Emily (2022)

...

Pros: Good music and acting, nice scenaries, and that is it.

Cons: Nothing to do with Emily Brontë whatever, nothing at all.

I'm giving a 5 just because of that, and then I cannot for the life of me imagine these 3 fighting themselves, there was just one part that was true, and it is not an spoiler for it's commong knowledge, Charlotte did push Emily to publish but being jelaous? Calling her contrary? And all that...? Sorry but no. I know the genre is difficult for you can either verge too much for sci-fi or fall altogether into a wiki entry. In any case, it is difficult to get ir right but points to everyone involved for trying.

The Empress (2022)

Entertaining, yet historically inaccurate.

When I saw the trailer I was, «méh, another Sissi serie», what is new, right? However, to my own surprise I enjoyed it, greatly.

Now, what I didn't like:

• Loosely based on how have been right instead a presenting this as bio, just a couple of things to prove my point.

A) Sissi never felt for Franz Joseph b) Their first night was an embarrassment since it took them 3 nights to actually do the deed c) Nene cutting her hair?

D) A fake noble getting into the court so easily? Yeah, sure... e) We are missing a brother, Archduke Franz Ferdinand's father so that IS important.

• The dresses felt more like Balenciaga material, divine nonetheless than period pieces, same goes for the jewelry.

• The wedding dance was a huge WTF but I skipped it altogether.

Basically, if you manage to stop thinking this is really based on actual facts you would do just fine (Sissi famously never cared about anyone but herself, and Franz Joseph was lenient enough towards her as to allow Hungary to get bigger within the empire, something that did backfire eventually) mostly as I feel about THE EMPRESS, it is nice but even if the take some events from reality into the plot it has nothing to do with what actually happened.

I hope for a second season for it was fine if not perfect.

House of Hammer (2022)

I'm out of words...

First, as others had stated, the bits about Armie would have filled one episode at most, nothing more, nothing less so if they were going to focus on the family, well... the poster is deceiving for starters.

Then, hell I know we are in the midst of cancellation policy, and even if I'm a white gay Latino 38-years-old guy, who basically does not get the need to share every-single-small-detail-of-your-life-on-the-apps-to-no-avail, I must say I didn't understand where they were heading on the documentary, where is the end? What was the more of the story if there was any?

Most of what happened here was he-said/she-said and I would be surprised shouldn't Army Hammer didn't come back in a couple of years, with a new image and this ends up nowhere for this documentary didn't help the case of any of the 2 exs, and I really don't get what was the point of the model of NY but for self promotion, she didn't even met him in person.

While I'm not going to judge someone for regretting their actions, and having explored a bit of kinky myself on my 20s, it is, as the BSDM leader so said, the basic of the whole thing to *trust* the other party, to set rules, and the core of it all, to go in instalments, and I'm sorry to say but if a guy told me, and I heard my bit of crazy requests on my life since being gay does not stop other men from saying them so, that somebody wants to eat my ribs I would get the f... out of the conversation, and block them altogether, certainly I wouldn't liked them/heart those messages nor go, alone, WITH MY PET, to the middle of nowhere.

Perhaps I'm insensitive but I don't get them, really, no matter the reasons, even if they were treying to self promote themselves, were naif altogether, or simply infatuated by him, you name it... hearing/listening any of that should be a HUGE wake up call. And they went along any way. And the worst, sorry to insist on this, none of them told him no, they just said that they implied it but never said NO and now they consider it rape, and went to therapy and all that American crap (hey, Argentinian here) that goes on in California with crystals, and bla so spare me.

And I know Armie is playing like he is guilty, and at some point he is, by hiding in the Caribbean and shutting himself from everything and everyone just in case.

To sum up: -Messy attempt of a documentary -Boring -Poorly written -Misleading -As others said since when Tik-Toks from other people that read a book become evidence? And they wonder why none of this ever got ahead at courts

Little piece of advice from someone who is very close to 40: -Be careful, never go on holidays with someone you didn't spend at least a couple of months, and had proper sex regularly just in case, and mostly if someone says he wants you to meet his/her mother a month on JUST RUN.

