pkertes-59666
Joined May 2021
Welcome to the new profile
We're still working on updating some profile features. To see the badges, ratings breakdowns, and polls for this profile, please go to the previous version.
Reviews67
pkertes-59666's rating
I watched this movie on Netflix when I need a break and was looking for an hour or two to fill that required no cerebral effort. It got the bill perfectly - no thinking required.
All the movies ever made fit nicely on a Bell curve, and this one falls happily in that middle tranche of average shows - not so good but also not too terrible.
The story is simple - glam local reporter in Seattle looking to move up the food chain is forced to work with an ex-flame cameraman whom she hates. A street prophet tells her she will die next Thursday and when his other predictions come to pass, she is forced to reassess her life's priorities.
It's all predictable fluff with a banal script, some attempts at comedy which all fail, a formulaic romance and an anaemic script which makes no attempt to seek any depth to the shallow characters. The acting is meh - Angelina Jolie looks terrible as the platinum blond lead and she was never much at acting anyway. Ed Burns is the cameraman love interest with a mostly phone it in performance. Tony Shalhoub does a good job in his limited role as the prophet and it's nice to see Stockard Channing in any role. On the plus side, the background music choices are great.
Nevertheless it has a (very) few good moments and it's certainly not terrible. It's ok as a time filler.
All the movies ever made fit nicely on a Bell curve, and this one falls happily in that middle tranche of average shows - not so good but also not too terrible.
The story is simple - glam local reporter in Seattle looking to move up the food chain is forced to work with an ex-flame cameraman whom she hates. A street prophet tells her she will die next Thursday and when his other predictions come to pass, she is forced to reassess her life's priorities.
It's all predictable fluff with a banal script, some attempts at comedy which all fail, a formulaic romance and an anaemic script which makes no attempt to seek any depth to the shallow characters. The acting is meh - Angelina Jolie looks terrible as the platinum blond lead and she was never much at acting anyway. Ed Burns is the cameraman love interest with a mostly phone it in performance. Tony Shalhoub does a good job in his limited role as the prophet and it's nice to see Stockard Channing in any role. On the plus side, the background music choices are great.
Nevertheless it has a (very) few good moments and it's certainly not terrible. It's ok as a time filler.
Many IMDB reviewers award 10* just because they really liked the show, but if you award a lot of 10s, what if you see something better? I try to rate shows and films relative to each other, so getting a 10 is rare for me.
This show is any easy 10. It's stunning in every way.
A 4-part psychological drama, the story basically revolves around a 13 yr old boy who is accused of murdering a female fellow school student. It's not a whodunnit - the Who and the How are revealed in the first episode. It's really all about the Why.
Each episode is shot in one, extraordinary continuous take, a marvel of technical achievement. There are plenty of YouTube videos showing how they filmed it and how many takes were required, but the style is perfect as it is so totally immersive. You feel you're right there in every scene with the characters as the story unfolds in real time. It's brilliant and perfect for the storyline.
Episode 1 deals with the initial arrest and charge at the police station. Ep.2 is shot at the school as the police interrogate the school kids. Ep.3, the standout, centres around the psychological evaluation of the suspect. Ep.4 deals with how the young lad's family cope with the situation they find themselves in.
The script is excellent, the acting uniformly wonderful - young Owen Cooper as the suspect is brilliant in what is his first ever time on a movie set. The direction and cinematography are so carefully planned and executed, it grips you from the first scene and never lets you go.
The main themes explored are the role of parents in shaping their children's psyche and how the modern digital world of social media also mould adolescent brains and influence their attitudes and behaviours - and how these intersect. These themes are explored in depth and from a very personal level, aspects of which I suspect almost all viewers will relate to. This makes it rather confronting and hard to watch, and it will stay in your head for long after the credits roll. There are several subtle nuances which are easy to miss on first viewing - few scenes or lines of dialogue are wasted.
It is a truly astonishing work of art and quite possibly the best mini-series I have seen. Hence the 10/10. Don't miss it.
This show is any easy 10. It's stunning in every way.
A 4-part psychological drama, the story basically revolves around a 13 yr old boy who is accused of murdering a female fellow school student. It's not a whodunnit - the Who and the How are revealed in the first episode. It's really all about the Why.
Each episode is shot in one, extraordinary continuous take, a marvel of technical achievement. There are plenty of YouTube videos showing how they filmed it and how many takes were required, but the style is perfect as it is so totally immersive. You feel you're right there in every scene with the characters as the story unfolds in real time. It's brilliant and perfect for the storyline.
