TV Show Review - Dahmer (MIni Series)

Season: Mini Series
Genre: Thriller/ Drama/ Crime
Number of episodes: 10
Year: 2022
Starring: Evan Peters, Richard Jenkins, Molly Ringwald, Niecy Nash, Michael Beach, Penelope Ann Miller  

Description: Story of the Milwaukee Monster told from the perspective of the victims and police incompetence that allowed the Winsconsin native to go on a multiyear killing spree.  

Review: To say that the life of serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer was downright complex is almost an understatement. His childhood was dominated by bickering parents, which eventually ended in divorce. His mother Joyce was addicted to pills and cared only for Jeffrey’s younger brother David. His father Lionel was caring but unwittingly planted a murderous seeded by pulling a four-year-old Jeffrey out of his isolation by getting him interested in dead (road kill) animals. Later in life, Jeffrey became an alcoholic and was thrown out of the army. On top of that, Jeffrey discovered his sexuality, being interested in men. His first of a total of seventeen murders still happened when he took a hitchhiker home and knocked him down when he would not respond to his advances. That’s where the killing began. In addition, Jeffrey Dahmer also got aroused by the shiny sight of internal organs and sometimes ate (parts of) his victims.

When you read this, it makes some people’s stomachs already turn. I understand. And many people who eventually saw the series, could agree. This type of serial killer story could be easily turned into a gory story, showing all the horrors Dahmer has done, in full color. But the creators of this series leave a lot up to your imagination. You know what’s happening, but it’s never displayed fully. There are sounds, visuals and descriptions of smells, that may suggest certain things. And I thought this was a great way to tell this story. In a way, it’s very subtle. There were only two scenes that made me a little sick, but I’ve seen it done way more gruesome in other movies or series.

The other thing I loved about this series, is that it’s not you typical biographical story, about how a serial killer became who he became. We follow the story through different points of view. And especially from the sixth episode on, this show does this in the best way possible. We see the story from the perspective of a victim and his family, the next door neighbor that had been calling the police for a long time before they eventually took action and Jeffrey Dahmer’s father. You see what effect Dahmer’s actions had on the different lives.   

Most credit, when it comes to performances, should of course go to Evan Peters. He really gets into character and I can’t imagine how difficult of a role this would be to play. I sure hope he plays a more happier role next. But high praise to Niecy Nash too, who played next door neighbor Glenda.
Whenever there is a portrayal of a non-fictional character, even when evil, makers always try to make him human and try to give also focus on a more sympathetic side. But Dahmer never becomes sympathetic.

I do understand the controversy that comes with this series. Dahmer’s family, the family of the victims, it feels like they are exploited and they have to relive this traumatic experience. But isn’t that with every true story being turned into a movie or series? And if you can’t deal with this theme, just don’t watch it. I believe “Dahmer” was a really strong series, depicting the story in a unique way.   

Movie Review - Luckiest Girl Alive

Director: Mike Barker
Genre: Thriller/ Drama/ Mystery
Runtime: 113 minutes
Year: 2022
Starring: Mila Kunis, Chiara Aurelia, Finn Wittrock, Connie Britton, Scoot McNairy, Jennifer Beals
 
Description: A woman (Mila Kunis) in New York, who seems to have things under control, is faced with a trauma that makes her life unravel.

Review: With “Luckiest Girl Alive”, Mila Kunis reaches out to rape victims. And her film does so quite subtly, too.

Mila Kunis is one of those actresses that needs to get more credit for her work. In “Luckiest Girl Alive” we follow Ani, a talented writer for a successful magazine, about to marry a dream guy and seems to be living her best life. Not for the fact that she is still greatly affected by a trauma, something that happened to her when she was a teenager. When she thought she had passed on from it, everything seems to be coming back to her. Most films would be overly emotional, but “Luckiest Girl Alive” tackles this drama differently.

Ani seems to care much about what others think of her, constantly trying to be the best. She is a much hated figure, because of her alleged involvement in a school shooting when she was younger. A documentary filmmaker wants to get her on camera to talk about this incident: something she has never done in all those years. In flashbacks, bit by bit, we get to see the lead-up to the tragedy and the trauma that she still carries with her.

Young Ani is excellently played by Chiara Aurelia, Mila Kunis is adult Ani, and is also very good. Aurelia has some real difficult scenes to play and Kunis has the job to show us who she became 20 years later, with that trauma ticked beneath the surface.

