trueitiscoaching Reviews

Tales from the Loop (2020)

Realism through the unreal

[7/10 · 21 April 2020]

I wrestled with this show from the beginning -- wondering if I liked it or not. I tend to be one of those impatient moviegoers who loves science fiction for the pop and light show but doesn't have much need for deep characters (probably because current science fiction films tend to lack any real character depth.. thus, I usually choose to view them for the special effects and the thrill of the chase ). This series changed my mind, however. I'd have to say that the cinematography is the strongest element here. The way this show is filmed makes it seem real: the slowly lapping water on the beach, the weeds in the meadow, the laziness of a summer's evening when a child is catching fireflies. It's all poetic, and is captured with that deeply earthy tone. Even the occasional robot "feels" like its a natural part of the landscape. And I loved how the characters looked at all these unusual sights as everyday, even tedious mechanism. Yes, the series was slow. But I enjoyed slowing down for it. I loved the people, felt all their angst and yearnings. I loved the way dialogue was held back, the way movements and emotions were expressed with reservation. On second thought, maybe I should have given this review more than seven stars. It's so much better than most of the stuff being streamed today. More meditative and heartfelt. I'd put it in the same category as Let The Right One In. Different kind of topic. But same humanity. Same kind of poetry

DreamKeeper (2003)

Not Just Sentimental Fluff

[10/10 · 27 April 2019]

No, this is real storytelling, with real soul, real magic, mystery, and earth spirit. I loved every part of it. Does the heart good to view something so redemptive and honest.

Aquaman (2018)

Looks more like a video game than a movie

[26 April 2019]

I'm a superhero junkie... but, please,,,, what was that? Lots of loud music, lots of animation, glowing fish... blah blah blah (dialogue). Those guys at DC need to catch up to Marvel. Slow down the speedy, soulless banter and get some good actors to carry the scenes. Oh, I'm disappointed. Grew up on DC comics. But this was more like a disco club portrayal of vacanty-hero-glitz. Yow.! Bad movie

The Finest Hours (2016)

Like the good old days

[8/10 · 6 October 2016]

So, this movie was an old fashioned feel-good, heroes-save-the-day, morality driven drama. I loved it for that. So many films of our era are overly laced with cynicism and violence. Finest Hours hearkens back to the Frank Capra style of story telling, when we had protangonists like Jimmy Stewart and Henry Fonda to make us feel good about being human. I'm a fan of that genre; it's not passe, we need more of it. Kudos to the makers of this film for showing us something fine and upstanding for a change. Hollywood, take a cue here. No more Dark Knights, okay? Just decent, good hearted heroism like the kind found here.