Sai de Baixo was very funny upon its release date and an incredible success that created iconic characters and catchphrases that were repeated all throughout the country by people of all ages. It being one of the rare Brazilian-produced sitcoms, it aired very late at night on Sunday, and I remember fondly how it brought families together to watch it, even my own - it was one of the rare moments when my about-to-get-divorced parents would sit together with me in the living room (as this was a time when houses usually had only one TV, or at least only one big TV).
Unfortunately though, the jokes in this show have not aged well. The humor relied heavily on stereotypes, sexism, racism and specially classicism (Caco Antibes' main catchphrase was "I hate poor people!", uttered with a face of disgust...) which at the time, wasn't even considered scandalous or anything - those ideas were current, and our concept of what was disrespectful and offensive was mainly related to aggression. Watching it again with the mindset and education we have today is pretty much impossible (I barely could make it through 4 episodes), but I will always respect it for the place it had in the homes of so many Brazilians. It's very important to understand the show did not mean to offend, but rather to reflect what went on the minds of the middle class Brazilians in the mid-90's, good or bad as it was.
For an updated version, that includes Brazilian's more socially evolved points of view, try Toma Lá, Dá Cá, a show that features the same format and production - another excellent mirror of the Brazilian middle class, with it's all it's improvements and shortcomings during the mid-00's.
I thought it was a bit too sappy at times (don't all Korean dramas tend to be?), but it was overall funny and cute, and quite enjoyable. I felt the boys, specially Ji Woon, took a little while to grow on me, but they all eventually did. All actors were quite competent too. It looked like Park So Dam struggled with some scenes, but it didn't ruin anything. Some characters were terribly annoying, and I suppose not everyone's ship will make it to the end, but I promise Ji Woon's smile eventually wins over any heart, making up for any couple you might hope would never happen.
A very likable trait of this drama is that it keeps negativity to a minimum. Even the antagonists who plot against Eun Ha Won or the Kang cousins aren't the overly cruel sort and even they find their own balance eventually, making this is is really a great option for everyone who might be looking for a very light-hearted romantic comedy. The show has been fairly compared to Hana Yori Dango, and though I think plot-wise things really are similar, Cinderella and Four Knights still stands on its own, besides having less of a comedic focus than that other story does. This is mostly a show to make you smile rather than to make you laugh, and I think this is a very pleasant watch I'd recommend to most rom-com fans.
(At the date of this post, the show has been freely and legally available at DramaFever, from December 24 to January 2nd, 2017. There's still time to catch it in case you aren't a premium user already!)
This comment is about season 1, which I have just finished. I should say that although I have read the book, I do not like it, it is the one thing Gaiman wrote that I did not care for. The fact that the TV series was suddenly not following the book precisely was a plus for me, but now I am wondering if they somehow managed to make it worse.
The cast is great - I think every actor involved did a fantastic job in their characters, and the characters came out much more interesting and likable than in the book. I particularly enjoyed how much screen time Laura is getting, and I loved how Browning also played Essie. The "Coming to America" sequences were my favorite parts in the book, and I am not surprised to have enjoyed them in the series also.
However, in 8 episodes, I mostly got the feeling that nothing happened.
They added a lot of new things, specially with Laura and Mad Sweeney, and Wednesday and Shadow felt more like secondary characters than main ones, as their storyline is basically empty while everything happens to everyone else. In 8 episodes, Wednesday has had barely any advancement in his cause, and while the congregation at the House on the Rock is one of the first things to happen in the book, the entire season ended before old man Mr. Nancy could ride the carousel, and that was a sight I was looking forward to!
With the current positioning of the gods, I feel like the series is aiming for a far more complicated plot than the one in the book, but the creative team is, unfortunately, failing at writing it to work with an 8 episode season. They have set what looks like a very big stage, but the plot does not feel yet big enough to fill it.
I am quite disappointed, as individually the episodes are ok, but they just fail to be cohesive together and convey a good story. I will probably check out the second season premiere, but unless they fix this awful writing, I will just look for better things to waste my time on.
Well, this would have been a great episode for Ru to not send anyone home. I'm forever team Latrila, but Monet didn't deserve the chop either. I hate how people are seeing Manila, though. First they judge her for considering to choose with her brain, but then they judge her for choosing with her heart.
