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Reviews
Pieces of Her (2022)
It's two or three episodes too long
After its bang-up start, the whole thing goes on too long. Somewhere in the middle of episode four we thought "WHEN is this going to be over?" Many say that they were irritated with Andy. There's a kernel of truth there. We were irritated by the way she was written. I think she was played effectively but it took much suspension of disbelief to believe in some of the (obviously) bad choices she made, choices which helped prolong some of the craggy plot.
I suspect that this adaptation needed a scriptwriter who was different from the book's original author. That would have provided more perspective. And if the book got changed a little, well, good for us!
There was a fair bit of suspense at times. However, I got put off by too many shots from a distance implying someone was spying on our principals. Although that proved true sometimes, too often it did not. Or COULD not.
We binged four episodes one night. Then another a couple days later. Then, finally, we finished. Exhausted.
If this had been five or six episodes, I could see it at 7or 8 stars instead of five. It really seems more 5.5-ish. It was worth it, though, for most acting.
Bake Squad (2021)
More Interesting if one DOESN'T binge watch.
These bakers are amazing. And I Iiked their ideas for the challenges of creating unique desserts for special occasions. But when I watched two or three together, there was a sameness which diluted their magic and their personalities became a bit too like a shtick they were acting.
So my advice is to put three or four days between episodes and allow some sameness to dissipate. Some very fun moments, though.
Hope Springs (2012)
Predictable, but nice
This is a predictable, but pleasant film that is well-acted and mostly believable. Steve Carrel surprised with a nice, controlled role that surprised only in that it was played so straight. Sometimes I have trouble sitting all the way through films like this as I'm in the same age group, but this was easy with ONE exception. I HATED the intrusive songs sprinkled throughout the film. Maybe the use of "Let's Stay Together" worked, but I still would have cut it earlier and kept it quieter. In the opening quarter of the movie, I almost stopped watching simply because the songs were so intrusive, and so unnecessary. They were like sledgehammers making their point and the scenes would have played far better with NO music at all. Just about the worst use of music ever in a movie I liked.... and usually I really like soundtracks. If I could tell in advance who inserted this music I would never willingly watch another film with which they were associated!
L'albero degli zoccoli (1978)
Breathtaking
This is one of the most beautiful films ever made. Almost any shot could be taken as a still and hung in a gallery or on your walls. And, as with many '70s/early '80s Italian films with heart there is the resonance of the great neorealist films two to three decades before. This is a must see film for those who cherish the fusion of images and ideas.
Pane e cioccolata (1974)
This gem is too new to be forgotten. Seek it out!
This is a warm, wonderful film. It is touching and funny and one of the very best "humanistic" films from Italy after Fellini lost his touch. It's hard to understand why this film is so little know to younger movie buffs. If you can find it, take a look!
Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (1966)
The funniest or saddest movie depending on your current mood.
A great movie that is hellishly funny or heart-breakingly sad, depending on what YOU feel at the time. It asks you to bring your life's experiences to it and feed those experiences into the movie. The small cast is superb, the claustrophobic atmosphere at Amherst, Mass., makes the stakes for a professor and his wife, the President's daughter, all too great and too small. The baggage they toss back and forth is exhausting and exhilerating as they spar, punch, lay back on the ropes, spar and punch some more and....give up before the knockout blow. Then they hold each other in the middle of the ring as exhausted fighters often do. This film is also voyeuristic as one can't help believing -- true or not -- that one is peeking into some intimate moment of the Burtons. We want to turn away, but can't.