francogrex Reviews

Succession: All the Bells Say (2021) Season 3, Episode 9

Best Episode of Seasons 1 to 3

[1/10 · 19 May 2024]

When I first started watching this series, my rating for the first three seasons wasn't particularly high. However, I must agree with the majority-this latest episode is truly outstanding. Everything is executed so well. The acting has always been impeccable, and I've consistently had positive remarks in that regard.

There's something special about the episodes set in Tuscany. Perhaps it's the sun, the setting, the art-everything comes together perfectly. This has changed my perception of the series. I have to say, the last episode of season three is spectacular, deserving a nine or even ten out of ten!

I'll definitely continue watching, and I hope season four maintains this level of quality. If it does, my overall rating for the series will significantly improve. 2024 update: yes it's very bad 1/10.

Succession (2018–2023)

Succession: A Repetitive Dive into Corporate Toxicity

[1/10 · 18 May 2024]

I gave Succession a fair shot. The series feels repetitive, with each episode echoing the same themes and conflicts, just dressed in different settings and scenarios. Once you've seen a few episodes, it feels like you've seen them all.

The show continuously revolves around its toxic characters and their ruthless corporate machinations, but this quickly becomes monotonous. The lack of new, exciting developments makes the plot feel stagnant. Watching 40 hours of the same vicious corporate dynamics and moral decay becomes tiresome.

While the portrayal of a rotten corporate world is initially intriguing, it doesn't sustain interest over the long haul. The series could have been much more engaging if it had introduced more dramatic twists and varied its storytelling approach. As it stands, I'd rate Succession a 1 out of 10. It had potential but fell short in delivering a truly compelling narrative. Please don't waste your time, please you will be disappointed! Those who rated high are all from seasons 1 or 2, almost nobody rated high for the disastrous final season 4. It was such a horrible ending. Save your time.

Fallout (2024– )

Too much like the video game

[6/10 · 5 May 2024]

Immersive and thrilling, this film boasts impressive CGI, a captivating story line, and an intriguing mystery that keeps viewers hooked from start to finish. However, despite its many strengths, there's a noticeable disparity in the acting department. While the CGI elements excel in creating a visually stunning world, some performances feel reminiscent of the characters in video games rather than genuine portrayals. The story, though engaging, could have been elevated with more authentic and natural acting, allowing viewers to fully immerse themselves in the post-apocalyptic setting, it's better that than remind people that they are watching an adaptation of an oldish video game. While this flaw may not be immediately apparent to all viewers, it detracts from the overall experience and prevents the film from achieving its full potential. Nonetheless, for fans of action and suspense, this movie still offers an enjoyable ride through its dystopian landscape.

Dune: Part Two (2024)

Brilliant

[10/10 · 6 April 2024]

It was brilliant. I don't rate that high and I am rather stingy with ratings but a 10/10 is very well deserved for this masterpiece of a movie.

In all honesty I didn't enjoy much part one, I think because it left me with a feeling of incompleteness, but this one here, part two, it's the best movie I have seen in a very long time! Very impressive everything from the beginning to the end keeps you on the edge of your seat, it's beautiful executed: the story is nice and complete, it has every element that makes a movie very great and the acting was very good. I can hardly wait for the release of the next one I hope soon very. Well done.

Paradise (I) (2023)

Disappointing

[2/10 · 10 March 2024]

It's quite bad! It starts out with a promising concept but then somehow manages to mess it up completely towards the end. I do not find anything redeeming about this movie, I want to say something positive but it's difficult; and if you see from my other reviews I'm always balanced, trying to find the good parts... maybe some of the acting (not all of the acting, some of it was atrocious) but some of the actors did a relatively good job with what little they were given... as for the rest there's nothing: the story is ludicrous, I have difficulty to imagine an adult writing something so childish and useless. There is no message only the illusion of a message and in the end even that illusion falls apart. It's quite sad really. I'm going to suggest you do not watch this, or watch it and give it the rating that it deserves. I can't give it more than 2/10.

The Signal (2024)

It had more potential

[6/10 · 10 March 2024]

For any sci-fi + mystery movie it's difficult to write a review without revealing elements of the story, therefore I will trying to be as generic as possible in my review. Let's start first with the good qualities of this very short series: 1) it's short therefore you wouldn't feel like you have invested or wasted a lot of time if you reached the end and felt disappointed, 2) there was good suspense all along,it was enjoyable to feel that suspense, the atmosphere was very well constructed, in the mystery elements I couldn't find any fault in them in hindsight, 3) the acting was good. However the negative and it's only one negative but an important one, I didn't like how it developed towards the end, it was disappointing to say the least. I think it had more potential, they could have done something more with it involving as much science white maintaining the excitement and the fictional aspect of it. That's all I'm going to say without spoiling it. Do I recommend you to go ahead and watch it? Yes go ahead but you should know that the current average IMDB rating of 6 over 10 in my view, accurately reflects the value of this series; knowing that, it's your choice should you decide to go ahead and watch it.

