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Reviews
The Secret Garden (1993)
Loved the book, and loved this movie
While certain changes are made while adapting from book to movie, these are done masterfully and never in a way that changes the actual spirit of the story or its characters.
A Little Princess (1995)
A masterpiece...IF you haven't read the book by Frances Hodgson Burnet
The movie on its own is beautiful. And I am not a puritan. In general I keep an open mind towards various changes in adaptations. But I just could not get around some character changes in this movie. There is one scene where Sara calls Lavinia (the girl who bullies her) "a snotty little....". The book Sara Crewe would never say that. The best thing about Sara (that I admired and aspired to as a child of 8 when I first read it) was that she had an inner dignity. She was firm with Lavinia, certainly, but unfailingly polite.
Good Ol' Boy (2015)
Charming and relatable
S a Sri Lankan who lived in London for a while as a child, this movie about an Indian boy living in the US was so very relatable. The bedrock of this movie was the basic KINDNESS of ALL the characters. Sure they weren't the most enlightened about different cultures, and it isn't a politically correct movie in many ways but that IS the charm of it. That's why it's so refreshing to watch. Life is portrayed exactly as it was. I absolutely loved this movie.
The Big Bang Theory (2007)
There wasn't a single episode I didn't like
This turned out to be my absolute favourite TV show of all time. A common complaint is that its quality diminished after the first few seasons. But I honestly didn't feel that. I really enjoyed every episode and every season.
The Invention of Lying (2009)
Unlikeable love interest
I really liked the premise of this movie. And I can see how a world devoid of the simple ability to lie, would also lack imagination. So there are no fantasy movies, for example. I also liked how Mark suddenly had the epiphany that he CAN lie. Another positive is that he never used this ability to actually do harm. Well, true that he stole money from the bank. But he tried to trick a woman into having sex with him but didn't go forward with it. He also didn't lie to Anna, his love interest, at a crucial moment of their relationship. On the whole I really liked the movie, but the romance angle just didn't work.
For one, the 2 actors- Ricky and Jennifer- just didn't seem to have any chemistry. Secondly, I couldn't for the life of me see WHAT Mark liked in Anna so much. He describes her as the most wonderful person he has ever met...on what basis? She's self centred and conceited. A world devoid of lies doesn't mean a world where people are inevitably unkind or can't recognise love or kindness or happiness. But that's what Anna was. It was really grating on me that she constantly referred to people as "losers". Like who does she think she is? Throughout the film, there is nothing to show that Anna is genuinely warm or kind or loving. So I really don't understand Mark's perception of her.
Drop Dead Diva (2009)
Who saw the REAL Deb; Grayson or the Heavenly Records?
I absolutely loved this show for all the reasons others who have given high ratings did. That being said, I do have one confusion.
When Deb dies and the gatekeeper (Fred) assesses her to check whether she should go to heaven or hell, her deeds come unto a flat 0-0. Which means she has done neither good deeds or bad deeds in her life. In fact Fred even tells her that she's neither a good person, nor a bad person, just simply a shallow person. And this is the premise given in the show summary too which describes Deb as a "vapid" aspiring model.
And yet.....Grayson, an intelligent, charismatic, as well as kind man, loved Deb with all his heart and considered her his soulmate. He even goes on to berate Jane (after he got to know that she was really Deb) for even thinking that he wouldn't love her in Jane's body and says "Did you really think I was that shallow" and also says that he would have gone through fire to get Deb back because he loved her so damn much. So if he wasn't just infatuated with her looks, what did he love about Deb so deeply, if she really was a 0-0 as the Heavenly records showed? I really don't get that.
I'm inclined to think that the Heavenly records were wrong on this. One reason I have for thinking this is, in one flashback to Deb's life, we are shown how she and Grayson first met. And right before Grayson bumps into her, she points out to Stacey a girl sitting sadly in a corner by herself and tells Stacey that she's going to go and talk to her. This is a pretty kind thing to do. It's not something a completely shallow, self absorbed person would do. Such a person would not even notice another person sitting by themselves looking lonely. I really wish the show gave Deb's character more credit rather than making her out as just "vapid" and nothing more.
The Good Place (2016)
Unique
Very unique premise for a tv show and I love how the racially diverse the characters are, and also how they break racial stereotypes. Imaginative, fun show.
The Last Laugh (2019)
Liked it but the ending threw me off...
It was a heartwarming movie...but the ending shows Al Hart supposedly having given all his savings away and now living with Doris. I mean.... that's just a weird ending in my opinion. From Doris' point of view, he's just a guy she met on a road trip, had some fun with and spent one night with. Sure they did bond to a certain extent, but would she really want to be saddled with an 80 year old guy for the rest of HER life who she doesn't really know that well, and who is also totally financially dependent on her?
I Feel Pretty (2018)
Truly supportive towards all women (and men)
What annoys me in some "self acceptance" movies is that they cast the conventionally attractive person as the devious, backstabbing villain. But in this, every person was shown as a well rounded human with their own insecurities as well as good points. I really liked how supportive this movie was , and truly accepting of EVERYbody.