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TheHound16
Reviews
Starstruck (2021)
Had potential, but story is thin...
I'm nearly at the end of the first season, and while it's been mildly enjoyable, I think I've finally been able to pinpoint why this isn't fully working for me.
The biggest issue is that the entire series is about Jessie, every scene is her, and, every single character is purely written to either support or be in conflict with HER.
At least up to this point that I've watched, there isn't a single character (aside from the leads, but even so it's mostly just Jessie) that has a character arc, or is given any amount of proper time or development.
Tonally, I would best compare this to Fleabag, but the biggest different in style is that Fleabag had a lot of really interesting characters that were fully fleshed out, and went through plots and subplots of their own that weren't entirely revolving around the lead!
I'm fine with the overdone storyline (even though Notting Hill did it better in almost every way), but this show could have been far more enjoyable and less one dimensional if it weren't for, what I would consider, extremely amateurish writing.
He's All That (2021)
It's a shame about casting
Not that this would've been some high quality film, but it easily could have been an enjoyable, lighthearted, but ultimately forgettable watch, the way most Netflix films seem to be nowadays.
However, and I say this as an actor myself, Addison Rae is bad. I went into this saying I'd give her a chance, just to see how she did (even though acting isn't just something people can do, let alone do well, without experience, training, and talent).
But it is honestly a shame they cast her. She is purely presentational, trying to "act", but it's surface and superficial, what a person with no experience believes acting to be.
Because of this, and her being the lead, she basically brings down the entire film, and it makes it very difficult to enjoy, despite the rest of the film having all the other elements to be a guilty-pleasure.
I Used to Go Here (2020)
Enjoyable and Relatable Indie Film
I adore this movie! I've seen it a handful of times now - it's the type of film you can always watch when it's playing on tv. The character's are lovable, vulnerable, and just so human. You feel as if they're your friends.
Great performances all around, the humor is delightful, and also a very real and relatable commentary on the publishing world that I'm sure all authors can relate to.
Lovely film, highly recommend!
Wander Darkly (2020)
A Beautiful and Unique Meditation on Life, Death, Love, and Loss
A gorgeous film, from start to finish. Beautifully shot, seamlessly edited (which creates a fluid, dreamlike, and effortless feeling through much of the film). Raw, messy, and incredibly relatable as well.
The actors were superb (Sienna Miller and Diego Luna had wonderful, believable chemistry).
Such a unique film, I haven't quite seen anything quite like it. And, without giving anything away, I found myself sobbing for the last 20 minutes.
Highly recommend, just watch if you get a chance and enjoy the journey.
Filles de joie (2020)
An engaging and layered insight to three women making a living
I wasn't sure what to expect going into this film - I hadn't actually read up on it beforehand, and only knew it was an Oscar contender. After having seen it, I'm very happy I did, and recommend it to others.
The acting was utterly superb, from all three stars. The film has a way of introducing and going into each character that I feel worked very well. We basically get the perspective of each character, and any characters we may not initially feel so connected to are quickly given layers as their life is revealed, so that we strongly empathize with them.
These characters and their situation are extremely complex, and yet no matter what is done, we end up completely understanding where they are coming from.
It's very easy to write certain characters as stereotypes, but nearly everyone in this film is given sufficient depth, which keeps the audience engaged and interested the entire film. The pacing was excellent, all the way through, and I have to really commend the writer for how well-written each scene was. The direction, as well, felt very natural, and fluid, keeping strongly with the tone of the film.
All around, I very much recommend this film, and am very happy to see this subject matter be handled so well and compassionately.
I'm Thinking of Ending Things (2020)
Kaufman Didn't Properly "End Things"
I had the pleasure of reading Iain Reid's book a few years ago, and remember devouring it in practically one sitting. The biggest takeaway from me was the incredibly eerie tone throughout, the multitude of questions I had, and then the shocking plot twist that gave the title "I'm Thinking of Ending Things" an entirely new and powerful meaning.
I am a fan of Kaufman's work, and was excited when I learned he was adapting this wonderful, creepy, and thought-provoking book. However, after watching it, I feel like his entire approach to the novel was a big mistake and took away most of what made it an entertaining and powerful story.
