MoonSander

Bridgerton: Into the Light (2024)

Rushed, unrealistic, full of clichés

I will start by mentioning that I have read the book this season is based on, as well as most of the others. I did not love the book. It is ok, but I was not very fond of Penelope's character in the book. One thing it got right, though, was the carriage scene taking place as our main couple was fighting after Colin discovered Penelope's secret. That was actually quite awesome.

When it was announced that this season will take a different spin on the book, I was actually looking forward to the improvements made. Unfortunately, it deceived my expectations. I love the couple and I love some of the developments in this season, but...:

• for one, Francesca's tale takes too much focus away from them; had her part of the story been shorter, and Francesca gone by the fifth episode, it would have been far better.

• then, the writing, for several but especially the last episode was dreadful. A fanfic writer could have done a far better work. It is forced, absurd for some part, based on wishful thinking (thus not exactly believable) and just bad.

Drama for the sake of drama is just unimaginative. Had it at least been well-executed, it would have been ok. As things stand, I think Penelope's sisters were far better characters in this season than her. And far more charming and delightful to watch.

Then, there was that sex scene. Weird is the only way I can describe it. Not the actors (they were great) or the scene itself - but the place and time were not ideal choices, which made it feel forced.

Finally, the reveal speech was not exactly inspired, certainly not worthy of Lady Whistledown. In fact, the reveal itself was not worthy of the character.

As for Francesca, the actress is a very good choice and she is charming and quite a great fit. I can't recognize the character as portrayed in the previous series, though. I like the new Francesca but hate that she has so little of the old one. As if they had one thing in mind for her when they started the series, and then completely changed their intentions - or just had no idea what to do with Francesca in the beginning.

I also agree with other reviewers about her anticipated romance with a woman. I don't hate the idea, but the book had it better and it made far more sense for the historical period.

Yes, there are many things that are not historically accurate - most off which I love: the diversity, the music, the fashion. The bohemian lifestyle and bisexuality is most probably accurate (funny enough).

But some things simply do not fit with the time period.

That is not to say great writers could not make it work (it being the now anticipated gay romances) even in the time period.

The latest series, however, doesn't give me much hope when it comes to the script and it would be a shame for the series to become a caricature of what it once was.

I won't even discuss the speculations about Benedict's gay romance, but only because I loved his book romance too much. As I said, great writers could pull it off. I just doubt they (still) work on this show...

The Diplomat (2023)

Great for entertainment but the research behind it lacks

The series is very entertaining. The actors are perfect for their roles and the scrip keeps it a both funny and entertaining. It has a lot of action and some info that does reflect reality - like the different treatment enjoyed by career diplomats vs politically appointed diplomats: the former category get less privileges and far more work; the letter are assumed to be rather incompetent, I guess, so they only get the privileges. In most other matters, the research for this series seems appalling: the ambassador is named without passing through Congress, the procedures and timing, even for an American Ambassador, are absurd. Not to mention that the job is not 80% speeches... But then, this is a tv show, not a chronicle of bureaucracy, and a very entertaining series for that. I loved seeing the characters interacting.

Civil War (2024)

Good idea, bad script

I have been feeling lately that Hollywood is currently populated by less and less inspired writers. This movie could be good. It's ok and I am being quite generous to say so and in my score. But it could have been great, and it's a shame that too much emphasis was put on action and little attention was given to the story itself. Yes, war is horrible, and the movie does reflect that well. O the other hand, the backdrop for the story makes little to no sense, and is hardly explained. Which is where the movie suffers most. Yes, I get it - people should be aware about the dangers the current divisions in the American society could lead to under the right (or, well, wrong) circumstances. The movie is a cautionary tale from this POV. Or it tries to be. That much is obvious. What is not obvious is the way things can degenerate to such a point as to cause anything like described in the movie and that is its major flaw. It just doesn't make much sense... Or, at least, not to me.

In short, it is the tale of several journalists who, in a civil-war torn US (because a president decided to get himself a third term and somehow that ended up in a very cruel civil war where everyone dressed as soldiers kill all those in sight) try to get to Washington to interview the tyrant who had taken over the power, before the rebel forces manage to kill him. On the way, they face (and, in part, succumb to) death, all for a final plea from the tyrant to be saved. Which is enough, as it turns out. Basically, 4 people die so that two can get to the man of the hour before he dies, to ask for a quote/take a foto. If it seems absurd to the rational mind, it's because it is.

