This is a beautiful story, exquisitely performed! If you are not able to suspend disbelief and see truth in fantasy, I grieve for you, because you miss out on gems like this film. This story deals with loneliness, kindness, friendship, love, courage and nobility. As well as ambition, prejudice, corruption of power, cruelty and powerlessness. Guillermo del Toro wove a sensitive and beautiful story set in a sterile and cruel world. The performances are wonderful by a talented and accomplished cast. The production design brilliantly captures the romantic tension of the piece. I highly recommend this film and give it a 9 (superbly beautiful) out of 10. [Fantasy, Drama, Romance]
This was a good movie but not a great movie (this will not be a popular opinion). First the good stuff: Lady Gaga was perfect for and in this role - acting singing, chemistry, song writing - all fantastic. The chemistry between Bradley Cooper and Gaga was believable and, at times, breathtaking. The first two thirds of the movie had a great arch and captured us (as a friend, who watched the movie with me, said, "I could watch the first part of this movie on repeat.") I am also a big fan of about 5 of the songs, and would add them to my library without hesitation, they are beautifully written. Now, the not so good stuff: the last third of the movie was too long - it could easily be cut by 20 minutes, but Bradley Cooper, as director, was more than a little self indulgent with his own scenes (we got the struggle, drawing it out didn't serve the storytelling). Ally's character arch was disappointing. As her star rose she didn't learn to love what Jack saw in her. She didn't learn to take ownership of her own story, the very gift Jack was trying to give her. Ally's story wasn't resolved until the very last moments of the movie, it was eclipsed by Bradley's directorial obsession with Jack's decline, belying the original premise of all the STAR IS BORN movies and lessening her triumph. I guess what moved it from great to good, for me, was that the first two thirds proved it could be great but the last third got hijacked (no pun intended). I give this film a 7 (good) out of 10. [Music-centric Romantic Drama]
I'm a big fan of Pixar films, but this new animated division of Disney, which crafted Moana, is superb. The quality of the art is clean and georgeous. The personal idiocyncristic movements that capture each character are reminiscent of the work of the great animator Hayao Miyazaki/Studio Ghibli (Spirited Away). This animated movie is a gem, must see movie. Beyond it's technical excellence, the story is full and unique. Disney gets a new princess (OK... Chief's daughter). Children get two new songs with which to drive their parents crazy and replace Frozen (on repeat). The Asian Pacific is brought to life. Both children and adults will love this picture. I'm a fan. I give it a 10 (spectacular) out of 10.
This movie was just getting mediocre reviews (it had only been out for a day) when I decided to see it. I think I know why and I’m going to disagree with them. This film is about Norse legend and mythology, no less and no more. It is a bleak tale about a bleak period where honour was defined by vengeance and brutality was its bi-product. Our culture is not use to straight up Homer-esk tales of heroes and gods. Our culture likes its mythical heroes to be served with humour and wisecracks. This treatment is in dark contrast to that. It is, however, beautifully crafted. The locations are stunning in their natural beauty. The cinematography is intentional and captivating. The action sequences and the CGI are painstakingly real and truly brutal. The performances are faithful to the culture they inhabit. As is my custom, I did a quick exit poll of others leaving the theatre with me. The three people I spoke to each gave it a 9 out of 10. Nothing mediocre about those ratings. I agree and give this film a 9 (beautifully crafted) out of 10. [Heroic Mythology]
What a quandary - I'm feeling the same conflicts about this series that I had for the book. It's bleak, it's intense social surgery, it is a dark portent, it was a departure for Margaret Atwood when she wrote it, and, although it should feel completely at home in our current dystopia drenched media-verse, it's just a tad off kilter here, as well. I give it a 7 (good) out of 10, for it truly is good, but it unveils itself slowly, is stark in it's characters and sparse in it's environment. One might say the truth it holds to it's themes is why it is good - I'm still puzzling it out. Fantastic cast, however - some of my favourite performers. So, a hesitant recommendation, set among the high praise of others who have reviewed it on Trakt TV.