I really do like every contestant that is there right now, though. I think these people are absolutely fabulous, and all have chances to win, the season is absolutely impredictable to me.
I didn't think any of the performances were particularly great.. I just didn't think the stories were funny. The highlights of the episode for me were:
-Manila describing her character as Farrah Moan from Jersey;
-Naomi's look in the challenge;
-Latrice's hair in the challenge (LOOOOVED IT, it suited her so much!)
-Trinity and Valentina in the workroom: it's hilarious that the loyalty does not go both ways. I love Trinity, but she should know better than thinking Valentina does anything but look out for herself, everyone knows she's a highly functioning sociopath;
-Trinity's hair on the runway;
-Elton John's video message, ahaha.
Anyway. This season is going kill us all. I know it.
Well. Wasn't that upsetting? Sincerely, if the other lipsyncing queen had gone home, it would also have been an unfair waste. I think Eliminated queen got too cocky after being constantly showered in compliments and behaved a little arrogantly by not learning the song, but to be fair, I don't think either of them really did so badly as the one who barely escaped. Miss Lucky getting spared by her team's overall performance right after trying to throw them under the bus was ridiculous. She should have gone home after bombing AGAIN and appearing with another BASIC look.
Now, bitterness discussed, can we talk about Trinity? She's been consistently surprising me. She isn't afraid of taking risks, of taking characters, of trying anything that is put in front of her. That one is a force to be reckoned with simply due to her sheer nerve. I feel that she doesn't even blink when taking on a challenge, she just tackles it! She is really growing on me.
Edit: after watching Untucked, the Eliminated's situation turned even more bitter to me. She was extremely aware that lipsyncing was a real possibility, and yet didn't prepare herself. Which is specially bad after getting read on her challenge because she hadn't prepare herself for that either. Girl, you got some explaining to do there. Was arrogance going over your head? You're pretty alright, but since [i]when[/i] has beauty ever been enough in this competition?! You need something to back it up.
What a fun premiere! And very interesting queens too. I can't wait to learn who's the 14th! I understand people have some notions because of some very plausible clues, but considering Ru's taste for shade in his show, I'm thinking it will be someone far naughtier than congenial... Anyway, whoever it might be, great first episode.
Gaga as a guest was great and it was really nice seeing not only her positive energy and message, but also her passion for fashion and the respect she has for it as art.
The queens overall seemed very strong and polished, on a much higher level than other now iconic former competitors were on their first episodes. Tricks that many queens only learned during the show (thanks to Michelle Visage's tough love) seem to already have been mastered by many, so I'm looking forward to see how will they take their drag even further!
As for favorites, for some reason I find myself cheering for Jaymes and I'm hoping she'll come to herself soon! I also really like Charlie, as both a person and an artist, and Peppermint just has this funky yummy flavor to her that drew me in immediately. I will not guess the top 3 yet, but I really hope these three have lots of screen time! :)
Previous comments in the page, though short, sum up the frustration with this episode (safe for the eliminated queen. She really sucked in this episode, and it was well deserved).
But on the usual rant: The least funny snatch game in RPRD's history. Clearly, this isn't a season for comedy, only for bitchiness, which some of the queens have to spare. Most characters were, well, horrible. I saw a lot of people complaining that Bob stole the spotlight, but perhaps the blandness of the others just made it too easy for her to do so? Most of them were flailing on dry land, and removing attention from them might have been a blessing in disguise. Derrick finally could play Britney - now, yes, at the right moment to do so, but.. hm. I honestly think Tatianna's Britney would slay Derrick's any day. So... just not impressed. I actually thought Kim Chi's character was funny, and who cares if it was made up. The body language was really nice. Thorgy's Michael Jackson was also pretty good, and the thing about the baby and the blanket was delightfully unexpected and funny. Then there's Bob - which I'm still not sure if she was really very good, or just above average enough to seem in an entirely different category from the rest of awful unfunny barely acting queens. Robbie, which I came to love btw, sunk under her character. Totally sunk, and she then whined with excuses. Robbie, darling, this is not a show for whining, complaining, or justifying yourself - when you suck, you pray you aren't sent home and you LEARN from it. That's all there's to it - unless you can put on a beautiful show when you cry, of course. Also, mention to Naomi: so pretty, so average. I mean, I adore her to the point that sometimes she appears and I just have to stop and wonder how can a queen be so beautiful, but I feel she's beginning to to approach the deep end of the pool, and despite those eternally long legs of hers, she'll be underwater real soon. If I could bet, I'd say she's the next one out... (does a guess require a spoiler alert? Considering it isn't pertinent to this episode, it makes me wonder if it annoys who reads this.)