The end...

The Fall Guy (2024)

Great premise but misses on delivery

I was so looking fwd to this movie. I love the actors and the premise seems extremely funny and actually fresh.

Watching it, though, the story seemed forced and I was even close to falling asleep a few times, because some of it is really boring. The actors are great, I will not say they don't do a great job. The focus, however, for a movie such as this, is what I find to be its main fault. The romance feels like a side story that, for some unknown reason, somehow became central to the plot. On the other hand the funny parts are not as funny as they could have been, had they truly focused on the crime mystery and the action bits. The movie had potential, for sure, and could have easily been far better than it is.

A true shame and waste of so much potential.

1670 (2023)

Brilliant!

OK, it may not be for everyone. It has a lot of references that are easy to understand for Europeans (and especially, for Eastern Europeans) but harder to understand for people outside Europe.

This being said, it had great humor, actual messages, and excels when it comes to irony. Cast and crew did an impeccable job as did the writer/writers.

The actin is set in 1670 and the tone is set by one of the first things the main character tells the viewer (yes, it's that kind of a show): that it is said that one should have one's portrait taken while wearing not the clothes for the job he has but for the one he desires - naturally, he is dressed as a king, though he is but a minor nobleman. His family is introduced next: the older son and heir who is only interested in baroque music and little else (we eventually discover he has also an interest in marriage); the second son who has joined a promising institution with a great presence on the market (his words, not mine): the church; and the only daughter in the family - a smart young woman far ahead of her times, yet plagued by the same addiction to comfort that prevents us all from sticking with our ideals when they require sacrifices.

The wife is initially left out, as if forgotten. She is, initially, the kind of religious woman who dresses in black and prays all day, only to later turn out she is a secret lesbian and can definitely change her way given the chance.

The rest of the characters are no less awesome in their own way.

Yet, if I were to chose, I would say the character I loved most in this series is that of the middle son. He embodies everything that is and ever was wrong with the Church, and the humor of the character's actions and words is absolutely delicious.

I loved this series more each time I watched it (3 times so far) and I truly hope there is more to come.

Very well done! I fully recommend it.

21 Rubies (2023)

Boring, unresearched, rather silly and not at all entertaining

I will start by mentioning that I never had high hopes for this movie, despite the actors in it, some of which are actually good. Still, I was disappointed.

The characters are so underdeveloped that it's impossible to empathize with any of them. The officials are badly-written, simple caricatures of the ones in real life. The choice of actors for some parts is rather uninspired. Official protocol was, apparently, not worth researching, for whatever reason. In fact, nothing seems researched at all. The scenario is superficial and unclear in its message, a mixture of ideas, scenes and stories that, taken individually, might have made some sense but, together, they have no reason to exist in the same film.

In conclusion, the movie itself is, unfortunately, nothing more than a waste of time and the talent in it. In the end it makes very little sense.

Zorro (2024)

Quite a nice reboot

I have watched the entire first season of the show and can only say it was unexpectedly good. It uses themes from previous Z movies, tv shows and even the telenovela; the general tone reminds one of Banderas' movies; it is well acted, and has a great cast. Besides that, they changed Zorro's historical context to the 1830s, and the Mexican rule instead of the Spanish California, which, given the need for some historical accuracy (do not expect too much of that) is a great idea. The show is in Spanish, the plot is quite well-written and entertainig.

A very enjoyable show for the new and old Zorro fans.

This being said, what I really loved about the show was that it's unpredictible. The main baddies from the first episode prove not to be all you had initially thought, and some of the good guys proove actually bad. Some of them completely unexpected and I loved the twists and turn. What I was not so thrilled with were the killing (many, many deaths in the show, some by Zorro's hand) and the exacessive number of female baddies. I love the idea of a show including some strong women, but at some point it almost seemed like too much. With little exception, women in the show are quite emancipated and most of them turn to the dark side for some reason... OK, the men in the show seem to deserve their wrath :) but it is strange that the women hardly encounter any ressistance in finding men willing to follow their lead and die in their battles. Not to mention the women are quite accomplish fighters, even better than our main in one or two cases.

