germankoba Reviews

The Gospel According to André (2017)

Dear Andre...

[4/10 · 11 February 2023]

I can't say that I was ever a fan of your work and at times found your presence overbearing and vulgar. But as I've grown up, I've learned to appreciate you for your individuality and vulnerability, despite still finding your inability to hear others somewhat exhausting!

That said, I feel your memory deserves a better vessel than this random documentary. SO many people could have given their time to share their thoughts and experiences with you, yet so very few have chosen to do so. I feel your vision and your story deserves to be told with vision, depth and sincerity that this film lacked. I hope one day someone will do you justice and celebrate you and your story constructively and objectively.

The Serpent (2021)

When even a great actor can't save the whole show.

[5/10 · 9 February 2023]

I find Tahar Rahim mesmerizing! One of the most gifted actors of his generation and worth watching in anything, even this. That said, the weak screenplay makes for a slow paced storyline, and made a gripping real life story a bore to watch. The director was more invested in the building a visually accurate depiction of an era, but failed to create a narrative worth the exceptional talent of Tahar Rahim. Visually this series might leave the audience with an element of satisfaction but fails to leave a lasting impression. I suggest adjusting your expectations if you expect more than another period piece.

The Power of the Dog (2021)

imitation of talent.

[5/10 · 12 January 2022]

I don't generally write reviews, mostly because there is so little out there at the moment to even bother watching to the very end. But this was particularly disappointing because I expected so much more and patiently watched all the way through to justify my hopes.

To start with I want to give special praise for Kirsten Dunst performance. I am not a fan, but her eyes in this deserve an award. In fact it was such a successful performance that even the poor editing and camera work didn't ruin it. I also want to mention the costume design and music, both deserve an academy award and both are exceptional!

As for the rest, I found it weak and lackluster at every stage. This is especially obvious since so much is expected from a director who once captivated her audience with The Piano. I've watched numerous interviews and built up my hopes only to discover terrible camera work pretending to be Chloe Zhao and not even living up to a mediocre youtube vlog. There is a single frame that deserves a mention here and I've discussed it briefly above to avoid sharing spoilers.

Cumberbatch is a good actor, who obviously had to direct himself and watching him overact is painful and embarrassing. If he is meant to be a tortured villain, he fails miserably, passing by for a hysterical drama queen. A good actor deserves good direction! Plemons never disappoints, but I believe he has the potential to be one of the greatest actors of his generation and here he is underdelivering and holding back at every stage. Smit-McPhee is beautiful, exceptionally styled and groomed to look like he walked out of a Gucci advertisement. But whenever there is emotion, he either manages to deliver on every "queer" stereotype or suddenly switches to a "Hannibal Lector" school of acting. The ensemble cast is small and pretty and not one of them passes for someone who saw farm life outside or a movie theater. I've not yet read the book, so I can't judge this movie on the merit of delivering a true depiction of emotion meant by the author, unless of course is was meant to be at a standstill.

To summarize, I am disappointed and I suggest you watch it on fast forward if at all.

Yves Saint Laurent (2014)

Visually enticing, but falls short of being a must watch movie-even for the die hard fashion fan!

[3/10 · 2 December 2020]

While at times cinematically pretty and with the main character Pierre Niney at times physically enticing and appropriately charming...the overall movie is very weak. The downfalls of this production are too many to name: poor acting, unfortunate storytelling, weak directing, bad casting, considering it was made about an icon, it is unfortunate to have him eternalized in such a lackluster film.

Breaking Bad (2008–2013)

All TV shows should stop after third season!

[7/10 · 27 April 2020]

For the most part I am eager to praise great acting for all five seasons, but when it comes to the story line I feel they should have either ended with the 3rd season, or approached it with more thought over sensationalism and shock tactics.

What is it with TV show producers that makes them continuously choose to milk their concept to the point when there is no choice but to end the series?! I binged watched the series, literally fast forwarding the last couple of seasons (considering I watched it during the cover-19 quarantine, you understand how desperate it got that I couldn't wait to get it over with!

The main character started out as a sensitive, gentle and troubled individual, that at some point just bridged into a psychopath, without warning or proper evolution. This makes me think that the focus groups forced writers to concentrate more on the antics, special effects and hysteria than the evolution of this fascinating character. Which is difficult to accept since the pace of the characters is so thoughtful for the first three seasons.

I accept that the character needed to disintegrate towards the end, morally and physically. What i don't accept is that someone rather tortured and sensitive, suddenly became callus and calculating. All these years he was accumulating pain and failures that all came to a critical point with his diagnosis. Half the show he is creating a safety net for his family, and the other half building his legacy. One does not necessarily cancel out the other, but we don't see that evolution...we are just made to accept it and move on with the show.

I have noticed that many shows overstay their welcome by the end of third season. You are literally watching not out of interest in the character, but wanting to get it over with and move on! I think this is a missed opportunity to leave a viewer without some reflection, and regret that we have to say our final goodbyes to the characters. Instead I was relieved it was over and done with!