montymonvieux

Had been trying to see this forever and finally caught it on the free Tubi app. If the performances weren't so devoid of enthusiasm it might have fared better. I understand the premise of a character trying to find meaning in a questionable world, but the lifelessness of some actors' delivery makes this film look like a low budget movie that is trying to look sophisticated and important. Unfortunately it has little impact. I wonder if the director had been a native English speaker then perhaps he might have recognized what appears to be a lack of acting talent by some cast members.

On the other hand It was fun to see late sixties Los Angeles and fascinating to note that an English roadster could have been purchased for such a paltry sum! Interesting to note the main character's choice to listen to classical music as he drove about town. I recognized the lovely "Scheherazade," (Op. 35: I. The Sea and Sinbad's Ship) by Rimsky Korsakov as well as several pop tunes of the era. Other than a few points of interest, there wasn't much to draw the viewer in. I suggest watching this since it's become available on a free app, only if it has been eluding your many attempts to track it down.

OK, The writing doesn't create the most exciting story line, but the actors do a fantastic job-acting realistically and creating well developed characters who are believable. The scenery is just beautiful. Sometimes it's nice to watch a show that gives somewhat if a feeling of overhearing a conversation or being in a room, simply observing and listening.

I agree that some things don't make sense, the hairstyles and some fashions might not be era-appropriate (some expressions are of a different era, too), the now expected token gay characters popping up, etc.

Personally I enjoy stories that place the English outside of England, immersed in a culture other than their own. It's fun to see how some retain the buttoned-up, unrelenting stiffness typically associated with a certain class, while others evolve and thrive as they become open and drawn to embrace appreciation of pleasure.

All in all a pleasant experience and vast improvement over much of the shoddy trash that viewers are exposed to on a regular basis. I suggest giving this series a fair chance.

I almost stopped watching this early on because I found the narration to be irritating and almost like a parody of a narration to a serious documentary. I persevered, however, and learned a lot of things about MM that hadn't been mentioned in previous written or filmed biographies. The biography also introduced the viewer to previously unknown people who were involved in MM's life in childhood and later, as she worked to develop her career. It was satisfying to hear someone say outright that she was visited by RFK on the day she died and silenced by being murdered in a straightforward manner. The death by suicide "question" and other mysteries can finally be laid to rest. Marilyn Monroe will always be a person of great interest due to her enigmatic personality, complicated life experience and immense physical beauty.

I was actually enjoying this film and expected to recommend it to friends. It held my attention almost until the ending which I found to be flat, leaving me with the feeling there were too many questions left unanswered. It had been going along so well and I didn't begin to question the motives of the characters until I had watched about three quarters of the film. The stylistic decisions were great-I appreciated the visual contrast of the environments of Tom's dusty, dimly lit bookstore and his father's slick and artificial looking, gold detailed apartment.

I wanted to know what became of Max and the gold digging stepmother. Wasn't she still trustee of the foundation and if so, wouldn't that leave Tom at further risk? I was disappointed that Tom left the bookstore with Sandra/Sandy at the end. If she had somehow been connected to Tom's plan to recoup his stolen inheritance the outcome would have felt more positive. I'm glad I watched it. The performances were believable and quite good, but I was pleased with the film's conclusion,

I almost bypassed this due to the preponderance of bad ratings by reviewers. On the whole this was a well-made film and the low rating has absolutely nothing to do with that! I understand that many people who gave this a bad review were frustrated by Sarma's continuing belief in Shane/Anthony's delusional thought process and the choices she made. I have known several extremely well-educated, intelligent women who made regretful decisions based on their misfortune of meeting men like Shane/Anthony. I, too, have been misled by a deceitful person, but thankfully my personal experience was of a lesser degree and shorter length of time. Regardless of the male partner's level of criminality, dollar value of crime, disregard for ethical behavior and bad decision making, the woman is left with feelings of deep shame and embarrassment. Chances are she will never trust another man after such an encounter. Yes, Anthony's bizarre rants were quite unbelievable to the viewer, but he knew how to victimize the two women he married and held captive. I say give this a chance. You won't find harsh criticism for the filmmakers or their product. If you must think of Sharma as a "dumb blonde," "bimbo," or more politely, a tragically naive woman, be grateful you and those women you care for weren't in her place.

I did a lot of fast forwarding to get through this. New to Apple TV and disappointed to learn how little content is available without extra purchase price. Thought I would try this because there are few adult dramas available these days and I am done with woke remakes of classics and re-telling history.

This series had some interesting themes-the relationship Alice's mother in law had with the grandchildren, Alice and David, for example. The Sophie character was manipulative and despicable and reminded me of people I have actually known. The reality vs. Fantasy/film making could be confusing at times.

Although I forced myself to play every episode to the end (with fast forwarding at times), I believe this series is not for most people; do not watch if nudity and sex scenes make you uncomfortable (fast forwarding feature comes in handy here!). Good luck if you decide to watch.

