Reviews

This came highly recommended by a friend. The acting here is good, even excellent at times. But the story veers off into nonsense. The series is based on real experiences of early FBI profilers, before anybody had even heard the word. I am finishing season one, and already it seems to be getting increasingly bogged down with extraneous and crappy plots. The thing that ruins it for me are all the anachronisms, too many to count. The show is taking place in the late 70's, and yet you have reference to things like fax machines and health care proxies, which didn't exist at the time. The couple is shown shopping at the grocery store, which is obviously a Whole Foods. No such thing existed then. Then the BTK killer. He was discovered in 2006 or thereabouts. Not this time frame. We also have the angry lesbian psychologist, just no. The show is not mostly about the FBI unit, so it lost my interest.

I love this film. Great reenactment of the miraculous water landing in NYC a few years ago. Only a few years after 9/11, and right in the middle of economic disaster caused by corruption, NYC needed a true hero, and they got one in Captain Sullenberger. But after such an incident, there is always an investigation. Although the Captain would have been very familiar with the protocols, after what he went through, questions about his personal life and the need for a urine sample must have seemed intrusive, at the very least. Great feel good film. I love that the real ferry captain played himself, and the real scuba police were also represented. Well worth seeing, I am sorry it took me this long.

John Glasgow was a very successful businessman. He was married and had a gorgeous home. Then he came under scrutiny for accounting practices at his company, where he was the CFO. There was a potential for serious legal ramifications. As the weeks went on, he became anxious and depressed, although nothing had been proven. One morning, he mysteriously left his wife a note with their banking information, although she had it. He then did not go to work, but drove about 2 hours away to a large mountainous park. He left his car unlocked, with his work computer and cell phone inside. He was never seen again. A massive search of the mountain. turned up nothing. However several years later, hikers stumbled upon bones which were identified as belonging to him. No cause of death was able to be determined due to the condition of the remains. In my opinion, this looks like a suicide, although his family has rejected that hypothesis. The really sad part is that the financial books were all cleared. No crime had been committed. He was innocent. It is possible that he went for a hike that day to clear his head, and met with foul play. But the fact that he didn't call his workplace that day to say he wouldn't be in, and he left his company computer and phone in an unlocked vehicle suggests to me that he was all done.

Maura Murray was almost too good to be true, until she wasn't. Graduating at the top of her high school class, she was admitted to West Point, a super competitive environment. She was expelled after being caught shoplifting, a youthful indiscretion, but she seemed to rally, and began attending nursing school. Then she was caught using a stolen credit card to buy pizza. That's the biggest mystery in this entire case, in my opinion. She had to have known that the credit card would be linked to her. From there, it seems she began using alcohol, and she crashed her father's car after a night of drinking. Then she falsely told her professors that she had a death in the family, and she took off for the week without enough money. But enough cash to buy several bottles of booze. A few hours later, she crashed her car, and ran off before the police came. Her body has never been found, but it seems highly probable that she perished in the woods from exposure. Prior to leaving college for the week, she did not confide in anyone, although she had a boyfriend and was very close with her family. It is impossible to know what she was thinking, but she took her books with her. From my perspective, she was starting to get into some serious legal trouble and she knew it. She thought it would help to get away for a couple of nights. All kinds of theories have been spun about Maura, that she is alive and well and living in Canada. I don't think so. It isn't that unusual for remains not to be found, or found decades later. The big mystery here is why did she shoplift, steal a credit card, and start abusing alcohol? Was she tired of being perfect?

