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BankofMarquis (1832 KP) rated Holmes and Watson (2018) in Movies
Apr 27, 2020
They can't all be winners
Well...they can't all be winners.
I know that Will Ferrell is an "acquired taste" - either you like the "all in" comedy of this man, or you don't. I happen to like Ferrell, his comedy has aged on me like a fine wine. I find that some of his most recent films like THE OTHER GUYS and THE HOUSE are very funny (maybe not as funny as ANCHORMAN...but what is). I think this comedian still has his fastball.
But, sometimes, wine doesn't age well, it turns into vinegar. And for Ferrell, this vinegar is the comedic dud that is HOLMES & WATSON.
Partnering with familiar on-screen partner John C. Reilly (who paired with Ferrell in films like STEP BROTHERS and TALLEDEGA NIGHTS) this film is a parody of the multitude of Sherlock Holmes films - this time showing that not only is Holmes and idiot but so is Watson. But, somehow, they manage to solve the crime and save the day anyway.
Ferrell is (typically) over-the-top and obtuse as Holmes. Usually, this combination works for him (see ANCHORMAN) but it just falls flat here. Same thing for John C. Reilly's Watson - he is just as over-the-top and obtuse and (I think) that's the beginning of the problem here. The two just bounce off each other without the joke landing on either of them - nor does it land of the audience.
Ralph Fiennes (Moriarty), Rebecca Hall (potential girlfriend), Rob Brydon (Inspector Lestrade) and Kelly Macdonald (Mrs. Hudson) all fair poorly with poor material to work with.
Writer/Director Etan (that's Etan, not Ethan) Cohen (IDIOCRACY) does nothing to help things here with either his writing or his direction. My only thought here is that he thought that Ferrell and Reilly could improvise themselves into a good film.
It didn't happen.
Letter Grade: C (because I guffawed out loud - despite myself - a couple of times)
4 stars (out of 10) and you can take that to the Bank(ofMarquis)
I know that Will Ferrell is an "acquired taste" - either you like the "all in" comedy of this man, or you don't. I happen to like Ferrell, his comedy has aged on me like a fine wine. I find that some of his most recent films like THE OTHER GUYS and THE HOUSE are very funny (maybe not as funny as ANCHORMAN...but what is). I think this comedian still has his fastball.
But, sometimes, wine doesn't age well, it turns into vinegar. And for Ferrell, this vinegar is the comedic dud that is HOLMES & WATSON.
Partnering with familiar on-screen partner John C. Reilly (who paired with Ferrell in films like STEP BROTHERS and TALLEDEGA NIGHTS) this film is a parody of the multitude of Sherlock Holmes films - this time showing that not only is Holmes and idiot but so is Watson. But, somehow, they manage to solve the crime and save the day anyway.
Ferrell is (typically) over-the-top and obtuse as Holmes. Usually, this combination works for him (see ANCHORMAN) but it just falls flat here. Same thing for John C. Reilly's Watson - he is just as over-the-top and obtuse and (I think) that's the beginning of the problem here. The two just bounce off each other without the joke landing on either of them - nor does it land of the audience.
Ralph Fiennes (Moriarty), Rebecca Hall (potential girlfriend), Rob Brydon (Inspector Lestrade) and Kelly Macdonald (Mrs. Hudson) all fair poorly with poor material to work with.
Writer/Director Etan (that's Etan, not Ethan) Cohen (IDIOCRACY) does nothing to help things here with either his writing or his direction. My only thought here is that he thought that Ferrell and Reilly could improvise themselves into a good film.
It didn't happen.
Letter Grade: C (because I guffawed out loud - despite myself - a couple of times)
4 stars (out of 10) and you can take that to the Bank(ofMarquis)
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I Feel So Good: The Life and Times of Big Bill Broonzy
Peter Guralnick, Bob Riesman and Pete Townshend
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A major figure in American blues and folk music, Big Bill Broonzy (1903-58) left his Arkansas Delta...
