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Reviews
Will & Harper (2024)
Sigh
Nope.
Some statements that gave me pause:
Harper: "Going out into the world as just me"
Harper: "...My dead name..."
Harper: "I'm not Andrew Steele anymore"
Harper: "I have to change my name...Harper...I have a visceral reaction"
Harper's kids: "She's still Pop...she told us she's our dad"
Harper: "At one point she (the therapist) said I was living in fantasy. She's not buying it"
Harper: "Were you a little afraid of how you were going to talk to me when I came out to you as trans?"
Will who did not seem the least bit concerned replies: "A little"
Harper: "I don't like being misgendered that much but what can I do, pal?" said to Will when the poor waitress refers to him as sir -- because she looks like a man
Harper: "I used sports all the time to let people know I was not a woman. I mean, not that women can't like sports, but I was trying to...you know...I was trying to be that guy"
Harper: "I'm afraid of hating myself. You are a freak (said to herself), what are you doing here?"
Harper speaking about herself: "The better my makeup looks the worse I feel about my face," and she looks terrible!!! And, "Wow, I've got a lot more to do..."
I think that sums it up.
Sigh.
The Greatest Night in Pop (2024)
Just Okay
I remember the global pop artist movement for Ethiopia back in 1984-85, beginning with Bob Geldof and BandAid and "Feed the World", to USA response, "We Are the World", to Canada's "Tears Are Not Enough". As an unenlightened teenager, I was struck by the title of the US song: "We Are the World". It triggered me: is USA intimating that "they" are the world? Now, many years later, I realize that the theme of the song is that when part of humanity suffers, we all suffer. I think that my original perception about the US effort being self-serving and indulgent was somewhat accurate; given the idolatry bestowed to the American pop star, it could not help but be so.
For the most part, the documentary doesn't paint the participants in the most positive, altruistic light. "Check your ego at the door" needs to be written as a reminder to them...I would submit that no such sign was displayed in Britain or in Canada. "Is Prince coming?", "There is a rivalry between he and Michael". An upset Sheila E. Tells viewers she was "used" to get Prince to participate. She's not getting a coveted solo, and she leaves.
Stevie Wonder asks that Swahili be inserted in the song, only for the group to have a revelation that Swahili is not spoken in Ethiopia? Oh dear, perhaps learn a little something beyond your front yard.
I watched the whole thing. The artists are truly talented, and the song was very good. I always preferred the UK and Canadian songs, but that's just me. I found it interesting that they didn't show us the finished music video. I had to go to YouTube to find that. Actually this doc was very boring, and I'm not sure what the hype is about it.
I don't recommend.
Jailbreak: Love on the Run (2024)
Life Imitating Art
I would not believe that this could actually happen in the prison system but here you have it. Vicky White, who has a senior position at the jail, falls in love with Casey White, a dangerous offender who is looking at 75 years imprisonment and has now confessed to another murder.
This woman is obviously lonely and vulnerable as she gets taken in by her prisoner because he tells her that she has a nice butt. From there, they begin an intimate relationship in the prison; it's astounding to me that they are never caught. It seems like the other prisoners in this overcrowded cell are aware of what's going on, but the staff are completely ignorant to it.
This love she has for her Casey will cost her dearly.
I'm perplexed as to why women guards are even in the male prison system. It does seem dangerous, especially if some of the prisoners are violent and require maximum security.
Interesting story that almost seems to outrageous to be true and I'm sorry that the ending turned out the way it did. Glad that Netflix didn't drag this out and make it into a limited series.
I recommend.
Monsters (2022)
Gratuitous sex and violence
I don't know how far I got into the series and the only part I watched was the Menendez brothers' story. I found that there was a lot of unnecessary nudity and sexual scenes that really didn't add anything to the program. If anything, it made me question whether I cared enough to see the show to the end. The murder scene was extremely violent, and again, who was indulging some twisted fantasy by showing the parents getting body parts blown off?
I heard that the real Erik Menendez issued a statement regarding the show. He and his brother are not happy with how they were portrayed. To me, there was a large emphasis placed on their sexuality and their orientation. Although their story is one of alleged sexual abuse, buy their own father, it didn't have to be filmed like a blue movie.
I don't recommend.
Nobody Wants This (2024)
I Really Enjoyed
I really enjoyed this mini series. Adam Brody is as cute as ever. Move over, Dave Rigalski and Seth Cohen, there's an older, and more serious leading man for the ladies! Very well cast opposite Kristen Bell. The chemistry was definitely there.
