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dsmoore
Reviews
The Night Agent (2023)
Why all the unnecessary mystery?
After I watched the first 10 minutes of the first episode I knew the story was in trouble. You have characters throwing around official titles ("I'm the Director of the FBI and just came from the White House" to "I'm a low level agent and I just answer the phone in the basement of the White House". There is so much lame dialogue that's poorly delivered by all the actors. The actors don't even look like the characters they're supposed to be. There was one line that was particularly irritating. The Director of some important position for the President, tells the main character, who is looking for the bathroom, that "the bathroom is down the hall on the left......take your time." Who says take you time. I would never tell anyone to "take your time". So rude and poorly written. Why all the unnecessary mystery? The 'MacGuffin' has worn out its welcome in Hollywood. It was great 60 years ago when Hitchcock used it, but it's a plot device that doesn't work for me anymore and I hope other sophisticated viewers. One series that I watched recently that did a superb job of providing suspense, good writing, and keeping the viewer in-the-know the whole time is the Amazon Prime show "Night Manager ". Watch this and compare the two. Similar themes and a night and day difference.
The English: What You Want & What You Need (2022)
Magical
The acting, photography, costumes, scenery, directing, are excellent. But what makes this episode great, and hopefully the rest of the series, is the writing. This is a very well researched show with compelling storylines. I'm intrigued and curious how all this will play out. The reality of how brutal and rugged it was during this time period can't be overstated. The Massacre Canyon story, which is mentioned in this episode, the Sand Creek Massacre, Fort Parker Massacre all reflect the uncertainty and tenuousness of human life and the bottomless abyss of human nature. This show, and hopefully others episodes, embraces this reality better than any other show I've seen. Amazing accomplishment!!!
Sacheen (2019)
NO DUE DILIGENCE!!
How can you make a documentary without doing the investigative work on Sacheen Littlefeather's background. This piece just peddles lies. Shame on the director and the producers. I would be interested in hearing the story on why this documentary had to be made and what was the compelling interest. Her terminal cancer of course is one reason. She trashed and perpetuated the lie about John Wayne's reaction to her Oscar speech, lied about her abusive dad, and then trashed the FBI for exposing the truth about her past. I would also be interested in hearing the director talk about his reaction to the news of Sacheen's fraud on so many people. Did he believe her story to be absolutely true or did he have any skepticism? Sacheen Littlefeather further hides her true identity by donning the noble robes of people with HIV, woman's rights, Indian causes, and causes taken on by Mother Teresa. We all want this story to be true, but the problem is, it isn't. This garbage makes people so turned off by what they see and read in the news. This show deserves a quiet death and an apology from the people that made this so called 'documentary'.
Married at First Sight: This Is My Decision Day (2022)
Alyssa is toxic
Alyssa is the worst and she's so toxic. Even when she's crying she's concerned about her makeup and how she looks for the camera. When she talks she absolutely says nothing. She lies and is emotionally empty inside. MAFS owes Chris another chance. Chris is a stand up guy who deserves a lot better.
Inventing Anna (2022)
Music is overly manipulative and unoriginal.
There are many things I had an issue with about the series, but I had a big issues with the music. Too much of it and it sounds like the composer ripped this off from a Thomas Newman score. You can tell the writing is bad when the music is going non stop, which underscores just how bad this series is. I would sum up my review of this series in one word. Disappointing.
Mare of Easttown (2021)
TERRIBLE WRITING
Actors are good but this show is full of nothing but dysfunctional and unlikeable characters. I didn't like one and why should I care about any of them when the writing is so bad and sophomoric. Example. A black rookie cop freezes up because he sees a small amount of blood in a house. Winslet's character, who's a hard ass cop, talks him through it. Did this rookie cop not go to a police academy and get some training. The scene was unrealistic and I concluded that the writers didn't do their research. I wonder if the writers ever took a writing class. This show is boring and it's not worth your time.
As an aside, I did watch a movie right after this called Splendor in the Grass made in 1961. This is a movie that says so little but speaks volumes. It should be mandatory that the writers of Mare of Easttown watch this and see what good writing and directing is all about.
The Crown: Avalanche (2020)
The first boring Crown episode
Too many montage sequences with great music. Their should have been more dialogue sequences explaining the changing relationships in more depth. When Diana begins to see her lover again, we see Major Hewitt covertly get in a waiting car and leave the grounds. The camera tracks with the car to reveal in the foreground two informants who will get word of Diana's infidelity back to Charles. The two look at each other, nod their heads, one says something, and the other leaves frame. That little piece of business could have been tightened up and telegraphed in a shorter amount of time. Bad blocking and bad direction. Also, the dialogue between Charles, Diana, and the Queen could have been better written.
With the exception of this one episode, the Crown is still the best thing on TV.
The Crown: Dangling Man (2019)
Time stands still for no one.
The most important aspect of visual storytelling is the writing and this one does not disappoint, albeit a brief episode. All the characters have become so well developed over the course of three seasons that it becomes emotional to see them change and move on. Nothing remains static in life and this long form story telling underscores this fact and this episode demonstrates this principle.
The Crown: Moondust (2019)
Wonderful Desolation
Like so many of the Crown episodes, this too is respectful of the audience. The writing is so good that you need moments of silence to just reflect on what was said. No quick cutaways or an anxious editor wanting to cut to something else because the scene is not moving along. This is John Ford stuff. Not afraid to stay on the actors as they involve themselves in reflection and thought and we are right there along with them. Faith, magnificent desolation, doubt, calm, fulfillment, and silence. All these ideas are beautifully expressed in this episode. Thank you to the whole cast and crew for treating the audience with deference. This whole series is storytelling at its best.
The Crown: Tywysog Cymru (2019)
Wonderful
I've watched some great episodes in this series and just when I thought the stories could not get better this episode proved me wrong. Such thoughtful writing and wonderful acting.
Watching the 3rd season with different actors was a shock at first, but this episode ties in season 1 and 2 and demonstrates how people change and become set in their ways as they grow older. Brilliant casting.