SouthernViews

Vince tried to do some creative storytelling, but it didn't work for me. Many reviewers are rating this a 9 or 10, so I guess some felt this was genius. Count me in the unimpressed group. As many have pointed out, not much happened in this episode. Carol slowly descended into boredom and loneliness. Monousas continued his journey to get to Carol.

I think the producer intended to make the viewer feel what Carol felt. It's like Vince sat there and said, "Oh, you know what would be great? To show Carol's boredom for an entire episode! Let the audience follow her down that path." But it didn't work. The same with watching Monousas make his cross-country trek. ALL of this could have been done to better effect in a 10-15 minute montage. Why not show the big daily clock going up in days/weeks, interspersed with Carol getting bored and Monousas struggling? Did the audience really have to spend 45 minutes watching this?

At the end of the show, I wasn't like, "OHHHHH, I get it! We just went through Carol's journey of loneliness!!! I feel her pain!" No, I was like, "THAT'S IT?"

I hope the rest of the season improves. I like a good slow-burn story unfolding, but this series is moving at the pace of a three-legged turtle.

I have several issues with this movie, all of which revolve around its storytelling structure and core premise. As others have noted, the story repeats its narrative, telling it each time from a different character's POV. If you've seen Weapons or Go, to name two movies, you will understand this approach.

I don't mind this type of structure; however, in this film, it does little to fill in major plot holes or explain why different events unfolded. Instead, you learn non-critical things, such as why POTUS was audio-only and not video on key calls. And you see different key players reacting to the same information.

For me, the most shocking aspect was how one lone nuclear missile can spend literally several minutes coming our way, and the US defense network seems woefully incapable of doing much to stop the weapon. If we can't stop one missile, what would we do with five or twenty?

The first 20 minutes were truly riveting, but as the story repeated itself, it became a bit groan-inducing for me. Idris's POTUS came across as embarrassingly incompetent. I'm sure that was the intent, but it was quite sad. The script introduced many characters, some of whom only played a role in one of the three 20-minute repeat segments. I never felt truly connected to anyone or cared about their future.

I do want to say that the cast and acting were great. There was an interesting story to be told, but the structure and final script didn't work for me.

Many have complained that the ending was unresolved. I disagree. Listen to what POTUS is asked to do at the end of the movie, and then look and see what everyone else is doing in that last minute. Put two and two together, and you know the decision he made.

When the credits finally rolled, I wondered whether the movie had a point or a message. I struggled to find one, other than America can't defend itself and has many incompetent leaders. Talk about a downer. Had the producers ditched the "let's tell the same story three times from different POV" structure, they could have made a much more compelling and thought-provoking film. Overall, the movie was a swing and a miss for me.

Caramelo is one of the most beautiful movies I've seen in a very long time. The word "perfection" keeps coming to my mind. At first glance, you expect this movie to be your typical man/dog movie with a silly dog stealing the scenes and acting like a human, while the humans are there in the background just reacting to the dog's antics. Caramelo is nothing like that. This is a movie overflowing with heart and soul.

If the dog, Caramelo, is the heart of the movie, then Pedro is the soul. Pedro has the big character arc, and Caramelo is there to give him unconditional love throughout his journey. Rafael Vitti shines in the lead role of Pedro, an aspiring cook dealing with some serious issues. Caramelo is, thankfully, not some CGI dog but a real flesh-and-blood canine. He brings the laughter, while Pedro often brings the tears.

The movie takes you on a very emotional journey, filled with both laugh-out-loud and get-me-the-tissues moments. I can't say enough wonderful things about this beautiful story. Writer/director Diego Freitas has crafted an amazing movie about love, family, friendship, and living the best life you can.

I wouldn't be surprised if Diego and Rafael get many nominations for such a fantastic and well-told story. The movie is also visually beautiful, showing a very colorful and vibrant Brazil. I loved the score, and the rest of the supporting cast is fantastic.

Caramleo is a must-see for anyone seeking a moving and feel-good film.