I went into this movie with some hope, just some hope, not much but damn "1992 (2022)" in my ignorant opinion was a total mess, a movie in which I found myself looking at my watch more than once. This flick came out in 2022 but premier on theaters on 2024, it attempts to blend a heist thriller with social message to the setting of the L. A. riots.

We have Tyrese Gibson who is cast to portray Mercer, an ex convict who is trying to lead an ordinary life and also trying to mend his relationship with his teenage son, Antoine. Lowell is played by the late Ray Liotta who is a veteran criminal who is planning for one last heist with his two sons. All this is happening as the city’s about to explode after the Rodney King verdict, seems it may be rather fascinating, is not it? Well, I was not expecting too much of it but it really falls flat.

• IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4959750/
• Platform: Amazon

The movie begins with Mercer, collecting his son and attempting to steer through a dynamite which is L. A. on the edge of the riots. We get some father son tension, some ‘don’t get into too much trouble’ speeches and then out of the blue Mercer believes the best place for them is at his job, a metal working factory. He has no idea that Lowell and his crew are already there attempting to steal a bunch of platinum. From there it becomes your standard ‘Die Hard’ clone where Mercer is the lone ranger as Antoine gets to be in the middle of the shooting.

So let’s discuss the cast of the movie so at least we can appreciate what could have been because the script did not help at all, I did wanted to see Tyrese do good but I'm not so sure if he is ready to do a full blow main protagonist of an action movie, he has been good as a sidekick funny guy though. Tyrese Gibson as Mercer, the guy has his supporters a fan base no doubt, but in this movie he is character is not believable at all, just too predictable and lack of emotions. He plays this reformed hard man who is all good now but there were times when it seemed like he was reading the lines and not embodying the character. At some point, I was sitting there thinking, “Okay, give me something to work with here, but nope, it was just more of the same stilted performance.

Ray Liotta, unfortunately, God rest his soul, is one of the few actors who can add some seriousness to the screen. It’s a shame that it is his last film but at least the guy is still able to pull out that dangerous appeal that he had. Each time he is on the camera, the feeling is that one could get frostbite. Still, it is just unfortunate that he did not get more quality material to mold and shape.

The other characters are quite okay, but nothing to write home about, for example Scott Eastwood who plays as Riggin, the son of Lowell who wants no part of the business, his performance was just average in my opinion and Christopher A mmanuel as Antoine has some good scenes, specifically when he is arguing with Mercer, however the rest of the acting is as dry, the entire movie has the same look over all.

To be honest I was just looking around multiple sites trying to find something to watch, I'm more of a TV series guy than movies but when I saw Tyrese as the protagonist I said, I like him on F&F so lets give it a try and people online were not that excited about this one neither. Some people understood the effort to combine the action with social relevance but it was a common thing that everyone sensed that the movie failed at both levels. No days time has become a very valuable asset and for me once I start watching a movie or TV series I have to finish it so at least my time was worth something. The fight scenes on the movie were quite passable on the technical level, at least the choreography was OK, but it appeared that nobody was quite sure what this movie wanted to be, for me sometimes it looks like it wants to be a strong racial drama and sometimes it looks like it wants to be a fun action packed heist movie.

I was more irritated than amused, while attempting to address some rather serious issues, the movie falls flat trying to grasp too much and it also lack of context. The L. A. riots are really just window dressing and that makes me feel like this is a huge missed chance, they could detail this situation so much if at least incorporate some of the irl stories about this riots. You have got this incredibly charged historical moment in time and you do next to nothing with it, to a certain extend it reminds me of Napoleon Biopic. That’s like having a Ferrari and using it to go to a corner store and back and back and back.

The plot of the heist is plain and simple, nothing that you have not seen before. What really got me was how it blew it and did not live up to the expectations I had when watching the movie. It was also times where it could have gone further into the ethnic issues prevalent in the country, the relationships between a son and his father or the shades of grey in the criminal justice system during protest. But what it does is only that it touches upon these concepts, without ever really getting fully involved in any of them, it is as if the creators of this film were too scared to step on any toes and thus they just produced a rather random film.

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Aparte de Zack Snyder, pienso que M. Night Shyamalan, debe ser el director que crea expectativas, junto a opiniones positivas o negativas de sus trabajos; personalmente creo que observamos sus mejores proyectos en dónde tanto el inicio, desarrollo y fin de una historia tuvo una excelente constancia, siendo esas características lo que catapultó la carrera de dicho director y que lamentablemente al realizar proyectos más grandes perdió todo el impulso que había logrado, por eso creo que desde hace cierto tiempo se ha enfocado en crear pequeñas producciones lo cual demuestra que trata de captar nuevamente el éxito que obtuvo en el comienzo de su carrera.

