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Reviews
Dead Ringers (2023)
One Actress Two Personas!
I binge-watched Dead Ringers through to the end. A lot to unpack and had me thinking about it well after it ended. The series touches on issues concerning women such as, childbirth, mental health, relationships, et al. Rachel Weisz is just amazing becoming twin sisters with two very different personalities. Yet, as twins, their unique relationship with each other and their extreme interconnectedness, becomes a fraught struggle - a psychological tug-of-war. Certainly not a series or storyline for everyone (evidenced by the number of very inarticulate and negative comments!); very graphic birthing scenes, strong sexual and drug content, coarse language, etc, that some may find uncomfortable. Still, the performances are strong and I felt the serie's six epi's were just right creating the arc of its story.
The Strays (2023)
No, it's not the greatest, but...
I won't go over the plot, as many of the more articulate reviewers have done so. I gave this film a 10 as it needs a little help to not be so dismissed as represented by the low numbers it's received. Unfortunately, I've noticed that too many contemporary audience members have been "dumbed down" over the decades by lazily written films and tv shows. (A reason great literature and classical music are frequently disregarded.)
Now, I'm not saying this was a fantastic movie. But, it held its own. Being a psychological and revenge piece, the film touches on abuse, and the intersectionality of race, racial identity, family, class, priviledge, etc. (For example, what can abuse to do a person and how does that person convince themselves that, upon fleeing that situation, their world is now safe and free from "destruction". How do those left in an abusive environment deal with being abandoned, not by their father, as is far more common, but by their mother?)
While this is not a "deep" movie and certain scenes only begin to touch on some of these issues, I felt it was done well enough to hold my attention until the end - not a waste of my time at all. And the dark comedic ending just had me chuckling at the writer's wit.
For me, at least, it wasn't just another in a long line of CGI, Marvel/DC/car chases/shoot-em-up/blood and gore nonsense that's perpetually cranked out by the studios. At least this writer/director was attempting to be a little more original and for that, these days, I have to give him a lot credit.
42 Días en la Oscuridad (2022)
An Exceptional Drama
I guess some viewers just don't "get it". Being forever groomed by "hollow"-wood tv and movies, this film is not uber-lite viewing and not for the impatient. No, this doesn't have the young, shallow stereo-typical characters pulled from model magazines. It's not a fast, lotsa-action-blood-shoot-em-up film with genius forensic folks who can hack into every databank in the world to catch the killer. Nope. This film, which I enjoyed right from the first epi, is a deep study in characters immersed in a mystery.
The story takes place in a small gated community in Chile and while one aspect of the film is certainly trying to solve "what happened", the director chooses to focus on those involved closest to the investigation. The local police are unsure of themselves. But the general public is certainly coming up with its own answers which, in turn, have their own effects. Meanwhile, questions persist, which path to follow? - emotions run high, doubts, obsessions, frustration, (secrets?) all push their boundaries. What happens to a family and those around them when a life event suddenly interupts their "normal"?
I admit, I watch a lot of films. From the low-brow to the high. There are a lot wonderful foreign films that I've enjoyed due to the fact they're so unlike the common American pulp. For me, finding the series 42 Dias de Obscuridad on Netflix was a refreshing weekend binge!
BigBug (2022)
Wonderfully Quirky and Originally Creative
Ok, so this movie is not for everyone. (Still, it doesn't deserve the deprecation - geeeez, I so hate lame, inarticulate, low rated reviews on IMDB.) If you are familiar with French writer-director Jean-Pierre Jeunet's prior works, this film, too, falls in line with his originality, and incredibly artistic and humorous sensibilities. Others who've enjoyed this movie have already explained its premise. So, I won't go into that here - but just to invite those who'd at least try to view something different from the usual tween, lunchroom slop of BIG NOIZE movies. While this outing by Jeunet isn't perfect, it's wholly creative in its approach and appearance as well as its underlying humor. I thoroughly enjoyed it and look forward to his future efforts!
Ma Rainey's Black Bottom (2020)
A Film for Intelligent Viewers
This movie, in its "simplicity", genuinely made an impact on me. Certainly, it is not for the average movie-goer waiting for action or texting or socializing with their friends. Reading the negative reviews I can only presume many are just incapable of truly paying attention (were you getting popcorn at the time?), - "boring, mundane, no direction, no story...", geeeeez...how low-brow is our culture becoming? - are we just raising generations who require literature to be presented as picture books!
While the film takes place in the 1920's, during a scheduled recording session (for the increasingly popular singer, Ma Rainey and her band), it is rich in detail if you pay attention. Life as a person of color is made painfully clear as it is expressed through the telling of personal stories, life philosophies, and the dynamics and relationships between the characters. Through language, emotion and expression, this film tells a story that many (white folks) probably don't like to hear or acknowledge. And Boseman captures it brilliantly (should've won the Oscar for this role!) as well as Viola Davis (even if her time on screen is short); complex and volatile.
While I never had the chance to see Ma Rainey as a play, I felt its adaption to film was still powerful. I highly recommend it to those few who are able to appreciate good story-telling.
Star Trek: Discovery (2017)
A Lot of Hate Misses the Point!
I see this new, and quite original, Star Trek show has been getting a lot of vitriolic hate from Trekkie fans! (Geez...Tommy and Billy, let's get all of our Star Trek friends to unload immature and unwarranted hate 'cause, it's just not like the old shows we watched!) And while I enjoyed those old shows, honestly, they were kinda cheezy (but in a good way). Even Patrick Stewart acknowledged the lack of intellectual depth of STNG. From Hollywood studios, we all know it was about simple entertainment for a mass audience.
