vegibug Reviews

Black Bear (I) (2020)

After thinking about it, I gave it two more stars...

[4/10 · 12 December 2020]

Mostly because the second half was more interesting and more realistic. The first half was not, and was filled with blah, blah, blah drivel. They should have eliminated the first half.

Trying to pull off a film "trick" is great when it works, but it doesn't work here for several reasons. I'm supposing the film is trying to ask which half of the story is the real one, and which half is the supposed "script" the Aubrey character is supposedly writing.

That fails on two levels. If the first half of the movie is the reality, it doesn't work. A famous actress going to a B&B "retreat" that isn't actually a B&B at all, and then instead of actually writing a script spends all her time drinking, dancing, and arguing about feminism with the hosts makes no sense. And then immediately having an affair with the male host? It is not believable that she could have been writing an awesome script while spending all her time with the hosts.

If the second half is reality (which was absolutely the better half), then it means the Aubrey character wrote the first half at the "B&B", which was crap, and gave no insight into what had really happened previously. The film shows her at the end of each part supposedly writing at the same desk.

I'd like to imagine she wrote two scripts, the first of which was rubbish, the second of which was believable. The problem is that the film keeps trying to reference "Black Bear" in various ways that seem to have nothing to do with the story at all.

The film is a hot mess. The kind pretentious people claim to understand and excuse.

Daughter (I) (2019)

Not good. Totally unrealistic. Cliche.

[3/10 · 25 November 2020]

I couldn't figure out if this was trying to be a "drama" as billed, or a comedy, or "Pretty Lady". When, oh, when are people going to stop making cliche "Prostitute with a heart of gold" garbage? This was supposed to be about a father working through grief about his daughter's death, but instead it was just some dude sitting in bed, drinking, getting high with a "light-hearted, sweet fake-o Hollywood version of a prostitute", joking around and being annoying and unrealistic.

Cutting away once here and there to some grief and drama with cloying background music couldn't save this film. Wish I hadn't wasted my time. I usually like movies from Canada, but not this one.

Falling (I) (2020)

Deserves a much higher rating. Not a "feel-good" movie, though.

[9/10 · 25 November 2020]

Great acting all around, solid story, good directing. Anyone who has spent their whole life dealing with an emotionally and psychologically abusive parent will relate, and unless you've been there you probably won't understand why the son and daughter put up with it. I did. My 95-year-old father died a month ago after decades of slights and hurts, and he still managed to deliver one last slap after he died.

I disagree with some who think this is just about a disease or dementia as if it somehow changed the father - no, it just brought out more of who the father really was. I agree this it was about love - how some adult children still want to love and have the need to be loved back.

Warnings: This movie had a disturbing amount of verbal abuse in the form of homophobia and misogyny. It is definitely not for children. Be prepared.

Filthy Rich (2020)

Not Comparable to the Original New Zealand series in any way...

[3/10 · 12 November 2020]

I'm going to try to make my way through this series, but the acting is really not on par at all. Very "soap opera" level not believable "dramatic" acting. It's just not good, so far. Just cheesy. The original was believable and the acting was stellar.

Why do Americans copy successful series from other countries and then just make a mess of them? Sad.

Shuttlecock (1991)

Ignore The Low Rating

[8/10 · 10 November 2020]

The only reason I can imagine this film has received poor reviews is because it is being promoted as a thriller, when it is not. It's not suspenseful. It's a straight-up family drama that involves lies and omissions and how they have affected three generations of men. I watched it thinking it would be a thriller, but as I also like well-made dramas I stuck around and was glad I did. I imagine most of the people giving a poor review ditched the movie within minutes of finding out it isn't a thriller.

It is filmed beautifully, and the acting is on point. The soundtrack is unobtrusive but solid. The pacing is a bit slow, but makes sense overall. I've never seen the lead actor before but he is one of the few actors who can realistically play himself as a young dad as well as himself as a middle-aged man. Impressive.

If you are keen on a fast-paced thriller with spies, action, and suspense you will likely give up on the film quickly. If you enjoy non-cliche dramas check this one out.