sandrene Reviews

Black Mirror: Rachel, Jack and Ashley Too (2019) Season 5, Episode 3

Commentary perhaps, but nothing new

[4/10 · 18 June 2019]

You don't have to be familiar with Hannah Montana or any of the other child stars to know that the industry can be controlling and cause them to lose their identity. It's no secret there's corrupt power hungry people in the music industry. Yet this episode spends way too much time on things the audience is already aware of and the rest feels rushed and disjointed. The antagonists feel lazy and one dimensional. The aunt's ultimate motivation for becoming horrible is incredibly weak. They spend a lot of time on the dad's very specific profession but it barely comes into play. There were no surprises, just an uninspired caper that will be quickly forgotten.

The whole season feels like it was phoned in but at least the other two episodes had interesting, if still somewhat unoriginal concepts. This one definitely felt like it was phoned in, or written as a favor to someone. If Black Mirror is to continue, Brooker should really get a strong writing team. It's obvious he's running out of ideas and/or doesn't care anymore.

A Million Little Things: Pilot (2018) Season 1, Episode 1

A Million Little Things add up to a subpar show

[5/10 · 30 September 2018]

This show checks off all the boxes you need for a good drama. Within the first 3 minutes we're given characters with plot lines that have the potential to be really interesting for several episodes and even seasons. But then it all falls apart.

First is the messy and unbelievable dialogue. The first time we see all the friends together their conversation is riddled with exposition that sounds incredibly forced. I feel like the show runner (who is also the writer of most episodes) hasn't actually had a friendship like that. It's more in line with the shoddy dialogue written for a group of women.

And speaking of women, the female characters seem to all just be a vehicle to move the men's story along. And while I realize the show is about the four men and their friendship, you could remove most of the scenes with the main supporting women and still have the same show. Possibly better, since several of the storylines the women support are unnecessary moments of suspense. I get that this is a drama, but there's too much thrown in at the expense of the story, which makes it all lackluster all around.

I want to like the show, but seeing as how all but 1 episode so far is credited solely to the creator, I have my doubts it will improve. Strong actors can't fix a weak script. ABC would have been better off waiting to release this show until they had a strong writer's room, preferably with some diversity, since this desperately needs the input of different voices.

Last Flag Flying (2017)

Great idea, poor execution

[6/10 · 22 November 2017]

This film seems to suffer from an identity crisis. It attempts to tackle many underrepresented topics pertaining to the effect war has on veterans and their families, but it stretched itself too thin and each plot line ended up being a weak caricature of what they were trying to accomplish. With the exception of Bryan Cranston's character, Sal, and at times J. Quinton Johnston's character, Washington, all of the characters weren't very well fleshed out and none of them saw any change from the beginning of the film to the end. The dark subject matter was sprinkled with random bits of humor that, instead of lightening the tone, just felt awkward and out of place, while the story jumped around in so many places, it was hard to tell what it was really about.

There was a flier outside my screening that gave more information about the veteran issues that were highlighted in this film, which leads me to believe that it was made with a greater purpose than just to entertain. This made me even more disappointed in the fact that the writing and cinematography were often lazy, and the overall film felt like one done by an amateur filmmaker, not by a writer/director that's been around for decades. Although there are relatable moments in this film, I'm sure even more so for people who have experienced war, as a whole it is barely a step up from an over politicized after school special.

The Walking Dead: The Big Scary U (2017) Season 8, Episode 5

The writers are the real walkers

[4/10 · 20 November 2017]

This episode had the potential to be great. It slows down even more than last week and gives us a chance to get to know more about some characters, and see how tensions are growing among others. Sadly, it seems like the writers spent so much time making the outline for the episode they just threw something together for dialogue. It is clunky and awkward, and this is coming from someone who just watched The Room. It's obvious the actors were struggling with having to say those lines and I struggled to suspend disbelief. The big reveal from one character was anti- climatic at best and sure to be a huge disappointment from people hungry to know more about that storyline.

