Reviews

Brilliant film! A "Hitchcokian" thriller with all the trimmings. Extreme wealth controlled by Dina Cotton, a strong-willed and very unlikable matriarch surrounded by three greedy, ungrateful adult children: Gill, Harold, and Iona. Yes, it is a family setting.

Tired of their mother's stranglehold on their inheritances, the children look for someone to "Gaslight" their mother. Maggie, a former military special opps soldier, reluctantly accepts the work in order to help her foster mother who is struggling.

The story culminates on the night of Dina's birthday party. That's when all hell breaks loose. These evil children have designed a Machiavellian plot that forces Maggie into hiding.

The chase begins and there is twist upon twist. As a family drama, you will wonder if this is about nature versus nurture. Like any great thriller, you will see that the ending is truly ironic. This is where nurture and nature work together for justice in a cold and cruel world. Excellent ending.

While most mystery buffs probably figured out what had happened to the missing wife and mother in ten minutes, it was a good story.

It was a bit slow for me but I did enjoy the acting. All of the characters had little quirks, making them so very human.

Yes, it was a low budget film, but it worked anyway. I think the happy ending is important. We all need a little bit of hope, especially now.

This movie should be renamed, TEPID LOVE. I have never seen a love story more devoid of passion and expressions of love.

I can only imagine that someone wrote this to educate teenagers?

Who knows? As a writer, I can only imagine that the person who did write this has never been nor felt real crazy, give it all up love. I am sorry for that because love, with all it's downfalls, and perilous roads, is probably the most wonderful thing you will every experience.

Yes this is a low budget film. However, the dialogue is very good and the plot is much better than the many, many, horror films out there. I can think of many horror films whose budget was probably much better than this one, who nonethelless, were not quite as good.

So, congratz to the film makers of this little jewel. I never dismiss a film based on budget. To me, it's about content.

This movie is interesting although I do not believe that it's based on a true story. The acting and plot was good and it was entertaining.

Someone wrote that there is an error in portraying the parents at the son's gravesite. Sorry, but this is not an error since you do not have to have a body in order to place a tombstone upon a grave. When you think about it, the tombstone is a memorial of the person, not evidence of a dead body.

I found this movie very interesting and entertaining until the end. I won't spoil it, but I actually laughed out loud because it was a real surprise.

If nothing else, it's good for a laugh.

It is a very sad day when the White House news is more entertaining than a film production of any kind.

Dreary, sad, and boring. The premise is good, the actors are good; but the story is not.

No actors here. This is the worse acting I have seen in recent years. The premise of the movies sounds good but the acting is the real horror in this flick.

Yes, this film could have been better like any work. The plot was good the acting was good. Some of the characters of course were less than perfect. I think perhaps the best part of this story is the moral of it. I am one of those bleeding hearts who people use and take, take. Sometimes,no, many times I've surprised people when I bite back. Yes, I do mean bite.

In retrospect, the title is brilliant! This film would have been a 10 with better characters and dialogue.

The end is the best part.

I knew nothing about John Ruskin prior to watching this film. However, the theme of psychological abuse of women is all too common and familiar.

What is truly amazing about this story is that a woman was able to stand up against such odds. When you consider that John Ruskin was a man of power, fame, and wealth; it was quite an accomplishment. God bless Effie and everyone who fights for their happiness.

As usual, Paltrow brilliantly draws you into the story. Needless to say, all of the actors in the film deliver this regalement well, making you feel each and every emotion. While the tale itself is sad because it deals with the death of a loved one, there is a happy ending.

When someone close dies, it does drag you through so many emotions brought on by the numerous contradictions in their lives. Facing up to these challenges makes us all either better or worse. After watching this film you might figure out or wonder which road it really is that you've chosen.

This could have been a great film if they'd really focused on the horrible injustices committed against children who were the "disappointments." Instead, it focused on a character who appeared unstable without many redeeming qualities. In other words, the main character was not likable. In fact, there were no real likable characters in the film. Perhaps the librarian was the most charming. Unfortunately, she was only on screen for probably less than ten minutes total.