The premise of the story is simple: can there be a long term relationship between a committed Jewish man who happens to be a rabbi looking to be the lead rabbi at his temple, and an agnostic Gentile woman who has a podcast about sex and relationships in today's modern world? I thought it was believable. At times the story moved a little slow. Loved the supporting cast, especially Noah's older brother Sacha.
Noah's mom's accent stunk. Just don't have an accent if it's that bad.
I recommend!!! Hope there is a second season!!!
Daughters (2024)
The Reality of Incarceration on a Family
I'm sitting here so sad. America's prison system is wrong. Why no touch visits? This is punishing more than just the prisoner. These girls need to know their father. There needs to be a relationship, something for the dads to work towards. When I watched the Netflix series about the world's toughest prisons, there were some countries that spent a lot of money on a system of imprisonment but combined with rehabilitation with the goal of the prisoner being released with actual skills and a chance to truly have a real chance as a free man.
How tragic was the update on Aubrey. So much joy, so much hope, when she spent the evening with her father Kevin at the dance. Fast forward three years, and eight year old Aubrey no longer recognizes her dad, and the visit is no touch, plexiglass separating the pair. She asks if she can leave. In the car, on the way back home, the joy has left this little girl. She's speaking to her dad on the phone, but it seems like a tedious exercise. My heart breaks. So incredibly sad for a child to look that weary.
Hit Man (2023)
Enjoyable
I don't remember ever seeing Glenn Powell in any film before. I really enjoyed this film. As others have said, it's not to be overthought or dissected. The main character Gary, is a college psychology professor who does some part-time work for the police but then gets thrown into the job of being a fake hit man in order to entrap prospective clients. He meets a beautiful woman who wants to hire Ron to kill her husband. As the viewer can clearly see, Ron doesn't want to entrap her, so he gives her an out. The rest of the film is about the messiness of Ron dating this woman, and her believing that he truly is a hit man.
I liked the acting, the chemistry between the main characters. I'm trying to place Claudette - I have seen her in something else recently and it's not Parks and Rec.
Anyway, this is not going to win an Oscar, but it did keep my interest and I thought the ending was cute.
Loosely, loosely based on a true story about a fake hit man named Gary Johnson.
Being There (1979)
Classic
Great movie with a wonderful cast. Melvyn Douglas won best supporting actor Oscar. I feel like Peter Sellers got robbed; he should have won best actor Oscar for his portrayal of Chauncey Gardiner. Shirley MacLaine is awesome as Eve.
Perception is reality. Eve and Ben perceive Chauncey as a refined and wise businessman, so that's what he is. Ben asks that Chauncey be there when he expects the US president to come to his home. The president doesn't share the same affinity for Chauncey that Ben has, and asks his men to dig up all they can find on him, which is nothing. Ben's doctor also tries to find info on him, and he discovers late in the film that "he really is just a gardener". :)
I recommend this film.
American Murder: Laci Peterson (2024)
Too Bad Death Penalty Overturned
I am old enough to remember the media attention during the disappearance of very pregnant Laci Peterson, then the media shift coverage of her husband, a very suspicious Scott Peterson, who swore up and down that he had nothing to do with the disappearance of his wife and unborn son, but all the while his demeanour and detachment told another story. Yes, the evidence was circumstantial, but there was a lot of it. He buys a boat but tells no one. He looks at tidal patterns prior to going for his impromptu boat ride. He tells detectives he only took the boat out "to take it out", yet rides 91 miles one way. They find Laci's torso and a fetus a few miles from the location THAT HE ADMITS TO TAKING THE BOAT!!! He is involved with another woman, Amber Frey, who has no idea that he is married and expecting a baby. Matter of fact, he tells her his wife "died". He shows no emotion with regard to his wife's disappearance. He does not cooperate with police. He continues to call Amber Frey, even after she releases her statement to police. He has $15,000 cash, several knives, some Viagra, a different hair and beard colour that makes him look more like he is disguising as his brother (he also has his brother's ID in the vehicle) just prior to the police finding the bodies of Laci and Conner, and he is about an hour from the Mexican border. Thank goodness he doesn't get as far as Mexico before police arrest him. He is driven back to Modesto as a suspect, hears that the DNA evidence shows that the fetus is that of his son, and asks for a cheeseburger and fries at the In and Out restaurant.
Obviously Scott's family is in denial and are still working on finding the real killer which happens to be their son/brother, who thankfully is already in jail and hopefully will never get out.