A few things I have some issues with: 1. The De la Vega Hacienda is nicely situated and has a beautiful view but is too modest compared to other haciendas in the show, despite belonging to, allegedly, one of the richest Californians.

2. Zorro is not Diego's idea but the mask is transfered to him after the old one dies. I am having lots of issues with this idea, including: Why would the Indians call their hero by a Spanish name? Is Tornado immortal and also gets passed on like the mask? (if the writers read this, please do not kill him to reply, I love that horse). Why would one wait a year for a new Zorro to appear, then suddenly take on the mask out of dissapointment with the spirits' choice? When did the first Zorro put on the mask? How did Indians learn swordfight? And a few more.

3. While the show does include some smart traps, I really think it has a lot more to do to incorporate Zorro's legendary cleverness.

4. Why is the garrison not in Los Angeles and why is LA so close to the port? San Pedro is at quite a distance from the original settlement. But, then, this, together with the fact the the Governor resides in LA can be acceptable mistakes if they serve the plot...

Barry (2018)

There should be more shows this good

I fully believe that "Barry" is the product of Bill Hader being told one too many times that he has a resting murder face. It was only right for him to come up with the idea for this series. He is also perfect as the main character, as are all the actors perfect for their own roles.

In terms of action, it tells the story of a contracted killer who decides to become an actor after he follows his newest intended victim to an acting class and gets a taste of how it feels to be on a stage. Since it's not so easy to just abandon such a career as his, however, no matter how many times he tries to quit, something always happens to draw him back. In time, he finds himself forced to kill a cop (who inconveniently is also his acting teacher's girlfriend) when she discovers the truth about him, and the result of that action is his eventual imprisonment. Escaping prison thanks to a lot of chance and very incapable killers sent to take him out, he seeks out his one-and-off girlfriend in the hopes to convince her to escape with him. And she does. A few years later, when a movie based on his life is announced, he decided to return to LA and murder his former acting teacher and his crazy wife follows him with their kid, just in time to be abducted by his former associates. It all ends with many bangs and one movie so loosely based on his life that in it he turn out to be a true hero.

The show itself is extremely enjoyable to watch. The cast is incredibly talented, the writing is really good, and it combines comedy, tragedy, crime, drama, family, romance, and quite a few more genres. Most importantly, the characters are funny, infuriating, amazing, absurd, simple, logical, complex, generous, self-absorbed, imperfect, and totally human. Nothing is black-and-white with this show; nobody is just good; nobody is just evil. The title character himself only makes it to the end thanks to extremely good luck and that luck seems to last exactly for as long as he is mainly evil. As a bonus, it makes fun of Hollywood quite a lot.

The one thing that might put off some viewers is the number of violent scenes - without which the show would not be as good, though.

My one regret is that they ended it after just 5 seasons. On the other hand, at one point they were bound to run out of ideas, so maybe it's best that they did :)

This being said, I must confess that I rarely find a series with a perfect ending. This show has one.

Absolutely worth watching.

The Batman (2022)

Certainly my least favorite batman movie

It's not that bad a movie, to be fair. Overlong, yes. A bit silly, OK. The scenario is not the worse I've seen, at least not for a crime-mystery sort of movie, but it's not exactly Agatha Christie, either. No proper clues left here and there to get the audience interested, no real plot twist, well... not that interesting, to be fair. Good actors but no character is properly explored and developped. The main problem, though, is that it makes no sense for this to be a Batman story. Batman is supposedly a superhero, but he does nothing worthy of the title here. He's just a rich, gloomy boy wearing a cape and a funny mask for no apparent reason, since he could just as easily be replaced by Sherlock or Monk or any other detective-sort-of-character, and one wouldn't notice the difference. It's that sort of a screenplay.

The Dark Knight trilogy remains superior to this new version of the character in absolutely all aspects.

Nunta muta (2008)

Brilliant

Among the Romanian movies, this must be one of the best ever made. I remember first watching it at a festival in Brasilia and the people in the rather crowded, large sala applauded several times during the movie, then for minutes on end when it was finished.

