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Fargo: Bisquik (2024)
Wow!
After a partially underwhelming, sometimes rushed, at other times perfunctory season 5, that is, by Fargo's own standards set by the first two seasons being nearly flawless masterpieces of show-running (compared with the norm, the 5th season regardless belongs to the best of what TV currently has to offer), this Finale, particularly it's second half, took me completely by surprise.
Initially a slight disappointment about the long anticipated and now ultimately rushed battle where we hardly got to see anything of the built up action between the two armies, our main antagonist who belongs to the pure evil group of men which make up one of the two main groups of men portrayed in this season, opposite to the other main group of men who are infantile sissies, gets arrested, at a point where the episodes running time hasn't passed the middle mark.
This alone got me instantly curious and rather excited, for a viewing man did not know what else to expect in the given considerable running time, what else could be left for major resolution.
Roy Tillman, who was spared twice by the naive yet big hearted and decent Witt Farr to the policeman's own and lethal harm, survived despite being gut-shot and, one year later, has settled somewhat content into prison, a place, where things are the 'way the world should be'.
Soon he learns of his forthcoming and extensive future torments, a scheme of revenge, threaded by the powerful billionaire's influence and wealth.
A viewing man's vengeful and voyeuristic side craved to satisfy his desires yet concurrent, his heart wished for the show to leave those repercussions unexploited. A man's wish was fulfilled. The scene ends with Roy's face, showing first and unsettled signs of fear and, on a microscopic scale, possibly regret.
In the final and most surprising scene which could eventually be called the shows main conclusion, leaving the Sheriff's former dominance fadeing away, the season comes full circle with Mr. Munch's arc, rendering him or rather his together with the Lion's entangled tale, virtually the seasons protagonist.
This moment, where he gets absolutely taken by surprise and overwhelmed by a most good-natured family's demeanor and hospitality, the Lion still fully aware of the demon's destructive potencial and ready to engage yet still chooses the path of conscious forgiveness, was beautifully thrilling.
The viewing man, excited and gratified, hoped, tense, the conclusion would be of peace.
Key and Peele (2012)
Funny but superficial
K&P are two talented, capable and self-absorbed actors and entertainers. The skits are full of funny and interesting ideas. Well produced and shot, borderline cinema quality, which is special for this kind of comedy and adds to the atmosphere. That is to say, it distracts from the shows two main flaws: 1. Dealing mostly with stereotypes and not pushing their boundaries and diversities far. 2. Most skits follow the same formula, which usually consist of two opposing sides somehow confronting each other.
Breaking Bad: Felina (2013)
Above average
For his final coup WW once again makes use of his abilities and constructs a fully automatized rotating device holding a machine gun which he controls and sets off via remote control to get rid of all his leftover enemies at once. Good for him, that nobody of this highly ruthless professionals armed to their teeth inside their stronghold checked his car/trunk. The machine gun worked without any jams. All of the attendees were standing right within what the spread of the gun would cover and everyone of his enemies but two were hit and either killed or immobilized. Convenient, that those two ones were the leaders of the pack, those, who our two anti-heroes had unfinished business with. Not one crook was left to make a stand.
Two more examples from former episodes of the same kind of ludicrousness:
-The scene where Gustavo kills the whole cartel. Everyone but one drinks the poison and dies instantly. All this high ranking bosses and capos had minimal backup (about as much as the Nazi Elite in the finale of 'Inglourious Basterds') and they all were instantly convinced by a weakened Gustavo, his grandpa bodyguard and a confused junkie, to lay down their weapons and retreat into thin air. Right.
-When WW enters Tuco's headquarter to deliver the make-believe crystal, which really is one super sensitive explosive substance, for the scene and it's surprise to work out, this time, this one time, Tuco suddenly behaves extremely careful, handling the substance with incredible care and delicacy. I go as far to say that this little portion of fulminated mercury which Tuch took out of the bag, was the most gentle handled thing in the entire show.
There are just way too many coincidences and unrealistic actions happening, making the show as a whole rather illogical and very hard to believe. It portrays a weakness of BB in that they often choose to portray what they want rather then what is either logical or fits the characters. Walter and his family should have been dead a long time ago, concerning logic. So much is done to gratify the viewers in the moment.
BB is an entertaining show with many qualities but it is not even near to being the greatest if even one of the greatest TV Shows of all time, as it is praised by so many. In my book its not even placed in the Top20. The show as a whole is dragged out for too long.
For the most part BB is shot with an often rather random moving handheld camera. For the final, the show was suddenly shot and staged with mostly fixed camera shots and very well staged shots and cuts. While I salute conscious careful shooting, here it appeared like it was suddenly put on, and broke the style of the whole former episodes show.
The vague open end as to weather WW dies or not, since he is bleeding from a possible penetrating gunshot wound and possibly unconscious when the police arrives, is the big plus of the shows final ending.
The best part of the whole show is definitely the Pilot. Its stands and works alone.
