Not a true horror film... thank god, because I'm not a fan of blood and gore. But there's suspense aplenty, flashbacks help with (some) character development, and once I'd mentally agreed to suspend disbelief, I found the premise quite thought-provoking. The never-disappointing, always wears-his-vulnerability-on-his-sleeve Jonathan Groff held my attention throughout as Eric. On the other hand, perhaps because his character's main emotions seem to be limited to anger and defiance, I didn't much care for Ben Aldridge's portrayal of Andrew. I did, however, thoroughly enjoy Dave Bautista's inevitably sinister "gentle giant" performance, and I thought Rupert Grint, Abby Quinn and Nikki Amika-Bird acquitted themselves quite well in their supporting roles. As for 8-year-old Kristen Cui, she has a way to go before she can realistically be compared to "a young Meryl Streep" (no offence, Jonathan), but she's cute and did a good job for a first-timer. All in all, I agree with critics who deem Shyamalan to be in top form with his latest directorial effort.
Reviews
12 Reviews
Midnight Mass
(2021)
Wow. Just... wow.
26 April 2022
I am not a fan of horror. Usually only watch with my sister when she insists. But this. Alright, so I guess the story has an element of horror to it, but it becomes sublimated by the spiritual (notice I am not saying religious) shaping of it into a masterful work of art.
Words fail me. So, again: just... wow.
Words fail me. So, again: just... wow.
Ellen's Next Great Designer
(2021)
Love the creativity but...
19 June 2021
Warning: Spoilers
I am mad right now.
I'd read a few reviews here - something I nearly always do to help me decide whether or not to invest time in a series - and thought that viewers who felt the competition was rigged were probably unable to take disappointment well. But after watching the first four episodes, as I listened to the judges' reasoning in the penultimate one, I found myself wondering, "Are they on the level?!" Mark's stuff kept coming apart from one challenge to the next, and if, as Scott Foley mentioned in the last episode, craftsmanship was one of the judging criteria, then how did Mark even make it to the semifinals? I would have been happy to see either Urvi or Erica go up against Arielle for the final challenge. (Urvi's work, in particular, struck a chord with me.)
To have the judges then award the win to Mark was so disheartening. Not that he didn't pull off a very nice collection, but the judges themselves had all previously agreed that they had to take the whole season into consideration, and Arielle had consistently come up with beautifully crafted, elegant minimalist pieces. For Brigette Romanek to then state that she wants to work with designers who are not necessarily consistent but who will "give her" something... well, not cool. In the end, I too have a sense that perhaps Mark - who, by the way, didn't sound terribly authentic in his comments about his mother and minority kids, comments that seemed studied to me, designed (pardon the pun) to elicit sympathy - perhaps Mark had been intended to win from the start.
So, I feel cheated. And that makes me mad. Which is why I'm only giving the series a 5-star rating, instead of the 7 stars it might have garnered otherwise.
I'd read a few reviews here - something I nearly always do to help me decide whether or not to invest time in a series - and thought that viewers who felt the competition was rigged were probably unable to take disappointment well. But after watching the first four episodes, as I listened to the judges' reasoning in the penultimate one, I found myself wondering, "Are they on the level?!" Mark's stuff kept coming apart from one challenge to the next, and if, as Scott Foley mentioned in the last episode, craftsmanship was one of the judging criteria, then how did Mark even make it to the semifinals? I would have been happy to see either Urvi or Erica go up against Arielle for the final challenge. (Urvi's work, in particular, struck a chord with me.)
To have the judges then award the win to Mark was so disheartening. Not that he didn't pull off a very nice collection, but the judges themselves had all previously agreed that they had to take the whole season into consideration, and Arielle had consistently come up with beautifully crafted, elegant minimalist pieces. For Brigette Romanek to then state that she wants to work with designers who are not necessarily consistent but who will "give her" something... well, not cool. In the end, I too have a sense that perhaps Mark - who, by the way, didn't sound terribly authentic in his comments about his mother and minority kids, comments that seemed studied to me, designed (pardon the pun) to elicit sympathy - perhaps Mark had been intended to win from the start.
So, I feel cheated. And that makes me mad. Which is why I'm only giving the series a 5-star rating, instead of the 7 stars it might have garnered otherwise.
The Secrets She Keeps
(2020– )
A mixed bag
14 August 2020
Warning: Spoilers
Now that I've seen the final episode, I find I have mixed feelings about this mini-series. Contrary to some other reviewers, I didn't think it redundant, in spite of some fairly cliché situations, such as the husband cheating on his pregnant wife or his best friend probably being the real baby daddy - I admit I saw both of those coming a mile off.
