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markanthonyparra
Reviews
The Mosquito Coast (2021)
Ugh
This show is very Hollywoody... these folks look WAAAY too good to be in the situation they are in. I think they are trying to simulate the family dynamic found in Ozark. The caliber of acting and tone of production can't quite approximate that, unfortunately. Not really sure where this show is going but I can only imagine they are going to run this into the ground. As far as the believability factor for this show it is quite low. The entire thing has a kind of fetish feeling to it, eco-terrorists on the lam, tourists slumming through second- and third-world locations. And... why does the daughter suddenly have blonde hair in season two? Peroxide in the jungle?
Housekeeping (1987)
Transporting
I sincerely wish I could have given this 11 stars. Can't tell you how many times I've seen this movie. The lore of the family, eccentricity, and deep individuality of the characters. It always sends me. The last two minutes of the film obliterate and send me to places... I guess the thing I like the most about the film is that it engages you to think. To think about your own dreams and wishes, confronting your own fears, societal expectations, taking risks, and finding meaning in life. This is probably the best film Christine Lahti has ever done. Such a fine actress. I will probably see it many more times before my own journey is completed.
Kærlighed for voksne (2022)
Goofiness incarnate
Delicious and silly. I actually laughted out loud at some of the improbably twists. But, it was never boring. Lots of telegraphing and improbability. The acting is fairly good overall and the ambience of the scenery is really fetching. I do wonder if the narrative followed the film. Oh, well... this is worth a look-see if you want something along the lines of Fatal Attraction. Does get extra points since the Scandinavians do this kind of thing with extra relish. Was kind of hard to watch the lead actor, however; he seemed like he had IBS for most of the hour-and-a-half. The husband was definitely a "himbo".... Funny to see the way the wife manipulated him throughout, though her character seems to border on Lady Macbeth. There are quite a few unintentionally funny moments sprinkled throughout the film, mostly having to do with over-the-top writing and tension that seems worthy of a soap opera.
As previously mentioned, the location shots are lovely. The home they live in-exquisite. Speaking of sets, of particular note is the astonishing architecture of the restaurant set in the water. I want to go to there!!!
Borgen (2010)
Astonishing and compelling
I would seriously give this show 11 stars if I could. All of the acting is top-notch, especially luminous Sidse Babbet Knudsen. The writing is so economical, of our times, unsentimentally moving, gripping without being ostentatious. So proud of my Danish heritage every time I watch Borgen.
The First Lady (2022)
An uneven affair
Ditto to many of the other comments. For my part, the entire series could have been about Betty Ford and I would have been quite satisfied. Michelle Pfeiffer delivers...
Deep Water (2022)
Lord love a Duck!
Will this movie ever end? 10 minutes left and I feel like I've been watching it for two weeks. The only reason I gave it three stars is Tracy Letts... He manages to provide the only comic grace in this whole fiasco.
The Blue Gardenia (1953)
John Waters must have viewed this as a child!!
OMG.... 30 #metoo interactions in the first five minutes alone! This film is so sumptuously campy. Anne Baxter's overacting makes it that much more delicious! And.... Raymond Burr as A WOMANIZER! Truly, a wonderful way to spend an hour-and-half.... still giggling....
We Are Who We Are (2020)
Refreshing and dynamic
Like all Luca Guadanino's work he does not infantilize youth... take a gander at this sensual peek into another world bristling with life 🙏🏻💕
Maria Bamford: Weakness Is the Brand (2020)
Out of the ballpark
Maria Bamford hits all the right notes. If you like her this will be ambrosia for you. Really a wonderful examination of transparency and mental hijinks. So satisfying!
Tiger King (2020)
Wow
This documentary has it all: cult dynamics, twisted gay Okie love, animal rights and abuse issues, forensic intrigue, something for everyone.... and Big Cats!!
Dispatches from Elsewhere (2020)
Hmmmmmm....
Just not sure how this sort of a project can last. Life is confusing enough as it is. This show has definitely encouraged me to do more yoga, vote, get more involved in real life. Watching this show is exhausting.
Tommy (2020)
Oh dear
So sad for the quite-talented Edie Falco. Rampant laziness from the scriptwriting, most of the acting, and even the oh-so-manipulative soundscoring. This ship will sink without an intervention.
Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman: Episode #1.66 (1976)
Amazing
This is Louise Lasser's moment.... amazing monologue that presages her ultimate breakdown. Truly, this is a prize episode.
Linda Ronstadt: The Sound of My Voice (2019)
Stunning voice is an understatement
What a wonderful experience... lots of terrific concert footage. She truly could sing anything, any style. This is a must for fans and those who, for lack of age or perhaps being in a long-term coma, are unfamiliar with her delightfully outspoken character and phenomenal pipes... my only regret is that it could have easily been an extra half-hour long. Cannot get enough of her!!
Something, Anything (2014)
Nice thoughtful film
It has a good vibe in a landscape of bombastic movies that glorify superficiality... that said, I do with the lead had a better wig!
Red Sparrow (2018)
What was going on here?!?
Such flatness in a story of terror and intrigue.... OMG, Mary-Louise Parker as the drunky loopy lesbian. I want to see a movie about HER!!
The Handmaid's Tale: Mayday (2019)
Hmmmm
Yes, engaging as always ... but... makes no sense that the little girls would willingly leave mothers they have bonded with albeit sinister ones, but....
Murder Mystery (2019)
So bad
I have not even seen this movie and I can already smell something bad...
Tales of the City (2019)
Ho boy....
Very much a let down.... the writing is platitudinal, characters two-dimensional. The only reason I stuck with it was to see location shots of the beloved city I lived in thirty+ years ago...
Echo in the Canyon (2018)
Mixed bag
Wow... this film is a must-see for musicologists familiar with the Laurel Canyon scene of the '60s. Terrific interviews w/key players during that time. But... I think a bit less Jakob Dylan and newbies would have done. I suppose his being Exec Producer on the film necessitated his being in too many scenes, annoyingly nodding knowingly at comments.... that is, one supposes, the curse of being the offspring of the Great One. I am also wondering why Mama Cass barely got mentioned and Joni Mitchell was completely omitted. Was it due to disparaging remarks Joni made about pere Dylan a few years ago? Would that this film had been an eight-part comprehensive series on Netflix.
What/If (2019)
I would have rated it lower...
The show is sub-par, implausibly written with ridiculous subplots that are hard to swallow. Renée Zellweger is good, as usual, but why is she doing this sort of inconsequential nonsense?
Grace and Frankie: The Alternative (2019)
Fell flat
The humor of the show has never been especially arch... this last installment of the 5th season felt nasty and pointless
The Killing of a Sacred Deer (2017)
Oy
It's like this movie directed itself... what a squandered opportunity. So many interesting possibilities- how did it end up being so self-consciously and mawkishly telegraphic?
House of Cards: Chapter 70 (2018)
Off the deep end
This show totally deviates from its tony origins... the product that really put Netflix on the map has run itself aground. It will finally be remembered as a footnote in the #metoo movement.
UnREAL (2015)
Dashed expectations
Wow... this show came out of the gate with a bang... has really digressed into a second rate soap opera. Thanks, at least, for the deliciously arch Constance Zimmerman.