Euroky Reviews

The Other End of the Line (2007)

I wanted to like this movie more!

[7/10 · 6 November 2008]

All the elements were there, but the editing was flat and scenes tended to play out way past their usefulness.

Thinking it was directed by an Eastern Indian, I excused these things to my companion as, "Well, perhaps they have a different sensibility and sense of timing in Mumbai." But then I learned it was written and directed by Americans and was doubly depressed.

...Line has a great premise and is mostly acted and directed well. Maybe I'm too used to the fast pace of a/a films and TV, but scenes trailed off with no 'button,' some of the time actors looked adrift and the Indian actors ("Jennifer's" relatives in particular) were very melodramatic and over-the-top. All IMO, of course.

All that aside, I teared up at the right moments and for the most part enjoyed the two leads. I'd recommend it, but unfortunately not whole-heartedly.

The Ex List (2008–2009)

Canceled

[8/10 · 28 October 2008]

Just read in Studio Briefing they're canceling Ex-List. What a shame. IMO, it has some of the sharpest writing and delivery on air.

The cast is perfect for the series. Despite the moral issue of all the boyfriends, hookups and casual sex, Elizabeth Reaser is ideal in the lead. It's about time she got her shot. And her fellow cast- mates fit nicely, too; the sort of wish-fulfilling, "Friends" friends we all wish we had.

Forget how lightweight it is, they can't all be as clumsy and terminally hip as Fringe. It's a perfect Friday night show and a good lead-in for Numbers.

Too bad.....

Grey's Anatomy: Dream a Little Dream of Me: Part 1 (2008) Season 5, Episode 1

Anatomy casting

[10/10 · 27 September 2008]

I think special kudos should go to the excellent casting on this season's opener: Bernadette Peters, Kathy Bates and Mariette Hartley?? OMG, what a powerhouse trio! And Cliff DeYoung and John Getz were right there with them, too.

And Kevin McKidd was (would be?) a great addition. Perhaps like Noah Wiley (you now, the one on that other show about doctors), Sandra Oh will decide to take a sabbatical in some war-torn country...

OTOH, the regulars are, well ... just that. It's like Shonda Rhimes said, 'Okay, you're all coming back this year but we really don't want you to do or be anything different -- just be more of what you were before.

I swear, if I have to listen to Ellen Pompeo kvetch any more I'm going to scream! Or worse, stop watching. Considering the show's named after her character (and granting how much harder it is to write a protagonist than an antagonist), IMO she's the weakest link.

The others...eh. Karev started off well, then became über-surly as usual; Izzie is still doe-eyed, only more so; George is still ... George, and Lexie was-- Well, you get the idea. The writers took the standard personalities and added a couple zeroes on the end, but there were no surprises or character revelations. Ho-hum.

The Mentalist (2008–2015)

Rebuttal

[5/10 · 26 September 2008]

Gee ManOWar, it appears your tastes don't go much farther than the obvious, else you'd recognize the original idea (a detective with hyper-tuned senses of observation) dates clear back to Sherlock Holmes and beyond.

Psyche is no more original than Mentalist, but as any copyright lawyer will tell you, you can't protect an idea, only the creative expression thereof. IMO, The Mentalist is a nicely creative expression of a very old and intriguing idea.

I'l be curious to see where it goes, but it certainly beats the inane silliness of Psyche, though I liked the show till this one came along. Who knows, it might not survive a season of scrutiny, either, but for the time being it'll do...

Samurai: The Last Warrior (2004 TV Movie)

Additional information on the Samurai culture

[30 March 2005]

From being a long time Kurosawa fan, as well as seeing more recent 'samurai' films, I found this DVD a nice companion piece for the information it contains. It expands on the genesis and history of the samurai nicely, as well as putting the whole culture into political and socio-economic perspective. It's well put together, concise and covers a lot of ground in a short amount of time. It should do well with others who've seen the movies and want to know more about these warriors, as well as a possible learning/teaching tool in schools. Turnbull -- the authors' "expert" -- certainly knows his stuff, and from a simple internet search and the amount of material he's published on the subject, it's obvious he *is* a world-class scholar when it comes to the samurai.