The reviews on this episode are depressing.
"It was too political" says the people that try to bring politics into everything
"It wasn't sci-fi enough" says the people that watching it on that level
"There weren't enough twists" says the people who watch this show on a superficial level.
"It was brokeback mountain for tv" said the homophobic people
"They've covered some of this stuff before" says the people that think that every story has to not resemble any other story in any way.
"They wrapped it up too quickly" says the people who value the destination more than the journey (shoot me now)
I don't know what more people want from this series. The series is meant to discuss the human condition in our quickly-changing world. It is meant to provoke thought and conversation and make us think about where we are going and the challenges we will face. In that regard it very much reminded me of San Junipero - probably my favorite episode of the entire series. While not being as uplifting as that episode (which is irrelevant as I don't watch media to be uplifted) it was actually interesting that the leads in the show had actually found what seemed to be a balance where they could co-exist.
There were so many layers and things to think about - I can't believe that others didn't see it the same way. While so many of their episodes are cautionary tales I thought this did a fantastic job portraying the complexities that we are now starting to do deal with in our relationships.
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Holy S, I can't understand the previous comments. This was one of the best 30 minute episodes of a comedy that I've ever seen. Surely there is a network sitcom that you can be watching if you want the same thing over and over again.
First, the episode was genius and in a sense reminded me of last season's first episode where they just kind of went free-form and didn't rush to get into the season. After all it is a larger story that they are telling - there will be lots of time to get to the train wreck that is surely coming. The episode also reminded me of shows like moonlighting that weren't afraid to have a theme show once in a while. If you saw the show's tag line it shouldn't have taken 20 minutes to figure out what they were going for. I was rolling towards the end of the show.
And finally... the point wasn't to show them all cute and cuddly. They aren't and that was the point. They are both dark and the episode showed how when the stars align they can be dark together and have a beautifully dark relationship that is all their own.
EDIT 5/20/2019. As I said in my review of the season premier there was a larger story to tell here. This episode set the scene for the last few minutes of the finale (not unlike how the first episode of the Sopranos last season set the scene for the magnificent ending).
The tag line says that the movies is about a woman is hired to paint a portrait of a woman in advance of her wedding. I am having a hard time describing how I feel about this film. Have you ever watched a film where you just know that you're watching something really special? Maybe 2001: A Space Odyssey? I felt that I had that kind of experience while watching it. I'd have to say that it was the best film that I've watched in the last calendar year.
First, the movie is crazy beautiful to look at. Every shot and every frame feels like it was painted using the same kind of detail and precision that the artist uses to paint her picture. There wasn't a single unnecessary or lazy scene in the film. Everything from the landscape to the intimate glances were just perfect.
I also really appreciated the references to the artistic process. It never occurred to me that while the artist was trying to drink in every aspect of the model that the model might be doing the same thing in return. Or that maybe a viewer might see a portrait in a different way in a different time because they have changed. Watching the movie felt very much like staring at a beautiful painting for a couple of hours when you have only really begin to scratch the surface in that amount of time. The same is probably true of the feminist angles that the movie touched on - I don't feel nearly qualified to comment on that angle.
Finally, the forbidden relationship. Being set in the 1700's meant that a woman's fate was mostly sealed. The women had no illusions about what they were and were not allowed to do so that didn't cloud their time together. There were a beautiful few days of discovery and then both knew it would be over. The final scene was perfect. The whole movie is just lovely.
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This is from the director Penny Lane, who might be best known for making another documentary about Richard Nixon called Our Nixon (which was also fabulous). This is a film about love and the struggle to be free. It is about those that are considered to be different than "normal". The film is also about the struggle to shape our own morality and compassion.
While the film does not try to put down others I think where it really shines is showing how the religious are threatened by people who think and love in a different way. For them their way is the right way and people that think otherwise are dangerous. As an atheist I can tell you that I can't tell if someone is "good" or "bad" based on their religious belief but I can sure as s*** tell you that people that do believe in magical books almost never walk the walk. The belief in the belief is more important than the belief.
I was deeply inspired by the people that risked their personal professional lives for a greater cause. I firmly believe that humans have the compassion and the moral compass to forge a better world. One of the interesting themes in the movie that did not get a lot of air time was the disagreements that some of the leaders had when trying to grow their organization.
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I absolutely adored everything about this film. From the minute it started until the minute it ended it regularly provided me with more questions to ponder. It was a commentary on both technology and humanity (probably more the latter than you might expect). Film making at its best.
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How did this show get this good out of nowhere? The first 2 episodes were exceptionally uneventful. Hell, it even seems as though they turned the weak link on the show (Stiffler's Mom and her storyline) into a gem. Fantastic writing here.