Well, I gave it a fair try. I didn't think I'd like this story/film and I didn't. A young sexually inexperienced boy and an older grad student. For me the inequalities of experience, maturity and attraction bordered on child abuse and, although the boy was the aggressor, the adult should have maintained boundaries and trust. It was too uncomfortable for me and was anything but a love story. I know I am expressing a minority opinion (it has been nominated for 4 Oscars including Best Picture and Best Adapted Screenplay) but I rate it a 3 (bad) out of 10. There was nothing commendable about this movie to me with the exception of the location, which was strikingly beautiful, and the soundtrack, which was perfectly matched to the internal thoughts of the characters. [Drama]
I mean, really, what a cast! Karen Gillian! Lena Headey! Michelle Yeoh! Angela Bassett! Serious butt kicking action ladies! The premise is somewhere between KILL BILL and Film Noir (without the voice over). Life is cheap, violence is the norm, one girl can take out 29 heavily armed men. The whole film is hyperbolic, the mood is darkly humorous. A good way to waste some time not thinking. I give the film a 7(good) out of 10. [Action]
The title is Latin for "Thus the world was created".
I went to a pre-screening of this movie last night, not expecting much more than a comfortable seat in an UltraAVX theatre with a big bag of popcorn with layered butter. The last three movies I’d seen of Chris Pine’s had been big disappointments and I knew he was the top of the call sheet for this film. So, basically I thought it would be a media hyped 2 to 4 out of 10. I was wrong. The story had a well crafted arc (though predictably the good guys win - I don’t even think that qualifies as a spoiler). The practical effects were amazing, almost making the CGI unnecessary. There were dungeons, dragons and mayhem. The writing was witty and the comedy was ridiculous. More than just a three lead movie, the young cast were fantastic, definitely not playing in the shadow. As usual, I did a mini-exit poll of the people sitting around me in the packed house. There was one 7.5, five 8s and I’ll add to that because I would definitely see this film again, it was a lot of fun. I give this film an 8 (great entertainment) out of 10. [Fantasy, Adventure Romp]
I think this is an important movie, it is also a good movie. Full disclosure: I am a white, middle class, post-graduate educated, Canadian, born in the 50s. This is why this movie was important to me: I live in a city that has unjustly treated black communities and, although I have sought to be better informed about the history and the issues, my perspective has been from a distance. This film helped me understand that the expectational presets of being black are radically different from the presets of being white. Also, my understanding of cultural appropriation grew - I can see why whites emulating black culture is missing the point rather than establishing cultural bridges. But, most importantly, for me, this film underlined the importance of each of us being authentic to who we are and to, humbly, engage in listening conversations, respect our differences and transcend that which divides us. That's was my take away. This is why this is a good film: I found the characters well drawn and the performances convincing (Amandla Stenberg is an actor to watch - she has been a credit to every role she's inhabited). The story was well crafted. The tragedy real and the relationships compelling. In our politically charged culture, there is an audience fatigue for movies with a point (I was disappointed to be only one of three people who came to watch this movie in the theatre), but don't miss this good movie, it's worth the watch. I give this film a 7.9 (very good) out of 10. [Drama]
I was really disappointed by this sequel. I enjoyed the first movie as it developed the theme of polishing a diamond in the rough, an unlikely but likeable hero, with wit and clever direction and writing. This second film did the opposite, it celebrated the crass and the writing was bad - there were huge holes in the story lines, and the character arches were undeveloped or fractured by missing/unwritten elements. The heros and villians were silly without comedic intent. The only bright spots were Taron Epstein, Mark Strong and Haille Berry's rapport, and Jeff Bridges. Colin Firth's character was butchered by the writers, Elton John' s part was unnecessary, unexplained and poorly executed, This movie is just BAD, and a waste of time. I give it a 3 (bad) out of 10. [Comedy?, Action, Adventure, Spy}
I saw an early release of this in a theatre, yesterday. The art work is amazing. The attention to all the history of the canon was admirable and the imagination of what could be was unmatched. BUT it was chaotic, so much happening at once, dialogue cascading over other dialogue, images flashing by so rapidly there could be little appreciation of the panoramic art and world building. It all became a blur. The worse sin in my eyes was that there was never a clear direction for the primary story arc. All the little origin stories that were included interrupted the basic story (was there really one?), so much so that when they returned to the narrative they repeatedly had the repeat the salient points of the narrative in a lot of mini-synopses. And the final insult was that it was TO BE CONTINUED. This movie needed a narrative edit and a completed story line. The chaos made the action cheap and at times boring. I give this film a 5 (meh) out of 10. [Marvel Superhero Action Adventure]
A powerful telling of the destructive power innate in the cult of celebrity. This is a really well told narrative of the excruciating rape of innocents and the long term damage of kept suppressed truths. The story is told with incontrovertible authenticity. This is an important film, not because of the perpetrator but because of the heart wrenching destruction that littered his legacy. This is only two testimonies of what was probably dozens of others whose lives were profoundly compromised by one man, masked by an illusion. I think it is also a wake-up call to a society blind to the danger of building its hopes and dreams around, and placing its faith in, the perceived intimacies and hollow promises of celebrity. I give this film a 9 (important) out of 10. [Documentary]
This is another tough one for me to rate. I loved the beginning and the end. I had trouble with the cacophony of the middle.
