The director or lighting guy must be they didn't want anyone to see their film. Most of it is in the dark. Lost interest after a while not being able to see what was going on. Shame on both of them. People want to see movies!!! Perhaps they both need to go back to film school and find out the best way to shoot a film that is in the dark. If they did have this in their school, they must have failed the course. So bummed. I really did want to see this picture. I love all the actors in it, that is why I have it a 2 star. Again, people want to see movies not just look at a dark screen and guess what is going on.
Reviews
41 Reviews
Maestro
(I) (2023)
TRIFECTA OF FAILURES - COOPER'S ACTING, DIRECTING AND WRITING
23 December 2023
I was really looking forward to this movie, but it really was painful to watch. Cooper's swallowing of words to try to imitate Bernstein was very distracting. His overacting was the worst. Such a shame to have a wonderful actress Carey Mulligan who did a fabulous job with what she had, but the script was bad and the directing of it made it even worse. He had no clue how to shoot a scene, when to play the music. Perhaps it was his over zealous bad acting that contributed to the bad directing. Such a shame. He loved to shoot the scenes from a distance which took away from the relationship that he was trying to portray. The script was a mishmash of time and music. The film was way too long. It was so painful, I was waiting for someone to die to let the film be over. Such a shame. Bernstein deserved a better biopic.
Leave the World Behind
(2023)
Totally Disappointing
17 December 2023
The movie started off seemingly interesting and the music played into it with making you believe the tenseness of the moment, but one moment after another with crazy unbelievable things happening which could have been explained later and actually become a good movie, but it did not. What a shame to have these good actors in such a very poor movie. Obviously the writer didn't know where he was going with the story because the story rambled around and around and to top it off left you with no ending! How can you have a story with no ending? Well it did. Shame on them. They could have had a good movie if they had actually rewritten the script! Was this supposed to be an end of days movie? So many questions at the end which should have been answered. Why this and why that? But, not explained. Shame on them. Waste of time watching.
Poker Face
(2023– )
Best Series of 2023
11 December 2023
Natasha Lyonne is magnificent. She has always shown she is very talented, but here she even excels. The writing for the show is exceptional. It is very clever from series to series and how events are brought in and played out. It keeps you wondering throughout how she is going to solve the murder and how she will keep herself from being caught. Interesting that her character would be a lie detector. What an ability to have!
What is also great about the series is that she has very talented actors to join her like Ron Perlman, Benjamin Bratt, Ellen Barken. Nick Nolte, Judith Light and others. Many you cannot even recognize in their disguise like Judith Light. Took a while to recognize her.
Can't wait till next season. I'm sure it will be just as good. Natasha is a gem of a talent.
What is also great about the series is that she has very talented actors to join her like Ron Perlman, Benjamin Bratt, Ellen Barken. Nick Nolte, Judith Light and others. Many you cannot even recognize in their disguise like Judith Light. Took a while to recognize her.
Can't wait till next season. I'm sure it will be just as good. Natasha is a gem of a talent.
Frybread Face and Me
(2023)
The life of a Navajo Boy in today's world
27 November 2023
I loved this film. The only thing that I didn't like was the subtitles sometimes weren't on long enough for you to read them. However, the boy taken from San Diego to live with his grandmother in Arizona to become a man is sweet and at sometimes funny.
The relationships between the boy and his uncle, his aunt, his cousin and grandmother are intriguing as to how they evolve throughout the movie. The boy changes over and over in the film, being resistant to change and then not. Very sweet in his relationship to his cousin who was more like a mouthy big sister to him. The acting is very good and the script very believable.
The relationships between the boy and his uncle, his aunt, his cousin and grandmother are intriguing as to how they evolve throughout the movie. The boy changes over and over in the film, being resistant to change and then not. Very sweet in his relationship to his cousin who was more like a mouthy big sister to him. The acting is very good and the script very believable.
A Walk in the Woods
(2015)
Great Film Sorry didn't know about till now
27 November 2023
It sayst the film is from 2015. It is a gem! Robert Redford and Nick Nolte are perfect! There are so many funny moments in the film. Very authentic. I'm a hiker and understand what they went through. Although you don't really know there ages you suspect they are quite old. Loved the ending too.
There is a great selection of actors who are supporting in this film adding to the humor, especially the girl who enters their trip.
Great to see both of these actors willing to stretch themselves into these roles and do so perfectly. It really explores the relationship of these two men and where they are at this point in their lives.
