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Dumb Money (2023)
Why So Nasty?
I find these kinds of movie very interesting. A real life docu-drama about a recent event. Especially when it's to do with the financial markets and market manipulation. The thing I always learn is that we, the little people, don't know anything
But two things I didn't like about this movie. Firstly, there wasn't really much of a story there to make a full movie; even a relatively short one. You got no sense of how the shorting really works, and the rest was just reporting on a bunch of normal people buying stock, and waiting.
Secondly, why the horrible lowest common denominator with music and language? I don't mind bad language but why so much, and why are we listening to WAP - probably the most disgusting well known song ever released. Are all 'young people' this unpleasant? Do they all scream obscenities whenever they feel like it, listen to bad music with disgusting lyrics, and basically have no soul or 'warmth'?
Truly depressing, if that's the generation of the future. More likely, the filmmakers think this is needed to get an audience.
Travelin' Band: Creedence Clearwater Revival at the Royal Albert Hall (2022)
Excellent
The first half of this documentary is interesting. I loved getting a history of the band and seeing some footage from their first trip to Europe. I always find band histories fascinating, when done well. I wouldn't say this part of the documentary is top notch but it's done well enough to be enjoyable.
Where this really gets into its stride is with the concert footage from London. I thought I'd end up skipping for later as generally, I don't watch concerts on TV. And I was tired. But I was hooked, and ended up rewatching some parts of it. The simple raw performance of four musicians churning out great song after great song for 45 minutes was absolutely brilliant. I loved it and would recommend it as one of the best concerts I've ever seen on TV.
Who Is Erin Carter? (2023)
Not Good
I'm getting so tired of shows like this. Characters are completely unrelatable/unrealistic but on top of that, they're incredibly unlikeable. I think shows like this are written with the expectation that nobody is going to be paying attention anyway.
The unlikability of the characters seems to be a British phenomenon over the last few years. A sense that all people have to be 'strong' and 'cool' with no decent underlying sense of humor.
The main actress was bad; not terrible; but maybe that's the fault of the script. Her daughter was annoying and obviously written to show that girls can be bad ass too. Not remotely realistic, and if she did exist in real life, everyone would dislike her.
Not sure where I'm going here. Just trying to explain why it's such a bad show. Couldn't get through the first episode. Why is this type of tripe so common? Sigh!
Painkiller (2023)
Irritating
Why does so much modern drama feel as though we can't pay attention to anything for more than a few seconds? Maybe because it's true. But this style of production is incredibly irritating. Loud music, obnoxious smart-a** characters, quick edits etc.
The Ms. Flowers character is rude and if I was any of the people listening to her in the first episode, I'd comment on that. And maybe tell her to quit the attitude or get out. She's one of these people that only ever exists on TV. Not remotely realistic. And that request to remove the chair. Who does that? Seriously? A cheap way to show how much she hates Sackler.
The lead up to the auto guy's accident was irritating too. Way too much time spent waiting for the accident while having to watch that idiot controlling the 'excavator' thing. I just wanted to smack him.
The doctor taking in a German accent for no reason. Fine, but why drag it out. Again, if I was there, this would not be funny. Just annoying. The sales lady and her overly cocky confidence. Too much again!
Way too much irritation for one man to take. I will watch no more.
Moonage Daydream (2022)
Music Saved It
The music was great but it would have to be if we're talking about anything related to David Bowie. What dragged this down for me was the pretense of trying to be different, or overtly 'artistic'.
I like documentaries and I love biographical documentaries. Maybe I'm an out of touch bore but I want my biography documentaries to give me interesting, factual information. WHEN was he living in the US? WHEN was the Glass Spider tour? WHEN did he marry Iman? What he do during his 'hiatus'? What and when were his most successful albums, etc. Etc.
Documentaries like this think they have to be different and push their own artistic ideas on to people. Good for some but I suspect the majority want what I want: great informational biography and, with David Bowie, terrific music.
Efterforskningen (2020)
Excellent
Slow moving but that's fine when you have this much talent on display. I was stunned by the talent in this series. Superb acting, excellent direction, cinematography and screenplay. The scenes on the boats with the cadaver dogs stuck with me. It's such a simple idea and could be considered time filler. But there was something mesmerizing about watching a dog lie on a boat bouncing through the waves, waiting for a discovery. A lesser show would have masked this 'tedium' somehow. But The Investigation propels it to on the edge of your seat drama. That's simply the result of brilliant people working together.
It also highlighted the tragedy and what the parents were going through. Not showing the perpetrator was another great decision. Something that a lesser series might struggle with.
Paranoid (2016)
Unpleasant
I watched some of this but I couldn't finish it. It follows the trend of several British series recently. It's populated with a bunch of narcissistic, unpleasant people who think they're smart and cool but are deeply unhappy all the time.
