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cynthiauhrich
Reviews
A Kind of Murder (2016)
Fine Acting, Terrific Art Direction, Confusing Story
This started off so strong and interesting...and then nothing made sense; especially not the ending. WHY didn't anyone in the test runs of the film or any of the editors say "I don't get it," because that's what I said about the last 10 minutes of the film. It was also shot SO DARK that I had no idea what was going on or who was who...the ending is just a confusing mess that left me scratching my head. What is sad is that all of the acting is pretty strong (oddly, I thought Vincent Kartheiser--who I LOVED in "Mad Men"--gave the weakest performance in this movie. Jessica Biel was quite believable as a neurotic wife with mental health issues. And Patrick Wilson was charming and then he really wasn't...there was a fascinating shift in his portrayal of the loving, patient husband, architect and writer. The issue was the screenplay...while the dialogue was fine, the story was so twisted and confusing to the viewer. I've thought more about it, and I still don't get it. Very disappointing.
Deep Water (2022)
Credits roll and: "Huh? What did I Just Watch?"
Weird film. Weird couple. The acting is fine although the story is just such a bizarre portrait of a couple that is entangled in a super creepy dynamic. Is it open, or not? Does she WANT him to kill her lovers to prove his devotion? If their marriage is open, why is HE not allowed to humiliate her in front of their friends and neighbors--the way she does him? Wouldn't EVERYONE suspect him of the the death of her lovers? So many scenes of Ana undressed. Affleck stays clothed and seething the entire movie. The little girl is FANTASTIC. She's got an amazing future ahead of her. Overall, the storyline was interesting but leaves the viewer with too many questions. No idea how Affleck's character gets away with so many murders, given the fact that everyone is aware of this couple's creepy relationship. Must have a stupid police force. . . And how is it that the writer ends up at the gorge just when Affleck's character is there?
Secret Diary of a Call Girl (2007)
Cheeky Fun For Three Seasons...
...then it became a different show entirely and flopped.
The first two seasons were really fun and felt to be a (relatively, albeit romanticized) truthful glimpse into this woman's unusual choice for a career. She was charming, funny, likable, warm and I believed "she loved her job." The relationships worked and the "scenes" were well-executed. The production values (wardrobe, lighting, sound and music choices) were all so sparkly, tasteful and well-done. The acting is superb...but then along came season four. It was just awful. I found myself turning it off and going to something else because I'd just be rolling my eyes...and disengaging. The tone was utterly wrong. It tried too hard. Pushed too hard. Hannah/Belle was hard. The lighting was hard. The music choices were awful and overwhelmed the story. The storyline was limp, and the writing terrible. The sexual encounters became farce-like to the point of making fun of this woman and her work...the wardrobe was awful. The make-up was terrible. It sounded as though the leading lady had a cold throughout the entire season..? The dominatrix character was like something out of a cartoon...flat and one-dimensional with wardrobe that nobody doing that type of work would wear outside of the dungeon... The last season was such a disappointment.