Even the ghosts weren't impressive! Yes, I HAVE TO SAY IT: WHAT A DISAPPOINTMENT!

I am just now watching Bates Motel in 2017 on Netflix. I must admit that I was skeptical about this show because it looked just a little too creepy for me: i.e. the relationship between mother and son.

The Norma Bates character is surprisingly lovable, along with her son, Norman. The twists and turns are just enough to keep you on the edge and anxious for the next cliff.

I'm still only on Season One. So far, this is a great series. Great dialogue, and believable plots are what make this show so good. Where many thrillers go too far off the edge of normalcy and lose their audience, Bates Motel doesn't.

This was Alfred Hitchcock's recipe after all. Most of his movies started with what appeared to be a very normal, wholesome situation, only to shock you by revealing the horrible truth scene by scene.

Many thanks to all the writers, actors, and the entire crew that makes this show. We need great entertainment these days. Or, any day.

Bravo!

I have not seen a film this good in a very long time! Well and intelligently written: good plot, witty dialogue, and interesting characters. Even the ending was a bit surprising.

I would describe this movie as a legal & psychological thriller. By the time it was almost over, I had imagined several suspects including the attorney's assistant as the accused's lover! Yeah that was a bit over the top. Anyway, I was very impressed with the film. The only set back is I believe the actors could have been more polished, except for Sachin.

All in all, it was good to watch an entertaining film on an otherwise boring Monday.

P.S. There is no nudity in this film. I don't know why that other reviewer called it a porn film?????

I want to thank the writers, producers, actors and anyone involved in the birth of this incredible film.

After seeing only fifteen minutes of this film, I knew that hope beyond hope, there is some moron who will fund any kind of garbage like this one. No matter how mundane the dialogue, how stupid the plot, so long as there is one woman half naked and stupid men sucking on cigars. That's the thing!

The premise is good. If only the film were. The actors are probably trying to get adjusted to the unbelievability of it all.

This pathetic piece of garbage should never be destroyed. It should be used as an example of the incredible stupidity of this industry.

The good, the bad, the stupid, the faithful, on and on. What this story did do is keep me guessing. The end did at least tell it all.

From some of the ratings, I take it most people had a hard time following because they are monolingual. That's what subtitles are for. Are they illiterate too?

Because it does involve a group of HIspanics who are bi-racial; mixed with blacks, it perplexes some people. Next maybe they should do a story about the Philippines who are Hispanics married with Asians. WOW! A WHOLE ENTIRE COUNTRY????

The dialogue could have been much better and the depiction of Hispanics as being mostly criminals, I did not care for. My experience, most of the criminals I've met have been Anglo. See, now I sound like a racist.

When I moved to California, I had a friend who was of Dominican roots. In fact, I had known her grandfather growing up in El Paso, Texas. He had blonde hair and blue eyes. My friend's mother was Hispanic and Black who had married a "guero" from El Paso. The result: one drop dead gorgeous daughter. Was I or anyone of her friends in awe because she was part black: NO NO NO! This is why I moved to Mexico. No one really cares what you look like and they don't stare, they don't ask. They have a real life.

What is really sad is that not only the "white" population in the US is racist. It's the whole gamut: Asians, Blacks, Hispanics, Jews, and Whites. STOP THE HATE! I just read one of the message boards: people who are wondering if one actor is more European that the others. IT IS SICK. They criticize whites for being racist yet they are just as bad and despicable.

This story had all the makings of a great spooky mystery. Unfortunately, it did not deliver. It starts with very mysterious theories and possibilities. Then, nothing. It's like going to a steak house and eating a salad with tofu.

That's it, it's anemic. It never really tells you why the ghost is there, nor does the ghost appear much.

It needs more interaction between the supernatural and the living. It needs a solution and a reckoning with what happened to the couple that disappeared. In other words, it lacks the very basics of any story: who, why, what when, etc.

I was really looking forward to this movie because I am so sick of all the stupid slasher flicks. Oh well.

Good try.

