lucaleog's Reviews

The Handmaid's Tale: Night (2019)

Season 3, Episode 1

10/10

7 June 2019

While my admiration and respect for this show didn't fade away in season 2 like it did for many others, I did start to realize the never-ending cloud of gloom and doom looming over the show's characters. This is by no means bad storytelling - we're talking about Gilead after all - but the pay-off of all this torture was never quite there. But the third season premiere, taking on the same title as season 1's finale, has brought about the dawn of change: there's actually hope! "Night" is an incredibly beautiful, heart-warming, and yes, uplifting episode. The pay-off that people have been waiting for since this show's inception has finally arrived, and in such beautiful fashion. The cast is once again (to no one's surprise) utterly fantastic; Elisabeth Moss and Yvonne Strahovski continue to soar, and Alexis Bledel just makes you want to weep. Bruce Miller's script is focused and poignant, Mike Barker's direction is enchanting, Colin Watkinson's cinematography has never been more stunning, and Adam Taylor's score feels heightened but better than ever.

This show got its fair share of criticism last year, but this season has started off on the right foot! It deserves to sweep next year's Emmys, already. This is an important show that I feel needs to be seen by everyone.

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How to Get Away with Murder: It Was the Worst Day of My Life (2018)

Season 5, Episode 5

10/10

A breathtaking minute of silence

27 October 2018

How to Get Away With Murder is still one of network TV's finest shows, and for a reason. This episode devoted the majority of its time to the Supreme Court case the show has been dealing with for almost an entire season now - and it played out beautifully. Not a lot of shows would have a moment of complete silence to make a point. HTGAWM, however, still pushes the envelope exactly when it needs to and is network television's benchmark. Peter Nowalk and the entire writing staff should take a bow for being continuously bold, creative and innovative. Glynn Turman and Liza Weil deliver incredibly layered, emotional and heart-felt performances that feel like they are taken straight out of real life. And Viola Davis does what she always does, by now we're just used to her undeniably exceptional portrayal of Annalise.

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How to Get Away with Murder: Whose Blood Is That? (2018)

Season 5, Episode 2

10/10

Back to Form

7 October 2018

"How to Get Away With Murder" still remains of the best network shows, at least in my opinion. Some may say that it had rocky seasons 3 and 4, but if the first two episodes of the fifth season are any indication for this season, then season 5 is absolutely a return to form and seems to be bringing back season 1's glory. "Whose Blood Is That?" was a very, very good episode. Annalise kicking you know what in court has always been the highlight, and this episode showed that once again. Racism and bigotry are built into the DNA of America and the show always finds a brilliant way of depicting that. The acting was exceptional, like always, with Davis and Weil giving tour de force performances. The mystery is intriguing and things are developing quickly. Keep it up, writers!

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Call Me by Your Name (2017)

10/10

Breathtakingly beautiul

3 April 2018

I just now watched "Call Me By Your Name" after renting it on iTunes, meaning that I was going into the movie with very high expectations due to its acclaim and all the hardware that it received. However, I can happily say that I finished the movie with the feeling that it had absolutely exceeded my expectations, and there are VERY few movies that have done this. I would not even know where to start but I guess James & Luca deserve all the praise for bringing this movie to fruition. Luca's directing made the movie feel very realistic, very authentic yet very cinematic and emotionally draining. I have never seen a love story depicted with such depth and to such perfection like in this movie. No stereotypes, no melodramatic moments, just a movie about pure love. And coming from someone who is gay, I watched this movie not even thinking about that we were seeing two MEN falling in love, and that is because it absolutely didn't matter. That is what makes this movie very special. Now to the thing that wowed me more than anything else - Timothée Chalamet! The best performance of any actor in the last few years. Subtle acting is a very difficult task and very few people do it right, but he was above and beyond. The final scene in particular is a masterful, so many emotions expressed with his eyes and his lips. He and Armie Hammer had so much chemistry that you would definitely think they were a couple in real life, haha. And then there is the brilliant Michael Stuhlbarg, that final speech is just pure gold. I don't think there is anything else I need to say about that.

After watching the movie, I felt empty and sad, and that's because it was so beautiful. It was so good that I actually watched it a second time, and that just one hour after I had finished it for the first time.

Please do me one favor, and watch this independent movie. The absolute definition of a masterpiece! Bravo!

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How to Get Away with Murder: I'm Not Her (2017)

Season 4, Episode 2

10/10

May the mystery begin...

