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Reviews
Father Brown (2013)
What happened to Father Brown? It's Awful Now!
I originally gave the series 8 stars. I have since changed it to 4. Season 10 was quite bad. I was disappointed that all my favourites were now gone (Sid left, sadly, in an earlier season)! Without wonderfully good-hearted but often with a grumpy facade Mrs. McCarthy, youthful and fun Bunty, fabulous Lady Felicia who seemed to have eyes for Flambeau, and Sid the show is now a mess. I do like the detective much more than Deam's hammy rendition. But I really don't care for Mrs. Devine or her sloping shoulders (Wardrobe Dept., can't you DO something?!) - and she and the rather handsome inspector are supposed to be matched? Hahaha! In her dreams. Lol She's a cardboard character and sure is no Mrs McCarthy or Lady Felicia!
However, the person who just grates on my nerves the most is the young gal who plays Miss Brenda Palmer. She's so annoying! I can barely stand her. Everything she says is preceded or followed by ridiculous facial expressions; added to that is her low-class British accent. The "actress" - I use the term loosely - who plays Brenda Palmer is barely capable of an elementary school performance. How did she even get this gig? The other thing that bothers me is the fact that while it's set In the 1950s the audience is supposed to believe race relations were more like 2024. Ridiculous. Is just an annoyingly bad actress. Every line of dialog evidently requires an exaggerated facial expression and low-class British exclamation. Too bad.
As far as the story lines and plot are concerned, Seasons 10 and 11 are snooze-fests. Boring. Season 9 wasn't great - the show had started going downhill - but it was much better than the latest offerings. I used to love Father Brown! I originally subscribed to Britbox for Vera, Death in Paradise, Shakespeare & Hathaway and Father Brown. Hmmm. Bring back Lady Felicia, Mrs McCarthy, or Bunty at least, and/or Sid. And let's make Flambeau settle down as an "honest" former thief.... Get some new writers instead of apparently using uni interns with no experience or skills!
So sad. The show used to be a bit of fun watching to ease the day's stresses. Not anymore. It just irritates....
Harlan Coben's Shelter (2023)
A Giant F-bomb!
Given that this mini-series is aimed at teenagers (communications technology and media can play a role in modelling good behaviour, while simultaneously reflecting societal norms), this TV series completely fails to show teens how they can be cool while not using the f-word in every other sentence. I'm guilty of using swear words periodically but seriously, these kids need to expand their vocabulary! It's pathetic how often the f-word is used! They don't even use the s-word. I'm around kids all the time and yes, kids these days swear more than we did 15 years ago but this show?!! It's actually offensive. I see that Charlotte Coben wrote the series. She must have a real potty mouth. She's only in her mid-20s. Maybe when she has kids of her own and her 5-year-old is dropping the f-bomb, Charlotte will start modelling better, more appropriate behaviour and better values. As it is, what could be an enjoyable series is ruined by the constant barrage of foul language from teens and adults alike. Yech.
So Help Me Todd (2022)
Fun show but Harden needs a new stylist & less Botox!
Really good show. Entertaining. New case or mystery every episode. One of only a few complaints I have is that they dress Marcia Gay Harden in the most god awful clothes imaginable. They are so ugly that they distract me. Are they trying to imagine what a mother of grown children, who also has a high powered career dresses like? I never dressed in ugly, flowery, flouncy blouses like that in my life - I would have been laughed out of the board rooms. Please find her something less affronting and disturbing to wear next season! Also, is MGH using too much Botox? She reminds me of Tim Allen in "Christmas with the Kranks"!! Geez! Still, the show is refreshing and fun!
Falling for Christmas (2022)
Copied 2016 "A Christmas to Remember"
I hope the writers of "A Christmas to Remember" were compensated by this movie's producers. The entire movie was virtually plagiarized. Ridiculous. The main difference between the movies is that the main character in AC to R is a celebrity chef (Mira Sorvino) and in FFC it's Lindsay Lohan. Otherwise, they're the same. Both are Hallmark type movies and I'm disappointed Netflix didn't give Lindsay Lohan a better vehicle to try to shine, although her acting abilities seem to have deteriorated. Her co-star was a reasonably good actor though. If you want to watch two almost identical Christmas Hallmark-type movies, then enjoy. I'm afraid I was really disappointed with "Falling for Christmas." It wasn't a complete waste of my time but I'd rather watch something with a different plot.
The Crown: Gunpowder (2022)
Martin Bashir not Portrayed as Awful as he was
Martin Bashir is depicted as a slimy journalist, the kind of journalist who gives others a bad name. As the Dyson Report suggested, he manipulated Diana from the beginning. Series 5 of The Crown illustrates this but does not paint him in a negative enough light. Diana was only 20 when she married Charles. To say she was young, naive and not well-educated is an understatement. It would have been easier than shown on The Crown for Bashir to manipulate her by playing to her paranoia. I wish the writers had shown him in a more negative fashion. Also, The Crown's writers' depiction of the BBC is not as harsh as it could have been. Greedy media companies, hungry for sensational "stories" no matter who they hurt has always, and will always be, the name of the game. Again, the episode shows poor innocent Diana getting caught up in Bashir's ambitions, the BBC's desire to scoop the story for prestige, and Charles and Cruella's disgusting, sordid affair (it matters not one bit that they married!). Ugh.