At first if gives one the impression that it is a comedy, a feeling that only grows as the movie progresses, only to end abruptly as comedy and joy turn into tragedy. It is beautifully-written and acted, and can touch in simple ways very complicated and depressing matters, with no need for explanations and without leaving you in the grey.

Worth the watch, at least once.

Le Comte de Monte Cristo (1998)

A good adaptation

I have yet to see an adaptation of The Count of Monte Cristo that does justice to the book. This one comes closer than most, but fails on three main accounts:. For one, as good an actor as Depardieu is, he is not the best choice to play the main role as described by Dumas. Secondly, a new storyline include for no obvious reason affects the character development and diverges from the main plot. Lastly, several great storylines in the book are completely ignored while they could have vastly improved this series.

Malcolm in the Middle (2000)

One of the funniest, best acted and most original series of all times

The title basically says it all. I truly loved this show and still watch it at times. It is never boring and the characters are truly fantastic. Seven seasons were too few.

Dimineata care nu se va sfârsi (2016)

A sad excuse for a social critique

Warning: This review contains sarcasm.

The film's subject is one which was rather overused in Romanian recent filmography: the story of a prostitute. The main innovative factor is that, while most stories about Romanian prostitutes take place in Italy, Spain or in Romania, this one takes place in Cyprus. The other innovative factor is that, if one looks carefully enough, one realizes the movie is not even about the main character. (Mind blowing, right?)

But I'm getting ahead of myself.

In short, this is a Fantine (Les Miserables)-inspired redemption story that follows a young woman with a traumatic past, who now works as a prostitute in Cyprus to help support the child she had left back home with her mother. Among her clients, the most prominent one is her country's ambassador.

After finding out she is dying (of AIDS because there weren't enough clichés in this movie already), although a declared atheist, this modern-day Fantine starts visiting a priest to whom she tells her story and who helps her deal with her problems and change her life. Thanks to him, she refuses to sell her body anymore and focuses on a new romance with a young man she meets, not bothering to search for a decent job (probably because she is dying, after all), nor considering returning to Romania to spend what time she has left with her daughter (despite her dying). Eventually, she ends up alone in a Cypriot hospital, only the priest by her side.

But, as I was mentioning earlier, she is not even the true main character of the movie, nor is her story its true subject. The real main is the priest she's seeing and who is portrayed as a mistreated savior, the powers to be always against him, unwilling to see him for the morally superior being he truly is.

His nemesis, the ambassador - a middle-aged man who was never informed, apparently, that he can take his wife with him when he is sent abroad, and has, for that reason, basically abandoned his family and found consolation in the arms of prostitutes - only has one thorn in his side: the good priest who refuses to obey him (?), and whose main fault in his eyes is that he had built a church without asking for the Embassy's support. Of course, he also dislikes the fact that the priest calls him a Communist and that he reveals to the local Romanian community the "well-kept secret" of the existence of prostitution, a phenomenon the ambassador firmly and utterly publicly denies for some reason.

Sarcasm aside, in terms of acting, the movie is not bad. The cast, although very small, is rather convincing.

The true problem with this movie, though, is the scenario. The writing is superficial, un-researched, and fails short of being compelling. The characters are caricatures of real people, their motivations barely explored and impossible to truly understand.

While it's not the worst Romanian film I've ever seen, it is not one I either liked or would watch again.

Zorro (1990)

A great series for kids and adults alike

I first saw the series as a child but will watch it again anytime. The main characters are great and the performances given by the main cast are excellent. There is a life-lesson to learn from almost every episode and they are very entertaining, blending action and comedy. The writing is quite good although there are some repetitions or incoherences from time to time. The few things I don't like about the show are the repetitive use of the scenes filmed with the extras, the selection of some poor actors to play the episodic characters and the seemingly unability of the directors to decide what way the "door" to the Zorro cave opens. Also, the speedy way Zorro/ Diego changes clothes in some episodes might make one believe he has a Green Lantern ring. As others, I also feel it was a shame to end the series before either Victori or Don Alejandro found out Diego and Zorro are one and the same, although it was coherent with the series itself. And, while there are some inconsistencies in the last episodes, the ending is surprisingly good.