Reviews

I've been appalled by the recent glut of late 60's-early 70's placed television and film fare that seems to be entirely gleaned from old Playboy, Cosmopolitan and Good Housekeeping magazines. The scripts just don't hit the mark: the language, conflicts and mercurial sensibilities of those years usually come off as some weird millennial fantasy of the era. Palm Royale Really nails that time in US history.

I am reviewing only the pilot here- I'm not even sure I like the show, but I am certainly impressed with the sincere and intelligent way it captures that which I recall of the times.

Palm Royale presents itself as a sort of fairytale murder mystery with an outstanding cast. Success is difficult to judge from the pilot; I may like it, I may not. What I do know is that the effort the scriptwriters and direction team put into depicting that pivotal era in a wealthy American community is laudable and true.

Well Done indeed.

Far too few comedy films honestly depict female sexuality and female emotion. I can think of only 2 others : The Sweetest Thing and Jenny McCarthy's Dirty Love.

(Sidebar: people hated Dirty Love...but it is a brutally honest depiction of modern womanhood. The obsession! The menses scene! Yes, it's utterly OTT and you may not think it funny, but I defy any western woman alive to deny a leak-thru in white jeans ( or a skirt, for me it was a white denim skirt- 80's, you know).)

Joy Ride should have a technical rating of 7- not because of the superb script, tight direction and wonderful performances, but because it ALSO had to tackle racism in 90 minutes; the story was spread too thin because none of us can watch a comedy for over 90 minutes.

Still, the filmmakers did more in 90 minutes - and made me laugh aloud - more than any comedy since Paul Feig's Spy.

If you are a woman with a sense of humor, watch this; if only for the ladies' utter defeat of a basketball team. Make popcorn and enjoy.

...in every way. It's a 1997 Fairy Tale. If you think this set LGBTQ rights back 20 years, we'll IT's 26 years OLD!!!!

Get a grip; this is a charming, sweet fairy tale about self discovery, and these days, a bit of a time capsule- So watch it, enjoy the good, funny and occasionally biting script, the wonderful performances and terrific direction.

It is what it is- engaging and enjoyable,

I'm kind of shocked that people in 2023 watch films and TV from the 1960's, 70's, 80's and 90's and judge them for not being woke enough: this is this very media that woke us up! We would not be as aware, inclusive or ( at least most of us) understanding if it were not for the ideas in older media.

Get a grip.

RESPECT!

Enjoy!

This is TERRIBLE.

It's a drama and a reality show? What does that mean?

The show is clearly scripted with generally cliched and predictable dialog but sometimes, the dialog is so indescribably bad that I wonder if it was written after the WGA strike started and the crew was forced to recruit writers off of the barstools of some crab shack in the Alabama gulf town in which it was filmed.

Then there is the acting... Some of the minor performers appear to be well trained and give credence to some scenes.

The leads appear to be coached scene by scene in poses, inflection and micro expression.

It's not a good look, particularly when 2 apparently untrained leads are in a scene alone, waiting patiently for the other to finish their line.

Then there is the glossy, charming production itself, set in a lovely American town. The camera, lighting, sound, costume and makeup crew are also clearly on a shoestring budget ( no kidding, they appear to have one dolly and 2 back yards) but somehow manage to make this hot mess look and feel like an art film.

It is due to the smart visual and sound context that I stuck with this for 4 episodes.

Love in Fairhope gets one star for the teleplay ( is that what it is? I can't tell) and 8 for the production value.

I don't recommend watching it. I do recommend some production company put the entire crew to good use with a script, actors and a decent budget.

And a little too brilliant.

Several of my fellow reviewers have compared this episode to After Hours, which is a version of the Wizard of Oz, which is a version of the Odyssey. The Beard kind of rolls all 3 up with much, much more inspiration. It's madcap and melancholy at the same time- a work that calls for rewatching.

This is my first time watching Ted Lasso. My husband and I watch a couple of episodes at a time. I keep wanting to binge, to plough through: but my wise Sensei husband thinks we should savor the experience, take our time.

He's right of course: you only get to watch something for the first time once. When a show is this special, it deserves better- you, the viewer deserve better- than to consume it like a bag of potato chips.

