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mlydon-26473
Reviews
Six Feet Under (2001)
Too Real
This show is truly a surprise for me. I saw all the great reviews but I've never liked "soap opera dramas" so I wasn't expecting to get into it.Fortunately, my assumption was quite wrong, it's not a soap opera. Rather we get possibly the strongest character-developed tv series ever made.
What makes the writers of SFU stand out against other hall of fame shows like Breaking Bad, Game of Thrones, The Sopranos, etc, is that the writers don't get to have some masterful grand plot to keep viewers engaged.
We are provided with the most realistic portrayal of how American families deal with the confusion of life. Every person on the planet can strongly relate to most of the things our character deal with. No one has the answers to life's biggest mysteries. There is no "textbook" way to approach life. Above all, SFU reminds us that we are only human and all of us share a lot more with strangers than we think.
Well done HBO
The Corner (2000)
A show or movie has never made me cry before The Cornet
It blows my mind that this HBO original isn't even on HBO's catalogue. I had to watch it on YouTube.
The show has the best character development I've possibly ever seen. Everyone is so real and human. Plus drug addiction hits home so the last quote from the lead pertaining to his drug addict father actually made me shed some tears.
Thank you David Simon
Peaky Blinders (2013)
If Only They Used A Suitable Soundtrack
I genuinely have no clue why this show is so highly praised. It has a great premise and awesome post WW1 British setting but it's impossible for me to be engrossed despite solid acting.
Peaky Blinders is the perfect example of how music plays a HUUUUGE role in captivating an intellectual audience. Sadly, I think I would like the show if themes were proper for the time period and the context of the plot. I'm not trying to sound like I'm smarter than anyone else but I'm not sure how anyone can take the plot seriously when the main characters look like modern hipsters and the major scenes use goofy Indie music in the background to "set the tone". The show seems to be more concerned with being flashy than telling a mature story.
Do yourself a favor... Watch something like The Untouchables or Boardwalk Empire if you want to capture those old time gangster feels.
Joker (2019)
The Great Critic be User Debate
I've never seen a film depict the struggles of an individual , leading to their violent actions as well as Joker does. You will see how society rejects a psychologically ill man and beats him while he's down. He tries so hard to assimilate with everyone else but to no avail.
Joker showcases the reciprocal relationship between nature vs nurture. We witness Arthur's mental instability interact with his environment .One of the saddest films I've ever seen really.
All I can say is just watch it. I think the reason for the high user scores is due to the fact that nearly everyone on the planet can relate to the feeling of loneliness and disconnection with everyone else. Most people are great at hiding this simple truth and don't dare speak of these thoughts with family and friends. To put simply, Joker hones in one specific aspect of the human condition to a perfect degree.
As for the terrible "critic" reviews, I think it's simple: it's not SJW enough.
The Plot Against America (2020)
Potential Down The Drain
A premise such as the one set up in Plot Against America has potential for incredible stories. Instead we get a reaaaaaaly slow burner for five episodes and some stuff happens in the finale.
The problem is the writers want us to feel like there's high stakes yet we don't see much to suggest there are. For a six part miniseries you would expect an omittance of filler but we aren't so fortunate. A little too much screen time for one of the sons which contributes literally nothing to the progression of the story.
If you're looking for a dark alternative history film, you're out of luck here.
On the plus side, the acting from the leads is great as expected from HBO but it's still boring. Also the 1940's feel is very convincing.
I suggest watching Chernobyl instead of you haven't yet.
Deadwood (2004)
Under appreciated
What an unbelievable exploration of a morally ambiguous Old West. Although this show is sometimes difficult to comprehend, anyone who gives it their undivided attention will be left in awe. Ian McShane provides one of the greatest performances in the history of television. He's not chaotic evil, but he's certainly no saint. When a show allows the viewer to empathize and evaluate the misunderstandings of a villain, you know you have something special. The Joker is another film that nailed it perfectly.After all, gang leaders such as Al Swearigan and crazies such as the Joker are still humans with similar emotions as us.
And of course you can't forget about Timothy Olyphant's performance as the sherif. He's not as charismatic as Al but his duties as both sheriff and family man are intriguing.
This show was never as popular as The Sopranos or The Wire but that doesn't mean it was any less quality.
Lost (2004)
Didn't Age Well
So I started watching this because I wanted a new serious drama series to watch during the COVID-19 Pandemic. The reviews were amazing so I figured why not? I've watched 8 episodes and I can conclude that Lost has not aged very well.
It's filled with cliches and there's literally no plot. Rather, we get random illogical social interactions with an overdose of cringe-inducing flashback scenes. I'm thinking that Lost was so well received because it has an excellent premise and it is more character driven than most free channel series out there at the time. I'm just not seeing the realistic moral conundrums that I see in my usual lineups such as Breaking Bad, Beter Call Saul, The Wire, Deadwood, Boardwalk Empire, and Six Feet Under. Hell even Stranger Things has way more to offer.
But I must say that one of the creators, Damon Lineoff , went on to make The Leftovers which tackles the human condition in a profound way. I believe The Leftovers is more like what he envisioned for Lost but was held back by a high school drama club budget and JJ Abrams' lack of originality.
It is obvious why shows like Lost are free and HBO series require a subscription-you get what you pay for in life.