wright-23 Reviews

Napoleon (2023)

Dreadfully Boring

[2/10 · 5 March 2024]

A bit of history is always good. A few people might learn a few historical tidbits, but all in all this is a confusing mess of a movie.

Joaquin Phoenix as Napoleon lacks charisma. We have to take it on faith that he is some great military leader. Nothing comes across on the screen to convince the audience of that. Just some brief mentions of the battles he led.

Vanessa Kirby is intriguing as his wife Josephine, but I have to wonder how much of that is pure fiction just to create a story.

This almost seemed more like "Romeo and Juliet" than "Napoleon".

Certainly as portrayed it was not France's finest hour.

The Family Plan (2023)

Good Fun

[9/10 · 5 March 2024]

An entertaining comedy adventure with Mark Wahlberg as the boring, predictable husband and father but with a secret past. Great cast overall, plenty of absurd amusing moments.

Very well paced, moves quickly without any dull stretches. Maggie Q even puts in a good supporting role.

Michelle Monaghan does a perfect job playing his wife. Zoe Colletti and Van Crosby deliver very good performances as his kids.

Good fun "road trip" across the USA. Maybe I missed it but the weather seemed fine in Buffalo but by the time they reach Colorado they are driving in snow. That's perhaps the only "flaw" I noticed.

The Morning Show (I) (2019– )

Pushing the Narrative

[5/10 · 8 July 2023]

At first I thought, "The Morning Show" would show a refreshing and fair take on the #metoo movement. However after a very promising start it seems to have swung into being about promoting the "narrative" both of #metoo and the pandemic. If you are okay with the propaganda we've had shoved down our throats for the past three years then you may love this show.

Reese Witherspoon delivers a very good performance. Jennifer Aniston however is rather pathetic. Certainly we could call Jennifer's performance very good, but it's not enjoyable to watch (after the first season or so). Steve Carell does deliver great acting (quite a surprise to me as previously I've not enjoyed his work). Billy Crudup is energetic (which seems to be his normal onscreen persona) and plays an interesting character.

This is definitely a "love - hate" show, with some excellent aspects and some aspects that encourage NOT watching the next episode.

Ghosted (I) (2023)

A brilliantly humorous look at dating!

[10/10 · 28 June 2023]

This was a very enjoyable movie to watch! Ana de Armas is terrific. It did have a weak ending but the beginning was fantastic. It may be hard for others to enjoy it as much as I did if they have already read spoilers. Watch it knowing nothing and it's a great movie.

The acting is very good. The plot and twists are well crafted and beautifully executed. It's tough to write a "long" review without giving away spoilers. Never a dull moment! Fast paced and yet not rushed. An excellent balance!

A brilliantly humorous look at dating!

This needs wider distribution, as far as I know it is only available on Apple TV.

National Treasure: Edge of History (2022–2023)

Entertaining

[8/10 · 29 April 2023]

Small ties back to the movies. Don't think too hard, just enjoy the show. It's your basic treasure hunting show. Enjoyable but nowhere near as good as "Outer Banks".

I would have liked for this show to continue as my girlfriend and I were enjoying watching it. Lisette Olivera does a good job in the lead role, but the rest of the characters are a bit weak. This is possibly Catherine Zeta-Jones' worst performance.

More interesting locations would have helped (low budget so far perhaps?). Since the treasure originates from South America it really could have benefited from visiting and shooting in some Central / South American actual ruins to give it a more authentic flavor.

Sex, Love & Secrets (2005)

Younger "Desperate Housewives"

[7/10 · 18 July 2009]

A portrayal of the challenges of several young adults dealing with their sex lives. The actors slipped into these roles and felt natural right away (no need to wait several episodes for the actors to "find" the character). "Sex, Love & Secrets" is definitely better than most TV series, but it's still just entertainment to fill your time. This is not anything spectacular.

The fast pace won't leave you bored. Unlike many shows, all the characters are interesting and enjoyable to watch. If I had to criticize, it would be that there is no introduction to who the characters are, the show starts with you just dumped right into observing their lives.