oasisdream-alt Reviews

Foe (2023)

Tough first watch, appreciated the second viewing!

[6/10 · 10 January 2024]

It was only upon second viewing that Soirse's performance completely stood out - her acting matched every scene - entirely. She was brilliant.

The assassination of the bot was gritty and brutal.

The metaphors about who is and isn't willing to kill a bug were clever.

Soirse's wait for the rain, much as it did during her wedding, yielded no improvement. And it was clear she needed to leave. Now he carries forward with an AI version of her. I'm guessing that he probably then realises that she could be forgiven for being disloyal... so that's something, I guess.

I didn't pick up on the clues. I was focussed on trying to figure out if Soirse or Terence were the bots. I literally watched it again as soon as the credits rolled and got much more the second time.

The Sex Lives of College Girls (2021– )

The writing is drool-worthy

[8/10 · 16 March 2023]

Kudos to the entire team. I am in awe of the sharp, witty writing. It's so incredibly on point. This is very watchable, comedic mastery. The editing is wonderfully tight. The characters are fascinating and hilarious across the board. (There's not just one or two funny main ones). I frequently laugh out loud which is sort of rare for me. And my goodness - what unbelievable casting! To get this sort of chemistry between the main four is incredible.

I think Season 2 ending (namely a certain love triangle tumult) was a bit forced and hard to go along with.

But overall, these are two very strong seasons. Looking forward to the next!

Ankhon Dekhi (2013)

Nup- didn't work.

[1/10 · 19 November 2021]

New synopsis: A man who is a husband, father, brother and cherished member of his local community fails to receive the mental health care that nobody realises he requires.

The Farewell (I) (2019)

Just wonderful

[8/10 · 21 August 2020]

A great film: fascinating premise, wonderful characters, great cinematography and a great background score.

What a truly remarkable insight into Chinese culture. From the street shots, shared family meals, visiting the grave of the deceased grandfather to conversations faced by foreign (US)-returned Chinese migrants. And a wedding.

The ultimate premise of the film is also, although at first confronting, one that truly encourages further contemplation.

Does keeping a terminal diagnosis from a loved-one truly help them? Does it protect their quality of life? Avoid suffering?

How do families equip themselves to "carry the burden" of this news and grieve in private?

This movie is so different to anything I've seen. Really worth a watch.

Outlander (2014– )

Seasons 1+3 are brillant

[8/10 · 4 March 2020]

Unfortunately, the other seasons are a relative bore. Especially since they've arrived in America.

Good Behavior (2016–2017)

2nd season was a s**tshow

[6/10 · 5 October 2019]

Loved the first season. Engaging storyline, clever and funny dialogues. Letty was very entertaining.

The second season was diabolical. Boring, ridiculous, no humour. What were the writers thinking???

New Amsterdam (2018–2023)

Yawn

[3/10 · 24 June 2019]

Failed to engage with the pilot. Thought the editing could have been sharper. Some of the dialogues are corny and lengthy... pass.

ER (early seasons) still rules!

The Dawn Wall (2017)

Brilliant

[8/10 · 3 April 2019]

Superbly edited, visually stunning. This is a masterpiece in documentary-making. Extremely engaging.

My Husband Won't Fit (2019– )

Frustrating

[2/10 · 25 March 2019]

Halfway through the series.

The entire premise of the show leaves viewers frustrated, screaming at Kumi and her partner to see a doctor from episode 1!!

Natural acting by both leads. Story drags by the 4th episode...

Socha Na Tha (2005)

Yawn

[2/10 · 23 September 2018]

Abhay Deol's character is so infuriating that you have to stop yourself from breaking the TV. Ayesha's, on the other hand, is a tad more robust. This is such a difficult movie to sit through. Yawn.

Highway (I) (2014)

Safety and freedom

[9/10 · 22 September 2018]

Quirky character in Veera:

• seeking a simple life in the hills
• past sexual abuse
• experiences (initially) severe trauma from her kidnapping
• develops Stockholm Syndrome

Imtiaz gently subverts our notion of safety and "stranger danger".

Randeep and Alia have given performances of their careers and are faultless.

Excellent film.

Tamasha (2015)

Disgraceful

[1/10 · 22 September 2018]

1. Girl falls for a bipolar guy, who's mental health issues are attributed to incredibly medically dubious reasons. 2. Imtiaz Ali justifies to himself why he is an artist and doesn't follow the rat race of life. (No one asked.) 3. Weird artsy clown and tinman shit in between.

Phantom Thread (2017)

Snoozefest

[1/10 · 7 September 2018]

I wanted to get into this movie, with its stylised ambiance, dresses and brooding score.. Half way in, however, I was asking myself what I was doing there, much like Alma.

All I See Is You (2016)

I didn't mind it

[6/10 · 24 August 2018]

I liked that this film was different. It was stylised. It wanted emotions to simmer. There were many similes and foreboding elements. And not everything was made obvious or answered.

Yes, it took far too long to get to the good stuff. And the mystery could have been even more complex and puzzling, if you ask me.

But the crayon letter was poetic as it compared Gina's dog to Gina. The kaleidoscopic intimate scenes resembled a kind of sensory overload when sight is removed. There were deceptions by both parties (ranging from trivial to abominable), steering away from the obvious victim vs villain rhetoric.

6/10 for me.

Ali Wong: Hard Knock Wife (2018 TV Special)

Talented and funny!

[8/10 · 1 June 2018]

She's a cranky, assertive, shameless, Asian American and she's incredibly funny! Ali has made an art of timing and tone and there is a certain brevity in her wit which nails her humour. Yes, my jaw dropped at some of her content ("I can't believe she just said that") but there were plenty of other moments where I was laughing out loud; something that's hard to find in stand-up or any other comedy. Surrender yourself to it all and enjoy the ride!

Red Sparrow (2018)

Unnecessarily sexually sordid

[5/10 · 3 May 2018]

Could have been a great Russian spy film but the sexual sordidness and some violence was misplaced and unnecessary.

Pink (III) (2016)

Contrived

[4/10 · 8 July 2017]

I do not want to take away from this film's importance in trying to advance a very important social and cultural issue in India (and in many other parts of the world).

I also give the film makers kudos for the unique way in which the story unfolds; the details of the evening unravelling with the questioning of each witness. And the masterful scenes during the end credits.

However, once again, we have an excellent premise which is failed in execution.

The court case scenes failed to build realism and instead became farcical drama where the lawyers either spewed commentary or attempted to advance their case with witness "gotcha moments". It was cliché and reminiscent of court dramas of 1980.

The defence's case appeared to rest more on sentiment than evidence. And the apparent *blow to the defence's story during one particular testimony was left completely unaddressed.

I was frustrated beyond belief because it seemed completely far fetched that these women with gusto (shouting from their seats in court) were moments later, cowering excessively on the witness stand.

Amitabh Bachchan's acting was sublime and played the quirkiness of the role brilliantly. However, he seemed to step out of character in his more final court appearances.