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jozefkarika
Reviews
Unprecedented (2022)
good footage, confused format
Great footage and a look behind the scenes. Totally confused format. Every few minutes, the footage is interrupted by biased and partisan statements from leftist journalists that bring no new information, just their more or less veiled digs at Trump and his family. This is repeated over and over again. Discredited journalists representing a discredited mainstream media that nobody trusts anymore, unnecessarily drag down the value of the documentary and stretch the time, their statements are like audio noise. They add a supposedly objective context and frame, but nobody can believe that anymore. Sure there could have been criticism of Trump in the documentary, that's fine, but from at least somewhat relevant people and with at least a semblance of a balance of perspectives.
Succession: With Open Eyes (2023)
not entirely satisfying to me
Great show and season as well. I have no reservations about the technical aspect and the acting, I applaud it. These days, this series stands out as a real gem and would stand out in any era. However, I have two points to make about the writing of the finale and why it didn't work for me on full marks.
First, Shiv's motivation for her sudden turnaround didn't seem elaborate and justified enough to me. Especially after what Mattson and Tom did to her, after an outright betrayal of that caliber, I highly doubt her character would have preferred them over Ken. I just didn't buy it and it stood out from the flow of the narrative too intrusively and forced for me.
Second, Kendall's final destination didn't seem intense enough to complete his entire arc. As a season finale, great, as a conclusion to the show, not fully satisfying for me. I understand that he was shaken by this unexpected and crushing defeat, but basically it was not a new experience for him. In the first season of the show, after a botched attempt to seize power, he found himself in a similar place. Sure, as a result of that, he found that he didn't fit anywhere else but in Waystar, but even so, the finale wasn't a completely new experience or position for him. In the third season, so relatively recent in terms of storyline, he even tried to get himself into that position by considering and agreeing to Logan's offer to pay him out of the company. With the price per share Mattson imposed on them, Kendall became an even bigger billionaire than before. Sure, his identity and vision of the future was shattered, but that happens to regular people every day. Plus, Kendall remained quite healthy, free and a billionaire. I can't bring myself to see this ending as tragic, even though the last few minutes tried for that perspective. If he found himself in a really new and objectively harrowing situation for him, like prison for what he did in season one or something like that, the finale would have worked better for me.
PS.
On balance, I would add that perhaps that was the intention of the creators. To show that we are prisoners of our own characters that condemn us to repeat the same patterns over and over again. The fact that Kendall, a fairly healthy, young, free, Manhattan billionaire, somehow managed to still feel miserable says a lot about the human condition. In that sense, it was a great ending.
Blinded by the Lights (2018)
Masterpiece
Beautiful visuals and aesthetics. Stylized, but still quite realistic - especially in dialogues and language. Very typical for V4 countries underworld. And devilishly funny. Psychedelic, even Lovecraftian overhangs. Works on so many levels - gangster flick, thriller, comedy, horror, existential drama... Beautiful music and shots of winter Warsaw.
Casting is superb. All actors and actresses play well, but Jan Frycz (Dario) and Robert Wieckiewicz (Jacek) are pure gold! Dario is one of the most creepy and weird antagonists I ever see.
Every episode is unique, but especially last few ones are SO dark and tense.