Reviews

It's hard to believe that a director of Robert Altman's stature believed this poor excuse for a film was a decent effort at reviving a Raymond Chandler classic. And Elliot Gould is mind-bogglingly H-O-R-R-I-B-L-E as Philip Marlowe. His wooden acting and inexplicable cockiness must have been all the rage back in the 1970s but it's difficult for twenty-first century audiences to comprehend how we was ever a star. I can't imagine an actual actor Bogart would have employed the likes of Elliot Gould to shine his shoes back in the 1940s, when he brought the Marlowe character to life in those memorable films.

I've just watched the first two episodes of Three Pines and am definitely a fan. The starkly beautiful Quebec setting, along with the clever and thoughtful juxtaposition of the Indigenous, French and Englih cultures is nothing short of delightful.

It is especially refreshing to see the always enjoyable Alfred Molina land such a meaty role and he certainly does not disappoint. The rest of the cast is equally well-cast and the characters seem to be well thought out.

It's truly great that the accomplished and highly respected veteran actor Tantoo Cardinal still has her fastball breaking over the plate, now that she's in her seventies.

East New York is off to a solid start. There's a very strong NYPD Blue and Hill Street Blues vibe to it. I grew up in a neighborhood a lot like this one and the realism is palpable. Poor people doing what they can to get by, grinning politicos whose only objective is lining their pockets, etc... But this show is not in any way a downer. It presents a group of flawed characters who all bring substantial baggage to the table. The reliable Jimmy Smits and Amanda Warren are perfect in major roles. Old pro Richard Kind plays the usual idiosyncratic character that always fits him like a glove. Let's hope it's not a flash in the pan.

It's more than a little hard to believe that the grammatically challenged, America-hating individual who wrote that astounding screed ("Redneck Downton Abbey") watched the same show I did.

Her amusing use of non-existent words like "untolerant" and "connotions" tell us the reviewer has not had an excessive amount of formal education.

I'm not much of a country music fan but I did enjoy the solid acting and excellent use of local color. I would recommend a bit more in the way of character development - perhaps at the expense of some of the musical numbers. There is certainly room for improvement in several areas but the show does appear to have potential.

The extraneous reference to "Jan 6 2021" (punctuation apparently optional) indicates the writer is one of those shrill partisans working tirelessly to divide our beloved country rather than to unite or - at the very least - to do no harm.

Julia is one of the most entertaining shows I've ever seen.

I've never been a PBS fan but cannot recommend this series highly enough. Sarah Lancashire, an actor whose name I'd never heard a few months ago, is nothing short of mind-blowing as Julia Child. It's safe to say we can retire this year's Best Actress in a Limited Series Emmy. Veterans David Hyde-Pierce and Bebe Neuwirth have not lost a step and nail their respective parts. Brittany Bradford, a relative newcomer, is perfect as Alice Naman.

It's hard to imagine watching this highly entertaining show and not feeling a lot better about life in general.

John Bobek, that guy who played Greg Nettles, was excellent. I've seen him in other shows and will be on the lookout for him in future Magnum episodes. Any chance of a spinoff series?

Simone Clark is a home run. A great character: funny, shrewd and with a great knack for reading the room.

I loathe wokey nonsense and this episode was certainly not that. Can't wait to see the spinoff series.

Great work, Bomani & HBO. This show is side-splittingly funny every week. The person-on-the-street interviews are hysterical. At last: a show that asks us to think about race-related topics without preaching!

When will the pea brains who run this show get it through their heads that viewers don't want to be "educated" by their half-baked wokey claptrap. Will NCIS LA join the ranks of unwatchable drivel like the new Law & Order, which is circling the drain at an alarming pace?

Wow! What a truly mind-blowing rendition of one of the most moving novels in recent history. The casting, direction, acting and cinematography are all equally exceptional.

A poignant, engaging and ultimately uplifting film. Branagh does a tremendous job showing the impact of civil chaos on an ordinary family.

The superb Van Morrison soundtrack gives it a real Belfast feel.

It's great to see that old pros Ciaran Hinds and Judi Dench both still have their fast ball.

If there's a more beautiful actress alive than Caitriona Balfe, I haven't seen her.

This shrill sermonette might have been effective if they'd cast people who look anything like the ones actually targeting Asian Americans in real life to portray the bad guys.

What was their objective? The gramatically challenged reviewers who described this drivel as "brilliant" are already drinking the approved Kool aid.

I guess it would be too much to ask the producers to reflect the sad reality.

This is a well-crafted tale of family, loyalty, crime and vengeance set in present day Dublin.

Clare Dunne, Aiden Gillen and Ciarán Hinds are - as always - excellent.

Whoops - another good show is taking a gulp of the wokey Kool-Aid. This is really too bad.

January 6 was an "insurrection" but no problems to report with BLM riots, real life FBI politicization and corruption, etc.

How can the public get TV networks to understand that we want to be entertained and are not looking to be "educated" by their muddled view of current events?

I like Ted Danson and Holly Hunter but this show is a stinkeroo. The puns are of the eye-rolling variety and some of the characters (e.g. the Mayor's daughter) are cringeworthy. Too bad; we could use a good sitcom in these troubled times.

The Farrells will stay with you long after watching this series. A small slice of Ireland finds its way into an off the beaten path part of America. Very enjoyable.

Yet another steaming pile of bought-and-paid-for Seoul compost. Try being just a bit subtle, guys, and we can tell you apart from the Pyongyang propagandists. You are better than this.

The acting is excellent but the monster scenes are a tad cliched and prosaic. It has some real potential and I'm looking forward to the next episode.