This is the true story of Steve Koecher, a straight laced young Mormon man who was down on his luck in 2009. One or more jobs had not worked out, and he couldn't make the rent, but he didn't want help from his family. Unfortunately, he only used the Internet at the public library, making it difficult to trace his actions and motives. Just a few days before going missing, and although he was broke, he inexplicably got up in the middle of the night, and drove around Utah and Nevada for many hours, covering some 1100 miles. He stopped at an old girlfriend's house, telling her parents he was on his way to meet family. This was a lie. On the day he went missing, several church members called him that morning, asking for help with various church duties. He told them he could not help because he was in Las Vegas, but he did not tell anyone why he was there, which I find odd. He is last seen on home video surveillance at noon, walking with a folder in his hand, as if he had an appointment. Many people have suggested he ran away to start new life. I think this is extremely unlikely. I believe that, in his desperation to find work, he accidentally got involved with something illegal. He lied to his old girlfriend's parents, suggesting he was not proud of what he was doing. I believe he stumbled on some illegal activity, and was in all likelihood, murdered. Unfortunately we do not have access to his Internet use or email, which would probably tell the story.

This is an adorable and inspiring film, based on the true story of James, a troubled young addict in London. He was trying to turn his life around, when a rather special feline appeared in his life. The timing was perfect, and Bob the cat helps James get out of his funk, even getting off methadone. The two are inseparable, and eventually they come to the attention of a book publisher. And now a movie, and several more books. This is a simple yet profound story of how love can turn things around. James was bullied as a child, estranged from his family, and had never experienced the love that Bob the cat provided Great story. All the best to James and Bob, and a happy long life together.

The film is about a couple who have been married for decades, and the wife has ended up in a nursing home due to dementia. It is set in two different times frames, so we see the couple in their early years.

The part depicting their youthful romance is decent. It is a soap opera formula, certainly, but I feel the leads carried it well. The old clothes, the cars, etc, all quite well done. The kiss on the lake in the pouring rain is one of the greatest movies kisses of all time. You can skip this film entirely, and just google the kiss. I bet it is on youtube. Unfortunately, the part set in the present in the nursing home is very sappy, totally unrealistic, and predictable. For some reason, this movie is a real tear jerker for my husband, but I can take or leave it.

The film depicts the lifestyle of a dedicated professional British servant in a wealthy household, circa 1935. We quickly understand that the expectation of the times deems that the servant has no personal life whatsoever, and uses his one day off a week only to get a haircut. Anyone in service desiring a personal life of any type immediately gives notice. In that context, the film attempts to depict a frustrated romance, unrequited because the butler is too devoted to his job.

Unfortunately, not only is the film astonishingly slow moving, but there is too much of an age difference between the male and female leads for a believable romance. Perhaps I am unsophisticated, and don't understand great cinema. However, I found this to be 2 plus hours not well spent.

Something about MM evokes fascination, even obsession. This documentary chronicles both her disappearance, and the small, but fanatical group of armchair Internet sleuths who endlessly analyze the mass of ambiguous clues she left behind.

Of course she was white, attractive, and very smart, or none of it would be interesting. She was the valedictorian of the class who fell from the pedestal. There is something strangely compelling about it. But she was in an enormous amount of trouble.

Some of her story is nothing that unusual on the surface. She was feeling stressed out and wanted to get away that evening. Investigators have tried to make the whole thing make sense. They have tried to say she had a "plan". I do not believe that is the case.

This series is about 3x too long. The story could have been told in about 90 minutes without a lot of silly cliffhangers that go nowhere. It gives way too much credence to wild conspiracy theories, Internet crackpots, and psychics.

It's hard to picture how such a gifted young woman could get involved in some relatively minor legal trouble, go for a drive to blow off some steam, and end up dead from exposure in the woods, but that is almost certainly what happened.

In my opinion, not enough has been made about her big step down from West Point engineering to nursing, and then the legal problems which would have made entry into the nursing profession difficult at best.

Starting from scratch as a Nursing major, she would not have been a junior. That is not how a Nursing degree works. You don't jump into the middle.

She was in a huge financial conundrum. She essentially had 2 years of college credits that counted for almost nothing. Her family was not rich.

She had a reason to be scared. But running away without a real plan was hardly the answer. She told her professors she would be back in a week, yet nursing clinicals have to be made up. You can't just miss a week of class. She would need proof there was really a death in her family, which of course there had not been. The series begins with the facts of her disappearance, but gradually focuses more on James Renner, an eccentric stranger, who seems to have made a career out of the pseudo-investigations of multiple missing persons. When he runs out of facts, he has plenty of conjecture, some of it quite far fetched. Overall, the series is amateurish and much too long.