Poor Things (2023)

Difficult to watch

[1/10 · 29 February 2024]

I cannot find many redeeming qualities in this movie nor can I find a sens unfortunately. Let's say I liked the colors and the actors but not the script. The story wasn't something exciting. I've read others have complaints about the immorality of this movie. I don't have those concerns. I like a movie that has depth and this one did not. The director wanted to make something original. It is original (to an extent) but not appealing. The atmosphere is reminiscent of Tim Burton's movies. I didn't except that when I saw the high ratings I thought we would be getting something different. I am sorry to have wasted my time and the time of mt family by asking them to watch this painful movie.

Oxygen (2021)

Mélanie Laurent is the movie

[7/10 · 28 February 2024]

This movie would not have worked out well without Mélanie Laurent as the actor, the main actor.

It is hard to write 600 words about the movie without spoilers. All I can say is that it is suspenseful and interesting: A woman wakes in a cryogenic chamber with no recollection of how she got there. As she's running out of oxygen, she must rebuild her memory to find a way out of her nightmare.

It is not original though because it uses a mix of plots for other movies that you will likely recognize when you watch it (I won't say what those movies that inspired this are because that will be a form of spoiler). Watch and enjoy.

Leave the World Behind (2023)

A joke

[2/10 · 16 December 2023]

This is at a level of foolishness I've never seen the likes of before. I was expecting the actors to burst out laughing at any point and yell "what the heck, I can't be acting with any seriousness in such a ridiculous movie, this is a complete joke!" and maybe they did that behind the scenes, I am almost sure they did. It's a pity some of them have good careers and they did that to themselves, what a shame! There were some reviewers complaining about the ending or the lack of it, but it seems they have missed the fact that the movie had no beginning and no middle either. It was just random scenes put together without any care. A mediocre student's high school project would have been better.

Fauda: Episode #3.6 (2020) Season 3, Episode 6

It's OK but

[7/10 · 3 December 2023]

The series gets 10/10, but this episode (and maybe the season) is less great compared to the rest. Hila seems to be coming out of left field, there is no chemistry between her and Doron and yet they want to make it happen anyway. There is less air-time for favorite characters too. I understand that they need to create variety but really something seems at odds here with the previous seasons and I suspect it's got to do with the new characters not being in sync with the rest. The development arc for Moreno's sister is also not cool. Speaking of which, Moreno has not been mentioned since the first few episodes of season 2 after his death. Doron's children don't talk to him and his ex is not close as before, why? I wonder if actors who are told this would be their last episode whether they passive-aggressively sabotage the work, like make mistakes on purpose, annoy the director, with several takes etc...

Napoleon (2023)

Shouldn't be a movie

[7/10 · 3 December 2023]

A good reviewer here before me wrote this: "...They cram SO much events and history and different characters from different time periods into this one movie..." This is so very true and it is really what made this movie quite weak.

I am giving it a 7 because of the subject matter and I love history, but in all honesty it deserves less. This should not have been a movie (see above), it probably could have fared better as a series (even though I am doubtful of that too).

There is a problem with turning a biography into a movie. It almost always feels crammed and worse, "disjointed" with many jumps and gaps, lacking in smoothness and without proper and satisfying transitions.

There had been an insane amount of poor quality reviews in the newspapers and mainstream news outlets and on social media regarding the "accuracy" of the events depicted. Let me tell you straight away that there was an insignificant number of inaccuracies, so minor and few that they do not matter and it's not because of those couple of changes that the movie doesn't make the cut. It's because of everything else said above.

Fauda: Episode #2.9 (2018) Season 2, Episode 9

Emotional

[8/10 · 3 December 2023]

This is a emotional episode with the loss of two beloved characters. Shirin was on the show since season 1 and now she's gone! That is not what many viewers wanted to see but honestly I saw it coming after Doron lost his mind following his father's son and wrongfully accused her of collaborating... In a way the progression of the story is logical albeit lacking some consistency (she would kill herself for that). In any case the episode was emotional and it makes us sad and angry... is that a reason to be disappointed and stop watching? On the contrary, and the next episode deals with the sorrow and loss (Doron heart-broken and depressed, he lost his father and his lover).