I wonder what these series are up to. I end up with the same thought. It seems like they're doing their level best to show that modern Britain is edgy and cool and has moved away from all that traditional 'jolly good old chap' type narrative. Are they embarrassed with their admirable history or something? Also, I'm not religious by any stretch of the imagination but watching people like this makes me think they need God, or community in their lives in some way.
It's a left wing trope through and through. Tradition is bad and individual 'happiness' is all that matters. In the end, everyone is miserable. Interestingly, scandi-noir is hardly joyful but I almost always love it. It seems more real. The British stuff is trying too hard to dismantle all that they are.
The Holiday (2006)
Simply Bad
It surprises me how many people like this horrible movie. There's not a glimmer of truth in any of it and the desperation to make it 'heart warming' is palpable.
1. No way the Jack Black character isn't an annoying idiot. Kate Winslet's attempt to laugh at his goofiness in the record store is cringeworthy. Nobody, especially her character, would find that endearing. Such a typical movie trope along the lines of 'dance like nobody is watching'.
2. Cameron Diaz wants to fly home after one day over some daft reason. Who does that? How much are flight changes? Could she not stay and enjoy her time anyway? Does this not screw up Winslet's plans? Only in movies do they do this type of thing.
3. The Jude Law character must be single but being divorced could be negative. Let's make him a widower. Oh, and add in a couple of daughters to make him even more perfect. Sons don't trigger the same emotional response you're supposed to get with dad-daughter relationships y'see.
Every cliche is pushed to the extreme. Straight from a screenwriter who hasn't experienced real life in decades. The little cottage in England is what Americans WANT England to be like.
Look, I know movies can be cliched and unrealistic and somewhat forced. But this dud pushes everything way too far. And I hate it.
Running with the Devil: The Wild World of John McAfee (2022)
What?
I guess you're supposed to know the history of everything about McAfee before watching this garbled nonsense. Or it could be really great if you know him personally. For anyone a else, it's a a pile of self indulgent junk.
I've heard of McAfee. I've used his software. I know there was some weird stuff going on over the last few years of his life. I was hoping this would be an interesting biography of the guy. No such luck. A couple of amateur filmmakers/documentarians 'track him down' and then hang out with him. It's so boring and profoundly uninteresting. What's the point in this? It's definitely not to inform us. See my 'self indulgent' reference above.
Netflix. Stop!!!
Devil in Ohio (2022)
Not For Me
Watched a couple of episodes. I know without question that I will dislike this show so no point in watching any more. Not sure if that qualifies me to write a review but I think it does. Two episodes should be enough to get over any initial humps and start to get into a show.
There's a short scene in episode 1 where the husband doesn't get a home-selling deal he was hoping for. He's devastated about this. It looks like he was relying on it for their family's financial future. Anyway, does he tell the wife? No. Oh, there's a scene where he's ABOUT to tell her, but she jumps in first, compliments him about his greatness, and then he says he has nothing to say. I guess he's ashamed. This is such an unrealistic cliche that has cropped up so many times before (usually in comedies), it was the point where I knew this show was bad. I bet some key event will revolve around the fact that the wife doesn't know the financial situation. Who cares!
Capitani (2019)
A Little Odd but Enjoyable Enough
There's a scene in the first episode where an unknown guy is running away from the police in the forest and gets into a scuffle with one of them. For context, a girl is found dead, and a few hours later they have to chase this guy in the same spot the girl was found. The guy is caught, fights off the police officer and runs away again. Suspicious wouldn't you think? No more mention of this guy for days after the event. I haven't seen the entire series yet so maybe he becomes the prime suspect. But the fact that there is zero mention of this for days is really, really odd.
That sums up the series for me. It's not bad but the writing seems a little amateurish. Even the outbursts of Capitani himself seem heavy handed and inserted to emphasize his volatility - I guess.
Fun enough and short enough to while away a few hours. I'd like to see what these writers/creators could come up with after more experience. The short episodes are a bonus.
Marcella (2016)
Depressing
I've seen a few of these recent British dramas and there's an ongoing theme. Nobody is happy, nobody is decent. People have means but there's no sense of community, values, or respect. The most important thing to everyone is themselves. It all seems to be just too miserable in this 'forward' thinking modern Britain. Funnily enough, I love Scandi-noir when it's actually Scandinavian. British shows like this seem to be trying to prove to the word that we're NOT the Britain of Downton Abbey. Nope. I want SOME enjoyment watching a series. Can we get back to good shows where the goal is entertainment?
The acting is decent I suppose.