Here is a film that makes riding a bike around Pittsburgh in the rain look very sexy. Alex is a very earnest young woman. Although she is only 18, there are no parents in evidence and she seems mostly alone in the world, except for her ballet mentor, an elderly woman, and some friends who have similar dreams of escaping their blue collar world. She does a man's job all day for the good pay, operating heavy equipment. Apparently she is the only female on the premises, but mysteriously there is no harassment.

To satisfy her creative urges, she does exotic dancing in the evening at the local bar. Her true passion in life is the ballet, but she has never taken a single lesson. She has apparently practiced extensively on her own, a barre being set up in the warehouse where she lives with a pit bull. She longs to join the local dance company, but is terrified of rejection. One day she walks into the building to make her application, but she is intimidated by the other women, and leaves without applying.

Against her better judgment she begins a relationship with her boss, a high powered man in the community who can pull strings for her, but she does not want any strings pulled. She wants to get into the ballet company on her own merit.

After her dance mentor suddenly dies, she has an epiphany. She takes the plunge, applies to the conservatory, auditions for a part and amazes the committee with gravity defying moves and even some break dancing.

Totally implausible, but a pretty film to watch, with good music and dancing.

Her friends do not fare as well. Jeanie, the skater, falls twice during her competition and crumbles on the ice. The actress unfortunately died a year later of a brain aneurysm.

Fun film bringing back memories of the 80's.

This is the story of a mother who became mentally ill. She could not accept it, and would not take the medication which helped. She began acting on her delusions, and abandoned her daughter. Her illness led to homelessness, incarceration and institutionalization. A judge thought she was fine, because she was coherent for a few minutes in court. When she was finally released, she was allowed by state law to simply walk out the door with no money, or place to go. She broke into an empty farmhouse where she subsisted on apples for 3 months, writing an extensive journal. The apples ran out and she died several weeks later.

This is a fascinating look into the mind of a psychotic person. Haunting. Unforgettable.

If you are looking for a traditional horror film, or an alien invasion, then this movie will likely greatly disappoint. This film is about faith, family, and the twists and turns of life. Mel Gibson does an amazing job of playing a former minister who left the calling after his wife was killed in an accident. He couldn't wrap his mind around a loving God allowing it to happen. He lives with his brother, played by Joaquin Phoenix, who has also been dealt an unfair hand in life. Suddenly, events test them both and the terror is chilling and palpable.

Everyone is excellent in this film. The children, the woman who plays the sheriff at the accident scene, all excellent.

Ultimately, this is a film about faith in God. If you believe that there is an underlying spiritual reality, that our ordinary lives hold a higher purpose, you probably will enjoy this film.

If you do not believe in these things, you will focus on plot holes like the aliens being afraid of water, and you will find this film boring.

I have been watching this film every few years for 3 decades and continue to get something different out of it each time. In the past, I simply enjoyed the romance, the dancing, the music, and the coming of age story. Now I see it primarily as a tale of economic and social conflics between the working class, and the privileged.

Jennifer Grey was perfect in her role, in part because she looked like the girl next door, and not a Hollywood actress. Sad we have gotten to the point now where people are so preoccupied with the fear of molestation, that a 17 year old girl cannot sleep with an "adult" in a film about her summer between high school and college.

I give this a 9 for the pure pleasure factor. It doesn't look at all like a low budget film, and the casting was really excellent. Patrick Swayze carried his role with aplomb, and he was indeed a great dancer. RIP.

The storyline had good potential, and no doubt it was based on a true story. Things (sort of) like this really do happen, even now. Unfortunately, there were a lot of stereotypes and just plain bad acting that made this nearly unwatchable. It was very predictable, and after we finally got to the first kiss between the male leads, which wasn't bad, I lost all interest. The film was an eighth grader's vision of what it would be like to be gay at a Christian college. Add in a super low budget and one particularly odious "actor" and the film borders on being funny, which was not the intent.

