kyra_hemsworth Reviews

Beckham (2023)

Bloody Hell

[10/10 · 13 October 2023]

Okay, precedent setting docu-series here. Whoever said "hey, let's film these blokes' faces as they watch archival football footage" is beyond brilliant. We couldn't get enough of that - their faces shining with pride, memories, hope, hurt, passion. Superb doc filmmaking and, I assume, a new staple going forward.

As with many reviews here, I echo the "you don't even have to like football to be engrossed". In fact, the less you know, the more exciting it is!

I kept wondering, why did God give so much to one person in David Beckham? Enough to be one of the great footballers but so beautiful too? And so grounded? Such mettle? So much fight in such a mesmerizingly beautiful package. He was born to be a star.

Great athletes remind me of great musicians, i.e. They're on another wavelength, they see and hear things we just can't...an unearthly aura of calm and wisdom.

Bottom line, we binged this so fast. Perfect example of how to make a really good show. Top notch!

Burden of Proof (2023)

Absorbing

[8/10 · 11 June 2023]

Fascinating immersion into a troubled family and the disappearance of their youngest member. Small details are pitch perfect, extremely well done.

It's difficult to write a fulsome review without spoilers. I highly recommend it - it has a Mare of Easttown feel, but it really happened.

Stephen Pandos, no matter the failings of his parents, is such a decent, strong man. His dad gave me the full-on heebs. He seems to be always banking down a dark, unsettling menace while trying to appear as a righteous straight shooter.

But Stephen's mother has, obviously, done something right because her son is quietly remarkable.

Gotta say too, the private investigator seemed a waste of money. The filmmakers appear to be the real sleuths who moved this case along.

Also, Wendi Reed, an investigating officer, is straight out of the Fargo series.

The mother though, she will drive you nuts...her actions, comments never help her, why? You'll be mentally Rubik's-cubing this for a long time afterward. Highly recommend.

Shrinking (2023– )

Phoney Baloney

[3/10 · 17 March 2023]

The trailer looked good. Jason Segel, as a therapist, finally snapping at an obtuse client who's willfully blind to her partner's abuse. And, creators of Ted Lasso! Great, right?

But, that intriguing premise, wittily pulling client's heads under "the cold tap of facts", quickly evaporates. This show is just so damn phoney, who are these people?

The way they talk, react, handle life grates with BS; it's all so try-hard and false. Even Curb Your Enthusiasm, a farce, is a more realistic rendering of wrangling first-world problems while being rich in California.

There are moments of humour, for sure (especially Michael Urie); but, so much is "huh, who talks like this?" Take Liz, please, the fake-faced next door neighbour and her gettin' real with the tiresomely vulgar Gaby...uuuggh.

"Shrinking" presents a wannabe Utopia imagined by rich, privileged people in their cozy, stylish bubbles. Also, the dialogue goes into the toilet so, so relentlessly; lame TMI sex jokes means the writers are desperate, lazy or both. And it reeks here.

The decor, clothes, cars and lush Pasadena backdrops are fabulous. But, if the brain trust here hoped they were going to impart valuable life lessons, deep truths or relationship insights, which I think they did....well....the decor, clothes, cars and lush Pasadena backdrops are fabulous.

FWIW, update: When the main character sat down with his teenage daughter to tell her about him having sex with a family friend, persisting even when she was so uncomfortable, we finally bailed. Too stupid, too unreal, too smugly weird. Sigh, too bad. We tried.

Died Suddenly (2022)

Oh, For Fact's Sake....

[1/10 · 26 January 2023]

If you're a serious person investing in your own research, read Jonathan Jarry's article "The Anti-Vaccine Documentary "Died Suddenly" Wants You to Feel, Not Think".

Compressed take aways:

• post-mortem blood clots are absolutely common and develop for myriad reasons.

• many of the people filmed collapsing did not die or were filmed before the vaccine was available.

• most of the embalmers/experts expressing clot shock were blurred out and anonymous so could just be actors reading lines, who knows?

• there was ZERO mention if the corpses featured were of people who'd been vaccinated, kinda matters, right? If citizens of the USA, their vax rate is exceptionally low. The weird clots could equally have been from Covid.

• the list of Canadian doctors "dropping like flies" from the "jab" is total BS; you can google their actual causes of death.

Of course, there will always be rare adverse effects from vaccines; but, ascribing the Covid vaccine to virtually every death since its rollout reveals the distortion here.

