matthew_hoh Reviews

The Pizzagate Massacre (2020)

Well done satire

[8/10 · 10 January 2022]

I went into this film holding my breath. I had heard an excellent podcast interview with the director/writer, but was worried the film would not translate his vision and message adequately. It totally did.

This movie was produced and filmed for less than $250k. I couldn't find anything that gave away the limited budget. The filming was obviously done by a talented and experienced crew, while the acting was earnest and sincere. The dialogue was smart, quick and often funny, with more than a few striking/poignant moments.

Most especially, and this is where the podcast interview really held true, was that the film allowed empathy with those like the main characters Duncan and Karen, and, by extension, those on the conspiracy encumbered political right in the US. Yes, I know, in our hyper polarized, identity politics driven duopoly we are not supposed to feel such things towards the Others, so this is where The Pizzagate Massacre really triumphs.

And as the title of this review states, which I feel I must restate, this is a satire, so go into the film please with that understanding in mind.

I hope this film leads to the writer/director, John M Valley, receiving more and greater financial and production backing for upcoming works because he deserves it.

For those interested in the podcast interview, you can find it on the Parallax Views Podcast with JG Michael.

Cherry (I) (2021)

Captures the anger, despondency and addiction post-war

[8/10 · 16 March 2021]

A very well done film, with terrific acting, sly humor and excellent production. However, the triumph of this film lies in its capture of the PTSD and moral injury suffered by so many veterans of these f'd up wars.

As a combat veteran myself, I found Cherry clearly and capably depicted the anger, the misery, the hopelessness and the addiction that so many of us have suffered through because of these wars. I am recommending this film to family and friends so they may better understand.

18 years since the Iraq War began, a whole generation of men and women, and their families, friends and communities, devasted by that war based on a lie. That our nation produces so little art, and even less conversation, about the consequences and costs of these wars helps to explain why such wars happen and continue to happen.

The only shortcoming of this film is it does not adequately address the crimes done to the Iraqi people.

Counterpart (2017–2019)

Fantastic until the end

[5/10 · 12 May 2020]

I gave the show an 8 rating after I watched the first season, and I felt the show was holding that rating until the last two or three episodes of season two. Then sloppiness, poor writing, inconsistencies and an over abundance of product placement ruined it.

For storytelling to work, especially science fiction or alternative reality shows, a suspension of disbelief must be created. The series did this well until its last few episodes. Then in an apparent rush to conclude this season and wrap up the story line things began occurring on the screen that didn't make sense, were not congruent or failed to have an explanation. Or perhaps the writers knew the show was cancelled before the public announcement was made and they did their best to curtail and wrap up the show. Either way the season and/or series ended extremely poorly.

Among other things: Mira casually strolls up to the Fourth floor and executes management - where were all the guards that were shown over and over again in the building- and then she just strolls out? Then that super spy/terrorist Mira, who masterminds so much (I know that kidnapping Ian's girlfriend will get him to turn on everyone and let me go, and I know that they are going to put him as the lone guard of me) gets caught with a simple GPS tracker? The Indigo team takes all day to get to a train station that Howard is able to get to in a direct and quick manner, after of course Emily writes the location with her dying breath, and then Howard is able to identify all the Indigo members even though their identities were unknown, gunning down the seven or eight armed and trained cell members by himself. How did the Indigo cell get the virus through the border, how did they all get through the border, and if they developed the virus on our side, how did Mira get the virus on their side, especially in light of how season 1 took pains to show how tight the border is controlled, how smuggling is deterred, how visas are monitored, etc.? Management is all executed and no one knows, not even 24 hours later? Both offices get told by message that we're closing down in 24 hours and no one asks a question (particularly as all the interactions between management and staff before showed the staff questioning management). Spenser dedicated to the cause gives it all up, in the nick of time, by Clare batting her eyes, and then later Peter says oh let's not worry about Clare having murdered my actual wife. There's a bunch more, but I'm too irritated to continue.

Oh, and again the product placement was tedious in the last few episodes.

I'm glad it's cancelled as now I don't have to consider giving this show another chance.

Mary Goes Round (2017)

An excellent film that tells its story extremely well

[8/10 · 19 April 2020]

An excellent film that tells its story extremely well.

The acting, directing, editing and dialogue are all done well. Scene transitions are crisp and competent, and the filming is superb. All of that provides a tight and concise framework for an earnest and powerful delivery of an individual's story encapsulated inside of some brilliant social and familial commentary.

The humor is spot on and delivered when needed, not in any mean or slapdash way, but in a often deprecating, yet compassionate, style that helps the story move along.

As I noted, the acting is well done, not a weak performance that I can recall, and strong performances from the four leads. Similarly to reiterate my praise for the direction, the film is well filmed, edited and paced, with no distractions to the audience due to sub par technical or production aspects.