I don’t think “Luckiest Girl Alive” is by any means a groundbreaking or super memorable film, but it does one thing so well: Ani is a victim of victim blaming and slutshaming, which is depicted very realistically in this film. And the way Ani deals with it, is raw and might make you uncomfortable. But also very realistic. And for that reason alone, I can definitely recommend this movie.

Rating: 3,5/ 5

10s Movie Review - The Way Back

Director: Peter Weir
Genre: Drama/ Adventure
Runtime: 133 minutes
Year: 2010
Starring: Jim Sturgess, Ed Harris, Saoirse Ronan, Colin Farrell, Mark Strong
Description: Siberian gulag escapees travel four thousand miles by foot to freedom in India.

I WATCHED THIS MOVIE FOR MY 2022 MOVIE CHALLGEN
WEEK 40: A WAR MOVIE
 
Review: Australian director Peter Weir doesn’t make that many films anymore. The man behind such modern classics as “Dead Poets Society” and “The Truman Show” delivers “The Way Back”. At the point of release, it’s only the second film in 12 years. And while this film about an epic, inhuman hike once demonstrates Weir’s craftmanship, “The Way Back” lacks just that little bit extra to turn a good film into an unforgettable one.

“The Way Back” is based on a true story recorded by Polish lieutenant Slavomir Rawicz in “The Long Walk”. In this book, Rawicz describes how, as a prisoner, he escaped from a Siberian gulag and embarked on a harsh journey, from Siberia through Mongolia and finally ending up in India after crossing the Himalayas. A journey of more than six thousand kilometers.

Ever since the publication of this book, in 1956, there have been doubts about the veracity of Rawicz’s story. Indeed, no evidence of it has been found, and it remains to be seen whether he could ever have managed to escape from the gulag where he was imprisoned. In the end, Peter Weir decided to dedicate the film to three unknown survivors who would have made such a journey, and to build the rest of the film around the book and present it as a fictional story in order to avoid controversy.

It was expected beforehand that “The Way Back” would become a major Oscar favotie because of the epic nature of the film and because six-time Oscar nominee Weir has never won the award before. It soon becomes clear, however, that the film cannot quite live up to those expectations. This has nothing to do with the good direction or excellent actors, but more to do with the screenplay that pays too little attention to the mutual group dynamics of the prisoners who undertake the journey together.

It's hard to keep a film without some form of conflict interesting, and while “The Way Back” does a nice job, it’s a shame that 133 minutes of little happens other than a long hike. Even when, in time, a young girl (well played by Saoirse Ronan), joins the group and forms a bond with the oldest member of the group (Ed Harris).

This all makes for a pretty straightforward film. A group of people with just one goal and the entire film is devoted to that goal. Good, but not great.

Rating: 3, 5/ 5

Book Review - The Plot by Jean Hanff Korelitz

Title: The Plot
Series: -
Author: Jean Hanff Korelitz
 
Description: Jacob Finch Bonner was once a promising young novelist with a respectable published first book. Today, he’s teaching and struggling to maintain what’s left of his self-respect. He hasn’t written, let alone published, anything decent this in years. When Evan Parker, an arrogant student, announces he doesn’t need Jake’s help because the plot of his book in progress is a sure thing, Jake prepared to dismiss the boast as typical amateur narcissism. But then… he hears the plot.
 
Jake returns to the downward trajectory of his own career and braces himself for the supernova publication of Evan Parker’s first novel: but it never happens. When he discovers that his former student has died, presumably without ever completing his book, Jake does what any self-respecting writer would do with a story that, a story that absolutely needs to be told. In a few short years, all of Evan Parkers predictions have come true, but Jake is the author enjoying the wave. He is wealthy, famous, praised and read all over the world. But at the height of his glorious new life, an e-mail arrives, the first salvo in a terrifying, anonymous campaign: You are a thief, it says
 
Review: Many novels have already sprung from the brain of Jean Hanff Korelitz, the most famous being “You Should Have Known”, the basis for the chilling HBO-series “The Undoing”. For me, this is the first book of hers I read, but I will definitely not stop there. “The Plot” took me by surprise and impressed me.
 
In “The Plot”, Jake Bonner, a teacher of creative writing at an insignificant institution, learns of an extraordinary plot written by one of his student, the arrogant Evan Parker. When Evan never releases this so-called success, Jake learns that Evan has died without ever publishing the book. Jake takes the plot as his own and writes the book, turning it into to an international bestseller. But soon he receives an e-mail saying: You are a thief. Someone has found out that the plot his book is based on, isn’t his.
 