In my Canadian province, population 4.4 million, 91% of 12+ population have received one dose, nearly 88% of 12+ population have received two doses. Close to 10 million doses delivered - if so deadly, where are the mass casualties?

The number of deaths in my province is up by about 5,000; but, the notable increase of "unknown origin" began well before the vaccine and can be attributed to Covid itself.

If you're a "I've made up my mind and now I'm going to find the evidence on the interwebs" type of person, I can't change you. But, "for fact's sake", do the math.

All this said, you could probably convince me that job-loss mandates were too harsh and there could have been a middle ground on that. But, fact-free fear mongering helps no one.

Deconstructing Karen (2022)

Battling Racism Through Insufferable Bullying

[1/10 · 4 October 2022]

(Review assumes you know premise - this is a filmed dinner party - or have watched this doc).

Saira Rao is a bully. Her aggression is repellent, suffocating and risibly self righteous; yet, she's ostensibly offering important enlightenment for ignorant humanity. Nope.

She visibly gets off on hurting and humiliating people. And, apparently, white women are paying to be her target because she promises to *checks notes* "smash your white fragility"? Seriously?

The objectives envisioned by Rao and her co-creator, Regina Jackson, of "Race2Dinner" are unattainable, largely due to their being so vague. One objective appears to be to "talk to people".... I think...but, Rao detests anyone else talking. She'd prefer, as with a communist re-education camp, to stuff her opinions down your throat and have you parrot them back. No fuss, no muss, here's your script; so, conversion, not conversation.

Their utopian vision is used as a cudgel to beat women they obviously, what...hate? Envy? Want to exploit? The zeal to kick these ladies' asses is so palpable, what good is supposed to come of this? Rao just bullies, Regina just complains, everyone else is shut down, disrespected and humiliated. The dinner guests are fire-hosed with blame, but aren't allowed a word of defence. How can this farce help with healing wounds or serious problems like voting rights and police brutality?

I guarantee, most of the dinner guests will be "having conversations" about how obtuse and repugnant the hosts were, and that's it! I know, I know, the participants aren't allowed any human reaction because it's not about them. But, obliterating their humanity makes this formula so inherently dysfunctional that it's ultimately useless.

In one of the most surreal segments, Rao shames the participants for feeling emotion over stories of racial injustice and tells them they can't have such reactions in the future. If I'd been in attendance, that would've been my "eff you very much, I don't have time for this gong show....um, can I get this to go?" moment.

Rao and Jackson don't want a world where our shared humanity is encouraged and cherished; they want a world of revenge and verbal face punching. They're too angry, censoring and (after reading more on Race2Dinner) avaricious to really want healing change, maybe cha-ching change - are they aiming for a reality show?

Of the eight women who participated, only three agreed to a follow up interview. The three who responded just virtue-signalled themselves into a meaningless caricature. What does that tell you? FAIL!

If one really wants to change hearts and minds, kindness and respect always win the day. But, Rao and Jackson are getting something out of feeding the fires of hate and anger, and that's on them. Again, their calculation might be the mercenary "enragement leads to engagement", or, they're just bullies. Because what they're doing isn't helping and I can't believe they don't know it.

I pray their scheme doesn't last. These shallow, self-interested posers can't be forgotten soon enough.

Mrs. America (2020)

Something for Everyone

[9/10 · 19 April 2020]

Very interesting time capsule (and kickass 70's soundtrack) that is more sympathetic to Phyllis Schlafly than I expected.

She was a savvy and determined woman; no matter your politics, the Schlafly family is remarkable and accomplished. Fantastic irony that the feminist movement she loathed was the very vehicle that gave her a voice.

Completely disagree with her politics and beliefs; but, credit where credit is due - she was a fighter and a worthy opponent.

The Pale Horse (2020)

What the Actual Hades....

[1/10 · 3 March 2020]

Did the BBC tell Ms Phelps that she would be given two hours to adapt this fabulous story so, ya know, stick the novel in a blender, chuck the contents against the wall to see what sticks, retain the character and place names so we can still slap "Agatha Christie" on the tin?

The entire soul of the story has been sucked out and a corpse, animated by random electrical jolts, is all that remains.

Please, if you found the story in anyway intriguing, read/listen to the book! You'll see that it's a whole other story with engrossing supernatural themes.