Heartstopper (2022)

I couldn't stop smiling...!

Hi, gay here! To all of us, children from the 90s who went through hell in school this still seems like twilight zone or something but it is coming, finally teachers are paying attention, and that behaviour is not accepted, not ignored (aka accepted) anymore.

It was really lovely, not woke, not preachy, a really, very down to earth story about acceptance, coming to terms about what, and who you are, and the person you love.

I'm already waiting for season 2.

PS: Niiiiiiiiiiice that finally directors and such stopped portratying us basically doing drugs, sleeping with almost everyone, being half drags, overly feminine, etc. And all that other awful places gay people were portrayed for decades. More of this, please. A story of love, we truly need more of those. :)

Shining Vale (2022)

...

Despite the bad reviews I watched the first 3 episodes in a row, it was late Saturday and I didn't have anything better, lighter to watch. To sum up, it was better than anticipated but still bad, I am in fact surprise STARZ picked this up to begin with.

The dialogues lack emotion altogether, plus, and this bothers me personally, I don't get where this is heading, is it a comedy? A drama? A dramedy? And in the end you are just watching a bad show that has no direction, neither aim nor destination.

I'm giving a 5 for anything Mira Sorvino is worths a try, just because of that. I won't continue watching, sorry.

The Gilded Age (2022)

I don't get all the bad reviews...

I've been waiting this for a while, especially since Fellowes mentioned it, I knew the premise could deliver a good show, and so it is. I'm giving it a 7* for the time being for I know it could be an 8 but I will reserve judgement until the end of the season.

Plus, all Fellowes' dramas are slow burners, even Downton Abbey was a bit much at first, there were dozens of characters presented at once, nothing made much sense until episode 3 so I knew what to expect on that regard but I want to make a defense, should that be the word, of this series. Aside of minor mistakes, façades not being the right stone, streets missing small details, the show presents the age rightly, especially one that was written a lot about, and mostly from a women's feud views. The men offer the backside of this, they didn't care about their wives' issues, they make business in between each other and let them manage the social side of their lives.

The show is heavily inspired from Alva Vanderbilt's takedown on Old New York, her bid on becoming socially acceptable agains Mrs Astor's 400, the Knickerbockers. Old ways vs the new way, Americans, especially Newyorkers, finding their footing in the new order where the US was beginning to be a power in its own right, and so, then, of course, the Buccaners, the most famous 3: Minnie Stevens, Jennie Jerome, and Consuelo Vanderbilt, the first 2 ones ran away from NY due to the lack of acceptance their families had, Alva was of a sterner material, first she won at home, and then she placed Consuelo as a duchess in England. Shortly after she divorced her husband, marry the love of her life, and then became an activism for women rights, vote, etc. What a woman, ha!

I also disagree with those who refer to this as woke, luckily is not, Fellowes loves to introduce these "downstairs" stories, and it is going to be one of the lines to go, so I like that, he is also usually thorough when it comes to details, I mean, don't expect seeing Peggy marrying a Vanderbilt or an Astor, he does not play with history on that regard but there will some surprise there for sure.

I hope this one follows its course, it could run for 4 season easily, and more.

And Just Like That... (2021)

Woke fest, but that is not the worst part of it...

All in all, I know what to expect from American shows nowadays, woke agenda, *and just like that*. It does not matter this is something only Americans care, especially since the rest of the world had already integrated our populations like 100 years ago, but I get it, their shows, their trends, their issues, if I watch it, I know this will come up and I should try me best not to bi... about the non-stop guilt and preach tour.

Notwithstanding all these issues, and as everyone else already stated all the cringe scenes were very difficult to watch, at times I had to mute most of Miranda's interaction for OMG, it was hard even for me. I do however take umbridge on the lack-of-racial-blabla, come on, does that come from anyone who watched it back in the 90s? Really? For Miranda it was Brady, for Carrie it was *always* Big, and for Charlotte it was her dreams until she woke up and fell for her lawyer, and Samantha, the long missed Samantha, would just bang whatever and whomever she fancied, colour and gender never stopped her from having sex, and well done you! I'm sure she would have something, or a lot, to said about all this crap that was so important to everyone else.

