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SEAL Team (2017)
Good show, struggling since season 4
Why do they maintain shows even when they've clearly ran out of ideas ? Money money money of course.
Well that's too bad, because it started out as a really good, realistic (at least it feels that way from a civilian point of view) depiction of some of the toughest operations these kinds of teams go through.
The action is ripped, with no sensationalist over-the-top plots or effects, and it gives us a front row view of some pretty tricky situations and the skill of these operators.
The characters are mostly likeable - even though I'd like to hear more from Brock and Trent who are clearly left out. The only colossal error in my opinion is the character of Jason. He is such a dumb asshole, that on top of getting on my nerves each time he opens his mouth, it just isn't believable that he's such the beloved first tier hero that the others believe him to be.
And that is my issue from season 4-5 to the end : it just goes downhill with the drama, stupid decisions, out of shape (or unnecessarily bodybuilt like Clay) characters and overall crash and burn dynamic. I don't believe such a team would still be able to operate (and if they are, that should really be an issue), and it just goes the complete opposite way of the values and level of excellence it showed us at the beginning.
I'm not talking about the plot points surrounding trauma and injuries - physical and psychological - as I'm sure there are many in real life, and it would surely be unrealistic to not mention these issues. I mean that the way they are handled seem very unprofessional for this level.
All that said, I can't believe some reviewers complain about the change in language, making it less family-friendly : society is really twisted if you find it's ok to show such a level of violence to your kids, with at least a dozen on-screen deaths per episode, but find it too much for them to hear a few f-bombs. Get your values straight !
And the stupidity of the character of Jason just seems even more unrealistic and unbelievable, just downright punchable at that point.
Domina (2021)
Clever entertaining
I guess this is not for everyone, the reviews seem very polarised - even though most of the bad reviewers did'nt wath the whole season, sometimes even not the entire first episode to their own admission.
To be honest, I was not completely taken by it either around the 3rd episode with the time jump and the whole cast change either. But I stuck with it because I was intrigued by the dynamic between the main characters.
I must admit I don't know much the historic figures they are based upon nor their precise history. So I can't speak for their accuracy, and I didn't know the story beforehand. Maybe it helped making them intriguing ? I suppose.
What I do know is by the end of the first season, I was at the edge of my seat and very much looking forward to the second.
And I should add, contrarily to some, I found the acting and writing topnotch, and the production value - though the sets might be a bit lacking - very nice overall, enough to find it globally beautiful.
This is not an action series packed with fights, sex and gory murders every five minutes, that might explain the disappointment of some. It is mostly a political drama - with some occasional nudity, swearing and violence - which gets more clever as it progresses.
Diane de Poitiers (2022)
Beautiful production, terrible writing
I was very much looking forward to this, the character and time period being quite untouched by the entertainment industry until now, it was a refreshing period drama to jump into.
I couldn't go further than mid-first episode, so I can't speak for the last 3/4 of the work, but I found the first quarter very disappointing.
Production and photography are very beautiful. Costumes, colour palette, it's all quite well done.
The flock of first rate actors also promised some good acting, however, it is unfortunately quite the opposite. Apart from Virginie Ledoyen who is believable, I found everyone else very.stiff and artificial, especially Isabelle Adjani.
First of all, in spite of the thorough plactic surgery work that was done to her face, I'm sorry but she can't pass for a 35 year old (in most of the scenes from that episode), and even less for a 17 year old !!! (at some point in the story). The famous "timeless youth" of Diane de Poitiers at 50 doesn't apply here for an actress who is almost 70 - stll beautiful for sure and looking younger than she is - but not for a very youthful looking 35 year old, this is absurd, and harmful to the story, and I admit it really bugged me.
And I suppose I wouldn't fixate on her looks so much if she could act, but she is so bland and with a permanent wide-eyed surprised facial expression that just doesn't apply to most situations.
To be honest, I felt the writng was very poor and therefore probably quite hard on any actor, which seems to be substantiated by the fact that all those otherwise very good actors came across very stiff.
That's a long review for someone who only watched 25% of the whole thing, but it's proportional to my disappontment.
Extant (2014)
Very inconsistent
Extant is very surprising in that it has some great moments, great production value, great acting, and then suddenly it's completely cheap with bad dialogue and plot holes everywhere.
