This movie is so bad that I considered leaving the cinema in which I was watching it several times before it finished. I am certain that all kinds of "cause du jour" types will chime in with reviews that drone on about how it is a trenchant commentary on how women are viewed as nothing but objects without agency in this misogynistic world, I would encourage you to resist the temptation to think that this movie does an effective job of communicating such sentiments, because it fails to do so. But in a world where accusations and sloganeering replace proof and facts, people might be bandwagoning, wanting to be seen to be groovy and going with the flow as opposed to being honest with themselves and with others about how this movie is profoundly flawed and weak. Poor Things is not recommended viewing for anyone as far as I am concerned.
Reviews
126 Reviews
The Zone of Interest
(2023)
While it's a feast for the eyes, it'll put many to sleep
8 February 2024
The Zone of Interest isn't all that interesting, sadly. Normally, I enjoy films dealing with this general subject matter. Not this one, though.
The film itself is beautifully shot and directed. Where it comes up short in my estimation is that there is precious little activity to draw you in and keep you engaged. Additionally, the pace of the movie is sufficiently languid that the family of the camp commandant ends up being its sole focus, really, with the suffering of the concentration camp prisoners taking a decidedly secondary (maybe even tertiary) role. In the end, the filmmakers make the featured family the stars of the show, and they portray how banal their routines were and how they were much like other families, just that the mother and the father were a little more evil than your average parents.
Whether that was by design or it was by accident, I didn't care for it, for it unintentionally humanized these people, making it possible to see fellow men in these monsters; men who have to deal with the same drudge, stress, and similar things that others have to do.
I'd pass on this movie if I were you. It doesn't live up to the hype.
The film itself is beautifully shot and directed. Where it comes up short in my estimation is that there is precious little activity to draw you in and keep you engaged. Additionally, the pace of the movie is sufficiently languid that the family of the camp commandant ends up being its sole focus, really, with the suffering of the concentration camp prisoners taking a decidedly secondary (maybe even tertiary) role. In the end, the filmmakers make the featured family the stars of the show, and they portray how banal their routines were and how they were much like other families, just that the mother and the father were a little more evil than your average parents.
Whether that was by design or it was by accident, I didn't care for it, for it unintentionally humanized these people, making it possible to see fellow men in these monsters; men who have to deal with the same drudge, stress, and similar things that others have to do.
I'd pass on this movie if I were you. It doesn't live up to the hype.
Aftersun
(II) (2022)
Aftersun fails to engage the audience
9 November 2022
While great actors and good dialogue are very much present throughout Aftersun, the film fails to engage the audience in any meaningful way. I watch my fair share of movies, and those movies come from many different genres. I submit that Aftersun is a real snooze regardless of genre. It isn't slow because "dramas are slow".
I feel that the fundamentals are well covered -- a good cast, decent dialogue, and good cinematography -- but I'm at a loss to understand why Charlotte Wells would end up creating such a milquetoast movie. I checked my watch several times to try and figure out when it would end, which is rarely a good sign, but it's positively damning when the movie is a little more than 90 minutes in length. I'd give Aftersun a pass if I were you.
I feel that the fundamentals are well covered -- a good cast, decent dialogue, and good cinematography -- but I'm at a loss to understand why Charlotte Wells would end up creating such a milquetoast movie. I checked my watch several times to try and figure out when it would end, which is rarely a good sign, but it's positively damning when the movie is a little more than 90 minutes in length. I'd give Aftersun a pass if I were you.
Three Minutes: A Lengthening
(2021)
Not engaging
10 September 2022
I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but unless you have a personal connection to the Holocaust or unless you have professional interest in it, boredom is likely to wash over you as you watch this documentary. I won't recommend Three Minutes: A Lengthening to others. There is an obvious peril in taking three minutes of film and trying to stretch it into an hour-long documentary.
This documentary appeals to a fairly small number of people. I'm surprised by the generally positive reviews it has received if I'm being honest. Folks should be brave enough to characterize work like this as the underwhelming production that it is. You can take a pass on watching Three Minutes: A Lengthening without missing out on much.
This documentary appeals to a fairly small number of people. I'm surprised by the generally positive reviews it has received if I'm being honest. Folks should be brave enough to characterize work like this as the underwhelming production that it is. You can take a pass on watching Three Minutes: A Lengthening without missing out on much.
The Killer
(2022)
I loved The Killer
21 July 2022
One of the few gifts of the COVID-19 pandemic has been the use of Korean films to provide cinema screens in the Western world with content/programming. Until the pandemic hit, I'm unsure whether I had watched more than a handful of Korean movies over the course of my near half-century on this Earth. Since then, I've watched several every year, especially when the reviews are good, and I've rarely been disappointed. If you can handle subtitles, if you can take this in on a big screen, if you're open minded enough to watch foreign films, and if you enjoy action movies, then you should enjoy The Killer. It's recommended viewing for fans of the genre.
