Reviews

Aspects of the show are absolutely fantastic. The acting is incredible and the story is troubling. On the ther hand, the series clearly has an agenda and rather than letting the story tell itself, it rambles into a combination of preaching and gross speculation. Sometimes "less is more." The "rotten law enforcement " vs. "totally innocent victim defendants" is a bit overbearing and, based on my experience, unfair. Law enforcement officials were incompetent and judgmental, but that inherent bias and rush to judgment would've had more impact if their good faith was emphasized. The last episode focused on the longest serving defendant who engages in various fantastic delusional episodes while in solitary. Very ineffective. Very good series that could've been fantastic and more powerful with better balance.

Solid movie. The banter between the characters that most know so well is often hysterical. The problem with this movie is that its stuffed with unnecessary scenes that serve to make it too long, and more of a "greatest hits" than a coherent plot. The time travel theory kind of makes sense, until Cap shows up as a too young World War Two ninety eight year old man at the end...an impossibility given the logic used in the movie. Other scenes dealing with Hawkeye and even the final battle should've been shortened or eliminated...like Cap as some sort of self help counselor. I wonder about the future of Avenger "group" movies given the death of Ironman and sidelining of Captain America. Seems Marvel has basically killed off the golden goose. I guess time will tell.

My wife and I binge watched this show. We're planning a trip to Australia in a few years so seeing some of the sights associated with these instant hotels, so that part of the program was interesting. The first season was interesting but in the end the mother-daughter team that won the place in the final were fairly unprincipled in their scoring. As a result, there was a sense of irritation that only got more irritating when we started watching season two. Some of these couples were simply mean spirited and it was unwatchable. Their comments got personal & that aspect of the show made it less attractive than some of the similar shows on HGTV. The scoring system fostered cheating. Thankfully, Terry and Anita, a pleasant couple from Brisbane ended up pulling out the win. Personally, the critiques from the professional were the most worthwhile and I think the show would benefit from her sole critique and scoring determining the winner, or having guests who are not themselves the competitors score the hotels (similar to the grand finale).

My brother was a drug addict. At some point, he overcame the addiction. Watching this movie reminded me of the pain, frustration, hollow hope and finally resignation that my family and I endured. This movie captures those thoughts and feelings. On the other hand, it gives some insight into the atmosphere of enabling and excusal that contributes to, in the first instance, a young man experimenting with illegal drug use, and the oblivious response to that experimentation by parents. It is inexcusable that a father would laugh about smoking marijuana and then decide to smoke it with his son. It is inexcusable and ridiculous that a father would use methamphetimine or cocaine in a misguided attempt to understand what that son is going through. In this regard, the movie is simply stupid. I found myself unsympathetic to the parents and their self centeredness that seems to have contributed to the alienation their son felt...though that is not fully explored.

I give this movie two stars because the cinematography is excellent. Otherwise, the entire story is a mishmash of incomprehensible palace intrigue...actually two palaces...anachronistic placement of minority actors in roles, a homage to homosexual rights, and periodic feminist gibberish by the two queens who fall victim to the whims and brutality of their respective male advisors. Throw in a meeting that never occurred and the ridiculous ending which rushes through almost thirty years in thirty seconds without Mary or her handmaidens aging a day. Look, I certainly understand that Hollywood history movies bend the story to make the plot interesting...but this movie is so blatantly intent on adding the "correct" pc trappings that any semblance of a plot is lost. If its fantasy you want, catch up on Game of Thrones.

Lee Israel was a mean, nasty person who wrote forgettable books. She committed fraud by selling fake letters. She stole genuine letters from a library. The movie title is misleading, because at no point does Lee Israel even ask for forgiveness. She tries to justify her criminality by showing the corruption of others. Even after she's sentenced she violates her probation and jokes about it. I gave it a 2 because the acting was good, but her story is as forgettable as she was.

The reality that the space program, as well as the men who went to space, were eternally "on edge" is very clearly presented in this film. For a film abouace travel and the quest for the moon, its surprisingly intimate. The film focuses on the Armstrong family, the small and isolated group of astronauts living and working together, and the closeness within the spacecrafts that took these flights. The highlights include the moon landing, which happens as fuel is being burned, and the Gemini 8 flight, which almost ended in disaster. Some say that Gosling as Armstrong comes across as too restrained. I disagree. At times, a subtle humor is shown. His pain at the deaths of his daughter and his colleagues is obvious. His almost total focus on his mission also comes across as selfish-to the point of rudeness toward friends and disengagement with his wife. Claire Foy is worthy, again, of award consideration for a pitch perfect portrayal of a strong minded partner. Jason Clarke also stands out. In short, this is an outstanding tribute to an era when commitment, sacrifice, intelligence, optimism and daring do characterized one of America and mandkind's greatest achievements.

When this series is focused on the major plot-the race to identify, find and stop a sophisticated terrorist-it is excellent. The acting is strong, with great performances from the leads (Krasinski, Pierce, Sihabi, Suliman) well as important supporting characters (Cornish, Hutton). The locations and production is first rate. I have only a few "quibbles": First, especially early in this series, some of dialogue is clearly designed to advance a certain view about immigration. The dialogue really isn't necessary, because the story itself makes the point about the causes of radicalization. Second, could someone please let these directors know what the "cover" regulations are for the military? Your typical civilian doesn't know, but it drives veterans to distraction! Finally, there is a subplot about a burned out AF drone pilot that is ridiculous and takes away from the entire story. The sex scene is gratuitous and his actions would've earned him a General Court-Martial and a dismissal. It was silly and grossly unrealistic and insulting to AF officers-including those who may be suffering from depression. These caveats aside, definitely worth the time investment and I'm looking forward to season two.

The only thing that keeps me from rating this lower is that, occasionally there is humor. All in all this movie is one big bore. Scattered plot, too many subplots, stupid fight scene. The entire movie would've been better if it had centered on the Ego-Star Lord dynamics instead of bouncing around from subplot to subplot. Yawn.

Well acted and genuinely funny, Emma is probably one of the few series I've watched based on Jane Austen's novels that had me chuckling throughout. Romola Garai really gives the performance of a career and balances the character's enthusiasm, immaturity, affection and meddling nature perfectly. Michael Gambon is hysterical as the hypochondriac father. Johnny Lee Miller also is a standout. The theme of this novel is growth as a person. The series captures Emma's growth from confident but good intentioned meddler to a wiser woman.

There are some series or movies that are so well acted, so well written and so genuine that they touch you. The emotions resonate because the story and actors are relatable, even though the story is grounded at a different time. Little Dorrit is such a series. The leads portray Amy and Arthur as kind, generous and giving...yet not in a sanctimonious or humorless way. The supporting characters are typical Dickens...a wide variety of personalities who both brighten and darken the story as it progresses. The central love story between Amy and Arthur is buttressed by themes as timeless as humanity itself: mystery, greed, cruelty, shame as well as selflessness, loss, kindness, forgiveness and sacrifice. I can watch it again and again and pick up new ways of enjoying this series. The acting is absolutely phenomenal-no weak link and the two leads-Claire Foy and Matthew Macfadyen-are perfect. The final scenes wherein each finally declare their love for each other are joyous and intimate. An absolutely incredible adaptation.

This movie is one long diatribe by an ungrateful childish whiner who continually complains and selfishly laments his life. One of the central plotlines is his lament his status when compared to his friends. Given his personality, the issue is no wonder. He is nothing but a jealous jerk, envious of those whom he knows nothing. His middle age angst made me want to punch him in the face. Good acting since it does raise an emotional response from the audience...one of disgust. That's why I gave it two stars instead of zero.