Reviews

A rare film that centers on three women . Set in post World War I Britain . It's interestingly based on true events about the use of women and vulgar language! A seemingly prim religious woman ( Colman ) an uninhibited woman unmarried mother ( Buckley) and a female police constable ( Vasan ) . All are vulnerable because they are female and judged but only one is truly culpable for a crime.

It's an interesting story that unfolds and a trap is set to reveal the truth. There are other women that come into play here and there are some twist and turns before it's all settled.

No one does facial expressions and changes voice tone quite like Colman , Buckley is never less than completely convincing in a role she plays and Vasan brings grit and considerable integrity to a character that wouldn't work without it in fact the story wouldn't either.

A rare gem of a movie.

I wish there were more films about young girls and we are getting more so I wish I was more excited about this one.

It's not bad but I still feel like Riley is less than the sum of her parts . She's not that interesting and always seems like a puppet to the things going on in her head and maybe that's the point. I just feel underwhelmed by the character.

Anxiety takes over in this one like Joy did before . It just feels like we don't get to know the others well.

The best part of this sequel is Amy Poehler's phenomenal voice acting. Her Joy has become the pragmatic center of them all . It lifts it up some.

Finally I know it takes place primarily in Riley's mind but more of her best friends Grace and Bree would have been appreciated.

A perplexing episode that makes Walnut Grove seem like it's Confederate leaning.

There is also the parental responsibility and Charles seems utterly naive in this one. Allowing his young daughter to work for a couple of sketchy dudes .

Worse yet they let them escape when they know who they are. Jonathon is even more obnoxious about it .

I can only imagine if the series too place several years earlier they would have been protecting John Wilkes Booth .

Mary is book smart and acts like a goody goody but of lacking in common sense. Why is she a confederate sympathizer ?

I do think however as questionable as I find the actions of the townspeople especially Mary and Charles and his Merry Men Reverend Alden gives them all something to think about. They will have to come to terms with what they did and was it right or at least understandable or are they completely wrong.

Lucy is determined to outdo Caroline Appleby in making Little Ricky's birthday party more memorable than Stevie's .

This of course happens but not without a lot of the usual Lucy stuff.

There is also a Batman connection with Aunt Harriet playing a part and doing the bird , a plane and no it's Superman bit ! It also ends up being Lucy's fault the nice couple didn't move in and they later got that big grouch that would prove to be a temporary tenet . Still the episode is a lot of fun . Superman saves the day in more ways than one and we have Fred acting panicked over an empty apartment. Ethel even gives Lucy her mother's good silverware for protection! She fears Fred will pawn it and she's right he comes looking for it!

I think this is the last appearance by Doris Singleton as Caroline. Unfortunately she's back to her catty self after the Hollywood episodes but it does work for the plot.

When the film focuses on the plight of the workers, the poor anyone a little outside the mainstream it's largely heartfelt, funny, sad and relatable.

Chaplain as the worker exploited and abused and used is among the greatest moments in cinema history. Trying for more profits and productivity at the expense of the worker has an unfortunate familiarity to it.

Less appealing is the romantic relationship between Chaplin and Goddard . Sometimes off putting here Goddard does much better in The Great Dictator.

Goddard's character is also part of the story that keeps this from being a nine to a ten rating. Goddard's character has a father and two younger sisters. They are quickly dispatched from the story as the sisters are taken away due to the family' s dire situation and the father is simply gone.

They are never mentioned again. Goddard's character never tries to find her sisters to reclaim or find out if they are happy and doing well. Are they still together? Have they been adopted? In an orphanage? I kept waiting to see how that would turn out. It didn't help that I found Goddard less convincing as the waif or gamine and a bit too harsh.

My second time watching hasn't changed my opinion .

I am glad the movie was chosen for preservation. What works in Modern Times is an incredible look at the human condition.

It's really no surprise that Caroline will have a girl . That's the history. Males don't survive in the Ingalls line . More recent research has shown genetic reasons for it but back then it was just a matter of fact. It's also because we know Grace has been missing.

The plot with Caroline's fixation with having a boy instead is something that would indicate therapy was needed. She recovers pretty quickly when she realizes Charles is right all along and nothing but the healthy baby matters.

That's the thing they never had any healthy male children Caroline , Laura and Laura's own daughter Rose all had infant male babies that died.

I guess they wanted to center the pregnancy on something dramatic .

I agree the little girl is the best part of the movie . I just wish she had a better script and better acting around her.

You would think one or two of them would've made a better run of it.

Melissa McCarthy I like and she might be the one who came closest to making it work a little better.

