Pingo-2

If you go into this series with the belif that this is a western, or that you can watch on-and-off and not pay attention, if you have a bad TV setup that can't display modern dark digital cinema (several reviewers seem to think is too "dark", visually, but I had no problems with it at all), then you will come out of this very disappointed.

First of all, this is a mix between COUNTERPART (2017-2019), a bit of TWIN PEAKS' (1990) first season, some interesting hints to THE BIG LEBOWSKI (1998) and perhaps a lot OPEN RANGE (2003).

However, this is entirely its own material and develops it nicely.

There are lots of things left for future seasons, when these eight 50-minute shows are done. That's good. We feel that we need more.

However, the underlying, and overall, mystery is completely "solved" and at the end of the first season we at least know exactly what is going on. If not - then you didn't pay attention.

Josh Brolin is great as the rancher Royal Abott, but I think Noah Reid as Billy is maybe the most interesting character - and someone you will hate if you don't like singing. That's a character that grows.

Overall, this is a nice break from action stuff and reminds me much more of PICKET FENCE (1992-1996) and other similar 90's TV-series, than anything else.

But don't do the mistake going into this looking for a modern western. This is pure sci-fi with tons of quirky characters, and if that's not what you're looking for, then stay away.

TRUE STORY is a true story.

First: the reviewers who say that this has no "payoff" or that it doesn't have a point, seem to forget what this is actually about: a true story, told by a journalist that is thought by everyone that he can't write one.

The payoff is big, for Finkel.

This film is a slow burning drama with thriller elements. With lesser known cast it would have been a TV-movie, or a miniseries.

Jonah Hill and James Franco shine, however, and they do it because of the script. The screenplay is powerful and so is also their performance, the direction and the production itself.

Felicity Jones as the journalist Finkel's wife (Jill) is underused, though, and the writing of her character is not as strong as the others. It doesn't matter, since this is mainly a story about Finkel and Longo.

The biggest problem with this movie, and this is the reason why I give it a 6, is that the characters are simply not likeable. What these people did is almost unforgivable, and they don't seem to understand when to stop.

TRUE STORY becomes a circus show of egoism, and as such it's a powerful view of our media landscape, and that there are simply no bounderies left.

Simply put: I don't care for Finkel and I don't care for Longo.

This is a very different film.

The premise is stupid, the jokes and physical stunts are stupid, the plot is stupid and the characters are stupid.

But it works. It works very very well. The screenplay is perfectly created, with small characters filling great parts to create logic momentum to the weirdness. It is dark, but at the same time bright in the way a neon-filled 80's summer movie should be.

Everything fits together neatly, and if you can go into this film with the right mood, expecting nothing but a stupid 80's comedy - you're going to have the best 100 minutes of your life.

I keep coming back to this film. Just bought it and re-watched it on Blu-ray (in 2019), and it is still amazing. I still laugh out loud. I know the dialogue, I know what's going to happen, I know the pacing. But it is still fun.

This is what you would get if Roland Emmerich or Michael Bay made comedies. One of the best movies ever made - and the reason for that is: it is entertaining. All the way.