Now, runway time: TODAY NOBODY COULD CALL CHI CHI BASIC. BASIC ARE THOSE RED KIMONOS. I mean, really, is it some kind of trend? How many of you own red kimonos, did they really just have them there by accident? And when we say Madonna, you all think Nothing Really Matters? It isn't even the most iconic Ray of Light-era look, much less all-time ever. How in the world did they not notice the oriental theme going on around the work room? So many questions for this Gaijin Cherry Blossom festival runway.
But back to Chi Chi, here's my delight in seeing that she has once more shown herself cool under pressure, coming up with what is definitely Madonna's most iconic look on the spot. Well done, my Louisana queen! Ok, Kim Chi's red kimono wasn't so bad - or maybe, it's just my crush talking. Bob's runway makes me ask the same question as before - is she really good, or just good enough to steal the spotlight from this underwhelming lot? Her padding, though, was flawless. And I thought that wig really suited her. She just looked so sweet and pretty when she smiled in the runway, I think she had my favorite make up on too, followed by Chi Chi's amazing glitter eyeshadow. Least favorite make-up was Acid Betty's. I'm not sure if the Victorian actor powder look was intentional, awfully dry skin, or awfully applied translucent powder atop some equally awfully blended highlighter. And to think she's so eager to criticize Trixie's look.... hm.
(As for next week, Marc Jacobs will be the guest judge. Here's to my hopes that the week's winner prize is MJ merch. I'D KILL FOR THAT).
I'm gagging for Kim Chi's thighs! Actually, her entire proportion is just perfect, wow. The whole anime look also has my heart, because, well, I'm really biased, being already a Harajuku fashion enthusiast!
I loved her, and Cynthia, whom to me seemed like the nicest person there, while Bob appears to be the funniest. Robbie however, got on my nerves. Her meanness clearly comes from a place of envy. Acid Betty has the most interesting style, and Naomi... she's the bombshell of the season - those never ending legs and that ass... wow, just wow! (I have no idea why she went so shapeless though I understand the heroin chick look she was going for and all - she really needed to add some femininity to her chest area). Also, I'm shocked by Derrick - breaking away from Britney will be really hard, she's just too spot on on her! The odd one out seems to be Gigi, but honestly, I'm really surprised with her and her skill to pull something decent off in the last minute after her original design was ruined. Points for being cool under pressure, girl! She seems to be the season's underdog, and I think she'll go far if she keeps that nerve.
The other queens... hm. I'm not very impressed. Time will tell what can they bring.
I thought the winners deserved it. And I love Ben, but I am ok with her being safe. This was not a great week for her. I honestly thought this was Trixie's best performance so far, and I am glad about her being a top 2! I was just not sure that Bebe did as well as Trixie, but I think she was at least better than everybody else.
Aja was gorgeous. I LOVED HER OUTFIT. And they could really read her for her lack of history and mispronunciation, but oh, that was gorgeous. It was really not very disco, it was more I Dream of Jeannie, rather than Bardot, Cher or Frances Joli (in fact, I saw nothing of Frances Joli at all). I am terribly sad to see her go, but I would not be happy to see Shangela go either.
Honestly, Kennedy was the one I least liked. Not because she failed, she did not... but I just did not like what she did with her can, I thought it was boring, and I did not love her outfit either, though it really was better than Ben's... Ben's look was, to me, worst than even Shangela's bizarre improvisation.
Overall - I have no idea what to feel! Hahaha.
