Fanciful Dreamer

I enjoyed this overall. It's a combination dark comedy rape-revenge thriller. Rape culture is truly a pervasive problem. But I do wish the film did more to exhibit balance: There are bad people and there are good people. Perhaps one of Cassie's quarries could have surprised her (and the audience) by being an actual gentleman--helping her get home, but making no improper advances. Ryan might have satisfied this purpose, but ultimately didn't. So the messaging becomes all men are rapists. Which just isn't so. Separately, Carey Mulligan was phenomenal as Cassie, portraying her as at times brilliant, foolish, twisted, compassionate, sympathetic, disturbing, broken, and redeemed. Also a great directorial debut for Emerald Fennell.

This is more a review of the reviews. Most of the low ratings are people complaining about the "all white male" historians featured in the series, and the lack of Japanese historians. They apparently didn't watch the entire series (some admitted as much), because there were at least three Japanese historians featured, one of them a woman. There was also a white woman historian. Not that any of this should matter. Since when is it a prerequisite that one be personally connected to a subject in order to learn about and be knowledgeable of it? Ironically, many of the low ratings point out errors or claim to be better informed on the subject matter, but few appear to be Japanese. What makes them any more authoritative than the historians featured, if only someone of Japanese ancestry can fully, truly know and discuss Japanese history? Don't let the current 3.8/5 audience rating misguide you. The series is well made and informative, if not perfect. No docuseries is. Would more reenactment and less talking heads have been preferable? Sure. But productions have budgets. People interpret history differently, and that's okay. It's part of studying history. But giving the series 1 or 2 star ratings "because too many talking white dudes" is just dumb. People need to get over their obsession with race as all-encompassing and defining. Judging people by their race and not as individuals is the real racism.

Boardwalk Empire masterfully transports viewers to the time America experimented with alcohol prohibition, and treats them to the exploits of some of her most notorious bootleggers and their fictional and non-fictional contemporaries. Owing to nugget-rich scripting that compels one to rewind for every missed utterance, and award-worthy performances (Enoch Thompson is surely Steve Buscemi's magnum opus), timeless qualities of ambition, greed, loyalty, and betrayal are palpably portrayed by the lengthy cast of memorable characters. Every character, from the bosses to their underlings, to the outsiders who propel or sabotage their rise, oozes with aspiration. They cycle between sympathetic and detestable seemingly as frequently as the allegiances and rivalries between them change. In true HBO fashion, no character is too developed or favored not to befall an unexpected demise. Yet the body count never feels indulgent or unrealistic. The meticulously lavish set and costume design provide a time-traveler's perspective of elite ostentation juxtaposed against underclass subsistence during America's boom and bust decades. But it's a world in which one's lot can change, limited only by personal ambition or that of others. As a period drama, Boardwalk Empire more than fulfills its ambitions.

While the plot does not stray from spaghetti westerns, its perfect balance of retro filmmaking and western tropes with dry humor via deliberate chuckle-out-loud dialogue signal the film does not take itself overly seriously, and viewers should not either. The straightforward narrative is familiar but bolstered by heady dialogue delivered in strong performances by both the A-list and supporting cast, resulting in captivating entertainment from the cynical opening scene to the inevitable violent climax. An undermarketed gem.

This was kind of like a feature-length episode of Black Mirror. A timely and absorbing character study on isolation blended with a cautionary tale about encroaching technology. The simple but gripping plot unfolds comfortably within its economic 90-minute run time, let down only by a rather over the top and nonsensical ending.

Could not get past the first episode. The characters were that unlikable and unrealistic. But mostly the high-school-skit-level dialogue was unstomachable. Acting was passable despite the mediocre script, although Brody's (Alex Pettyfer) accent kept fading in and out. Suspension of disbelief was further stymied by: "Lift him very slow and steady, and make sure to keep the wound elevated," (not an exact quote) followed immediately by heaving the man up and allowing the wounded limb to dangle. The concept had potential, but the whole amnestic strangers working together (or not) to figure their way out of a predicament trope has been done ad nauseam, and far better, on similar budgets.

A WB Show with Nudity Complete with WB-level plot, script, acting, and pop/band music. Actors were clearly chosen for their looks more than their range. Main character has the same anguished expression plastered on her face through 80% of the show. All characters are incredibly one-note, with no complexity, let alone subtlety. Dialogue ranges from corny to cringe. I rarely dislike movies or shows, so it's not like I'm hypercritical. No idea why this one's rated so high on various sites.