Apart from Zack Snyder, I think M. Night Shyamalan, must be the director who creates expectations, along with positive or negative opinions of his works; personally I think we observe his best projects where both the beginning, development and end of a story had an excellent constancy, being those characteristics what catapulted the career of that director and that unfortunately when making bigger projects he lost all the momentum he had achieved, that's why I think that since some time ago he has focused on creating small productions which shows that he tries to capture again the success he got at the beginning of his career.

“Trap”, es un thriller escrito y dirigido por M. Night Shyamalan, estrenado este año y que relata la historia de "Cooper" un padre de familia quien acompaña a su adolescente hija, "Riley", al concierto de su artista favorito, "Lady Raven"; una experiencia normal entre padre e hija que se torna extraña por ciertas situaciones que ocurren en el concierto como por ejemplo la gran presencia de agentes policiales y del FBI, todo esto causado por la supuesta presencia de un asesino serial llamado "the Butcher" en las instalaciones en dónde ocurre el concierto; todo este suceso afecta y crea preocupación en Cooper quien se siente en peligro, ya que es el asesino al que quieren atrapar.

"Trap", a thriller written and directed by M. Night Shyamalan, released this year, which tells the story of "Cooper", a father who accompanies his teenage daughter, "Riley", to the concert of his favorite artist, "Lady Raven"; A normal experience between father and daughter that becomes strange because of certain situations that occur at the concert such as the large presence of police and FBI agents, all this caused by the alleged presence of a serial killer called "the Butcher" in the facilities where the concert takes place; all this event affects and creates concern in Cooper who feels in danger, since he is the murderer they want to catch.

De las últimas dos películas dirigidas y escritas por Shyamalan, es esta última que opino tiene una premisa atractiva o que por lo menos me ha llamado más la atención, aunque debo decir que eso no evitó de ser precavido con mis expectativas; la historia tiene mucha influencia desde el mundo del entretenimiento y del mundo real, diferentes situaciones son plasmadas en esta historia la cual es narrada por el villano del cual conocemos no por sus atroces crímenes, sino por cumplir su rol de padre, esto es muy importante para la historia porque pienso que Shyamalan de manera consiente o no, quería crea en el público cierta simpatía hacia un asesino; no hay duda que es un acierto de un guion que también hay que decir que presenta ciertos fallos en la narrativa.

El trabajo en la dirección en este film parece ser sencillo, hay escenografías que se repiten y tan solo una es grande la cual es el escenario en dónde ocurre el concierto, posiblemente no hay mucho de que resaltar, aunque el punto de vista de su protagonista es muy fuerte en el relato y en lo que observamos en gran parte de la película, me refiero a pasillos largos, salidas, habitaciones pequeñas, por supuesto el escenario y por supuesto, cada persona que lo rodea; en momentos me sentí como si estuviera jugando algún videojuego con la perspectiva de primera persona y regreso en que posiblemente Shyamalan estaba convencido en crear alguna simpatía entre el espectador y el protagonista de esta historia.

Of the last two films directed and written by Shyamalan, it is this last one that I think has an attractive premise or at least has caught my attention, although I must say that this did not prevent me from being cautious with my expectations; the story has a lot of influence from the world of entertainment and the real world, different situations are captured in this story which is narrated by the villain of which we know not for his heinous crimes, but to fulfill his role as a father, this is very important for the story because I think that Shyamalan consciously or not, wanted to create in the public some sympathy towards a murderer; no doubt it is a success of a script that also must be said that presents certain flaws in the narrative.

The work in the direction in this film seems to be simple, there are scenographies that are repeated and only one is big which is the stage where the concert takes place, possibly there is not much to highlight, although the point of view of its protagonist is very strong in the story and in what we observe in much of the film, I mean long corridors, exits, small rooms, of course the stage and of course, each person that surrounds him; at times I felt like I was playing some video game with the first person perspective and I come back to the fact that possibly Shyamalan was convinced to create some sympathy between the viewer and the protagonist of this story.