What a lovely idea it is, that there could be a whole flock of blue macaws hidden away in safety in the Amazon jungle. Currently, the rare arara-azul is mostly spotted in Pantanal, and back in the early 2000's, there was major concern they were down to the last specimens! Documentaries were produced to alert adults, books and plays for children were mandatory in schools (some Brazilians may remember fondly of Angelo Machado's book "O Casamento da Ararinha Azul"), and the preservation of this wonderful species moved us in a very special way.
So I think this is a nice addition to this effort, and also a great way to once more bring the topic of preservation and the illegal and dangerous exploration of Amazon to the attention of kids, as the macaw and the jungles of Brazil are far from being safe! Aside from that, the movie is light hearted and fun, and displays several species that are special to Brazil and our culture, and I can definitely appreciate this movie as an educational resource. I am only sorry that I decided to watch it so long after its release. It would have been useful while I was still a teacher :)
I don't think I've ever given the Kardashians more than a passing glance as their pictures tend to pop up a lot, but less so when you aren't in social media like me. This Kardashian musical is awesome though, and I would actually pay a ticket to watch it live! This RPDR episode was particularly enjoyable not just for the great entertainment of the performance, but also because there was a lot less bickering than usual. Everyone was actually pleasant and civil towards each other (at least in the episode, who knows what we'll see on Untucked).
You know, I totally get Nina. Sulking is fine, and some of us do it, and we can't help it. I know it's a horrible attitude and bums everyone out and all, but... I sure can't help it, and apparently neither can Nina. The difference between me and her though, is that she at least tries to deliver despite personal objections, so I give her mad props for that alone. I really hope she'll recover from this low, because she's totally awesome in everything she WANTS to do.
I also totally get Farrah Moan - I also completely lack coordination and stage presence, but then again, I didn't make that into my line of work. I want to like her because she's so cute, but cute isn't enough.
That elimination thought - NOT EXPECTED. But I'm looking forward to next season, because as many personality flaws this queen had, SHE DELIVERED!
Bruna was a girl who, sometimes because of her personality and temper, sometimes accidentally, took more wrong turns than right ones but still managed to turn out alright. And that, despite the path she set out on, is something admirable - she wanted to have control over her life, and she did it.
The movie was an overall nice one - not a great family option by any means, but I felt it didn't really exploit the character as much as I would have expected. Even the nude and sex scenes were not shocking or even distasteful, even for my rather prudish standards. So this won't cause any awkwardness should you watch it with friends or a date. Deborah Secco is an accomplished actress, and she played Bruna's transition from awkward teenage ugly duckling to a bold sexy woman to depressed addict very well. I think she was a great choice for the role, although her portrayal of Bruna at high school age was a tough buy for age alone (she was over 30 already, hard to play a 16 year old!). A thing to be mentioned is that I didn't think movie glamorized the life of a prostitute the way I would have expected it to either, though they did make it seem way easier than it probably actually was when she was working downtown for cheap before fame. Even if Bruna was cute and good at her trade, even if she liked it, surely there must have been really bad and difficult days that got to her deeper than a petty theft or a diss here and there, or even her adopted brother's scorn. Maybe it was the character's own need to put it aside to stay sane, or something else, but I wish her feelings towards her family at that time had been further explored too, although I liked how they chose to show her worst days at the peek of her popularity.
An interesting point the movie makes is why Bruna gained such popularity at first, and that's something I hadn't see prostitutes portrayed as in movies before - she was, despite all the stereotypes associated with her lifestyle, just an empathetic and genuine person who could connect with and understand people. And even after gaining more respect from men than most women get from their own husbands, she also shows herself as very insightful, saying "I was the perfect woman. I was there to fuck, to listen and to not complain about anything". Ironically, it was by gaining fame and perhaps bottling all those complaints up that she lost that empathy and become arrogant, announcing her doom and the beginning of that much needed dramatic climax that was slow in coming, but worth waiting for.
To conclude, I thought the movie was better than the hype and controversy around the time of its release allowed me to believe, and I wish I had watched it sooner.
Visually striking as always, but lacking in many ways. While the pacing was actually good and you never feel bored, there was essentially no story to follow at all. The armies meet and fight - that's all there is to it.
There's no build up to the fight, no preparation, and the main characters have power beyond reason - see Legolas jumping the falling rocks when he was fighting the orc that had Tauriel. He's an elf, but he's not gravity proof as far as I remember.