I would say “The Plot” is a thriller, but it is not very eventful. Boring, you would think, but what makes this book so interesting and captivating is the constant oppressive feeling and the fear Jake is feeling throughout the book. The book has a slow start, but after that, you will fly through it. At least I did, and I’m a very slow reader. The ingenious plot twist, that I did not see coming at all, is a surprise up until the very end. The cat-and-mouse game played in this book is very intense and I really enjoyed the inner monologue you will have after reading this book. When does inspiration turn into theft? Because Jacob didn’t steal a complete novel to publish it in his name, he simply used a plot he heard from a former student and turned it into a novel. There will always be a debate about this, because is it theft or not?
 
“The Plot” is an intelligent thriller, that kept my attention at all times. Going into to this, I thought it was going to be just okay. And those are the best book, when they eventually turn out to be fantastic books you will remember.
 
Rating: 4,5/ 5

Oldie Movie Review - Dog Day Afternoon

Director: Sidney Lumet
Genre: Crime/ Drama
Runtime: 125 minutes
Year: 1975
Starring: Al Pacino, John Cazale, Penelope Allen, Sully Boyar, Carol Kane, Gary Springer, James Broderick, Chris Sarandon, Charles Durning

I WATCHED THIS MOVIE FOR MY 2022 MOVIE CHALLENGE.
WEEK 39: A MOVIE THAT TAKES PLACE IN ONE DAY
 
Description: Three amateur bank robbers plan to hold up a bank. A nice simple robber: walk in, take the money and run. Unfortunately, the supposedly uncomplicated heist suddenly becomes a bizarre nightmare as everything that could go wrong does.

Review: In “Dog Day Afternoon”, Sonny Wortzik and Sal, along with a third accomplice, enter a Brooklyn bank. On this sweltering, late-summer day, the three men try to steal money from the vault just before closing time. However, the accomplice soon gives up and Sonny and Sal are left alone. The robbery goes horribly wrong and in now time the two men and nine hostages are trapped in the bank building, surrounded by policemen, journalists and civilians outside. Sonny and Sal face all sorts of human problems during their actions.

“Dog Day Afternoon” was nominated for six Academy Awards in 1976, including those for Best Picture and Best Script. The last category was a win.

The duo of Al Pacino and John Cazale is masterful in “Dog Day Afternoon”. From moment one, the unusual combination makes you sympathize with the characters Sonny and Sal. The way Pacino portrays Sonny is outstanding.

By today’s standards, “Dog Day Afternoon” might be a bit slow and people would say action is lacking. But that is exactly why this film is so good. The whole thing is so convincing. The mostly usual clichés in heist movies, are carefully avoided. The credible acting of the cast, the oppressive atmosphere, it all adds to the tension of the film. Director Sidney Lumet managed to get fine performances from his cast and made “Dog Day Afternoon” worth watching.

Rating: 4/ 5

TV Show Review - Dopesick (Mini Series)

Season: Mini Series
Genre: Drama
Number of episodes: 8
Year: 2021
Starring: Michael Keaton, Kaitlyn Dever, Rosario Dawson, Michael Stuhlbarg, Peter Sarsgaard, Will Poulter, John Hoogenakker, Will Chase, Mare Winningham, Ray McKinnon

Description: The series takes viewers to the epicenter of America’s struggle with opioid addiction from the boardrooms of Purdue Pharma, to a distressed Virginia mining community to the hallways of the DEA.

Review: When Purdue Pharma introduced its new painkiller OxyContin in the US, the opiate was touted as non-addictive. The result was an epidemic of drug abuse that has destroyed tens of thousand of lives since the late 1990s. “Dopesick” charts the epidemic from different perspective.

For people with chronic pain, OxyContin seemed like a panacea: an effective painkiller that gradually absorbed into the body throughout the day, all without the drawback of habitation or addiction. The pills caught on eagerly, and for patients who still felt pain came pills with the double dose. And then pills with fourfold dose, eightfold dose, and so on. Now the drug is used in the US by eleven million people who have no pain symptoms at all, but are addicted to it.

The question, of course, is how on earth doctors, pharmacists and regulators could let this happen. The eight-part series “Dopesick” tries to answer that question, which is not easy. The creators portray the history through the Sackler family (owners of Purdue Pharma) and the sales representatives who convince doctors to prescribe the pills. In addition, we see the doctors and their patients, the cops who see how addiction in turn leads to crime and the drug enforcement agency DEA doing everything in its power to take down Purdue.

