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The Ark (2023)
Dreadful
I can't believe this is from the same network that did the fantastic re-boot of "Battlestar Galactica" and launched "The Expanse". There's NOTtHING redeeming about this show: acting, directing writing are all terrible. It's almost like the producer put a bunch of writers in a room and said, "Okay... let's just take elements from successful sci-fi shows and mash them all into one." The premise of "earth is failing and and advance party needs to find a habitable planet" has been done to death so you better have a really good "hook" to get viewers invested. The executive that green-lit and oversaw this mess should be terminated immediately.
In from the Side (2022)
A Mess
I'm giving this four stars as it was shot beautifully but that's about it. The script is a mess and its portrayal of gay relationships and gay men is perplexing. I would've liked to see the story focus more on the rugby side of things rather than the unreal histrionics of the characters and their "relationships". There was little to no exposition about how they all came to rugby or how they got involved with their partners. It just didn't grab me on an emotional level and, by the end, we were mocking the characters for their inane choices and reactions. It's too bad: it was obvious there was considerable money spent on the filiming but they should've focused more of the budget on making major script revisions and the director should've been working with the actors to pull back their performances from the over-the-top styles most of them were employing.
Big Boys (2022)
Wonderful Surprise
I didn't know anything about this show other than one of the leads was in "Derry Girls" and the other was in "Starstruck"
I'm glad I stumbled across this - wonderful story and beautiful performances by the entire cast. It has excruciatingly funny and somber moments as it illustrates the various struggles young adults go through to figure out who they are.
Deserving of a renewal.
Heartstopper (2022)
Beautiful and Gentle
A brilliant adaptation of the web comic and very strong performances by all actors. Loved the animation effects that paid tribute to the source material. Deserving of more seasons.
Emily in Paris (2020)
Club Trope-icana
Ugh. We've already seen Carrie Bradshaw go to Paris and it was painful then.
Why do creators STILL rely on the the stereotypes from years ago about the French? And the stereotypes of Americans interacting with the French?
Darren Starr's antiquated vision of the female protagonist has, in and of itself, become a trope. The writing needs to improve exponentially if this thing can survive.
You know what would have been a way better concept? If they had sent Kate Walsh and skipped all the trope nonsense. An accomplished woman making her way in Paris and coping with nuance would have been a winner. Chances missed!
But... it was wonderful seeing Paris filmed beautifully and that's the only reason I'm giving it three stars. Nice production values.
Le fabuleux destin d'Amélie Poulain (2001)
Stunning.
Just see this movie and hang on for the emotional ride of your life.
I knew nothing about this, had not heard any buzz and a friend asked me to go on a whim.
It has turned out to be one of my favourite movies of all time. Beautifully acted, directed, written, filmed and Paris never looked better or more invigorating.
This should be a nominee for (and should win) Best Picture at the Oscars in March.
Brilliant!
All Over the Guy (2001)
Sweet film. Good first effort.
I enjoyed this film. Sort of a Woody Allen with a gay slant for the first half and then some pretty serious issues in the second. I think the writer/star accurately caught a lot of the angst associated withe relationship beginnings.
It's a small film so it does have some technical/logistical problems but I find it easier to ignore flaws when there's a lot of effort put in by both the technical and acting teams.
I was really surprised by Richard Ruccalo's performance. He captured and projected a lot of the inner demons that some people possess and it didn't come off as hoaky or contrived.
A good first film and I look forward to more from this new writer/actor.
See it.
Pearl Harbor (2001)
GQ goes World War 2
Okay, it's summer. It's blockbuster time. Take it with a grain of salt.
War isn't pretty, or is it?
The effects in this movie are pretty spectacular. The acting and script are pretty dreadful.
But...
See it on the big screen and be enveloped in the fight sequences and Hawaiian lighting. Don't expect much else but the spectacle and you won't be disappointed.
What this movie really showed was that Ben Affleck is a MOVIE STAR. Everybody else in camera range just dissolved into the background whenever he was in the shot and I really didn't care all that much about the other characters or stories when he wasn't on screen. His acting wasn't the point here - he was just lit and shot beautifully. Not bad getting your own $145 million star vehicle after special effects. Josh Hartnett just became the bitter bridesmaid. Kate who? And what happened to Alec Baldwin's acting ability?!? Serious guffaws whenever he was delivering dialogue.
Startup.com (2001)
Excellent Documentary
I encourage everyone who has any inkling of what the dot.com era in economic history was about to see this film.
One of the more important aspects the doc illustrates is the length some people will go to make money - compromising personal relationships and integrity all to make a buck.
Being involved in an industry like technology, I thought the raw portrayal of the start up phenomenon caught exactly what was right and what was wrong with this whole collision of technology meeting money.
An interesting documentary but, more importantly, an important warning.
Amores perros (2000)
Not only is love a bitch but so is the length of this movie!
This movie is 'okay'. It didn't blow me out of the seat like a number of other people. I found it one vignette too long and the character development a little over wrought. The friend I went with said that the movie would have been fine after the first couple's story had ended -- but it kept going and going and going...