Wine Tourism Around the World: Development, Management and Markets
C. Michael Hall, Brock Cambourne, Liz Sharples and Niki Macionis
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Wine tourism is a rapidly growing field of industry and academic interest with changes in the...
After the death of her husband, Jocelyn "Jo" must return home with her ten-year-old daughter, Ruby. His death has left her in financial trouble, and she has no choice but to head back to Lake Hall, the aristocratic home she shared with her parents when growing up. It's a far cry from California where she lived with Chris and Ruby, escaping a stifling childhood with her mother. Jo's happiest childhood memories involve her nanny, Hannah, but Hannah disappeared suddenly one summer when Jo was seven. Her mother blamed Jo, and the two never repaired their relationship. Back now, thirty years later, Jo must deal with her mother and their fractured relationship. And when she and Ruby find a skull in the lake behind the house, she begins to wonder exactly what happened to Hannah. Jo isn't sure of anything anymore, or who she can trust, even her own memories.
"I'll never be able to change this place, but if we stay here long enough, I'm afraid it will change my daughter and me."
I've loved Gilly Macmillan and her books since I won one of them in a Librarything giveaway a few years ago. She's an excellent writer, and I quite enjoy how different each book is from the next. This one was very different and quite unexpected. It's told from a variety of alternating viewpoints--the primary ones being Jocelyn and her mother, Virginia, but we even get a local policeman and a mysterious woman dating back to the 1970s. I liked the way Macmillan wove all of of these perspectives together. At first, it seemed really easy to trust everyone, and then quickly, you realize that you can't be sure if you can believe either Jo or her mother.
I don't want to go too far or reveal too much, because it's probably better to let most of the plot reveal itself organically, but it's definitely easy to say that much of the book is a little befuddling (in a good way). I found myself drawn to Ruby, the young girl, and oddly, Virginia, despite her history as a pretty terrible parent. Jo frustrated me, with her somewhat naive nature. She would trust some things at face value, yet not others, and I wanted to shake her at points.
There are definitely some convoluted plot points in this one--there's quite a saga with the Holt legacy. I didn't really question it while I was reading, but after, I find myself wondering if it was all necessary. Still, I loved reading about the slightly faded grandeur of Lake Hall--it's just not something you get in America, and it's fun to picture when you read these type of novels. Macmillan does an excellent job of portraying her characters and the setting.
I definitely was caught up in the plot. I thought I had it figured out for a while, then I realized I didn't, and then the ending was a little crazy. I'm still not a 100% sure about it, but I appreciate Macmillan for embracing it. Overall, I enjoyed the varying viewpoints and the slightly fusty, aristocratic setting. I was interested in the characters and wondering what happened with Hannah. A few things seemed a little far-fetched, hence my 3.5-star rating, but still a good read.
"I'll never be able to change this place, but if we stay here long enough, I'm afraid it will change my daughter and me."
I've loved Gilly Macmillan and her books since I won one of them in a Librarything giveaway a few years ago. She's an excellent writer, and I quite enjoy how different each book is from the next. This one was very different and quite unexpected. It's told from a variety of alternating viewpoints--the primary ones being Jocelyn and her mother, Virginia, but we even get a local policeman and a mysterious woman dating back to the 1970s. I liked the way Macmillan wove all of of these perspectives together. At first, it seemed really easy to trust everyone, and then quickly, you realize that you can't be sure if you can believe either Jo or her mother.
I don't want to go too far or reveal too much, because it's probably better to let most of the plot reveal itself organically, but it's definitely easy to say that much of the book is a little befuddling (in a good way). I found myself drawn to Ruby, the young girl, and oddly, Virginia, despite her history as a pretty terrible parent. Jo frustrated me, with her somewhat naive nature. She would trust some things at face value, yet not others, and I wanted to shake her at points.
There are definitely some convoluted plot points in this one--there's quite a saga with the Holt legacy. I didn't really question it while I was reading, but after, I find myself wondering if it was all necessary. Still, I loved reading about the slightly faded grandeur of Lake Hall--it's just not something you get in America, and it's fun to picture when you read these type of novels. Macmillan does an excellent job of portraying her characters and the setting.