But, even so, I recognise the brilliance of the writing, the talent of the cast, and the complexity of the story. Brilliant SciFi/Romance premise, difficult to execute. It was nominated for 2 Oscars: one for Kate Winslet, and the one for that for which it won - Best Writing, Original Screenplay (2005).
What puzzled me for most of the movie, was how it managed to attract so talented a cast, but, by the end of the movie, I understood the unexpected depths there were to be mined.
I have to confess that as a Canadian I have always been embarrassed by my dislike, of what the world credits as comedic genius, of Jim Carey movies (he is a Canadian export). What stunned me about this movie, from the beginning, was how good a dramatic actor Jim is (who knew? I even found him handsome, once again, who knew?). And Kate Winslet as an erratic grunge, that was a hard sell. I didn't like the character Clementine throughout the movie, which made it hard to keep watching, especially when, at the centre of it, this is a love story. But, then, at the end of the film, her character resolves, bringing unexpected depths (thus the Oscar nomination). This movie was throwing inconsistencies at me from the beginning, and I was intrigued, irritated, bored, and finally, moved.
So, I'm sitting here, looking at the rating, as it taunts me to make a proclamation. So, I give it a 7.5 (brilliant in spasms) out of 10. I'll not watch it again, but, it does have something about it that is worthy of an attempt - it may be exactly what you were looking for.
I've read the reviews, this film is getting a love-it or hate-it reaction. First, I think a lot of the bad press comes from people judging it out of its genre. It is a romantic comedy, so those who gave it 1s and 2s (out of 10) because it was "just a love story with music", need to adjust their expectations, appropriately. Secondly, this is under-spoken, self-deprecating British humour (that I adore) but this is often baffling to American audiences (who are use to being fed broad comedy, caricatures of life - see note on Kate McKinnon, below) and this fuelled another flurry of low ratings. So, you can see where my review is going. I loved this movie. The love story was inevitable (it WAS the point of the movie). The premise was unique (and it provided a great reoccurring joke). The theme of Friendship Zone vs Romantic Interest was executed perfectly by the deep, emotional vocabulary of the performers (although, the 14-seconds-that-changed-the- world is as much of a leap as Lily James, made average with fuzzy hair, being left in the friendship zone, in any time line). Himesh Patel made a smooth transition from the Soaps to the Big Screen and his musical skills were perfect for this. Lily James brought such vulnerability, energy and strength dealing with unrequited love . As much as I appreciate the comedic talents of Kate McKinnon, I wish she would find the real people behind her caricatures. She needs to find her dramatic chops which, I believe, are there to be discovered. But the glue for this film was the music. As with BOHEMIAN RHAPSODY, I was transported to my youth when so much of this music was imbedded, word for word, note for note. I fully expected the ending to flip back to Jack waking in his hospital bed, having lived a dream, and now seeing Ellie with different eyes and not missing his moments, cue same ending from there on. I give this film an 8 (great) out of 10. My friend gives it a 9 (just short of perfect). [RomCom around Music]
SPECTACULAR!!! Spot on casting, authentic setting, faithful to the original book, wonderful acting, moving and joy filled drama. CBC on Sunday nights. I give it a 9 (superb) out of 10, only because I should probably see 2 episodes before granting it the 10 that I very much anticipate it will deserve. I feel as superlative as Anne. YAY!