So, before I go into my biggest problems with the way this was handled, I have to say that clearly most of my opinions are based on having read the book beforehand. Therefore, I genuinely cannot say how I would feel about this film if I didn't have that prior knowledge and comparison. Others may very well enjoy this film and think it strong, but compared to the book...well let's get into that.
1) THE TONE
My biggest takeaway when reading the book was that, though there was a very strong off-key/strange feeling to the characters and events, you were never entirely sure what was wrong, nor did you fully know it wasn't based in reality. This gave the story a very creepy and unpredictable quality that kept you guessing.
Though I have enjoyed Kaufman's surrealist images in his past films - this sense of dream-like scenes - from the first meeting with the parents at the farm, you immediately and undoubtably know this story isn't based in reality. I know this is a deliberate approach Kaufman chose, especially since he continually interweaves it with images of the janitor at the school, but I feel like it takes away from the spine of the story itself. Because of this, the eeriness from the book was largely gone and I found myself less interested in what I was watching because it lacked any grounding.
2) LENGTH/EDITING
Much of this film feels very dragged out. I have a high tolerance for what others consider "slower" films, but in this case I feel that every change of scenery (the car, the farm, back to the car, the school) were long, dragged out scenes that could've used with moments of better pacing or editing. For example, in the beginning Buckley's character quotes a poem that she wrote. There were many interesting aspects of this poem, but it began to drag on and I came in and out of focus. Just one example in a film that could've used stronger editing or script tightening.
3) THEMES
I give Kaufman credit for taking certain themes in the book, like aging, and crafting impactful commentary on how people are treated, looked at, and how they feel about their own lives as they age.
However, I do feel that - though oftentimes beautiful - some of these themes were too on-the-nose at certain points, therefore lessening its impact. I feel this happened more commonly towards the end of the film, once they got to the school (ex. The conversation around "Baby It's Cold Outside" felt more preachy, rather than a genuine conversation, or a written scene that added any original thought to this conversation. Just one example.)
4) THE ENDING
This is the biggest problem and why the final shot of this film feels less like a button and more like a "is it over?"
Getting back to the book, one of the biggest takeaways from it was the deeply unnerving sense of dread and fear the reader experienced throughout, especially as it continued to crescendo up to the end where a shocking twist was laid out!
Basically, the "Lucy" character was in the school, trying to find her boyfriend, and she ended up having to hide from the janitor who seemed like he was going to kill her. I was TERRIFIED while reading it, and had no idea where it was going. Then BAM, the twist ending that the janitor had actually created all of these characters and was writing about them before he committed suicide. Therefore "I'm thinking of ending things" took on an extremely powerful context that you hadn't yet seen, bringing the entire story together and staying with you long after you read it!
Kaufman didn't have ANY of this. There was no real tension once Buckley's character talked to the janitor, and instead poetic images (dancing, choreography, a final musical number, etc) replaced all of this. Similarly to what I said before about being too on-the-nose with themes, we were very hit over the head with the janitor's sense of self, his comparison to the dying, maggot filled pig as he walked naked in the hallway, and then the musical number at the end that went on a bit too long and didn't have a strong enough impact.
Also to not have the janitor, at any point say "I'm thinking of ending things" is such a travesty and why the ending doesn't feel tied in properly to the rest of the film.
Listen, the actors were great, as always, visually there were some stunning scenes, the lighting particularly stood out, etc. The big problem was Kaufman twisting this story that worked so well in the book into the story he wanted to tell - he didn't properly honor the source material, and what he did instead didn't work. This sometimes happens with adaptations, especially with an auteur, so I guess I should've expected it. And, again, if you haven't read the book then maybe it is powerful (though I still feel like it needed some editing). However, the original story from the novel was extremely well done, and incredibly creepy and unnerving. Mostly, though, there was a solid climax and jaw-dropping twist that made the whole story complete. Because Kaufman changed the entire ending, and took out all levels of creepiness, there was no actual climax, and I wasn't sure the movie was over until the credits rolled.
It's a shame, because the book was great and I don't want people to get the wrong idea about it. Honestly, Kaufman shouldn't have been the one to adapt this, or he should've, at the very least, properly "ended things".