I definitely was caught up in the plot. I thought I had it figured out for a while, then I realized I didn't, and then the ending was a little crazy. I'm still not a 100% sure about it, but I appreciate Macmillan for embracing it. Overall, I enjoyed the varying viewpoints and the slightly fusty, aristocratic setting. I was interested in the characters and wondering what happened with Hannah. A few things seemed a little far-fetched, hence my 3.5-star rating, but still a good read.
Night Reader Reviews (683 KP) rated Rediscovering the Earth in Books
Feb 4, 2020
Honest Review for Free Copy of Book
Rediscovering the Earth by Michal Hall was a very quick read with a powerful message. This is a book full of both despair and hope that deserves to be read multiple times. It reminds me slightly of Voice of the Elders by Greg Ripley (the first book review I wrote).
The Earth is dying, humans and animals are going extinct quickly, and it is our fault. Humans have let our pride destroy our planet. Our belief that we can control everything and that we are better than even each other has destroyed our connection with other humans. Our pride, wars, and so-called technological advances have polluted the air and water, making it poisonous to humans, plants, and animals alike. In seeing plants and animals as inferior humans have selfishly destroyed entier ecosystems an wiped out species. Within one-hundred years or so humans will be completely gone as well.
This is where The Federation steps in. As a highly evolved alien race, they offer to help pull the human race back from the brink of extinction and at first, humans foolishly deny this help. Thankfully one man by the name of Carl, who is nothing special himself, takes it upon himself to advocate for the entire race. After many years of deliberation on the subject, The Federation decides to help. Even with their help, it takes around twenty years before any major difference is noticed and much longer before most of the damage is reversed. As humans learn a culture of love, humility, and connection to the Earth The Federation hopes humans will one day be able to join them.
Using a work of fiction to bring a serious problem to light is a wonderful idea and may help alert more people to the problem. Telling how help is almost denied because of how selfish and prideful humans are is a slap in the face that we would face destruction before the change. The book is a bit on the repetitive side, which is always disappointing but even more so with shorter books such as this one. I understand the repetitiveness is to drive home the point but it still could have been better. Also, I wish it was more detailed on how Earth went from being in so much trouble to be safe. It seems to make a large time jump in that area and I would have liked to see more of the transformative process.
There is nothing in this book that would be inappropriate for anyone. However, anyone younger than a middle schooler probably would not understand the powerful message in this book, and some middle school students might even miss it. Adults and those that truly love the Earth will enjoy this book and see it as hope. Others who are not as aware of our situation might see it as a wake-up call. I rate this book 3 out of 4. The book brilliantly delivers a very important message. Without holding anything back it shows just how much trouble the world is in but offers hope through change. I hope millions of people across the world get to read this book.
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The Earth is dying, humans and animals are going extinct quickly, and it is our fault. Humans have let our pride destroy our planet. Our belief that we can control everything and that we are better than even each other has destroyed our connection with other humans. Our pride, wars, and so-called technological advances have polluted the air and water, making it poisonous to humans, plants, and animals alike. In seeing plants and animals as inferior humans have selfishly destroyed entier ecosystems an wiped out species. Within one-hundred years or so humans will be completely gone as well.
This is where The Federation steps in. As a highly evolved alien race, they offer to help pull the human race back from the brink of extinction and at first, humans foolishly deny this help. Thankfully one man by the name of Carl, who is nothing special himself, takes it upon himself to advocate for the entire race. After many years of deliberation on the subject, The Federation decides to help. Even with their help, it takes around twenty years before any major difference is noticed and much longer before most of the damage is reversed. As humans learn a culture of love, humility, and connection to the Earth The Federation hopes humans will one day be able to join them.
