h2223

This is one of the better crafted docuseries, IMO, in that it doesn't reveal the entire story in the first 30 minutes and then spend 12 hours rehashing the same thing over and over again like so many of these shows do.

Instead, it draws the story out, and because the details are so bizarre, you aren't sure what *actually* happened until things finally begin to come together at the end of the second episode (and are almost completely resolved by the end of the last episode -- with a few details frustratingly left out). So, a warning: don't watch the first or even second episode and think you know what happened -- because it isn't as obvious as it seems at first!

One of the things that really struck me is how much I was inclined to think a certain person was fabricating things due to their retelling of the events. They just had a way of retelling the events that made it sound like they were making things up-- and it turns out they weren't.

As a result, this series really made me think. It's so easy to form a conclusion based on somebody's vocal tone, facial expression, perceived "fake" emoting -- but that's a dangerous assessment to use to determine the truth. I consider myself to be a fairly intuitive, perceptive person and I feel like I can tell when someone's lying and when they're telling the truth. However, as mentioned, I was wrong about one of the honest people involved in this story -- and when I think about it, I have also been fooled a time or two by a REALLY skilled liar (the kind who can deliver a lie without breaking a sweat).

Unfortunately, in this case, it appears the cops made errors in judgment that ended up being really bad for the people involved. What a terrible bungling of this case on their part! There are certainly some really questionable tactics that cops use in their interrogations, and I'm sure that in many cases their instincts are correct, but they still need to have rock-solid systems in place to prevent biased judgments. I really worry sometimes when watching a show like this that there may be a LOT more innocent people sitting in prisons today than we can even fathom. (And a lot more criminals walking free because of that!)

All in all, this is definitely an interesting docuseries -- a strange story indeed, and well done on the part of the filmmakers. I hope the victims continue to do well and thrive.

I'm being more generous than I probably should with three stars for this movie, but it's visually pleasing (aside from the weird and cringey sex scenes), and the acting is very good, as is much of the cinematography.

All that being said... I don't understand why this movie was made or what it was supposed to be saying, other than that Kidman's character is a narcissist who needs therapy.

I'm a woman in my 50s, and it's really hard to imagine wanting to have anything to do with the extremely unappealing character her co-star has an affair with... especially if you're married to Antonio Banderas? And I'm not just talking about the fact that Banderas is very attractive and sexy, but that his character is smart and interesting and kind as well. So what the actual... is this woman's issue? Again, she seems to need therapy.

I understand that after 19 years with someone you're not going to find them hot and sexy most of the time, but it's very hard to imagine a woman in her position choosing to have an affair with this bland young man who has no charisma or sex appeal whatsoever. No offense to the actor as I'm sure he's perfectly sexy in real life, but his character exudes nothing interesting. If anything, he comes off almost like a meth head -- I cannot even imagine finding him appealing!

Perhaps the most honest moment is when Kidman's character says to her husband, "I'm not normal." Yep, she's not, and it's a bit excruciating watching her just be weird for 2 hours.

Also, as a woman in my 50s, and the mother of a twenty-something son, I'm really getting sick of these May-December movies where middle-aged women are having affairs with young guys. For the record, I find it gross the other way around too -- it's just that this particular trend seems to be catching on more than usual lately. Is this something we're calling women's empowerment? How about women being empowered to make a contribution in the world and do amazing things with our power? It feels like these women are desperate to stay relevant with their bodies and sex appeal, and I find it incredibly boring, pathetic, and sad.

I realize I sound like a sad, pathetic person myself, but personally, I just think we woman can do a LOT better than this tripe. Honestly, I wouldn't have even minded a movie about an affair if it seemed like the character Kidman chose had a freaking brain or was just totally irresistible in some way... but essentially the story is all about the fact that Kidman's character has never had an orgasm with her husband. Here's an idea for women who want to be empowered: TALK TO YOUR HUSBAND and get your needs met like an adult.

I realize this review is turning into my social commentary, lol. So back to a summary of the movie: it's unrealistic, the script is poor, the sex scenes are cringe, and the music is weird. I feel like the only realistic thing is how Banderas's character reacts to certain events. It may be the most redeeming part of the movie. And to be fair, at least Kidman's character does have the decency to feel remorse, so I guess there's that.

Overall, though, I genuinely don't understand why the film was made. It didn't add anything to my understanding of the world. If there was an important message to be made, I feel like the opportunity was missed. It's not the worst I've ever seen, but in my opinion it's far from the best. Your mileage may vary.

Not the best acted movie overall, but still pretty good and definitely a unique concept. And although I want to say it's ridiculously unrealistic... is anything unrealistic?

I'd even say "the world we live in today" is nuts enough to spawn a show like the one in this film, but I'm not sure we're any more nuts today than any past version of humanity (we used to draw and quarter people, chop their heads off in a guillotine, watch gladiator fights, etc.).

So, this is an extreme look at what society becomes when we are hypnotized by the drama of watching others suffer, when we don't have basic empathy for our fellow human beings.

The thing that hit me hardest is the storyline about the man who falls into hard financial times and can't provide for his family. I have personally experienced extreme financial distress and it's literally the only thing that has made me seriously consider ending my own life.

What the man in this film goes through is exactly how it feels when you can't make money -- when you try and try and no one will hire you for any kind of work, or when you're working 10x as hard as anyone else you know, and making 1/20th of what they are. It's the most demoralizing thing in the world.

People act as though you must be flawed, you must be doing something wrong, it MUST be your fault. We live in a society where people who don't have money are looked at as morally inferior. It's horrible. So I felt this character's pain to my core.

And it was sad to see his own wife act like he was failing her. I mean, what the heck was he supposed to do??? Here the guy is trying as hard as he can and she's telling him he's going to lose her and their kids if he loses their house. WOW. But again, not a surprise. When you're down financially, people will kick you (with rare exceptions) or just turn their backs.

I'm perhaps just now coming out of my own financial dark night which has lasted several years, and I can't say it's made me feel very good about humanity, aside from a couple of really amazing people who have helped me in ways I will never fully be able to thank them for (even if I'm able to repay them for the financial help they've offered).

Unfortunately, my situation has left me with a bad taste in my mouth about humanity in general. So, back to this movie... while it's pretty shocking, it's a fairly accurate, if not literal, portrayal of humanity's lack of care for each other.

I am not in the place of deep sorrow I have been in over the past few years, but if I was, I'm not sure I could handle this movie. Which is why I feel like it should have a trigger warning for those who may be contemplating ending their lives. However, I also think it does a pretty good job of not glamorizing suicide, so that's a positive.

Anyway, overall this was a very unique film, if not the best acted (Josh Duhamel's range in particular was just okay, not great). Giancarlo Esposito is always worth watching in my opinion, and he does a very good job in this. Worth watching for the social commentary alone, as long as you know up front that the subject matter may be difficult to take.