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Reviews

Napoleon
(2023)

Spectacle, but not much else
Ambition, a central problem for the real Napoleon, proves the doom of this movie. I really enjoyed Kirby as the discarded Josephine. She's brilliant. But the rest of the movie proved rather feckless. When you try to distill a highly consequential life into less than three hours, you're setting yourself up for failure. Yes, even Ridley Scott couldn't pull that off. Gladiator flows quite well, but Napoleon simply failed. Pacing is horribly bad in this movie, and the performances are disappointing overall. Kirby couldn't make this movie stand up by herself. The movie has to skip over much significance in Napoleon's life, which makes it feel rather empty through the middle 90 minutes. Focusing on a short time period, like Lincoln did with DD Lewis doing so great in the title role, probably would've been fine for Napoleon. A movie just about his first exile, Waterloo, then St. Helena for two and a half hours would've likely been great. But Sir Ridley wanted nearly a third of a century covered. Ambition has ruined many men and movies. Sadly, that horribly trick trait strikes again.

Chicago Fire: Always
(2014)
Episode 1, Season 3

Shay rules!!!
I REALLY, REALLY, REALLY disliked the killing off of Shay. She was my fave character on the show. However, this is also the best episode thus far in Chicago Fire. The heroism displayed, and the ways in which the characters dealt with the trauma are well done. The best part, though, is how Shay plays such a central role. The flashbacks are incredible, and I really like how she comes off in the episode. I'm not sure if I'm going to keep going with the show because I don't think it will be as good without Shay. Seeing her lose her life hurt, but you know a show gets to you when you feel bad about the loss of a character. The aftermath of Shay's death on her pal Severide is an another excellent part of this episode.

Wilderness
(2023)

Dumbest detectives in history
I really enjoyed Jenna Coleman, but otherwise the acting isn't all that great. There are some good dramatic moments and unexpected twists, which add to the show's value. However, there's a lot of holes that drag down the show. There simply wasn't enough evidence to arrest Garth. How in the heck could police get a warrant to arrest him? How did Liv get Cara's number in her phone contacts? That was never explained, but the police could've easily found a suspicious link between the two. And the detectives believe Liv's explanation when she's found on the surveillance video stalking Cara? The two detectives are dumb as dirt. Liv's hubby never saw the text that Cara would be at the overlook, but Liv assumes her husband is the one just because a person is wearing his jacket? The show doesn't drag out too much. It moves well enough. I was just left a bit empty by the unrealistic parts of the story.

The Northman
(2022)

Rather slow hero
So, the kid swears to avenge his dad's murder and save his mom from slavery. 20 years later, he finally gets around to doing something about it after he miraculously hears about where the murderer is while the hero enslaves people he just conquered. You think he would've done more about saving his mom and getting justice for his dad??? What kind of hero is this? I found the screenplay appalling, and the acting rather poor. Can you believe Nicole Kidman as won an Oscar? You never would if you saw her in this. And then to age her she gets a really bad facelift of makeup that looks hideously bad. Three stars for some interesting CGI, but that's about it.

Tracking Edith
(2016)

Teeters between interesting and boring
I would've rated this higher if more compelling information about why Edith mattered as a spy was included. The documentary makers say she changed history, but the case isn't made that well. She seems to have been a big factor in the effectiveness of the Cambridge 5, but it doesn't seem like Edith was central to that whole story. I like the inclusion of many of her photos, and I think the documentary might be more meaningful to people interested in photography rather than espionage. Interviews with her 100+ year old brother are the highlight. Some of the details about her personality and general life are interesting, but the last half hour seems a bit stilted, giving me a "Who Cares?" mindset about the whole thing.

Licorice Pizza
(2021)

Underage romance???????
In this day and age, how can a romance between a 25-year-old and a 15-year-old ever get financed? I can see why this movie failed to make its budget back. There are some positives, like the soundtrack and Bradley Cooper's performance. But this is generally appalling. I don't see how it got a Best Pic nomination, or how anyone had the chutzpah to make it.

The Talented Mr. Ripley
(1999)

Boring
I enjoyed the Oscar nominated score. That set the tone. Otherwise, I was bored out of my mind. This is one of the most overrated films of the 90s. It's not really suspenseful at all. To call this a Hitchcock-like movie is an insult.

Crazy Heart
(2009)

Dumbest mom in history?
A decent movie, not a great one. It's rather predictable, and the music isn't that memorable. But Bridges' performance was wonderful. HIs love interest sure was the dumbest mom in history, handing over a four-year-old to an alcoholic love interest way passed his prime. It won't knock your socks off, but it's not a waste of time, either.

Midnight Mass
(2021)

Interesting takedown of fanaticism, but rather slow
There were parts of this limited series that shined. Although I found Siegel's performance weak, the acting was very enjoyable to watch in most cases, especially a great Samantha Sloyan. I hope she wins awards for her portrayal of the priest's wacko assistant. However, only the last two episodes really stand out. It takes more than five hours for this to get anywhere. I cared enough to keep watching, but they could've cut two of the first hours without any problem.

Alias Grace
(2017)

Didn't like the ending
Sarah Godon was wonderful, as were the interiors and overall photography. The story was riveting at times, and there were some excellent supporting characters. This just didn't stick with me. There are some rather slow parts, and the last episode seemed rather odd in presentation. The ending was very disappointing.

Sound of Metal
(2019)

Generally boring
I thought this movie would live up to the hype, but I was totally bored for most of the two hours. Ahmed's performance is good, but not amazing. There's just not much holding this movie together. I felt let down because it sounded like the movie would be very emotional and fulfilling.

The Queen's Gambit
(2020)

Enjoyable but a bit bland
Anya Taylor-Joy will be a great star. She was perfect in this wonderful role. Six hours of time to get through it is worth it just for her performance. I wasn't attached to really any other character, however. The lead dominated the screen always, so the supporting characters left a bit to me desired. Some of the episodes seemed slow, as well. If they cut an hour, the pace would have been better.

Frida
(2002)

Salma deserved the Oscar
Regardless of how great Kidman was in "The Hours," Salma Hayek deserved Best Actress for this role of a lifetime. This is a strong movie. More of a focus on her painting would've been desirable, but it's a great story, and Salma was perfect.

The Way Back
(2010)

Boring trumps emotional impact
Lots of time walking across a desert. Boring. A great emotional and physical struggle for each individual is depicted, but the very slow pace destroyed this movie.

Watership Down
(2018)

Good, but I prefer the movie
Telling this wonderful story as a 90 minute movie works better than a 3 1/2 hour, 4-episode show. Standing on its own, though, this mini-series is worth watching. There's just timeless perfection in the movie that can't be topped. Zero Mostel as Keehar, Bigwig not calling Hazel his chief until the climactic moment, the timid yet determined Fiver perhaps as the true leader. These are examples of where the movie tops the series, and they are key points giving the movie such stellar emotional power. But enjoy this mini-series. It's a respectable effort to give the heroes and heroines of Watership Down a voice to the latest generation.

Les filles du soleil
(2018)

Not as gripping as expected
The story of female Kurdish warriors fighting ISIS to save their hometown and families could've been one of the greatest movies ever. But this movie doesn't get to that level. It's good, but not great. The story of Kurdish determination gets muddled quite a bit by the focus on the French journalist and the frequent flashbacks. Sometimes flashbacks work, and at least in this movie it's obvious what's a flashback. I just wasn't as moved as much as I thought I'd be.

Nefta Football Club
(2018)

Fave from Manhattan Short this year
This won my vote as the best film at Manhattan Short this year. It's difficult to blend comedy and drama well, but this delightful experience is a true gem.

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