pavioc16 Reviews

Uncoupled (2022)

Consistently funny rom-com

[9/10 · 4 August 2022]

It's a funny, relatable (at least for me) rom-com for gay men. This was consistently funny, well-acted, and at points heart-warming story about a group of friends. It was a nice bit of light-hearted but well made entertainment, and ranks high in my mind when I consider other rom-com movies and shows that oftentimes are not as well-written as this.

There's a variety of characters with a variety of traits - and I have to say I've personally met a version of all of them (though my circle isn't successful). In fact, there's a character on this show who is basically me. Some gay men might have had different life experiences from me and can't relate, but the claims this is stereotyped or not like real-life are off-the mark. Personally, I found it to be a barely exaggerated portrayal of things I've been through.

If you find yourself consistently telling yourself you're "not like other gays," or you don't like even just a few honestly not exaggerated feminine male characters (I've met plenty of gay dudes much more fem than anyone portrayed in this show), this might not be the show for you.

God's Own Country (2017)

Landscape Shot the Movie

[4/10 · 2 May 2020]

It's a well acted, beautifully shot, occasionally passionate movie which is a complete drag to watch and is honestly just an extremely boring archetypal romance padded with absurdly long landscape shots and a lot of farming. I almost stopped halfway through, but as a gay man who couldn't get through Brokeback Mountain I gave it another shot before it leaves Netflix.

It does not get more interesting. And am I the only one that finds the romance and story kinda... Blah? An unlikeable British farmer meets perfect husband material and within a few days they are in love apparently (I can deal with that... It's a movie.) Then, the English guy cheats on the Romanian, so the Romanian guy leaves, but everything turns out okay because the British guy finally chases him down? Riveting stuff man...

I summed up the movie to a friend this way... Oh look a sheep! Oh look English country side! Oh look gay sex! Oh look more sheep!

Hard pass. Wouldn't have finished if I wasn't temporarily laid off due to COVID

Dracula (2020)

Rapidly trainwrecks to terrible melodrama

[3/10 · 5 January 2020]

I'm not even really sure how it happened, but each episode got progressively worse, with the last one being one of the worst episodes of television I've subjected myself to in quite a long time. First episode started at maybe a 7, with quite a few moments of camp I forgave because it seemed promising and I love a good vampire story (and also a bit of camp with my vampire stories isn't too bad.) Generally good acting by the leads, a decent plot, and generally good production. Only minor melodrama.

Second episode was about the same, but amps up the melodrama. It's less suspenseful and I just couldn't shake how stupid everyone was acting, from Dracula on down...

But the third episode really takes the cake to a complete descent into campy, melodramatic rubbish. Even the acting (especially from Van Helsing) takes a nose dive... I never thought the character was extraordinarily well acted, I actually think her character was a bit cliché and annoying, but it was pretty phoned in near the end. Not to mention the idiotic characters that were amped up to stereotypical extremes (as a gay man, why can't people do male homosexuality right in TV? And Lucy Westenra and Quincy were EMBARRASSING.) There were some extremely weird changes in mood and pacing, which led to laugh out loud moments that are apparently supposed to be taken seriously. Dramatic orchestral music was playing near the end and I was just thinking... I'm supposed to be invested in these absolute idiots? Almost stopped mid episode but I forced myself through. I'm counting myself out for season 2. (edit one number)

Moffat's work seems to ossicilate between quite enjoyable to horrificly bad... this is the later. I actually vastly preferred Vampire Diaries... at least that didn't pretend to be anything but an entertaining soap opera!

Lucifer (2016–2021)

I Tried

[1/10 · 30 July 2018]

If you have read the graphic novel, this show is essentially ruined... I'd like to say I went through the entire first season, but I couldn't do it. I don't, to be clear, dislike this because it's different from the comics... It's a different format, so differences are expected and things can be good on their own...

But, to be frank, the characters are bland and uninteresting. What they did to Lucifer is bad, turning him into a sleazy ***, but what they did to Mazikeen is incomprehensible... I have never seen such an interesting character so neutered, and the relationship between Lucifer and Mazikeen was truly unique in the novels. It was vaguely disturbing to watch. I'd watch iZombies if you want an interesting supernatural cop procedural, and read the original novel Lucifer! At least those things are worth your time...