Complicated, extraordinary people trying to find their place. This series just gets better and better. The script has depth, rooted in a contemporary reality. The lead actors are great. The struggles are compelling. Great writing. Great acting. Great chemistry. This series is a winner. The exceptional nature of this Marvel franchise is that it is more rooted in life in America than in the supernatural reality of these character's powers. My initial rating was a 9 (superb) out of 10 but I quickly knew this was a 10 (extraordinary) series, and, as of the end of Season 1, it is on My Top 40 TV series list. If you haven't been following it, make it a priority to binge it in preparation for Season 2 in the spring of 2019. [Marvel Universe Drama]
After reading a rave review by a friend, I started binging this new Netflix series today. The English dubbing is horrible so do yourself a favour and set the audio to German and the subtitles to English. The acting is very good and shouldn't be ruined by poor dubbing performances. This series is darkly mysterious, more like the original TWIN PEAKS (without the bizarre humour), although it is being compared to STRANGER THINGS (although I don't see many similarities in the three episodes I've watched so far). The mystery is compelling - take in all the up front hints given before the pilot's opening credits - they set you thinking in the right direction. I got bogged down in episode 3 and had to make a chart of family relationships, but once I'd conquered the who's who I was back into the mystery. Looks promising. I'll come back with a final rating but so far I give it an 8 (great) out of 10 with the potential for a 9 (superb). [Who-done-it, What-really-happened Mystery]. A good work out for those little grey cells (I wonder how many calories will that work out burn in my LaZboy chair?) **Just finished season 1 (yes, it doesn't resolve but catapults us into a further plain) WOW, my brain is tired. So many threads, so many resolves, so many themes (determinism, free will, religion, science, time, space, interdependent relationships, cause and effect). It goes down every lane. Complex, great storytelling. Great acting. Can't wait for another season. It well deserves at least a 9 (superb) out of 10, maybe even a 9.5.*
This was a great series of books, that, in many ways, established a genre. I think it will be a great series, as well. It has the feel of an epic. Amazon has given it a healthy budget and Robert Jordan’s canon is extensive. These first three episodes had to cover a great deal of ground in a very short amount of time but, unlike other commentators, I feel they did it successfully. The characters are engaging. The cast is excellent and their performances are solid. The venues outside of Prague are spectacularly beautiful. Now, we just have to wait for the series to drop episode by episode (my least favourite way to stream). If it keeps this up the ratings should just climb. I give these first three episodes an 8 (great) out of 10. [Fantasy Adventure]
Full disclosure - I am a wimp. I do not do horror flicks because my imagination is so much more terrifying than any movie can reproduce and even the trailer clips of this movie were terrifying. But, I was also intrigued, and it was nominated for an Oscar. I am so glad I took a deep breath and sat down to watch this. This is brilliantly written. The performances were totally captivating and the sound wizards were on their A-game. At one point, in the midst of all the painstaking quiet, there was a noise in my room and I involuntarily reached out to silence it, so as to not be heard. For other wimps, it is the tension that grabs you in this movie, not blood, gore or even the monsters but the slow, sheer build up of intense suspense. Well done John Krasinski et al. I give this film a 9 (superb) out of 10. (Now I'm going to quietly go hide under my covers.) [SciFi Thriller]
This is NOT a Comedy (although some of the behaviour is ludicrous). It is an event driven, bio-pic, and it addresses issues and decisions that were and are both global and personal. Great cast, great performances. It is almost unimaginable that the things that were said about women in this film were ever said, or, even worse, believed, and that the resulting behaviour was so warped, and I lived through it (I was in college during the 70s) - it was our reality that few questioned. Even though most of the ridiculous statements wouldn't be tolerated today, today's headlines show that the issues and behaviours, though unspoken have not disappeared but have simply gone underground and are still held and acted upon by people who feel entitled by power or brutality. It is shameful and must be exposed for real change to take place. I give the movie a 7.5 (good) out of 10 (with the extra .5 for holding up a mirror). I was glad to see this movie and to be reminded of what a few courageous women did to change things. [Drama, History]
UPDATE end of SEASON 5: After the end of Season 4, I thought the series was over, so I was surprised to see Season 5 come out. With the addition of Sinead Keenan to the cast, it felt like they were starting all over again but by the end of the 6th episode the series was showing itself to transcend death. I’m glad it is back. I continue to give the series a 9 (superb) out of 10. [Police Procedural]. The first 4 seasons are available on BritBox and the 5th has already been broadcast in the UK. I imagine it will come to BritBox once the series jumps the pond to North American broadcasters.
