NS-reviews

Part Two suffers a pacing problem like other reviews mention. It doesn't pack the same punch as Part One, much like the stage show. Part One is the more magical part of Wicked, while Part Two is a little bit mixed on if it's rushing or dragging along.

However, I think the acting in this movie, especially by Ariana, deserves high praise. The push-and-pull torment of being pressured to be one way while your heart believes another way is very well done. The true struggle and conflict is really much more microscopic than the obvious plot conflict. The relationship between Elphaba and Glinda that started in the first part was paramount for the second one to land with any sort of punch. For me, it did that the best it could with the original material and incorporating some fresh ideas, too.

The emotional ending held power for me. Some may feel that the story of Part Two itself wasn't satisfying enough for the payoff, and that's certainly valid. I can admit some bias due to "For Good" being my favorite song of any musical ever, and I felt Cynthia and Ariana did it beyond justice on screen.

It leaves things to be desired that could have been improved, but based on the reputation of the stage show, this part was always going to pale in comparison. Wicked has some of the most epic buildup, and it does have a satisfying ending, but it is so hard to compare with how the story starts. Endings can be the hardest part of the story to nail; given the story itself already existed, I think the movie did a very good (not great) job with the adaptation.

Ratings: S1: 10 stars S2: 10 stars S3: 4 stars S4: 7 stars S5: 7 stars S6: 5 stars

The first two seasons of Peaky Blinders are, undoubtedly, the best of the show. From there it's hit or miss, with a very slow and melodramatic final season that makes the viewer miss the tense, sharp, engaging way the show began. It appears to all but lose its way from season 3 onward. Once the family ascended, it became difficult to keep that same level of intrigue.

But, beyond that, the show starts to become swiss cheese. Full of holes, full of reveals that hinge in information we didn't have prior, making it impossible to be invested in the outcomes. Characters float in and out, their importance ebbing and flowing, their personalities inconsistent.

This show has great individual scenes, well-produced sequences, and is largely carried by the acting of Cillian Murphy, along with a handful of the supporting cast members. It tries its hand at designing window dressing that distracts you from the fact there are huge parts of the show from a storytelling perspective that make no sense at all, but it wasn't effective for me.

Seasons 1 and 2 are some of the best TV I've ever watched, and they do the heavy lifting for the overall rating of the show in my view.

As many others have mentioned, this is not a typical biopic but rather an intimate look as Bruce recorded the Nebraska album specifically. It's a narrow scope focus film rather than a grand sweeping review of a star's entire life. We get some looks at Bruce's past, where he comes from, great insight to the creative endeavor of the album, as well as the mental health struggles that he faced.

The plot and arc are immediately obvious, which is nice as some current biopics tend to be wandering trying to stuff too much into a 2-hour film. I never had to question what story was being told, I was able to just go with Bruce on the journey as it was presented to me. I did enjoy that aspect of it.

Jeremy Allen White did an incredible job portraying Bruce. I felt very connected to him as the actor, and the rendering of Bruce that he was doing. The supporting cast all did a great job as well tapping into the more micro human elements of what Bruce was experiencing. It felt to me like they were able to successfully do this because that plot was narrowed in focus.

This film is also beautifully shot in a raw in real way. There were times where I was just admiring how nice it felt to realize that the colors, lighting, and shadows were a part of the storytelling as well. It feels like that doesn't always happen in modern films with digital movie making. It was visually immersive and a joy to watch.

The movie does move very slowly, and I would have loved to see more live performance scenes. From Bruce. The recording of Born in the USA was by far the best scene of the movie, as well as the opening where he's engaging with the crowd while singing Born to Run. Those types of moments should have been in the film more somehow. It didn't exactly fit that narrow scope plot, but I feel like things could have gotten creative and shown flashbacks to different tours or things like that. Those were the moments where I thought Jeremy Allen White really shined, and that we were able to see what we all know and love Bruce for the most.