Using a work of fiction to bring a serious problem to light is a wonderful idea and may help alert more people to the problem. Telling how help is almost denied because of how selfish and prideful humans are is a slap in the face that we would face destruction before the change. The book is a bit on the repetitive side, which is always disappointing but even more so with shorter books such as this one. I understand the repetitiveness is to drive home the point but it still could have been better. Also, I wish it was more detailed on how Earth went from being in so much trouble to be safe. It seems to make a large time jump in that area and I would have liked to see more of the transformative process.
There is nothing in this book that would be inappropriate for anyone. However, anyone younger than a middle schooler probably would not understand the powerful message in this book, and some middle school students might even miss it. Adults and those that truly love the Earth will enjoy this book and see it as hope. Others who are not as aware of our situation might see it as a wake-up call. I rate this book 3 out of 4. The book brilliantly delivers a very important message. Without holding anything back it shows just how much trouble the world is in but offers hope through change. I hope millions of people across the world get to read this book.
https://nightreaderreviews.blogspot.com
https://facebook.com/nightreaderreviews
https://smashbomb.com/nightreader
Darren (1599 KP) rated Climax (2018) in Movies
Jul 13, 2019
Verdict: What The?
Story: Climax starts as we meet all the dancers in this gathering, Selva (Boutella) seems to be the one that is planning the big dance number that will give all of them a chance to show of their different styles and techniques, we see an early look at the project before seeing the dancers relaxing at a party, going through the social numbers.
The night takes a dramatic turn when somebody spikes the drink with LSD putting everybody into a hallucinatory nightmare bringing out the worst in them all.
Thoughts on Climax
Characters – We have so many characters that we meet in this film, nobody seems to be the main character, with most getting equal screen time, this doesn’t help the movie because it is hard to keep up with every single character, you get to see the names in the opening introduction only to forget them when you meet the next one, not many of them are that interesting either, they do all have one thing in common though, they want to be dancers.
Performances – It is hard to judge any of the performances in this film, the dancing side of everything is faultless, it is meant to look different, but because we don’t give enough time to the actors it is hard to give them time to shine in anyway through this film.
Story – The story follows a group of dancers that are working on a project who look to celebrate only for the occasion to turn into a nightmare when the drink is spike. I am going to be honest, there really isn’t a story here, it is mostly just characters talking about who they want to have sex with, then getting high and running around like maniacs, that is all that happens.
Horror – The horror in this film comes from just what these people end up doing to each other once the drugs have kicked in, it’s a lot of screaming and it does try to push the boundaries, the problem comes from us not getting to know these characters enough to care what they do.
Settings – The film is set in one location, it has plenty of corridors along with a big party hall, which does make senses for everything happening in once location over one night.
Scene of the Movie – The interview introductions do make sense for the number of characters we have to meet.
That Moment That Annoyed Me – The first about 50 minutes is just boring.
Final Thoughts – This is a movie that will have its fans, though it is just a complete art piece that is trying to push the boundaries more than give us a proper story with too many characters to keep up with.
Overall: Overly Arty Movie.
Rating
Story: Climax starts as we meet all the dancers in this gathering, Selva (Boutella) seems to be the one that is planning the big dance number that will give all of them a chance to show of their different styles and techniques, we see an early look at the project before seeing the dancers relaxing at a party, going through the social numbers.
The night takes a dramatic turn when somebody spikes the drink with LSD putting everybody into a hallucinatory nightmare bringing out the worst in them all.
Thoughts on Climax
Characters – We have so many characters that we meet in this film, nobody seems to be the main character, with most getting equal screen time, this doesn’t help the movie because it is hard to keep up with every single character, you get to see the names in the opening introduction only to forget them when you meet the next one, not many of them are that interesting either, they do all have one thing in common though, they want to be dancers.
Performances – It is hard to judge any of the performances in this film, the dancing side of everything is faultless, it is meant to look different, but because we don’t give enough time to the actors it is hard to give them time to shine in anyway through this film.
Story – The story follows a group of dancers that are working on a project who look to celebrate only for the occasion to turn into a nightmare when the drink is spike. I am going to be honest, there really isn’t a story here, it is mostly just characters talking about who they want to have sex with, then getting high and running around like maniacs, that is all that happens.