Fauda (2015–2022)

Excellent Series

[10/10 · 1 December 2023]

How come I only discovered this excellent series so late? This is so very well done, the actors, the story, the background, the context, the region... all of it is professionally greatly done. I like how the actors can so easily switch between languages Arabic and Hebrew. How the people are similar in so many way and yet how different they are at the same time. I do not know whether the series depicts the events as they really are in that region, or as they wish they were in a certain idealized way. I am sure though that many events and actions reflect a certain reality and are closer to the truth that not. Easily 9/10.

La Révolution (2020)

Vampires, NOT zombies

[6/10 · 24 November 2023]

This isn't a zombies movie as some reviewer has wrongly mislabeled it, it is much more akin to vampires than anything "zombies". In fact it is an imagined history of why the aristocrats had to have their heads chopped off and Dr. Guillotine found that as a solution to rid France of the vampiric disease. Allow me a few minutes to laugh out loud at this ridiculous premise LOL, hahaha. That being said the series is entertaining, the setting (CGI++) was not bad and overall it is an entertaining series. I watched it in french with subtitles on Netflix. The acting was fine but the real impressive thing about this whole thing is simply the production work and the context. If you like that sort of historical setting albeit with a ridiculous story as a backdrop, go for it.

Ehrengard: The Art of Seduction (2023)

I didn't know

[8/10 · 20 November 2023]

I rated this production as 8/10 because it was delightful and light and the acting was naturally funny and endearing. But what mostly attracted me to the movie was the scenes and the costumes, the decor, the whole period drama/comedy scene. I was surprised later to know that it was the Queen of Denmark who was responsible for all that! I am not a fan of royal families, but here I have to take off my hat for such a very successful and impactful production. It really made the movie as lovely as it was. The story is light, do not expect anything deep, this is a sweet period comedy set in a great context. At least 8/10 confirmed.

Bodies (2023)

Truly exceptional

[10/10 · 21 October 2023]

I am a sucker for science fiction and especially time travel paradoxes, but this one here is exceptionally great. I can't review it very well without some minor spoilers but I will try because it's important that you get into it with as little information as possible in order to fully enjoy it. It keeps you hooked from the start and gets better with each episode. Also there is the element of surprise because you can't predict how it's going to evolve, not really, you may think you have a good idea based on previous similar stories but this one takes us in another direction slightly different from the rest and that is an additional reason why it makes a difference and is not simply just another of the same old we're used to. It's eight episodes, neither too short nor too long, watch it especially if you're a sci-fi fan, you won't regret it.

Fair Play (2023)

A peak into the toxic culture

[5/10 · 13 October 2023]

This movie provides a peak into the toxic culture of a financial organization. We're well into the 21st century yet the financial organizations still in this day and age reflect the old feudal systems of the middle ages whereby all is governed by hierarchical primitive ways of working. The acting was good, it makes you really feel the revulsion against the filth in such organizations. I don't know whether this movie had a deep message or whether it resonates with everyone, but it surely reflects a reality that people who have worked for such similar organizations know too well. As for what we can call the main story line, the relationship of the two protagonists in that toxic settings, well it could have been significantly better of course, but I appreciate that the writer(s) tried to do their best to make this movie both interesting and emotionally engaging, at some expense of detracting from its realism.

The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar (2023)

A cozy kind of magic

[8/10 · 6 October 2023]

I love it. It was refreshingly pure and harmonious. Another reviewer has said that it may be the birth of the cinematic book (equivalent to audio book), and he's right. It helped quite a lot that this was a Roald Dahl book (played perfectly by Ralph Fiennes) and a prime caliber cast including Benedict Cumberbatch and Ben Kingsley. The pace of the reading was a little bit too fast, that may have been hard to follow for someone whose English is not a mother tongue, but it detracted very little from the magic of the performance and the overall great quality of the delivery. I know this may not be everyone's cup of tea, but it surely is mine and possibly millions around the world who highly rate this short comedy.

Sex Education: Episode 8 (2023) Season 4, Episode 8

It could have been better.