What an absolute joy of a film. At different times it was hilarious, absurd, poignant and inspirational. While Scarlett Johansson was at her absolute best it is the young actors that absolutely stole the show. While watching the film I couldn't help but think that all of the themes that existed back then (bigotry, jingoism, hatred, etc) that we thought were gone never really left.
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The decision to end the show after this season seems to have been a great benefit to this season. Rather than repeating the same old story lines (like Shameless does) they went to the wedding card and a whole new set of situations have opened up to them. This episode was classic YTW.
Wow. Just wow. It is so hard to end a series and this one - not unlike Better Call Saul - completely nailed it. I don't understand why people were surprised or expected something different. The ending that they chose is completely consistent with the rest of the show. At the heart of the show is a great love story and they were consistent with that by not ruining it with an event that would overshadow it. I particular liked the one visual with roughly 10 minutes left. During the very first episode of the series I kind of thought that we would see it but I still gasped out loud when it happened.
Easily among the top 5 finales that I can think of for any show. Even if you had not watched a single episode of this show you could watch the last three and be blown away. While the series may have meandered for a bit it came right back to its philosophical and emotional core for the ending. They really could not have done it any better.
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This film blends in a tragic love story with the story of a man who is completely dedicated to his job and country. As the story goes along the man (a respected member of the ever-present government) starts to doubt himself and his duty when a superior crosses the line. I know, that's an awful description and that's ok. It's a movie that is tough to describe without saying too much.
All that said..... I adore this film. The moral dilemma of the member of the Stasi was brewing for much of the movie and finally came to a head near the end. I read that the actor (who died shortly after the film was made) was active in the same community of artists that are a big part of the film. After all, artists usually play a large role in change and that certainly happened here. And finally, the ending. Simply magnificent. This is definitely one of my favorite films of all time.
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Just wow. I mean wow. There are so few series finales that are great and this is one of them. In recent tv history this episode stacks up with the finales of Fleabag and You're the Worst. I as smiling through my tears. I miss the show already.
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Holy s, another great episode. While the girl-meats-mother story has been done countless times what really puts this episode over the top was the last line that the mother said at the end of the episode. I completely was not expecting that and it was genius.
I saw this film when it came out in the theater but hadn't seen it since then. I gave it another look and it was just as good as I remember it, maybe better. I think it meant a little bit more now than it did then because I had become such a big fan of his work with Sergio Leone. In a sense he was putting that character to bed and he did so without glorifying him. I think those that criticized Eastwood's cold and emotionless portrayal of the main character missed the what Eastwood was going for.
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I can't believe that I had not heard of this film until recently. In case you have not, it was one of Copola's early films. It stars Gene Hackman and John Cazale. Actually, Cazale was the reason that I had heard of the film. He made only a handful of films before dying of cancer. These films include the first two Godfathers, The Deer Hunter and Dog Day Afternoon. The film starts innocently enough - a simple scene between two secret lovers. What unfolds as the film goes on is quite extraordinary and often unexpected. I can't recommend it enough.
This is why I watch movies! I hope to find a film that just consumes you for a couple of hours and then stays with you for days afterwards. Easily one of the best films I've seen in the last few years - I don't know why it did not get a sniff for move of the year.
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What an episode. I have killed this show in my reviews for being a caricature of itself. Its been living off of season 1 for a while now. This episode can be enjoyed on so many levels. In one sense it is very much like the "Beard After Hours" of S2 (which was easily the best episode of that season). But this episode had more to offer than that one in that it involved the whole case and the storyline was further developed. But you could also just sit back and enjoy the characters being real and not the cliche garbage that has been put our way this season.
In reading the negative reviews of this episode, it really does show you the difference in how people view this show. Some people just want to see Keely and Roy back together, which I think is not even in the top 50 most (potentially) interesting things about the show.
Its also pretty easy to spot a good episode from a bad one. If there is heavy use of an underlying music bed, they also know that the writing is terrible.
I didn't give this show a chance until recently because I've never been a huge fan of the genre and I heard the last season sucked. What a mistake! A little context - I tend to like dramas like Mad Men or Better Call Saul. I despise shows that have limited backdrops (zombies, vampires, etc) and I've never been a fan of movies like Lord of the Rings.
Season 1:
The opening scene of the first episode gives you a false idea about what the next several seasons are about. The season is generally good and then late in the season you get your first feel for how the series is going to go for you.
Seasons 1 - 4:
The show settles in to a nice pace and there are ebbs and flows along the way. Some storylines are better than others but I can say there are few bad scenes
Season 5:
I started to get a bit itchy. The season is very good but because there are so many storylines it feels like the plot is moving forward ever so slowly. This series really could have gone on forever if they wanted it to.
