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The Many Saints of Newark (2021)
Not Bad.... Terrible !
The great James Gandolfini is rolling in his grave ! This movie should never have been made. The dialogue was incomprehensible, the plot was .......wait, what plot? Ok, it had its moments, true, but too few to mention.
Ray Liotta can now say he was in the best gangster film, "Goodfellas" ever made and this one, the worst.
Marone !
The Crown: Vergangenheit (2017)
The Dark Side of Edward VIII
A great and memorable episode! The Duke of Windsor was an interesting fellow and an extremely complex one. What was the fascination he had with Hitler? One can only speculate what he might have been like had he been the King as England entered WW II. Let's not overlook the fact that the Royals were Germans after all.
The lure of Wallis Simpson is also one of the great mysteries. She was surely the Helen of Troy of the 20th century when you consider that Duke gave up his throne for her.
Great acting, absorbing history, just one of the best episodes of the entire series.
Fargo: The Nadir (2020)
Great Episode !
This episode was insane, all the main character had their best moments this season. But Jessie Buckley as Oraetta Mayflower is a role for the ages, she should not be overlooked come award season. This season started off slow, but it has sure picked up the pace. At this point it's impossible to see where this is all leading.
Perry Mason (2020)
I Love "Old" LA !
So far I'm not quite sure how I feel about this series. I find the casting of the show frankly a bit odd, but I'm going the distance come hell or high water. The prime reason is the setting of '30's LA. This is the second series this season using that backdrop, the other was the recent edition of "Penny Dreadful". While the reaction to that program was on the whole unfavorable, I loved it. For whatever the reason, maybe my love of old film noir films Like "Chinatown", but when I see LA's City Hall and the time period is the 1930's my interest is piqued. Hopefully my enthusiasm will be rewarded.
Penny Dreadful: City of Angels: Day of the Dead (2020)
Fine Finale & Anxious for more !
I know a lot of folks were disappointed that Penny Dreadful took this drastic turn in its format, but I found it refreshing. Personally I see this season as a spin-off and take it on its own merits. That said, I found the various subplots both interesting and entertaining, no to mention that the acting was excellent. The last episode of the season was particularly well done in my judgment and has me especially excited to see what's in store for the upcoming season. I highly recommend the series and feel many people really didn't give it chance.
Penny Dreadful: City of Angels (2020)
I Love L.A. History !
I might be the only one enjoying this series, but heck what's not to like ?
The only similarity this season has with previous the Penny Dreadful series is probably the "devilish" characters played by Dormer, otherwise it's actually a spin-off. I see it as a sort of compilation of LA History with the Pachecos of 30's, the Aimee Semple McPherson character, and a sense of how early city planner shaped the city (reminiscent of the plot of Chinatown). Then with addition of the fiendish Nazis subplot you have what I consider a fairly interesting pulp fiction mash-up at work. I'd also like to point out that the acting is pretty good, in particular Nathan Lane playing the role of a Jewish detective fighting the heinous forces of Hitler on the beaches of California.
Highly entertaining and worthy of attention in my opinion, and besides having someone like Sam Mendes (Executive Producer) associated with the project signals to me that it must have something of value.
The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel: A Jewish Girl Walks Into the Apollo... (2019)
Another Great Season comes to an end!
Love this show. I can't wait for the next season. The Apollo segment was great and was just another great production piece that this show has gotten to be known for. Shy Baldwin is a great character in an ensemble that is near perfect. While I never find Mrs.Maisel routines particularly funny, she's a great character whose warmth pervades the entire show. Having watched all four seasons I'm always surprised by how innovative the creators continue to be. Simply brilliant on so many levels !
The Irishman (2019)
Way Too Long !
No one loves these guys more than me, but let's be honest, it was way too long. It could have been at least an hour shorter and been as good or better film. Some of those wink, wink, hush, hush conversations went on forever! While the cast was chock full of great actors and that was a treat, however it seems to come at the expense of the final print. Still worth watching, but it could have been so much better.
Motherless Brooklyn (2019)
Film Noir ? Not so much!
I watched Chinatown on TCM the other night and frankly was blown away by it for a variety of reasons. After the film Norton was on and talked about the film, his admiration and about his own upcoming film. In the week that followed he subsequently was on almost every podcast I listen to. Ultimately, my curious peaked and after reading the names of the cast members and the plot that was outlined I went to see it.
On the merits, I would have to say that Norton's film was ambitious and very timely, but casting it as film noire, I'm not certain. In my opinion, the film lack the subtlety that I associate with the genre. The characters were not far too cartoonish and lacked depth. I was particularly disappointed with Alec Baldwin's performance, who I admire greatly, but lacked any nuance in his portrayal.
In conclusion, the film is clearly a homage to Polanski's "Chinatown", with a variety of scenes that were directly drawn from it and a plot that was equally convoluted and focused on unfettered power. Norton's film seem far too long, his character's malady was honesty distracting and unfortunately most of the characters were remarkably familiar.
Once Upon a Time in... Hollywood (2019)
Hurrah for Hollywood !
Although I had some reservations about the film, the overall film was satisfying and somehow endearing. It reminds one of all the reasons we love the movies and the folklore surrounding them.
Having spent the Summer of '68 in LA, it was a glorious trip back in time and the dawning of Aquarius. The hippie movement was everywhere, people hitching rides, pot smoking .......just a great time to be alive.