I do think, however, the script sucked so much at times, it lacked rythm, there was almost no jokes on episode 1, even before the tragic event that closes that episode but really... whatever happened here? And Carrie doing that podcast with all those woke insurgents? Again, I'm sure some some of these jokes might be funny to anyone but I'm gay and please, go f... whomever you want, just, keep it to yourself, please. No matter what you are, embrace it, be, or at least try to be, happy but stop being so angry about it.

Anyway, I hope this shows gets out of the coma it was induced by the times, and poor writing, and starts beating at some point or I won't be sad to see it gone.

Only Murders in the Building: The Boy from 6B (2021)

I agree with everyone else...

This was the best, as someone who lost hearing on one ear, I know... and this was beautifully done, plus, I love the way that there was mostly none actual spoken dialogue until the end, I'm very curious how this will end end.

Gossip Girl: Fire Walks with Z (2021)

Honestly...

This show is getting worst by the episode, I was a bit curious after the 2nd one whether there was any hope at all, those were absolutely crashed by this one.

I would not be surprised if this does not live to a 2nd season.

Lisey's Story (2021)

I just finished episode 6...

And I'm going to keep watchin it just because... well, just because, honestly, it started well but go sooooo boring, and all over the place as others well stated. 2 weeks ago, after another episode of pure flashbacks, I couldn't keep watching a show like this anymore and read the book's synopsis.

Honestly, the first I thought was that this could have been resolved in 3 episodes, maybe 4. On top of that, it has several huge issues like the sound, who did record this? It is so low, at times, that I had to keep raising the sound to the TV's maximum. Everyone speaks in a whisper tone, a lot of beautiful yet annoying takes that add nothing to the... plot? I don't know if there is one at this point.

Anyway, what a waste of a good cast.

The Pursuit of Love (2021)

I'm sure Nancy is rolling in her grave.

Love the Mitfords. Really loved them, don't you know them already? Go and buy "The Sisters" from Mary S. Lovell and you would love them too. I read that book many times, and that is why I knew some things from their lives that ended up in their books for Nancy, much as good writer as she was, took a lot of her own life and others' to create her ouvre. Really, most of them could be approached as roman à clef, and yet, this trilogy, its first book, with this marvelous cast is used to create *this*.

Sad, really sad. First, I agree with everyone the music was appalling, the writing bad, and it felt absolutely rushed. Well, at least one can say the did try, even if they failed.

Tiny Pretty Things (2020)

Words fail me.

First, we can all agree if you like dancing, and especially ballet, this show is saved/worth it just for those scenes alone. They are real dancers and you can tell, actors? Well, I think a wooden doll can do better than most of cast, I mean, the policewoman, what the hell? She is by far the worst, and none of them has much self expression at all. Then, I agree that when there wasn't anything else to fill the minutes left on some episodes, they just resorted to nudity. I don't mind them for I did ballet and pretty much everyone around there is on underwear, and that if you are lucky. Nobody cares about whomever is around, male or female, I promise.

All in all, I would say it is a mix of "Center Stage" with a lot of "Gossip Girl", a bit of "Law & Order: UVE", and to this they added every possible cliche from teen shows to produce the worst possible script they could muster, and this found its way somehow into Netflix! Isn't our money worth anymore? Haha, I guess not, all in all, this is exactly what I needed, it is SO bad, and Christmas is coming, the pandemic and all, which made it *perfect* to turn off my brain over the whole situation and enjoy, if that is the right word here, this show.

Watch it, at least you are going to see some good dancing.

PS: I'm joining everyone else who keeps guessing why the show was called this way, was there an explanation I've happened to lost in between the empty dialogues? I wonder...

Law & Order: Special Victims Unit: Guardians and Gladiators (2020)

What the h---...?

