Karin Smith

The was a movie calked, “Showgirls” that flopped at the box office. At the time it was considered campy, and raunchy with terrible story lines and acting. It ruined a few careers...makes me wonder if Netflix had produced it and put it on its line-up if it too would have soared to top ten? From the push that ended one dancer’s career, to the choreography fitting a Vegas show more than an elite Chicago Ballet School and even the nude costumes for the”big show”....this basically is “Showgirls” rewritten unto ballet. A tale as stale as time...ambition pushes people do to horrible things...but all in the name of art? I feel like I waded through luke-warm dialogue, sophomoric amounts of soft porn, and a stale story line to get to the last episode. “Showgirls” became a cult classic...sadly...”Tiny Pretty Things” probably will too. Maybe a new guilty pleasure or simply something to assuage our boredom during a long pandemic.

Once again Netflix hits a very refreshing and new way of dealing with a British drama. Though not historical...and more of a Jane Austin writing as a non-virginal, liberated woman of 2020 vibe...this campy, glittering melodrama pulls you in right from the start. The costuming is perfection, the casting fresh and outside the box, both helping to bolster and support the well loved story line of the broken son of a wealthy and cruel man being “saved” by the love of an innocent, young woman. A perfect “binge” for the end of a difficult year...minus the soft porn! I miss the days when that was left to the imagination... Perhaps we all need the “hope” that this dark year of our lives can one day be redeemed.

Genius! A gritty, in your face, feel good movie with a profound message at the end. Bill Murray brought Vincent, a very human saint, to life! I will admit…I hated the first ten minutes. It was hard to see Bill Murray play a role that seemed like the bottom of the barrel. Then, the pure heart of actor Jaeden Martell won me over and I relaxed into the story and enjoyed the ride. There are saints among us, and in us too! It’s good to be reminded God’s love can be found at the end of our own arms, no matter how flawed we each may be!

Ok, this is not a brilliant sci-fi or psychological thriller, and at times it feels like there are pretty critical inconsistencies, and the second season drags. Even still I gave it 5 stars simply because it is so perfectly campy! The casting is perfection, and it is absolutely binge worthy. There are a lot more savvy reviews already written than I’d even want to take the time to write. I just found it like a good 1950’s black and white campy sci-fi that gives you a few giggles for its silliness, yet you stay until the end, munching your popcorn, eating your Milk-Duds and sipping your giant Coke with glee.

This read like a Dicken’s novel...The best of times and the worst of times. Who doesn’t love to see creativity be birthed in a reality TV show setting? The set was stunning and the designers and guest judges perfection. Having watched Project Runway for years perhaps we all miss Tom Gunn’s fatherly guidance. Phrases like...lack of cohesion...come to mind with the end fashion show. I am weary of the premise of false time and false partnering. I want to see what a design could become if designers actually had a decent amount of time, a bit of mentoring and help sewing from day one. I also was frustrated with the judging...it did seem biased and unfair...and I don’t understand the hosts being given that task with the lack of weight of substantial design in both their bios. The outfits they wore at the last show being evidence of sophomoric design ideology! Blah! They were incredibly fun and well spoken hosts, but I’d have like to see a panel of three iconic fashion judges add legitimacy to the show. The Streetwear and the Underwear episodes brings home the validity of this point. Embarrassing and demoralizing! Still, a fun binge in the midst of a pandemic!

This was a beautiful film full of opulent imagery. The costumes were gorgeous, the scenery sublime. I liked the way the story centered on skating and the old Russia that disappeared so long ago. For those reasons alone I give it 5 stars. There were issues, though. No English subtitles when the characters were speaking in French. The English voice overs were airy and felt forced. I would have loved to hear and understand the film in Russian. In addition the characters as a whole were unlovable, on both sides of the economic divide. The elderly father was probably the most charming, followed by the make lead. I found the Alicia a bit flat, but that may have been due to the high, airy voice in the voice over. It’s a lovely little Russian film that perhaps falls quite short of other Russian classics, but still carries a bit of the wonder and magic of mother Russia before the revolt.

Simply for one reason should this film get one star...it perpetuates a dangerous romantic notion that a relationship with a troubled soul, who desperately needs AA and counseling, who is so filled with anger he is violent and explodes throughout the entirety of the film, is going to work. Break up! Let him get his life together, and if you still want to date him, first attend al-non meetings and find a good counselor yourself. This movie ends on the upswing of a dangerous cycle of addiction and abuse. They are highly co-dependent and enmeshed. In time the relationship WILL crash again unless they both take time away from each other to do the hard work. Pouring the alcohol down the sink is a good first step, making amends a step that comes much later in the 12 step process. Trust is gained back over a long time of one being trustworthy. Love can endure...but...first do the work, break the cycle and know there are no “happily ever after” endings to co-dependent relationships! That young woman is setting herself up for a world of hurt...that is not love...it is dysfunction!

“Yes”, just “YES”. Here we have the perfect recipe. Start with beautiful scenery, add a quirky town, stir in lots of charming characters...sprinkle in delightful banter, a dollop of humor and a pinch of danger....let it simmer for a few episodes and you get a five star show that could make the most cold hearted cynic a believer in love. It leaves us saying...”More please!”

In a world rampant with materialism and “the next best thing” I found Hempstead a quiet delight. Charming and sweet, like an English country side at sunset, I’m reveling in the afterglow. Granted the love story wasn’t exemplified with Hollywood chemistry, it was tender and well…nice. I found it amusing they made our resident “bum” smell nice. I mean no one wants to make love to a smelly man. The English flowers, the picturesque pond, cozy oven fire all beckon us back to a time of simplicity I could have stayed in much longer. The real gem was the riverside cottage. A slice of a bygone life in Britain I’d sincerely like to experience..