Season 6:
We start to see the end in site and storylines start to converge (or end)
Season 7:
And then it happens. All of the sudden the episodes went from "this is really good" to me wondering if I could call in sick tomorrow because I want to binge the rest of the season. It really is that breathtaking. It really was a joy to see the storylines come together and to see actors who had not acted together in the series working together. But more importantly, you began to see the results of all of the setup that had been done in the previous seasons. There is probably a stretch of 10 - 12 straight episodes that are just ridiculously good.
Season 8:
There are few shows where you feel like you are losing an old friend when it ends and this show ended up being that for me. I could not imagine that I would ever feel that way about it. Anyway, I can't fathom why this season is so reviled. The finale was only "good" given how poor series finales tend to be I was happy with that. The ways that the stories wrapped up were true to the overall series. I can't imagine what people expected - more fighting? The show was never about that. Anyway, I felt a huge weight off of my shoulders during a certain episode ended - I can imagine that others did as well. It may not have reached the heights of Season 7 but it was still really good.
Overall I would put this series in the same place as Mad Men, The Wire, Breaking Bad / Better Call Saul.
I took a gamble on this movie based on a single review on Amazon. The reward? It was a spectacular movie. I had taken a lot of notes throughout the film but I am going toss them aside for a less technical review. In a lot of ways it felt like a less-neurotic Woody Allen movie and if it was an Allen film it would easily be in his top five. Everything from the story structure to the background piano (in this case classical and very beautiful) to the conflicts (of love, writing, etc) reminded me of Allen. I think my favorite part of the film is how the writer was trying to look forward so she could write again but the harder she tried the more she was forced to look back. Her character was particularly interesting in that while she was so distant and maybe unavailable (by her own choosing) that she was in some ways a very beautiful mess. The last few scenes are spectacular and my heart was in my throat.
It is criminal that movies like this are so under-viewed. In that sense this film reminded me of Til We Meet Again and The Station Agent.
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This was the ending that the Wire never had a chance to tell. Television is littered with awful final seasons and series finales. I can think of a handful of good ones - Newhart and You're the Worst Come to mind. This one was amazing in every way. I love how it didn't show how people's stories worked out because that's how life works - once we lose contact with people they are essentially dead to us. I spent the last few episodes wondering how they were going to wrap it up. After all, in the creator's series nothing ever really is wrapped up as his shows are more about the characters and their struggles. This was perfect. It wasn't so much of a period as it was a semicolon.
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A big part of my movie enjoyment is seeing how a movie is unfolds and the different directions a movie can go. I love it when I can see the director taking the movie in ten different directions. I also love it when a movie stays with me for days because of all of the questions that it raises.
This film is about a couple that is trying to save their failing marriage. Their counselor (freaking Ted Danson!) recommends that they try a weekend retreat to a place where many of his other patients had found success. Sure enough, they get there and there is a record of all of the success stories. And then.... I can't say. What I can say is that it is like no other film I've ever seen and it was amazing. Elisabeth Moss was unbelievable in her "role" and the Duplass Brothers delivered another fantastic film. This is one of my all-time favorite movies.
Some of the complaints about the movie were about the sci-fi angle and the resolution. While this has a touch of sci-fi the sci-fi is really just a tool used to get us to ponder our own relationships. The movie is about questions and thus shouldn't be tidied up at the end.
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I had heard about this documentary for years and recently decided to give it a look after hearing it mentioned again on a sports talk show. I know that veganism is a growing trend in pro sports because of the performance boost that the athletes get and I had been considering moving to that kind of diet myself.
I think the best part of the documentary is that it isn't preachy and it doesn't come at you from a moral standpoint. At its core are two elements: statistics and the science behind the statistics. Once you see this documentary you can't un-see the damage that we are doing to ourselves. An no, it isn't an opinion piece - scientists have a hundred years of data to back them up. I had already made the decision to go plant-based and about fifteen minutes in to the documentary my wife decided to join me. It's been amazing and I can't imagine going back. The difference in how I feel and how I look (my stomach disappeared!) is incredible.
The movie is free on Netflix and on Youtube. If you want a deeper personal dive into someone in poor health going on the plant-based diet I recommend Unsupersize Me.
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How often do you watch a movie where at some point you just say to yourself "holy s, this is a great movie". This happened to me recently while watching "A Fistful of Dollars". I know, I know.... like country music and rap, we all say we don't like westerns. Unlike those musical genres (my half-sincere apologies to fans) a western need not be void of quality and depth.
