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Great Canal Journeys (2014)
Started out great ...
The first season, especially, every episode was more breathtaking than the last (not sure if they chose the canal order on purpose, changed the order in which the episodes were aired, or it was simply a happy accident) and I looked forward to new episodes and seasons. But as time goes on--I'm sorry to say it--Tim West comes across more and more as a cranky old man and is, at times, an arsal to his wife. Coupled with an occasional, unnecessary focus on Ms. Scales' illness and the errors she makes as a result, the show has an underlying (surely unintentional) mean-spiritedness that detracts from the beauty of the settings and the tranquility of the concept.
I still watch, but now that I've noticed these other aspects, it's hard to unsee them.
And he's not that great an actor, either.
A Rainy Day in New York (2019)
Other reviewers are calling it "witty"
But that's because they're Woody Allen fans and can't convince themselves it's even remotely funny. Contrived story full of coincidences-in New York you could live in the same building as someone else and not see them twice in a decade-but this story has the most improbable sequence of events just happening to work out for the ersatz Allen main character, who also has a typical, quirky Allen main character name (for a goy).
Take a look at dizexpat's review, which says the rest quite well. Not the worst thing I've ever seen-it couldn't be in today's environment- but if I had paid for it I'd want a refund.
The Barefoot Contessa (1954)
Great scenery at times, accounts for all three of the stars in the rating.
Hackneyed script. Bad acting. Overwrought story. The always overrated Ava Gardner. What else do you need? Worth watching once, so you can add your voice to those of us asking "what's all the fuss about?"
NYPD Blue: Lost Israel: Part 2 (1997)
I seem to be shockingly out of the mainstream,
The guy who played the husband was bad, but the woman who played the wife was colossally awful. I was embarrassed just watching. In a two-part episode where the actors needed to maintain a high level of intensity for an extended period of time, neither was up to the task from virtually their first seconds on the screen. The only reason I gave this episode two stars was because the guy who played the insurance-scam doctor was funny,
A real lemon in a series that typically had top notch guest stars..
Fury at Showdown (1957)
Not a fantastic western, despite some nice camera work
Well, I appear to be out of the mainstream of the limited number of reviewers for this movie, but it was a bit tedious (even though less than 90 minutes) and the story was not compelling. The standard western movie town was in full effect, convincingly dusty, and with the right buildings in the right places. But it was also from scene to scene randomly full of people hanging around in the middle of the day, and then completely deserted other than the main actors.
John Derek was his usual hammy self, wide-eyed glowering substituting for any sense of genuine internal emotion. The actors who played Derek's brother and the sheriff were decent, but the lawyer was badly played as a simpering whiner who simply would not have come out west to practice. The love interest was dull and kind of homely.
As for the story--the consequence of a negative outcome for the hero was basically that his life would go on as before, and he was such a martyr that I didn't really care one way or the other.
Scenery was a solid B, although the cinematographer could have done more with the raw materials. Acting a C-, some better than others. Story, also a C-. Hence the four star review for this somewhat below average movie.
Babe (1995)
Just About Flawless
There's no point in going over the plot here. There are a handful of one star sour grapes reviews that were all likely written by the cast of Apollo 13 or the dirtbags from the several mafia movies that came out that year. After that you don't get anything less than six stars and that's right where the reviews should start--at "above average".
I just saw this tonight on cable for about the fifth time and had forgotten what a tremendous movie this is. Sure, a pig who herds sheep is a little corny, but like the plot or not, the movie is, as I say, Just About Flawless. It has some gentle humor, a few gentle lessons of the reality of farm life, some idyllic scenery, and shows cats for what they really are. Well made, well paced, well acted (to the extent the humans aren't just devices for the animals), and a satisfying conclusion. Great for all ages.
The Man Who Came to Dinner (2000)
It's hard to mess up good writing, but...
...sometimes a classic is not worth tinkering with.
Here's the difference between this version and the Monty Woolley version: Monty Woolley was funny; Nathan Lane thinks he's funny. Don't bother, just rent the 1942 film. And see Bette Davis in one of her funniest and most restrained roles ever.
Pollyanna (1960)
Never saw this before but glad I finally did
I saw this for the first time 6/2/17 on TCM. While I thought Jane Wyman's character never got as sympathetic as I would have thought in a Disney movie, and I might have made some different choices in the story, the bottom line is: I loved every second of this movie. Great cast, funny, and moving. Recommended with no reservations. (This is more of an opinion than a review, of course, but since I'm not criticizing any part of it, you don't need any more detail. Just watch it.)
Hand in Hand (1961)
Charming but not self-conscious
This beautiful little film debuted on TCM tonight, March 13, 2017, and will hopefully go into at least the semi-regular rotation. Two best friends learn about each others' faiths and have an adventure or two. It's the kind of film I love discovering, where frankly not much happens but it never gets boring or bogged down. Gentle and heartwarming without being forced or even the slightest bit precious. Absolutely worth a watch.