You will spend part of an episode very satisfied and pretty sure of watching sufficient quality television, and part of the same episode wondering why you keep watching such crap - at least that's what happenned to me !
I must say Pierce Gagnon as Ethan the robot child is very good throughout, and I believe Grace Gummer also doesn't disappoint. But the same cannot be said unfortunately for Halle Berry. Though always very good in emotional scenes, she isn't up to the task for the action scenes. Some very bad writing and editing doesn't help.
All in all very inconsistent, it's quite unsettling.
Life's Rewards (2021)
Stupid and not funny
A man-child daddy's boy gets stranded in a 5 star hotel after being cut off for doing some bad deals.
I don't know who found this watchable, I couldn't go further than the 2nd 15min episode.
10 people gave this a 10 stars rating, I'm guessing friend and family of the production, or the production itself ?
There's no comedy, the clichés, stupidity of the characters and bad acting added to the feeling of watching a bad ad for wherever it takes place - St Pete something, Florida - was way too painful.
The only believable character is the hotel manager : she seems to be the only one not falling for his - non-existing - charm.
Titanic: Blood and Steel (2012)
Disappointing
I am not a Titanic fan and therefore didn't notice all the historical inacuracies apparently contained in these - very long - series.
However, I must say the synopsis sounded more interesting than the whole thing ended up to be.
I feel like it was very bad writing that doomed this story which could have been very interesting : construction of Titanic, in the backdrop of workers issues and the development of unions, all that in Belfast in the 1910s, with factions strengthening their political and religious stances. So much important and gripping content, so terribly delivered.
Production and photography were great, but writing and acting were awful. Not one character feels real or makes us care about their story.
Maid (2021)
A Masterpiece
This series will stay with me for a very long time. It is so powerful I don't have words to express how it reached and moved me.
Everything is superb : the story, the characters, the writing, the acting (phenomenal performances by both Margaret Qualley and Andie McDowell, and outstanding too for BJ Harrison's supporting role), photography, locations... nothing is out of place or felt untrue.
The ending is maybe the only litterary liberty taken with how realistic this whole experience is for the viewer.
I salute this wonderful character and her writer, her story has drilled into my soul.
Watch it to your emotional doom !
Big Sky (2020)
Uneven
Season 1 started great : good characters, plot, and awesome sceneries. The personal stories and intrigue made up for the fact that the 2 leads looked more like models than detectives. And you know, hollywood and unrealistic beauty standards, we're used to it.
But somewhere in the middle, it got smaller, and less original, and just goes downhill to the end of season 2.
The quality of writing and acting fluctuates. The plot holes get bigger and less and less believable, the characters don't keep to their personnality traits... It might be a detail, but representative of the growing sloppiness : Cassie's hair in season two looks so fake and mismatched with her usual style, that I was constantly distracted by it.
It's really too bad, because it started out as a great show mixing thriller and drama with a possibility of exploring female frienship, without any romantic perspective for once. But it sacrificed too much to action and cliffhangers, and let the quality and specificity of its characters fade on the way.
By the end, it felt like watching any cop show, with stereotypical characters, and a sensationalist but unrealistic plot.
The Dragon Prince (2018)
Almost awesome
The story is great, with brilliant fun dialogue. The world is entrancing, and most characters are endearing and/or interesting. The artwork is great as well, beautiful characters, sceneries and details.
But the animation is sub-par, and that's really too bad : the way the characters walk is especially bothering and prevented me from immersing completely into this series.
I am still looking froward to a 4th season, the story is well written and kept my interest all through the first 3.
Murder on Middle Beach (2020)
Heartbreaking
I am appalled at how many inhumane reviewers there are, at their lack of empathy for this young man who has had his life completely turned around by this tragedy. His whole family was ripped appart and he is looking for meaning where people are not in a state to give it.
Some said that it lacks truthfulness from him, but I think the most beautiful thing about this documentary is exposing how lost he is.
Of course, we would have loved a resolution, but this is not Hollywood, this is real life, and all these people will have to go on with their lifes with this heartbreaking lack of closure. I hope for their sake the final elements will give them some measure of it.
In the end, it is a very good first documentary about a very personal subject matter, and I think he gave an honest depiction of the desperate search for meaning he led.
The Green Knight (2021)
Moralistic arty fail
Supposedly arty and edgy, the lack of rythm and construction just makes for a dull experience.