In case you aren't familiar with this movie, it is technically the first of a trilogy of westerns made by famed director Sergio Leone. We are are more familiar with the third movie in that trilogy - The Good, The Bad and The Ugly - but the first two movies in the set are almost as highly regarded. While "Ugly" is one of my all-time favorites I have to say that "Dollars" was not far behind.
The movie start in classic Leone style. There are almost no words spoken for the first several minutes of the movie. Leone seemingly drops us right into the middle of the plot and the movie starts with a bang. And then there is Clint. Like Nicholson's laugh or Pacino's... well, demeanor.... it seems that Clint's sneer has become almost cliche. But in this movie we are reminded of just how brilliant and descriptive his glare can be. And when he did speak, there was meaning - not a wasted word anywhere in the movie. Some of his comments were downright funny.
Even though the movie starts with a bang there is a palpable build of momentum throughout the movie. The plot was clever and even though you could see the final conflict coming from the beginning of the movie it was still very rewarding when it came. One unique note about this movie and the series in general: Clint's character (nameless in all three but they may very well be the same character) straddles the line between good and evil, often from scene to scene.
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The amazing thing about Woody Allen the author is that he has the ability to channel the different parts of his personality through his characters. If you look hard enough you can practically see and hear Woody Allen himself. The amazing thing about Woody Allen the director is that he manages to seemlessly bring together this puppet show into something that has many layers and textures.
I know that I've touched on this topic many times in recent reviews but this movie is a perfect example of how movies can be watched on several levels. On the surface this movie seems to be about an adulterous person (I'm not giving anything away when I say that) and other people who may or may not be adulterous. If you look a little deeper you will see a brilliant commentary on how people view themselves and how we can justify just about anything. The movie itself was both funny and poignant and that in itself makes it extremely unique. If you dig just a shade deeper you will see all kinds of metaphors that really gives the end result a delicious texture.
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They are absolutely crushing it right now. As I've said in previous reviews having the end in sight has allowed them to completely empty out the gas can. Comedy writing at its best.
Everyone should see this "documentary" if for no other reasons than it will make you think and it will make you laugh (really hard). Maher is a standup comedian and is pushing an agenda so it isn't surprising that he introduces a good amount of humor into the film. I've read criticism of him for being too mean to people but I think this is rather unfair. After all, these people all knew who he was and what he was doing and in most cases hung themselves on their own words. It isn't like he used the crappy (and dishonest) editing techniques that the Michael Moores of the world use. Most of the best scenes ended with a comment by the interviewee, not Maher. It is amazing how many times the guests had a look on their face that said "oh my god, did I just say that?" when they realized the ridiculousness of their claims.
And then there is the subject matter. I think the most interesting part of the movies was seeing all of the major religions stacked up next to each other. When you think about it, where else have you ever seen a non-believer be able to have such a forum where he could speak openly and honestly about religion? All too often we see the media falling over themselves so as not to get the wrath of some wacko group.
This show might edge out Better Call Saul as my favorite show of all time. Not only was there not a bad episode, there wasn't even a bad scene. The depth of the characters and the portrayal of the social issues of the time are second to none. The final episode (and scene!) are perfect. I can't wait to watch it again (for the third time) in a few years.
I watched this again for the first time since it aired. It was better than I remembered it being, possibly because I can relate more to what Don was going through at that time because I am at a different part in my life. I could also appreciate how Weiner teased the last scene throughout the last few episodes. It was such a joy to watch - I can't wait to watch the whole thing again in a few years.
What a fantastic ending! I kind of saw the first plot resolution coming and I should have seen the second one (how they neatly tied it all together). I was worried that the show was just going to be a series of failed attempts on JP's life - it ended up being so much more than that.
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This film felt much like a “Once Upon a Time” film – Once Upon a Time in America, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, etc. In those kinds of films the viewer is dropped into a story that is slow to develop. In fact, the developments often feel secondary to the acting and scenery. If the viewer isn’t interested or able to let go and immerse themselves into this kind of experience then I would imagine they might be disappointed in this film. The film is 210 minutes long and to be honest I forgot about it five minutes after it was over. But that speaks more to my point about the film being an experience rather than a roller coaster. If you're looking for a movie with a heavy plot with many twists or good vs. evil... this isn't for you. The good news about films like this is that it provides a good opportunity to be watched again because the story didn’t necessarily stick with me like the experience did.
While I was watching it…. magic. Did we ever think that we would see a movie again where DeNiro, Pesci, Pacino, Keitel and others would be real characters instead of caricatures of themselves? Pacino has actually done some excellent work in smaller projects over the last few years (see Danny Collins) and he was marvelous in this film. DeNiro… what was his last good movie? It was just amazing to see these legendary actors (and director!) in the twilight of their careers doing actual acting.
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