Dopesick is, in essence, a true crime documentary series (based on a nonfiction book by Beth Macy) masquerading as a prestige drama for the sake of getting in front of as many eyes as possible. The shport of it is that if a cross between HBO's Chernobyl and the big short sounds appealing to you, you should definitely watch it.
The first episode in particular, has fairly little going on in terms of personal drama, it merely sets the stage for the horrors to come.
in 1997 The Sackler family, owners of Purdue pharmaceuticals develop and sell an opiate based painkiller and start to market it to doctors as nonadictive. A country doctor in coal country sees patients dealing with severe chronic paint related to work injuries and starts prescribing the new "miracle" drug that will addict them and kill many of them.
this straightforward narrative is shaken up since, In parallel, we follow a team of US attorneys in virginia in 2002 opening an investigation into purdue - then a DEA detective in 1999.
This format sometimes gets confusing, points of view and storylines unfolding in parallel but at different times, but this narrative choice allows the onion of corporate malfeasance and deception to be peeled digestably and thoroughly.
The first episode as I said, merely sets the stage and that's because it's packed with information more than drama - and I was left at the end wondering if there would be any gas left in the tank for the remaining seven episodes - and their is quite a bit to make your blood boil and fill you with rage at the breadth and depth of corruption, but there's also more breathing room to humanize the crisis spearheaded by oxycontin.
But as a series, what is it worth? It is well directed, with the usual desaturated photography of serious prestige dramas, spiced up with interesting shots and carried by great performances, chiefly by michael keaton and kaitlin dever, the most up close and personal points of view on the addiction crisis - but also Michael stulhbarg, wonderfully off putting as Richard Sackler: sociopathic, insecure, utterly joyless.
However, the moments of humanity and the shiny drama exterior are mostly there to get us through the information of the case, which means most of the runtime is dedicated to talking heads in offices. In that regard, it isn't the aesthetic triumph of something like Chernobyl.
However, given that chernobyl happened nearly 40 years ago and "only" caused an estimated 16 000 deaths, while the opioid epidemic is still ongoing and might have killed north of 400 000 people, it's well worth getting through the information dumps of the show and learn to hate the sacklers.
After the controversial Quantum of solace (well, I must be the only person who hasn't entirely hated it) Skyfall tightened the focus on a sleek and readable style for action sequences, and a streamlined self contained plot.
In Spectre, this approach of returning to old school bond tropes is perhaps pushed too far for this particular era of the franchise. The villain's plot is silly (nations are just too bickering to ever approve to share all intelligence data) in a way that feels very quintessentially Bond - But I liked the unexpected betrayals, the real world parallels, the rounded approach that Casino royale and quantum of solace shared.
Well I guess i'll watch No time to Die to complete the series.
I went in with very low expectations and was pleasantly surprised.
Yes the actions scenes are nigh unreadable due to shaky cams, feverish editing and unclear geography of the action, and the movie is even more devoid of gadgets as his direct predecessor, and the plot is at times needlessly convoluted.
However, It was overall satisfied: it still is a bond movie with setpieces set in gorgeous real world locations, and the good surprise is the underlying commentary. Bond movies, even when they are rather serious in tone like casino royale, feel like sleek escapist affairs, disconnected from the real world.
Here we have a reflection of documented policies regarding the often disgusting collusion of capitalism and secret services through regime changes. Even the monopolization of water mirrors the actions of coca cola in mexico.
I wasn't expecting that much commitment to political commentary from a bond movie, and I'm the kind of viewer who responds well to that even though the ending doesn't give it too much payoff.
Amalric is a perfect sleazeball as greene: he's even more of a finance nerd as le chiffre was in the previous movie, and as a result, he's not as charismatic or menacing, but his entanglement with other intelligence agencies causes bond enough hardship to make him interesting, even he's not much in a face to face fight.
Craig as bond feels like there is a character rather than just a vessel for the viewer to imagine themselves womanizing and kicking ass, and returning characters support that emotional throughline with the previous movie. this bond is violent and vengeful, he's got a lack of restraints that have real consequences for him and others.
While I understand the fan reaction, I feel like there is more to like here than the movie's reception would have us believe.
