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mstarkrn72
Reviews
Vengeance (2022)
Both art AND substance
I started this film on a Sunday morning just on a whim after seeing its categorization as comedy and suspense. I had no big expectations. I was just looking to be mildly entertained.
In the end, I was pleasantly surprised by the writing/screenplay, acting, storytelling, cinematography, literally every aspect of this film. It's more than worth watching. Honestly, I believe Vengeance is worthy of winning awards. Big shot, east coast, know-it-all, city guy "journalist" meets southern plains, middle-of-nowhere, ultra rural family and the realities of opioid epidemic. This movie is very well done!
Marry Me (2022)
Sweetest Rom-Com of the 2020s
So well done that it's actually kind of believable! It's clean. It's cute. It's adorable. It's fun. Owen Wilson and Jennifer Lopez had such beautiful on-screen chemistry from the moment they shared their first kiss as Charlie Gilbert & Kat Valdez. If they made another film together, I'd watch it just because.
Meltdown: Three Mile Island (2022)
Two words: Well & Done!
I was a 6-year old kid living with my paternal grandmother (after the passing of my mother to allow my father to sort himself after her death) in Michigan when this accident occurred. I have no memory of the accident nor do I recall any in-depth learning about it at any point during my primary, secondary, post-secondary educational processes. This docu-series was nothing short of just simply WELL DONE. It was a great learning opportunity for me. Bravo to all involved for "venting" the truth and the facts about the Three Mile Island Nuclear Reactor Incident.
The Voyeurs (2021)
BEST MIND-F@CK MOVIE SINCE BEN AFFLECK'S GONE GIRL!!!
I absolutely LOVED this movie. I was hesitant to watch it thinking that it would be a pretty straightforward lesson on the consequences of being nosier than one should, especially without consent, yada, yada, yada. However, THIS film went in such a different way than what I expected. It was nowhere near as formulaic and predictable as I'd originally thought it would be. Stunning cinematography! Excellent story & screenplay! It was worth every bit of the one hour, 57 minute timeframe to watch it!!!
I think explaining the rationale behind my rating would give away way too many details and would include spoilers. Therefore, all I can and will say is this: Don't take the stalkery storyline for granted because it's SO MUCH MORE than that, so VERY much more!
NYC Epicenters 9/11-2021½ (2021)
MUST SEE TV!!!
Any negative review or rating below 8/10 of this work (a DOCUMENTARY series) is based purely on ignorance and stupidity. The End.
STATEMENT OF TRUTH: Basing a review of CLEARLY DOCUMENTED FACTS and the ACTUAL EXPERIENCED REALITY of others on opinion and conjecture is thoroughly & absolutely RIDICULOUS. You, meaning all the OTHERS who were NOT PRESENT for originally filmed/documented experiences and/or included as survivor subjects in the filming of these experiences, DO NOT get to have an opinion about someone else's LIVED EXPERIENCE!!! It's THAT simple.
A review or rating of documentary work should be solely inspired by one's visceral response to the filmmaker's artistic expression of said facts & experiences. For example, the question to ask one's self is: how did the inclusion or exclusion of XYZ make you feel?/what kind of response did XYZ elicit from you?
For me personally, I truly appreciated the very candid interviews conducted throughout the series so far. They added another important, necessary dimension or layer of humanity to the potentially abstract or otherwise oh so very blunt force trauma and horror of catastrophic events collectively experienced, even if in very different ways, by Americans across the country and around the world. My experience of the terrorist attacks perpetrated on September 11, 2001 was INCREDIBLY traumatizing (I ended up hospitalized as a direct result of that stress & experience) in its own way despite living in middle America, very much removed from the Eastern Seaboard. I have/had family in Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, etc. For whom I was very concerned and afraid. However, my trauma, though absolutely no less valid, is quite significantly different than someone else's who may have been at the Pentagon, inside the Twin Towers, was a family member of someone aboard United 93 who LITERALLY lived through that deadly attack, or had a direct personal attachment to any of those locations. Those interviews, the ones conducted by Spike Lee himself, were an excellent addition to this work. I learned things about which I'd previously NO EARTHLY CLUE because of those interviews. The same can be said of the musical selections, the Covid stories & experiences, the BLM movement & protests, in support of social & cultural change, etc.
This creatively produced, extremely well done docuseries is nothing short of amazing. Spike Lee is simply brilliant and I applaud him, his crew, and everyone involved with the series development and production.
Dads (2019)
How does this film not have AT LEAST an 8½ average???
Beautifully done! This doc had such wonderful, tender moments that made me wish that I'd been raised by the fathers featured in it. I absolutely LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the diversity of families and representation of fathers/fatherhood from so many backgrounds & cultures. BRAVA, Young Howard! ⭐
Soul of a Nation (2021)
Outstanding!
This was a fantastically well-done series that I hope will continue exploring varying themes related to the history and experiences of Black/African Americans discussed in greater & greater detail. Speaking as a cisgender, African-American/Black-American woman, the series was even hugely informing for me personally. I love learning about my roots however I can, especially since the matriarch of my paternal side of family has been gone 7+ years now, leaving us at almost 104 years old. As an educational tool for non-BIPOC, it simply MUST go on! If people can't develop empathy, understanding, and appreciation of/for the diversity around them after watching even this short series, then they are truly hopeless, soulless, dysfunctional human beings. Dynamic.
Otherhood (2019)
Cute, relatable story with excellent acting!
I think this is one of Netflix's better efforts at feature films. The story was well-written and supported, with perhaps a couple of weak spots (i.e. an explanation of the connection between Matthew & the woman his mom {Angela Basset's character} partied with at the club); the purpose of the second couple, I assume, sharing the brownstone where Paul lives with his partner). The actresses were a great cross-section of mothers who are also friends and have some who are close friends.
Is it an Oscar, award-winning film? No. Did it keep me engaged, interested, and eager to see how things turned out at the end? Absolutely, YES! It was a perfect break from the depressing/serious and/or thought-provoking documentaries I also watch regularly on Netflix.
Love You More (2017)
Definitely not a show for the kiddos, but...
I loved it!!! I enjoyed seeing a real portrayal of a single woman in full command of her own decisions in life. Woman should feel more empowered to pursue their sexual desires without being judged. The lead character's balance is phenomenal. She's such a compassionate advocate for her developmentally challenged clientele. Plus, seeing how she turns the page regarding her roommate made her even more lovable. I look forward to seeing additional episodes, hopefully very soon!!!