This is 90 minutes well worth your time and I imagine it will become a personal favorite for many people because of its charm, sincerity and the personal relationship many people in the audience have with substance and family issues.

Camelot (2011)

Nice twist on the Arthurian legend

[7/10 · 5 February 2020]

I'm a big fan of T.H. White's Once and Future King and Book of Merlyn. It's why I watched this series when I learned it existed on Hulu. It's not White's book, by any means, it lacks the philosophy, the magic, the wit, the heartbreak and the sorrow. It is a good adaptation of the Arthurian tales though. It keeps some of the major parts of the Arthur story while adjusting and adapting details and it fills in the narrative on how certain events or persons came to be.

The acting is very strong among the lead actors, Jamie Bower, Eva Green and Joseph Fiennes. Bower grows as an actor along with the growth of his character from boy king to leader of united Britain. With the exceptions of Clair Forlani and Sinead Cusack, however, a fair portion of the supporting cast is wooden, some of them don't even seem to attempt to break their characters out of a 2D role. James Purefoy and Sean Pertwee played their roles well for the limited duration they were in the series. At times there are enough extras and at other times there are not. Don't expect battle scenes like Braveheart or Game of Thrones, in fact the battle scenes and fights are the weakest elements of this show as they are not very well done, lack the frenzy and horror of combat, and are small in scale.

Starz had money for this series and it shows with some well done sets and quality filming and editing. The score is not bad and there are occasional Celtic style songs that give the show some additional atmosphere. It's also obviously a Starz production as each episode has nudity, sex and violence - sometimes helpful to the story telling, other times gratuitous.

There are a few rather lame story lines, but there are enough plot devices, thoughtful dialogue exchanges, and explorations/re-shaping of the Arthurian story to have kept me watching through all ten episodes - and wishing the series had survived more than one year (apparently it failed to continue due to casting issues and cost).

If you are a fan of the Arthurian stories give this a try. As long as you can understand the writers' desire to add to the Arthur tales, and are not incapable of enjoying variety and difference, you may like this as I did. And if you have never read The Once and Future King, go to the library now.

Maniac (2018)

Excellent acting, terrific story, homages to great films...

[8/10 · 2 December 2019]

Terrific series all the way around with serious thoughts on mental health, pharmaceuticals, dreams, capitalism, technology, family and much more. Absurd, smart, colorful, comic, and, at times, tender. From start to finish this was engaging and enjoyable, with quality and well edited 30-40 minute run times for each episode.

Emma Stone's acting is superb, her talent is a delight to watch in every scene. Johan Hill is good, maybe the widest range I've seen him display. Sonoya Mizuno and Sally Field play their eccentric characters very well, while Billy Magnusson and Julia Garner, who are both so good in two of my favorites, Get Shorty and Ozark respectively, show they are deserving of their own leads. I would have liked to have seen more development or understanding of the "Odds" that are alongside Stone and Hill's characters, one of the few criticisms I can provide for Maniac. I did think Justin Theroux, who I think is very good in other things, like The Leftovers, was overplaying his role.

The sets and costumes are well done, with the story taking place in an alternate world New York City. The setting is anachronistic and the world building is pretty well fleshed out in the first few episodes, at least enough to get a sense of the dystopia the characters exist in and struggle against.

The music matches well with the mood, tempo and theme of the scenes. The direction/camera work was good, not stunning by any means, but also not noticeable in any way that distracts from the tale, dialogue, and acting, which, again, were terrific.

Finally, the series is full of references to alternate history, sci-fi, and psychological films like 2001: A Space Odessy, Brazil, The Matrix, and Inception, along with some others I identified while watching, but can't recall now as I write this review. :)

I really enjoyed and appreciated Maniac and if I ever get to the end of my Netflix, Hulu, HBO and Amazon queues then I will definitely watch it again - a thought I don't consider very often for many other series.

Red Sparrow (2018)

A Cold War fever dream.

[3/10 · 25 October 2019]

This movie is simply inane.

Most of the actors playing Russians seem like they are auditioning for a live action version of Rocky and Bullwinkle, the actors playing the Americans could have been replaced with cardboard cut outs, and it seems like every exterior scene has a tram running in the background, I guess so we don't forget the film is taking place in Europe. For a big budget spy thriller there is little depth to the cast, production value is limited (this kind of film should be grand and lavish), and above all else the story line somehow both doesn't make sense AND is predictable. Think of the worst James Bond film you've ever watched, then take out whatever was redeeming and you get this movie.

Sex has undoubtedly been used by spies for as long as spies have existed and it's no doubt the Russians, and the Americans, use it to their advantage. However, rather than getting a thoughtful film that might explore all the many aspects of sex that would inculcate an espionage story you get a muddled mess of a plot, full of holes and insipid decision making. There's a bunch of gratuitous skin and sex scenes, to try and entertain the reptilian parts of our brains, but it's all rather tawdry, machinated and far from stimulating. Meanwhile the rape and torture scenes fail to elicit much guttural reaction, let alone empathy.

