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petter_olsen99
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Foundation (2021)
Gender swapping is not a problem here; philosophy swapping is
Despite reading lukewarm reviews before I started, I was determined to like this series. I loved the books, I don't mind merging of characters or gender swapping, and I understand that significant changes have to be made to tell a story like this in TV series format. I was, however, unprepared for the radical change in underlying philosophy. The books focus on the importance of science and of rationality, of generating and preserving knowledge. These issues are larger than individuals; that is sort of the point both for Hari Seldon and for the plot developments in the books. These principles are not what the TV series is built on; here the focus is on individuals, coincidences, and mysticism, including religious doctrine and the nature of the soul. In itself I find this to be a mediocre sci-fi series with an uneven story, a lack of a consistent tone, and some major plot holes. The fact that the world view and underlying philosophy in the series is diametrically different from the books it is supposed to be based on just adds insult to injury.
Sense8 (2015)
Too much Wachowski, not enough Straczynski
At best, this is one of my favorite TV-series on at the moment, with interesting and original plot, and characters I care about. However, I don't really like the direction the show is taking, from plot and character development in the beginning of the series to more visual imagery and style over substance as the series progresses. The Christmas episode in particular was disappointing IMO. I realize that there cannot be too many radical developments in a stand-alone episode, but the Christmas episode came across mainly as a string of music videos and a drawn out sex scene, and none of these added anything of substance to the story. JMS has previously shown that he is very good at multi-series pacing, story-telling, and character arc development; Babylon 5 is one of my all time favorite series, and practically every episode (out of 110 in total!) adds something significant to the story, completely avoiding the "episode of the week" syndrome that had plagued sci-fi series before that time. The main character arc developments in B5 (Londo, G'Kar and Garibaldi) are extremely engaging, convincing and well written, and they probably couldn't have happened unless the series knew from the very beginning where it was going, and what story it was going to tell. The Wachowski-Straczynski collaboration looked really promising, especially with the addition of Tom Tykwer. "Bound", "Cloud Atlas" and "Run Lola Run" are among my favorite films ever, and obviously "The Matrix" and "V for Vendetta" are also very good. Pacing is the big problem with multi-season series in general IMO; they either tell you too much, or too little in a given episode. The objective often seems to build popularity and a franchise by starting to tell a story that looks interesting, and then to string the audience along for an indefinite time without having any clear idea where the series is going ("Lost" was a glaring example of this). When JMS said "I'm big on five-year arcs. We have a rough structure (for Sense8) for five years." that really made me very hopeful that we would once again get a series that focused on telling a story, and a series that knows in advance where and when it is going to end. However, I do feel that the amount of style in each episode is increasing, and the amount of substance is decreasing; I really hope they will get back on track in season 2 (which I admit I eagerly anticipate).
Dog Day Afternoon (1975)
A laugh riot with a poignant ending
Had friends staying with me over New Years, and we watched this film which was new to all. We laughed so hard that windows and glasses fogged up, and we had to stop the video several times to have any chance of following the dialogue. This despite the fact that 'Dog Day Afternoon' is based on a true story, and that the ending is quite sad (but very 'right' for the film).
The film might work best if watched with a (good) crowd, and for us it was excellent. 5 out of 5 people, all reasonably discerning moviegoers with normally widely varying tastes, loved it. A clear and unprecedented 10 on the IMDb scale from all of us.
Eyes Wide Shut (1999)
One of the best films this year
Just because there is a lot of sex in the film does not mean that the film is "about" sex (or pornography, or whatever). IMNSHO EWS is "about" communication (or lack of it) in relationships, about the 7 year itch, about the impossible balance between saying too much and saying too little to your partner. Sex and sexual fantasies happen to be some of the most problematic areas to talk about (for some people, anyway). I remember reading an article about "honesty in relationships" where a panel of psychologists were given hypothetical "should I tell my partner that .." questions. The only all-negative recommendation was to the situation "when we make love, I fantasize about (person)" or similar. This, to me, is what EWS is about. It shows a couple going from slight discomfort, the "something is wrong but I can't really put my finger on it" feeling brilliantly portrayed at the party and just afterwards, through escalating crisis (though unrealistic and with occasional dreamlike qualities) and eventually to some sort of redemption. Some of these aspects (the important ones, for me anyway) must surely be familiar to anyone who has ever tried to make a long term relationship work, at least.
The downside is that this makes EWS a very uncomfortable film to watch with your long term partner. After the film you have the choice between discussing the weather, discussing the subject matter while maintaining a cowardly personal distance to it, or to just ask for trouble.
The Girl in the Picture (1985)
A great Bill Forsyth movie
I know that Cary Parker is listed as director and writer, but this film is almost more Bill Forsythian than any of his own works. Set in Glasgow, it has John Gordon Sinclair in the main role and it is low-key, intelligent and very funny. A must for Bill Forsyth fans.
The Big Chill (1983)
My favourite film of all time
Saw this on a double bill with "Body Heat" in Glasgow in the early eighties. 1500 films or so later, it is still my favourite film of all time, and I see it once a year or so. Contains the greatest "music-video-in-a-film" _ever_ ("You can't always get what you want").
Smultronstället (1957)
Why bother getting up in the morning?
A surefire cure for the blues (works for me anyway, I need to see this film once a year or so). One of the few Bergman films that are positive and life-affirming. Easily in my top three list of all time favourites.