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Reviews
No Hard Feelings (2023)
Why?
How does this get a 6.5 rating when there are a gazillion 1-star ratings but only a flat line on the bar graph? IMDB is not giving an honest ratings representation. Disappointing, I usually trust IMDB.
And I trust Jennifer Lawrence to choose worthy projects to perform in. She has brought her viewing audience up to a high level with many of her performances. Why did she choose to go low with this embarrassing project? This one is rubbish. She makes plenty of money. She doesn't need to go full nude. Most of the sex and language is gratuitous, double entendre is on a Benny Hill level. Her character's attitude towards life and people in general is painful to watch, there is no justification. Using her mother as an excuse for her behaviour and self-entitlement gets old quickly. Her friends are also a bunch of downers.
The film itself has few redeeming qualities. The premise is ridiculous - the parents apparently have no scruples, it's amazing their son has turned out so well. Where did he come from, is he really their's? The writers have written a poor storyline, awful dialogue, trite scenes. Lazy. How did this get made?
This is a waste of time, a waste of space and a huge waste of a brilliant talent.
The Rookie: Feds: Day One (2022)
Gratuitous, insulting to female FBI agents...and viewers
This does NOT contain spoilers...
The character of Simone is irritatingly over the top. How the FBI seriously would hire her is beyond reason. She does not act professionally, no matter how 'cute' or ostentatious her personality is supposed to be. Sure, she is supposedly hired because of her propensity.to 'think outside of the box' and be 'unorthodox' but that does not mean she has to be disrespectful to her colleagues.
Nor would the amount of cleavage she enjoys displaying ad nauseam. Really? It's distracting, unattractive and hardly empowering to female FBI agents or actresses who have been trying to steer clear of 'sex kitten' stereotypes and other ways Hollywood views women. Simone's chest-baring wardrobe ignores any efforts towards the creation of female characters who have more dimensions than cartoon-ish females. The actress, Niecy Nash, seems to be most interested in marketing her own brand than developing a truly interesting humorous female character with any authenticity or depth. The show's writers are lazily employing Niecy Nash's brand into the Simone character - her extreme cleavage which leaves nothing to the imagination, her freakishly long fake fingernails and her croaky voice.
If Niecy Nash does have a vocal disability then apologies. However she seems to be putting it on, exaggerating the creakiness which won't help her disability and d fails to evoke a sultry, sexy persona. It only makes viewers want to keep clearing their throats.
Just as gratuitous as her constant breast exhibitionism is her character's swearing. From the two episodes we've been able to view in the UK thus far Simone is the only character on the show that swears and can't stop. None of her colleagues seem to pepper their language with 'damn' or 'hell' as easily or in all scenes as does Simone. If this is the way the writers feel they need to make Simone a unique character who stands out from the rest of the FBI crowd their succeeding...only by making Simone tiresome and grotesque. Again, behaviour not professional or becoming for FBI agents in the office setting.
I don't see how Niecy Nash's or the writers' character of Simone is supposed to be representative of gifting any female FBI agent with empowerment by implying they adopt Niecy Nash's brand. Not just the FBI but school guidance counsellors as well. Amazingly unbelievable !
The show can still be fun - suspending reality is the great escape. The character of Simone can still be interesting, 'unorthodox', and brash without making her so smutty and unbelievable. For now, this Rookie is not someone worth investing extra hours in.
NCIS: Los Angeles (2009)
Jumping on the band-wagon (or is it time to Jump the Shark?)
(This show is broadcast later in the UK, hence this late opinion.)
For this racial stunt with LAPD and Roundtree this puts NCIS Los Angeles clearly on the map where tired TV storytellers converge when they've run out of ideas. Their creativity has disappeared. Very cheap tactics. Suddenly out of nowhere they give Roundtree a younger sister. His younger sister is portrayed by Ava McCoy, a beautiful young black actor we shall probably never see again, but we'll probably get to hear about her whenever Roundtree needs to emote.
The writers have run out of ideas for how to develop Roundtree's character. They still have not figured out what his personality is. They already have the other characters sorted and they haven't invested much through the years in developing them. They could have used their time off set during Covid to work at it. I was so hopeful! I used to enjoy this show.
Sam Hanna - tough guy, big heart, responsibly mature in relationships
Callen - angry remote young man and wounded lost soul with some survival skills, immature in relationships, it's all about him
Kensi & Deeks - Ricky and Lucy Ricardo. In reverse. Comedic insult brigade. Deeks can't take tragic crime scenes seriously, acts inappropriately, poor role model. Kensi, his enabler.
Kilbride - crusty old admiral, barks a lot, backs off the bites
Fatima - Living proof the producers 'get it', are 'with it' and can play The Diversity in Hollywood Game. She shows that Muslim chicks really can be smart, beautiful, stylish. Unlike the other characters who don't get to talk about their faith she can be everybody's best friend and still be faithful to her religion. Now if the other characters could just decide how to pronounce her name correctly! The writers patronise her character and some of the characters are condescending. Typecast and Insulting. Any characters who happen to be Christian are drawn as crazy back-woodsmen cult leaders or evangelical extremist mothers. Jewish characters have to come from Israel and be Mossad. All typecast. All insulting.
Hetty - the Wizard of Oz. Now you see her, now you don't. Lots of secrets behind her eyelids and that faux-reassuring smile. The headmistress of the boarding school. A killer with a teacup. Linda Hunt is one of my favourite actors but due to her car accident, Covid precautions and other special conditions the writers and show-runner(s)are having to reach to keep her in the story.