Well, I cannot watch another episode. I believe I got to 7? Do not even remember. Having the main character be so downright stupid is not a good place to start. Her being Indian is even worse. The character is an insult to people in India and Indian Americans, I am sure.

Unfortunately, this series is more like a soap opera without the daytime slot. Many of the twisty plots are interesting without being believable enough. But that's what makes this a soap opera. Do any of you even know what an opera is? People singing their lines. This is what makes it so incredibly unbelievable. Can you imagine your mother singing to you about eating your cereal? Until you can, you can probably learn to watch this show without screaming.

I do not believe that the writers are at fault, I believe whomever is in charge of the directorship is.

Congratulations, you delivered a bomb in so many ways.

Since I don't get the USA Netflix library, my watch list is limited. I worked for over 25 years in the legal industry. I know one thing for sure. No law firm would survive with all the garbage that goes on in this drama. It's not believable.

It is sometimes entertaining. Not quite, actually not even close to the Good Wife. But it does have its moments. Also, I realize that this firm being based out of NYC, the rules are quite different from California.

The entire premise of the GIANT secret that fuels this show is that one of the attorneys did not attend law school In California this is not illegal if you pass the bar.

Nonetheless, I personally would like to ask the writers to execute/murder Louis Litt. PLEASE, PLEASE! Then they could open another office in Los Angeles and move Mike there.

One more episode: Another attack by a drone blows up only the floors of Pearson, Specter. Or it could be an attack via the ventilation system through poison gas. You could pick and choose which offices to kill off. LOL

Thanks for reading this.

I like this series except for the way they always seem to investigate the crime scenes in the dead of night. Sometimes I forget that this series is based in the 21st century due to their lack of use of technology.

The research analyst that volunteered really drives me crazy because he doesn't even have any sort of data base for all of his research. Even a list on word processing software placed in a table could do the job! LOL!

So, I guess you could say this series is in twilight between the early 20th century and the beginning of the 21st.

Nonetheless, the dialogue is good along with the characters and a very good plot behind each episode.

I'm watching this show for the first time on Netflix. Basically, this story is about the false imprisonment of a young woman, Sara Escalante, whose fiancé was murdered in a vehicular accident. She wasn't even present, so they don't give you much with regard to evidence.

The murder takes place in Mexico City where fiancé Daniel Herrera works for the Ministry of Finance. The first episode doesn't' give you a lot but plenty to have gotten me to stop working on my MAC and listen intently. I usually work on my novels while listening to the old tube.

Part of the story also takes place in Madrid, Spain where a sting is planned against all the white collar criminals who are laundering drug money. According to the story, most of this money is laundered via Spain, Mexico, and the United States.

I am sorry to say that I do find it difficult to understand the Spanish actors because of their "lisp" accent and how rapidly they speak the language. It's the same thing when I watch some British shows. Although in that situation, I turn on the Spanish subtitles. Oh, well; back to the story.

Ironically, while Sara's conviction was the result of an automobile accident; she's rescued by a huge truck crashing into the transport truck taking her to the penitentiary. Sara then gets a new identity along with plastic surgery.

Then, we're back to the beginning of the story where she gets a job working in the Ministry of Finance in Mexico City. Cannot wait for the next episode.

Cheers!

I have tended to avoid serial killer movies for the last few years. Sometimes they're just too creepy. However, The Calling was quite different.

Main character, Hazel, is not a perky young detective with a full life ahead of her. Instead, she does have many challenges which I believe are in a way a consequence of living in a tiny, bleak weathered town with few opportunities. Not to mention, she has had back surgery which I know destroys many people because of the excruciating pain. On top of that, the people she works for are not exactly intelligent. The good news is that she does not care nor does it stop her from doing her job.

She cracks a case that even I was astonished about. The killer has based his killings on a most unusual plan - one that flabbergasted me. I usually know who the killer is when the character appears the first time on the scene. Which I did know him when I saw him in this movie. But the motive was quite, quite different.

It's on Neflix. Watch it - it's a very good film. The dialogue could be better. But it was written to represent the culture of that area, so it was true to form.