keikoyoshikawa

I love documentaries by Ken Burns. This latest work - with directors Sarah Botstein and David Schmidt - does not disappoint.

There were so many things that I didn't know about the American Revolutionary War. I was fascinated by everything in the series: the personalities, the politics, the battles.

What I especially liked was that the documentary did not shy away from telling the story from all sides - both good and bad things that people did.

And why they did it.

A most excellent history lesson.

Everythingpre about this film is simply beautiful.

Cinematography: I love movies with wide vista shots and use of natural lighting. While there weren't many wide shots here - for good reasons - the lighting was simply perfect.

Acting: Joel Edgerton knocked it out of the park. The supporting cast were very good, as well. William Macy is reliably good. I wished we had more of Felicity Jones' character, but the screentime she had was well used.

Story: Good overall but I don't think there should have been two major changes made from the novella that is the source material for the movie. I think those elements should have been kept in.

I really thought this was going to be something like "Life" but set back on Earth. Instead, it's an extraterrestrial movie that didn't quite land.

The Good: Not much, to be honest. The acting was a bit off and I never bought that the military or NASA would do what they did in the movie. Just didn't make much sense.

The Bad: Overall, it just lacked anything scary or shattering, which I think was what the writers and director were going for. Kate Mara tried her best with the character she was given, which lacked much to work with in the first place.

Overall, the set up had potential, but the landing was terribly thought through.