(Review after the end of Season/Series 4). Fantastic, if heartbreaking, finale.. Chris Lang, did you have to be so brutal. Straight 10s for the whole series. Truly a jewel in the crown of UK Crime Dramas.
(Review at the end of Season/Series 3) Nicola Walker is a brilliant actor! So it is not surprising that this is an exceptional series. Don't expect a fast paced, shoot 'em up, action car chase police drama. If that is your favourite fare, you probably won't like this drama. But if you like a well crafted story that reels you in until you are sitting at the edge of your seat, with multi-faceted performances from an excellent cast, portraying believable characters living out the consequences of their own choices, you will love this series. At the end of Series 3, I've elevated my rating from a 9 (superb) to a 10 (brilliant) out of 10 and it now is on my Top 40 TV Series list. The finale of this past season felt like a series finale, but the writer (Creator/Executive Producer - Chris Lang) of the show has since teased out that, should the audience wish, there may be a 4th. Already garnering critical success and BAFTA attention, I think the audience is not ready for DCI Cassie Stuart/Nicola Walker or DS Sunil' Khan/Sanjeev Bhaskar to retire. [Police Procedural]
(Initial, and final, Impression) For someone who "discovered" the school library in sixth grade and then read all the Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys novels they had in that same year, I was hoping for more. The writing for this series is bad. Aging up Nancy and her crew may have opened the door for the gratuitous sexual content but there was no reciprocal mature dialogue or adult social dynamics in this series. The interactions are juvenile. Just a big disappointment. Because I don't hold out hope that this series will get any better than this premiere, I'm giving it a 3 (bad) out of 10 and abandoning the series. [Mystery]
Full disclosure, I was and am a HUGE fan of the 1961 WEST SIDE STORY. I know it’s every detail, every word of every lyric, every emotional cue. Rita Moreno was the iconic Rita. So, I went to see this new Spielberg directed, Moreno produced, 2021 version with more curiosity than expectation. Not forgetting that WEST SIDE STORY was inspired by Shakespeare’s ROMEO AND JULIET, the general structure of the movies is the same yet contemporary and musical. The 2021 version is grittier. The context of the drama is more developed, setting it in a disappearing New York neighbourhood, which makes the rivalry of the street gangs more a matter of life and death that either the play or the first movie. Rita Moreno is very much celebrated in this new film, with a newly created character and a reallocation of a song. Two musical numbers in the 2021 version paled when compared to the 1961: (1) the dance at the gym didn’t have the battle fever of the original (probably solely due to the incomparable Rita Moreno in 1961) and by moving Tony and Maria’s first meeting from the actual dance to behind the bleachers it lost the transcendent quality of their love at first sight; and (2) Maria’s “I Feel Pretty” scene being moved from a Dress Shop (where the girls worked) to a department store (where they were but a small part of a cleaning crew), despite the clever use of store displays, changed the context from dreaming of a wedding to dreaming of blending into Americana. I also felt that 2021 suffered from the loss of (a) priest, which stripped away marriage vows in a church for promises in a museum (??), and (b) the the loss of the potion separated the lovers and the tragic death of love at the end. HOWEVER, ALL COMPARISONS OR DISAPPOINTMENTS EVAPORATED when Rachel Zegler’s soaring soprano lifted Maria’s first note. It was so beautiful I had to remind myself to breath. Her duets with Amsel Elgort were transporting. What would have been a rating of 7 (good) was made 9 (superb) by Zegler’s performance, making this a must see film. [Musical Drama]
Full disclosure, I think Matt Damon is one of the most undervalued actors in the business. Just look at his range of performances - the butt of the joke in OCEANS, a man reduced in DOWNSIZING, a meticulous and idealistic car designer in FORD V FERRARI, an action star in the BOURNE franchise, and now, a redneck American trying to make good for his daughter in a foreign world. Matt Damon is a good actor. This is a good movie. The acting is right on it’s mark. The tone is gritty. The pace is heartfelt but real. I give this film a 7 (good) out of 10.