Really, SVU has never been afraid of tackling and discussing current issues but this socially/politically correctness... I mean, I don't even live in the US but trust me, there is racism everywhere. And you know what, minorities get to be racist too. We all do, we all discriminate at some point because we are human and we get to be horrible from time to time even if most times we don't go beyond the thought itself. But this episode felt SO forced... I mean, COME ON! It gets to the point where if I want to say something against how gays are, which I am too by the way, thank you, I have to clarify that first as to avoid a backlash.

Sorry, I was hoping for something else and I got a bit---no, not a bit, much disappointed by this show in a second. Sorry people, black lives matter, sure... but in the end, *all* lives do. I really hope SVU gets back on track.

Radioactive (2019)

It's not a movie nor a docudrama so... what is it then?

Our main problem upon watching this movie (?), is that despite a great effort from the cast it never found its way nor decides what it wants to be. Is it a documentary? No, it is not, those flashes moving way forward in the future made no sense, especially in the middle of the drama. Marie Curie's life was super exciting, not only because she was a woman back then doing what she did but her achievements alone, despite her sex, entitles her to a great movie that is yet to be filmed. The ending was one of this WTF moments that I couldn't pass, me and my boyfriend were silent for a while with: is that really how it ends?

Well, it seems so.

The Haunting of Bly Manor (2020)

I expected more...

As I'm familiar with Henry James' oeuvre, and I knew they were going to mix several stories into this one, I think I was hoping for a bit more, the series seemed lacking somehow, at some point I found myself fast forwarding some scenes that weren't necessary to understand the plot, and the one with Viola's background story could have been summarized in 10', I think we can all agree on that, right? There is something I am going to give to the producers here, especially when it comes to the mistery / terror genre, finally there is someone who chose to close a story, yes, there are paranormal forces involved, we know! That does not mean you have to leave an open ending every-single-time... And luckily, this wasn't the case.

All in all, the 1st season was more entertaining and scarier than this one.

Enola Holmes (2020)

Has anyone involved done any research at all?

Femminist haters aside, I dislike when writers change everything or the movie makes no sense in the time period is set. I mean, if you are going to spend such amount of money on dresses, sets and all, at least get the rest right . They tried but failed miserably:

• the mistery wasn't any
• the writing was dull
• again, time, time and time, Enola would have ended in an asylum or worse if she behaved like that.

The cast was perfect but was wasted in this poor attempt to make a movie, it does not worth your time.

Normal People (2020)

"Before Sunrise" meets "One Day" and a bit of "50 Shades of Grey" ending with a BANG!

Without revealing too much of the plot, that let's be honest, it's fairly difficult to describe, I loved it, but I'd be lying if say that I didn't like more the first part, especially until episode 5, than the rest; some conflicts were fairly stupid to say the least, I mean, we all have our communications issues and it's clear these two are damaged to say the least, Marianne especially, but-that-kitchen-argument was a huge W-T-F just happened!? REALLY?

I still think we could have got this whole series in 2 episodes had just Connell spoke out, or even Marianne could had done the same, I don't know, let's be a couple or let's not but communication through passionate sex is leaving me suicidal but no. Yes. I know it would not have worked as it did otherwise. Sex was their mean to communicate with each other, albeit in a very toxic way.

What really got me to an 8/10, and made this whole thing felt real was its ending, no passionate speeches, no promises, we love each other but we are not going to say things just because. We got here, and it took a lot of us... so let's see. And I'm sure they will.

PS: The whole moaning from a suicide of a person you barely saw in years, come-f...-on.

The Sinner: Part VIII (2020)

No.

As others have well stated, this was the worst season ever, it started well but soon it became a trainwreck, especially after they let him escape the clinic, sorry, a complet and utter waste of time.

Season 1 was fabolous, the 2nd one was overall OK with great moments but this one was impossible to watch. Nothing made sense.

Little Fires Everywhere (2020)

It could have been better but well, you lost me at Kerri Washington...

