Reviews

Denis Villeneuve has managed something that is very rare : a sequel that is better than the original movie.

Dune: Part Two joins The Empire Strikes Back and the Godfather in that rare list.

The way Arrakis is brought to live on the screen (and Giedi Prime...OMG) is simply magical, and the sheer scale of the project results in in not just a big blockbuster but a piece of art.

There is not one moment that the movie doesn't ring through, and the performances, the visuals, the sound, the music and the effects all come together very organically.

Denis Villeneuve has now made 3 or 4 Sci-Fi masterpieces in a row (Arrival, Blade Runner 2049 and Dune I and II). Looking forward to seeing what else this magician can pull out of his hat next time.

I was surprised to see the low scores and read all the negative comments, because I loved this mini-series.

It seems most of the negativity is channeled towards Nicole Kidman, for the way her looks are distracting. Yes, you can read that sentence again...some people are distracted by an actress having a big nose, blond hair, big hips or whatever "distraction" you can come up with.

Surely the way to enjoy a movie or series is to concentrate on the cinematography, the acting, the music, the story.... Well all those are top-knotch!

Nicole Kidman, Ji-Young Yoo and especially. Sarayu Blue give great performances.

The cinematography and especially the way the show was directed was excellent and I loved the complex characters, stunning visuals and the plot that kept you guessing all the time.

So many critics loved the show. Even Rotten Tomatoes gives it a 83% rating...so why are there so many negative reviews here? Trolls? Kidman-haters? Millennials who do not appreciate a slow-burning story.

Their loss, I would say.

I have to be honest and say that the first episode did not really blow me over. I am one of those people who want to know in what direction a series is going, before investing time in what in the end could turn out to be a disappointment. And "The Other Black Girl" is one of those series that you cannot judge by just one episode (as compared to more mainstream series).

But I'm so glad a continued watching and saw the multi-layers of this cross between "The Devil wears Prada", "Get Out" and "Rosemary's Baby".

A wonderful series, great acting, many twists and a thoughtful social commentary without trying to push it in your face.

I am writing this review after watching the whole series. I know it sounds silly because so many others write a bad review after the first or second episode.

Imagine reading a book, and after one chapter giving up because you are confused....only the thing you do not realize is that you are supposed to be confused.

The way the series is constructed, is brilliant: you know who the killer is from the very first minute (no spoilers), but what you do not know is how and why he does it, and how things that happened 20 years ago are connected.

Slowly the explanations are revealed, but not with the usual red herrings but with interesting chunks of breadcrumbs, leaving a trail that leads you straight to a groundbreaking finale.

Brilliantly acted, very suspensful, and wonderfully directed by. Elizabeth Moss. Is there something this artist can't do?

Take all your memories of famous rock music documentaries, and then throw them all out, because Todd Haynes does not have a checklist that needs to be ticked off.

No talking heads here, no stories about "from zero to hero" but an avant-garde approach to an avant-garde rock group.

They way he uses a mix of footage, photography and audio to create an interesting natrrative is refreshing and innovative. You can sense that Andy Warhol is a big inspiration, both on the Velvet Underground and on this Rockumentary. If you are familiar with Andy Warhol's movies. You probably know what I'm talking about.

I thorougly enjoyed it, and hope you will give it a try as well. It can be found on AppleTV+

Let's make it clear: I have never read the books by Asimov on which this series is based, and I do not care if in 50's this character was male or that character was white.

What matters to me is whether the 10-hour series captivate me, entertain me, make me think about my live. If it does, it gets a high score, if it doesn't, it gets a low one.

And Foundation gets the highest rating from me, because it is by far the best Sci-Fi series I have seen (talking about Season 1 at the moment).

It is beautifully shot, the CGI is amazing, the story is interesting from the start and reveals itself in small chunks, always keeping the viewer on his toes without being condecending.

The acting is outstanding, especially Lee Pace as Empire and Jared Harris.

Yes, the pace was sometimes slow, but I did not mind that at all. The series has soul, and reveals itself as you go along.