However, having watched Discovery from the beginning, I feel the backlash from haters is completely unwarranted. One doesn't have to like it or follow it. But one should, at least, be able to appreciate another artist's thoughtful and skillful interpretation within the ST pantheon.
Unlike its predecessors being more light-hearted and popcorn-oriented incarnations, this version is darker, more serious, and has a long story arc which, for me, is far more engaging. The characters, acting, CGI and interstellar environment are all handled expertly, and I enjoy the fact that Discovery possesses a more "literary" offering in the sci-fi genre than the common, easily consumable "lets have fun in outer space" TV series.
It's difficult to speculate whether the mob-mentality of its detractors will bring Discovery to an end. I, for one, hope the network and the show's creators/writers will be able to continue, increasing its audience, and maintaining the series' integrity in future seasons.
Contracted (2013)
Nice Little Creep Flik
I enjoyed this this film! Unfortunately, it's gotten quite a bit of needless trashing. Honestly, I don't believe Contracted deserves it. For a short, smaller budget movie, I felt it worked quite well. It's a simple story of a troubled young woman who, being intoxicated at a party, appears to have contracted an STD from an individual who's taken advantage of her. What follows the morning after, well let's say, begins a very unpleasant journey related to her health. The film is quick-paced and the acting was right on (most of the time) and for the most part, the story followed the logic of the protagonist (which is not that uncommon among certain people like herself). If you are an astute and observant film goer, like a bit of disgusting appurtenance included, and don't view movies with such a literal and critical attitude, I do believe you may experience a pleasant 90 minutes with Contracted!
I Am the Pretty Thing That Lives in the House (2016)
A Beautifully Crafted Horror Film
While I rarely post reviews of films or post comments online, I felt compelled to try and reverse the trend of trashing this film by so many philistines. (And I won't waste precious space with my dissertation about America's sad cultural decline and the elevation of low-brow mediocrity to the high standard it enjoys today.)
Briefly, the film is a minimalist offering by Osgood Perkins. It concerns the interactions between a very anxious, young hospice nurse, assigned to take care of an ailing author of horror stories, and a cold, emotionless lawyer in charge of the author's estate; all taking place in an isolated house built in the early 19th century. Using dramatic chiaroscuro, pale colors, a paucity of household furnishings, subtle noises and an off-tone, muted and bare musical score, the filmmaker carefully creates an atmosphere which quickly plays on the viewer's mind (if you are open to such things). The superb acting and narration only add to this frightful poem and while the story may feel somewhat disjointed to some, I found myself dwelling on this provocative movie for quite some time. I feel grateful that there are still filmmakers, like Osgood Perkins and Robert Eggers (who made "The Witch"), who possess incredible imaginations and truly understand the craft of making very powerful and emotive films for those who want more out of experiencing a film than the usual bombastic, no-need-to- think, carnival ride that is so prevalent today.
If one has ever been alone, overnight, in an old dark house, as the surroundings begin to close in on you and and the thought that you are not alone takes hold, then, I believe, you'll be receptive to this wonderful film.
The Birth of a Nation (2016)
A Story Well Told
Let me begin by saying the film, Birth of a Nation, is a fictional story based on the events of Nat Turner's attempt at leading a slave rebellion in August 21, 1831, in Southampton County, Virginia. Personally, I thought this film was a story well told. The pace is deliberately slow, pulling the viewer into a terrible world, experiencing the unjust nature of a white community regarding blacks as less than human. The story captures the ubiquity of this attitude and the sense that one's life as a black person had little value. While brutality and cruelty against blacks are evident throughout the entire movie, the graphics of such behavior are kept to a minimum; which I thought, in conjunction with other details, both subtle and overt, worked very well in conveying the fearful environment in which slaves had to endure their entire lives. The story proceeds in a manner that the viewer has to consider the ultimate actions of the protagonist, who is pushed to the edge of the abyss and chooses to make decisions that will affect himself as well as others.
Unfortunately, this film has invited a number of commentators who are, in my opinion, racists, white-supremacists, and whites who don't care to hear about this time in our country's history or seek to disavow and downplay the suffering of blacks. Also, I strongly disagree with comments which claim this film is a "sanitized" version of said history. This film's atmosphere is created in a more subtle nature and with regards to its historical accuracy, seriously, it's an artist's fictional telling of events and, as a well-told story, I would certainly recommend viewing Birth of a Nation.
August: Osage County (2013)
Intense Family Drama
I'm not going to go into a synopsis of the film as I believe many reviews have already done so quite adequately. I just wanted to say I saw this film on Netflix the other night having no prior knowledge of it, the play, or its author. For me, the film hit me like gutting a trout! The location, settings, lighting, actors, dialogue...just incredible! This is a dark and intense observation into the few days of a family gathering that feels like an autopsy. It is not a film for viewers who only "watch" movies. If you are the type of person who doesn't listen well to dialogue, what's being said, or you're not into following details, or understand symbolism, you'll probably miss the story. (I feel most of the very negative reviews on this site reflect this attitude.) To summarize, kudos for an insightful film that unfortunately reflects a number of families, whose desire to hide and not speak about the past, perpetuates pain generation after generation.