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Reviews
Ripley (2024)
Beautiful but way too long
The cinematography is stunning and every shot is a beauty to behold. The actors do a fine job and the dialogue maintains a sense of verisimilitude throughout most conversations.
As beautiful as it is to look at, there are so many lingering shots, either of static sets or we are just following Tom Ripley walking around the apartment, packing, shuffling things around, sitting contemplatively... in every... single... episode... of... the... series. Some of this is to highlight Ripley's missteps and while it's difficult to keep from thinking of the 1999 film, this series really hammers home that this Ripley is not quite so talented.
Some character motivations don't really make much sense and almost everyone seems to dislike one another from the moment they meet.
The casting of Eliot Summer was an interesting choice and could have been used in a really unique way. Understanding that Summer is non-binary, they do have female physiology so when no one actually acknowledges this at all it pulled me out of the show for a moment.
All in all, the acting is competent, the dialogue is interesting, the sets and costumes are stylized but not overly so, and the photography is magnificent. I only wish it were restrained to 5 or 6 episodes instead of 8.
The Last Movie Ever Made (2023)
Unexpectedly heartfelt
I was unsure what to expect going in. Based on the trailer. Thought it could be on the sillier side like A Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy or more somber like Seeking a Friend for the End of the World. In the end it was neither and it's all the better for it. It's reminiscent of peak indie films of the early 2000s where production quality is solid and the story is a little quirkier than a major studio would know how to market. Each character has an arc, the film resolves in a satisfying way, and the conflicts and challenges the characters face feel real and earned. The two leads bring genuine performances that have heart and pathos and yearning (played by real life couple Adam and Megan Hughes Rini). This comes together as more than the sum of its parts.