Albert Valenciano

A surprisingly good film. It's a mobster movie but the story is quite refreshing and different from what a gangster movie is expected to be. The obvious question is why bother to review a film that's 17 years old. That I'm doing this now underscores the impact the film has made on me. Frankly, I missed watching it when I was much younger. As I said this is a good film, and which younger viewers should watch. Besides the storyline, the actors perform their respective roles quite well. Viggo Mortensen, Naomi Watts and Vincent Cassel make their characters come alive. I thought this film won't impress me but was I wrong.

Short and sweet. And cutesy too but refreshing story. We have watched romcoms before but this was offers something different..the main actors Haley Lu Anderson and Ben Hardy have great chemistry together on screen; their performance feels authentic apart from a witty dialogue. But what makes it refreshing for me is the presence of Jameela Jamil, who appears in various cameo roles while taking on the role of narrator. I haven't seen this device used before and it definitely connects with the viewer. Another first for me comes in the form of a plot twist. Have you ever been in a living memorial? Come to think of it, it makes great sense. Now are you ready to answer the obvious question: what's the statistical probability of love at first sight?

This is a series with a fresh take on World War II. There are stories about that war from different people from different points of view. This one is somewhat different. The actors are inarguably good. They succeed in telling a narrative that is poignant as it is resolute. Every viewer will relate well with Filip and the situation he is in. For a while, I thought he found true love at last. The twist is disconcerting but it makes the story more compelling. Watch this thoughtful film.

It tries to be engaging but it lags. The premise has a lot of potential but it falls short of the cinematic challenge. What could have been exciting is for the viewer to learn what the next stage in the experiment is but it takes its sweet time getting nowhere. Really. The viewer spends more time guessing what's the connection among Rebecca, Tamara and Aleida. One plus factor is how the series is able to convincingly put the triplets in many frames and makes you believe that's it's just one person--Maite Perroni. She is to be commended for her efforts to tell a promising story that turns out to be underwhelming.

For a non-professional, this series headlined by investigative journalist Graham Hancock is fascinating and intriguing. The obvious question that is raised is whether he has the credentials to make this kind of a science project. If one keeps an open mind, he could benefit from a plethora of information that piques one's imagination. Some have pointed out that what he has made is more speculation than science. As an individual interested in history, including pre-history, this show is welcome. His major premise of a lost advance human civilization that existed during the Ice Age and that perished during the Younger Dryas should be the impetus for continuing debate. He identifies such an advanced human race called Opkallu who were lost during the Younger Dryas but whose survivors have helped other less sophisticated races who were hunter-gatherers, erect magnificent megalithic complexes. According to him, all these ancient structures were intimately associated with celestial bodies as they point to regular, natural occurrences like the solstices and equinoxes. He posits the idea that the ancients were so fixated on heavenly bodies because these caused the ancient apocalypse or the Younger Dryas that occurred 12,800 years ago and ended about 11,600 years ago. The megaliths of Gobekli Tepe and Karehan Tepe in Turkey, the Ggantija in Malta, Mound A in Poverty Point and the Lower Jackson Mound in Northern Louisiana, and the Serpent Mound in Ohio are examples of these structures that point to the stars. Why so? Hancock believes that the world is in that time period when the Taurid meteor stream from the constellations Aquarius and Pieces is about to hit it again. He offers as some kind of proof Pillar 43 or the Vulture Stone in Gobekli Tepe that seems to warn future generations about this cataclysm. Mankind seems to have its lesson well. The subterranean complexes in Derinkuyu and Kamakli, Turkey were built to serve as enormous bunkers for their inhabitants in preparation for the "fatal winter" or the mythical "vara." How cataclysmic will the next Younger Dryas be? Hancock points to the origin of Channeled Scablands in North America as an approximation. Of course, we have our own questions about Hancock's thesis. But it should enrich a field that he feels is not open to these consequential possibilities.

What is surprising about the series is how Hunter Moore could do what he did for so long with impunity. And, if not for the dogged determination of a wronged mother, Charlotte Laws, he would not have served time. And so, one wonders what caused him to be the most hated man in the Internet. And this aspect in the narrative is not explored by the series except to suggest he was a sociopath with such a loathing and low regard for women. Charlotte Laws is comparable to the unsinkable Mollie Brown. She didn't take no for an answer. She did her best to help other victims of Hunter despite the risk to herself and her family. She had timely help from likeminded people like FBI agent Jeff Kirkpatrick, US marine James McGivney and vigilante group Anonymous. The docuseries succeeds in impressing the viewer about the illegal activity of Hunter Moore and the legal obstacles to bring him to justice earlier, and the damage he caused unsuspecting women. Here's hoping that he will be a hunter no more.

This is probably the closest one could get to know Jeffrey Dammer's story created by Ian Brennan and Ryan Murphy. To be sure, describing Dahmer as a monster is apt. It's the film's hurdle to explain Dahmer's story as best as it could. And his interactions with Tony Hughes could give the viewer important clues as to what he has become. In the end, one can say that he's both the product of nature and nurture which Lionel himself acknowledges. That his compulsion (which one psychiatrist identifies as splanchnophilia) got worse in the year that he was caught seems to be instructive of the hopelessness of his condition. And he confessed that he knew what he was doing except that he couldn't stop. The aftermath of his arrest is as interesting as the years that went before. To think that he would have admirers and fans should tell us something about society. Dahmer himself had to ask a priest why there is a rise in the number of serial killers (referring to John Wayne Gacy). And his own father (looking for catharsis) gets to write a book which is amazing. The skeptic among us won't be persuaded that Dahmer was on the road to repentance when he asked to be baptized, fellow inmate Scarver not the least. The cast performed well to tell us Dahmer's story notably Niecy Nash, Richard Jenkins, Evan Peters, Rodney Buford and Michael Learned. Will we ever know what drove Dahmer? As the judge suggests, we'll never be sure.

At the start, it seems to be an engaging series with a lot of sub-plots going for it: overzealous, overly protective grandpa who's a war veteran; a fast-talking, shrewd, double-talking narc agent; a confused, angsty adopted grand daughter; a hardworking, witty mom who knows how to have fun; a son who's really in love with the adopted grand daughter; an ever suspicious drug lord; an ambitious but inexperienced police chief; and the war veteran's battle-tested buddies. This is a potent mix for a good drama. It works most of the time but, sometimes, you feel the story is going around in circles which is exasperating. The series lacks depth and suffers from material deficit which is why it tends to linger unnecessarily on certain points. For one, the dialogue between Tirso and Irene or between Tirso and Nelson is a bit tiresome. There were times when I wanted to leave the show but it has enough pull to make you stay and finish it. The cast is great particularly Jose Coronado, Luis Zuhera and the Laura Ramos. The dialogue, most of the time, is witty, and sometimes, downright funny or even sarcastic in a fun way. By and large, it's enjoyable if you don't pay much attention to the occasional circular plot development.

This is a refreshing, if not, quite cunning storytelling. It's like an interactive film where the viewer is prodded suggestively to join in anticipating the moves of the lead characters. So, it's fun. Not to mention the dark humor. It also boasts of a power cast, and the actors perform synergistically in producing an engrossing film. Great acting, indeed, by Matthew McConaughey, Charlie Hunnam, Colin Farrel, Henry Golding, Jeremy Strong and Eddie Marsan. One wonders whether future films will have a similar capable all-star cast. Watch this film. You'll be totally entertained.