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The White Lotus (2021)
Season 2: A rusty barely functional rollercoaster that ends up breaking at the end
I rarely write reviews but I couldn't restrain myself from writing one to express my overwhelming frustration with this season.
To go through so much with these characters, some of it entertaining, some of it droll, some it mildly funny, to end up with the ending we got felt like the anticlimax to end all anticlimaxes.
I actually enjoyed a lot of what occurred in the first couple of episodes and the way they presented the various characters that would be taking us through the plot. The grandfather, father and son trio were definitely a highlight, the grandfather actually provided a sizeable portion of the moments of levity. Jennifer Coolidge was no where near as funny as she was in the first season, I was really hoping for more funny moments between her and her assistant.
However, towards the end of the season, I came to realise that most of these characters ended up showing no consistency in their actions and decisions. So many times, these characters contradicted themselves, revealed possible motives just for said motives to disappear and be replaced by inexplicable decisions and actions that didn't align with what their character would do. I get what White was trying to do: keep the viewer guessing until the very last moment, but it was so overdone it became tedious! At some point, these characters needed to do things that actually made sense.
And for it to end with Jennifer's character to shoot the gays, with nothing being explained, was so pathetic. I actually liked most of the characters but they were wasted on such half hearted character development. I think White needs to hire some co-writers with more experience than he has.
There's so much more I'd like to say, and in a more coherent manner, but that would take far more effort than I care to dedicate to this jumbled up story that had so much promise with not an iota of a satisfactory pay-off.
Persuasion (2007)
Sally Hawkins' & Rupert Jones' Performances & Chemistry: Swoon-Worthy
I've read in a number of user reviews here on IMDb, that Sally Hawkins' wasn't up to snuff. Maybe I am biased because I genuinely adore every performance I've seen of hers, but I found myself spell-bound by every moment the camera fixated upon her face. I felt ever inch of her sorrow, despair, heartache and euphoria.
At first, I was irritated by the camerawork, but it grew on me and I eventually found it very clever. Sally Hawkins' gets a lot of close-ups, and she even breaks the fourth wall a number of times, which I loved.
The chemistry shared by her and Rupert Jones (an actor I've never heard of before but, by the end of the film, had fallen for... his sternness and occasional boyish smile and laugh... it was all too much for me) was so palpable. So kinetic. They played so well off each other.
The supporting cast all did their part in bringing Austen's both funny and dynamic characters to life. None were especially standouts for me like they were in both recent adaptations of Pride and Prejudice, but that's a good thing. This story is designed to have you totally focused on the two lead characters.
Another aspect I rather enjoyed, was the locations. In particular, the seafront. The spray of water over the concrete path and ledges added something very passionate and intense to the story.
It is a slow-burner of a film, and it took me at least 20 ish minutes to really fully get into it. But be patient! It's worth it.
Freaky (2020)
Not "Freaky" enough, more disappointing & predictable jokes
When I watched the trailer of this film pre-release, I had such high hopes. It looked like it would be riotous fun with the added bonus of having an actress (Kathryn Newton) whom I'd enjoyed in the tv show The Society and Vince Vaughn as the two leads. On top of that, the reviews were shockingly positive from the critics, which is rare for a horror slash comedy.
Cut to today and I finally got around to watching it... and oh, how I wish I hadn't bothered.
The violence and gore was so over the top for a start but it wasn't done in an original or interesting way. The supporting cast were all so uninteresting, the comedic moments (like the gay friend being the most stereotypical annoying unlikable character which had me, a gay man, wondering "is this what Hollywood writers and producers think gay teenagers are like?") were few and FAR between for me, and I felt like there were SO many missed opportunities for the writers to be more FREAKY (like the title promised) and subversive with a premise this over-done.
If you are desensitized to the same old cliche Hollywood films, then you'll no doubt enjoy this. If you are a little harder to please and have standards, give it a pass and ignore the critics.
The Umbrella Academy (2019)
WAS A 10... Until I watched S3E1
I loved this show! Season One was so unique, such a masterpiece of storytelling. Funny, compelling, charming & featuring a wide cast of characters, each one relatable, flawed & brilliant. Then came the atomic bomb that is Season 3... what the f, man? From the first episode, I knew I just knew that the writers had dropped the ball. And what makes it all the more upsetting is how LONG I had to wait for season 3 to start! Such a let down. Weird dancing sequences, new characters that weren't fleshed out at all. It's a trainwreck. In my original review, pre-Season 3, I started off my review with: "The story captivated me from the very first episode" and ended it with "If you are going to watch only one made for Netflix tv show, let it be this one..". Watch the 2 first seasons, avoid the third like the bubonic plague.
Game Night (2018)
Not funny enough, too much unrealistic action sequences, predictable character arcs
This film promises a lot of fun right from the get: a competitive game-night obsessed couple and their friends get together for a night of games and exchanging some funny stories and become embroiled in a very real night of high speed car chases, mysterious kidnappers and a lot of criminal behaviour.
The plot plays out like so many films of its kind that are churned out of the hollywood machine: the central characters are dealing with problems in their personal life and are trying to sort them out while violence and crazy stuff goes on around them, a dumb clumsy but funny friend is thrown in for added laughs, it's all there.
I will say, I was pleasantly pleased by the extra twists and turns the film includes towards the end, some of which I genuinely wasn't expecting, but the overall story was just too predictable and 'seen it all before'.
The film is also helped by everyone's favorite charming loveable good guy Jason Bateman and the effortlessly likeable Rachel McAdams with a decent supporting cast (Sharon Horgan of Pulling and Catastrophe fame was criminally under-used, in my opinion).
In summation, this film suffers from to much predictability, stupid and unnecessarily outlandish action sequences which some viewers may enjoy, but which I find to be utterly useless. The comedy aspect doesn't seem to have been the writers' priority as the funniest moments are few and far between. Someone needed to punch up the humor and then maybe this could have been a decent action/comedy.
Blue Jasmine (2013)
Blanchett, Blanchett, All I see is Cate Blanchett
I'll be honest. I wasn't in any sort of rush to watch this film. I've only just recently gotten into the masterful mind of Woody Allen through his excellent movies and wanted a chance to see more of his work with Diane Keaton and Mia Farrow before watching any more of his recent pictures. When I found out that this was a re-hashing of my favorite play, A Streetcar Named Desire, I was instantly unsure if I even wanted to watch it, point blank. Be not afraid, fellow film buffs. Woody Allen hasn't cheapened the good name of Tennessee Williams in any respect. This film is made in such a way that it really does stand alone and I found myself watching it without constantly connecting it to Streetcar. The most important aspect of the film to mention is the sheer amount of quality acting throughout. With Cate Blanchett's terrifyingly unhinged and spiteful performance as Jasmine at the helm of this film, it's easy to get lost in her odd body language and bizarre facial expressions. But what impressed me most of all was how her performance wasn't as Blanche-esque as I thought it would. Blanchett makes the character entirely her own and in one scene where she goes to a party, I found myself spitefully commenting on the choice of music that the host was playing. Her performance is so enigmatic, it's contagious. I thoroughly enjoyed watching this film. It is by no means a masterpiece, but I would certainly recommend it.