Tuesday, June 21, 2022

Goofy movie, that's for sure - a mishmash of Indiana Jones with his fedora, and all those dinosaurs roaring the bellowing (in place of a plot), and everyone screaming, all the time. Was this a horror movie? Special effects were great, but they can't make for a movie. Fun to see everyone, but this was pretty much a bunch of moments in search of a story. I didn't really care about any of the characters; found myself mostly bored by it all. 

Thursday, November 18, 2021

"Belfast"

A fine piece of story telling - the pathos and pain of Belfast, the poverty, the conflicts, the power struggles and violence - Protestants and Catholics - background to the life of a young boy - a child full of hope and love, surrounded by a kindly neighborhood, and a family, caught up in its own struggles. 
Father, Grandfather, the Boy

The young boy is a cheerful bundle of energy; but sensitive to the times, and to the family undercurrents.

Fascinating use of Van Morrison music and Country Western.

Fine acting, great script - some really humorous lines, but it's not comedy.

I was the only one in the auditorium, so I missed what might have been audience-reaction.

The dedication at the end says it all - to those who left, to those who stayed, and all those who were lost.

The showing I attended had captions; helpful for the music lyrics, and some of the Irish brogue. But if captions aren't your thing, the sound quality is such that everything was clear. I closed my eyes a time or two to listen rather than "watch."

Yes, this a movie to see.

Friday, June 11, 2021

"In the Heights"

Incredible - story, music, dance; every human emotion: joy, delight, inspiration; sadness, sorrow, tears; hope, laughter, love,  and then some ... and some surprising SFX ... music, dance, everything, superbly done. Yes, yes, yes ... and yes, again. Don't miss it.

And, and, and ... a post-credit trailer ... I mean, post-credit ... right at the very end ... a lovely little moment!



Saturday, February 20, 2021

"The Tribes of Europa"

Finished the series yesterday - wow ... so very good ... lots of commentary about the present state of affairs in Europe ... and some darn good story telling - it's all about power, what we do with it, how it affects us, how some go crazy with it, while others know how to limit its allure. In the midst of it all, family - it is, for better or for worse, our origin.

Yet, we have other origins, too - our tribe.

Special effects, superb. Cast, terrific. Violence? Of course - life is violent, but here in this series it's handled well. It's all part of the story, like it or not. It's the kind of world in which we have to live and work, and find our way.

At the end, I was hooked on the three main characters, siblings, separated from another, striving to be a family again ... each with their own story ... I cared about them, wanting to know more, wanting to see how it works out.

There has to be another season.

Don't miss it.



Tuesday, October 6, 2020

"The Last Word"


Finished first season of #TheLastWord, a terrific German #Netflix "comedy" that deals with death, grief, and just about anything else we can throw at the wall. Superb cast, scripting, acting. It's all here.

Hope there's a Season 2.


Sunday, August 23, 2020

"Biohackers" - Netflix

Biohackers ... 


All the elements of a thriller are here ... it caught me, and got inside of me, disturbed, unsettled me.

A story well conceived and well done. 
A story of young lady putting her life together, to challenge the self-anointed righteousness of the powerful and the wealthy, convinced as they are of their own place in the sun, believing they alone know the truth and can break the law at will because they, and they alone, are entitled to govern, and when given their due, they will offer to humankind a perfect world, a world determined by the few and not the many. Democracy be damned. 
The acting is superb; Luna Wedler is thoroughly convincing, innocent, yet never naive; her character is bright, and utterly devoted to justice - not revenge, but justice, because justice liberates. This young actor captures the heart of the story and brings it to life.
The rest of the cast, terrific. Jessica Schwarz is evil to the core - strong, intelligent, visionary, and completely dismissive of life, all in pursuit of her self-righteous dream to create life without disease.
A great story, good music, excellent cinematography ... a story utterly relevant for our times: when Democracy strives against Oligarchy; when the voice of the people is threatened by the voice of the few.
The ending is dramatic, with an unexpected twist; left me breathless, and hoping for Season Two.

Friday, February 7, 2020

"Birds of Prey"

Perfect DC movie - darkly comedic, comedically dark ... it all worked - great acting, music, fight-scene choreography nothing less than fantastic, IMAX sound worth it. At the very end, after all the credits, a bit of joke ... not exactly a post-credit trailer, but fun.