8 October 2017

That was an amazing episode! Many people weren't too fond of the premiere, which is understandable even though I loved that as well. However, if you didn't like the premiere, then you will definitely like this episode because it got things going. Not only did Annalise start getting her groove back but we got to see the dawn of this season's mystery. Last week's flash-forward was weird to say the least but the flash-forward in this episode was exhilarating and mysterious. Again, every cast member gives a memorable performance, especially Viola Davis who again knocks it out of the park in court. This episode also proves that the show can successfully incorporate real-life issues into a seemingly soapy drama. So if this is going to be the episode that determines whether you will continue watching this show, then I don't think you'll be disappointed.

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How to Get Away with Murder (2014–2020)

10/10

Among Network TV's best dramas

11 February 2017

I have no idea why it has taken me this long to write a review for this show since I have loved it since day 1. Meanwhile, How to Get Away With Murder has become my favorite show on television, and here's why: Even in a golden age of television, network TV has been lacking original content in the last few years. There are too many procedural dramas and too many superhero shows, so therefore I am glad to have a show like HTGAWM. Yes, it is partly a legal drama, but it is definitely so much more than than. IMO it is primarily a mystery and a thriller at the same time because every season starts with an intriguing flash-forward, showing us a very dramatic event that takes place in their mid-season finale. However, when most shows have flash-forwards they only feature one in the premiere and practically have no build-up to it, HTGAWM does the opposite, it features a flash-forward in every one of the first 8 episodes of a season and plays with our mind. By the time you have watched the mid-season finale itself, your mind will be blown. But why am I telling you this? Because I am trying to underline that this show has the most brilliant and shocking twists you could even imagine, and they have about 100 of those. They are executed with such brilliance and complexity that you will never get bored or annoyed by them. What is probably even better than the brilliant twists, however, is the masterful acting. Viola Davis nails every single scene she is, she portrays this deeply flawed character beautifully with so much depth. I cannot praise her enough, she deserves every single award that exists. That is not to say that the supporting cast is any less mesmerizing, they all bring their A-game consistently. They all deserve recognition. And one last thing: character development!!!! So so brilliant! The characters that you meet in the pilot change a lot as time passes and they all become very three-dimensional! Just go ahead and watch this show. I could say so much more, but just go enjoy the fun and crazy ride. You won't regret it, I promise!

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How to Get Away with Murder: Go Cry Somewhere Else (2017)

Season 3, Episode 12

10/10

Brilliant, brilliant, brilliant!!

11 February 2017

Warning: Spoilers

This was probably my second favorite episode of the season, it was just brilliant from beginning to end! I am not going to go into detail in this review because too much happened in this episode that I would never be able to stop writing. I will just focus on the stand-out moments (which are already too many): Let me begin with the flawless memorial scene. Karla Souza just nailed that performance, she better be nominated for outstanding supporting actress in a drama series at the Emmys! While you might not have realized at the beginning, this scene dealt with a very important topic: Are you grieving because you have to or are you grieving because it actually meant something to you. Laurel made a point by saying that many people did not even know Wes in that room and that it is an insult to show up at his memorial, and I totally agree with her. Seeing her break down was absolutely heart-breaking to watch, but Karla outdid herself there. Just wow! By the way, all Laurel scenes in this episode were outstanding. Other amazing scenes were the ones with Annalise and her parents. How amazing was it to see someone's parents not even consider their daughter to be guilty? I was expecting them to actually be furious and accuse her of actually killing Wes, but no, they did the exact opposite. Viola Davis and Cicely Tyson are the best combo on this show. Both are immaculate actors, both deserve several Emmys. Annalise also returned to her true from by getting herself out of prison in just a few hours, no one can stop this brilliant woman.

And finally, the intriguing flash-backs! So first Wes calls an emergency contact and actually utilizes his real name "Christophe". That was very interesting to see, but I have no idea who he called. Then in the final scene we find out that supposedly Nate authorized a transfer of Wes' body, which we all know is a lie. But I think it is a very intriguing development, and I have no idea in which direction it is headed. After seeing Laurel cry over a shirt of Wes', which once again was heart-breaking to see, we turn to another flash-back showing Wes entering Annalise's house after Nate is already in it. Interesting.

At this point, I have no idea who killed Wes and who blew up the house, but the way they are setting it up is brilliant. Cannot wait to see everything unravel. This show is consistently brilliant.

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