Thorin was a such a powerful character and he went underdeveloped, as honestly did Bilbo and Galadriel at least. I like the attention Thranduil, Kili, Legolas and Tauriel got, but Thorin's epiphany was an important moment and it was actually kinda hurried.
It was a fun watch for sure, but I have a hard time accepting this as a stand-alone film. It was more like a very long battle shot that could have been put as an extra in a deluxe edition of the DVD.
I must definitely say I enjoyed The Hobbit as a trilogy, but I wish they had edited it somewhat differently. I think it still has a lot of potential if someone decided to make a different cut out of it.
The bad things about this movie outshine the good ones so overwhelmingly that it is even hard to remember what good things there were.
One line at the end particularly was extremely laughable, when Will Porter confronts Reynard and asks him "How do you expect me to do this with everything that I know now?" when in fact it felt like the character did not know anything at all beyond a basic "everything will be destroyed".
That is all the character has to go on. There is no relevant information on the rebels, no interesting information on the tower, the characters have no decent background or bonds, and in the middle of a huge conspiracy, we do not even understand why are there willing participants fighting for Reynard.
I do not really play video games, but I have many friends who do. The plots seem often well thought out and complete, and characters are usually at least interesting. The movie meanwhile having visuals that would already atract no one but video game fans, appears to fail these fans severely by underestimating the quality of the writing and story-telling they consume. I cannot honestly think of a single person whom I might recommend this movie to.
Let's clear somethings first: cheesiness and questionable acting are essentially trademarks of the Super Sentai franchise and it's American descendant. You can't have Power Rangers without it.
This movie however, while produced by Saban like the original series, has very little of the feel of the original, even if those two traits remain. First, the characters might share the same name with their previous counterparts but couldn't be more different, with each offering an edgy bite to the stereotype they represent. Thanks to that, and the whole detention setting, their relationship gives a fair nod to The Breakfast Club, which I thought was awesome. In fact, there was another nods to a popular 80's movie with the the whole cave exploration and finding a secret lake, clearly taking a bit from The Goonies, which, like the Breakfast Club, was raging around the time the concept of super sentais came about.
The plot, as expected from PR, is simple and barely passable, but still tolerable, when you consider the targeted audience, which I don't think were the those who watched the original show at all - and I think bringing new and younger audiences into the franchise is a big part of the reason behind the new super shiny and cool visuals (which I wholeheartedly approve - for the most part, as I'm still not sure about the new Megazord, or even the smaller zords, as their shapes were hard to discern and the metallic colors sort of muddled together when combined). I also think that the interest in new audiences changed the dynamic of the group - in both versions you have the super cheesy "circle of friendship" thing, but where the MMPR were idealists in saving their city, this group leaned more towards a selfish side, that I think is easier for our current youth to identify with in our culture.
I did love all the small references to 80's and 90's kids shows and movies, and both the Japanese and American franchises. It felt like really cool easter eggs, and I kept pausing to text an old friend to confirm if the movie really was referencing this or that (he was watching at the same time in his own house, and it turned into a really long conversation about decoding everything!).
I think I could honestly recommend this movie to both children and adults who were/are fans of MMPR. It wasn't perfect, but it was quite cool, and it was very essential Power Rangers, in the good and the bad.
There was a lot of hype involving this movie, but ultimately it fell rather short. For a 2 hour+ movie, it's a bit surprising how the characters felt so flat all throughout the movie, with maybe the exception of the muggle. I also thought the the fantastical aspect of the original franchise was stretched a bit too thin... like either the magic of these characters is extremely more powerful and casually used than in Potter's time, or it's just not the same kind magic at all? I don't know, the constant apparating and disapparating during the chase scenes (something that doesn't really happen in HP) and Newt's version of the extension charm just felt a bit off - I mean, a whole apartment inside a camping tent is one thing, but a whole set of different environments with several creatures inside a suitcase seems a bit much.
Not that everything about it was bad - in fact, all the actors did a pretty good job despite their mostly insipid roles and the CGI was pretty decent. But not only does Fantastic Beasts have very big shoes to fill, it also has a certain place in the wizarding world to fit in to, and it just doesn't feel like it does.