Horror – The horror in this film comes from just what these people end up doing to each other once the drugs have kicked in, it’s a lot of screaming and it does try to push the boundaries, the problem comes from us not getting to know these characters enough to care what they do.
Settings – The film is set in one location, it has plenty of corridors along with a big party hall, which does make senses for everything happening in once location over one night.
Scene of the Movie – The interview introductions do make sense for the number of characters we have to meet.
That Moment That Annoyed Me – The first about 50 minutes is just boring.
Final Thoughts – This is a movie that will have its fans, though it is just a complete art piece that is trying to push the boundaries more than give us a proper story with too many characters to keep up with.
Overall: Overly Arty Movie.
Rating
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Kirk Bage (1775 KP) rated Tales from the Loop in TV
Jan 22, 2021
Such is the competition for our attention on the major streaming services, and such is the daunting depth of choice, that sometimes something of real quality can slip through the net for a while. I like to think that eventually, everything gets the audience it deserves, because eventually enough people that appreciated it will find it and pass it on. But it is apparent that good things can go under the radar very easily for one reason or another.
Everything about the production and presentation of Amazon’s Tales From the Loop suggests they thought it might be a bigger hit, or at least they had enough faith in it to let it be different from the mass appeal conventions that apply to sci-fi shows. They have proved this many times in recent years, with shows like The Man In the High Castle and The Expanse favouring patient and mature story-telling over interminable flashbangs and whizzpops usually found in the more action based sci-fi on Netflix and others (The Handmaid’s Tale being another notable exception).
Having raised myself auto-didactically on the oldest traditions of science fiction writing in novel and short story form since my teenage years, I can say with some amateur authority that the point of using sci-fi ideas was always about the people and the parallels to social reality and politics that could be highlighted by putting them in a “what-if” situation. The lazer guns and spaceships and evil aliens were much more a product of Hollywood, and still are. Great science fiction writing can and usually does revolve around a very simple change to the world we know, an inversion or a convention or a technology that turns how we live on its head. At its best it is philosophical and moral poetry.
Tales From the Loop, inspired by the beguiling paintings of Swedish Artist Simon Stålenhag aspires to return to these principles, eschewing breakneck pace and unnecessary exposition at every turn – it is entirely content to confuse and sometimes even bore you with its patient, melancholy approach, testing almost if you are worthy to reach the prize of deeper meaning buried away in the final few episodes.
The idea of Stålenhag’s work is to juxtapose a familiar and mundane landscape with a detail of technology that does not exist in our reality. Often it is something broken, run-down or neglected, leaving a strange sadness and beauty behind that has you wondering who once made this and what was it for, and why is it no longer loved? The untold stories objects and hidden lives, secrets and desires that have been lost, is what this sensitive and delicate show is about. It is about the interconnection of lives caught in time, and the sci-fi / tech conceit is only the hanger that coat is put on. Which… I love.
The surface idea is that we are looking at the inhabitants of a small American town that once relied on farming and community, but now has been changed by the presence of an underground facility that deals with experimental physics and finding ways to make impossible things possible. They call it The Loop. It is never fully explained where it came from, or why, or what it is truly capable of – the mystery is always allowed to remain mostly a mystery – which, again, I love!
Many people in the town work at The Loop and rely on it for their livelihoods and collective economy, including Jonathon Pryce and Rebecca Hall, who are ostensibly the show’s main characters. But most folk have no idea what is really going on. Each episode focuses on one or two members of the community that interweave with one another; several important people begin as background dressing and become more prevalent as the full story of their lives and connections unfolds. But no one character is in every episode… which, you know, I love.
Their lives, that seem simple at first glance, are revealed to be complex tapestries of emotion and personal history, revolving around how The Loop has affected them and the things they love. The progression and unfolding of the detail is so deliberate and usually under-explained that very often you don’t realise the effect the full image will have. And when it does catch up with you it becomes a very moving and meaningful experience. Characters that you don’t understand or even like at first come into sharper focus as we reach the climax of the season and grow to learn why they are the way they are. The story arcs of Pryce and Hall in particular are very satisfying, tragic yet utterly beautiful to comprehend.