The premise could have worked it could have been a great parody or a satire. It could have been a dark comedy . Jerry Seinfeld seems to be into nostalgia these days whether it makes sense or not. He complains that comedy has become unfunny and gives us this movie to prove it. Pop tarts are no Barbie . Jerry is no Greta Gerwig.

I like children involved in the plots but sometimes there is something about it that doesn't work.

They are mistreated or they are sullen or dull . Sometimes they are abused or bullied . Then there are the ones that are geniuses . We don't get many just typical sweet children who are curious. Here we get Julie and her younger brother getting involved without having them too involved and in danger. Barnaby and his wife Joyce are quite good with them and their parents start to understand they are not just fanciful thinking kids but actually contribute to the investigation.

The ending is good. I like how the matter of fact way of the killer. I know it's not a good thing to admire a killer but something about how it's handled I thought was well written and acted.

The usual intrigue that comes with the mysteries of this show. Always hidden affairs and blackmail and such fun stuff!

One of my favorite movies . It's almost criminally underrated.

Is it a satire, a parody a dark comedy or something else ? It doesn't really matter but it is something along those lines as it pokes fun at people who think they're pillars of the community but are actually among the most phony.

Yes it's all about sculpting butter but it's also saying something about how people choose to live and treat others.

Jennifer Garner is actually very good at playing bad . She plays a Karen to the hilt but she can't beat Destiny!

The relationship are young shero develops with her foster and eventually true parents is endearing and funny especially with her new dad.

It's a lot of fun but I wouldn't really say it's for very young children it has some adult themes and language that could be a bit much for the very young. I only say that because it can appear to be more child friendly than it is.

It's still a very entertaining film.

It's not that it's perfect it has some issues but this is the episode I can't get enough of.

The set up is six college friends have a past of both activism and shady actions.

Over 25 years after a ten year reunion it's discovered that two of them were murdered a married couple Jack and Johanna Kimball. One of the others Roger McBride has been dead much longer from a bomb blast that was meant as a protest. Taking an extreme step to protest the Vietnam war. McBride's father has been trying to talk to Jack he needs answers. Jack's guilt is preying on him he wants to turn them all in.

Jack and Johanna were killed in what appeared to be an accidental explosion at their home. It's discovered that it was no accident and the three survivors are the suspects.

The twist is Johanna made a deal with the guy who wanted her( one of the group) but she chose Jack . He set the bomb and it actually killed Jack and the other female member of the group Sara . She and Johana are so similar looking Johanna steals Sara's identity for over 25 years and has the family and money and garden she always wanted.

Only Sara is in agreement with Jack to turn themselves in ( she actually had no part in the bombing) the only one that didn't but she was in love with McBride and never got over any of it.

Johanna is the only one who doesn't come from money and doesn't want to give up the money and comforts she had and Jack have achieved. She had an alcoholic father too so probably easily left her old life behind. It's less clear if Sara had any family left nor just inherited wealth . It's the hardest part actually to be clear on .She has a family , we see a daughter and Kat interviewed family but we don't see that part. So it's a little confusing if it was just husband and children or if there were other relatives.

I don't think there was much reason at the time to doubt who died no one knew Sara spent the weekend with Jack and Johanna and after the explosion Johanna took on Sara's identity.

We also don't have any flashback scenes of McBride unfortunately so he remains a ghost.

Vera gets testy about peace protesters but Jefferies takes everything in stride . Just love Jefferies.

No real major subplot on this one except Captain Finn takes care of his grandson while his daughter sees if her marriage can be salvaged. Funny scene when Finn can't open a juice box and needs Kat's help.

The show ends with the remaining three being arrested for their various crimes. Three dead, three arrested. Quite the ending to one of the most fascinating episodes of the series.

Ethel wants Ricky to appear for a benefit for her women's club ( before the Wednesday afternoon fine arts league) .

Initially he won't but then decides and gives Lucy the music for their musical number. The number makes Lucy's part sound like a seal ! She won't do it . Ricky says it's the only song that fits her voice!

Lucy and Ethel try to put an act together wearing a horse costume! Ethel doesn't like being the back end of a horse especially when Fred recognizes her ? What costume he says? Lol Fred brings her sheet music for Under the Bamboo Tree and jokes . It's really a cute, fun song and the jokes especially the way Lucy fixes it!

Lucy takes on an unlikely job to keep a dress she bought.

She ends up babysitting for twin brothers who seem more like four kids.

The mother of the twins is getting her hair done to appear in a show her club is putting on . I don't know why she needs her hair done. Held up at the hairdresser's she calls and asks Lucy to take her place at the show and keep the prize money ( $100 dollars) if she wins .Lucy does and a mishap with one of the twins frog puts Lucy on the spot but she gives such an amazing performance they win and Lucy can pay for her dress !