If you want simple Cold War chauvinism and fear mongering or if you just want to see Jennifer Lawrence and a bunch of other actors nude, then you'll enjoy it. Otherwise re-watch the Americans.

This is the first negative review I have written on IMDB. I hope it keeps someone from making the mistake of giving this movie a chance.

It gets three stars because I watched it all the way through and Mary Louise Parker has a delightful small role in it.

Carnival Row (2019–2023)

Able to be enjoyed without the sound...

[5/10 · 22 September 2019]

I once heard said about the film Avatar that it could be enjoyed equally as well with the sound off as the sound on, and maybe even more so.

Sadly this is true for Carnival Row. The visuals are terrific: sets, scenes, costumes, CGI are all fantastic. Details are resplendent in both costumes and sets, and the scenes, internal and external, and the CGI are like artwork - I found myself in multiple episodes pausing the show to take in what had been created on screen.

Unfortunately, plot, narrative, and dialogue are middling at best and derivative, predictable and unintentionally campy at worst. For all the beauty put into creating an imaginative fantasy world the story simply, and frustratingly, comes down to a Victorian era murder mystery, taboo love tale, and story of political machination that is and has been done better in countless other movies and shows. The backstory to the story and the fantasy world is started somewhat strongly, but quickly becomes limited to nothing more than a delivery device to establish the current affairs of the characters. The possibilities of the fantasy world informing and motivating the narrative and subordinate plots are never truly realized and so the world, the characters and the themes come across as two dimensional. "Show don't tell" that dictum demanded for good reason of writers is ignored over and over again in Carnival Row.

The actors are not given a script from which they can accomplish much, the cinematography in unremarkable and the score is not noticeable.

Fortunately for Amazon The Boys hits its marks over and over again.

1945 (2017)

Terrific film making

[8/10 · 8 September 2019]

I found the direction, camera work, editing and score to be excellent. It moves methodically as the two men's movement from the train station to the destination in the post war village.

It has many of the same themes and elements as its Polish cousins, Ida and Civil War, although I found Ida to be more powerful and Civil War to be grander. Regardless this is terrific film making.

And for the reviewer below: the Jewish Sabbath runs from sundown on Friday to sundown on Saturday, this film takes place during the day on Friday, so it's not the Sabbath.

Möbius (2013)

Drama and love story more than James Bond

[8/10 · 5 September 2019]

This is an intricate bittersweet drama and love story much more than it is an action/adventure or thriller. The pacing is methodical and consistent while the production value is quite high, with excellent cinematography and really well laid out interior and exterior scenes. It paints a captivating portrait of high risk banking and espionage just as it does Monaco and Moscow.

The acting is good with a well rounded cast. There was one odd and weird sequence of close up facial shots, but other than that I found the film quite compelling and even moving, with few flaws.

If you are looking for explosions, car chases and gun fights look elsewhere. Watch this film if you want to be immersed in a human story draped in exotic locales and professions.

Better Than Us (2018–2019)

Enjoyable sci-fi

[7/10 · 5 September 2019]

I liked this series for a number of different reasons. There were no major or inconvenient plot holes through the 16 episode run, the storyline was consistent and the acting was good, as another reviewer noted acting as a robot is not as simple as it may seem. Additionally, the series had both overt and subtle homages to sci fi and dystopian literature and film.

It did tend to start to feel stretched in the third quarter of episodes, but it finished in a rather compelling manner while offering speculation as to the perils of AI, automation and robots. I was disappointed that the series did not provide more of a Russian or Moscow shading of culture, environment, architecture, etc, and the world building of a future with AI and automation seemed to start and stop and wasn't nearly as complete as I would have hoped for. Still the series kept me watching for all 16 episodes and I'll watch the presumable second season.

Hopefully a second season will provide the money to have the characters in CGI future vehicles rather than early 20th century models.

Bokeh (I) (2017)

Part Black Mirror - Part Travel Ad - Part Garden of Eden story

[8/10 · 4 January 2019]

There are no zombies and there is no gore, also there are no fight scenes, there is no graphic sex and there is nothing in Bokeh that suggests this move can have a video game adaption.

What Bokeh is though is a thoughtful, beautifully filmed meditation on life, love, survival, relationships, and theology. It is slow paced and determined, a step by step journey into the living nightmare of a couple all alone in camera friendly Iceland.

It could have been 15 minutes shorter, but otherwise this is a terrific movie for those of us who don't need a constant iteration of mindless violence to suspend our attention. More so it's a film in which the dialogue and the characters' actions allow us to question our own relationships with significant others, social circles, religion and nature.