First, I must say I loved the book, Celest Ng is such a great writer, thus I was thrilled when I found out this was going to be filmed, and as a miniseries on top of that! Good books could be destroyed by trying to make them fit into a 2 h movie, i.e. "The Goldfinch", luckily, they took the lead from other good adaptations and avoided that.

All in all, it's ok, even with the changes they made, especially by turning both Mia and Pearl into black characters, if you read the book, then you'd know already this story does not need more race issues than it already has but so far... it's OK. That said, aren't like hundred of good black actresses, and you go and hire Kerry Washington?!?! Yes, I loved "Scandal", not so much the last 2 seasons, but come on, this woman has 3 settings: a) calling for the gladiators-bit... face. b) crazy staring at nowhere and one of her eyeballs looking at the wrong direction with a tear about to be dropped. c) crazy.

She is SUCH a terrible actress, I came to the point where I hate all her scenes. Honestly, she is the main reason why this isn't better, and no, I'm not going to remark on Reese playing a control freak b... mum, she could that in her sleep but then again, that is who Elena is in the book, so it's not her fault.

Watch it. It's good-ish, but it could have been better.

One Day (2011)

It might have been...

Let's start by saying that I loved the book, I read it before the movie was screened so of course I know, well before I even went to the cinema to watch this, that it was not going to be as good. That said, boy, what a lost chance to make a great film this was.

First, if you wanted a British actress, Anne Hathaway is not your girl, hey, don't get me wrong here, she *is* a good actress and I love her but she cannot make a Brit accent for the life of hers, she just can't. And on top of that, she has proven that before in "Becoming Jane" so why did they chose her to begin with!?

Then, Emma is a bit chubby and AH looks like she has never had an extra pound in her life. Kudos btw!

It's a pity that this is what they delivered out of a superb book, it has all, and it is a 9/9.5 when the movie can mostly get a 5/10. Even more, this film does not do any credit to the story. And it's not the actors' fault, at all.

I do hope someone, someday, will give it a go again. But I doubt this could be portrayed in a good way in a movie, it is too long to be shortened this much without destroying its ethos, same happened in "The Goldfinch", a miniseries might have worked better and would have given time to the story to be developed, and that is exactly what the writers didn't have unless they chose to make a 5 hours' movie.

Now, all the bad reviews concerning the end and all, people, grow up, or get a shrink, it's up to you, life s*cks on a daily basis, and these things do happen. Whenever you feel you have everything... well, you got something wrong but you were happy, perhaps you didn't notice at some point but you actually were, that's the message, they had that, they had each other and they found one another. If you didn't get that, well, get help. Really, for life is as far removed as possible from "Legally Blonde" at this point.

And I promise, it will get worse.

Little Women (2019)

Amy March a feminist?!?!

First, I acknowledge I had so much hopes on this film, it begs to say it was one of my favourite books ever as I child, finding out back then it was a saga really made me happy.

1994's movie is so far the closest you can get to this book's spirit, Winona did a wonderful as Jo, I can't say as much of the last miniseries they made, the same applies here.

When I found out about the cast I was really happy, then I realize they weren't casted as I hope to and it was all downhill from there. Emma should have been Jo, Saoirse should have been Meg, Eliza should have played Amy and not Beth, and can we please talk about why trying to make a 24 years old, that looks and has a very deep voice, playing a 10 years old? Please! Even in previous version they got someone younger to do it.

Yes, I like that Greta tried to make the 2nd most opaque character in the series get some gravitas at last, sorry Meg, but come on! Amy a feminist??? To what power!? If you ever read the book you would know that nothing could have been farther from the truth.

I both know and appreciate feminism, not that much extreme feminism, even if it is a trend now but let's be realistic for a second and stop this centennial nonsense, has anyone here read these books? Any of them? There is more feminism in then that you would find in a lot out of contemporary ones out there. Louisa May Alcott made sure of that, I mean... It's Jo f... March! Wonder Woman of the Wonder Sisters from Concord! I expected more from Saoirse and I can't help to feel otherwise. Now, where are all the important storylines from the saga? Slavery anyone? The American Civil War? I felt most of it was left behind in the attempt to get Amy March more time than the book does actually give to her.

