Change Your Image
upinthepines2
Reviews
Bridgerton (2020)
Beautiful and a delight to watch
I haven't enjoyed watching a show this much in YEARS. It has all of the ingredients of a great show: romantic, elegant, fun, sexy, great script and perfect casting, amazing music, luscious sets and costumes, beautiful, sweeping visuals. While Bridgerton is the first in its genre to veer sharply into steamy territory, it doesn't feel cheap thanks to talented actors and a strong plot. The use of modern songs performed by a string quartet is simply genius, and the music feels like a truly important component. There's an element of mystery with the identity of Lady Whistledown, which makes it great fun. I also admire what they did with the diverse cast. It's not meant to be historically accurate, but an imagined (and better) world. Cannot wait for season 2.
The Lost Husband (2020)
Stupid title, good movie
This movie was similar in formula to a Hallmark-style film, but with better acting, more artful styling and camera shots, and more realistic characters, and less cheese. I still don't understand why it was called "The Lost Husband"-- what a dumb title, since the movie is really about the journey of the main female character coming to terms with grief, her past, and moving forward in her new life. I love movies of small-town love and it is exactly what I wanted for a night in with snacks and a predictable, enjoyable movie.
Virgin River (2019)
Maddening but watchable
This show is a lot like Hart of Dixie, but darker and more annoying. It follows the same trope of a big city woman moving to work at a medical practice in a small town (and even the same actor plays the head doctor in both series). Romance and small town drama ensues. This series has all the ingredients that I typically love, but it misses the mark. A lot of the characters do nothing but shout and bicker, which is really stressful to watch. One of the main characters, Hope, is particularly stubborn and irritating. Some of the plot points are annoying too, and its seems like there would be other more interesting ways for the writers to create drama. There are also some very heavy topics addressed in the show, which seems like a lot for a show that is supposedly feel-good. Little things about this show bug me too, like you never see much of the small town, just the buildings separately, which I know makes it easier to film, but gives it less believably, charm, or context. Each episode ends on a cliffhanger, which makes you want to keep watching, and I've blown through almost the full first season.