I'm guessing I've reached those required 600 characters by now. Only the first paragraph was an episode review. Honestly, I get the character count requirements which prevents people from posting "This SUCKS" and leaving it at that ( really? Tell us why it sucks) but perhaps the requirement could be shorter for single episodes.

If this show consisted only of the last two episodes, the courtroom drama, I would give it a 10. I am most distinctly not a fan of courtroom drama, so this is high praise indeed. The rest of Love & Death has superb casting, direction and performances but it drags.

And drags.

The first six episodes wring every drop of interest out of the minutia of Texas suburban Christian life. Maybe it's just me, but 4 episodes of character building and conflict ( oh, there is plenty) would have worked better.

Frankly, the last 2 episodes of courtroom drama were so riveting and exquisitely performed, written and directed that I had questions and could have done with another episode.

I vacillated between giving the show a six or seven rating until the last two episodes.

I'll settle on a rating of 9 and hope David E Kelley graces us with his courtroom brilliance again.

He really is the best.

If this film were Romanian or French, US producers would throw tons of money at it to make an English language version in which Nicole Kidman plays the shrink. As it is, Marina Sirtis is outstanding as the psychiatrist charged with unraveling the mystery of a particularly heinous crime scene, no Kidman necessary.

A Thousand Little cuts is an absolute gem of a layered thriller that deserved far more financing than it got; hence the rating of 8- it sometimes comes off as a bit too low budget. The story and storytelling are superb. Writer/Director Joshua Brandon also inspired excellent performances. The film was a most engaging, pleasant surprise and I look forward to seeing more of Brandon's work.

Obsession is an adaptation of the Louis Malle film, Damage starring Jeremy Irons and Juliette Binoche, an adaptation of Damage, the novel by Josephine Hart.

WTF??!!??

The writers, directors and producers of Obsession seem to have entirely eschewed the ( astonishing) source material to create a hot little what-now-next absolute SOAP OPERA of a sorta woke piece of crap.

AaaarrrrGH!

Damage is an extraordinary novel and this- this- inserts disruptive characters only for the sake of inclusion into a story that could be made inclusive AS IS with a tiny bit of imagination.

I am horrified by the sheer laziness of the concept of this production. Didn't ANYONE read the freaking book!!??!

3 stars for the performances and production team.

Unstable is a charming, engaging and very human little show.

The necessarily gentle and surprisingly funny sitcom was ( in part) developed by and stars Rob Lowe and his son, John Owen Lowe. The men play Ellis, a successful biotech inventor and his son Jackson. Jackson moves home to live and work with his father as together, they grieve the death of Jackson's mother/ Ellis' wife.

While the story is ultimately about Jackson and Ellis, Unstable has a true ensemble cast with plenty of room for the other players to shine as extraordinarily well conceived, written and performed characters.

It is unusual for a sitcom to grab my attention and respect. Unstable has.

I'm an old lady. I teethed on Brecht, MacLeish and Albee. I came of age on the smoky balconies of 'foreign film' theaters. My husband declares, "if it's weird, you'll watch it." Little annoys me more than watching a film by a director who gets in the way of their own art - like She Wills.

The film has a very good folk horror story, finely crafted performances and an intriguing point of view, but it's thin on characterization and director Colbert's repetitively obscure ( almost navel gazing) storytelling style often leaves the audience in the cold.

Like most people, I either like a film or I don't. I can't recall ever seeing a film that left me longing to be engaged.

The Home, episode 7 of the second season the Hunters is one of the greatest single episodes of television ever. Think Burgess Meredith as the librarian in the Twilight Zone episode 'Time Enough at Last'. This exquisitely imagined and crafted fairy tale of holocaust evil exists outside the narrative of Hunters as a standalone story so can (and should) be watched by anyone and everyone.

Just because I have to fill the 600 character quota, I will tell you that this accomplished, surreal short film is simply television at it's finest. It does what the medium of television does best.; it engages you, tells a story, entertains you and kicks you upside the head. Just watch it.

Thank you, Amazon.

Role Models is funny and charming and still holds up, even 15 years later.

AAAARRRGGH!!!!

That should help with the 600 characters I don't need to tell you that this is a kind little flick- both edgy and sweet. It's also the first movie in which I saw Ken Jeong and knew with certainty it would not be the last.

Role models is not a rom-com but it kind of follows the formula. It's a Bildungsroman about two men, verging on middle age, who learn how to discern and care for their tribe.