A fake family, really reps for an unnamed corporate entity, with 2 teenage "children" move into an upper crust neighborhood, with the sole intent of selling various lifestyle brands. They have no other job. The Dad golfs daily and the Mom goes to hair salons and hot yoga classes. The kids attend school. As everyone goes about their daily life, they casually promote various upscale brands, which neighbors soon envy and purchase. They appear like the perfect family on the surface. Everyone wants to emulate their glamorous lifestyle. They are successful with sales, but over time, various glitches in the plan begin to appear. Human emotions and frailties, the natural consequences of greed, and the need for real sexual fulfillment all interfere with working for "the company". There is a death, but also a happy ending.

Overall, fairly well done. It will be a little food for thought, as well as some entertainment.

The film depicts a young gay British man who is out of the closet. He accepts himself completely. and has anonymous sex, devoid of affection, whenever he can. He lives on the family farm. where his father has been ill. and has lost the ability to manage the place. There are numerous conflicts. To cope with his angst, the young man drinks too way too much. He throws up nearly every morning. A hired hand comes into the picture. and the two eventually begin a sexual relationship. Comparisons to Brokeback are inevitable. The film is emotionally bleak. but beautiful in spots. The dialogue is largely incomprehensible. The male lead learns about love, and is transformed to some degree. Not bad, but I would not see it twice.

Covenant of Grace is part III of the wonderful Falls trilogy by Jon Garcia . If you have loved the first 2 films, this will not disappoint.

It is 7 years after their mission. While both of the mission companions are now out of the closet, Chris, who lives in Salt lake city, still hopes to somehow reconcile his love for another man with the anti-gay doctrines of the LDS church. His church tells him that he can be gay, as long as he is celibate.

Meanwhile, RJ is making a life for himself in Portland, making friends with fellow members of a gay ex-Mormon support group. He invites Chris for a weekend. At first it is awkward, but they soon make love. The next day they clash over church doctrine, and RJ has a panic attack. Chris helps him through it, but Chris returns home, with their relationship still unsettled.

Events, large and small, finally convince Chris that they should be together, no matter what anyone thinks, and there is a happy ending.

Now for the 10 star review. There are few, if any, films that make you feel like a camera has accidentally been left on in someone's living room, or bedroom. Such is the natural intimacy and realism of this trilogy.

Here is a beautiful love story that makes you completely forget "straight or gay." It seems that was the director's intent, and I applaud him.

Both actors are very convincing in their roles, but Nick Ferrucci's performance is amazing.

The film is haunting, compelling, and simply unforgettable.

The Falls' Mormon missionary characters captivated me, so I was very glad a second film had funding.

This is the story of RJ and Chris 5 years later. They went their separate ways, and unfortunately, Chris fell victim to Mormon gay reparative therapy. He is now married to a woman, Emily, and has a child. Benjamin Farmer does a great job portraying a man living a lie, with his facial expressions and body language. Although he lives in a mansion, and is superficially very successful, we can sense his anguish.

RJ is now living as an openly gay man, and has a long time companion, Paul. Although RJ is living more honestly, we can sense his anguish as well. Nick Ferrucci is excellent, very believable. RJ tries, but he can't completely forget his LDS upbringing. His partner Paul is a great guy, but at some level, RJ realizes that he doesn't love him the way he loves Chris.

An unexpected event brings Chris and RJ together. Chris initially rejects him, but RJ pushes the issue, wanting at least some closure for what happened on their mission. With RJ in town, Chris is suddenly impotent with his wife. Chris and RJ get together, talk over old times, and eventually make love. His wife catches them in the act, and Chris finally comes out to his very conservative family. There is a great deal of anger and tears, including for RJ, who trashes his hotel room in frustration.

There are some really great performances here. Hannah Barefoot does a fabulous job playing Emily, the scorned wife.

The plot has minor holes but most of the supporting cast is quite good, as well as the two leads, who have great chemistry. The pacing of the film is more like a soap opera or a documentary, but that is part of the charm.

