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Stephen_SJ
Reviews
Burning Blue (2013)
Heavy on drama. Little to no romance
I actually watched this movie because it was listed as a gay romance. While it was well acted and certainly made its point on the issue of gays in the military, you will be disappointed if you are seeking a feel good romance or actually any romance at all. This movie definitely does not have a a feel- good vibe ( like too many "gay romances" in my opinion). But I know am of the option this movie was misclassified as a gay romance. It is a heavy drama with a lot of angst that focuses much more on homophobia in the military than romance. While the coverage of the issue of gays in the military was solid, the romance aspect was non-existent for the most part and totally unsatisfying when the little attempt was made at it. Other than a kiss, there was no physical contact shown between the male leads at all. The only scene where there was supposedly physical intimacy between them, only showed them with women. The audience didn't even realize they had been together. So it just did not seem credible that they could have fallen in love based on the interactions shown in the movie. There was more focus on one character's friendship with his married, straight best friend than on the romance with the other character. There were few to no likeable characters with redeeming qualities. The two main leads did a good job acting with what they had to work with. This movie was not an enjoyable watch- I know now it was not meant to be light or feel good. It's a political statement drama and it does that well (infuriatingly so). While maddening, and somewhat depressing, it is definitely worth seeing as long as you know what you're getting into.
Red, White & Royal Blue (2023)
Fun, enjoyable romance
First, I'll start with saying that I thought Nicholas Galitzine and Taylor Zakhar Perez were awesome in their roles. They had great chemistry and I think it was at its best when they were at odds with each other at the beginning and before the realization of their mutual attraction had set in. I really wish the movie focused more on that aspect of their relationship and the build-up to love and romance because it really was the most fun past of the ride. Also, while I am discussing the comedic aspects, Sarah Shahi was hysterical in the role of Zahra. She had me laughing out loud in parts. Her character was the best supporting role in my opinion.
I am a romance person and the movie did not disappoint me there. It also had intimacy in spades, leaving out few of any physical intimacy scenes contained in the book (although toned down for the movie).
Others have mentioned the differences from the book. Some were necessary to streamline an already longer than normal rom com running time and, in my opinion, did not take away from the movie. The actors are older than the college age counterparts in the book but I actually liked that better, especially since they did not attempt to portray them as college age in the movie. (Personally, I am not a fan of having thirty something year old actors playing college students as is often the case in movies). I do think the movie would have benefitted from either having the June character or at least strengthening the Nora character's influence, giving Alex his much needed support network.
If you want a movie heavy on romance with a lot of M-M kissing and don't mind it being light on the relationship buildup that was so wonderful in the book or side character development, you will love this. Don't get me wrong, I loved the romance and if this was a limited series, I would have loved every make-out and sex scene from the book in it. But with limited time, I'd have enjoyed more time spent on the talking and texting in the middle of the night and the comedic elements that those interactions in the book entailed, as I really think those formed the bond that led to them falling in love. In my opinion, not exploring that aspect more was a big lost opportunity. I also would have liked more screen time for the supporting roles (especially Zahra) - for several, such as Nora and Pez, it felt like they had nothing to do and therefore added very little to the story.
All said, the movie was visually stunning, of course due to the main leads, and was good fun. The leads played their parts well and it was nice that there was limited angst (although I dislike the e-mail breach as it feels so violative -well maybe they didn't get their text
messages as the movie only refers to emails. In fact, I'm not sure we, the audience, even know what content would be in their email exchanges) which allows you to relax and enjoy the ride.
Un cuento perfecto (2023)
A beautiful love story containing all the right stuff
In summary, I loved this series. I used to be a huge rom com fan but moved away from them of late as few drew me into the characters or story. This was the opposite. I immediately liked David and Margo and was rooting for them both. Alvaro Mel and Anna Castillo were perfection in their roles. Their chemistry was spot on. I believed the friendship, the lust and the love. Some of the "embarrassment" scenes were the best- things that happen in real life but not often seen in rom coms. I tend to find European love stories to be more realistic as they are less afraid to tackle uncomfortable topics. It did not overplay the drama so it was a feel good movie to watch and left you happy and wanting more than the five episodes. I also love the concept explored about how small decisions can change everything. It's fascinating, a bit scary and oh so true. So in summary, it's funny, it's romantic, it's well written and directed, it's well acted, the leads are adorable with great chemistry. See it! Also, I seldom leave 10 star reviews and I don't know anyone involved in the making of the series, although I wish I did. If you love romance, watch it and enjoy!
Edit: I am adding this as an edit after reading some of the other reviews. Several reviews discussed confusion over alternate ending. For some reason, I wasn't confused at all. Maybe it's just my interpretation but the ending in my mind was the one where David went after her and did not let her get away. The explanation for the prior scenario was given - exploring the concept of how a small decision ( like if David chose not to go after her) would have changed everything ( think the movie Sliding Doors). I think this was not random as the concept was explored in more minor ways throughout the movie when we caught glimpses of what they wanted to say to each other but were afraid to and then where showed what they actually said instead. Those decisions affected the path of their relationship -generally delaying its progression. Ultimately if David let his fear overtake him and didn't pursue her, we got to see how that would have played out. But he grew emotionally and did not let that happen. So that's just my take. I guess the beautiful thing about art is everyone can interpret it in their own way.