What truly struck me about this very well done 3 part Netflix doc was the interview provided by Laci's mother , Sharon Rocha. She spoke with such a quiet strength, with so much grace. At one point she said Laci's murder changed her life forever, an obvious fact. What I truly loved was when she said that she would not say that her murder caused the devastation of her own life or that of her family, because that would give Scott way too much power. In the end, it seems that Laci's family found a way to move on as best as they could from this terrible tragedy, but they deliberately made the choice to live their lives to the fullest in order to honour their daughter/sister Laci, and move beyond being seen as victims. I pray they have many many more years of life and love, while Scott remains in jail, where he belongs.
The Man with 1000 Kids (2024)
Sorry I don't have sympathy for some of these moms
I do feel for the couples who went to the legitimate donor clinics and ended up with this psycho who obviously wants to leave his genetic legacy to the world. I also feel sorry for the thousand children who are his progeny, particularly the ones whose mothers just randomly decided that it would be a good idea to go and procreate with a total stranger, because he had nice blond curls. The IQs of these poor kids will probably prove to be quite the number...And maybe they did it because it was free?
I have absolutely no sympathy for the people who reached out to this random stranger and accepted his word that he had only fathered three or four children, oh no, maybe 25 children because now he was helping with second and third offspring for the couples that were already successful and had one child, so the lies just changed. No vetting on their part of his medical history (only what he told them), actually agreeing to having sex with him, so it would "work better" (I think one woman agreed to that I'm just so disgusted I have no words), waiting at the mall for the "sample"; commenting on how gross that is, because he is obtaining the sample in a public bathroom at the mall, but taking the sample home anyway...I'm sorry, you are trying to conceive with a complete stranger, and you want a child so badly that you don't care to look into his background.
Now your child has 50% of this narcissist's DNA. Good luck to you and to your poor children.
The Grand Seduction (2013)
Not Bad
Nice story about a dying fishing harbour and the plans of the townspeople to bring in a doctor so that they can secure a factory to come in.
Taylor Kitsch is decently cast as the lead actor. I didn't know he was the main character in Waco. That's the sign of a good actor: he doesn't play himself and you don't recognize him as another role from another film/series.
Very nice, feel good story. There are some issues: 1. It really dragged at the beginning and I think that part could have been shortened. I was losing interest before the good doctor came to town.
2. There was a female who worked in the post office, who could have been a potential leading lady and would have made for a great sub story about the doctor falling for her. That didn't happen. I think that was a mistake on the writer's part. It would have made the movie much better. Matter of fact, you never know what happens between these two at the end.
In spite of the two negatives, I still recommend!
The Accidental Twins (2024)
Accidental Error
This documentary chronicles the mistake that happened in a hospital in Bogotá, Colombia. One set of twins, Jorge and William, were born there. The other set, Carlos and Wilber, were born the next day in Santander. Carlos was ill, and had to go to NICU in Bogita. While there, he was accidentally mixed up with William, who needed up going home to Santander instead of Carlos. So two sets of identical twins were accidentally switched. A friend of Jorge realized that someone that was his doppelgänger was working at a butcher shop. That turned out to be his twin, William. They discovered that they each had a brother who looked identical to their twin brothers. Was it possible that a grave error was made back in the hospital in Colombia 25 years before?
A story of hope, compassion and love. These two sets of twins now each have three brothers, not just one.
I recommend this doc.
Marriage Story (2019)
I liked it
I didn't think I would like this film because it's about divorce. Having said that, it's about a lot more than just divorce.
Adam Driver is cast as the male lead, a self-absorbed director who casts his wife, played by Scarlet Johanssen, in his shows. She has given up a lot for their relationship, and she feels like she has no voice. They end up having a child, then it come out that the husband has cheated on her, and because she feels very unseen, she wants a divorce.
The movie paints an accurate picture of the ugliness of divorce and the pariahs that are lawyers. Watching any parts that had Laura Dern, Ray Liotta or Alan Alda (the lawyers) made me want to turn off the television. The lawyers want to run the clock, so they make more money.
I liked th story, the acting I recommend this film.
Past Lives (2023)
Conflicted
"I didn't know that liking your husband would hurt this much" Han Seung
I am conflicted. I enjoyed this movie, and yet, I was disappointed and confused by the plot. At the beginning, when Nora is still living in Korea, and the family is planning their emigration to Canada, Nora's mom says something about losing the things you leave behind in order to gain new things. I suppose that is the theme of the film. Nora leaves behind the boy she loves in order to gain a new life.
I guess she had to break off her online relationship with Han Seung (when he found her in New York) because she thought that was part of her "past life". She stopped herself from going backwards, spending every moment "searching for flights to Korea". She tells Han Seung they will take a break. But she ends up getting married to someone else.
