fbianco-99862 Reviews

Baby Reindeer (2024)

Final scene leaves hope for a 2nd season.

[10/10 · 13 April 2024]

Would love to find out more about Richard Gadd and how he overcame such a traumatic nightmare. Loved the ending, almost full circle like. How hard it must have been for Gadd to relive that horrible experience. The triggers were everywhere. You can't help but to feel sorry for Donnie. So many people have experienced similar atrocities and I would recommend that they don't watch this series. I was only going to watch one episode today but like a good book just couldn't put it down. I actually want to watch it again. Knowing how it ends may turn down the stress level while allowing me to see the big picture a little better. Richard, thank for sharing!

Good Grief (IV) (2023)

Very dark film. So similar to the way things go in real life.

[9/10 · 6 January 2024]

Beautifully filmed in London and Paris. Excellent cinematography and set decoration. And just the right pacing of motion and lighting by first time movie direction from Daniel Levy, who also wrote, produced and stars in his unique story of love, loss, sadness and friendship. Its so refreshing to see a story of queer love without seeing guys just ripping off their shirts for one night stands. Not much happiness is found here, but that's what makes this so true to life. I highly recommend watching this on Netflix and look forward to seeing what's next from Daniel Levy. Don't watch this looking for comparison to Shitts Creek, it's about 180° opposite.

Ferrari (2023)

So much better than I thought it was going to be.

[9/10 · 29 December 2023]

Amazing camera direction by Michael Mann. The extreme close up shots are very powerful exclamation points in the scenes. But it's the performances by the main characters that impressed me most. I'd be very surprised if Penelope Cruz and Adam Driver don't get award nominations. Cruz commanded the scenes she was in with a powerful performance. But Adam Driver steals the film with the performance of his career. While he was worthy of Oscar nominations for Blakklansman and Marriage Story his deep and believable grasp of who Enzo Ferrari was is amazing. Even though Michael Mann takes some creative license by having the characters speaking English with Italian accents doesn't really take away from the drama. I thoroughly enjoyed and highly recommend seeing this movie.

All the Light We Cannot See (2023)

Brought tears to my eyes in the end.

[9/10 · 6 November 2023]

Brilliant acting by the 2 teenagers. I rooted for them throughout the story. The set design made it look like they were really in those places, and not sets. Or, were they even sets? I think Mark Ruffalo is a great actor. He should have not even tried using an accent. Often the accent would come and go, kinda spoiling his performance a little bit. Same with Hugh Laurie. But Louis Hoffman was spot on with his dialog. Does he really have a German accent? The scenes of destruction were spectacular, how did they create those scenes so realistically? No spoilers here but I felt the ending was perfect. Nothing was left hanging for me to wonder what happened.

Killers of the Flower Moon (2023)

A masterpiece that I must see again.

[10/10 · 4 November 2023]

Almost 3 and 1/2 hours went by so fast! For Leonardo Dicaprio the performance of his career. Will be an Oscar nomination if not winner. Same for Robert DeNiro and Jesse Plemmons. While performance was just a few minutes, both John Lithgow and Brendan Fraser gave incredible depth to their roles. I have to say that the acting is what makes this film so amazing. Scorsese's framing device at the ending was the perfect coda, and a surprise to see the director himself in that scene! Was that a small tear I saw in his eye when he concluded the read? I have to admit that I was not aware that this story actually happened? Awards and or noms will go to all 5 actors mentioned above, plus writing, directing and best picture and more !!

A Million Miles Away (2023)

Based on real story makes this so inspirational

[9/10 · 17 September 2023]

Michael Pena gives his usual fantastic performance. I usually prefer actors who can BECOME the character they portrait ( Meryl Streep, Russell Crowe) while Pena is always Pena. Yet it really works for him! He completely submerged himself into Jose Hernandez (a real person), bringing him to life. How authentic does this story come to represent the migrant family experience? Well, for a 2 hour movie I think it does a genuinely good job. A six part limited series would have really served to explore the Mexican cultural aspects of what life has truly been like for them. Then the story could have showed more of the real life Jose and how he advanced into his political career later in life. But, as stand alone movie I think the director framed the biopic splendidly. This story should make everyone think about what the immigrants flooding into our country today must be experiencing? What are their Hopes? Dreams? Goals? And, how far will they go in reaching those aspirations? For me, a successful, white, American born man this movie made me contemplate this. Imagine what might have happened if the Hernandez family, back in the 1970's arrived in Stockton to screaming, angry protesters. What message would that have sent to Jose then??? I hope a lot of people have the opportunity to watch this film.

Red, White & Royal Blue (2023)

Combination Hallmark movie and Love Simon.

