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katiedog87
Reviews
The Magnitsky Act. Behind the Scenes (2016)
Talk about a film that turns 'fact' on its head!
Bill Browder is seen as a talking head quite a lot these days on tv with regard to what is going on with Russia/Ukraine. He is a smooth-talker, and someone you could envision trusting your millions to invest, if you had millions. I started watching this thinking that it would be a ultra-liberal or Russo-centric hit piece on the West or Browder/Hermitage. After about 30 minutes, my jaw was hanging open. I wish that I had a timeline to follow as to the events that were covered in the movie. I would have to watch it 2 or 3 more times to be able to have a better handle on the series of events. Having said that, there is definitely something quite wrong in the tale of 'Magnitsky as Browder's lawyer turned whistleblower' set forth by Browder himself in a multitude of interviews, books, hearings, tv appearances, etc. You want to believe the initial narrative, because it so neatly fits with what we have been told over the years about Reagan's evil empire. You can feel the director's angst, who started out filming one version as a movie-maker who is a "Russian documentary maker with a mission: with his films he exposes social and political wrongs." He starts to uncover a thousand inconsistencies in the story-line, and ends up with a totally different social and political wrong than the one he started with. I totally agree with his final conclusions, and give him kudos for having the guts to change 180 degrees mid-filming and to put out this version of the movie. You have to look to find this movie, but it is well-worth it. The scenario does not jibe with the Western version of events as set forth by Browder, but no one seemingly bothered to investigate Browder's claims, and just took him at his word. It is rather sickening that the man (Browder) is profiting from the situation by books and appearances. I don't think the movie besmirches Magnitsky or the human rights act that bears Magnitsky's name. I do think it is a true tale of funny money and a false narrative created to hide illegal financial doings. I do not believe it is either pro-Russia or anti-Russia. It just happens to take place in Russia, where everything seems to have a in-the-looking glass quality to it. Highly recommended.
This Is Us: Birth Mother (2021)
A new level of cheesy
I really like This Is Us. This episode is a real outlier in the cheez factor. The bit with the lake was foreseeable by a mile or two. The yell in the lake was foreseeable for many miles. The conversation in the lake was ultimate cheese. It really ruined the storyline of Randall, sorry. She never tried to contact William? She just 'waved' at the Vietnamese guy after his family was gone for years? Please.....this was SO not believable, in a show that has as its trademark the 'realness' of life.
Highlander (1986)
80's kitsch with a smashing music score by Queen
I just watched my first Highlander film in the entire Highlander universe, in 2020. Yes, it is rather trite with quite dated special effects. Without the accompanying music from Queen, it would have been thumbs down, but the music is the best integrated soundtrack that I have ever experienced. I am a big fan of Queen. Lambert was ok, Connery was superb. The storyline was good, I'm not sure why the movie falls so flat beyond the dated cinematography and special effects. I've frequently read about the extraordinary quality of the Queen soundtrack beyond its success as a standalone disc, which is what prompted me to watch the video. I'm not surprised at the box office results; romantic time travelling immortals are probably not going to find a wealth of fans. The movie is good enough to while away an afternoon. I am somewhat puzzled by the casting of Lambert. He was an attractive actor, but his accent is rather jarring in this context. Sean Connery has my admiration for never making excuses for his accent, and for not trying to sound like some one other than himself. The movie would have been better with a larger role from Connery.