alfonso-desas

30 years ago we were shocked by the "not guilty" verdict of OJ Simpson after viciously killing his ex wife and an innocent man delivering some left behing goggles. Having read the detailed, informed and meticulous reports by Dominick Dunne in Vanity Fair, plus having seen American Crime Story and ESPN's 30 by 30 documentaries, revisiting that atrocious trial turns my guts inside out, but at the same time shows how rotten and fractured the country that once was the most powerful in the world has become. So rotten that it has just chosen a convicted felon, narcissistic buffoon to be their president. Twice. Watching the awfully distorted defense attorney Carl Douglas spitting out his resentment with his smallpox poked face pretending his client was innocent tells a lot about how hypocrisy permeates this once morally outstanding nation. The fact that Netflix is able to renew my indignation while I'm watching those crooks have the light of day, again, is proof that the series is really well made and to the point. I hope you don't rest in peace, OJ.

A Police officer and a genealogist solve a cold case in Sweden, using patience, perseverance and science. I love Scandinavian movies and series for a number of reasons. Maybe the most important is that they are modest, unpretentious and just do their best to tell a story in a straightforward manner. No flashy camerawork, no over-the-top characters, no inclusive agendas they need to impose, no flawed super heroes hell bent on saving the world from evil geniuses or shady conspiracies. Normal human beings doing their jobs as best they can, with their personal problems getting in the way of work just as we all know it happens to any of us. Their filmmaking is fresh, unassuming and straight to the point. It's calm but not boring, human but not preachy, efficient but not groundbreaking. I wish Hollywood might go back to the basics instead of pushing too hard on their present ways and means. I do recommend this mini series for a few hours of sound, well crafted entertainment.

It is impossible to reduce one of the greatest (in quality and scope) novels ever to a 3 hour movie. It can't be. Every attempt so far has fallen short. Only the Chateau d'If sub plot would fill a 2 hour script. So, for me, if the movie was based on an original screenplay it would deserve a 7. It is very difficult these days to make a bad movie when you emply good professionals in every aspect of filmmaking, but I find it lacking in true emotion. I would say it is a pretty entertaining movie for those who haven't read the book. Unless it is turned into an 8 hour series, the screen will never do justice to Alexandre Dumas.