The down side of the episode is very little of Ricky and Ethel and none of Fred .

It's also an episode many don't like the twins are pretty destructive and scary.

Lucy gets an assignment to write an article about what it's like being married to Ricky. This makes Ricky nervous! Ricky also is to host a telethon and guess who wants to be in it !

The two plot lines come together for this funny and most enjoyable episode.

Lucy is funny acting out what she is typing about Ricky's snoring! Really good work on her part.

Lucy's senses are on fire here too! She hears Ricky breathing and the Mertz's walking in while she argues with Ricky.

She finds a way into the show but nothing goes right when she hears what her part is she explodes! She also finds the most entertaining way to get back at Ricky. I just love her playing the Bull !

My favorite of the very early episodes of Murder She Wrote.

The early seasons are the best at using the stars of Hollywood's golden era of course the later seasons more of them were unable or had passed away .

This one had frequent co stars June Allyson and Van Johnson who add so much to the episode.

This is one of the early lighthearted entries the mystery is interesting and holds our attention but never gets too dark.

Johnson plays an inventor with a heart and can see the possibilities in the future.

We even get the driverless car long before it seemed possible to most and the bugs in it are more intentional by the wrong people.

We also get a better idea of why Jessica didn't drive.

Early character Ethan is kind of fun here . Amos is clueless but willing to bring in Jessica for help.

The killer is more obvious if you go back over the episode and something doesn't quite add up early on. The motive though is what adds some layers.

The ending has a sweetness to it for our special guest stars .

A most enjoyable episode.

It's not often that I find an I Love Lucy episode unwatchable.

An episode in Cuba Ricky's home country should be much better. Nothing much happens. We get a lot of machismo from the obnoxious Uncle Alberto . Lucy is persona non grata until Little Ricky performs. Give me a break!

Ethel and Fred are relegated to being extras .

They seemed to have no real ideas for this episode.

It also makes me wonder why we never got an episode or two in Spain when they were in Europe Lucy mentioned at least twice they were scheduled to go there.

It's also disappointing Ricky's mother isn't more prominently featured in this one.

The second half works better for me than the first half. The set up for this episode is pretty basic the old jealousy thing.

Still in Miami the guys are invited to judge a beauty contest. Ethel wants to stop it but Lucy is uncharacteristically understanding - until she meets the young women.

Lucy plans to sabotage it in a way that ultimately strands them all on a desert island. Lucy thinks she's accomplished her goal but it backfires big time.

On one had Lucy's antics do get them all invited to a big luau ( sounds fun) but the guys still get to judge the contest. It's one of the time I think it's kind of deserved it just seemed like an overreaction by Lucy and Ethel.

The first time I saw this one . I thought the episode was going in a completely different direction. It starts off with a fussy baby who can't fall asleep easily. Lucy and Ethel struggled to get him to sleep while Fred and Ricky succeeded. I thought this was going to be a battle of the sexes .

Instead it quickly turned out to be the episode that gives us Mrs . Trumble who will be the one to take care of Little Ricky so there is always someone around although Ethel, Fred and Ricky will do a fair amount too.

This one leads to a temporary standoff between Ethel and Lucy over Ethel's constant retelling of her defense of the Ricardo's and Lucy growing tired of it. However it's the little battle that eventually leads them to Mrs . Trumble to find the baby alone and brings out her tenderness.

It's actually a pretty funny way Lucy and Ethel fight at the Bridge luncheon and since it doesn't last too long it's just funny to watch.

This is a strange and very dated episode. Strange because honestly Lucy doesn't look as different as they try to portray. I know it has to be exaggerated but it feels a little forced.

Dated because of Ricky dictating Lucy's hairstyle. Honestly she would have looked not drastically than one of her later hairstyles especially with her signature red hair. Of course at that point they weren't going to change her signature style so this is more about Lucy putting Ricky to the test than anything else.

Most of the laughs in this episode come from Fred and Ethel. Fred recognizing Ethel in her disguise, Ethel not wanting to show just how many different styles her costume has!

It's still fairly funny but not a classic.

Not a bad episode but not particularly funny either.

Lucy wants a designer dress and Ricky relents on the promise it won't cost more than a hundred dollars. Lucy finds an opportunity to be in a fashion with the wives of movie stars but in the meantime the plainest dress she can find at Don Loper's ends up costing five hundred dollars . She doesn't know the cost until she and Ethel return from the salon and by then it's been altered and therefore can't be returned. In effort to make Ricky sympathetic she is going to get slightly sunburned! But it's far worse she's burned to a crisp. Ricky isn't nearly that sympathetic upon learning the cost of the dress. She learns if she wears a new dress by Loper she can have her dress for free.