I am anxiously waiting for the opportunity to watch season 2.

The premise of the series was good: a man on death row who wants to atone, and a vicar who wants to do the right thing.

Unfortunately, the story is so unbelievable and contrite, with plotholes big enough to let Hannibal and his elephants go through and prepostorous dialogues.

I know it is fictional drama, but you expect at least a bit of credible storytelling. I really wanted to suspend my disbelieve but everytime I tried to give in, one of the main characters dis something utterly unbelievable and ruined it for me.

I watched all 4 episodes, and only realized that this mini-series was written by the same guy who wrote the screenplay for the incredible dull and disappointing "Dracula".

As for the actors, I love David Tennant and Stanley Tucci, but did not find either performance up to par with their previous work.

I watched the first episode ("Sally") and was not impressed by the show. The characters are not very likeable - which doesn't need to be a bad thing, just look at Dexter or You - but the dry sense of humour only works 50% of the time. There are some good jokes and funny situations, but then they are followed by longs spells of boring conversations that seem to go no where.

I am also not impressed by the acting of Jemaine and Bret. The best bits are the songs (reminded me of the tongue-in-cheek songs of 10cc) and the scenes with Kristen Schaal and Rhys Darby.

When we Europeans read about lawsuits in the United States, we often laugh about it. People putting hamsters in micowaves, suing the company and actually winning that lawsuit comes to mind.

So when I saw Class Action Park on HBO, I could not believe it. This theme park was so dangerous and still after the first casualty it was not closed down? How on earth is that possible?

I watched the documentary with lots of interest. The quality of the footage was low but what it lacked visually was nicely compensated with animation and interviews. I heard some people complain about one actor/comedian who was interviewed, but I did not find him annoying.

Mare of Easttown is an excellent drama with a strong female cast and great writing. It uses a similar plot development as The Killing (Danish version) where frequent red herrings are pointing you in the wrong direction. And just like the Scandinavian murder mysteries it has no problem in making the main characters less likeable then your average Magnum, Columbo, Dale Cooper or Kojak.

Oh, and to those people who think there is a major plot hole in the last episode: I think you should see the series again, because it is clearly explained.

The good thing about Sacha Baron Cohen's movies is that you know exactly what you are in for when you step into the cinema.

Anybody who is offended at the crude humour in SBC's movies, has only themselves to blame.

So what can you expect? Funny dialogues, a nonsense script, hilarious jokes (and yes, also some hit/miss ones but that is to be expected with this rollercoaster), decent action scenes and lots and lots of dirty, filthy, cringe-worhty scenes. Love it!

The funniest thing: casting Liam Gallagher as Nobby and starting the movie with a song by Blur and having Noel Gallagher sing "Cigarettes & Alcohol". You have to hand it to SBC: he does not leave a stone unturned in his quest to offend people.

When I see people on IMDB giving votes of 1 or 2 for movies that have an interesting plot, good actors or famous directors, I tend to distrust these reviews (just as I distrust reviews of 10).

So when I saw the bad votes "Morgan" got, I checked the movie immediately out. Because this movie has it all: good cinematography, a stellar cast (you could make a complete Marvel movie with these actors) and an interesting story.

And yes, it is not a perfect movie, but at least it is entertaining, the actors are good (except. Rose Leslie whom I often find miscast) and the plot twist is great (I saw it coming, but it was still satisfying).

Give it a try, it might surprise you.

I saw this title on Disney+ (Star) and checked the ratings on IMDB before watching. I was glad I did not discard this film, because I really liked it. Good dialogues, great performances and enough depth in the story to keep you intrigued till the end.

Just one warning: if you are expecting something like "Sicario" or "Breaking Bad", then you might be disappointed. The same goes for people who watch trailers: they can sometimes be so deceptive.

** No spoilers **

I really enjoyed this Disney show.

Excellent dialogue, believable characters, Diverse cast, excellent acting and most important of all: nothing too predictable.

After 10 episodes I cared for all the characters, and the way they developed from start to finish.