In any case, Tarantino was just the person to make this film. Few directors or writers know and love Hollywood films as he does. This is truly a love letter to Hollywood and the dream factory that once existed.
Brad Pitt was outstanding and perfectly cast, Leonardo DeCaprio was excellent as well and the two played off each perfectly. The cast in general were sensational, but two people stood out. Margot Robbie, as Sharon Tate, was just sooo endearing, mark my word, she'll walk away with Best Supporting Actress. Also Michael Moh, as Bruce Lee, which fantastic ! His scene with Pitt was my favorite moment in the film.
My only reservation was the soundtrack, considering the era and all the songs, few were strikingly familiar to me. Otherwise buckle up !
Chernobyl (2019)
Unforgettable TV !
This series was riveting viewing from start to finish. Chernoyl was an event that shook the world and yet the world knew little about what actually occurred. This series gives us a clearer understanding of how and why the most deadly reactor explosion in history happened. Besides giving the viewer a glimpse into the now defunct Soviet system, it also provides an understanding of the consequences of a system that sought to hide the truth from its citizenry. The messages conveyed can be taken on many levels, but I found it be especially pertinent to the present state of affairs under which we are living.
A perfect 10 in every category : the actors, screenplay, directions and set design. This production was simply flawless and captured my imagination in ways that few programs have ever done before. Mesmerizing!
The Ballad of Buster Scruggs (2018)
A New Age in Cinema presented by Netflix
Highly entertaining ! The film was lighthearted but disturbing at times yet consistent with what I imagine life in the Wild West must have been. The uncertainty of day to day was a theme that seems to play through each vignette, as well as , the intoxicating adventure that world offered. The spirit of The West was never better on display. The cinematography was glorious in every frame. We may well be seeing a new age of cinema with films like this and "Roma" being created exclusively for Netflix. The quality of these original production must continue to surprise the public, truly amazing !
The Little Drummer Girl (1984)
Inexplicably Haunting
One of LeCarre's most curious gems, I loved the book and thoroughly enjoyed the film. I had some misgivings about Keaton, since the role was meant for an English actress, but they were quickly overcome. A timeless story that had an emotional impact that I still to this day can't quite explain.
Interestingly, as of this writing it was announced that AMC will be show an episodic version of the book. I guess I'm not the only one who found it to be a very special book worthy of being reprised.
Car 54, Where Are You?: Joan Crawford Didn't Say No (1963)
Molly Picon Hilarious !
To dismiss this episode as dated would be a mistake. The younger generation might have a different criteria for what's funny, but for me this was my kind of humor. This episode had me reeling ! Molly Picon as the perennial matchmaker was flat out hilarious ! This episode, as do many others, display " Borscht Belt Comedy" at it's best. Growing up I spent many a summer in the Catskills (Borscht Belt Circuit) and remember with fondness the Jewish comics that performed there. Car 54. .....? is a derivative of that style of comedy and this episode is a prime example of taking a simple, funny premise and running with it. In this case the premise is simple enough, Picon as matchmaker promises her Bronx clientele to pair them with famous movie stars. Totally ridiculous you say, well just watch as Picon reels in her adversaries and see true comic genius. Toody and Muldoon play supporting roles in this episode but their contributions add to the overall hilarity, yet the focus is on Molly and she delivers with a subtle, nuanced performance.
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (2011)
Stinker, Staler, Colder & Why
I'm a huge Le Carre fan, but had read mostly his post-Smiley novels. When I heard that Tinker...was being remade I thought it a good time to read the novel first. Familiar with the extraordinary success and reputation of the original Alec Guiness presentation, but having never seen it, I was impressed with the initial reviews given the film. Boy, am I glad I read the book first! The book was incredible, clearly a masterpiece and a paradigm of the genre. The characters were multi-layered and their complexity was in clear contrast to those in other familiar spy novels. However upon seeing the film my disappointment was palpable and profound. Although any film must make compromises due to the limitations of time, here it appeared the director was banking on the belief that the audience had read the book first. In my humble opinion, there was no way one could have have followed the storyline haven't not had some prior knowledge of the book. After reading Ebert's review, it' s clear he also appears to have similar reservation, stating he had his own problems following the narrative ( little wonder considering the lack of scaffolding in the script )of the film. Now I'm not a director or screenwriter, but in a book which draws on innumerable flashbacks, would it not have been advantageous to have more flashbacks with narrative voice-overs ( a device well adapted in the film "Spy Games" ). Instead we're given meaningless looks at the past with no guidance to their significance,in indistinguishable,drab location in order to create a vision or atmosphere the director surmised as artistic. Humbug!!! I also found that despite its preeminent cast, some of Britian's A-listers, they're given little in the way of a script. So we find sketchy,facile characters in lieu of vivid and memorable ones. Take Ciaran Hinds, an extraordinary character actor,whose films include "Munich" and the highly touted HBO series " Rome", in which he brilliantly portrayed the savvy Julius Caesar, he barely speaks a line in the film. Unfortunately, we are given what amounts to smirks or frowns at the camera and we, the audience, are to glean from these facial expressions their individual traits and personalities. In summation, this movie was over-hyped and never really got the essence of the story and the complexity that make it such a timeless treasure. I look forward to seeing the serialized BBC version which must have understood, at the outset, the draw-backs of making this novel into a feature film.