Yeah, I'm blathering a bit, but again, 600 characters.

It's a very charming, very funny and quite heartfelt film.

You should watch it- even in 2023.

If you like your horror served with healthy sides of clever, tongue-in-cheek dialog and on-the-nose casting, you'll enjoy The Menu as much as I did.

More a satire of the current Hollywood Crap Machine than the restaurant business, the mantle of each part is assumed by a player whose real life career in some way reflects an aspect of their character. Lucky for us, the talent and restraint of each ensemble actor and the director keeps the often self deprecating humor and even slapstick from verging on winking self awareness, unlike ( the very funny) Leslie Nielsen in the Naked Gun.

The Menu is truly the sum of its parts: a bare bones story, beautifully crafted dialog, an exquisitely conceived stage-like set and seriously classical storytelling (with nods to both Aristophanes and Beckett) add up to a masterpiece of modern satire.

The film is not going to be everyone's cup of tea. People who stand in line for hours to see the premier of the latest MCU offering often complain The Menu is unrealistic. We seem to have lost the ability to contemplate traditions like Absurdism, Grand Guignol and Classical Theater.

What a shame.

The Invitation has terrific visual impact, but that's it.

Because I gave it a rating of 3, IMDB is requiring 600 characters for a review of this film, which I suspect is more effort than went into the writing of the script for this hackneyed, unimaginative nothing of a story. The dialogue isn't bad but 15 minutes in, I mused aloud to my husband, "I can't imagine a film company put so much money and talent into a production like this for a story that could be told in its entirety in the trailer... right?" ( wrong)

Gorgeous to watch with solid performances hung on a story could have been told in the wrap up of an episode of Scooby-doo. Why?

The fact that the central issue of this series is a sorely ignored important American problem does not give the makers carte Blanche to use a hackneyed lackluster script as a springboard.

Performances, direction - even cinematography are all good, but any show or film starts with a good script.

I'm not sure why IMDB expects 269 more characters from me; the show is drippy and shallow. What more can one say?

Okay- I need more characters so how about this- shame on the writers, producers and even directors of Alaska Daily for trying to cash in on an important issue by making a conscienceless "series with a conscience". It's icky.

Just like it's predecessor, Sex and the City.

(Please tell me you knew Sex and the City was a modern NYC fairy tale- I mean for crying out loud, it even had a problematic Prince Charming). I don't understand why so many of my fellow reviewers are incensed by Uncoupled's lack of 'realism': do only white cis females deserve fairy tales?

It's charming entertainment with a smarter and funnier script and better cast than SatC.

Uncoupled is a lovely, fluffy interlude with some truths and Marcia Gay Hardin. What more do you need? Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar; so add a snifter of brandy, put your feet up, switch on Uncoupled and relax.

The Wondery Podcast of The Shrink Next Door was engaging. It is a sad, emotionally brutal story.

Although the 3 principal actors ( Ferrell, Rudd and Hahn) of the series are best known for comedy, each has aced dramatic roles. They seemed a perfect cast to tell the story; I really did not expect a comedic approach to the source material.

This series is based on the true story of a human monster: a manipulative psychiatrist who preyed on his mentally ill patients and essentially enslaved one particular patient for almost 30 years.

How can this be conceived as funny?

Well, I did give it a shot....5 episodes in, I gave up. It never managed to find its footing: the script, characters and even the direction are oddly uneven.

This horrifying true story must have been a beast to adapt. Maybe Jordan Peele could have conquered it.

There is nothing to dislike and everything to love about Slow Horses unless, judging from the comments, you consider a storyline that portrays a politicized and polarized modern democratic government dealing with domestic terrorism to be a liberal plot... In which case, don't watch it.

Irma Vep is a sly, winking insider joke about the destructive and self destructive antics of dull narcissistic film entertainment artistes.

Haven't we seen enough of this? Do we really need yet another pretentious look at ' the way we really are'?

Ugh.

What a waste of talent and money.

Sets, editing, costumes, direction and performances are top-notch. Too bad the story and characters could not be less engaging or predictable.

All the Old Knives is one of the best offerings of its espionage/thriller genre. It is simply a smart film: smart script, storytelling structure, direction and performances with a story that relies heavily on emotional intelligence for both the audience and the storytelling itself.

This is a thoroughly absorbing and enjoyable film.

