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Reviews
Billions: Enemies List (2023)
The Great Divide
Whether purposeful or not, the scene where Axe emasculates Prince highlights the struggle between people of color and the white ruling class. The people of color amass in public, while the white cabal huddle out of the public's eye.
Though the women of the show also struggle for recognition, it's the underlying themes which engage. White, vs. Others, wealth vs. Law, ego vs. Ego, have been played and replayed so many times, there's not much left to surprise. Pity, because most memorable story telling out of Hollywood, almost never surprises. There are exceptions, of course - Big Bang Theories Nobel Prize last episode, for example. So, here's hoping when this show runs its course, let's keep our fingers crossed, there's a satisfying denoument.
Yellowstone (2018)
Pace is everything
This is the only offering on television, now or at anytime in the past, where the commercial breaks are often a welcome respite from the tension developed in many of the scenes.
Unlike other popular(?) primetime dramas, Yellowstone's writers, directors, and producers, don't seem to be in a hurry to cram as many silly plot points and twists into their storyline as they can before someone comes along to show a bear wiping its butt to peddle bath tissue.
One other observation. This family acts like any cartel, inner-city gang, or Eastern European mob. The only difference is the scenery. And only PBS series offer more beautiful settings.
Ender's Game (2013)
Good or bad is not the point.
For me, spending time in front of a screen has to be a worthwhile endeavor. If, after the lights come up, I sense I've learned something new, and if, years later, I run across the film again, and positive memories are reignited, then I consider the film a plus.
Many of the reviews on this site focus on the negative aspects of the effort. I'll focus on what I found to be a positive experience.
Whether we confront a bully at school, a well equipped enemy at our borders, or are invaded by an alien life force intent on occupying our territory, war sucks. People die, people are maimed, equipment is destroyed, and the psyche of the triumphant as well as the vanquished are both forever changed. And not in a good way.
The over arching theme of adults using children to fight their battles is not a new idea. But Ender's Game sets up all the conflicts, internal and external, in a new way. So, though there are weaknesses in the movie, I've never minded them during each of the three times I've enjoyed it. I'll watch it again in a few years...