Those guest stars, oh my god! Ru is really bringing it this season.
Unfortunately, as great as the guests were, this was one of the most boring challenges I've seen. It was inspired by the Bring it On franchise, but it unfortunately did not achieve the greatness of that opening scene in the first movie. Big Red would have had a fit were she the captain. Now, I'm not talking about the queens performance, I'm talking about the challenge itself: the lyrics were not funny and the demand for stunts was, I think, ridiculous. This show has seen sassy, and those lyrics weren't it, and I think the stunts actually distracted from character development by causing fear and tension. I hope the next dance-related challenges will have more room for funny.
P.S.: for those who can, please look at Sasha Velour's face with your full attention. TRY AND FIND A FLAW. Spoiler: YOU CAN'T.. She is probably the best make up artists that has ever stepped on this show. I have seriously never ever in my life seen a drag look so flawlessly blended, not even Ru's. That's some absurd skill, and mad props to her for that! Also, Valentina's runway make up was so fish! I totally plan on stealing that look for my wedding.
It's a slow-bulding story, with a great cast who unfortunately doesn't get a lot of moments to shine (although I think many will find Lucy Fry a nice surprise like I did!). The suspense is well done, and I did find the movie satisfactory overall. I mean, it's not amazing, it didn't make me jump, but I was entertained, and I got into the characters too. Regarding other comment on this page, I think it's unfair to compare it to Poltergeist. There are many takes on poltergeist/haunted house stories, and this is just another one. The mythology did feel a bit weak, but the story still ran smoothly despite that. Surely, the final 15min would have been better had there been more background on the Anasazi, but really, not too big of a deal once you're hooked.
If I had to mention a real problem with it, is that it's part of that trend which tends to associate children within the specter with abnormal/evil behavior. I get it that taking a "strange child" as a catalyst is great for effect, but it's a disservice to all people trying hard to bring clarity on the issue, you know? It's good for story telling and all, but a bit disrespectful, in my opinion.
The first time I watched this when it was released, I was at a con, full of other fans, there were cosplayers, lots of chatting, and I didn't pay much attention. Mostly I remember a lot of cheering whenever Seiya got pounded and having many pictures taken that day. So I did have somewhat fond memories of this movie. Watching it again though... hm.
The animation is probably the best Saint Seiya has ever seen. The mood, set by the beautiful colors, shadows and textures is also something to be praised. The character design is another huge improvement over the original series, and even better than in the Hades Chapter, and overall, these technical aspects make the movie very easy on the eyes. I would say the only flaw there is the soundtrack. Several scenes seemed to demand music in my opinion, but only few had it.
The actual plot though, it was more of the same: Some god wants to harm Earth, Athena sacrifices herself to save it, the Saints fight to save her. Not that we expect anything different, really, but the development on this one is way boring, even worse than the other movies made from the series, and some of it was rather nonsensical. Marin's meeting with her brother was about the most interesting part, but I feel like I wasted my time watching the rest. Meh. Toei wasted money on this one. If only they had made the original series with the same animation quality though...
I am SO GLAD to be wrong! NAOMI WAS GLOOOORIOUS. For someone who didn't even know what an interpretive dance was. Just so amazing! I'm... oh, absolutely charmed by how on point everything about her was tonight!
Ok, with my fangirling (partially) out the way, I need to first comment how much I loved the Little Women LA cast. I never knew such show even existed, but they were so fierce. I loved them all, and I think I'll start watching it. They just seem like interesting people.
-Loved: after Naomi, definitely Kim Chi. Ok, the dance was really weird, but... it's Kim Chi. Awkward is just part of her charm.
-I was pretty neutral towards Thorgy's overall performance, but considering she once commented on how negative Acid Betty was, she might want to reconsider the way she comes off in the show - I felt the way she worded her annoyance at Chi Chi and Bob were bordering on resentment, and that's not cool.
-Chi Chi, by the way, did disappoint. I think her attitude just isn't a winning one. "Good enough" is a concept that doesn't exist in Drag Race. It's in it to win it, all or nothing, so that thing of throwing off time, was ridiculous. I don't care if she can't sew, several things on the design can be improved without sewing. Also, it's Dorothy, and no ruby slippers? I just feel that there was more inspiration to be drawn from character. As it was, I found it underwhelming, and I don't give a damn about whether something was hot glued, sewed, safety pinned or glued with saliva, as long as the final result is decent - which, I think hers was. Just not Drag Race decent.