This series is much grittier than anything I would typically watch, however the individual characters are quite compelling and the music is absolutely wonderful. The fact that actual musicians were cast in their roles, as opposed to actors playing musicians was a brilliant choice.

A very compelling film from the silent era. Even if you don't have much patience to sit through silent films, I believe you will make an exception in this case. Louise Brooks is absolutely radiant in Diary of a Lost Girl, and it grieves me to know her film career was cut short due to Hollywood's demands and expectations. If she had continued making films with European directors, she could have avoided much of her tragic lifestyle.

This film is available to view on the Kanopy app, which is affiliated with many public libraries.

Why, oh why are great masterpieces remade? This one is a dismal failure!

After having read the wonderful novel and viewed Hitchcock's extraordinary film version repeatedly, (it remains one of my top ten favorite films) I must dismiss this this as a dismal failure.

Some observations and impressions: Many lines are delivered in a strange manner, throwing off the meaning they should convey. Mrs Van Hopper is played as a gross, cliched caricature of the nouveau riche American visiting "The Continent." Lily James's awkward, loud performance lacks Joan Fontaine's lovely shy, reticence and femininity as the second Mrs. deWinter. Her hairstyle and wardrobe are inaccurate for the time period and she's rather unkempt looking for a time period where every hair was expected to be in place; lipstick and jewelry always worn. If she had been shown in a pair of trousers once, I would accept it, but wearing them repeatedly-and bell bottoms? Nope! And wrong era!

Armie Hammer is quite handsome, but he's no Maxim de Winter! His performance lacks the somber, dignity and self-possessed aura of privilege necessary to appear as an aristocratic gentleman. Kristin Scott Thomas's delivery of lines is plainly awkward, yet Keeley Hawes plays Beatrice Lacey well, as she excels in the society lady role.

I miss the heavy air of romantic melancholia in Hitchcock's Manderley (and he achieved that on a limited Hollywood sound stage). This version is like a terrible TV movie. Sadly, the new "Rebecca" is beyond disappointing and I do not recommend it.

UPDATE:

I'm not a person who gives up easily, so I forced myself to watch all 164 episodes (yes, there are actually 164 episodes!). Hallelujah! I am finally free!

My advice: don't waste your time unless you are able to tolerate overly-long, played out scenes, cheesy sentiment, and an ever-growing array of unattractive, repugnant characters. The contrast between the classes is cliched beyond belief.

Not recommended!

I read the screenplay which was published in book form decades ago-maybe in the mid-seventies-and recall finding it depressing.

Just finished watching this new Netflix film and must comment on the terrific casting and production-the clothing and set design were as "spot on" as possible, but more importantly the acting was superb. Each character was distinct and believable. The setting was close and intimate, but not claustrophobic. In revisiting this drama decades after first reading the screenplay, I would describe it as sad, rather than depressing.

Fortunately the LGBT community finds much more visibility and acceptance today. This production clearly depicts self-loathing, repression and invisibility felt by some in the sixties. A good period piece with some light moments, but still very sad.

I watched this twice! I'm not sure why it doesn't have a higher overall rating. I love observational and intelligent humor and Dr. Jason Leong excels at this! His humor is reminiscent of Russell Peters' observations of various ethnicities during the earlier part of his career. I recommendation this to anyone who is in need of a lighthearted break during these restrictive times.

I decided to watch this on Netflix after watching and enjoying the original Spanish production, "Gran Hotel," which was extraordinarily well done. This Egyptian version is a slight alteration of that original.

I am enjoying the story, despite the lack of authentic costuming, etc. In each scene I am distracted by the hair, clothing and accessories which are more reminiscent of 1980s to early 2000-era traditional styles, and quite unlike 1950s-era fashion and grooming. Perhaps they did not have access to a budget for authentic vintage clothing or costume design and production. I find the sets to be very limited as well.

Aside from the visual limitations, the story is quite compelling due to the talented actors. I recommend it to those who enjoyed the original Spanish series.

I know matchmaking is very accepted in India and I can see it as simply another way to meet a prospective mate. I really enjoyed this series and hope there will be another season. I'm curious to know how the first season's clients relationships worked out. I was impressed by the skills of the astrologer and the face reader, and also by the fact that Sima, the matchmaker consulted them.

The show is entertaining at the very least, and offers those of us who are not familiar with Indian culture and customs an opportunity to see how this matchmaking practice works.

As one who has an interest in food preparation and presentation, I was impressed by the culinary skills of the contestants, and tried to ignore the extraneous theatrics as much as possible. The professional chef judges added some helpful commentary (despite the fact that they were foolishly portrayed as food gods). I found the host ("presenter," as the British say) to be very unappealing and indelicate; she seemed an odd choice to include in a creative cookery competition. Despite its drawbacks, I remain impressed by the talented contestants.