Rental.
IMHO, "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" was the far superior movie that year and deserved the Oscar. But I'm an Ang Lee junkie.
Blow (2001)
Well, it doesn't "blow" but...
I'm still trying to decide what I think about "Blow". As a stand alone film, the pacing was a little slow but the characters were nicely developed over the span of the story. It was okay.
Then I kept remembering that this was based on a true story. That became mind numbing during the film because I was sitting there constantly wondering whether I would have the cajones that George Jung had to pull off some of the incidents he's lived through.
I found the ending a little on the "Just Say No" side but, again, the story resonates because it depicts a life that most people never experience for better or worse.
See it.
Fa yeung nin wah (2000)
In the Mood for Garbage?
This film was one of the most boring cinematic experiences I have ever had: the plot was non-existent, the acting an exercise in posturing and the direction seemed to be a poseur's attack on celluloid. I actually burst out laughing at the end of the movie and apologized to my date for the disaster that I had asked them to come see. I'm not quite sure why this movie has created such a sensation in SOME minds but I see everything and go into movies with an open mind. I think a lot of people are claiming this is a great movie because they THINK they should acclaim it. But that's just one guy's opinion...
Save your money.
Will & Grace (1998)
The dreadful new opening
Who created the new opening? I thought it was a joke when I first saw it. Is this supposed to be parody of the "Sex in the City" ads? What is that all about?!? That tableau of the four of them has to go!! It looks ridiculous!! If the creators feel they need a cast representation during opening credits, they'd be smart to follow the likes of "Everybody Loves Raymond" and at least attempt to entertain the audience. Otherwise, go back to faceless credits. God, there's only four principals! Did the show producers think the audiences were confused?!?
Best in Show (2000)
SEE THIS MOVIE!!
I haven't laughed this hard in a movie since "Showgirls". Brilliant, subtle performances (even Eugene Levy!) and a keen insight into the demented world of dog shows and obsessive dog owners.
Why isn't this movie in wider release? The question hit me when I walked out of the Paramount in Toronto. Especially when refuse like "Urban Legand: The Final C**p" dominates movie theatres.
Support this brilliant and hysterical movie!
Autumn in New York (2000)
Death in Full Make Up.
This movie is a disaster.
Wynona Ryder and Richard Gere create as much on screen heat as a mid November ice rink in Alaska.
The plot didn't develop the characters at a pace that let the audience care about what happens to the leads and there were too many people laughing in the theater when I don't think Joan Chen intended.
Regis Philbin called this movie a "woman's flick" which I think is a thinly veiled insult/protection statement in the hopes that Richard Gere and Wynona Ryder will appear on his "woman's talk show". This is not a "woman's flick", it's a lousy flick.
One redeeming feature is the filming of New York. Beautiful. Reminiscent of the work of Woody Allen/Carlo Di Palma.
The Next Best Thing (2000)
Uh, Madonna? There appears to be a bad, English accent in your mouth.
What is with her and that North Dakota version of an English accent? If the Rupert Everett character had been played by Chow Yung Fat, would she have attempted Mandarin Chinese or at least the Chinese laundry lady accent ("ain-chent chii-knees seee-kret)?!?
Her devotion to yoga has translated her "acting style" into some sort of bizarre, non-reactive bliss fest that is as interesting on screen as watching dust settle on furniture.
I didn't really see all that much chemistry between her and Rupert Everett either. More between him and the kid. And that's not saying much.
I would have LOVED to have seen Benjamin Bratt and Illeana Douglas in the leads and these two in the supporting roles. Far superior actors and I would hedge a bet that the chemistry would've been a lot more explosive.
Ultimately, I have to blame John Schlesinger for this wasted opportunity. What was he thinking during the dailies? Why didn't he get the M woman to stop the bad accent? Even if she believes that's her real voice, why didn't he tell her to play the character like a woman from the Detroit suburbs?
All the Rage (1997)
I laughed, I cried, I vomited...
The great thing about movies like "All the Rage" is that they remind you that movie making isn't as easy as it looks. I've seen some pretty bad movies ("Showgirls", anything with Molly Ringwald or Pia Zadora) and this "film" is definitely up there with some of the worst of them. And this film fails in every category: acting (those "introspective" moments where the lead addresses the camera directly! Yikes!), script, directing (or lack thereof), cinematography (don't drink and shoot), and the hair! Oh! The hair...
But that's not always a bad thing.
If you know that a movie is going to be lousy right from the start, like "All the Rant", you can kick back and scream with laughter and pray to God you've found yourself sitting on a yet undiscovered camp classic. This movie just became more gruesome as it moved along (or didn't move along). By the credits everyone in the theater was either in stunned silence or laughing hard enough to soil themselves.
On another note, it's great that gay themed movies are starting to come out more regularly so the gay community doesn't have to LOVE whatever is handed out. I became a little tired or rewinding the "Maurice" tape...
I'd much rather see a movie that fails on all counts rather than a mediocre snooze fest that a lot of movies today seem to be.
Bravo! If you're going to be bad, be REALLY bad. Make sure you see this car accident.