-The hairline blending contour tip is real, girl. Otherwise, I don't think it was really too awful, just really boring (despite her opinion being the exact opposite). I understand vintage silhouette, but that was church grandma silhouette. And again, underwhelming in taking inspiration from the character. I know sewing/construction isn't her thing though, and I can sort of excuse it... but at this point "not her thing" really does mean going home, so efforts must be made beyond all efforts ever made.
-Bob. Her Little Woman was SO extremely pretty, Jesus. I really need to watch their show, haha. However, for all the trouble Bob went through this episode, I think she was humbled by it. I also think that asking for help could do wonders too, but I doubt she'd ever be humbled enough to reach that point.
-At last, Derrick. Oh, wow. So you hemmed something - WHAT A SKILLLLLL. Everyone is absolutely right about her looks, everyone tells her exactly what is up, and she refuses to see. She thinks that one look is just "her drag". She would only naturally be saved by her amazing stage presence. At this point, I think that's the only good thing about her. Because her personality and looks are just pitiful. And now, I'm just really praying that she goes home next week. Derrick is basic in life, something a drag queen should never be.
Also, I'm disappointed that even with Marc Jacobs sitting right there, there were no MJ-related prizes. I mean, I understand the support for indie, drag-made brands, but throwing one nice designer item as freebie would really have made some of those queen's days, and these are stressful times...
Wonderful performances and great music! I understand this is a fictional account, but I do not believe accuracy is particularly relevant in such an old case, specially when the names involved have already passed away.
Focusing on the connection between the characters was a great choice over telling a sensational murder tale, it made the Beat Generation look like a debauched version of The Dead Poets Society, and I loved it. The one flaw is that the story starts a bit slow. I found myself almost uninterested during the first half hour, but once relationships are stablished, they become quickly intense and complicated, and the characters develop into these tortured souls, so easy to empathize with, under this charismatic libertine façade, and it just makes you curious and more curious about how things will turn out even though you know exactly what dark event looms ahead.
The main cast was great, and this will probably remain as my favorite DeHaan performance even with his many recent projects (excellent example of well-deserved attention!). I was particularly impressed with Radcliffe, who totally made me believe he was born and raised in America, and gave life to Ginsberg in a way that made him look detestable and selfish and yet feel so relatable. Another excellent work under his belt.
Oh. Mary Pickford's first talking film, a box office hit, an Oscar winner, an instant classic and totally annoying. Besides being a plain and rather lame adaptation of the play, this is one of those movies made to display Pickford and Pickford alone, giving the audience no rest from the extremely whiny Norma. The secondary characters have so few lines each, that they are unable to balance her out and sort of just fade into the backround. Even Norma's love interest and his rival are written to be forgotten, and the short smiles brought on by Jimmy and Julia are quickly clouded by Norma again when Pickford reclaims the limelight.
There was a lot of care put into the production of this movie, and it is part of the big transition from silent to talking pictures, featuring a huge star and filmed in an iconic studio. This is a historically significant film, and there are many technical reasons to watch it, but all of those still do not make this a pleasant experience. That is not to say Pickford didn't transition well - I quite enjoyed The Taming of the Shrew, for example -, only that this particular piece just isn't a very good one.
Ok, this was a really fun movie, and it makes very smart points about social media and reality shows, the need for internet fame/attention and how teenagers interact with this culture of instant gratification and the protection of a screen name. The dark turn the story takes is yet another reminder that the things we do online may have very real consequences even if at first it all looks like a harmless game and a joyful thrill. (Unfortunately, if people haven't learned this by now, when will they?)
One should note though that this movie also works fine if you just want to ride along and not think at all, you won't be bored!
The one thing to lament is the aforementioned bland ending, which I guess was severely edited for whatever reason, making the whole development slightly choppy from the moment when Vee is branded a traitor. Story runs pretty smoothly until that point though.