Episode 1 deals with the initial arrest and charge at the police station. Ep.2 is shot at the school as the police interrogate the school kids. Ep.3, the standout, centres around the psychological evaluation of the suspect. Ep.4 deals with how the young lad's family cope with the situation they find themselves in.
The script is excellent, the acting uniformly wonderful - young Owen Cooper as the suspect is brilliant in what is his first ever time on a movie set. The direction and cinematography are so carefully planned and executed, it grips you from the first scene and never lets you go.
The main themes explored are the role of parents in shaping their children's psyche and how the modern digital world of social media also mould adolescent brains and influence their attitudes and behaviours - and how these intersect. These themes are explored in depth and from a very personal level, aspects of which I suspect almost all viewers will relate to. This makes it rather confronting and hard to watch, and it will stay in your head for long after the credits roll. There are several subtle nuances which are easy to miss on first viewing - few scenes or lines of dialogue are wasted.
It is a truly astonishing work of art and quite possibly the best mini-series I have seen. Hence the 10/10. Don't miss it.
Conclave is a movie worth watching. As the name suggests, it centres around the conclave of cardinals sequestered to elect a new pope after the death of the current pope as the movie's opening. Ralph Fiennes plays the Dean of cardinals whose job it is to coordinate and run the conclave.
Initially it's all a bit procedural, but the fun starts once the cardinals are sequestered and the jostling for votes begins, like a watered down version of American primaries. You have the seemingly reluctant liberal cardinal Bellini, played very well by Stanley Tucci, who feigns reluctance for the position for which he is one of the favourites. John Lithgow puts in a serviceable performance as the American cardinal Tremblay who may or may not be eligible. Lucian Msamati is the ambitious African cardinal favourite with a prominent skeleton in the closet. Sergio Castellitto plays the ultra-conservative Italian cardinal who doesn't hide his ambition, but is the least liked outside his own band of followers. And we have Carlos Diehz playing the somewhat ethereal cardinal Benitez, from Kabul no less, a late inclusion that only the recently deceased pope knew about. Isabella Rossellini is great as Sister Agnes, who wields more influence than her position suggests.
The film is beautifully shot and the music is perfect. It explores a range of themes including belief and doubt, honesty, ambition, conscience and simple benevolence. It isn't perfect as some of the characterisations are explored at length and others a little glossed over. Much of it centres on Dean Of cardinals Lawrence, portrays superbly by Ralph Fiennes, as he wrestles with his own emotions.
The film ends with a couple of twists, one of which is well telegraphed but the other is straight out of left field. Many reviewers have criticised and marked down this film because of the ending, which has been called improbable, highly unrealistic and even ridiculous. However I liked it. Yes the obvious twist is rather twee and a little unrealistic but hey, this is the movies. The truly unexpected twist is certainly incredible in the true sense of the word, but that's why I loved it. After all you have been shown about the weaknesses of the church and its practitioners, the ending well and truly raises a middle finger to Catholicism.
Initially it's all a bit procedural, but the fun starts once the cardinals are sequestered and the jostling for votes begins, like a watered down version of American primaries. You have the seemingly reluctant liberal cardinal Bellini, played very well by Stanley Tucci, who feigns reluctance for the position for which he is one of the favourites. John Lithgow puts in a serviceable performance as the American cardinal Tremblay who may or may not be eligible. Lucian Msamati is the ambitious African cardinal favourite with a prominent skeleton in the closet. Sergio Castellitto plays the ultra-conservative Italian cardinal who doesn't hide his ambition, but is the least liked outside his own band of followers. And we have Carlos Diehz playing the somewhat ethereal cardinal Benitez, from Kabul no less, a late inclusion that only the recently deceased pope knew about. Isabella Rossellini is great as Sister Agnes, who wields more influence than her position suggests.
The film is beautifully shot and the music is perfect. It explores a range of themes including belief and doubt, honesty, ambition, conscience and simple benevolence. It isn't perfect as some of the characterisations are explored at length and others a little glossed over. Much of it centres on Dean Of cardinals Lawrence, portrays superbly by Ralph Fiennes, as he wrestles with his own emotions.
The film ends with a couple of twists, one of which is well telegraphed but the other is straight out of left field. Many reviewers have criticised and marked down this film because of the ending, which has been called improbable, highly unrealistic and even ridiculous. However I liked it. Yes the obvious twist is rather twee and a little unrealistic but hey, this is the movies. The truly unexpected twist is certainly incredible in the true sense of the word, but that's why I loved it. After all you have been shown about the weaknesses of the church and its practitioners, the ending well and truly raises a middle finger to Catholicism.