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Cristianos's Replies
It wasn't published at the time of the film's release though, and it was nominated for an Oscar as Best Original Screenplay.
I watched it on Plex (a streaming service). The print looked unrestored and lacked in vibrancy and contrast when it comes to black-and-white photography.
I concur. The facial character expressions work so much better.
I define "original" as not being on based on preexisting IP. In case, Memento is an original film, as is Inception and Tenet.
It's one of the best, if not the best, adaptation. I liked how they expanded on Scrooge's backstory. However, I sure wished I had watched a better print.
Your one-sentence rebuttal is so devoid of substance. It's not even worth debating with you. A strong NATO alliance is the only thing that can repel further Russian aggression.
She can run for California Governor if she wants in 2026. Gavin Newsom is term-limited and California is a safe blue state she can easily win.
Given he's a one-term president and his policies won't be continued by his successor, I think objectively, his presidency will have a mixed verdict but be viewed favorably. After the first Trump presidency, Biden's calls for national unity and speaking out against neo-nationalist and the far-right movement felt like a breath of fresh air. He had a progressive social agenda with some legislative wins, like passing infrastructure, the CHIPS and Science Act, and charting the course to lower carbon emissions under the Inflation Reduction Act.
On the international front, he stood with our international allies at NATO, condemned Russia's invasion into Ukraine, and supported Israel against Hamas. The Afghanistan withdrawal left the U.S. on a poor ending on the War on Terror, but the withdrawal was going to be disastrous no matter who was president.
Biden promised to be a transitional president, and should have not ran for re-election given there were concerns about his age and ability to govern. He left Kamala Harris only months to effectively build a coalition. Given that she lost, it remains determined whether the fault is on her or Biden.
Overall, a C+.
I liked it a lot. The casting and the makeup and hairstyling work was spot on. There was plenty of insult humor and references to the classic sketches for the fans to indulge. Those tropes you mention are present in the film, unfortunately. Another downside is the heavy exaggeration for dramatic effect. For the ending scene, which was a recreation of the show's first cold open, they hold us in suspense when John Belushi doesn't come out immediately. If you watch the actual episode, Belushi came out on cue. I give it a 7.5/10.
I just watched [i]Bonfire of the Vanities[/i]. It's not among his best films, but he has a visual style to be reckoned with.
Happy birthday, Brian!
This was a fine [i]film noir[/i], but not checking the dental records is a huge plot hole or contrivance. It's been a practice for forensic identification since the Romans.
I have heard of [i]The Apostle[/i] but I have not seen it. Thanks for the recommendation.
I, 100 percent, agree with your review. Quaid was decent as Reagan, but Penelope Ann Miller was even better as Nancy Reagan. I was also annoyed by the propaganda aspects when all of sudden, everyone stops doing what they are doing and stand mesmerized by Reagan's televised public speaking. It was appropriate for the "tear down this wall" speech, but was wearing thin after it had been used twice for the "Time for Choosing" speech and Reagan's closing 1980 debate speech.
The movie would have been better if it had explored Reagan's flaws, and was condensed to just his presidency. I was shocked Vice President George H. W. Bush was reduced to a blink-and-miss cameo. For the uninformed, Secretary of State George Shultz seemed more like Reagan's right-hand man based on this film. That said, Reagan's character shines through with his humor and forcefulness. It's not terrible but could have been better. 5/10.
I wholeheartedly agree. He makes a cheesy film like [i]Deep Impact[/i] feel respectable because he's that good of an actor.
Now, those films are good, especially [i]The Passion of the Christ[/i]. I think the OP is referring to films like the "God's Not Dead" series which depict Christianity being attacked, and often include hammy performances and TV production values.
"The Chosen" is another Christian-themed project that's actually good because the creators allowed the characters to be flawed, and go for a realistic approach. The biopic "I Can Only Imagine" is also pretty good because the storytelling was well done.
For the first two hours, the movie moves along just fine. By the time they were depicting the Iran-Contra scandal, the film's pacing bothered me. I was squirming in my seat and older folks during my screening were looking at their phones. Doing a cradle-to-grave biopic was a mistake in my opinion. Either just focus on the presidential years with flashbacks to his early life, or do it as a miniseries.
And there's a way to do that, and still be entertaining and good. Either the filmmakers are not talented enough to craft such a film, or they cater too much to their audience.
It's watchable but it tries to do too much to fit Reagan's lifetime into one film. It also has a weird narrative angle in which a retired KGB analyst contextualizes Reagan's career, trying to create the narrative that Reagan won the Cold War. The acting was fine. Dennis Quaid shifts in and out of his Reagan imitation, and he looks too old when Reagan was a young Hollywood actor. He did capture Reagan's humor and forceful personality, though. Penelope Ann Miller was good as Nancy Reagan.
Reagan's handling of the AIDS epidemic is reduced to a montage, and I'm surprised they gave Iran-Contra as much time as they did. The film's pacing was terrible. I was getting restless after more than two hours had passed.
They don't challenge their audience to make them think. The main characters in these films are always justified in who they are and what they do. Characters who dissent are depicted as villainous and godless secularists. They preach to the choir and reaffirm what the audience already believe.
Thanks for sharing. The review answered my worst concerns I watched the trailer. It looks like a whitewashing of a consequential president. It tries to cover a 90-year lifetime in over two hours, which is too much and leaves major events with shallow focus. It should have been a miniseries if they wanted to cover his lifetime.