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Reviews
The Comeback: 2004 Boston Red Sox (2024)
Amazing footage and testimonies !
I'm a Red Sox fan but I thought I had seen many times coverage of the incredible 2004 season.
I thought series would be a bit of a rehash.
Wow !
Series go to the 2002 season and has awesome behind the scenes footage !
Testimonies by players such as Pedro Martinez, David Ortiz and Kevin Millar, Tony Franconia are absolutely wonderful. Giving insights into what the players went through.
That's excellent the series shows the pain they went through especially in 2003, being humiliated by the Yankees.
It's definitely once in a lifetime scenario coming back from 0-3 and beat the Yankees in game 7 in New York.
Wow wow wow.
I Am Sam (2001)
Sean Penn brilliant performance
I had seen Sean Penn in other movies before and he was good but never outstanding.
However, in this movie, I am Sam, Sean Penn delivered probably the performance of his career.
Penn captured extremely well the character of the mentally disabled father who is a wonderful, loving father.
His acting is extremely touching at times in this movie.
Penn was so good that he made Michelle Pfeiffer looked like she was not believable as the busy lawyer. It's not Pfeiffer best performance, unfortunately.
It seemed to me that Penn was so good that the rest of the cast looked not very good in comparison.
That's a shame because I would have then rated a "9" .
So it's still "8".
Mind you, "8" still means it's a very, very good movie !
Saving Silverman (2001)
Unexpectedly very funny !
I was in the mood for a light comedy.
Saving Silverman is exactly that but I must say the Neil diamond touch made it very special !
Boys looking for sex and,
yes, they are also looking for love along the way.
Girls looking for love and also, yes, a little sex to crown their love.
But it's not a movie focussing on sex.... It's too hilarious to take anything seriously.
However, all these beautiful characters have a few personal problems to sort out before finding their type of love, though.
Casting is great !
Actors and actresses really looked they were enjoying their character !
The Neil diamond touch and music made this movie unexpectedly enjoyable !
The Lincoln Lawyer (2022)
Season 3 : Disappointing.
The Lincoln Lawyer season 1 and 2 are very good. Excellent casting and screen play.
However, as often the case with successful series, Netflix stretched it too much by bringing in season 3.
The characters looked too much the same, no evolution.
The screenplay is not very good.
Basically, the lawyer wins every case, which makes it boring because no suspense whether the accused would be guilty or not.
It's as if the writers didn't know what to talk about.
Of course, the hype was high for season 3 and Netflix entertained high expectations about season 3.
It's definitely a series that should have ended with season 2.
Chantal (2022)
Gem Flemish police drama/comedy !
It's my first time watching an entire Flemish language Belgian series .
This is a light comedy police series: very refreshing !
Storyline is excellent.
Casting is really wonderful. The actors playing the various characters are simply brilliant and funny ! Great variety of characters.
This small, local police station, headed by the first woman ever in charge, investigate a range of murders and other very unusual occurrences.
I particularly enjoyed how good the screenplay is !
The humour is dark yet very funny at times.
Actress playing the chief is so funny.... the way she looks at people after they say something is so funny.
The Long Game (2023)
Surprisingly quite a gem !
I'm not a golfer and it's not a sport I would watch. Find golf boring.
So, when I first saw the ad for this movie, I simply ignored it and watched other movies instead.
Then last night, I thought I'd give it a go because I like Dennis Quaid. I was expecting to watch only the beginning.
However, the storyline got me !
Excellent casting.
Their journey as young adults into becoming golfers wasn't really about golf, it was about how to become respected by the establishment.
That's how the movie got me ! It's a gem that I never expected it would touch me like this.
Also loved the 50s music, the beautiful, beautiful cars !
Eagle vs Shark (2007)
Lovely, cute kiwi movie !
Eagle vs shark is a low budget, low key, simple yet quite lovely to watch.
It's a light comedy, very easy to watch.
Casting is excellent.
Love the filming locations especially near Kapiti.
Girl who goes through life without purpose can't even manage keeping a job in a fast food place. But she's well supported by her live in kind brother with whom she has a very good relationship.
Can't help but like the character of the girl.
Then she meets this loser guy who is quite eccentric but lovable in her eyes. She sticks by him despite his demons.
Can she finds her soulmate in him?
Love how this movie is simple and yet relaxing to watch.
The Craigslist Killer (2011)
Very powerful movie
I never expected this movie would get me so interested.
Movies about serial killers , I have seen too many so not very interested.
For some reason, I started to watch and it kept me interested from the beginning to the end.
Perhaps it's casting especially the actor playing the role of Markoff and perhaps it's the actress playing the role of the fiancee who never, ever saw that coming.
Their performance was impressive in my view.
How can someone deceived so many people, it's quite intriguing.
Brilliant student, loved by everyone around him.
The only very small hint is his mother, however the movie doesn't go deep into that.
¡A todo tren! Destino Asturias (2021)
Funny and endearing family comedy!
I didn't expect much from this movie. For Father's Day, I wanted to watch a comedy involving dads.
This movie succeeded in entertaining me !