[6/10 · 23 September 2023]

I loved the series. It's lovely, the picturesque scenes of Britain, the lovely characters, and accent(s) and the cozy atmosphere. I am going to miss this series, really. It's worth an 8/10 easily. Now as for the last season and more specifically the last episode which I am reviewing here, it could have been better, it could have been as good as seasons 1,2 and 3, why not. However it feels like the story was sort of put aside partially to make room for tackling social issues, as important as they are, they shouldn't overshadow the story, after all this is a work of fiction and if viewers want a treatise on contemporary social issues there are so many great documentaries and non-fiction works they could go to, but not a shown which was supposed to primarily entertain and yes, as a secondary objective, make us all aware of the social problems we are facing. Season 4, unfortunately, didn't balance out those two concepts well enough.

Peaky Blinders (2013–2022)

I wanted it to continue

[9/10 · 20 August 2023]

It's a great series, I loved it. Everything about it was so great, the acting the writing, the directing etc. It drew me in from the first few episodes. The characters are attractive and likeable despite of course the role they play in the series. The series give you an insight on England in the 1920,30s and a peek at some of the social and political conditions at the time. Cillian Murphy the actor portraying Tommy was so crucial for the huge success of this show, however the support of the rest of the cast was very important, for example Arthur Shelby gave this series a distinct flavor that without him it would have been much less interesting. I wanted the series to go beyond season 6. I was sad when it ended. I will miss watching it, miss the characters, being with them for so long, they became like friends.

Rise of Empires: Ottoman: Land of Dracula (2022) Season 2, Episode 3

Very good episode

[8/10 · 8 July 2023]

This is a good documentary mixed with drama acting. They portray the sultan Mehemet 2 as a cool, intelligent and attractive man, he probably was but it seems a little bit biased. However Vlad Dracula is shown to be a disgusting, loathsome ugly freak and he most certainly was. It is good to see him crushed by the empire and viewers look forward to see him dead because he's so repulsive, and fortunately he will eventually be as history tells us. The narration is good and the information is accurate, this series has all the elements it takes to be both educational and entertaining. I look forward to more such good quality educational series.

Black Mirror: Beyond the Sea (2023) Season 6, Episode 3

no sense

[1/10 · 18 June 2023]

This is one of the silliest episodes I've seen so far. And Black mirrors doesn't have a shortage of silly episodes. Again as many reviewiers have mentioned, why not send replicas to space and leave the real astronauts on earth with the families? Lazy writing. Besides even science fiction has to have some internal logic, which this episode seems to lack totally: you have computers and equipments that date back from the 1960s yet you have replica robots that are not even with a futuristic technology of 2260 would not have been possible? You wanted to make it look like an alternate 1960 at least have everything related to technology consistent with it? This is really sloppy writing.

Valeria (2020–2024)

Trivial

[4/10 · 17 June 2023]

"Valeria" is a TV series that revolves around the life of a struggling writer named Valeria, who faces challenges in both her writing career and her marriage. Seeking comfort and support, she leans on her three close friends. One of the highlights of the show is the beautifully captured scenes of Madrid, which add a pleasant backdrop to the story. However, despite its enjoyable setting, the overall plot falls short of delivering an exciting or captivating narrative. The storyline predominantly revolves around trivial matters, leaving much to be desired in terms of depth and substance. In comparison to season 1, Season 2 shows a slight improvement in maturity, but the series still remains largely focused on sex and relationships. This emphasis on superficial aspects contributes to its overall lack of creativity and becomes a source of monotony and boredom for viewers.

FUBAR (2023– )

Slightly above average

[7/10 · 31 May 2023]

It's entertaining, it's above average because it has some humor and mainly it's because of Arnold Schwarzenegger, if it wasn't for him it would be below average and probably quite below average as it's a little bit childish; but okay that's what you get from this type of series. It's a story of a CIA operative on the verge of retirement discovers a family secret and is forced to go back into the field for one last job. Watch it if there is nothing else more entertaining or if you'd like to have some daytime TV while you're ironing or whatever chores you are able to do while in front of the TV. At least it's fun and would make the tedium of simultaneous house chores more tolerable.

Obsession (2023)

Senseless erotic series

[2/10 · 23 April 2023]

This was difficult to watch because not much made sense. The dialogue didn't make much sense, the story line didn't make any sense. Series are fiction but they have to make some sense. They have to be based on reality in some way (even fantasy and sci-fi have to maintain some realism and coherence). But logic in this series was relatively absent. For example the way the main actress meets the main actor is totally unrealistic; or like someone else had commented, maybe some useful scenes were lost during editing? The actress, I liked her. She was quite fit. She was natural too. I don't mean the acting was natural, but natural down there. Anyway she was appealing, it was nice to look at her naked, but that's about the only good thing. Overall, it was a waste of time, not worth watching even though it was only four episodes.