I stumbled on this a few weeks ago, and I can't stop thinking about it. I have always been particular about the types of movies I watch, mostly due to time constraints. I rarely see independent films.

The Falls seems to have paradoxically benefited from being made on a shoestring. Here is all the nitty gritty awkwardness of what two young men would go through on a mission. The cinematography complements the story, making it more believable. It feels like a documentary. Jeering comments, and a lot of doors slammed in the face. The missionaries are tested, really tested, to see if they believe their Church is true. Encountering people who have researched the inconsistencies of their Church history, and are ready for debate. That alone would make an interesting film.

As stressors pile up, and their mission isn't bearing much fruit, they turn to each other for emotional support. There is a dawning realization of their physical attraction to each other. The chemistry is palpable and entirely natural. When RJ and Chris finally do kiss in the grove, the audience can sense the momentous turn of events. Here are two people risking everything if they are caught. The stakes are very high, and the danger seems real.

They quickly drop the pretense of their mission, barely going through the motions. They start hanging out with a veteran, Rodney, who has PTSD. He needs company, but they no longer try to convert him. They experiment with marijuana. They talk about taking a 3 month road trip, like the one Rodney took with his brother. Their zone leader, "Elder Harris" is a passive-aggressive little twit who starts getting suspicious after noticing their change in attitude. He is perfect in his role.

And indeed, a door is left unlocked, and they are caught. RJ is sent home in disgrace, but Chris is allowed to finish because his father is highly placed in the church. How they end up dealing with their sexual orientation in different ways, within the confines of their Church is the subject of the next two films.

The Falls is captivating. It is unforgettable. For some it will be life-changing. Perhaps you are LGBTQ or your loved one is. Maybe you are in the closet. Maybe you are straight, but living some other type of lie.

Perhaps you are not LDS, but you have difficulty holding onto your religious ideals in times of uncertainty. You wonder if God accepts you.

Or maybe you would simply like to be loved with the fervor that RJ and Chris have for each other, and take that wonderful road trip.

In any case, you'll be thinking about this film for a long time.

It was a product of the times, competing with similar shows like the Brady Bunch, and the Patridge Family held their own. The show had a definite appeal, with the modern theme of a woman entering the workforce by necessity of widowhood. The Partridges also were clean and wholesome, but Danny Bonaduce added a wonderful punch of reality, even as a kid. David Cassidy and Susan Dey were both very good-looking, and the whole family could sing and play instruments, or so it seemed. Even back in the day, there were rumors that they were merely lip- syncing. But some of the music was not bad, and it remains a guilty pleasure to this day, although it is never on the radio.

Like many series of the era, the earlier seasons were the best. As time went on, Keith and Laurie were getting a bit old to be living at home with Mom. The plots began to be repetitive as well. Cassidy was tired of his squeaky image and posed "nude" for Rolling Stone, but it didn't have much effect.

I was a pre-teen at the time, and the Partridge songs of love, longing and loss are seared into my memory. So sad that David Cassidy succumbed at a young age to the same demons that stalked his father.

MTM was a great program that reflected the changing lifestyles and social mores of the 70's. Mary Richards, indeed, was a spunky young woman, learning how to make it on her own, with optimism, humor, an adorable apartment, and the help of some friends and co-workers.

How well I remember the Saturday night TV line-up. MTM was the highlight of my week as a young teenager. Each week we got to see the opening scenes of Mary driving into the city, and walking in the beautiful city parks in her gorgeous coats. Each week we shared Mary's excitement in starting a new life for herself, even though there was the inevitable humorous glitch.

Time moves along and so do people. Five years later, Mary was clearly middle-aged and no longer believable as the slightly naive young lady. Several of the original characters had left to pursue their own thing. They were replaced by characters not as good, in my opinion. In particular, I did not care for Betty White as the horny homemaker, I just didn't find her funny at all. Mary Richards was intriguing because her sexuality was subtle. The homemaker was just disgusting.

At any rate, the first several seasons were excellent. Towards the end, the writers were starting to run out of good ideas, so the show was wisely canceled.