The brutalist architecture, the reliance on practical props and prosthetics is successful.
The story is much more clear than the anime, which many will see as a fault, but I disagree.
The anime reduced plot related dialogue to minimum, to spend more time on philosophical pondering, and on spectacular action. By focusing on a simple story of quest for one's identity, the movie gives context to a lot of Kusanagi's questionings from the first movie, and makes it central to the main plot, while keeping things digestible.
The issue is that the rushed pacing fails to let those questionings breathe, and results in blunt and silly dialogue. The editing often fails to make scenes flow.
As for the action, the attempt to recreate the scenes from the anime for an american audience end up placing the movie at a disadvantage. the framing the editing aren't as precisely choreographed or visceral as their model (the weapons and cybernetic bodies feel quite weightless). And the scenes end up disconnected from their context.
As for the whitewashing aspect, the movie features many asian actors, and the fact that Kusanagi's been whitewashed is addressed in the plot. While it remains a cynical corporate decision, I kinda dig how it is criticized by the movie itself.
It's a small movie, but a fun one. the cast is good, the themes are good.
The protagonist winking and speaking directly at the audience works well, as do the funny visualizations, notes and pictures accompanying some of the internal monologue.
It's a bit of a letdown that the photography and directing don't match that inventivity. The shot composition is mostly forgettable, and when it does come up with something noteworthy, it doesn't seem to serve a cohesive style or narrative point.
The colors are quite flat and it's really a shame when the protagonist warrants a more vibrant and classy palette. In the same department, the CGI set extensions are rarely needed, but can be quite jarring at times (matte painting and set extensions in particular). It's all serviceable though.
Now when it comes to the story, there are two major plot threads: the Holmes matriarch disappearing, and a young marquis on the run. While sharing a common themes, those two threads never really mesh together in a satisfying way, and in fact, the mother plot is pretty much dropped halfway through.
tying those two stories together would have made the plot more complex yet more elegant. as it stands the mystery barely is one, save for a few cryptic breadcrumbs along the way.
It's a serviceable coming of a age adventure plot, but it's nothing particularly memorable.
The strengths of the story are the characters, chief among them Enola, her enthusiasm is infectious and she's a joy to follow. the marquis is a bit... hollow by comparison. It's a joy to hate Mycroft, and Sherlock not being a heartless egotist is a nice change.
It's an enjoyable watch, if nothing groundbreaking. I would have liked to see this get the visual polish knives out had, but that's a very high bar to reach.
!!spoiler!!!
On a side note I'm not really on board with the portrayal of the suffragettes as seemingly misguided, as if there always was a moderate progressive in position of power to latch onto, but well, I know that many people won't care or even notice.
It feels more like an extended first episode for a TV show. In fact, I thought I was until I realized I was halfway through.
This movie stands up mostly thanks to the character of Robin, the only one dignified by a glimpse of her daily life, since none of the two male action leads get much more characterization than there core motivation and archetype (one is a young cop who loves his city and doesn't play by the rules, the other is a ruthless ex military out for revenge).
the other draw, is the visual aspect: poor, damp and run down, the new orleans of the film looks pretty cool, in accordance with the presentation of the powers: messy, leaving stigmates on the users, like burns, or saggy skin, scars... we have the feeling of an experimental, dangerous drug rather than the clean superpowers of most similar media.
That said, the plot is so flimsy, I wouldn't even call it predicable: I wasn't engaged enough to push me to try and predict anything. The villains have very :little personality or buildup, beyond the evil pharma company shtick (the old guard wasn't half as visually stylish , but at least it had an enjoyably punchable villain), and it really cuts down on the excitement of finding what powers our protagonists will have to face next.
the choreography of fights is dynamic, and the presentation inventive at times, but it also goes for handheld camera and lots of cutting, and while this messy style feeds into the overall mood, it's not very engaging.
watch it for the art direction, the actors and the concept, but don't go in expecting too much.
Well acted and directed, this show suffers from an overly convoluted story.
The characters stubbornly refuse to share vital information among themselves, something hilariously pointed out by one character throughout the whole show. Their motives are rarely clear, aggravated by the fact that each exists in different time periods and at different ages at the same "time".