What makes “Dopesick” so brilliant is on the one hand the incredible but true story, and on the other the human way it is told. We are introduced to Samuel Finnix, played excellently by Michael Keaton. He is a family doctor in a mining town who initially gets great results with OxyContin, but then sees how addiction destroys lives and families. Betsy Mallum, played convincingly by Kaitlyn Dever, is one of his patients who slips into an existence as a junkie because of the OxyContin. Both actors shine in their performances and Keaton won an Emmy for his role.

Will Poulter also plays one of the better roles, as the smooth-talking salesmen Billy Cutler, who at first picks up fantastic bonuses, but then slowly  falls into conscience. This does not bother Richard Sackler (Michal Stuhlbarg): as boss of Purdie Pharma, he sees the billions pouring in. Stuhlbarg manages to portray Sackler as an emotionless businessman only wanting more. Furthermore, Peter Sarsgaard, John Hoogenakker and Rosario Dawson, among others, play some of the driven agents who want to take the pills of the market. The good fleshing out of all these characters keeps the series from becoming a documentary.

Based on Beth Macy’s book of the same name, the creators of “Dopesick” so not tell the story neatly in chronological order but jump back and forth in time. And it actually helps to see the big picture and connections without confusion.

While watching “Dopesick” you will most definitely feel many emotions and the one most presence is anger. As in how so many people could be so greedy and corrupt to allow this drama of unprecedented magnitude to happen. We never really get an answer to that, which makes it even more frustrating. But “Dopesick” is one of the most intense and realistic mini series based on true events I have seen in a long time. I loved it.

TV Show Review - The White Lotus (Season 1)

Season: 1
Genre: Comedy/ Drama
Number of episodes: 6
Year: 2021
Starring: Murray Bartlett, Jennifer Coolidge, Connie Britton, Steve Zahn, Alexandra Daddario, Sydney Sweeney, Fred Hechinger, Jake Lacy, Brittany O’Grady, Natasha Rothwell, Molly Shannon

Description: Set in a tropical resort, it follows the exploits of various guests and employees over the span of a week.
 
Review: Vacationing is something people like to do. To let go of everything, and in the case of many vacationers, get yourself well pampered at an all-inclusive resort. A single women, a family plus the daughter’s friend and a newly wed couple all arrive at the same time, at the Hawaiian resort The White Lotus. The staff of the hotel is awaiting their guests and everything looks promising. But it’s going to be one hell of a week.

What an entertaining series. In a satirical and humorous way, they basically take everything and everyone to task. No one is perfect and everyone has their secrets and struggles. And since all of the characters we follow are either quirky, peculiar, irritating or highly unlikeable, the perfect vacation they all wished for, doesn’t go as planned. And this creates some fantastic, uncomfortable, silly, hilarious and embarrassing moments.

Each character has a role in the story. Ten of them to be exact. First there is the Mosbacher family. At the head, mother Nicole, a successful business woman who calls the shots. Her husband Mark has a health scare, son Quinn is simply bored and daughter Olivia brought her best friend Paula, who just want to relax and read complex literature. Then there is the newlywed couple, Rachel and Shane. They married quick after meeting and are now on their honeymoon. Where Rachel is a freelance journalist who wants to make it in the world, her rich new husband believes she doesn’t need to work anymore and just be his beautiful wife. Tanya came to Hawaii to spread her mother’s ashes, she is a lonely woman who befriends the owner of the resort’s spa, Belinda. And finally we have Armond, the resort manager, trying to make sure every guest is happy and taken care of. Which is a big challenge with the new arrivals.

Talking about Armond. He’s portrayed by Murray Bartlett and he is the absolute highlight of this series. I love everything he does in this series, he is so funny. And as a former customer service employee, I know exactly how it feels like to always try to please everyone, even the ones that you actually want to strangle. Always with a smile on your face, but mentally slapping the person opposite you complaining once again. Bartlett got a well-deserved Emmy Award for his role and he lifted “The White Lotus” to a higher level.
 
The ending of the show wasn’t all I hoped for. At least not for all characters. I especially didn’t like what they did with Rachel and Shane. I did like Quinn’s ending though. But overall, “The White Lotus” was a very enjoyable series, easy to watch. And there is a second season coming, which will be starring a bunch of new characters and is set at a different location.