All actors did a really good job, and the movie visuals are great, making NYC look a bit cooler and more high-tech than it actually is. Soundtrack does a fine job in fitting each scene just right, and you know, the plot is actually interesting for once. As noted, Emma Roberts did a wonderful job in the lead role, and Vee is a quite likable character!
One particular point that scored high for my personal taste is the fact that violence and sexuality were not exploited, even when this movie could have done it and make it seem perfectly justifiable. There are a couple of scenes in which characters show up in their underwear, but there's nothing even implicit, which makes it quite suitable to watch with younger kids in the room.
Keep in mind my score is really mostly based on personal taste, but I would still say that the overall quality of the movie would reach a 7 if I weren't biased.
Plot: The plot is actually alright. Twins fall in love with each other and face the social stigma of it. If you can deal with incest in fiction, this movie isn't going to offend you. It could actually have been a very sensitive piece if it was made more carefully.
Technical review: Considering the cast (both MatsuJun and Eikura had solid careers long before this movie), I’m surprised it feels so… cheap? I’m not entirely sure whether it’s a matter of budget or style, but yeah. Characters have little to no make up and styling done, but that could have been a choice to make them more similar to real high school students. The clothes aren’t really fashionable nor truly flattering and Eikura sports some fried strands that makes me think they asked her to straighten her hair on her own. They made even Ayaka Komatsu look plain.
But while that could be explained as intentional, the bad light, the lack of soundtrack (several scenes in the movie that are completely silent and fail to convey a mood) and the acting itself all feel like inexperienced film-making. The dialogues were so lame that they made some key-scenes come off as awkward, and the movie is too long for such a mess. I was curious about this movie, but sort all these flaws were very glaring and distracting.
Characters: They were all just flat. Yori is angsty, Iku is naive, Yano is loyal, Kusonogi is determined. None of them are likable, or even relatable. I couldn’t feel them at all.
Warnings for the underage MatsuJun fans: This isn't by all means an indecent movie. At most, brother and sister are shown kissing, and there are a couple of implicit cases of sexual intercourse, but these were appropriately edited. There are no bad words or drugs. The only big deal is moral dilemma, so I trust anyone over 13 would be perfectly fine watching this movie.
Warnings for the original manga fans: the entire college arc is skipped and the general story is severely reduced, cutting off a lot of the drama between Yori, Iku and Kusonogi.
What a weird piece. The characters are highly sexualized, but the scenes are mostly visually clean. With the exception of one bar scene where there's partial nudity, the film isn't as shocking as one might expect. Which would be good, because then one could focus on the story.... except there doesn't seem to be one. The narrative goes on like an anecdote, about a prudish woman who finds herself dealing with a sudden sex addiction originated by a bump in the head, and goes on to explore what are the sexual perversions of the people surrounding her, while not taking part on it, just looking from afar.There's no proper conclusion, or lesson to be taken from the story, no point made, or at least I couldn't find one. It isn't funny either, just... odd and exaggerated, like a caricature emphasizing the personal sexual preferences of normal people. Rethinking while writing this, the point may be that it's fine to have your own perversions, as long as you don't get them in the way of other people's lives? I don't know, that seems like a silly point and I'm honestly confused. Having watched this feels like a big waste of time.
I survived through 8 episodes. The show is beautiful, the acting is great, and I just love seeing fellow Brazilians working in cool shows like this (go, Santoro!). I got to enjoy most of the characters too, I thought they were well built, and I got to see a lot of development during these 8 episodes. I specially appreciated Jimmi Simpson as William, as I think heroic characters of this particular type are a very rare find nowadays.
However, episode after episode, I found myself less and less interested in the plots. Some scenes caught my attention here and there (Dolores's, and Maeve's scenes really stand out!), but I was most of the time pretty indifferent to what I was seeing. It came to the point when I began dreading whenever my randomized media list would fall on an episode, and I kept skipping it several times before I could convince myself to watch it. Finally, I just decided to give up entirely.
I was severely disappointed with the themes the series chose to explore, as they were not what I thought they would be from the pilot. The development outside the park was also extremely slow, with most things left obvious but unsaid through several episodes, until they were finally "revealed" making it all just very anti-climatic. I really cannot make myself go through it.