I binge watched this and could have sworn I had seen it before. I even paused one episode to look at IMDB to double check the date of production. I can't recall what it reminds me of but I suppose there are only so many plot lines that can be written for this time period. With that said, it was enjoyable in its detail-production value, cast, direction, etc. Some of the music had a familiar Downton Abbey sound to it. I suppose poor Julian Fellowes won't ever be able to escape Downton comparisons for the rest of his life. Signed up for free trial of Epix channel just to watch complete series, as Amazon Prime offered just the first episode.

Dave uses bad language (the F-word) repeatedly, without regard to whom he is speaking-his family, the exceptionally polite Japanese, older people, etc. He leaves an impression of being very disrespectful.

As others have said the show is extremely political. Why is this type of person/behavior praised/encouraged? Could say more, but not necessary. Others have said it all. So unprofessional.

Full of suspense and packed with action, some violence and unsavory evil types. I am still watching it and losing my patience with several characters because they repeatedly engage in behavior that is detrimental to their plight. I wonder how Ali can keep his teaching job at an elite prep school if he appears with bruises and cuts on his face so often?

If you have a condition that is brought on by stress (binge eating or drinking, skin scratching, etc.) prepare for a rough ride! I have coped with both the tedium and stress by fast forwarding.

This is not my favorite version of Little Women, but I understand completely why it resonates with today's generation of young women and girls. I saw this with a teenager and her mother; they both loved it. To me it resonated as "Angry and Political Little Women" and I am one of those who was disappointed that it deviated from Alcott's text so much.

There was absolutely no reason for Little Women to be remade - especially in this strange choppy style. There have been several excellent versions available for decades- especially the one which features Winona Ryder as Jo and a much earlier version with Katharine Hepburn as Jo.

I understand that I am in the minority and not a member of the new woke masses but, Hollywood, please stop remaking good movies! Stop politicizing everything and rewriting history to fit into today's political standards. It comes across as naive and false.

The visual appeal of the actors, costumes, hairstyles, and settings is chosen with great detail. Since this show is from Spain I will not criticize the very dramatic style which is far more expressive than the reserved English style that I am used to watching in this type of series. I can only assume that it is culturally accurate and I now look forward to watching more international dramas on Netflix.

Like others I must complain (loudly) about the ridiculous music choices in this otherwise gorgeous series: hip hop, teenage-sounding girly voices singing cheesy pop songs, rap music... it's all so distracting and and literally rips the viewer away from the historical aspect of the series. Such a Godawful, unfortunate choice!

Also I must say I understand that these women were supposed to be modern and ahead of their time period, but in an attempt to make the series palatable to today's "woke" audience, too many advanced, social mores are shown to be easily accepted by a rather large group of people in early twentieth century Spain.

Spanish drama series with English language dubbing and subtitles available. Many of the actors are extraordinarily good looking, the ship settings are fairly convincing, the fashions are somewhat appropriate for the timeframe, but some of the women's hairstyles are sadly inaccurate.

Basically what you'd expect of this genre: over the top story lines and plot twists (plenty of them!) and melodramatic acting, lots of dastardly villains, pretty damsels and handsome heroes to look at. Not for everyone, but some will really like it!

Beautiful photography, scenery, costumes, and actors. The title, I believe, is poorly translated, however, as the word "mistress" today generally implies a female companion of a married man and most definitely someone other than his wife. "Life of a Mistress" sounds a bit cheesy, also. This story is centered on the complicated life of a beautiful serf (slave or servant) who is also the illegitimate child of a nobleman. An Amazon Prime reviewer suggested the title should be "Manumission," as it is a better translation for the document "Volnaya Gramota" (the Russian title) that ensures freedom for the enslaved person. I agree. The manumission document or lack thereof is the very key to how her future life will be lived.

Be prepared for a great number of complex plots and sub-plots to surface throughout the series. I have completed watching only half the episodes at this point and am taking a break due to over-saturation! It's a fairly elaborate and sometimes exasperating experience, but enjoyable all the same. As Trumpkin would say, it's "Yuge!"

Ugh! Bad penny male character was so well done he actually gave me the creeps! Brought on symptoms of PTSD with respect to rotten-to-the-core narcissistic individual I had the sad misfortune of knowing. Forty years later I still don't trust easily.

The naive, kind-hearted, wealthy woman, optimistically looking for love, was an easy target and the perfect victim. Those dastardly types of men seldom choose their hard hitting equals when selecting a person to harm. I rate this an 8 out of 10.

Watching this on Amazon Prime. It's a series I hadn't had the opportunity to view on television. Yes, it's dated and some police techniques might seem questionable by today's standards, but it's ahead of its time by focusing on a female police officer and female victims and criminals. Lots of terrific early performances by actors who became well known and respected.

Don't understand why this series has some negative reviews. I find it to be a smart and engaging police drama. Want more episodes, please!