When he comes to visit her in New York, it is pretty clear that he still loves her. She loves him too, and it should be obvious to everyone. Her husband is right where when they are dissecting the last 36 years and what "could have been", and the "past lives". Prior to that, when she is in bed with her husband Arthur, he asks her about their chance meeting, and how she ended up marrying him earlier than planned "for the Green card", and would anyone else have been sufficient if she had met someone else instead? He is clearly looking to Nora for validation that she loves him. She says she does, but her dialogue was also mixed with statements like, "this is where I ended up, this is my life", like she couldn't care less about who lay next to her, it is what it is.
Perhaps this is why she ended communication with Han Seung? He would not have helped her with her big plans to win the Pulitzer, the Nobel Prize, the Tony. Loving him was not enough. She wanted "big" things. That's why Han Seung said Korea was "too small" for her.
Love is a "small" detail for an ambitious "big" life, I guess.
My perfect movie would have been for Nora and Han Seung to end up together in the end. Nora was a little cold for my liking.
As I said, I'm conflicted. I enjoyed the movie, the acting, the cinematography, and especially the actor who played Han Seung. So much emotion in his character even when he said little or nothing. I just didn't like the character of Nora that much, and I was disappointed at the ending.
I still recommend this film.
Tell Them You Love Me (2023)
Could have taken an hour
Anna Stubblefield is delusional and it's a shame that she was let out of jail after serving only two years for sexually assaulting a man with the intelligence of an infant/toddler. If I were his mother and brother, the early release would infuriate me.
Derrick Johnson had a voice only when Anna Stubblefield found it for him. The breakdown of society is when we see women behaving wickedly in the exact manner that Anna Stubblefield did. She will reap what she sows.
The documentary was way too lengthy and it probably could have been whittled down by 30 or 40 minutes. I believe that Anna Stubblefield is still delusional. Her mother too.
I recommend this documentary, but be prepared to be annoyed at its length.
The Squid and the Whale (2005)
Noah Baumbach and Divorce
I really enjoyed this movie about a family that gets divorced. The cast was superb; Jeff Daniels' character is so hate-able, proof of what a superb actor he is. Laura Linney is cast well as the mom who overtakes her husband with regard to their careers. She becomes published, he only gets rejections. Their children are well portrayed, the oldest played by a young Jesse Eisenberg, who tends to side with his father, and starts to take on his self-absorbed and unlikeable persona. I loved the youngest son, although the behaviours that he displayed due to the trauma of his family unit being torn apart I would have preferred not to see. Also great casting of the tennis coach, played by a cool Billy Baldwin.
Watch this film. It's a great character study and very true to life. I really enjoyed the ending.
Je me suis fait tout petit (2012)
Nice story
There should be more stories like this made by Canadian/American producers. Simple story about the complexity of life. Yvan is a single dad whose wife left him for another man and moved to Thailand. Somehow, she has abandoned her own son (who is not Yvan's child) and he ends up being responsible for him. He has two daughters from his marriage, the girls blame him for being abandoned. His sister Ariane is a gem. She has OCD. She looks after his daughters. Also a love interest in the movie, played by the beautiful Vanessa Paradis.
All in all a simple story about life, love, and things not always working how you planned, but they work out none the less.
I recommend this film.
Dan in Real Life (2007)
Liked it
My daughter wanted me to watch this movie with her as she really likes it. I didn't know what to expect and I really enjoyed it. Steve Carrell was amazing as Dan, a widower with three daughters and who is a relationship newspaper writer. She meets a woman that he instantly falls for in a book store, and then discovers she is his brother's girlfriend who has come to town for the weekend for their family gathering. The supporting cast is great, the story doesn't get dull, you can see that Marie is conflicted in her feelings for the brothers. Really funny part where Dan gets set up with someone who the family says is unattractive: turns out the woman is played by Emily Blunt so Marie inadvertently shows her feelings for Dan by displaying some jealousy.
I won't spoil this movie - I recommend it for some light viewing!
One Day (2024)
So Good
I watched this limited series in 2 days. At first, I didn't really understand the connection between Emma and Dexter, but as the relationship continued through the years, you could see that there was something between them that stuck. It also appeared that Emma understood Dex, and was clearly in love with him, but tried to make it not so.
I haven't read the book or seen the movie so I can't provide a comparison. What I can say is that this series captured my attention from the first episode, and I wanted to see what would happen next. I think the casting was perfect.
I laughed, I cried. I wanted it not to end. I highly recommend. Well done, Netflix.
Alone Together (2022)
Not Good
I didn't realize that Katie Holmes cannot act. She has now gone on and written a script, and inserted herself in it as the lead. Her bad acting is highlighted here, possibly because of the bad writing. I thought the male lead was interesting, but as the movie went on I found the dialogue extremely forced and cringey. I was doing my cross-stitching project while watching, so for a lot of the film I didn't have my glasses on, so I was listening more than watching. My daughter came in during the middle of the movie and chuckled, asking what I was watching because she couldn't believe how bad it was. She said, "This is so predictable". It really was.