A helpless dad and a granddad that their respective mother and daughter don't trust are given an opportunity to show their parenting skills.
It should be easy however things comically start going against their plans !
But kids find a way to have a lot of fun and the dad and grand dad slowly begin to learn , bit by bit, through lots and lots of hilarious trials and errors to become a good dad and a good CV granddad.
Filming locations are lovely villages and countryside .
Quite an adventure enjoyable movie.
Poppy (2021)
Nice hidden gem !
Poppy is a simple movie set in great locations.
Storyline is a very endearing 19 yo girl with down syndrome who is ambitious:
She wants to become a mechanic.
Poppy is passionate about cars and she knows a lot about them.
With her natural charm she manages to learn the skills to become a mechanic.
She lives with her brother who has issues following the tragic loss of their parents.
Brother is lost and can only find some solace in alcohol.
Poppy is highly supportive of her brother.
It's inspiring to watch how someone with a condition like down syndrome can find ways to connect with others.
Casting was very good.
A nice little gem.
Dead Lucky (2018)
A great Aussie police story
I thoroughly enjoyed Dead Lucky !
It's one of the best Aussie series about a police investigation I've seen for a while.
Storyline is excellent.
Sydney backdrop shots are impressive!
Casting is very good.
Story about a female senior detective who has personal demons and issues.
Matched with a rookie detective in an unlikely good partnership to chase a very bad killer.
As the series evolve, other characters come in to add to the drama.
Interesting how the series shows how migrants and overseas students have to deal with tragedy which they have problems coping with.
Series is just the perfect length long enough to develop the story but not too long to stretch it .
Le discours (2020)
Delightful, refreshing comedy
It's a comedy that brings not outloud laughter but rather smiles as feeling the main character is confiding in you !
The main character lets you in his thoughts and suggests a number of ways the storyline could develop . Quite refreshing.
Man whose girlfriend wants a "pause" in their relationship is then asked to do something he is pretified at the prospect of doing: giving a speech at his sister wedding.
Poor man already has enough in his plate trying to sort out his relationship in "pause" !
So he confides in the viewer what he might or might not do and shows the various scenarios.
Quite an enjoyable movie.
Les parfums (2019)
Endearing comedy !
Perfumes is a delightful touching comedy.
I didn't realise that some people work is all about knowing all the smells, all the aromas so they can create perfumes and scents.
Now I know why when opening a bottle of shampoo for example , the smell alone can make you buy it, just like that, regardless whether the shampoo cleans well or not !
Haha 😂
What makes this comedy charming is the man who is a loser but tries to be a good dad despite being down in his luck.
This is until he meets the woman who is the expert in smell.
An unlikely friendship develops between them and from that they both grow to become better persons.
Very enjoyable movie, inded !
Maharaja (2024)
Complicated storyline yet brilliant movie !
I only watch a few Indian or Tamil movies. Usually not my cup of tea.
However, this movie is definitely a very good one !
This movie requires the viewers to really follow the storyline as it's complicated and has many twists.
However, I felt very much rewarded as the storyline and the casting are brilliant !
It's about the absolute devotion of love for 2 fathers for their daughters.
One is a honest man, highly ethical and integrity.
The other is a very violent and nasty criminal who robs, rapes and kills women to get lots of money to spoil his toddler daughter. His wife is unaware of his terrible criminal activities.
These two men fate have them pitted against each other.
Many twists make it an excellent movie !
Baisers volés (1968)
Unpretentious but irresistible gem
François Truffaut's arguably best movie is "400 blows".
It's a very good movie however I found myself really engaging in the stolen kisses.
Is it its simplicity or just wonderful acting by virtually everyone ?
Regardless, I found myself by smiling and even laughing at some delightful scenes !
Also great to see Paris 1968, the clothes fashion, the cars, the bistrots, etc ..
The movie captures well this young man trying his luck at different jobs, all interesting ones.
Also trying to navigate through love relationship.. character has a likeable personality and is honest in trying his best to move forward in life.
Svaniti nella notte (2024)
Surprisingly good movie !
I didn't look at reviews before watching this movie.
After watching it, I'm surprised ratings are 5.3/10.
I give 7/10.
Good storyline and twists.
Man and wife are in the middle of a bitter divorce and that includes children custody.
Plus the man has someone chasing him for collecting a lot of money from the man. Ultimatum given.
Threats
Then one night, his children disappear and man has to go to extraordinary lengths to find them. He is prepared to do everything possible to find them.
However man has to face a lot of dangers and dangerous people.
I like how the storyline developed.
The actor playing the role of the man desperately looking for his children is excellent !
The Confirmation (2016)
Unpretentious hidden gem !
Well, this movie is definitely low profile yet somehow Clive Owen and the child actor make it a hidden gem.
Storyline of a father with little connection with his young son is offering an opportunity to bond with his son.
But first he has a few demons to fight against and a run of bad lucks.
At some point, father and son find a way to bond but through totally unexpected ways.
The father- son characters become endearing and that's where this movie becomes enjoyable to watch.
Watching how the son starts appreciating his father and the father developing an unexpected role model for his son.