It would be also nice if all the filmmakers could stop their love for flashbacks.

All in all, it was nice, will I view it again? No. Will I encourage anyone to watch this? Not a chance. When in doubt, grab the book, you will find more pleasure there than this movie can provide.

Where'd You Go, Bernadette (2019)

Might have been

Let's be honest, the book was almost impossible to turn into a (good) movie, it's witty, funny, sad, and altogether crazy at the same time, plus, there are a lot of e-mails, letters and extra material that makes sense when you are reading them but not so much in a movie. The only way that they could have got them in the film was by adding a narrator, which they didn't, and in the process, lost the best the book has. A good narrator from beginning to end. Then... this movie has none of Bernadette funny yet crazy moments, it has no tone, or it doesn't decide what is going to be, a comedy or a drama? In the end, it's none. Everything feels rushed and, in the book, you got to find the answers in due course. The same does not happen here.

One thing that did bother me, they book made a huge emphasis on not using anything from Apple since Elgin works at Microsoft and they are anathema to its workers, of course, then, those products keep appearing all over the movie.

What a pity.

PS: READ the book, it's everything this film is not.

Was uns nicht umbringt (2018)

Good idea, poor movie

Let's be honest, this therapist needs helps himself, I don't understand how this person manages to get to help a person when he couldn't manage his own life. Really, I can't imagine how he might help any of his patients who are basically tying to sort *him* out, they should charge him for the time they are there and not vice-versa! And the whole choir movie, well... this has been done so many times, and yes, never by Germans. The result? A complet and utter waste of time, in the end, you don't get anything out of this film, and is such a pity. So many talented actors with such a poor outcome as a result, and one utterly boring at that. By the end, you are just happy this film is over.

The Last Czars (2019)

Here we go again...

It pains me to admit I abandoned this after a few episodes, I couldn't endure it any longer. In spite of what others wrote there, I don't mind that much about the docudrama format, it's OK, and it would have worked better with a good script, and cast, where this production got neither. And, above all, it might had stand a chance should they hired a better historian to consult on this, or anyone who read let's say... the 100 books that are out there on them. Myself included.

Now, a few things that did bother me Nicholas II was smaller than all his uncles, barely 1.70 when they were all above 1.80, his father was almost 2 m, and that is one of the many reasons they bullued him at first to make him decide what they wanted. He didn't have the courage to oppose them during the first years of his reign, he even talked in his diary of them being like towers, and him feeling diminished by them every single time. The dowager tsarina Maria Feodorovna (Née Dagmar of Denmark) was in her 40s when Alexander III, her husband died and still looked OK by then as any photo of those days can pretty much attest, to present this frail woman doing her part... sorry, but no. All in all, it bothers me a lot that after so much has been written about this family, the producers chose to ignore all the available material, and ended up doing this, I mean, Massie's and King's books are out there, still being printed and not expensive so PLEASE!

I'm going to finish my review by writing about something that made me snorted at the screen, several times actually, if Alix of Hesse-Darmstadt, the then tsarevna Alexandra Feodorovna had played the demure part, pretty much like her character does at the first episodes as it was expected of her when marrying a Romanov, instead of being haughty from second 1 and speaking her mind about Russia when she got there like 5 minutes ago, well, she might had fared better with the Romanovs, the court, and everyone else who happened to meet her to begin with. She was being refered by most of the country as «nemka», google what that means. It says it all...

Juliet, Naked (2018)

So... Celine has finally dumped Jesse, or the other way around, you choose!

My first reaction upon watching the trailer was to make "Before Sunrise/Sunset/Midnight" jokes, and it worked, at least among my friends who watched and loved the trilogy.

Now, going back to the movie, it's OK. No, it is not going to win any prize whatsoever, and yet, it is entertaining. The only thing that does not fit, it's Rose Byrne forcing a British accent she does not have, but that's me and I know it's not important on the whole. Setting that aside, it was a good film and I do recommend it.