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maggibillingsviolin
Reviews
Sappy Holiday (2022)
Mostly fine, over the top Joy
I think it's important to start a review for this kind of Hallmark style Christmas movie with the disclaimer that I'm not expecting it to be good. I'm not here for the quality, I'm here for something cozy and predictable to watch (and cringe at occasionally) while I drink hot cocoa.
There were definitely a couple awkward scenes and transitions, but the thing that really bothered me was Joy...I'm not sure if it's the way her character was written, if it's just how to actress chose to play her, or if this is how the actress always is, but it felt so forced to me. She was smiling and giggling almost every single scene, and that in and of itself doesn't bother me (I'm a huge smiler myself so I'm not knocking it), but it felt really noticeably fake, if that makes sense? It seemed like the director was like, "Okay, her name is Joy, so let's make that her whole personality" and then she put on this weird Disney Princess level persona. That's the best way I can describe it, is I felt like I was watching an adult woman trying to act the way a ten year old girl would if she was trying to be cast as a princess in a Disney park. Forced smiling and giggling, so much that it was distracting for me.
Christmas with Felicity (2021)
Meh
When I pick these types of Hallmark-esque Christmas movies, I don't expect great writing, acting, camera angles or editing. That's a given.
This one lost points because of how over the top rude Felicity is pre-Christmas spirit... she's so sulky that she doesn't even want people around her to say , "Christmas cookies", but "cookies you eat during the winter season"? And no explanation for this level of crankiness...she's just down on life and directs it all at the holiday in a very weird, specific way. Sure, give your main character a little chip on the shoulder but don't make her so insufferable. Hard to root for someone who's kinda just awful to everyone in her life because they won't bend over backward to her weird issues.
The Ottoman Lieutenant (2017)
Swing, and a bit of a miss
Love triangle/war movie. Lilie (Hera Hilmar), an American nurse, volunteers to take medical supplies to an American Christian mission hospital in remote Anatolia after meeting and being inspired by Doctor Jude Greshem (Josh Hartnett), who works at said hospital. Lieutenant Ismail Veli (Michiel Huisman) escorts her after she arrives in Turkey. They lose the supplies after being attacked by Armenians, but they arrive at the mission and she chooses to volunteer as a nurse.
What it did well:
1. Cinematography. Turkey is a beautiful country and I loved what they captured and included in the film.
2. Music was nice. Not really memorable, but lovely.
3. Acting, sort of. Michiel Huisman, Josh Hartnett, and of course Ben Kingsley, were all good in my opinion.
What I wasn't impressed by:
1. Hera Himar is Icelandic, and I'm sure she tried her best at an American accent, but it was noticeably bad in some parts of the film. Her acting was also on the bland side.
2. *Was it* a love triangle? It never really felt like Lillie and Jude were mutually interested, beyond their first meeting in the states. It seemed like after Lillie met Ismail, she was sold on him, but Jude was still in love with Lillie. I usually consider a love triangle a situation where one person has to choose between the two, and it's a hard choice. She didn't seem to flinch at all at the idea of turning Jude down.
3. Almost acknowledged the Armenian genocide, but not quite. But here's what I think some reviewers missed, or completely misunderstood when they said that the film portrays Turks as heroes (honestly where did you get that?): when Lillie and Ismail visit the island, they have a conversation about being someone other than who people want you to be. Lillie is all for it, Ismail thinks it's not possible for him (but "believes it more every time he sees her"). Ismail goes on and submits to morally questionable military leadership, and more or less follows orders. Eventually, Ismail's redeeming hero moment is when he is confronted with (a small glimpse of) the horrors being inflicted upon innocent Armenians, and turns his back on the Ottoman empire by saving these civilians. This made him a traitor to his country, and it eventually cost him his life. So no, the film is not pushing that Turkey was heroic here, they were saying that the one Turk who turned his back on his country in order to do what was right, became a hero by doing so.
4. I thought the ending was a bit abrupt. Basically, "He died, and I realized I just had to keep going. Someday there will be peace. The end". I don't know what I was expecting; more closure, more hope for Lillie's future, maybe some pre credit text offering some info on the genocide to ground the whole thing? Not sure, but whatever I wanted in the ending, I didn't get it.
Overall, meh.
Find Me in Paris (2018)
So painful to watch
Just finished season 3. I love Paris, I love dance, and I love time travel, so I should love this show, right? Wrong.
Season 1 problems:
1. The time collectors. Has anyone done a video montage of the time collectors just chasing people? I'm pretty sure that's all they did all season, along with overacting and being over the top silly or dramatic.
2. Thea and the minions. The whole "here's a crew of mean girls with no depth who just care about being above everyone else" trope is SO tired and overdone. Let's leave mean, prissy, popular girls back in 2004.
Season 2:
1. Lex. This girl. I'm sure a big part of the problem is the writing, but I felt like every scene with her in it was cringeworthy. She was trying SO hard to be a villain.
Season 3: WHERE DO I EVEN START?
1. So Max just left? We see nothing of him past when he watched his friends go through a portal, and then we find out (not see, *find out*) that he left a letter for Lena, and just bounced? I don't buy it. It feels like the actor decided to leave the show unexpectedly and the writers/producers were too cheap to transition him out smoothly.
2. Thea/Frank, Ines/Pinky. Both couples sort of break up, but also leave room to get back together, and somehow Ines and Frank get together instead? That felt so awkward and forced. Ines doesn't need a man. Not everyone has to be part of a couple. Don't cram romance into a show where it doesn't fit.
3. Oh yea, by the way, Jeff and Isaac are dating! They set this up in season 2, and then zero mention of it until like halfway through season 3 when Isaac is like, "I thought I was your boyfriend!". Well you could have let the viewers know sooner instead of having them just act like bros for half a season.
3. Lena ends up with Henri?? Okay, what? Am I the only one who didn't see that coming? They spend two seasons building up her romance with Max. Max leaves and they build up this forbidden romance with Nico. Through all three seasons, I never saw an ounce of chemistry between Lena and Henri. It was like they were together just because that's what they knew from before. They put all this time and effort into showing the tension between Lena and her dance partners, and none into Lena and Henri, but they still end up together? Bleh. I would have rather seen her be single and independent.