I am baffled by its low rating.

That's a lie.

I'm not sure we know how to watch anything but superheroes and dull wokeness anymore.

Is just what we all need right now.

When I was 14, my family hosted a party of UMASS students for the premier SNL episode. I've watched it ever since.*

The beauty of SNL is that it changes with the times. Right now, it is kind, silly, absurd and still has bite: it's perfect for right now, sort of Donna Reed and Monty Python with keen cultural observation.. The Lizzo episode is a perfect example: it gives us what we want, shows us what we need and underscores the things we're thinking about: all while being tremendously entertaining.

The show still surprises and thrills me after 46 years. That's a big deal. Long live SNL.

* ( okay , so I hated it during the late 80's and watched only occasionally, hoping it would get better and less vapidly vicious - it did)

** ( I can't imagine the future without Che, the MOST honest writer/performer in the history of SNL)

The Bubble is watchable, let's get that out of the way. No, it's not very good, but you'll stay to the end and laugh a few times.

The thing no one seems to realize about Apatow is that he is- at heart - an old time Catskills style observer of neurotic behaviors: think Woody Allen, Neil Simon, Stiller, Stiller &Meara, May, Nichols and the pantheon of Sid Ceasar writers. He has modernized the humor, but the characters and conflicts are the same. It's been done so many times over the past 60+ years and in some cases, so supremely well, I'm kind of over it.

Apatow also took a risk, making an 'industry' movie; usually easy to sell to critics and insiders (the Player, SOB), but it's notoriously difficult to get wider audiences to care about necessarily self absorbed whiny rich people.

There are a lot of weird, crappy movies around right now...have you actually watched most of this year's Academy Award nominees? ( what was Campion THINKING?) By comparison, The Bubble isn't so bad. We've all lived in our own heads far too long.

For a great Hollywood insider comedy, watch Tropic Thunder again. For a great series about living inside your own head, watch Severance on Apple TV+.

Severance is the greatest dystopian imagining since Atwood wrote The Handmaid's Tale. ( and yes, my favorite novel from the age of 11 until 1985 was Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep, so I'm not an idiot).

The story, Script, direction, performances and production are masterful and engaging in every way. The storytelling is exemplary. It's a slow build of intense yet banal horror. I'm at episode seven and don't know of I can handle much more engagement with this; like any great dystopian work of art, it's almost too much.

It really is a masterpiece.

When I was seven, my parents took my brother, sister and I to a double bill matinee in the Village: the Yellow Submarine and West Side Story. We sat in the balcony and my parents let me move to the front row so I could lean on the rail. I was RAPT. The 1961 version of West Side Story remains one of my top 5 movies of all time.

I went into the film determined to quash my picky, critical self and just enjoy the experience but found myself irritated before any words were even spoken. 'Just Relax' I chided myself.

Of course I was quite aware I watching the perfectly cast, perfectly directed version of the play- but it wasn't until 'America' that I understood the source of my irritation; The joy and silliness- the youthful exuberance and dreaminess - were missing from this production. Every aspect of this film was simply too mannered. It felt as though everyone involved took it far too seriously and forgot it is ultimately a film about being a teenager. That charm, that natural teenage 'Joi de Vivre' that tinges the earlier version from the first rock thrown was simply not there.

The thing is, it's present in 'In the Heights'. It's present in Luhrmann's Romeo + Juliet.

So why not here?

There is a big gaping hole in this production of West Side Story. It is the beating heart of the teenage psyche.

Too bad.

It cudda been a contender.

The cast of Schmigadoon! Is as game as the gang in the Andy Hardy films; a LOT of talent is wasted in this almost perfunctorily written show.

The plot is basically cobbled together from the story and characters of (IMO) the worst of movie musicals: Oklahoma!, Carousel and The Music Man.

As for the songs.... ( I TRY never to make comparisons in reviews) I don't recall a single song- despite usually knowing the tribute song and having watched some of it a second time with my daughter.

Try this: Strip Away My Conscience I gave you a UTI It's been a S$!/-Show JAP Battle.

I've Got My Head in the Clouds Let's Generalize about Men

I've watched 'Crazy Ex Girlfriend' twice. I can recall and even sing parts of many more of the songs than I have listed. Greatness in a musical series can and has been achieved. Schmigadoon! Is a conceptually lazy disappointment.