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Reviews
Sisi (2021)
Plenty of ok, some good - and a little too much missed opportunities
First: No, it's not a historical documentary, as has been pointed out before.
Second: If you're looking for reasonable bits of battles and warfare - give it a miss.
Third: if you're looking for a mostly decent costume drama based on real life characters, then - give it a try.
Acting and scripting of the series is mostly reasonably done. I watched the series with a friend and found that some of the gritty reality in the depictions of royalty "sowing their royal oats", giving birth and what not a refreshing stop to reality. Unlike American Disney classics - these royals needed some lessons, took the lessons in - and did what people do.
Same goes to the the mutinies and other assorted international conniving scoundrels. And yes, the Habsburgs and the Wittelsbachs did their very own share of these things too. Scripting takes these into account reasonably.
However, aside a few minor plot points with dubious accuracy, the biggest boredom comes along with the substandard depictions of the battles. With current CGI these could have been rendered much, much better. But - what can you say - you get what you pay for.
I might watch the second season - at least the first episode. Provided the casting remains. I the debit sides get better, I might even watch the whole of the 2nd season. IF that emerges.
Into the Woods (2014)
Utterly forgettable score
Disney really needs to find their mojo for memorable scoring again. Into the Woods had a good casting, but even the good singers and actors can't rescue the musical, when the score is boring enough to work as a forgettable lullaby for babies.
Obi-Wan Kenobi: Part I (2022)
For a pilot episode, a most underwhelming experience.
Who ever was in charge of this project ought to be fired and banned from the business. I have lived under the assumption that pilot episodes are supposed to entice the audience to watch the later episodes of the series too! This one did nothing of the kind.
CGI and visual images are bordering on OKish. Indeed - they form the most watchable bit of this sleeping pill of a program.
Acting - aside the bits clipped from the movies - is stilted and stiff. Ewan McGregor.does try, but even the best of actors can go amiss with non-existent script writing skills and poor direction. The rest of the crew are, I'm sure wonderful people and make excellent extras.
New characters: Cardboard caricatures that defy in a fantasy realism. Not going to go much into spoiling, but one in particular comes across as someone who would not survive a military life for a nano second, let alone a totalitarian system like the Sith. A Kremlin communique is more believable these days! What do they teach in creative writing these days?!
Script: I've read municipal council meeting minutes with more life in them. Just waiting to see, if in the forthcoming episodes we get to see plot holes that make the Death Star look small. They might actually add a feeling of happening!
Music score: Something that was memorable and integral part of the original trilogy. Somehow the studio execs have missed the memo where it tells that you CAN have good music in films and tv.
I don't understand how Disney let this kind of filth through their filters. All this kind of publishing does, is drive away people who have enjoyed the Star Wars (all the original three movies plus some of the later spin-offs). Way to kill a good brand.
Do yourself a favor, and give this series a miss. Seriously.
Death on the Nile (2022)
If you enjoyed the books and/or Suchet's work - avoid, avoid, avoid
The film has very, very loosely based on Christie's book. In the name progressiveness, it's been taken out of reality into a fantasy world, whereas Christie's work was situated in the real world - albeit the affluent upper classes' world. The opening scenes were totally, completely and utterly irrelevant for the story line.
Considering how many good actors this film has, I am stunned how poor the acting was. Direction? Not evident. CGI, over the top. Script, less said the better.
I've seen Branagh deliver good roles. This is the worst I've seen of him. It's never good when the actor forgets his accent here and there in the film. Unfortunately, he is not alone in the subpar delivery. Only. Emma Mackey as de Bellefort manages to deliver a decently.
No Goodbyes (2021)
Important topic but poorly executed production
The film reminded me vaguely of the books Men with the Pink Triangle (by Heinz Heger) and Gad Beck's Memoirs of a Gay Jew. And that's where the topical importance comes from. It is worth seeing for that part. For the topic I could give a higher rating. But:
I can't say I was impressed with the acting. It plays more like a bad drama. I'm not a great fan of the mixing of an interview into a dramatised film even though it seems to be popular these days. Do a film, or do an interview, don't mix the two. Please.
As for the props. Wehrmacht collar on the SS, very unlikely even at the later stages of the war. It is also unlikely a young officer would have been awarded the golden party badge. The hand gun profile from behind looks more like a revolver rather than a pistol one would expect to see used by a German officer.
Acting and props made this more a chore to watch. Hence a generous 4.