As for the moralistic tones, either it is a bad retelling of the tale due to bad writing, or just that it doesn't translate well to a contemporary audience, whatever the case it just falls completely flat and only manages to make us dislike the character.
It was really hard to stay awake until the end, I wouldn't advise it to people expecting an epic medieval tale. Nothing epic about it, just boring.
Julie and the Phantoms (2020)
Couldn't keep watching
I wanted to like this, the premise seemed really fun. But I struggled too much with the bad dialogue, the childish reactions and the terrible acting. I guess it's bad writing and bad directing to be fair.
I do watch some good teen shows, but I couldn't finish the first episode of this one. Maybe it gets better ? Maybe for really young kids ? I don't know, but I think even teens would find this hard to watch.
CODA (2021)
Nice remake of a french film
It was a great remake. I still like the original better because the choice of songs are more meaningful to the character - even though I usually much prefer the music in this version than Michel Sardou !
This version has real deaf people portraying deaf people which is so much better, and the fishing activity is a good fit. But the main character, her dilemnas, her back story, her reactions are more real and heartfelt in the original in my opinion.
However, as I said, it is a nice and well done remake, well worth a watch if you're not affraid of shedding a few tears.
Mare of Easttown (2021)
FAQ ?
I know this is not the place to ask my question, but I cannot find the FAQs for this title.
Is there no credit for the baby who plays DJ ? I can't find it.
--- SPOILER --- :
I thought he really looked like Joe Tippet at the end, which fits the story nicely. But are they related ?
Neverland (2011)
Bad series saved by great story and acting
The sets look good from a distance, but the effects are terrible and green screen insertions are so bad, they look like they were made by a photoshop novice.
The editing is awful as well, the fighting scenes are laughably painful to watch. They mostly look like a parody.
I believe some of the directing and the dialogues are really lacking too, it takes some really good actors in all main characters to save the day.
Apart from all that, the story is great. It is a new spin on JM Barrie's books and Disney, with some inspiration from Regis Loisel's graphic novel and Dickens' books.
All in all, it was enjoyable eventhough it made my eyes and ears bleed at times.
The Third Day (2020)
Nerve-wracking mess
The effects and artsy cinematography are sometimes beautiful, sometimes over the top, the plot is chaotic (voluntarily or not, that's your opinion to make), the acting is superb, the characters are interesting, and the island is a character in itself, the best of all.
Overall it is a very atmospheric show, with slow development and many unanswered questions.
It was definitely chilling. The level of violence was hard to bear for me- don't watch with kids ! -, but if you are into that kind of thing, I believe it was well done. Don't expect a fast-paced thriller, it is - sometimes painfully - contemplative and pseudo-introspective.
I found it a bit pretentious at times, wanting to be more intellectual and deep than it really is.
It's not the kind of show I would usually watch, I was really misled by the reviews. But I stuck with it because it is not bad and I wanted to watch the full thing before leaving my own review : I'm so tired of people who post a review after watching only a few episodes, sometimes even just the first one ! I understand you can make your mind about liking it or not, but that's not what a review is.
To All the Boys: P.S. I Still Love You (2020)
Cheesy and sweet
These films are really sweet, and I think a lot of teenagers and kids can relate and will enjoy them.
On a side note, I just find the fake eyelashes all the time trend really annoying and here the main character even keeps hers to sleep.
It's setting such unrealistic standards for young women, I find it disapointing for an otherwise good role model.
The Last Dance (2020)
Engaging docuseries even for non-fans
I'm in no way a basketball fan or even a sports fan, but these series got me entertained and engaged until the end.
It's just a shame they chose to jump back and forth in the timeline, it really wasn't necessary and made it quite confusing sometimes.
The other regrets I have is that none of the personal lives of these big stars are mentioned. I think it would have been interesting - without intruding too much - to see if such tremendous pressure took a toll or not on their relationships and loved ones. Some of these people's personnalities (MJ especially) were probably quite difficult to live with !
I grew up in the 80s, aware of the name Jordan as a teenager, but it was fun to really see with my own eyes why he became such an icon even before the instant-starmeter of nowadays social medias.
Paradise City (2021)
So terribly bad
I don't usually write a review when I haven't watched the whole show, but with this one I'll make an exception : I made it until the end of ep.4 cringing the whole time.
