Reviews

I rated this film a 6. There is so much dysfunction, violence and darkness in this film. While the intrigue is fascinating, the Mafiosa "gangsta" violence aspect is over-played. There is little goodness, resulting in an imbalance between good and evil.

The actors, on the other hand, are superb if not superior in their respective character roles.

Massimiliano Caiazzo as Carmine is simply outstanding. He is highly versatile in portraying a multitude of emotions. Nicolas Maupas as Filippo is good, but not "outstanding". Artem Tkachuk as Pino plays well as the proverbial "bad boy". Valentina Romani as "Nad" plays well her role as a gypsy. Carolina Crescentini as Paola, director of the Juvenile Detention Center, is palpably emotive. The same can be said for Carmine Recano as Massimo, one of the Center's direcctors. The foregoing is not to diminish the performances of the other cast members.

The series held me captive as I binge-watched it. I kept hoping someone would "take out" Edoardo (Matteo Paolillo). Well, I guess we must wait for Season 4 on that one since Edoardo if left fighting for his life in the hospital after being gunned down.

I find it refreshing how the men openly and freely hug one another, often with kisses on the cheek. That behavior is very European/Italian. The easiness of one's emotions (even the negative, hostile emotions) are superbly presented.

I suspect some Italians may dislike this film as it plays to the stereotypical image of Italians as gangsters and murderers. (I am thinking about how the Italians became angry over "The Sopranos".) The only lives that have "value" are the lives of one's own family. No one else. I found that theme to be frustrating, as it was repeated time and time again. I do look forward to Season 4, which I understand is due to premiere this coming October.

If this movie accurately reflects French law and proxis, remind me never to consider living in France. The French reputation for insufferable arrogance is well played. The "judge" is a poor excuse for proper jurisprudence, seeking only to protect his career. This "le juge" uses the gendarmes to cover his backside.

Guillaume Emmanuel Marie de Quengo de Tonquédec as the lead gendarme is treated rudely by "le juge" The Villemins family is treated with equal disregard. The paparazzi are about as offensive as it gets. Reminds me of the paparazzi who caused the death of Princess Diana.

Watching this movie, I found myself getting angry. The "judge" and his newly appointed henchman (gendarne) are despicable theorists seeking a villian, turning Christine Villemins into that villain. If this is how it really happened, the French are a most disgraceful and disgusting group.

Both actors are stunningly good looking. The interaction between them, Carl and James, is interesting, and unnerving. Obviously, these two men engaged in sex and slept together. (Overnight is assumed.) It is clear that James is gay and self-affirming in his gayness. Carl is searching, in fear.

Carl's insistence that he "has a wife" is his way of denying the sexual attraction he has for James. After they obviously have engaged in sex, guilt sets in on Carl. The violent punching of James' face is brutal, underscoring Carl's fear of his gay desires.

A lot of psychology is at play in this short.

I thoroughly enjoyed this movie. I did not know until reading the bios that Patrick (Blake Lee) and Hugo (Ben Lewis) are actually a married couple in "real" life. That made this movie all the more special for me.

What initially attracted me to this Series is its reference to Samurai. Having studied Samurai, Buddha and some Ninja (limited), my interest was piqued.

I gave this a rating of 6, but it could as easily have been a five. While the actors did a good job, not a great job, the plots and sub-plots were repetitive and redundant. It is if the script writers wanted to see how many ways they could say or do the same thing.

The Series' reliance on Samurai is loosely knit. I watched the entire two-part Series, finding continued frustration with certain personalities who seemed never to evolve. The level of violence and betrayal is portrayed well. I am pleased that I never have known people such as those portrayed! I also wonder how Mexicans who watched this series reacted to it.

The Series also is quite long, and one wonders if the writers were simply trying to string the Series along until it gasped its last breath. The Samurai Warrior aspect is tokenistic. But. It was worth watching; only once, though.

Now an aging Boomer, it was 52 years ago this summer when I came out with my first partner. Jonathan Gordon as Charlie is one of the most visibly emotive actors I have watched in any genre. OMG! He is superb. In this movie, "Charlie" is 26. I was 24.

The intensity of love Charlies feels for Sebastian (Jason Ralph) is raw and piercing. For fifteen years Charlie has kept his intense love welled up inside him. The dam to that well breaks. Sebastian's "why can't we just be friends?" is crushing.

The kaleidoscope of emotions that Charlie runs through are so accurate and true to gay men of every stripe. Charlie's exuberance and his palpable sorrows are acted in such wonderful order and context. At various points I simply wanted to reach in and pull Charlie to me; to hold him; to caress him; to assure him of love in all its permutations.

Sebastian is terribly conflicted. His father, in prison, was a funds manipulator almost like Bernie Madoff. Sebastian is attacked in the media for the sins of his father, who ulitmately hanges himself while in prison. It is obvious Sebastian has been severely damaged throughout his life, but he faces off his demons as best he can. In some respects, Charlie is Sebastian's Knght in Shining Armor.

I will watch this movie a 2nd time. I am sure I will find more that I missed the first time around.

WOW. This film really challenged me so emotionally. There is so much joy and so much sadness/sorrow intermingled. The bright stars of young adulthood, shining like kleig lights, suddenly are darkened and remanded to memory.

I wept. Yes, indeed, I did weep. War is so decisive and final. Alicia Vikander as Vera Brittain carries her role superbly. Hers is a heavy weight to carry, as each moment of presumed joy turns into yet another tragedy.