The Gray Man (2022)
Bit of Fun
Reminded me of a Bollywood type movie. Over the top action scenes with extremely unlikely situations. For the money spent, the action scenes were mostly pretty badly done. The airplane scene was a garbled mess. And then they gave up on the parachute scene and just showed him on the ground.
Don't take this seriously and you'll probably have a bit of mindless fun.
Oh, and the endless globe hopping. Seemed like trying to do a parody of that type of movie; jumping from one exotic location to another. But at the same time, I think they were serious.
Borgen: Ministeren ønsker ikke at udtale sig (2022)
Excellent Political Drama
Complex yet easy to follow. I love the focus on Greenland. Fascinating insight into the culture of a country we rarely hear about, and it's relationship to Denmark.
Top Gun: Maverick (2022)
Very Enjoyable
Does what it says on the box. Simple easy to understand story. Bad guys are not identified because it doesn't matter. Flight scenes are hugely impressive. Some humor and some poignancy. Look forward to the next one when Tom is in his nineties.
Pistol (2022)
Disappointing
Not sure what Danny Boyle was thinking. He can be a great director. Anson Boon as Johnny Rotten was good at the performing bit but in every other seen he looks like a sulky five year old. If that's the point, he's not doing it convincingly. A few side stories thrown in are distracting, uninteresting and unnecessary. What was up with the abused black woman in episode 2? I suspect that was added simply to fill the minority quota but I found that actress and that story very irritating. And then the story of the two teenagers in episode 5. No reason for it. Steve Jones' stepfather dynamic; not necessary to keep revisiting. However, I like most of the music and I love the real footage from the 1970s that shows up.
Conversations with Friends (2022)
Not Very Promising So Far
What I find odd after the first episode is; both the stage actor and the girl who reads her own poetry to crowds of people cannot converse without being incredibly awkward and self-conscious. Seems kind of unrealistic. If I met these people at that dinner get-together, I'd assume they were shy and retiring. Suits the plot I suppose, but doesn't fill me with hope for the rest of the series.
Meltdown: Three Mile Island (2022)
Dragged On and On
Once again, like all Netflix documentaries it seems, they drag everything out way beyond reason. How many times do we need to see people say how frightening/dramatic/weird everything was? How many times do we need to be told that the truth was shielded? How many times do we need to see cars leaving the area in traffic jams. Very interesting topic dragged into one big long yawn fest.
They'll Love Me When I'm Dead (2018)
A bit of a mess
What is the problem with modern documentaries? This could be such a fascinating subject but it jumps all over the place with scenes and sound. Hard to keep track of what's what and who's who. No proper narrative. A waste of great footage.
Anatomy of a Scandal (2022)
Disappointing
These shows are all starting to seem the same. Only in this case, the plot twist was really daft.
And why was that annoying public relations guy in the show at all?
The PM was a side character but then is key to the eventual outcome.
Plus, OK, I know it was technically an assault from 20 years ago and he hid the heroin, but the actions of the wife still seems out of proportion - after just dealing with the trial.
I think this could have been done as a movie and there's at least 2 hours of filler over the entire series.
Cyrano (2021)
Much Better than I thought it would be
I've always loved the 1990 Gerard Depardieu version of this so I went to the theatre expecting to enjoy the story, but mostly to compare. I didn't expect much from the songs or the music but I was blown away. I found the set pieces excellent. The music was great and the singing was good too. Not top class singers by any means but that added to it. Extremely well done and I look forward to seeing it again.
Everything's Gonna Be All White (2022)
Wow
Horrible show. Depressing. Stupid. Narrow minded. Ignorant. Racist, obviously. Not sure what the point of it is. To trigger hate?!? Sadly, stupid people will see this. If they were already going down a road of racist bigotry based on perceived victimhood, this will shove them further down that road.
Hope Gap (2019)
The Accent!
I think it was the accent (or something) but Annette Bening's vocal scenes were terrible and very off-putting. She reminded me of Maggie Gyllenhaal in that TV series a few years back (The Honourable Woman). The accent was very affected; like an American taught them the way they think an English person speaks. But in Honourable Woman, the accent seems to be more suited to the role. Not in this movie. Overall it was okay, but Annette Bening's accent was hard to overlook.
Santa Inc. (2021)
Please Leave Us Alone
When I heard the ever so smart quip about more people believing in Santa than in the vaccine or the science behind the vaccine, I knew it was curtains. I believe in the vaccine. I've had my three shots. But to join in with the smug, condescending lefties that feel as though they need to remind us how much better they are, leaves me cold. I don't want to be lectured by the smug.
Zone blanche (2017)
The Music is Annoying
Watched the first episode. The constant changing background music was very irritating. Lots of other things too that make it seem amateurish and hokey, but other reviewers have mentioned them. No interest in watching episode 2. I know I won't like it.