[12 August 2023]

Unlike other reviewers I had not read the book. The story line is so predictable the words come to me before the characters even say them. But, with that said I really enjoyed this film. Those who say the leads lack chemistry just don't get it. British people, in general are quite reserved, especially early in a relationship. I think that the negative reviews had more to do with the bisexuality issue I've come to learn that some, not all gays get angry when someone says that they are bi Well, too bad, get over it. I consider myself a gay man but have had sex with more women than men. So there... Now this is just fiction but it does mirror how a relationship can begin and these actors and director did a great job with this subject. Wether the actors in real life are gay or straight should NEVER be a determinate in casting. And this film is perfectly cast!

Spoiler Alert (II) (2022)

Stay for the final credits

[9/10 · 16 June 2023]

I was able to hold off the tears until about a minute into the final credits. No spoiler here but they do insert about a 10 second clip that was incredibly sad. I still give this a 9 even though the framing device of the story being part of a movie production is very confusing. Even after rewatching I still don't quite unders that final scene in the hallway at the hospital with all of the production crew surrounding them. I really think that could have been left out. But the acting is amazing. These guys are 2 people that I would have loved to have met. Thank you, Jim Parsons for bringing this story to the screen.

Alone Together (I) (2022)

A disappointment

[4/10 · 16 March 2023]

2 really good actors with such a little script. Too slow. Reminds us how we got so crazy over the pandemic. How did Trump let that virus take over everything? So much more of the story could have focused on covid. It was like that part of the story was just trivial, but in reality it was so much more. While production quality was very nice there were huge problems. How could such a big house have 1 bedroom/1 bathroom? How did she locate him at that motel? Why did the movie just stop? If you blinked you might not have realized that the movie ended ! Should have taken the relationship a little further. And, the music was just so blah.

White Noise (I) (2022)

Like a car crash you, hate to look at it but you can't help yourself.

[9/10 · 31 December 2022]

This film takes you to the edges of ridiculousness beyond belief, I still don't know if I hated the movie or loved it? After 2 hours and 15 minutes I really can't even explain what the movie was about? Was it about Elvis or Hitler or a Chevy Impala station wagon (car, boat, plane??) Was it a disaster movie? Or a jealous husband who might shoot his wife's secret lover? And German nuns in a church that's supposed to be a hospital? But the ending while credits rolled was like the icing on the cake, and it was delicious! I'm sure I'll have to watch it at least one more time to maybe figure it out!

Man Down (I) (2015)

Perfect example of how a director can destroy a great film

[5/10 · 27 November 2022]

Exemplary acting by the main characters, production value is excellent, the storyline is so convoluted that I had no idea what was going on until the last 10 minutes. What could have been an emotional Amazing Story was destroyed by a director who had no idea what he was doing. He probably thought it would be nice to surprise everyone in the end, but it did just the opposite. Plus the story made no sense because we did not know what was actually happening. If it was more of a linear story with maybe an occasional flashback this could have been a much better movie. Such a shame, because this story needs to be told and and brought to the attention of a greater audience. These actors were wasted and the subject matter was left on The Cutting Room floor.

Legally Blonde (2001)

A ridiculous story with a fantastic ending!

[29 October 2022]

Can't imagine anyone but Reese Witherspoon in this part. Absolutely a performance that should have won an award. Victor Garber also gave a magnificent performance. His line where he tells his client, "enjoy prison" was so spot on. And Jennifer Coolidge with her usual outstanding performance. Well, the premise is so bizarre and nothing like this could ever really happen in real life the performances make this seem real like it could have actually happened. But it was the ending that that totally brought the movie together as a feel-good experience. I've enjoyed many of Reese Witherspoon's movies since then but I still believe this was the performance of her career so far.

Burning Questions: Burning Questions With 'The Good Nurse' (2022) Season 2, Episode 49

Like a book that you just can't put down, you gotta know what is on the next page!

[9/10 · 28 October 2022]

The acting is brilliant. Jessica Chastain and Eddie Redmayne really bring those individuals to life. Noah Emmerich also gave an amazing performance. This movie kept me on the edge of my seat the entire time. I can't believe I had never heard of this story, which really did happen. Director Tobie Lundgren blocks and frames each scene to draw the viewer in and makes us feel like we're actually there in the room, especially when horrible things are happening. The locations where this was filmed also brought each scene to life. I highly recommend The Good Nurse. It's very nice to see movie of this quality on Netflix so close to after being released. I see many awards in its future.

Mr. Harrigan's Phone (2022)

Donald Sutherlands performance of his career

[10/10 · 8 October 2022]

Sorry guys but I love this film. The acting was brilliant. For Donald Sutherland I think this was the performance of his career. Never heard of most of the other actors but they gave brilliant performances too. This was not a scary movie. There were very subtle political undertones. I definitely want to see this again because I feel like I may have missed some underlying themes. While I have enjoyed every Stephen King story I've ever read I am usually very disappointed by the movie adoption. That is not the case here. I think this movie is really worth watching as a drama. No one really knows what can happen in the afterlife! I found this movie to be extraordinary.