The Gray Man
(2022)
This put me to sleep
21 July 2022
I fell asleep for 10-15 minutes, minimum, while watching The Gray Man. Admittedly, I was tired, but it doesn't say much about the movie. I didn't fall asleep watching The Killer, a Korean film, a couple of hours later. Yawn. The Gray Man is a seriously impressive, unimpressive movie.
The Black Phone
(2021)
The young cast members were great!
29 June 2022
This is an acceptable film -- nothing more, nothing less. The setting and the cast were great, though. I have to give credit where credit is due when it comes to those things. It's a fine movie to kill a couple of hours, but I wouldn't expect cinematic greatness or miracles if I were you.
What was that?!?
25 June 2022
Scarborough
(2021)
Have you seen The Florida Project? If you have, then you've already seen a film vaguely like this.
18 March 2022
I mean, Scarborough isn't bad by any stretch of the imagination, but it isn't as good as most reviews suggest. In my opinion, it appears to be a bit derivative, but that isn't necessarily a bad thing. Scarborough doesn't strike me as being groundbreaking work, though.
The Matrix Resurrections
(I) (2021)
Dreadful
9 January 2022
If you wonder why you didn't hear much buzz about this movie and you are tempted to blame COVID-19 for that, please refrain from making that kind of association. No, my friends, this movie is just plain bad. I wish I had trusted my instincts about it, but I failed to do so. I'd take a pass on this one if I were you.
Nine Days
(2020)
This film is a snore
17 August 2021
While Winston Duke, Zazie Beetz, and Benedict Wong should be commended for their strong performances, those performances aren't enough to save this snore of a film. I'd pass on Nine Days if I were you. It's the First Cow of 2021. Make of that what you will.
The Suicide Squad
(2021)
Terrible
9 August 2021
This movie is terrible. Maybe it's because I'm unfamiliar with the comic book characters it features, but I fell asleep more than once while watching it. In my experience, that's the hallmark of an awful movie. I'd pass on The Suicide Squad if I were you.
Hillbilly Elegy
(2020)
Like the book, this movie is good, but not great
18 November 2020
Hillbilly Elegy is just a nice story about salvation, redemption, and self-preservation. Some people might be ambivalent about it because it doesn't offer much in the way of social commentary or political analysis. Not every movie needs to do so and I don't believe that this movie is particularly weak because it doesn't veer into such matters. All in all, I can recommend Hillbilly Elegy to potential moviegoers even if it isn't one of the better films I've watched over the years.
Monkey Beach
(2020)
Not a great film
11 November 2020
Unless you're spiritual or unless you believe in mysticism, I'd take a pass on Monkey Beach. I was persuaded to watch it based on the generous reviews it has garnered on this website. I can report that it wasn't my cup of tea.
John Lewis: Good Trouble
(2020)
While John Lewis was a lovely man, this film is a snooze
3 August 2020
I found this film to be rather slow and plodding. It would likely have helped a great deal to focus more on the civil rights activism of John Lewis in the 1960s than on the man himself. On balance, I am quite happy to have watched John Lewis: Good Trouble, but I am unlikely to recommend it to others.
First Cow
(2019)
This is a pretty, but terrible movie
12 July 2020
God, the boredom! It's no wonder that the director who brought you Certain Women also put out this dud. First Cow is about as engaging as listing to some bore drone on at length about nothing on NPR or CBC Radio. Unless you want to fall asleep in the theatre like I did, you can give this one a miss.
1917
(2019)
Entertaining and made with care
13 January 2020
War/combat movies are hit or miss for me. 1917 is a hit in my books. If you really dislike war/combat movies and/or the depiction of death makes you uncomfortable, then give it a miss. Otherwise, I'd take it in if I were you. See it on a big screen if at all possible.
Richard Jewell
(2019)
It helps if you're old enough to remember the 1996 Summer Olympics
8 January 2020
In subject matter, style, pace, and content, this isn't a film for anyone younger than 35-40 years of age. I enjoyed it a great deal, but I'm an old fogey. Richard Jewell is recommended viewing for fans of Eastwood's work, particularly those who are middle aged or older.
Joker
(I) (2019)
Good, but not great
7 October 2019
Warning: Spoilers
While Joaquin Phoenix turns in a great performance as Arthur Fleck/Joker and while the film itself is a feast for the eyes, I can't help but conclude that Joker is only a good film; greatness eludes it.
Even this non-comic book fan could make the obvious connections between the Wayne family and Arthur Fleck/Joker, but they're likely to be of much greater interest to longtime fans of the comics and the characters. In the end, I left the theatre happy enough to have taken in Joker, but I won't feel a need to watch it again anytime soon. You might feel differently about it of course.
Even this non-comic book fan could make the obvious connections between the Wayne family and Arthur Fleck/Joker, but they're likely to be of much greater interest to longtime fans of the comics and the characters. In the end, I left the theatre happy enough to have taken in Joker, but I won't feel a need to watch it again anytime soon. You might feel differently about it of course.
Tell Your Friends