chesbayah Reviews

States of Undress: Pakistan (2016) Season 1, Episode 1

What a Surprise

[10/10 · 17 December 2016]

I saw a teaser about fashion in Pakistan on what I believe is new channel offered by FIOS. I expected "States of Undress" on the Viceland channel to be worth 10 minutes of my time before I hit the delete button. Oh was I wrong. States of Undress Ep 1 is about fashion but the episode to its credit is truly about Pakistan's culture -- a culture that is alien to America. The end of the show will stun you. Mark my words. The host, Hailey Gates is very strong in her role. She is not the typical blond-piece-of-fluff you find all over cable and even on the networks today. Rather, she is a young, average looking neo- journalist, fashionista who actually surprised me with how understated she took on her role. Her bravery, which will clearly come through in the hour-long episode, is something that network journalists should admire. This is a show worth watching. Now my DVR goes to episode 4 in this series. I certainly hope it holds up.

5 to 7 (2014)

An Incredibly Beautiful Movie

[10/10 · 14 December 2015]

This is a movie that slowly inexorably creeps up on you. All of a sudden you are seeing a wonderful story, carefully crafted and acted. I am stunned that 5 to 7 has been seen by so few people. I rarely rate a movie a 10. But his clearly deserved that and perhaps and another star.

If you watch 5 to 7 (and you should), keep an open mind for the first 10-12 minutes. Do not expect a simple romantic comedy, nor all the clichés that come with that genre. Rather you will be watching literature. Anton Yelchin deserved, no less, than an academy award nomination. And French actress Berenice Marlohe deserved an Academy Award. They are so overpowering in their roles that you will forget that a great actress, Glen Close, and a great actor Frank Langella have roles.

10-stars. Bravo!!!!