There is a great selection of actors who are supporting in this film adding to the humor, especially the girl who enters their trip.
Great to see both of these actors willing to stretch themselves into these roles and do so perfectly. It really explores the relationship of these two men and where they are at this point in their lives.
Entertaining, binge worthy
29 October 2023
Warning: Spoilers
This series was one that keeps you wondering all the way to the end as to what is really going on there. I am not a fan of stories that intersperse scenes of past with the scenes of the future, but this was utilized well, although at times you wonder who is who. The acting was first rate. Peter Greenwood, the actor of the principal character of Rodderick Usher was spot on. Interesting that he would use parts of Poe's poetry to describe people such as his granddaugher Lenore. I also found it interesting that the creator, Mike Flanagan, chose to have his principal character and family to be the head of a pharmaceutical company. It so reflects the world we live in with greed and their personal wealth and status over the people they serve. He even uses a phrase used by a current greedy person in our world to demonstrate the evil behind this. Reminded me the Devil and Daniel Webster - although this is not apparent until the end. I believe Greenwood should get an award for his work on this film. It's the kind of film I think you can watch over and over again just to get the subtilties of his work. Bravo.
A Man Called Otto
(2022)
FABULOUS STORY FABULOUS HANKS
29 May 2023
This is the best film I've seen this year. The performance by Hanks was outstanding. So was Mariana Trevino. Brilliant. She was an intriging character. Favorite line - "You have a big heart!" It was an engaging story, but I only had one thing I wished they would have done - show the wife at his age. Otherwise brilliant. A must see film which could be anyone of us who experiences the death of a loved one and the loneliness and anger that accompanies that loss. It also shows that a person that is angry and hurt can also being a good person. Again, only other thing I didn't like was too many flashbacks. I don't like flashbacks. But a great film. Thanks for this Tom.
The Fabelmans
(2022)
Sorry Steven
5 February 2023
Couldn't wait till it ended. There was the best performance by Judd Hersh, too bad he wasn't on longer. Michelle Williams was dreadful. So unbelievable. I hope Steven's mother wasn't like that character she created. This is a personal story, but just doesn't hold your attention. Many parts were just plain boring. The actor that played Sam was mediocre for what he was given. I didn't think the character was consistent throughout. I guess you can be a great filmmaker and then screw it up when you try to do something that is close to you. The thread of the filmmaking was the only consistent thread throughout, but it is the story around it that missed its mark. The movie is too long. I don't know how long that was, but I wanted it to end much sooner. I don't know who wrote this, if this was him, but the story was disjointed. It never flowed.
Blonde
(2022)
Disappointing
24 December 2022
I was wholly disappointed in the film, although I loved Ana's performance. This film was a one note film of a well known star. Such a shame the director was more interested in making an art film with his strange photography and black and white and color. The focus on just the negative side of her life which I hope most of this is not true. I didn't like the men that they represented either. Again, one note throughout the storyline and also the characters. It's a shame as you have good actors playing the roles, but they had a flawed script to begin with and couldn't create anything out of it. I found the script repulsive. I only gave this film a 7 for Ana. She only had so much to deal with and she did it masterfully, but the script stinks and so does the director.
House of the Dragon
(2022– )
Repulsive
29 August 2022
I tried after being repulsed by the first episode to give it a chance with the second. Had to shut it off. As others have mentioned in their reviews the casting, hair and makeup and production in general is not good, but the worst casting was of the princess who acts 12 who is supposed to be 15 and is always looking pouty. It appears they are giving her a bigger role which the girl cannot handle. Too many bad choices for this production. Hair and makeup is really bad. Bad wigs and nothing that looks real. The CG is lacking as well. Was it money that made this such a poor production or was it the producers' choices. Not sure about the story. Seemed lean. Very disappointing because of the choices that they have made. It appears they try to repulse the audience at any opportunity with the shots they make. Too bad.
GOT is dead.
GOT is dead.
The First Lady
(2022)
A BOMB - DON'T BOTHER
20 April 2022
Unfortunately one of my favorite actresses, Viola Davis, destroys the show with her pursing of lips which was so distracting and not believable as Michelle. So disappointed. Gillian was strange as Roosevelt and Michele was good as Ford, but I will not watch anymore. Davis unfortunately destroyed it with her lip action.
Passing
(I) (2021)
One of the best films this year!
19 February 2022
Great performances by all the principal actors. It is an engaging story. They should look at Tessa Thompson's performance when looking for awards. Ruth Negga is also very good. More people should see this film. It is excellent.