It is just so atrociously bad I couldn't go further.
The writing, the acting, the representation of musicians and the business, ... none of it has any authenticity or quality to it. It's kind of a performance to be so out of touch with reality when there are many professionals amongst the crew. I guess it falls on the director for making very bad choices.
Sorry I really tried.
Outcry (2020)
Well crafted series
This is well structured, oriented but not too blatantly biased in my opinion, and not too stretched out either, as too many true crime series are. You could probably cut 1 hour out, but most of it isn't fillers or repeats. It's facts, interviews, court appearances and some emotional feedback from the concerned individuals, which is important to understand the story and develop an opinion on who they are.
I wish it were a bit more documented : even though we get more towards the end, the first episodes are really lacking - I suppose it goes to show the point the defense makes later on, but we are a bit lost at the beginning.
In any case, the chronology of events is well exposed and clear, of course a bit more screentime of the opposite side would have been appreciated, but as we can expect not many were interested in taking part in this telling of the story.
Now here are a couple personnal thoughts concerning the content of the story :
It is truly scary to see such incompetence considering the stakes - both for the defendant and the victim(s). Neither get justice and it is heartbreaking and maddening to think that this little boy and his family will probably never get closure. And all will keep scars for the rest of their lives.
Final very trivial thought : who the hell is Jake Brydon ? He comes out of nowhere and is interviewed as an expert on the case ? It seemed to me like he was trying to get publicity or something for his involvment. Weird guy.
Wild Wild Country (2018)
So much potential, so little depth... Click bait series !
Beware of the 10 stars bots... they all have the same thing to say : "wow ! Netflix makes such great content !" Suspicious much ?
My humble review :
A good investigative story on this cult, including the american interlude, would be really interesting, but that's not this show.
This is the incomplete and very biased (and I would actually be leaning on the new-age commune side if it weren't so blatantly partial) "story" these series are telling : a group of very open-minded progressive mystics left India in the 80s to build a huge eco-friendly modern commune outside of Nowhere, Oregon ; it didn't sit well with the all-white kind of backwater aging local community to be invaded by such ungodly sex-crazed brown free spirits ; and so, in spite of all their ingenuity and political savviness, the good Rajneesheen were chased by the whole American bigot establishment back to India to live on and prosper blissfully to this day...
Yes, you should be rooting for the gentle self-explorers !
But the lack of basic background information on the cult (why do they wear all shades of red (really, why ?!), why did they leave India in the first place ? How did they finance all of this ? What was the philosophy ? Why did people join ?...), and the lack of basic facts and chronology on the criminal case too - which is the core subject of the series - made the whole thing very shallow, and in the end, not interesting at all and just unsatisfying.
Les filles du soleil (2018)
A story of women
Beyond the backdrop of the Kurds centuries-old fight for freedom and the even more dramatic recent history, which is gripping enough in itself, this is a film about (mostly) two women and their life struggle to exist, each in their individual way and circumstances.
I think any woman would relate, but the performance delivered by Golshifteh Farahani is beyond outstanding and can't leave you unaffected.
Black Gold (2011)
Emir Nesib seriously miscast
Great sceneries and epic story, and awesome performances by Tahar Rahim and especially Riz Ahmed, however the casting of Antonio Banderas as Emir Nesib is a big mistake in my opinion. His spanish accent and overall terrible acting is particularly cringey in this instance.
Several actors in this film are not at all of arab descent, and most of them still give a great performance (Mark Strong, Freida Pinto), but Banderas really spoils it all for me.
The Outpost (2019)
surprinsingly good
I came to this as a silly B action flick, but it was very well acted, directed and edited. It feels very realistic and intense, and way more profound than I thought it would be. You come to care deeply for these guys and the absurdity of their sacrifice, the stupidity of war, especially in these circumstances.
It ended up being way more moving, interesting and even thought-provoking than your typical dumb action blockbuster, as fast paced as it is.
Mulan (2020)
A "new" and beautiful take on the legend
For people who are not overly and obsessively attached to the anime version - like most or all of those who give terrible reviews it seems - this is a great take on the legend of Mulan.
Cinematography, costumes and sets are really great, I loved the end credits which are especially beautiful, and most of the actors are very good, the lead most of all.
Great entertainment.