Bonnie Belknap

I watched Season One and found it entertaining. The only thing that really bothers me is the way the judge handled it when he discovered the crime boss is at the police station. If I had been in his shoes, I would have gone in to talk to the police with a lawyer, after the crime boss left. By myself, not with my son. If a deal could not be reached, I would have sent my son to another part of the world. Maybe gone with him. By boat if necessary. I could not believe he was just letting his son walk around alone all over town. Secrets like that are hard to keep, especially from mob bosses of any ethnicity, who have an uncanny ability to discover almost anything.

I watched the first two episodes. I'm going to give one more episode a try. But right now I'm disappointed, because I usually enjoy Agatha Christie productions. I especially enjoyed BBC 's Poiroit. The production is very slick, and the sets are nice. Its almost two slick. But the main thing I am struggling with is the actors. The actor that plays Hjerson is singularly unappealing. I can't tell if it's because the character is meant to be distasteful, or if it's the actor. I kept wanting him to be killed off so that someone better could take his place in the leadc The actor that plays the TV producer pursuing Hjerson is even worse. Not likable in any way. And her partner she allows to make care if her son acts like a 12 year old. I'm going to watch one more episode to see if it gets a t better. But thas my limit.

Riveting. Had to watch all three. I desperately need more episodes!

I do agree that the subject matter is bleak. But this is one of my favorite movies. In the end, it's redemptive for the protagonist, and his journey of spiritual discovery is uplifting and thought provoking. I also like that I learned something about Japan. I had never heard there was a forest they go to to suicide. I think the reason it has such low review scores is the Western avoidance of the subject of death.

I would recommend watching the series, even though I only gave it two stars. Julia Garner's performance shines, and the events make for an interesting narrative. Having written that, the premise the script writer tries to push down viewers' throats is ridiculous and reprehensible on it's face. Somehow, Anna is not a lying psychopath but a misunderstood feminist fighting capitalism. She bilks a trusting friend out of $60,000, getting her to "temporarily" put it on her work credit card. But somehow this is the friend's fault? The friend is disloyal for turning Anna in to the police? No, Anna deserved to be turned in. The series makes her out to be some sort of misunderstood genius, not the greedy, selfish woman she really is. And the journalist? She puts Anna ahead of her marriage, her unborn child's health, and the care of her newborn. Both of them are sick women.

I love dialogue heavy plays and hated this film. The dialogue and plot led nowhere. When it was over, I had a sense of profound relief. All the going up and down stairs and fitting through hallways and the long shots of someone's bad skin or homely face or cracked paint on walls felt like amateurish page filler. The expression "watching paint dry" kept popping into my head. I am glad some other viewers liked it. For me, it was two wasted hours of my life I'll never get back.

Very good. Well-rounded interesting characters and stories. Suspense. Goose bumps.