Keep Breathing (2022)

I hate when a movie just stops instead of having an ending

[4/10 · 11 August 2022]

I'm not going to give away the ending here but just to say that it was very unsatisfying. After sitting through six long episodes one would have liked to see something get wrapped up. There were many really good parts of this so it's quite disappointing. The acting is very good especially the actor who plays the character Danny.

The Gray Man (2022)

Exactly what an action thriller movie should be

[10/10 · 23 July 2022]

The action is Non-Stop, from beginning to end. Of course it's ridiculously violent but that's the point of this type of movie. It makes 2 hours fly by so fast. The amazing amount of destruction in this film would have been impossible to make a movie of 10 years ago. Chris Evans plays a very witty and believable villain. Ryan Gosling is usually not seen in this type of movie yet he makes a very believable action hero. So watch this movie, eat some popcorn and escape the world for a couple of hours - you won't regret it. Time well spent!

7500 (2019)

An outstanding performance by Joseph Gordon-Levitt, possibly the performance of his career so far.

[16 July 2022]

This film is an amazing dramatization of what a situation like this could actually be. Virtually a one-man performance for most of the film by Joseph Gordon-Levitt who holds our attention intensely. The attention to technical detail is remarkable yet it's not overbearing or boring. While not giving anything away I must say that there is incredible sadness in this film. I highly recommend watching this.

The Stairs (I) (2021)

Good production values, beautifully filmed.

[8/10 · 13 July 2022]

Best to be watched at night, alone in your house with the lights off! It is somewhat scary but the acting keeps the movie moving. There are comical scenes and there's blood and gore. The ending is a surprise, sticking around for! As for some of the other reviews I also would have liked to see some of the other characters evolve a little more.

The Silence (II) (2019)

I can't believe Stanley Tucci agreed to be in this movie?

[1/10 · 8 July 2022]

It started out like it might be a good movie. But then most ridiculous things began happening. Like why would they leave the security of their house for the unknown? Why did they have to shoot that guy and leave him in the gas station? And why did they let the dog out of the car to what would probably be his obvious death? I refused to even continue watching to find out. That was it. 31 minutes into the movie was all I care to watch at that point.

The Rental (2020)

This movie is like a bad accident, you don't want to see it but you can't look away.

[1/10 · 8 July 2022]

Great production values, beautifully filmed, audio and music very well done. But that's about it, the story is just too implausible. Of course slasher type movies are not realistic in and of themselves, but this movie is just plain ridiculous.

First Signal (2021)

Why was the music louder than the dialogue?

[1/10 · 6 July 2022]

I had to turn on the subtitles just to hear what was going on! And what was the reason for overly dramatic music to play for an hour and a half Non-Stop? I guess it was to drown out the tanniness of the horrible audio in that room. And how implausible it is that so few people would even know about such a thing? It's even more implausible that people in such high positions would be so childlike in their demeanor and attitudes. So condescending and negative. Then there is the video, practically filmed in black and white there was so little color in that conference room. I only continued watching because I was hoping something exciting was going to happen.

The Terminal List (2022– )

The three main characters are portrayed brilliantly by Chris Pratt, Constance Wu, and Taylor Kitsch

[9/10 · 2 July 2022]

Chris Pratt gives and amazing performance and makes a very realistic Navy Seals Commander. I would have given 10 Stars if it weren't for the plot twists in the final 30 minutes. I won't give it away, you'll have to watch. It's worth waiting for but I wish it didn't happen! The series kept me riveted for the entire 8 hours. The violence is intense though so beware. This is the first story by the author who wrote the book. He wrote several more and I would be very surprised if Chris Pratt does not executive produce more of these! I can't wait!

Amazon Queen (2021)

Great production quality, beautifully filmed, makes me want to visit there!

[4/10 · 2 July 2022]

Definitely watch if you're interested in visiting the Amazon. DP did a great job of filming and capturing the beauty of the Amazon. But the story and the acting is horrible. The plot had great potential but it fell apart right from the beginning. Extremely unbelievable performances. Too bad....

The Boys in the Band (2020)

The acting, by all is amazing

[10/10 · 30 June 2022]

While Jim Parsons is fantastic as usual, it's Zachary Quinto who surprises with an amazing performance. He nails it on the head with an accurate portrayal of a 1960's/1970's stereotype gay male. He is unrecognizable as the "Spock" character most know him for. The other actors gave equally impressive performances. What a great representation of the variety of GBTQ personalities that existed in that time frame and even so today. The set is beautifully designed to create a comfortable and inviting apartment. If you've never seen it before then you'll want to watch while it still streaming.

The Falls: Covenant of Grace (2016)

Ditto what all the reviews have said!

[10/10 · 27 June 2022]

I think I've now watched the entire trilogy like 10 times. Wish Nick Ferrucci would make more than just TV commercials. His performance from the beginning to the end evolved amazingly. As for being low budget the production quality is great.