Change Your Image
dfales
Reviews
Pam & Tommy (2022)
This Is a Seth Rogan Vehicle (to this point)
So far we have seen only three episodes, and I suspect the storyline is going to veer sharply. (The break at three episodes may be marketing strategy.)
It seems all the reviews focus on the excellent portrayals Sebastian and Lily make (prosthetics and all), and I give them full credit. However, I suspect Pamela is brighter than Lily is allowed to portray her. (The deleted monologue comes to mind.).
BUT I believe, to this point, Pam and Tommy are just props for the story of how the tape made it to the public consciousness. The Episode 3 explanation of how sale of the tape made it to the World Wide Web (it was not the Internet yet) is delicious.
And it is really Seth Rogan's gig. (Notice he is an executive producer?) And I personally feel Seth is an acquired taste that I have never acquired.
Still, with that perspective, I rate this highly entertaining...if somewhat tawdry.
Gone Girl (2014)
The Ending Ruins Excellent Production
I had read a strong review of Gone Girl in a newspaper at the release, then saw it corroborated with IMDb "10" reviews during the first week of release. I should have gone back to read more recent IMDb reviews before seeing it yesterday...which might have saved me from seeing it at all.
The production is excellent, the acting is strong, but the actors are stuck with what is a disaster of an ending. The key to the whole story is the state of Amy's mind, and I can't tell if we have witnessed her sinking into sociopathy or if she was always a psychopath. The demise of Neil Patrick Harris is unbelievable which pretty much makes the wrap up unbelievable. I sense Detective Boney sees through Amy's manipulation, but we are left to believe the detective is finished investigating.
I walked out seriously conflicted over what could have been an outstanding movie.
Comanche Moon (2008)
Are IMDb Votes Reliable?
I viewed the first two nights before coming to IMDb looking for some actor info. I saw the 9+ rating which surprised me since I was not that impressed by what I'd seen. (As reference, I happen to believe Lonesome Dove was the best TV western ever. I grew up next to the MGM back lots in Culver City in the 50s and have a certain sense of reverence about the Western genre.)
So I saw the glowing first review and decided to read "more". There I found several reviews with 1 or 2 stars that summed up my feelings well about the lack of character development, poor editing, feeling that it was shot on the Universal back lot (MGM's is long gone), and overall impression that it was not going to come close to changing my feelings about LD. My impression is that the overwhelming vote of those who chose to write was "less than a 4.0".
This got me to wondering about the process that yields a 9+ rating. If the people giving the 10s and 9s do not take the time to justify their vote, is the ballot box being stuffed by people with a monetary motivation? I have long used IMDb as one tool to screen movies and thought it the best available. Now I am not so sure.
The Lookout (2007)
Taut character study
I was puzzled by the range of views about this film before actually viewing it. I correctly guessed that my interests were more closely aligned with those reviewers that rated it highly (thankfully.) Without having seen the trailer and not expecting a thriller, I was able to accept it for what I think it was intended to be...a character study of a damaged character. There were moments when I hoped the pacing would pick up, but for a directorial debut, it was awesome. The acting throughout was excellent. This deserves awards but that process has become too political to predict. If dazzling cgi and spectacular effects are not your measures of merit, you are going to enjoy this one.