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Reviews
Salvation (2017)
It's a soap opera with some si-fi thrown in
Good production value, good acting, OK story line but generally too many inconsistencies... such as: How is it that Liam (an MIT astrophysics grad student) just also happens to have enough engineering training that he can make an EM drive that another MIT (engineering) professor can't make despite 20 years of research?
If you are looking with a si-fi themed soap opera with lots of interpersonal *relationships*, lots of crime drama, etc. to hold it together, then go for it. If you are looking for a tight, creative SiFi, you'll probably be disappointed.
The OA (2016)
Don't waste your time
Watched all of season one hoping it would deliver on its promise of an inspirational spiritual drama / thriller. Got all the way to the end and was still hoping but ultimately was disappointed. Huge plot holes in the story. Lots of extraneous content (I suspect to generate the number of hours of content they were contracted to do) with little relevance to the story.
Main story revolves around a sole 'survivor' of a Silence of the Labs like prison where people are being experimented on because of the after effects of their recent Near Death Experiences. The experimenter, seeking to understand NDEs subjects these people to regular deaths and revivals in order to study their reactions, experiences and in the hopes to learn how to transcend corporeal human existence. His methods are twisted and non-scientific. His premise - where he can kill people over and over again and then bring them back - with no long lasting damage is just stupid.
Acting was great. Sets and cinematography was great. Story is slow, inconsistent and just really, really disappointing.
I found the story climax 'where everything comes together' was very disappointing. I hope they let this one die on the vine (and don't attempt to make a season 2). My advice - find something else to watch.
Dogville (2003)
3 hours of tedium
Excellent acting, excellent narration, unusual sets, etc. Might have worked if the story wasn't so weak and the characters so shallow.
I suppose that such 'bold' film making might appeal to fringe art types who will no doubt gush about the various nuances that I am too unsophisticated to pick up. It is also possible that there are some aspects of the weak, manipulative characters in the film that might appeal to those who find their 'entertainment' in causing the needless suffer of others. It simply didn't work for me.
I consider this a 3hr waste of time. Watched the whole thing to see if would ever redeem itself - and it didn't. Threw the DVD in the garbage.