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siobhanharper16
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Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald (2018)
Middle Movie Syndrome
We've seen it before. In a series of three movies, the second one is more irritating and confusing than the first and not close to as good as the third. But you can't do without it, because it provides necessary background for what happens in the next movie. But "Crimes" really pushes the limits of viewers' patience, tolerance, and interest. So many new characters, and it's hard to tell who's important and who's not. Very murky plot, focused Credence's birth family, but that often gets lost amidst all the other things going on. Any HP fan will be concentrating on the younger versions of characters we've only met in their old age, and on seeing characters that we've only heard mentioned. Figuring out what's going on is like trying to unscramble eggs! However, a third movie is obviously planned, maybe even in production already, and it will probably bring everything together. I fully expect it to be excellent. But, blimey! Could J.K. Rowling not have written books for this series, so we could go back and re-read them to figure out what's going on? I'm giving "Crimes" a 5, based on lovable Newt, the nifflers and the bow- truckles, and a few other fantastic creatures whose names I don't know (another problem).
The Last Witch Hunter (2015)
Worth Watching...
If only for the sake of Rose Leslie, the beautiful and versatile Scottish actress from Downton Abbey and Game of Thrones. Leslie brings real acting chops to whatever she does, including this entertaining if not brilliant witch flick. Honestly, I watched it because of the cast, headed by Vin Diesel, who was surprisingly sympathetic, and Elijah Wood (Frodo Forever!). Michael Caine also plays a small but key role and adds just enough tongue-in-cheek gravitas to elevate the movie. The story isn't new or brilliant, but it is fun as far as supernatural good versus evil goes. I gave it a 7, one click above its average, to acknowledge the work of the cast, which proves that good actors can make even middling material into something better than it would be without them.
Enlightened (2011)
Surprisingly Good TV
This show left me asking what an "enlightened" person might really look like. At first, Laura Derm's lead character, Amy, seems to be a caricature of the word, which would have made the whole show a sardonic slap at the long-legged, blonde, New Age Californians that the title calls to mind. But very quickly, Amy and the other characters become genuinely three-dimensional people, all very different from each other but each searching in an authentic way to find their own reasons for hope in a world that's at best average and at worst, cruel. Nobody is all good or all bad, like most of us. The show's impressive cast is a big hint that "Enlightened" isn't just an amateurish attempt to psychoanalyze life. In addition to Laura Dern, we have Diane Ladd, Dermot Mulroney, James Rebhorn, Luke Wilson, and Mike White (also of Survivor Season 37 fame). They all do a great job inhabiting their characters, helped along by some excellent writing. Only two seasons long, the story follows a logical arc, even though I found myself sorry that it ended. I highly recommend it.
Instant Family (2018)
Serious Subject Treat Like Comic Book Trash
My husband and I adopted from the Georgia foster care system in the mid-90s. One 9-year-old boy who came to us with known and unknown issues of neglect and abuse. I recognized all the "steps" from meeting with a social worker through fostering to adoption. What I didn't recognize was a foster/adopt support group, or social workers who were sensitive to the child's needs or our needs. The movie family's hard times are fodder for comedy and treated lightly; in reality, those hard times are HELL!. For parents and for kids. You have no background memories of the child(ren) as babies, when bonds are formed, to help you hold on through truly frightening behavior, psych hospital stays, therapy for the child that the child won't accept. Trust issues? Most kids out of toddlerhood have NO ability to bond with other adults as parents. You never know whether the problems the child is having are normal, age-appropriate stuff, related to past abuse, related to adoption; you're just at sea. And the fun doesn't end when they turn 18. You're still killing yourself, hating yourself, blaming yourself because you can't fix all the things that went wrong for your child, and now you get to watch that person make the same terrible choices that their birthparent(s) made. Along the way possessions are destroyed, fires are started, you finally become afraid for your own safety and the safety of the innocent people associated with your child, especially their own children! This movie makes me furious because it laughs at things that destroy lives, sometimes forever. It doesn't address the wrong-headed theory that puts reunification of birth families above everything else and ends up sending kids back to abusive and neglectful parents over and over. In short, the movie makes light of one of this nation's greatest tragedies: the plight of children in the foster system and the equally difficult plight of good people who try to help through fostering and adoption. Far more lives are ruined than saved, I promise you. Maybe this film was intended to be propaganda to get more people to foster. My advice: don't do it until the system changes. My advice about the movie: stay as far away as you can.
Mr. Church (2016)
Outstanding in every way
By the grace of Netflix, I watched "Mr. Church" today, having never before heard of the film. What a surprise to discover an absolute gem of a picture! The story, the script, the acting, the unfolding of the plot...all of it is simply marvelous. Many, if not most, films that touch the heart become predictable somewhere along the way, but not "Mr. Church." Just when you think you know what is going to happen, you get a surprise. But there's no Deus ex machina here. Everything happens naturally, and the whole story just feels like life, just a little bit better! A crime that "Mr. Church" was not widely publicized enough to draw in audiences; it surely would have been an award-winner if it had been promoted at all. I will be recommending it to my friends and family as an absolute must-see. Run, do not walk, to your TV, get on Netflix, and watch "Mr. Church!"
Beyond the Heights (2015)
One step above a home movie
Beyond The Heights chronicles the journey of the first Pakistani woman to summit Mount Everest, a 22-year-old named Samina. The film is not entertainment in any traditional sense; it's more a combination of home movies, Pakistani propaganda, and extraordinarily bad camera work. There is a story to tell here. Samina comes from a remote village in the Himalayas,without electricity or running water. Her older brother, who worked for foreign expeditions as a porter, wanted a native Pakistani, preferably a woman, to do what foreigners were paying thousands of dollars to do, and he evidently felt some commitment to increasing gender equality. If a professional production company with experienced producers, directors, cinematographers, and all the rest undertook to tell the story, it could be riveting. But what we have here is simply a choppy, condescending collection of video images, with a narrator telling us what to think about "this valiant little girl." I was hugely disappointed and am glad I didn't pay to see it.
Silence (2016)
Not For Everybody
If you're not the kind of person who enjoys actual silence, you're not likely to enjoy the movie, "Silence." It's a meditative, contemplative film, not made to appeal to the masses. Martin Scorsese worked on the script, which is based on a novel, for 30 years before he felt it was right. You're meant to leave the theatre asking questions of yourself, not having any answer given to you. It is at once beautiful, horrible, spiritual, and pragmatic. The actors all turn in stellar performances, often without saying much. If you're of a philosophical bent, "Silence" will at least intrigue you. If you prefer fast-paced, chatty, action movies, spend your money on something else.
Stardust (2007)
A fallen star, a cross-dressing pirate, and wicked witches add up to lots of fun!
What a charming, new fairy tale! I'm a bit late to the party, as I've only just watched Stardust, and it came out in 2007, but I'm so glad I found it on Netflix. Heavy star power (pun intended) makes this light, sweet story great fun to watch. A much younger Cllare Danes looks every inch the shining heavenly body, and Robert De Niro makes the pirate captain hilariously lovable. The bad guys are bad, the guys are good. Simple is better in the world of fairy tales and Stardust meets that mark without sacrificing any magic. Made me with I could escape to the heavens occasionally! Ian McKellen makes the perfect narrator, but we only hear him at the beginning and end. The plot carries itself without explanation. The only bit that might upset some viewers, especially children, involves some off-camera killing of animals by witches to read their entrails. However, even the animals have their day, which is just as it should be. Wonderful family, escapist entertainment.