boys, looking up to see his face, when they should be imposing and staring eye to eye with Simon, not a head shorter and scrawny.
The sisters were all annoying and didn't fit the looks - Francesca is supposed to be the most beautiful, yet the one tiny glimpse of her and she looks like she would be better cast as Penelope.
And the ending. What glimpse we had of Daphne and Simon at the end, again barely stayed close to their story. Simon telling her they would live separately? Where was Daphne going back to London? Simon showing up at her mother's house only to be hilariously put down by her butler? The pregnancy he thought was truth? His agony when he realizes how much he loves her and is scared for her safety and realizes how much he wants a child? The Bridgerton brothers showing up at Hastings House, only to be forcibly removed by their mother (in one of the funniest scenes in the series)? But it's okay, the sex scenes are frequent, so don't worry about keeping the tone and humor. *Insert eye roll here.* And making their first child a boy when they first had three girls - there's nothing like hitting that strong feminist statement home like wiping out the existence of three girls to give Simon his heir! At least they mentioned that the name should start with A (even though their first son was David in the book).
They did three things perfectly: the costumes were fantastic, the casting of Simon and Daphne couldn't have been better, and getting Julie Andrews to narrate - she was impeccable!
They should've bought the use of Julia Quinn's characters, called the show Featherington and considered it a spin-off of the books.
When a Stranger Calls (2006)
That was it?
Who was the stranger? What was his motivation? Why that house? Was he after the babysitter, the kids, the parents? The majority of the movie is long, panning shots of scenery with a few scenes of less than half-hearted acting - you'd think they at least could've given us some motivation behind him, even if it was just a "Because you were home" type of explanation. The stranger could've been terrifying. I babysat enough in my teens that being alone in a dark, unfamiliar house is fertile ground for scary things to happen, but they just took the cliches and ran with them. Even when she was in the water - were we supposed to be scared? He tried to shove her under with one hand, while I'm yelling at her to grab a finger and break it. I have little tolerance for foolish characters in any form, although she mildly redeemed herself with the final action she took. The movie never got off the ground and left more questions than answers with no real scares. I give it two stars because of the great location/sets and the one mild scare of the first time we see the stranger.
Karen Kingsbury's Maggie's Christmas Miracle (2017)
Lovely Christmas Movie!
It should be noted that this is a Hallmark Movies and Mysteries Movie. Hallmark advertises these as more serious and not as lighthearted as the classic Hallmark Channel movies. The cast was better than some of the Hallmark movies I've watched in the past - Hallmark has a habit of reusing many of their actors and actresses and while this is sometimes endearing (Candace Cameron Bure, Catherine Bell), sometimes it's like nails on a chalkboard (Erin Krakow, Alicia Witt) where they shoehorn one of their favorites into movies that they don't fit, just because they've worked with them in the past - in spite of what fans vocally prefer. I didn't find that to be the case here. I was only familiar with Luke MacFarlane's past movies and he fit this role nicely. The other lead who played Maggie seemed to be a nice mix of overbearing cynic meets slowly awakening optimist.
I've never read the book, but this was such a sweet movie. The thread of healing and hope that tied it all together made for an uplifting theme. This movie had more religious aspects than the typical Hallmark stories, which I appreciated. It was refreshing that a Christmas movie actually acknowledge the reason for the season. And even if this plot point wasn't exactly front and center, I loved that it was woven throughout and tied together. I'm optimistic Hallmark will continue to expand on this type of movie for the future Christmas seasons.