And of course each time travel has ripple effects that complicate things further, and there are many time travels back and forth.
In the end, it feels like the complexity is a bit much for what I could handle as a viewer, and felt more like I'd enjoy it more by not thinking too much about it, which probably wasn't what the creators wanted.
I just wish some of it was a little bit more straightforward, and that the creators and characters were less afraid to share informations wiith the audience and among themselves to move the story forward rather than relying on intertemporal quiproquos that oftentimes feel forced.
Keeping the plot centered on the initial mystery and keeping it personal, rather than expending to larger scale events could have helped too. The revelations raise more questions than they answer, and I feel like the resolution, whatever it may be, risks letting us down.
I don't want to sound too negative, the show remains an enjoyable mix between Stranger things and a scandinavian style thriller with a neat time loop gimmick, and plenty of twists and turns.
This is not a great movie.
The dark character drama is never organically supported by the colorful science fiction premise. The result is that those coming here for the fun costumed action will be bored, as the action is very much delayed, and those who were compelled by the character studies will find those glossed over and never fully resolved.
It doesn't help that the action sequences are rather poorly directed, leading some pretty good CGI work to never feel as spectacular as it could be. the scale of the final monster is comparable to pacific rim, but the finale ends up feeling more like a kid clashing his toy and going "pow pow pow BOOM" than a choreographed action sequence.
Most of those sequences have issues with establishing the geography of the scene and providing iconic shots.
But there is some pretty good writing in places. you feel for those troubled teens with a heart of gold, and each has the seeds of a compelling arc, from the star jock cracking under the pressure of expectations, the OCD ridden asperger kid, the repenting mean girl. the dialogue is snappy and deadpan, which is a trope, but mostly well executed. But how do you make it work with being defenders of life on earth, piloting animal shaped tanks called "zords"?
It feels like a few passes of polish on the script and the storyboard would have been needed to find the gems hidden in this rough, mundane stone.
Comments 1 - 8 of 8
Movie comment on Dopesick
Hasturion
Dopesick is, in essence, a true crime documentary series (based on a nonfiction book by Beth Macy) masquerading as a prestige drama for the sake of getting in front of as many eyes as possible. The shport of it is that if a cross between HBO's Chernobyl and the big short sounds appealing to you, you should definitely watch it.The first episode in particular, has fairly little going on in terms of personal drama, it merely sets the stage for the horrors to come.
in 1997 The Sackler family, owners of Purdue pharmaceuticals develop and sell an opiate based painkiller and start to market it to doctors as nonadictive. A country doctor in coal country sees patients dealing with severe chronic paint related to work injuries and starts prescribing the new "miracle" drug that will addict them and kill many of them.
this straightforward narrative is shaken up since, In parallel, we follow a team of US attorneys in virginia in 2002 opening an investigation into purdue - then a DEA detective in 1999.
This format sometimes gets confusing, points of view and storylines unfolding in parallel but at different times, but this narrative choice allows the onion of corporate malfeasance and deception to be peeled digestably and thoroughly.
The first episode as I said, merely sets the stage and that's because it's packed with information more than drama - and I was left at the end wondering if there would be any gas left in the tank for the remaining seven episodes - and their is quite a bit to make your blood boil and fill you with rage at the breadth and depth of corruption, but there's also more breathing room to humanize the crisis spearheaded by oxycontin.
But as a series, what is it worth? It is well directed, with the usual desaturated photography of serious prestige dramas, spiced up with interesting shots and carried by great performances, chiefly by michael keaton and kaitlin dever, the most up close and personal points of view on the addiction crisis - but also Michael stulhbarg, wonderfully off putting as Richard Sackler: sociopathic, insecure, utterly joyless.
However, the moments of humanity and the shiny drama exterior are mostly there to get us through the information of the case, which means most of the runtime is dedicated to talking heads in offices. In that regard, it isn't the aesthetic triumph of something like Chernobyl.
However, given that chernobyl happened nearly 40 years ago and "only" caused an estimated 16 000 deaths, while the opioid epidemic is still ongoing and might have killed north of 400 000 people, it's well worth getting through the information dumps of the show and learn to hate the sacklers.