In terrible pain she does it with Ethel there to cheer her on and for moral support. She makes it and then finds a check waiting from Ricky to buy the already attained dress. Question is will she return the check ? She's not so sure!

Unlike the Paris Gown episode that stood on its own this one would have greatly benefited from being in color. The dresses shown by the wives were described as to having vivid colors .

A teachers strike at Lawndale High has Daria replacing an inappropriate teacher ( Helen makes sure he's removed) , Jane recruited to help with the slogans for the picket line and Trent recruited to write an anthem for the teachers. Mr. DeMartino locked into tense negotiations with Ms. Li .

Quinn is initially horrified to have Daria as a teacher but finds herself enjoying and learning , she's also growing fed up with Sandi's remarks about her and Daria and finally reclaims her sister to the entire class. Sandi tries to make an issue of it but gets schooled by Stacy and Tiffany .

History class gets what seems to be a retired first grade teacher. As she is telling the class "and so the people asked George Washington will you be our king ( Jane meanwhile enters the room and the substitute says young lady you're tardy " Brittany " Gee , he wasn't very focused!" Good one Brittany!

Mr. DeMartino gets the deal they have been after but he still has to deal with Kevin in class!

Definitely one of the best episode of the series.

Lawndale High can't afford basic school supplies but naturally Ms. Li doesn't care until it affects the football team and their need for new equipment. Never mind they are running out of basics in art and history.

Ms. Li signs a deal for a corporate sponsorship cola to be specific that will supply numerous soda machines in the school.

No one but Daria is bothered by this initially not even Jane or Jodie but ultimately Daria is proven right. This episode also highlights the conflicting ways of Daria. On one hand she expresses her opposition but doesn't want to get involved. This is brought up in different ways by Helen ( gently) and Jodie and the scholars superintendent ( not so gently) .

Finally so much soda affects the football team and Ms Li and the superintendent sees it all for himself.

The cola sponsorship remains but considerably less obvious- except on the roof!

One thing that is slowly coming out is Daria doesn't like feeling like an outsider or outcast as much as she seemed to early on.

I think the dress Lucy is wearing when Ricky brings her the first Jaque Marscell dress is one of the prettiest dresses she ever wore on the show. She also wore it at the beginning of the Paris At Last episode . Certainly better than the designer dresses shown.

Still it's such a funny episode . Lucy wants an expensive dress ( five hundred dollars!) nothing to sneeze at now but a small fortune back then .

I'm also not sure I buy that Lucy would spend three days in a hotel room when she's in Paris or another two days moping around for having the first dress returned by Ricky . All that for a dress seems excessive. Lucy's priorities here seem exaggerated. Yet that's Lucy .

Going on a hunger strike for a dress ? I would be more with Ethel on this one but I love the places Lucy had the food hidden!

The revenge plot Ricky came up with was hilarious! One I actually didn't mind. They kind of evened out but why Lucy and Ethel were so quick to burn the dresses ? Did they ever get others?

The Second World War has seemingly endless stories to be told. This is one such story with a twist. A true story of a family that sheltered briefly or for the duration three hundred Jews. Two ultimately were shot and that's incredibly sad and tragic but amazingly the rest made it through.

All the movies about wars I doubt will ever stop but I would hope that more like this one would be told more . War is on the battlefield but it's in the home, the backyard and the streets , the workplace and everywhere. We must know these things everyday people did to survive and help others.

Jessica Chastain proves again it's all about the character. She's about the role and finding their truth and less about having a particular persona .

One of the weakest episodes of the series .

Daria and Jane become side characters in this one in favor of the fashion club as Sandi breaks her leg and gains weight! In maybe the dumbest thing Quinn has ever done she helps Sandi return to form and lets Sandi return to her merciless dictatorship of the club. We all so know once and for all Tiffany is a waste of space and only Quinn and Stacey should have been friends .

There really isn't much to say about this one but it does show the order of things in high school . The irony is some of this can be avoided and Quinn could have made a difference . Her blind loyalty to Sandi is still an annoyance but eventually she gets past it.

Matthew and Trixie are an annoying couple. I just don't care about their problems. There are other things going on around them that are far more important. Trixie didn't even stay at her post as long as she should have. Matthew who I have liked is becoming elitist again. Shouldn't that kid of his be bigger and older by now?

I like the new training midwives and how they support each other. The focus onTB was so heartbreaking. The family is so kind and humble . You just want the best for them .

Love that Nancy got the answers she needed.

The focus on the moon landing added an uplifting element to the episode. I love how much they were all excited about it.

This episode would be ranked a 10 if not for the Trixie and Mathew nonsense.