truce57 Reviews

Squid Game: VIPS (2021) Season 1, Episode 7

Horrible English "acting" ruins this ep

[3/10 · 23 February 2023]

The "acting" by the non-Korean English speakers in this ep is absolutely abysmal. When they are speaking, the show is unwatchable.

I don't speak Korean, so I sure hope the Korean voice acting is better.

The portions of the episode focused on the players are as good as any other ep. A lot more suspense at times, given the game that was played.

In fact, if this ep had done without the English portions, it would be a solid 8-9. But the characters speaking the English are as annoying in their words and actions as they are in their vocalization. Likely this latter was intentional as we need someone to hate. But all I can do now is mourn how good this so could have been.

This Is Going to Hurt: Episode #1.6 (2022) Season 1, Episode 6

Absolutely brilliant

[10/10 · 15 July 2022]

Absolutely brilliant an episode. Tight writing and spot on portrayals of the realities of medicine. Shruti has always felt underutilized or marginalized in previous eps, befitting her junior status, but the character really had the opportunity to shine in this ep, and she certainly did.

American Auto: Commercial (2022) Season 1, Episode 6

First consistently funny ep

[8/10 · 14 May 2022]

This show has struggled to find its rhythm, but sticking with it paid off. This ep was the first that consistently hit with the jokes and let me laughing. It portrayed really well the "struggle" of big businesses trying to please every one of their critics and customers all at once. If you gave up after the first couple of eps, skip ahead to this one.

Single Drunk Female (2022–2023)

Honest, funny, well acted, well written

[8/10 · 29 January 2022]

Really great show that hits its stride in episode three, although it's enjoyable from the start. The cast does a phenomenal job, and they have great scripts to work with. I really wasn't looking for a new comedy to start watching, but I'm glad I stumbled across this. There will never be another The Mick (RIP), but this show shines in its own right.

Station Eleven (2021–2022)

Better than the book

[9/10 · 14 January 2022]

Sometimes good ideas exists to beget great ideas. That's what we have here.

I read the book when it was first published. I vaguely remember it today. It was okay - not great like so much of the post-apocalyptic literature out there. Ask me about it and I'll mention there was a symphony that traveled and some people holed up in an airport. That's the kind of "lasting" impression it left.

But this show - THIS SHOW - will stick with me for a long while. The writing and acting are fantastic. The pacing perfect. The characters vivid. The past(s) and present(s) interwoven in creative, often as gut-wrenching as heart-warming, ways. This show stands alone, distinct from the novel. And it's all the better for that.

Watch it. And don't worry about the book. It clearly has enough fans.

Central Park: The Shadow (2021) Season 2, Episode 6

Missing Season 1

[2/10 · 19 July 2021]

This ep really made me miss the fun of season 1 one more than I already did. Worked fine as a short film, but I showed up for an ep of Central Park, not an unrelated Bitsy side plot followed by some Estelle Getty weirdness.

Milkwater (2020)

Funny, cute, well done

[8/10 · 23 June 2021]

Don't trust the rating here. There's clearly some low-key smear campaign at work (which is one of this platforms strengths, after all). This is a cleverly written film with great characters. The wit is acerbic and the story is strong. Definitely one of the better LGBTQ films I've seen recently.

A One-Time Special (2020 TV Special)

Waste of time

[2/10 · 18 July 2020]

One long NBC Universal commercial with commercials about NBC Universal. I definitely CAN not watch.

Not even Liz Lemon can save this mess.

Saturday Night Live: Emma Thompson/Jonas Brothers (2019) Season 44, Episode 20

Best of the season

[9/10 · 11 August 2019]

Completely shocked that this ep has an average rating - and that there's only one other review that shares my disbelief. This one had it all: a crisp, entertaining monologue that never made you cringe; a host (who can really, really act!) who committed to and ran with the material 100%; spot-on impersonations and generally great acting by the regulars; and a listenable music act in the Jonas Bros (even though they appeared to use a backing track a bit excessively - i.e., they lip-synched). And the ep was both timely and relevant.

The Adam Sandler ep just prior was great from a nostalgia angle, but otherwise was full of the predictably mediocre to which we've become accustomed. Ms. Emma, the cast, and the writers deserve a better rating to be sure.

Rent: Live (2019 TV Movie)

Wow, not good

[2/10 · 29 January 2019]

Poor Jonathan Larson. This low-energy disappointment in no way celebrates his legacy. And the changes to his lyrics went well beyond just simple "updates" for the times. The audience should have been warned. Take a hard pass on this mess, and go see the currently touring production instead.

Boy Erased (2018)

Way too understated

[4/10 · 23 November 2018]

I originally gave this film 6 stars because the acting is superb. But the story is terribly understated and actually runs the risk of showing the world that conversion therapy "doesn't look that bad."

What's depicted is no worse than just another Sunday sermon in the south. Having lived through that, I know. As a physician and LGBTQ rights advocate, I can attest it gets much worse. SO much worse. But we don't see that here. If Garrard Conley endured only the film's version of events, then he's a lucky person indeed.

Bottom line: the title is significantly more dramatic than the film itself. A better title would have been Boy Inconvenienced for a Week Maybe (But It's Diffucult To Tell Really Because of the Pacing and Flashbacks). But it's watchable, and of course Nicole Kidman is going to be nominated for an Oscar.

Happy Together (2018–2019)

Keeps getting better

[8/10 · 25 October 2018]

Great chemistry between the lead couple, and fantastic comedic timing. The theme is one that's all too familiar: young couple starting to age out of the cool lives they've been living. The "rock star crashing with us" pretext is the less interesting part of the show, but the married banter is fresher than anything Kevin James or the like have ever served up. Watch past episode one, which is a bit slow as pilots often are, and you'll enjoy.

Horses on Mars (2001)

Masterful animation and story

[10/10 · 7 April 2002]

Horses on Mars is an engaging animated short that takes a sometimes comical look at the process of evolution through the eyes of those yet to evolve. The story is personal, and at times sentimental, and is supported by strong digital animation and narration that involves the viewer in this science fiction story. I was fortunate enough to view this short in widescreen format at the 2002 Sundance Film Festival, and must suppose that when transferred to the small screen, it will lose some of its ability to draw the reader into the no less thoughtful story and stunning graphics.