Movie comment on Spectre
Hasturion
After the controversial Quantum of solace (well, I must be the only person who hasn't entirely hated it) Skyfall tightened the focus on a sleek and readable style for action sequences, and a streamlined self contained plot.In Spectre, this approach of returning to old school bond tropes is perhaps pushed too far for this particular era of the franchise. The villain's plot is silly (nations are just too bickering to ever approve to share all intelligence data) in a way that feels very quintessentially Bond - But I liked the unexpected betrayals, the real world parallels, the rounded approach that Casino royale and quantum of solace shared.
Well I guess i'll watch No time to Die to complete the series.
Movie comment on Quantum of Solace
Hasturion
I went in with very low expectations and was pleasantly surprised.Yes the actions scenes are nigh unreadable due to shaky cams, feverish editing and unclear geography of the action, and the movie is even more devoid of gadgets as his direct predecessor, and the plot is at times needlessly convoluted.
However, It was overall satisfied: it still is a bond movie with setpieces set in gorgeous real world locations, and the good surprise is the underlying commentary. Bond movies, even when they are rather serious in tone like casino royale, feel like sleek escapist affairs, disconnected from the real world.
Here we have a reflection of documented policies regarding the often disgusting collusion of capitalism and secret services through regime changes. Even the monopolization of water mirrors the actions of coca cola in mexico.
I wasn't expecting that much commitment to political commentary from a bond movie, and I'm the kind of viewer who responds well to that even though the ending doesn't give it too much payoff.
Amalric is a perfect sleazeball as greene: he's even more of a finance nerd as le chiffre was in the previous movie, and as a result, he's not as charismatic or menacing, but his entanglement with other intelligence agencies causes bond enough hardship to make him interesting, even he's not much in a face to face fight.
Craig as bond feels like there is a character rather than just a vessel for the viewer to imagine themselves womanizing and kicking ass, and returning characters support that emotional throughline with the previous movie. this bond is violent and vengeful, he's got a lack of restraints that have real consequences for him and others.
Movie comment on Ghost in the Shell
Hasturion
While I understand the fan reaction, I feel like there is more to like here than the movie's reception would have us believe.The brutalist architecture, the reliance on practical props and prosthetics is successful.
The story is much more clear than the anime, which many will see as a fault, but I disagree.
The anime reduced plot related dialogue to minimum, to spend more time on philosophical pondering, and on spectacular action. By focusing on a simple story of quest for one's identity, the movie gives context to a lot of Kusanagi's questionings from the first movie, and makes it central to the main plot, while keeping things digestible.
The issue is that the rushed pacing fails to let those questionings breathe, and results in blunt and silly dialogue. The editing often fails to make scenes flow.
As for the action, the attempt to recreate the scenes from the anime for an american audience end up placing the movie at a disadvantage. the framing the editing aren't as precisely choreographed or visceral as their model (the weapons and cybernetic bodies feel quite weightless). And the scenes end up disconnected from their context.
As for the whitewashing aspect, the movie features many asian actors, and the fact that Kusanagi's been whitewashed is addressed in the plot. While it remains a cynical corporate decision, I kinda dig how it is criticized by the movie itself.
Not a masterpiece. Not a disaster either.
Movie comment on Enola Holmes
Hasturion
It's a small movie, but a fun one. the cast is good, the themes are good.The protagonist winking and speaking directly at the audience works well, as do the funny visualizations, notes and pictures accompanying some of the internal monologue.
It's a bit of a letdown that the photography and directing don't match that inventivity. The shot composition is mostly forgettable, and when it does come up with something noteworthy, it doesn't seem to serve a cohesive style or narrative point.
The colors are quite flat and it's really a shame when the protagonist warrants a more vibrant and classy palette. In the same department, the CGI set extensions are rarely needed, but can be quite jarring at times (matte painting and set extensions in particular). It's all serviceable though.
Now when it comes to the story, there are two major plot threads: the Holmes matriarch disappearing, and a young marquis on the run. While sharing a common themes, those two threads never really mesh together in a satisfying way, and in fact, the mother plot is pretty much dropped halfway through.
tying those two stories together would have made the plot more complex yet more elegant. as it stands the mystery barely is one, save for a few cryptic breadcrumbs along the way.
