skay_baltimore

I had no real expectations when I started watching this film. I'd never heard of it before and just decided to watch it because it was free on YouTube and got decent ratings. One thing is unequivocal -- Anne Bancroft is a world class actress. She can say more with her facial expression(s) than most actresses can say with 1k words.

As for the rest of the film and the cast -- I'd say "okay/better than expected". Kimberlee Peterson.was solid and everybody else was decent enough. Normally I stay away from films with a lot of child actors because it rarely works out well. This film is the exception.

All in all I liked the story, the character development, and the pacing. It had just enough energy and warmth and truth to tick off the important boxes. R. I. P. Ms. Bancroft.

It was nice to see Jennifer Aniston in a role much different than "Rachel from Friends". I also always enjoy Isla Fisher, and she definitely didn't disappoint in this film. And maybe it was me, but every time I looked at John Hawkes all I could see was Harvey Keitel. But I digress. The plot was quirky, a little reminiscent of "Jackie Brown", but not quite as edgy and complex. Still, for what it is, it's entertaining and enjoyable. Clearly, Mark Boone Junior's role was over the top, but in a way that gave the film just enough weirdness to make it all come together. The little "twist" at the end left me kind of cold, but other than that I'd say this was a good watch.

The Good Place is a classic example of an interesting concept that, unfortunately, is poorly executed. The Good Place suffers from the same malady that sometimes affects other shows -- there are simply no characters worth caring about/liking. So while the premise is good, The Good Place is most definitely not a good show. It's juvenile in many ways, most likely geared to elicit some cheap laughs. But that just adds to the overall irritation of the characters, writing, and direction (or lack thereof). And while Danson still has some chops, Kristen Bell feels like a fish out of water who gets old quite quickly and really, really starts to stink. She's one of the biggest reasons that this series fails (despite the bloated IMDb rating). After the first show or two I just wanted to turn her off. And I did.