If you are really stuck in finding something to watch, and don't care that the dialogue is terrible, you may find this viewable. It does capture the terrible time during pandemic when people, specifically New Yorkers, were facing threat of death due to Covid.
The Idea of You (2024)
Pleasantly Surprised
I was pleasantly surprised by this movie. The acting was pretty good, definite chemistry between the two main characters. In spite of the male character being a star in a "has-been" boy band, there was an air of believability to the two main characters developing feelings for each other and trying to make it work in spite of the age difference, then coming to the realization that the relationship may have a negative impact on Solene's daughter Izzy.
I don't want to give any more of the plot away. Loved the acting, the chemistry between the main characters, the plot, and I enjoyed the ending. This is a comfort movie, something to watch when you want confirmation that love can conquer all.
I recommend this film.
The Cider House Rules (1999)
Never Watched Before Due to Title
I remember this film came out in 1999 and I had absolutely no interest in it because of the title. I didn't realize that the film was about a boy who grows up in an orphanage, and one day leaves to find his own way. So many great actors in it: Michael Caine, Tobey Maguire, Charlize Theron, Paul Rudd, Kieran Cullen, Kate Nelligan, Jane Alexander to name just a few.
It was nominated for best film but did not win. I think 1999 was a great year for movies.
I'm sorry I didn't see this film sooner and I'm glad I finally watched it. It reminded me of The Green Mile in its filming style and the time period.
Do watch it. Thank you to Netflix for airing it.
The Holdovers (2023)
Need More Films Like This
As soon as I saw the trailer I had to see this movie. I loved the storyline and I never felt bored watching this, although nothing much happened throughout the movie. The story is about a boys' private school and how one teacher is assigned to stay and watch them, the holdovers, during the Christmas break. These boys don't have any plans with their families over Christmas, so they have to stay at boarding school.
Mr. Hunham is the not-so-well-liked teacher that gets to stay at Barton over the Christmas break. His life seems lacking something. He is lonely. Mary, the head cook, stays to make the meals. She is also sad because her only son was killed in Vietnam. And the only holdover left for Christmas, Angus Tully, also shares in the sadness as we discover that his stepfather and mother actually would like to spend Christmas without him at St Kitts.
As much as I enjoyed the acting from all the main characters, particularly Paul Giamatti, I don't believe that the character of Mary deserves an Oscar for her role. Her role, that of a grieving mom, was not stand out, albeit good. But just good.
What Jennifer Did (2024)
Pressure from Parents
The pressure from Jennifer Pan's parents for Jennifer to succeed and to choose a man for herself that did not have a criminal record ultimately resulted in Jennifer Pan doing the unthinkable: to put a hit out on her own parents. I understand that the pressure must have been difficult. According to her friend, she was not a straight A student. The Pans expected her to be a pharmacist, but it seems like she did not get accepted into pharmacy, and then her conditional offer from Ryerson was rescinded when she failed Grade 13 calculus. I absolutely feel sorry that the pressure was obviously too much for this girl, but her actions are still pure evil. She wanted what she wanted: the loser drug dealer boyfriend, her parents' cash. Only a wicked, wicked person could stand in the same room with her parents' murderers and chat with them as if nothing untoward or evil was going on. It makes me wonder what came first, her wickedness, or her being influenced by Daniel Wong into a criminal life for from which she could never turn back?
The end of the film says that she and her co-accused have been allowed a retrial. None of these reprobates she ever see the light of day. Ever again.
May December (2023)
Art vs Life
They took an interview from Mary Kay Latourneau and Vili Fualaau where she kept asking him, telling him, rather, "Who was the boss", when at that time the "boss" was 12 years old and she was a married teacher with children.
I liked how Natalie Portman's character Elizabeth wanted to know everything about Gracie, but I thought it was disgusting when she decided to sleep with Joe. I guess she really was trying to be Gracie. She exploited him.
When Gracie and Elizabeth were applying makeup and Gracie started using that ridiculous childish lisp, you finally got confirmation that Gracie was a master manipulator and she knew exactly what she was doing when she sexually assaulted a child, who then became her husband and the father of her three children.
Art imitating life, as Mary Kay seems just as unhinged (in the interview you can find on the internet) when she asked Vili, "Who was the boss", when everyone, including Mary Kay, knew that the boss was her. Only Vili didn't know. So sad.
I recommend this film. Good acting from all three main characters.