A low budget movie that surprisingly delivers !
Passion simple (2020)
Unexpectedly interesting movie.
I must say that I didn't expect that I would watch more than 15 minutes of this movie.
Hence, I was pleasantly surprised that somehow the movie got me interested.
I'm a man.
This movie is essentially from a woman viewpoint. Perhaps it would therefore appeal to many women rather than men ?
Regardless, the central character actress got my attention into her spiralling descent into a highly addictive, highly dependent physical relationship.
It contrasts with her life which is being an intellectual , a lecturer at the University.
It also doesn't agree with her role as a single mother.
Good movie that shows how "love", or at least the perception of being in love, can lead to disaster.
Ladies in Black (2018)
More gems like this, please !
What a wonderful movie.
Set in the early 60s Sydney.
Absolutely beautiful era background !
It's a movie that once you realised it's almost the end, you want it to keep going !
Casting is great.
This movie brings the best of nostalgic feelings.
Young, naive, brilliant girl from modest but very happy upbringing is given an opportunity to work in a prestigious clothing retail store in Sydney.
While seeing her winning the heart of the sales ladies and fashion .
Wonderful to see.
Also lovely to see how people dressed, the cars they drove, the houses, etc...
So well put together !
Congratulations to all involved in making this gem !
Downsizing (2017)
Unexpected enjoyable movie
Reading the reviews here and also that it was a flop at the box office, I guess my expectations were low. I thought maybe I'll watch the first 15 minutes and see what happens.
Well, to my surprise, I found the storyline different and curious to see more.
I ended up watching the whole movie.
Matt Damon is very good as the naive guy who is not confident in life and going nowhere. So when an opportunity comes to better his life and he's willing to "downsize".
In his new life, he meets very different people, including a Vietnamese activist, very assertive lady. These people completely open his life to a different level.
Movie is not too heavy on science fiction which, I guess , is one of the things that kept me interested.
Unfrosted (2024)
Good actors, but awful, poor script.
Not sure why this movie with good actors such as Hugh Grant and jerry Seinfeld can be so bad !
The storyline is just ok, but the worst part is the script.
Just terrible.
I started to watch it and the first 10 minutes is not too bad.... however after that, it gets weaker and weaker.
I couldn't watch further after 20 minutes.
The story of the pop tarts could, perhaps, have been a funny one. Perhaps.
However with a poor script like this, the humour is very predictable and falls flat.
I gave 3 stars because the first 10 minutes is somewhat watchable. Otherwise I would have given a one star.
I've never given a 3 stars before.
Ashley Madison: Sex, Lies & Scandal (2024)
Cheating website: 37M subscribers !
This series show how a website exploited married people who wanted to cheat on their spouses without getting caught.
What is truly amazing is the sheer number: at one point, 37 millions subscribers !
Also some of the characters are presented as actually very good people. One is a Christian who really loved his wife and kids. Another one is a respected minister in a church.
However, what is unbelievable is that these millions of people gladly gave all their most private information and trusted the website to protect their privacy.
I watched the whole 3 episodes in one sitting.
I thought it was well put together by Netflix.
Raël: The Last Prophet (2024)
Ultimate delusional guru !
Raël is definitely the ultimate for delusional and for gullible, naive followers.
It's not the usual guru sect.
This sect goes way over the top and is still going after nearly 50 years.
What's different about Raël?
Well, this Frenchman claimed that he was taken to another planet to meet the creators of humans.
Not enough you say?
When on the other planet, he met all the main prophets, including Jesus, Mohammed, Buddha, etc...
Still not enough for you?
Raël claimed they cloned a human being !
That was so controversial the US passed a law to ban any human cloning.
Raël even had a senate hearing where he testified.
This Netflix documentary series is a rare one where it's just the right length.
I enjoyed this documentary because .... honestly , I have never seen such a high level of gullibility, even for sects !
Maestro (2023)
Great acting but way, way too long.
There's absolutely no question that Bradley Cooper gave everything, as an actor,
in this movie.
The make up is particularly very impressive. Bradley Cooper is almost unrecognisable ! The make up is that good.
However, unfortunately, the movie is far too long and becomes tedious.
I would have liked to see this movie say 85- 90 minutes long. Not any longer.
This is one of the main weaknesses of the movie.
Another one is way too much focus on his relationships.
I would have liked to see other aspects of the character.
At some point, I wasn't sure if it was a docudrama or documentary.
Overall, was left underwhelmed.
Dom Hemingway (2013)
Surprisingly good !
Admittedly, I'm not a fan of British movies. However, there's one here and there that I enjoy watching ... especially if it offers something different.
I didn't know much about Jude Law before, in fact I thought because of the first name it was a woman !
However, in this movie, Jude Law is doing a very impressive job playing this character.
The character is one of a very brutally violent man who can show at times that he has a heart... especially in relation to his estranged daughter and a woman whom he saved her life.
Storyline is pretty good as it evolves in a different way the viewer would have expected.
Screenplay is very, very impressive... particularly about Dom's almost poetic soliloquies on how he will kill someone and of course in the opening scene description of his penis !