Her dashingly handsome Roland, (Kit Harrington) husband to be, killed on the Front in France when it was all assured he was far enough behind enemy lines to be saved. But, like any good soldier, Roland felt compelled to fix a spot in the barbed wire fencing. The good and patriotic soldier does what needs to be done. Vera is notified of her husband-to-be's death on their wedding day. Somehow, I knew it was "too good to be true".

Next, Victor Richardson (portrayed by Colin Morgan) dies in hospital where Vera now is a nurse. Vera actually proposes to Victor, who now is blind from the war. Victor declines. The next day he has died.

The third knife in Vera's everloving and determined soul is when Edward, her brother, dies in Italy after Vera has saved him as a patient in hospital in France. (Edward is portrayed by Taron Egerton).

What makes this all the more sour and dreadful is how the three lads were all close friends and each like a brother to Vera. Although I did not serve in combat, I did serve during the Cold War Era in classified Intel overseas. One need not serve in the battles to understand at very deep levels how the losses in war cripple the soul and spirit. The other factor that is played well in this movie is that rebounding spirit of youth. There is not mountain too high to climb or river too wide to cross. That is why the Military loves us when we are young. We embrace a certain youthful obstinate determination that Military culture thrives on.

I may watch this movie again. Even get the book. But, I must be in the right mind.

First, Tom Hardy is one of my favorite all-time actors. His slow, lackadaisical manner in this movie is so much like Southern "boys", then and now. No, I am not exactly a Southern Boy, but I served with a number of them in the Military. I am a transplanted Lower Indiana boy, in the East.

This movie will get my third viewing, having finished watching it 2x already. The comment by "WildBullWriter" is spot on: Southern rural hill people. Unless one understands the guts and glory of the hard-scrubbed rural folk across our land in the 1900s through WWII, they will not understand how historical fiction speaks to historical reality in this film.

Guy Pearce as Charlie Rakes is superb in his role as a Chicago "gangsta". Ruthless to his core, Rakes "gets his" in the end. Country folk never have cared much for the high falutin Dandies from the big cities! 😃

This series was intense from the start. So as not to spoil it for others, I will measure my comments. (I watched the entire series in one sitting!!)

The twists and turns with unexpected surprises along the way make this series a true thriller. There are moments when I sat at the edge of my seat.

Richard Madden is a powerful actor. I saw him in "Medici", a very different role which underscores Madden's acting versatility. The final episode in this series is riveting. Near the end Madden pulls out all the stops to demonstrate just how strong his acting is.

The cast is superb. The intrigue excellent The car chases over the top.

This movie was slow to start, but picked up speed within a reasonable amount of time. I will view "Call Me by Your Name" again in order to see what I might have missed. Initially, it was unclear to me why Oliver (Armie Hammer) was visiting Elio's (Timothee Chalamet's) family for the summer. That became somewhat clearer as the movie progressed.

What strikes me is the gentleness of this film. Oliver is sincerely concerned that he has not offended Elio. It is apparent Oliver fears he has crossed a line; but, he has not. The emotion of concern, anxiety and some element of fear is portrayed superbly. There is a level of magnificent innocence and precociousness in Elio that is precious; and, so adolescent! Where Oliver clearly had "dabbled' in his past, this was a whole new experience for Elio.

The most impactful moments for me were at the very end, where Elio's father says without saying it that he "knows" Elio had an affair with Oliver. The sheer compassion and love, the absolute absence of judgmentalism, is astonishingly portrayed. Many a gay youth would be greatly blessed to have as a father one who is so understanding; even, somewhat jealous of what his son has experienced with another man. For me, this is not a one view only movie.

The music scores are absolutely supreme! Truly GREAT!

I came across this movie after seeing Logan Lerman in "Indignation". For such a young actor, Lerman is extraordinarily gifted. In fact, I knew nothing about Logan until I happened upon "Indignation" (quite by accident, actually).

"Fury" is powerful, but gut-wrenching. The horrors of war and the losses that occur in war are portrayed with gravity. The end is not what I was expecting, giving it all the more merit. Brad Pitt is superb in a role I might never have expected for him. "Fury" has guts. It is coarse, delivering a strong and at times a disturbing reality of what we humans do to one another in such settings. "Fury" is not for the weak of heart.

After reading some of the reviews posted here, I may be on the short straw. But, I really like this movie because of its intensity. I may watch it again to see what I might have missed the first time.

I must say once again that Logan Lerman is powerful as "Norman". I suspect his character reached me because I was only 18 one month before joining USAF (that was 1962). I was not in combat, but in overseas remote site Intel. I came of age in the Air Force. Lerman's character "Norman" speaks to me. Those days of youthful, moral righteousness and steadfast honesty are a dim memory. Like "Norman", I hardened.

Although I have checked the "spoiler alert" box, I will do my best to avoid details of this superb movie.

I gave it a "9" because it takes a great stride for me to give anything a 10. Sorry, but that is the way I am.

The two lead male actors are dashingly handsome, each in his own distinct way. Their camaraderie is powerful and palpable -- especially to those of us who have served in any of our U.S. Military branches.

The tangible brutality of the Nazis is riveting. One is compelled to question over and again how any group of humans (subhumans in this instance) could be so barbaric and destructive of human life. There is a moral lesson in "Anthropoid", one that may get past many.

I will leave the rest to future viewers. If you are one who is indeed interested in the monsters of WWII, it is worth a trip to the cinema to watch!