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Nuclear Now (2022)
More balance needed.
The best parts of the movie are the early footage of a post-war America coming to terms with the destructive power and the limitless possibilities of a nuclear powered future that must be harnessed by a can-do alliance of military and science, physicists and engineers marching arm in arm to a bright tomorrow. Then that wonderful promise is jeopardized by an unholy cabal of fossil fuel interests sowing discontent and fear among the general public. Three nuclear disasters ensue, of little consequence in terms of human life, and suddenly the world is dismantling nuclear reactors faster than one can say Fukushima. Climate warming is begrudgingly acknowledged by the world and now it is clear that nuclear power is the only answer to save our planet.
Unfortunately, the movie becomes a very one-sided plea for a return to "safe" nuclear energy generation. It would have benefitted from an occasional contrasting viewpoint from any one of a number of recognized scientists, or dare I say "responsible" politicians. No where is there mention of the terrible risk factor inherent in a nuclear mishap. The body count of the three major nuclear accidents to date is minimized to less than 60 fatalities, all due to Chernobyl mismanagement. The nuclear waste issue becomes a question of what to do with to do a few hundred thousand square feet of contaminated material - the size of one typical Walmart. Any health risk is inconsequential compared to the daily environmental exposure and industrial accidents we experience on a regular basis. In sum we are asked to trust that any and all design and health risks have been addressed and that if we want to ever see that "Jetson" future we were all promised, we'd better get on board with nuclear power generation.
Jaddeh Khaki (2021)
Enjoy the Trailer
Well . . . I would recommend that you watch the trailer, if it's available, and save yourself a hour and 40 minutes of frustration. We found the trailer to be funny and quirky. Unfortunately, that was the last time we laughed.
The movie primarily confined itself to the inside of a car and familial dysfunction and insults. Emotion was expressed by long silent stares into the middle distance. Conversations consisted of long and profane insults to and between everyone in the car. Odd distractions like the father's broken leg that was never explained, barely discussed and certainly failed to advance any plot line, led one to suspect that the actor actually suffered a real-life broken leg, but bravely decided to continue with the movie production. When one is constantly wondering about supposed plot devices, it definitely detracts from enjoyment of the movie, leaving one to feel as though they must have missed something in the dialog. Missing parts of the dialog is certainly a real problem unless when understands Farsi. We were constantly stopping the movie to back up and reread the white subtitles printed against a white background.
We found little to empathize with any of the people in spite of a real sacrifice on the part of the parents and the eminent departure of the eldest son. I continue to feel this could have been so much more had there been real heart-felt dialog instead of the constant playing and singing of pop songs to demonstrate an emotional crisis. I half expected to see a Bollywood dance break out in the middle of the movie.
Dune (2021)
A good effort . . . well worth the time . . . thoughtful telling
Well, I have to say, I'm dismayed by the number of reviewers who start off by saying "I've never read the book but . . . ". This is NOT a fact that lends much credence to the rest of their review. Especially when they go on to complain over 14 paragraphs why it's not like Star Wars, it's too long, not enough action and didn't wrap everything up in the end. These are the very same people who complained that Lord of the Rings had too many characters, dragged on for too long, had too many plot lines and was too "unbelievable" (talking trees no less).
I WOULD say that this is a novel many of us read in high school or college 40 years ago. So, it's no wonder that the details are a little fuzzy. On the other hand, for anyone who actually DID read the novel, it's not hard to remember the impact it had on us at the time. It was NOT a "Conan the Barbarian" story, but rather a tale of a young man thrust into a role he neither sought nor wanted, making difficult choices and slowly coming to terms with his pre-ordained destiny. The viewer needs to have a little patience with the telling of the story, in order to understand the conflicts and the psychological development of Paul. There is very little expository narration in the film that one might otherwise encounter in the book..
Finally, I would add that the movie special effects are creative and well done, from the many scenes of megalithic battleships and tiny ornithopters, to the well choreographed fight scenes. If you're looking for a story with emotional substance as well as other worldly special effects, then this movie will please you.
First Cow (2019)
Disjointed, distracting and disappointing
Disjointed due to the disconnect between the beginning and the end. Couldn't there have been a better statement for the ending. Not sure what the author or was it the director was trying to say. In addition, streaming this at home was very disappointing due to the low lighting of the film. Apparently, people were fascinated by the great cinematography, whereas I was frustrated by the inability to see anything during all the night shots. Reminded me of going to an outdoor theater where they started the film a half hour before sunset and all you saw was a blank screen. Not to mention the odd aspect ratio. It made me think of a film student effort where the point was to display mastery of as many different skills as possible in one film. It all distracted from the story telling, which is why we watch film in the first place.