The Crown: The Way Ahead (2022)
Charles & Cruella were despised during this period of time. Why the writers tried to make him look good and guilt-free is beyond me!! I couldn't stand Charles in the late 8
Charles & Camilla (aka horse face aka Cruella) were despised during this period of time - and rightly so. Why the writers tried to make him look good and guilt-free is beyond me!! I couldn't stand Charles in the late 80s and. 1990s, and Camilla was never suitable material as a future Queen. She cheated on her husband for years and, like Charles, had/has a mouth that needs washing out with soap. Charles may be King of England but he is still a spineless, wimpy person who should have handed over the throne to William. Season 5 makes Charles seem like the victim instead of the guilty party he was. Imagine poor Diana's plight. And she was only 20 when she married the unfaithful jerk. Ugh.
The Gray Man (2022)
Perfect for killing off 2 hours of your life
The first half hour was okay and then it devolved into mindless destruction of beautiful cities, and a ridiculous number of stunts and gratuitous violence. I spent most of the movie researching and planning a holiday without missing a beat in the "plot"! A grade 2 student could have written this movie. It's unoriginal, predictable, and yes, almost boring in its mundanity. I must confess, though, that I did enjoy seeing some of the locations, and I was able to finish planning my holiday.
What a waste of $200 million! And it bugs me to think Netflix increased our streaming fees this year - again - to pay for the production of drivel like The Gray Man. I feel as if I should have a say in possible Netflix productions Netflix executives/decision-makers are making such bad decisions!
The first half hour was okay and then it devolved into mindless destruction of beautiful cities, and a ridiculous number of stunts and gratuitous violence. I spent most of the movie researching and planning a holiday without missing a beat in the "plot"! A grade 2 student could have written this movie. It's unoriginal, predictable, and yes, almost boring in its mundanity. I must confess, though, that I did enjoy seeing some of the locations, and I was able to finish planning my holiday.
Ozark (2017)
Horrible Finale
I liked the series (Julia Garner is fantastic as Ruth, who becomes so likeable), & tolerated the characters Marty and Wendy, but by Season 4, I was watching the episodes, hoping & praying that Wendy would "get hers." She became pure evil. I wanted her dead or in jail. Meantime, I was desperately hoping that after the inevitable showdown, the "good guys" - Ruth, Rachel, Mel - would come out as winners. I even hoped Marty, Jonah and his sister would survive unscathed. I could hardly believe it when Ruth was shot. And it was completely unbelievable when Jonah shot Mel. Really? It's unfortunate that an increasing number of series these days remind us that all too often evil, morally bankrupt, greedy psychopaths and just plain dishonest people seem to finish on top. Series like this suggest to kids that it's okay to be corrupt because they'll win in the end. The last episode of Ozark made me sad for our future as a civilization and for what media is "teaching" young people.
Anatomy of a Scandal (2022)
As a participant in 1970s feminist marches, I wanted to like it but...
It must be the bad writing that ruins this series. Seriously, I wanted to get right into it and enjoy it but I couldn't shake the whole woman scorned thing. Nothing about this series is believable. I've been a feminist for decades, burning bras with Germaine Greer et al back in 1972 but I didn't see how privilege played a role in this. The main character, James, is sympathetic. And I would NOT classify James as a rapist. Not even close. Michelle Dockery's character is messed up, certainly. She lost her virginity during a "quickie", a fast, animalistic sexual experience at uni, and it left her confused, feeling ashamed? Embarrassed? Angry? Etc. But to call her sexual partner, James, a rapist? Perhaps this was the only way she could deal with her experience? What's worse is that I didn't believe a word that came of of his mistress, Olivia's, mouth. It seemed to me she just wanted revenge for James breaking up with her. And James' holier than thou wife (who cheated her way thru uni & used people, including Holly), played by Sienna Miller? She's unconvincing. The writers have her completely changing course at the end but again, it feels as if she wants revenge for James cheating on her. Ridiculous. I shook my head at the end of episode 6. What proof would exist decades later to bring down the PM or James?
Monte Carlo (2011)
A mindless cute romp!
Just let yourself go and enjoy this mindless little romcom. It's actually a cute, easy to watch short movie. It put a smile on my face. Selina Gomez is adorable and Katie Cassidy is great. Leyton Meester (Blair from "Gossip Girl") is perfect.
Death in Paradise: A Murder in Portrait (2020)
Jack and Anna Romantically? Ugh
The episode would have been great except for the burgeoning relationship between Jack and Anna. I'm really uncomfortable watching the two of them together because I can't even remotely buy into the possibility of these two together romantically. I think an actress closer in looks or shape to Jack's dead wife would have been a far better match....or someone with more depth or intelligence or eccentricities.... As it is, Nina Wadia and Ardal O'Hanlon are completely mismatched.
Sanditon (2019)
Jane Austen must be turning in her grave
This travesty has nothing to do with Jane Austen or an unfinished novel or ANY of her writings. It is for simple-minded voyeurs who are enthralled with gratuitous sex, and Harlequin Romance plots. The dialogue is rubbish, the characters are cardboard cutouts and the plot continues a downward spiral into the ridiculous. An utter waste of time just trying to give it a chance with a few episodes. Life is too short to spend any of it on this nonsense.