Climax (2018)
Best one of 2018 and one of the best Horror Films ever made
Watch first read later
I did not expect this. Fantastic, nearly unbearable. Realistic characters and dialogue. At around the one hour mark, it started to get almost unbearable for me. A mix of consideration for my set row neighbors and laziness kept me seated. Making the experience all the more intense, while, in retrospect, for the rest of the film not adding much more info about the story and development as I had already picked up.
In his last films "Love 3D", "Enter the Void" and "Irreversible", G.N. moves around from and between different states of extremes. Which gives you time to catch a breath. He tends to move between pain and harmony. This time, its practically one continuos spiral downhill into some of the worst human actions. "Climax" is right to the point for the most part and starts of with a breathtakingly engaging dancing performance. Making most of the characters to be professional or -to be dancers was a brilliant choice, since it allowed to tell let them portray so many emotions, behaviors and experiences in a very special yet authentic and realistic, physical and often non verbal way. Always captured with beautiful and organic camera movements and a great but never ending soundtrack, that contributes to pull you in further, leaving no escape. A real horror trip. Relying neither on the supernatural or expensive effects. All we see is pure human behavior at some of its worst, sometimes tragic sometimes sadistic, under the involuntary influence of some very heavy substances.
They all had their demons (issues and worse) inside themselves right form the start. Definitely one of the best Horror films ever.
It is a shame, that it wasn't filmed stereoscopically, at the same time I doubt that in that event I would have stayed in my seat until the end of the movie.
I do not want to see it again in a very long time if ever. I recommend with a strong caution: leave or turn off as soon as you feel like it.
Accattone (1961)
A tough watch
Basically everyone is so desperate, brutal and cynical in this film. Felt like biteing the bullet.
Fargo (2014)
Great TV series
Season 1 - 9,5/10:
Almost perfect blend between a remake and a sequel.
Season 2 - 9/10:
Brilliant crime/mafia saga. A bit heavy and at times questionable in the depiction of some of the violence - or am I just so sensitive? So many fantastic and entertaining characters and performances. Cinematographically the best of the seasons.
Season 3 - 7/10:
The weakest of the three. Lacks slightly in execution and the cinematic enthusiasm of the predecessors. I missed more entanglements and connections with characters from the former seasons. V.M.Varga/David Thewlis is the highlight of this season and delivers my favorite performance of 2014. Emmit & Ray should have been shaped and performed slightly more diverse. Meemo didn't work for me. The female lead, Gloria Burgle, was a boring character. Episode 3 was very boring.
I hope they will go back in time again for season 4.
Game of Thrones: Battle of the Bastards (2016)
Chaos, violence, despair and exhaustion.
Besides the plot armor of the lead character, this is one of the best staged action- and preindustrial movie-battlescenes I ever watched. It portrays chaos, violence, despair and exhaustion. Even horror. The choreographies, cinematography and the editing are fantastic, besides some minor timing and logical issues. Everything is of course supported and thrillingly built up towards by the preceding seasons/episodes. Some criticize the twist by the unexpected reinforcements at the end, but what about the 'Battle of Waterloo' or the 'The Battle of Vienna'?
The rest of this episode which isn't covering the battle is rather weak.
Black Mirror: USS Callister (2017)
Inside a sadists toy collection
I have an idea for another "Black Mirror" Episode: some kind of device will allow people somehow to enter some kind of virtual reality and in the end they will be trapped in hell for all eternity. Also, behind all this is some kind of genius mastermind, who only gets away with it, if he had 'good' intentions.
This BM-episode is one of the better ones I watched. It was entertaining in the beginning, mostly due to the spoof factor and the iconic scenery, but eventually lacked in logic, interesting details, ideas and performances and became stale and boring.
One of the most unrealistic factors of the whole story and character portrayals is the fact, that Walton didn't just try and apologize to Robert earlier, even if he didn't mean the apology and just use it as a manipulation. It seemed to have had an immediate effect on Robert, so clearly he was portrayed as someone not completely shuttered towards dialogue and cathartic communication.
Two Night Stand (2014)
Dealing with boredom, tediously staged
Megan has got to be one of the most self absorbed, immature and boring characters ever put on film. Why is Alec, a drag himself, even dealing with this behavior? Yes, of course, they are snowed in.. and sex. What else is there besides those two boring characters, performed by two dull actors? Not much..
Love (2016)
Watchable
So far, this is the first Netflix Original of around 20 I watched that I was capable to bear. It has rather realistic and entertaining dialogue (again, for Netflix standards), some good ideas and a nice soundtrack. Nevertheless, it was getting stale after the first couple of Episodes. Not only because Mickey is so unlikeable and Paul so excruciatingly pathetic. The two of them and basically any other character/actor in the show are just not interesting enough as characters and performers and the story just drags on and on.
Bad Banks (2018)
Unwatchable
It was painful getting through the first Episode. It lacks almost any kind of visual timing, composition, dramatization, choreography and editing concept besides this; every time someone speaks, cut to that person. The overall style is hectic and random. I would estimate an average shot-length of 1,64 seconds. It worked for the opening sequence but from that moment on it became pointless. The acting, camera and soundtrack, is average at best. Two stars for attempting to deal with the topic of the financial world.