La La Land...review, well sort of..

Had the day off, so went to see La La Land thinking it would be an uplifting and inspiring fun film. I should have gone to Hidden Figures instead.

The movie theater was packed and expensive. It's $15.50 to see a matinee nowadays. I saw the film at 12:25 PM. I remember when it was $5. Actually I remember $1 movies.

Held the audience's attention throughout. We had a bunch of kids near us and they watched more or less compelled.

Singing in the Rain it's not, if anything it's a commentary and possibly a homage on Singing in the Rain and other musical films of the 1960s and 50s, and not necessarily a pleasant one. If you know anything about musical films, you'll pick up on the meta, if you don't, I think a lot of it may well be lost. So, in some respects it is film that rewards the film buff, more than the average film goer. Films it references include the Umbrella's of Cherbourg, American in Paris, Band Wagon, Singing in the Rain, Pal Joey...

( spoilers )

Final Episode of Sherlock...review sort of...

Among other things...

1. Victoria and The Crown I also watched another episode of "The Crown", episode 7. I think I have three more? Tried "Victoria", but gave up half-way through, may or may not come back to it. I agree with the critics on "Victoria", if you've been watching Netflix's superior "The Crown", "Victoria" falls a bit flat. Part of the problem with "Victoria" is that the writers have decided to try a Downton Abbey set up, we have the servants and Victoria's story going on simultaneously, which worked in Downton Abbey but not here. Here it is distracting, and a bit tedious. Also, Jenna Coleman's Victoria is played as a wee bit too eager and over-the-top, makes me miss Clair Foy's more understated performance as Elizabeth. After watching twenty minutes of it, I flipped to the 7th episode of The Crown, which is hardly fair, but there you go.

2. Sherlock - the final or last episode which I think is called The Musgrove Case? -- I've mixed feelings about the episode. I think it was in many ways a muddled mess from a plot, writing, and direction standpoint. Careening here and there, and way too gimmicky and fond of its own cleverness. That said, there were things I liked about it from a characterization and metaphorical stance. I don't think the plot made a lot of sense, and various bits defied logic, but metaphorically and character wise, it was interesting.
( spoilers )