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Dexter: New Blood: Sins of the Father (2022)
A truly daring, most fitting finale
The new Dexter miniseries impressed me from episode one. A reboot/sequel done ages after the original show ended (and overstayed its welcome initially) was beating the odds by being this good, and it really was a fresh take on the original.
The second half of this season really sets up the expectation Dexter and Harrison would become a serial killer/vigilante duo, with the son being doomed by his father and unable to overcome his "dark passenger". The last two episodes purposefully do a head fake of making it look inevitable, along with a move out of Iron Lake (to conceivably be able to spawn multiple further seasons of their crimes). But it also gradually reveals both to the viewer and Dexter/Jim that he is not who he thought he was... and thus doesn't deserve what he thought he did. Instead of staying on his side like in all prior seasons and wanting to see our serial killer protagonist escape justice, we side with Angela and want to see him brought to it. To conclude this arc, this episode's final minutes instead deliver a truly daring twist by letting Dexter die, knowing his son would thus be redeemed. And the scenes linger on him as he lays dying so both we and the network know there is no coming back from it.
I applaud the entire creative team of "Dexter: New Blood" whose fresh look at this story and hard work made for a truly well-crafted season, in which they ended a show I practically grew up with just as it should have, giving proper closure both to its characters and long-time fans.
Murina (2021)
A superbly crafted, tense drama that puts the setting at the forefront
Finally went to see Murina and I can say the festival hype is not an overreaction. A superbly crafted film indeed - certainly one of the best contemporary entries from Croatia. From the very beginning, the maritime setting is developed as one of the main characters (not unlike the titular fish later on) and such choices are all justified by how consistently they're built on throughout the runtime.
Julija is both well-written and acted completely believably as a strong girl in her late teens (in itself a rare feat today), whose lifelong mistreatment has finally reached a breaking point - at a time when the secluded family is joined by a rare visitor. The hopes she lays in him are ultimately let down, but by that point we've already seen her start the hard journey to freedom fully on her own.
The ending that follows doesn't disappoint either. As Javier's departure makes it clear both to our heroine and us viewers that any fantasies of a simple escape won't materialize, she must face the central conflict head-on and by herself. We all know what she must do... but what ultimately happens instead is just as effective at finally setting her free, while also letting her keep a clear conscience.
Strongly recommended.
Driven (2018)
Not a bad film, but those interested in this story will be left wanting more
When Driven begins and continues to linger on Hoffman, the viewer is somewhat surprised that's who they chose as the main character, but I have to admit the movie does justify this choice later on by being consistent about it and making it clear what story they want to tell. It is in fact more the story of Jim Hoffman than John DeLorean. A conflicted character aware of their flaws, caught between a rock and a hard place -- between the lawmen that have power over them on one side and their friendship with a neighbor they wouldn't want to betray otherwise on the other. That can be an interesting story, and frankly, is in this case. However, the problem is they didn't do it with fictional characters in a made-up setting; they did it with an immensely famous and interesting real-life case. That's why the viewer (at least this one) is both more interested in, and wants to see more of, the John DeLorean story than the Jim Hoffman one. So even after you accept what the filmmakers are going for, you can't resist thinking more about the (in)famous entrepreneur whenever he is on screen.
The way I see it both Sudeikis and Pace did a good job, but sadly something is missing here, and what it boils down to for me, is that it seems they're in two different movies. Sudeikis's goofy portrayal of Hoffman is enjoyable, but feels like the only comedic tool the movie uses. Pace's DeLorean however, again, while a good portrayal, can in contrast feel even cartoonish at times because so much of his screen time is used for pontificating and self-serving monologues. Yes, that can possibly be a good way to convey the point of him being narcissistic and pompous in a limited runtime, but:
All this makes me think Driven would have worked better as a mini-series: if the runtime was expanded by 30 minutes to 1 hour which focused more on DeLorean's character than Hoffman's, and then it got split into a few episodes featuring both storylines, I think we'd get a sense of: 1) the iconic, very successful founder on the one side -- who is a severely flawed man but completely blind to it and in love with himself, and 2) a small time crook down on his luck -- but who IS at least honest with himself about his flaws and place in the world. The series would then better contrast these two men and show how their totally separate paths were destined to collide, in the end shattering a man, a company, and a family -- another aspect this movie unfortunately largely glosses over.
The Mandalorian (2019)
This is the way.
Star Wars as it was meant to be. The absolute best content the franchise has seen since the original trilogy.
The show knows what it is, and is crafted perfectly. We finally feel again this world is interesting and boundless. Thank you Favreau and team for bringing Star Wars back.
From the way the characters are written and casted to the way effects are done: THIS IS THE WAY.
Till Death (2021)
Outstandingly crafted thriller - massively underrated.
One of the best thrillers I've seen in years. The story is consistent in keeping you interested and unfolding the story. No outlandish details that pull you out of the plot. Pacing is just spot on and it all clicks together nicely.
I recommend It highly - and suspect most of the negative reviewers haven't gone in fresh but were already influenced by something they read and weren't open to coming to a different conclusion.