On the whole, though, the suspense held up for me, in particular the sequence of events in the hospital surrounding the actual kidnapping. Some revelations were also nicely conveyed: the panned shot near the very end of episode 5 was quite jolting. But there were so many threads left hanging throughout. And the bungled police involvement seemed thoroughly unrealistic, especially in the last episode. Quite the continuity problem, too, with which detective is where, now? Also, how do you 'lose' a guy lamming it on a bridge?! With one officer perfectly able to follow on foot but giving up much too soon AND a squad car more than close enough to overcome the runner?
Another difficulty I had was really caring about most of the protagonists: pouty, spoilt Meghan; her blue-eyed, blond-haired, two-timing hubby; hubby's so-called best friend, who took advantage of a distraught young wife; selfish sailor-boy who has to be scolded by mom and dad into 'doing the right thing.' The one character I can say earned my sympathy along the way was poor, unstable Aggie, played achingly well by Laura Carmichael. What a miserable, horrible life she'd had from the outset, with no support, no one in her corner to look out or fight for her. No wonder she came undone.
Ultimately, it was the voice-overs at the very end, especially Meghan's, that made me change my initial rating from 7 or 8 stars to 6½. One, they're totally unnecessary - unless the writers were looking for a follow-up? Even then, it was an awkward way of going about it, because... Two, the sudden shift in perspective jars with the tone of everything that's come before.
Bottom line: I enjoyed the suspense but found the flaws distracting.
On the whole, though, the suspense held up for me, in particular the sequence of events in the hospital surrounding the actual kidnapping. Some revelations were also nicely conveyed: the panned shot near the very end of episode 5 was quite jolting. But there were so many threads left hanging throughout. And the bungled police involvement seemed thoroughly unrealistic, especially in the last episode. Quite the continuity problem, too, with which detective is where, now? Also, how do you 'lose' a guy lamming it on a bridge?! With one officer perfectly able to follow on foot but giving up much too soon AND a squad car more than close enough to overcome the runner?
Another difficulty I had was really caring about most of the protagonists: pouty, spoilt Meghan; her blue-eyed, blond-haired, two-timing hubby; hubby's so-called best friend, who took advantage of a distraught young wife; selfish sailor-boy who has to be scolded by mom and dad into 'doing the right thing.' The one character I can say earned my sympathy along the way was poor, unstable Aggie, played achingly well by Laura Carmichael. What a miserable, horrible life she'd had from the outset, with no support, no one in her corner to look out or fight for her. No wonder she came undone.
Ultimately, it was the voice-overs at the very end, especially Meghan's, that made me change my initial rating from 7 or 8 stars to 6½. One, they're totally unnecessary - unless the writers were looking for a follow-up? Even then, it was an awkward way of going about it, because... Two, the sudden shift in perspective jars with the tone of everything that's come before.
Bottom line: I enjoyed the suspense but found the flaws distracting.
The Cure
(2019 TV Movie)
It's a TV movie. That sort of tells it all.
19 June 2020
As a non-Brit, I found it enlightening, but there really is not much more to say. Except perhaps that Sian Brooke and Sue Johnston carry the whole thing and that the phrase "moustache-twirling villains" kept coming to mind during the scenes with the board of trustees. Oh, and also, thank God for whistleblowers, wherever they stand up in the world!
Quiz
(2020– )
Rather dull
16 April 2020
Warning: Spoilers
I'm not from Great Britain and had never heard of this TV scandal. Before tuning in to the miniseries, I decided to watch the television documentary, "Millionaire: A Major Fraud." Compared to that, the first episode of "Quiz" was... ahem, a major disappointment.
The bits added for dramatization aren't all that convincing and seem designed merely to strech out the episode. I also don't understand how the Ingrams can be portrayed as so thorougly clueless as to appear innocent. It's so clear from the doc that Charles waited for those coughs before giving his answers, and that his wife gave herself away several times by glancing over to where their accomplice, Whittock, was sitting.
I don't usually judge people's actions just from what I read in newspapers and on the Internet or see on TV and in movies, but c'mon. These are scenes from the actual recording of the show. The miniseries by comparison is way less interesting, which is why I'm not even going to bother with the other two episodes.
The bits added for dramatization aren't all that convincing and seem designed merely to strech out the episode. I also don't understand how the Ingrams can be portrayed as so thorougly clueless as to appear innocent. It's so clear from the doc that Charles waited for those coughs before giving his answers, and that his wife gave herself away several times by glancing over to where their accomplice, Whittock, was sitting.