This last season is everything good this series has ever been. Guest appearances from old cast mates. Humorous nostalgia. Great relationships. Adventure with tongue in cheek. Just great TV.
Offensive, Vile, Paranoid, Violent, Perverse, Dehumanising, Base. For some reading these adjectives, this will be a positive review, "Gotta see this, just love lurking around in the dark!" For me this is an indictment against a growing trend in art to elevate the vile and stigmatize hope or goodness. This message is all the more dangerous when marked by good performances, a powerful production, and digested by an immature audience (and I don't just mean chronologically). Good and evil have been a part of the world's framework since the beginning, but, folks, when our creative communities slander and misrepresent good as evil and frame life as inevitable moral failure, they precondition our culture to see a future without hope or choice. I won't support this project and rank it as a 3 (vile) out of 10. [Super Hero Noir]
"Shut up and deal!" The four most (unlikely) romantic words in classical film. Nominated for 10 Oscars, winner of 5, this is a motion picture classic, that I was surprised to find, I'd never seen before. A wonderful combination of comedy and bleak humanity, all in a wonderful romance. Jack Lemmon is a master of comedic timing and delivery, but when the plot demands it, he can turn on a dime to dramatic perfection. Shirley MacLean, ever mercurial, convincingly draws us into her character and predicament. Great writing, unexpectedly provocative subject matter, well-developed project. Billy Wilder is a genius. I give this film a 9.5 (splendid) out of 10.
The reaction to this movie has been a “love it” or “hate it” outcry. I think the dividing line of responses is whether or not it fits the Marvel mega-action template and if that is okay or not. Just to deal with that question out of the gate, this does not fit the Marvel cookie cutter. There are a variety of differences. It is diverse in both casting and subject matter. The cast is international, multinational and multi-ethnic. We have our first openly gay superhero. We have our first hero who is deaf. We have our first hero to struggles with their mental health. All artfully and beautifully presented, in my opinion. This is not a single character’s origin story. It is 10 characters’ origin story spanning over 7,000 years, plus the introduction of 3 distinct and new species: Celestials, Eternals and Deviants. It also acknowledges superheroes from other universes, like the potshots at DC’s Superman. There are also some Marvel staple components, humour, brilliant CGI, fight scenes and world weaving. This film is also beautiful, in its casting, cinematography, graphics and music. The story is rich and the immense timeline is artfully woven into small bites. There is also a deeper treatment of relationships and some mature but tasteful scenes. The draw for me was Marvel and the stellar cast, especially Gemma Chan, whose career I’ve been following for a long time, now (do yourself a favour and binge her filmography). I have to confess that when I left the theatre I wasn’t sure how I felt about the movie. Then, I heard Rotten Tomatoes gave it the lowest of all ratings for a Marvel movie (49%) and the critics who saw early releases were brutal. But, I also read the positive reviews by ordinary theatre goers and in writing this, I’ve decided to give this film an 8 (great) out of 10 and, personally, I look forward to seeing it again. [Superhero Action Adventure]
This may be a minority opinion but I found this series badly written with a poorly constructed, underlying reality. The story unfolds in a format similar to 13 REASONS where each episode is one girl’s backstory. The plot is plodding. The “research project” is extremely unconvincing. The continuity is fractured. Basically, you not only have to suspend disbelief, but you also have to ignore any understanding of physical reality. I have no intention of watching them [spoiler] repeat this process with their male counterparts [\spoiler] in a second season. I began watching with a willingness to give it a chance but ended up regretting the wasted time. I give the series a 4 (poor) out of 10 [Young Adult Drama]