A lot of the criticism you will see about the show will concentrate on how slow it all is. I am totally convinced this is a deliberate artistic choice to weed out the thrill junkies. They are very welcome to go elsewhere, and it sounds as if many of them did, basing their reviews on one or two half watched episodes they couldn’t be bothered to engage with or wonder at. Which is why I think in time the respect for this as a work of art will come back around.
There is nothing to fault in the production at all. From the opening credits to the end of each episode, what you get is a very highly polished and considered look and feel, designed to evoke certain feelings over others – a wistfulness, an ennui, a bittersweet smile of knowing, perhaps. It invites you to watch patiently and relate, not to watch eagerly and expect… which, you know, I love.
The photography is crisp and well framed always; the music is subtle but effective; the dialogue is often sparing and well chosen (no detail is merely thrown away); and the direction is of a remarkably uniform vision, considering each episode is a different guest professional, including such prestigious names as Jodie Foster, Mark Romanek and Andrew Stanton.
I absolutely urge anyone that isn’t put off by a little sentiment to give this one a try. Sadness and regret in life is not something to shun and be afraid of, they are parts of human experience, and I love art that explores them as concepts. Put that art in a science fiction context and I am bound to love it even more. Like the final moments of Blade Runner, we know that one day all these moments will be lost in time, like tears in rain. We have to take time to see the beauty while we can, even if that beauty is painful.
It may not be for you – I don’t think it is better or worse than other things, just more… me. There is every chance that if it isn’t you… you will hate it. If you do begin, however, please see it to the finish before casting judgement – the final episode directed by Jodie Foster is truly wonderful: a pay-off of such emotion after your investment of seven previous stories, tying it all together perfectly. Rarely have I felt so stupid for not understanding the point of something sooner, or been more pleased that I hadn’t. The final moment of the season is literally unforgettable, and gets richer in my imagination by the day.
Will there be a second season? There certainly could be. Was it enough of a success to justify the investment? Hmm, not sure. Either way, it either sits as a perfect self contained collection of fine, old-fashioned sci-fi stories, or I’d be happy to see it expand, as long as the temptation isn’t to listen to the negative reviews and pander to the fast-food mentality that has already rejected it without fully understanding it. Because nothing needs to change here. A thing of beauty, recommended to those who like beautiful and delicate things.
Everything about the production and presentation of Amazon’s Tales From the Loop suggests they thought it might be a bigger hit, or at least they had enough faith in it to let it be different from the mass appeal conventions that apply to sci-fi shows. They have proved this many times in recent years, with shows like The Man In the High Castle and The Expanse favouring patient and mature story-telling over interminable flashbangs and whizzpops usually found in the more action based sci-fi on Netflix and others (The Handmaid’s Tale being another notable exception).
Having raised myself auto-didactically on the oldest traditions of science fiction writing in novel and short story form since my teenage years, I can say with some amateur authority that the point of using sci-fi ideas was always about the people and the parallels to social reality and politics that could be highlighted by putting them in a “what-if” situation. The lazer guns and spaceships and evil aliens were much more a product of Hollywood, and still are. Great science fiction writing can and usually does revolve around a very simple change to the world we know, an inversion or a convention or a technology that turns how we live on its head. At its best it is philosophical and moral poetry.
Tales From the Loop, inspired by the beguiling paintings of Swedish Artist Simon Stålenhag aspires to return to these principles, eschewing breakneck pace and unnecessary exposition at every turn – it is entirely content to confuse and sometimes even bore you with its patient, melancholy approach, testing almost if you are worthy to reach the prize of deeper meaning buried away in the final few episodes.
The idea of Stålenhag’s work is to juxtapose a familiar and mundane landscape with a detail of technology that does not exist in our reality. Often it is something broken, run-down or neglected, leaving a strange sadness and beauty behind that has you wondering who once made this and what was it for, and why is it no longer loved? The untold stories objects and hidden lives, secrets and desires that have been lost, is what this sensitive and delicate show is about. It is about the interconnection of lives caught in time, and the sci-fi / tech conceit is only the hanger that coat is put on. Which… I love.