Being the Ricardos
(2021)
Not Lucille Ball
19 February 2022
It was painful to watch as Nicole Kidman tried to be something she couldn't do. She is a great actress, but this role was not for her. She has no expressions like Lucy. Her face is frozen. Her hair is not right either. Why on earth would they choose her to play Lucy. She really is too old for the role too. Javier Bardem is also too old. This film is totally miscast except for the guy that plays William Frawley. Such a shame to try to pass this film off about a great comedian, which Kidman is not.
The Lost Daughter
(2021)
Great Actress in Less than Mediocre film
19 February 2022
Olivia Coleman is a great actress. This film makes you wonder why she chose it. First, it was too long. The camera work was poor. Too many closeups and dark shootings. The script is poor, jumping from past to present without hardly knowing what this film is really about. Snooze!
The Last Kingdom
(2015–2022)
Action packed
12 September 2021
This is a very interesting series. The first two seasons are brilliant. Something happened after that, maybe they lost their makeup artist. Suddenly Utred is wearing a mop on his head, not very realistic looking. They don't match up things either. Somebody should have made them loo,k at the previous shows. Some of the photography is not lit well, but the story is engaging. Very interesting characters. The actors did a fine job.
The Haunting of Bly Manor
(2020)
Horror? Love story? What?
22 July 2021
As I wrote the above I think that is the problem with this film. It didn't know what it wanted to be. I missed the "love story" that everyone reviews talks about. Sure there was a relationship, but it wouldn't call this a love story! I wouldn't call it horror either. Haunting is a good word because of the bizarre sequence of events. I don't think I understood what was going on until over half way through the series, and even then I wasn't totally sure what happened. It is inventive I will give it that.
Nomadland
(2020)
Depressing More like a Documentary
20 February 2021
They should have called it "Lost". There was not much story and the direction was horrible. I love Frances and even got Hulu so I could watch this. This is the worst film I ever saw her in. It was so depressing I almost hoped her character would kill herself in the end. So disappointed. I wanted it to be good. I know the area where this was filmed and have met people like this that they portray. Shame. Bad film.
Ma Rainey's Black Bottom
(2020)
Disappointing! Should have been callend the Trumpeter's Lament
19 December 2020
I love Viola Davis. I was so disappointed. First, this play should not have been made into a movie. It doesn't work. Plays do not convert into movies easily and this one fails monumentally. Poor Viola. This was the worst thing I have ever seen her do. Perhaps I expected too much because of the title. It was not about her, but the trumpet player played by Chadwick Boseman. He was ok, but the script was bad. Again, the problem was trying to make a play into a movie.
The Talented Mr. Ripley
(1999)
Disappointing - Director and Writer fell asleep at the end
7 December 2020
The Queen's Gambit
(2020)
First episodes okay after that Boring
9 November 2020
Warning: Spoilers
I can't believe the other reviews on this site. The story seemed to fall apart after the mother dies, but that was predictable. The little girl at the beginning was good. The principal actress I suppose they chose because she is homely and they think chess players should be nerdy. She was pretty much a one note actress. Things continued downhill. So boring, I couldn't finish the series. Sorry. Not compelling. I guess you have to know chess.
Godless
(2017)
Don't waste your time - Good Actors don't make a film if it is bad- This is bad
5 October 2020
This was a horrible film. I tried to watch it because of Jeff Daniels, but the directing was bad, but that could be because the story stinks. If you only want to see shooting, killing with no real story you might like it. Horrible.
Hell on Wheels
(2011–2016)
Good...but Only the first two episodes
30 August 2020
Warning: Spoilers
I'm surprised Hell on Wheels lasted 5 seasons. They should have quit after two. The directing and writing went down hill then, as well as casting. For the life of me why they would replace the original Naomi who was 15 with a woman about 10 years older in the spanse in the series of only a few months. There were good characters and good actors, Anson Mount, Colm Meany, Common and Robin McLeavy did a great job. McLeavy really grew as an actress throughout the series. Dominique McElligott was great in the first two series, sorry the character was killed off they could have done so much more with her. Kasha Kopinski also grew as an actress throughout the series. The directing seemed to like to linger on fight scenes and scenes of emotion that seemed to drag the story down. Bringing in the Mormon storyline was when everything fell apart. The last two episodes was a boor. It is a shame that it went downhill in the end as their was potential for a great show.
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