svescapekey

From the endlessly boring pseudo-intellectual speech by the male protagonist in the beginning to the totally unsatisfying ending, this movie is an example of the worst of French movie making: endless dialogue, no substance. The Tuscan scenery is stunning, the stone villages lovely and the acting is totally believable. Unfortunately these competent actors have nothing of any meaning to work with. Juliette Binoche got an award for her acting, in my opinion, degrading the stature of the award: good acting in a part that has no actual substance should not be award winning. Her character appears to become more and more unhinged as the movie progresses, while that of her partner, William Shimell is arrogant from the very beginning. This movie may be of interest to those who find dialogue between two people whose 15 year relationship is unclear intellectually satisfying, but I am not among those. I gave the movie four stars based on the scenery and the excellent cinematography. I would give a movie with poor technical qualities, but spellbinding content, a high mark.

This is a stunning drama, one of the best TV shows I have ever seen (and I'm retired). First, the usual accolades about the production quality and great acting, but in my book those are givens and should only be worth mentioning if they are a detriment. The main characters are attracted to each other by a mutual pity for their unhappiness. The entire series centers on the main characters trying to achieve a happy existence. This is not your typical feel-good Korean Rom-Com, but it is stirring drama about the lives of people from various walks of life. It features all the good as well as the evil human qualities. The show is dark and often depressing, but there always seems to be light on the horizon.