It's a serviceable coming of a age adventure plot, but it's nothing particularly memorable.
The strengths of the story are the characters, chief among them Enola, her enthusiasm is infectious and she's a joy to follow. the marquis is a bit... hollow by comparison. It's a joy to hate Mycroft, and Sherlock not being a heartless egotist is a nice change.
It's an enjoyable watch, if nothing groundbreaking. I would have liked to see this get the visual polish knives out had, but that's a very high bar to reach.
!!spoiler!!!
On a side note I'm not really on board with the portrayal of the suffragettes as seemingly misguided, as if there always was a moderate progressive in position of power to latch onto, but well, I know that many people won't care or even notice.
Movie comment on Project Power
Hasturion
It feels more like an extended first episode for a TV show. In fact, I thought I was until I realized I was halfway through.This movie stands up mostly thanks to the character of Robin, the only one dignified by a glimpse of her daily life, since none of the two male action leads get much more characterization than there core motivation and archetype (one is a young cop who loves his city and doesn't play by the rules, the other is a ruthless ex military out for revenge).
the other draw, is the visual aspect: poor, damp and run down, the new orleans of the film looks pretty cool, in accordance with the presentation of the powers: messy, leaving stigmates on the users, like burns, or saggy skin, scars... we have the feeling of an experimental, dangerous drug rather than the clean superpowers of most similar media.
That said, the plot is so flimsy, I wouldn't even call it predicable: I wasn't engaged enough to push me to try and predict anything. The villains have very :little personality or buildup, beyond the evil pharma company shtick (the old guard wasn't half as visually stylish , but at least it had an enjoyably punchable villain), and it really cuts down on the excitement of finding what powers our protagonists will have to face next.
the choreography of fights is dynamic, and the presentation inventive at times, but it also goes for handheld camera and lots of cutting, and while this messy style feeds into the overall mood, it's not very engaging.
watch it for the art direction, the actors and the concept, but don't go in expecting too much.
Movie comment on Dark
Hasturion
Well acted and directed, this show suffers from an overly convoluted story.The characters stubbornly refuse to share vital information among themselves, something hilariously pointed out by one character throughout the whole show. Their motives are rarely clear, aggravated by the fact that each exists in different time periods and at different ages at the same "time".
And of course each time travel has ripple effects that complicate things further, and there are many time travels back and forth.
In the end, it feels like the complexity is a bit much for what I could handle as a viewer, and felt more like I'd enjoy it more by not thinking too much about it, which probably wasn't what the creators wanted.
I just wish some of it was a little bit more straightforward, and that the creators and characters were less afraid to share informations wiith the audience and among themselves to move the story forward rather than relying on intertemporal quiproquos that oftentimes feel forced.
Keeping the plot centered on the initial mystery and keeping it personal, rather than expending to larger scale events could have helped too. The revelations raise more questions than they answer, and I feel like the resolution, whatever it may be, risks letting us down.
I don't want to sound too negative, the show remains an enjoyable mix between Stranger things and a scandinavian style thriller with a neat time loop gimmick, and plenty of twists and turns.
Movie comment on Power Rangers
Hasturion
This is not a great movie.The dark character drama is never organically supported by the colorful science fiction premise. The result is that those coming here for the fun costumed action will be bored, as the action is very much delayed, and those who were compelled by the character studies will find those glossed over and never fully resolved.
It doesn't help that the action sequences are rather poorly directed, leading some pretty good CGI work to never feel as spectacular as it could be. the scale of the final monster is comparable to pacific rim, but the finale ends up feeling more like a kid clashing his toy and going "pow pow pow BOOM" than a choreographed action sequence.
Most of those sequences have issues with establishing the geography of the scene and providing iconic shots.
But there is some pretty good writing in places. you feel for those troubled teens with a heart of gold, and each has the seeds of a compelling arc, from the star jock cracking under the pressure of expectations, the OCD ridden asperger kid, the repenting mean girl. the dialogue is snappy and deadpan, which is a trope, but mostly well executed. But how do you make it work with being defenders of life on earth, piloting animal shaped tanks called "zords"?
It feels like a few passes of polish on the script and the storyboard would have been needed to find the gems hidden in this rough, mundane stone.