Cinderella (2021)
Light, fun, enjoyable entertainment
I feel like I must've watched a different movie from many of the negative reviewers I found this to be light, fun, funny and enjoyable. It actually felt really nice to watch a feel good movie for a change. I almost didn't watch it when I realized it was a musical, but I ended up enjoying the musical numbers in the modern music. I was impressed with Nicholas and Camila's ability to sing. I've seen plenty of musicals where the leads could not carry a tune. That was not the case here. And of course, Idina is a pro. They certainly couldn't find someone who looked more the part of a handsome young prince than Nicholas Galitzine. And I also felt like he and Camila had very good chemistry. I bought into the attraction and the spark between them and they seemed to have fun and enjoy it. It was good to see Minnie Driver too. I was not offended by the modern take on a classic Disney. Don't worry, the classic Cinderella has not been "canceled" by this take on the story. There is room for several versions. I'm glad I watched it.
The Family Stone (2005)
I wanted to like this more than did
As everyone points out, the cast is excellent which is why I truly wanted to and, in fact, expected to enjoy this movie far more than I did. Whether you like the characters or not (most were not likeable in my opinion), the main issue for me was that the characters had these intense feelings about each other that seemed to develop too fast and without justification. The movie is actually uncomfortable to watch unless you enjoy seeing very awkward interactions, people being mean (not in a funny comedic way) and people getting their feelings hurt. What amazes me is even with this wonderful cast, with the exception of Diane Keaton's relationships with her children, none of the characters had believable chemistry. While not every movie needs to be feel good or funny, you still should enjoy the ride. Bottom line for me, I just did not enjoy the ride with this one.
Big Eden (2000)
I really wanted to like it far more than I did
I'm actually surprised that I do not like this movie more. It had many elements that made it stand out in the gay romance genre--real looking men, relationships not built on one-night stands, family, friends and community that did not revolve around the club scene, drugs and/or male hustlers, like so many gay films do. It is the anti-Queer As Folk and for that alone I wanted to give it 10 stars.
I agree with reviewers who said this town is like a fantasy island dropped into small town America. While the universal openness to homosexuality was totally unrealistic, it was sweet to watch and sometimes it's good to escape the harsh realities of the world.
Interestingly, I found the supporting characters more entertaining than the two meal leads. There was no chemistry between any of the male leads and it was very hard to believe either Pike or Dean, never mind both, would be attracted to Henry; not because of his looks but because he was irritating and whiny. Also, the way he treated his best "friend" of 20 years, who was trying to work things out with him while coming to terms with himself, was disappointing and selfish.
Quite frankly, none of the relationships were well developed so I could not buy into the friendship, attraction or romance between Henry and Pike or Henry and Dean. Pike hardly spoke so I am not sure how the relationship with Henry was forged. Then he told one story and I guess that was enough for Henry to forget his 20 year unrequited love of Dean or at least enough to make him realize he'd put absolutely no further effort into it even after Dean confesses his feelings.
All in all, it is much better than the depressing drug-fueled, promiscuity-laden, hustler movies so common in the genre. But it's just not a romance I can buy into or, more importantly that I want to buy into.
Cruise Ship Killers (2020)
Ok for a background show
Being someone who is addicted to real life crime shows and docuseries, I find that I enjoy this on in the background when I am doing something else, like cooking or cleaning.
As others have mentioned, it is very repetitive and very questionable as to how true any of the stories are. Stories "based upon" real incidents are much different than true crime shows.
A few observations:
--the narrators often tell you what the victim was thinking, which they could not possibly know.
--many of these disappearances are still unsolved or no one was ever charged. If you get frustrated watching a show that is repetitive in nature for 45 min only to ultimately not find out how the person died (or sometimes if they died) or who killed them, this may not be for you. As I moved into the second season, this became more and more frustrating because some episodes basically could've been five minutes long simply stating that this person someone and ultimately no one knows what happened to them. The end. Five minutes. You are left feeling like you spent 45 minutes watching this for nothing.
-based upon the observation above, unless security is better now on cruise ships, it seems a cruise ship is a decent place to get away with murder, since frustratingly so, the majority of the cases portrayed on this show are never solved.
- the on-board investigators seem to check security camera footage last in the investigation instead of first. Also the cameras clearly need servicing and/or updating. (I've heard many of these are older incidents which may explain the lack of security footage quality).
--many of the reenactment actors do not seem to fit the description of their character by the narrators. Ie. They don't look the part.
Bottom line: if you enjoy fictionalized story telling supposedly based on real incidents and don't expect the cases to be solved and don't take the show too seriously, it is good background noise.
No Good Nick (2019)
Three stars are for Melissa and Kalama
The only reason I rated this show three stars is due to the comedic talent of Melissa Joan Hart and the likeability of Kalama Epstein. I really liked Sabrina as well as Melissa and Joey but I found this show to be more annoying than funny.
I agree with the reviewers who said it is difficult to determine who the target audience is here. I'm not sure if Nick is supposed to be the protagonist or antagonist but either way, the character was very unlikeable-devious beyond measure and lied pretty much whenever she spoke. I'm sure many parents felt there were not any good role models for children in this show and I'd agree with that. The premise is totally unbelievable as well.
That said, the main reason I didn't enjoy it was it just was not funny in my opinion.
Clifton Hill (2019)
Casting issues surrounding age
This was an average mystery in my opinion. It kept my attention and I watched it through to the end which I have not with many other movies. I'm a bit of a stickler when it comes to consistency in writing and believable character casting. Here, I felt like the casting failed to consider age appropriateness. The one eyed man appears older than the alleged pedophile. The parents of the child must have been 7 years old when he was born. I realize actors often play characters whose ages are years different from their own (for instance, it seems most high school students are played by actors in their late twenties) but for some reason I found this distracting in this movie. I really like Noah Reid but his part was small. He was underutilized in my opinion.