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Reviews
Villains (2019)
Talented cast, horrible dialogue
The premise and detail of the plot summary seemed interesting. Once I pressed play it was a bit of a maze. I appreciate different approaches to dialogue, but whoever wrote it for this film needs to be shot. It was a waste to the actors talent, it didn't highlight it. And of course this is my opinion. But based on other reviews, I'm not alone in this feeling. The nicest thing I can say is that it had an end to it. Some might say that it's a lack of variety of location, that's a farce. I've seen one stage plays that did more justice for the actors and source material than this did. I think more time was put into wardrobe and set design than actually making content you can sink your teeth into. Because when you first see the cast list, it's instantly excited. So this movie was a let down for me.
I'm also not attacking the premise, two young lovers on the run, running into a married couple who are psychopaths. This could've been a much better film with more twists. The quirky didn't turn me off either, it just felt like an idea that fell flat. The shining stars of the film is Kyra Sedgwick and Jeffrey Donovan's performances, and you could do a supercut of this film of just their performances, that's the highlight. That's not discounting the other actors, but the source material was just something I couldn't sink my teeth into and enjoy.
This film is like when you go to a fancy restaurant that has good reviews, but then it just comes off as a lie. A falseness to the promise, I think that is what bothers me the most. Whoever wrote the reviews for rotten tomatoes must have been high or drunk. Because it reads : "Led by a quartet of strong performances, Villains offers genre fans a delightfully dark thriller with a sharp comic streak" I just don't see it. Every piece of art impacts a user differently. Maybe I've been stuck in the house too long, maybe I've been on Hulu too long, but this fell flat with me. i might come back and rewrite this after I see it with more fresh eyes. But that doesn't do justice for me, I watched it first time with no expectations or being led on with a catchy commercial or hyped review. I saw it on Hulu and thought "this looks good", nope.
I'm left with nothing to work with here.
Porno (2019)
A solid effort
I enjoy all types of slasher flicks. This one has a campy feel to it. Not that there's any gore left out. Plenty to be had in the violence department. I do feel like some characters weren't explored more than they were. But that doesn't mean it isn't a great watch. There are moments you will reel in angst of what's coming next, some will inspire chuckles. Towards the end I feel like it loses a bit of focus that the beginning has crystal clear.
But I did enjoy myself watching this and hopefully you will too.
The Shallows (2016)
A nice surprise.
No spoilers. I really did enjoy this movie. I have only been to a few films this year in a theater. I don't go often because I find a lot of what's out there is total crap. But I digress.
The shallows delivers a survival story of a determined young woman who goes to an unnamed beach on the coast of Mexico, and fights for her life. Blake Lively's performance as Nancy Adams is convincing and keeps the movie "afloat". Films like this require a strong lead character, and actor, or else it just won't work. Much of the film rests on Blake's performance, as most of the movie is the character Nancy stuck on a small rock. Blake doesn't disappoint. The rock plays just as big a role. Though lifeless and inanimate it serves it's purpose, Blake knew what to do, like when she worked on "Gossip girl" with Leighton Meester (hint hint hint hint hint hint). I found it harsh some critics who said Blake's performance was a surprise. She's a great actress, and this film shows she can hold our attention. She has that "it" factor that makes people like me-who seldom go see films in the theater-get up and open our wallets. I had a great time.