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kira-lee
Reviews
The Lost City of Z (2016)
Found it a painful watch. Clunky editing, unconvincing acting, boring action...
I easily fall in love with epic exploration movies, so this should not have been an uphill climb. After all, filming on 35mm, having a sizeable budget, and all these huge time leaps are not easy challenges. And yet, I found Hunnam's acting awkward and uncomfortable. Does he always tilt his head to the left? He truly gives off the impression of trying to play someone much larger, in presence and charisma. Mr. Costin was far more believable character, as was Mr. Murray, even if you loved to hate him. Jack Fawcett was perhaps the most painful, not just for his acting but also the film's attempts to first make him appear a young boy, then a resentful adolescent (obviously his most natural state), then finally a young adult (massive fake squared-off jaw prosthetics). Confusing, cowardly ending. Bleh.
The Americans (2013)
Love-love-love this show!
***POSSIBLE SPOILERS***
There is no shortage of spy shows out there, but this one really stands out from the crowd with the way it skillfully weaves together the political and personal aspects of what an agent's life might be like. Philip and Elizabeth are so completely believable as a married American couple that when the switch is flipped and they go into killer spy duo mode, you won't understand what just happened.
The really amazing part of this show is how it's not really like a switch triggers their alternative identity, but rather how both characters have to juggle a constant balance of parenting their very real children and maintaining their covers while also protecting their ultimate loyalty to the Motherland. Their assignments are long term, so they have to actually live the lives that have been created for them. It's never a clean line between their double identities: Elizabeth folds laundry while developing photographs of their surveillance work; Philip tries to find greater happiness in his marriage by attending self-help classes while simultaneously using the sessions as a way to get closer to an FBI agent. The house rule of the kids never coming into their parents' bedroom at night is not just because they might be out doing their spy thing during the wee hours, but also because they might be making love.
Really an amazing work. Brilliantly written, exceptionally acted, completely immersive. Doesn't get better than this.
The Blacklist (2013)
I have a blacklist now, and Megan Boone is at the top of it
***SPOILER ALERT***
The premise of The Blacklist is a wee bit cheesy from the get-go. Yes, it requires you to take a leap of faith every 30 seconds, sacrificing reality for the sake of bang-bang-crash-fire. It doesn't take long for the dynamic between Reddington and Keen to remind you of Hannibal Lecter and Clarice Starling's, either.
But despite all that, I find myself really liking Reddington. He's got depth, and does things with his own style. I like Ressler and his good-old-boy act. I like Tom, who makes his big puppy eyes and is utterly believable. I like the supporting characters who are appropriately diverse and somehow all endearing in their own way. Even Reddington's driver Dembe pulls off his small-ish role with finesse. But Elizabeth Keen, played by Megan Boone? Wow. Just wow.
Just to be clear, that wow is meant in a bad way.
Megan takes this character, handed to her with two handfuls of world-class role models to draw inspiration from, and decides to throw it all out the window -- instead, deciding to play Keen as a wooden and utterly unlikeable crybaby. On your first day at work at the FBI (for which you're late -- what?!?!?), a criminal genius from the FBI's Most Wanted list turns himself in and says he'll only work with you to put away world-class bad guys like racehorses in a stable, and half the time you're whining about how you won't work with him anymore because it's "too hard"? You discover your husband is actually an international spy who has been embedded into your life, using your marriage as a cover to watch you all these years on behalf of a mysterious, powerful entity, and when you get the chance to interrogate him, you waste all your time crying about how you were supposed to have a baby together?
You'd think that someone who signs up to work for the FBI would be able to see the big picture. Just a little.
She has a furrowed-brow, slack-jawed expression that she seems to think fits any situation. It irritates me to no end. Seriously, anyone else from the task force would be much better suited for the lead, both in character and in acting skill. I thoroughly enjoy the show, but have to knock off a couple of stars for Boone ruining things. The fact that I still give it 8 out of 10 just shows how well I enjoy the rest of the series.
3% (2016)
You will have to work hard to be selected... or to witness the process
***SPOILER ALERT*** I got sucked into this one pretty quickly, but as with so many dystopian stories, the logical part of my brain just couldn't suspend disbelief adequately for me to really believe. The testing to find the elite 3% was supposed to be grueling for the candidates, and it was... but it was grueling to watch, too. Did I miss the part where they defined what exactly they were looking for in the candidates? Submissive and obedient followers, or strong-willed and independent thinkers? Test after test, layered with "special" chats with the Process Leader, and then another test, followed by every situation becoming an "is this a test too?" situation just got repetitive. The test where a family member tries to convince the finalists to quit felt especially strained, not least due to being logistically near-impossible; I kept waiting for the loved ones to be hallucinations. The overall plot started to feel like a combination of all-too- familiar story lines and moral riddles (Lord of the Flies, anyone? Does the end justify the means?), coupled with some pretty painful acting. It got to the point where even I wanted to grab the money and quit the process, just so I wouldn't have to sit through yet another test. There were high points, for sure... the background on the Process Leader was riveting, and such a nice departure from the stereotypical one-dimensional dictator. The political strife on the Council, the square peg of a candidate that just could not be pounded into a round hole, the final twist around procreation... all very impressive storytelling. It was a decently entertaining series, but I still felt an uncomfortable dissatisfaction when the last episode mercifully let me off the hook. I don't think I will be looking up Season 2 of this series.
Blackstone (2009)
Addicting... if you don't have much else to watch
You know how some shows grab you in the first 5 minutes? This wasn't one of them. Part of the issue was not really knowing what to expect... the intro feels almost like a horror movie with a spooky voice singing "Ten Little Indians," but then the first few scenes felt more like a painstaking historical drama. I was also consciously annoyed by the "ambient music" that is quite frequently about four levels too loud, making parts feel inappropriately tense or more like a TV commercial. However, the plot does eventually thicken, and though it can be quite clichéd in some ways, I found myself bonding to the characters nonetheless. The portrayal of addiction a bit heavy-handed, but empathetic. Scenes of abuse are realistic enough that I found myself researching what the prevalence of violence on reservations supposedly is. I honestly don't know if this would be the first thing I'd recommend, especially when there are so many others that are absolutely gripping, but it has enough substance that I find myself wanting to see it through.
Bool-kkott-cheo-reom na-bi-cheo-reom (2009)
Beautiful film... can't speak for historical accuracy though
I've been watching more of the films out of South Korea lately, and have largely been impressed by the skill -- in acting, directing, and special effects -- that is apparent in many of the titles. This one is certainly no exception.
Having said that, I can't really speak to the historical accuracy of it. The central female character, the Queen, definitely existed and the film does seem to follow the rough details of how she influenced Korean history, but my impression is that some finer details may have been sacrificed in order to produce a more compelling film.
The filmography is beautiful, a blend of beautiful nature shots that make you feel like you're in the Korean countryside, quiet court scenes and almost Matrix-esque swordfight scenes that still flow together seamlessly.
The only difficulties I had with this movie were that, as with most subtitled films, sometimes it's difficult to follow exactly who the various characters are and the subtler nuances of what they are saying.
Overall a very well-done film that is well worth the 2 hours spent watching it.