The director seemed to have given up, too, as the opportunity for great emotional scenes instead gave us bored face, constipated looks. Or maybe it was the director and actors' way to silently protest the horrendous writing that has been season 8. Whatever it is, I hope they put us all out of our misery soon. Preferably by making the show good again, but I'll settle for a quick death.

The Walking Dead: Some Guy (2017) Season 8, Episode 4

Great 80s action B-movie

[4/10 · 13 November 2017]

If you'd just read the outline of this episode, you would think they finally got something right this season. It was refreshing to slow down a bit with the flashbacks to the Kingdom right before heading to battle, and I loved getting to know more about King Ezekiel. However, what could have been an amazing episode was ruined by some of the laziest writing yet.

One of the great things about The Walking Dead is seeing characters beat impossible odds. But this episode had so many things that challenged our suspension of disbelief. It first lost me when Jerry uses his ax to miraculously save Ezekiel but then that same ax doesn't even put a nick on the chains on the gate behind them. And he didn't think to try and rip a hole through the gate so they could get through?

And as others have mentioned, the chase scene was all out laughable. An unprotected Daryl on a MOTORCYCLE and unprotected Rick in a Jeep drive up and at this point the writing had been so bad I didn't even expect them to be in a modicum of danger. And they weren't. They even had a nice little buddy action moment at the end of the scene. I couldn't roll my eyes enough.

There are some good moments and it will be interesting to see what happens in The Kingdom. I just hope it's not written by the same writing team.

Lion (2016)

Touching, but suffers from a weak second act

[8/10 · 23 February 2017]

The first half of this film is practically perfect. Amazing storytelling, breathtaking cinematography. How Sunny Pawar was not nominated for any of the major awards is beyond me. This boy showed a whole gamut of emotions, and we felt what he was feeling. And although we know that he eventually gets adopted, we are left in the tension as we see all the things he goes through before getting to that place.

However, once Suroo is placed with his adopted family, the story begins to suffer. His motivation behind his quest to find his real family is overshadowed with story lines regarding his family and his girlfriend. We see what he's going through, but we don't get to spend much time with him as we did with young Saroo. I still found myself engaged in his quest, but only because the movie made us love that young boy and want him to find closure.

The Great Wall (I) (2016)

Predictable but entertaining

[7/10 · 23 February 2017]

As others have mentioned, this movie is visually stunning with amazing effects. It also follows the Hero's Journey to a T, which makes it an entertaining adventure story, even if none of the story was surprising. Matt Damon is billed as the star of the movie, but it really is more of an ensemble, as many of the characters were strong and played a vital role in the storytelling. The most disappointing part of the movie was Willem Dafoe's character, as his talent was incredibly underused in this role.

I saw this in IMAX 3D and the subtitles were a little difficult to read. This didn't affect my rating, just an FYI to anyone trying to decide how they want to see this film. Overall, if you're looking for a fun but possibly forgettable time watching a movie, this is a good one to see. But don't expect much more or you may be disappointed.

Moonlight (I) (2016)

Subtly brilliant

[9/10 · 20 January 2017]

Have you ever met someone and wondered how they became the person they turned out to be? Moonlight answers that question for one man from the slums of Miami.

The beauty of this film is in its subtlety. We are given a lot of information without a lot of exposition, which creates a perfect balance of wonder without confusion. Telling a story in this way requires flawless performances, as many of the most touching moments of revelation came not through words but through a look, an action or a movement.

Even if you can't connect with the story being told you will be drawn to it. The film kept me in a state of tension the entire time as I watched Little/Chiron/Black struggle with the main antagonist - life - fighting against everything the world threw at him as he searched to find himself. I don't remember the last film I saw where I hung on every moment, hoping for the best and bracing myself for whatever came next.