I don't usually judge people's actions just from what I read in newspapers and on the Internet or see on TV and in movies, but c'mon. These are scenes from the actual recording of the show. The miniseries by comparison is way less interesting, which is why I'm not even going to bother with the other two episodes.
The ending explained
15 March 2020
Warning: Spoilers
I also felt bad about the ending of this beautiful short and went looking for an explanation. I found it in a behind-the-scenes video on YouTube where the director, Edwin Chang, says it was inspired by his Korean grandmother. The film is meant to honour the sacrifices of immigrants' and refugees' families who stay behind after doing everything they can to ensure their children have a better life in a new country.
Kuessipan
(2019)
Deeply moving
30 January 2020
One of the most fiercely beautiful films I've seen in a long time. I earned my living as a translator for over 25 years, and I cannot imagine how young Mikuan's written pieces will be translated from the French. Like the movie itself, they are of this time and place, yet they are imbued with a soulful otherness that echoes and belies at once the harsh reality of life for an Innu community in northeastern Québec.
King Kong
(II) (2018)
King Kong had a soft spot, remember?
16 December 2019
Warning: Spoilers
It's hard to write about a film in which one of the actors is a relative of yours. Would I have liked this one as much otherwise? I did notice problems with the sound, which I found very uneven, as well as with line delivery, at times so rushed that it's hard to understand what is being said, in spite of the subtitles - a challenge in themselves, since following along with them is difficult also. I wish the director could remake the whole thing exactly as is, scene for scene, except instruct the actors to slow down on some of their lines. (And get a better sound person.)
However, on the whole, I thought the simple storyline worked well, each small revelation coming at just the right time, each interaction between the characters feeling real. As viewers, we are aware that Eliza harbours the same anguish Damian does. She, too, worries what will happen to them if their mother doesn't recover, especially in light of their father's seemingly frequent absences. She certainly would have preferred that her father come to them inToronto, where she and Damian have been living with their mom, instead of having to act the grown-up by taking the train to Montreal with her younger brother, only to arrive at an empty house - empty even of food. As the "responsible" one, Eliza can't let her brother see her own distress, but she is still, at least for one brief, explosive moment, enough of a teenager to let her father have a piece of her mind, then run crying from the restaurant.
Yet, implicit in her earlier telephone conversation with her friend, who is out partying and having fun, is Eliza's quiet realization that she doesn't really have a choice. If this means she has to be an adult, then that is what she'll have to be from now on. To me, that was the most telling, moving scene.
However, on the whole, I thought the simple storyline worked well, each small revelation coming at just the right time, each interaction between the characters feeling real. As viewers, we are aware that Eliza harbours the same anguish Damian does. She, too, worries what will happen to them if their mother doesn't recover, especially in light of their father's seemingly frequent absences. She certainly would have preferred that her father come to them inToronto, where she and Damian have been living with their mom, instead of having to act the grown-up by taking the train to Montreal with her younger brother, only to arrive at an empty house - empty even of food. As the "responsible" one, Eliza can't let her brother see her own distress, but she is still, at least for one brief, explosive moment, enough of a teenager to let her father have a piece of her mind, then run crying from the restaurant.
Yet, implicit in her earlier telephone conversation with her friend, who is out partying and having fun, is Eliza's quiet realization that she doesn't really have a choice. If this means she has to be an adult, then that is what she'll have to be from now on. To me, that was the most telling, moving scene.
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(I) (2019)
Honest. Harrowing. Heart-wrenching.
17 November 2019
I couldn't take my eyes off the screen for an instant, so immersed was I in 'experiencing' Mandy's particular trauma. Because I feel anything I try to say could not possibly do justice to the way all the different elements of the film come together to tell her story, I suggest reading the review by Matt Fagerhorm on RogerEbert. I wasn't sure a man would "get it", but every word in his review rings true, down to his summing up of the final scene, where "we understand Mandy's actions, even as we cry out in protest."
Pretty bad... and I couldn't stop watching!
4 July 2019
Warning: Spoilers
The movie turned scifi-ey very abruptly just as I was finally ready to quit. The "Stepford Wives" hook held me in. The (unnamed) president's tweet with the spelling errors was just one more ironic touch at the end. Plus the thematic holiday for this installment is the 4th of July, and I watched it on that day. Kinda hilarious. (Fireworks, yes. Army tanks, no.)
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