The surface idea is that we are looking at the inhabitants of a small American town that once relied on farming and community, but now has been changed by the presence of an underground facility that deals with experimental physics and finding ways to make impossible things possible. They call it The Loop. It is never fully explained where it came from, or why, or what it is truly capable of – the mystery is always allowed to remain mostly a mystery – which, again, I love!
Many people in the town work at The Loop and rely on it for their livelihoods and collective economy, including Jonathon Pryce and Rebecca Hall, who are ostensibly the show’s main characters. But most folk have no idea what is really going on. Each episode focuses on one or two members of the community that interweave with one another; several important people begin as background dressing and become more prevalent as the full story of their lives and connections unfolds. But no one character is in every episode… which, you know, I love.
Their lives, that seem simple at first glance, are revealed to be complex tapestries of emotion and personal history, revolving around how The Loop has affected them and the things they love. The progression and unfolding of the detail is so deliberate and usually under-explained that very often you don’t realise the effect the full image will have. And when it does catch up with you it becomes a very moving and meaningful experience. Characters that you don’t understand or even like at first come into sharper focus as we reach the climax of the season and grow to learn why they are the way they are. The story arcs of Pryce and Hall in particular are very satisfying, tragic yet utterly beautiful to comprehend.
A lot of the criticism you will see about the show will concentrate on how slow it all is. I am totally convinced this is a deliberate artistic choice to weed out the thrill junkies. They are very welcome to go elsewhere, and it sounds as if many of them did, basing their reviews on one or two half watched episodes they couldn’t be bothered to engage with or wonder at. Which is why I think in time the respect for this as a work of art will come back around.
There is nothing to fault in the production at all. From the opening credits to the end of each episode, what you get is a very highly polished and considered look and feel, designed to evoke certain feelings over others – a wistfulness, an ennui, a bittersweet smile of knowing, perhaps. It invites you to watch patiently and relate, not to watch eagerly and expect… which, you know, I love.
The photography is crisp and well framed always; the music is subtle but effective; the dialogue is often sparing and well chosen (no detail is merely thrown away); and the direction is of a remarkably uniform vision, considering each episode is a different guest professional, including such prestigious names as Jodie Foster, Mark Romanek and Andrew Stanton.
I absolutely urge anyone that isn’t put off by a little sentiment to give this one a try. Sadness and regret in life is not something to shun and be afraid of, they are parts of human experience, and I love art that explores them as concepts. Put that art in a science fiction context and I am bound to love it even more. Like the final moments of Blade Runner, we know that one day all these moments will be lost in time, like tears in rain. We have to take time to see the beauty while we can, even if that beauty is painful.
It may not be for you – I don’t think it is better or worse than other things, just more… me. There is every chance that if it isn’t you… you will hate it. If you do begin, however, please see it to the finish before casting judgement – the final episode directed by Jodie Foster is truly wonderful: a pay-off of such emotion after your investment of seven previous stories, tying it all together perfectly. Rarely have I felt so stupid for not understanding the point of something sooner, or been more pleased that I hadn’t. The final moment of the season is literally unforgettable, and gets richer in my imagination by the day.
Will there be a second season? There certainly could be. Was it enough of a success to justify the investment? Hmm, not sure. Either way, it either sits as a perfect self contained collection of fine, old-fashioned sci-fi stories, or I’d be happy to see it expand, as long as the temptation isn’t to listen to the negative reviews and pander to the fast-food mentality that has already rejected it without fully understanding it. Because nothing needs to change here. A thing of beauty, recommended to those who like beautiful and delicate things.
The Style Your Modern Vintage Home: A Guide to Buying, Restoring and Styling from the 1920s to 1990s
Book
Style Your Modern Vintage Home is an inspirational book for all vintage enthusiasts. It encompasses...