Split (IX) (2016)

Worth it just for McAvoy

[7/10 · 17 January 2017]

The first two (three?) scenes are absolutely horrible. Like, I was ready to leave the theater bad. The movie still continued to prove itself as contender for the Worst Director Ever award until James McAvoy's second appearance on screen. Honestly, the slim cast could have been even slimmer with just him, Anya Taylor-Joy and Betty Buckley and I would have been just fine. Whether the others suffered from bad acting or just bad directing I'm not sure, but their performances were intolerable at points, as was the attempts at first person POV in the cinematography. Many of the camera choices I was hoping would be revealed at the end, but they just seemed random.

Shyamalan brought back his use of a main character as the narrator, but this time it was so heavy handed it didn't even feel natural. I felt like entire plot was extremely obvious, although perhaps not because there were a lot of confused people once the movie was over.

All that said, James McAvoy did such an amazing job in that film that I forgave many of its other offenses. His character's story was interesting, if not poorly written and I wasn't even mad that none of his personalities were Scottish. Okay, I was a little mad. But, really, it's worth watching just for him. Whether or not it's worth paying for is another subject. Unless you're worried about spoilers, this is one that can easily wait for DVD/Netflix.

Hidden Figures (2016)

Beautifully executed

[9/10 · 4 January 2017]

Films based on historical events can be challenging. Many are just a collection of stories put together with no real narrative. Other times they attempt to cram as much information in as possible, regardless of its relevance. Hidden Figures is storytelling at its finest, as we're quickly and gracefully shown Katherine's brilliance at a young age, then seamlessly brought into the present, where we also meet Dorothy and Mary. The scene is so simple, yet clearly shows us that although these three women share in similar situations and struggles, they each have very unique personalities.

Minor spoilers below:

Hidden Figures deals not just with their work at NASA but also the challenges they face in their personal lives, both as friends and individually as wives and parents. One thing that struck me is that this is a film about triumph. Every story they told had a happily ever after. But that doesn't mean that it was without drama. The filmmakers were careful not to turn the film into a statement, something that could have easily been done, and instead just used the facts of the time to move the story forward. The tension felt because of racism and sexism was real. When a character was encouraged you joined the cheering squad. When they were discouraged we felt their dread, however fleeting. When shown how unfair life was at that time, we were uncomfortable. But most importantly, watching these women fight for their small victories, we realized that we all can accomplish our dreams. This movie is a story about real life heroes.

The acting all around was amazing as well. You can tell there was a lot of passion in this movie. This is the type of movie you share with your kids, with your parents, with anyone who enjoys a movie that makes them feel hopeful and inspired. I usually don't like the feel good movies, but this is one that will be on repeat whenever I need it.

Fences (2016)

A beautiful piece about family

[9/10 · 28 December 2016]

As others have mentioned, this film gets off to a rocky start, in that it feels very much like watching a filmed stage performance. This is in large part due to the static camera-work and odd framing choices that just moved back and forth between the three characters in the conversation. In fact, there were a few times during the film that I wondered if the scenes were shot with an entirely different camera crew, or if there were better options and the editor chose inferior takes. Undoubtedly, the average movie-goer won't notice any of this, but anyone who makes films or has studied them may be taken out of the story. But it doesn't last very long.

I think it's actually a great testament to the quality of this film that despite the small distractions, I was able to dive back into the movie almost immediately. It can be difficult when you have such well known actors to not get caught up in watching them. But never once did it feel like I was watching Denzel and Viola as Troy and Rose. This movie is filled with award worthy performances, not just from them but from the entire cast, notably Stephen Henderson, Jovan Adepo and Mykelti Williamson.

As an African American who grew up in Pittsburgh a generation and a half after this film takes place, it was a very real and honest portrayal of what I imagine life was like at those times. It is everything I pictured life must have been like at that time. That's what I've always loved about August Wilson plays. They are a beautiful snapshot of a moment in history. This film leaves you questioning what motivates you, what do you hold most dear, and whether or not you've let the people you care about know just how important they are to you.