Josh Hartnett es el punto positivo del film; su actuación es lo mejor, la interpretación de un amoroso padre y después de un psicópata buscando la manera de huir de la trampa de la cual es víctima se convirtió en lo más entretenido de la historia y hasta puedo decir que cualquier fallo demostrado en el film en su acto final, es el desempeño del actor lo que mantiene a flote la película; "Cooper" como personaje tiene mucho potencial y eso es debido a la interpretación de Hartnett que sabe cómo demostrar preocupación, tranquilidad y en momentos ser algo terrorífico y justamente en eso es la materia a deber, pero eso no lo digo como algo negativo porque su faceta como "the Butcher" es algo que todavía falta por explorar. Así como el actor protagonista es lo más alto, las actrices quienes son la contraparte de Cooper, son lo peor del film; en principal la actuación de Saleka Night Shyamalan, la hija del director y protagonista del film podrá cantar y escribir canciones, pero al momento de actuar se nota su inexperiencia y estoy seguro de que es de los fallos de la parte final del film.

Josh Hartnett is the positive point of the film; his performance is the best, the interpretation of a loving father and then a psychopath looking for a way to escape from the trap of which he is a victim became the most entertaining of the story and I can even say that any failure shown in the film in its final act, it is the performance of the actor what keeps the film afloat; "Cooper" as a character has a lot of potential and that is due to the performance of Hartnett who knows how to show concern, calmness and at times be somewhat terrifying and precisely in that he is the matter to owe, but I don't say that as a negative because his facet as "the Butcher" is something that still remains to be explored. As well as the main actor is the best, the actresses who are Cooper's counterpart, are the worst of the film; mainly the performance of Saleka Night Shyamalan, the daughter of the director and protagonist of the film may sing and write songs, but when it comes to acting her inexperience shows and I'm sure that is one of the failures of the final part of the film.

Me decepciona que Trap sea un film regular a causa de malas decisiones con respecto al manejo de su acto final, aunque sigo pensando que esta historia tiene mucho potencial para ser desarrollado y tal vez sea una nueva franquicia a explorar por parte de Shyamalan, ya que en esta primera historia es relatada desde el punto de vista de Cooper como un padre de familia y poco se ve de lo que es the Butcher y justamente pienso que en una posible secuela se debería mostrar lo que es capaz ese personaje. Creo que para quien le gustó "Split", podrá también gustarle este nuevo film, aunque repito que el final no es placentero, pero creo que todo depende de las expectativas que se pueden crear con respecto a este film.

I am disappointed that Trap is a regular film because of bad decisions regarding the handling of its final act, although I still think that this story has a lot of potential to be developed and maybe it will be a new franchise to be explored by Shyamalan, since in this first story is told from the point of view of Cooper as a family man and little is seen of what the Butcher is and I think that in a possible sequel should show what this character is capable of. I think that for those who liked "Split", may also like this new film, although I repeat that the ending is not pleasant, but I think it all depends on the expectations that can be created with respect to this film.

Cover image edited in canva; the image was taken from the following source

I had this one in the chamber, since there are not many good TV series going around decided to push my Presumed Innocent (2024) review. I watch this series a few months back when it came out. This 2024 version of the Scott Turow’s novel kept me wanting more after every episode, I love the one episode a week for this same reason, it keeps you in suspense and makes it even better with a series like this.

The TV series “Presumed Innocent” is centered on Rusty Sabich, a successful prosecutor who finds himself in a worst situation of being accused of killing his colleague and lover, Carolyn Polhemus, before I continue to be honest there is nothing new to this series that we have not seen under the sun but having Jake Gyllenhaal doing the main character was very exciting. This is one workplace scandal that went terribly wrong! The first episode has Rusty being assigned to the case of Carolyn’s death, but of course things do not go as planned and he ends up in the opposite side of the courtroom defending himself from accusations that could ruin his career.

• IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt17677860/
• Platform: AppleTV+

I have to mention that the plot was very interesting to me and I was engaged right from the beginning, different than most people who probably said "here we go again" with the sick love story that ends in murder. It’s not just a simple who did it show, this one is complicated and the cast helps a lot to bring it life. It’s politics, marriage and betrayal, and more plot turns than you think about. The writers have done a great job to make you think that every character is the murderer at some point of the story. You think you know what is going on and then suddenly, they come up with something else that will surely confuse you even more. It’s as if you are solving a mystery, only that you are doing it from the comfort of a couch with snacks nearby.

As I briefly mention before, the cast was on fire the entire season, Jake Gyllenhaal as Rusty Sabich? Absolute perfection, I have to say the guy has range, he mostly play action roles but this time around it was a very dramatic one. The character is a man, who is a prosecutor in one moment and in the next moment he looks like a man who is falling apart. In one particular scene Rusty is attempting to hold it together in front of his family and you can visibly see him falling apart, in contradiction to this he also suffers from anger management issues because of all the pressure building up to then tell the jury he is not aggressive but who would believe you after you beat up to hell a guy at the front door of you house?!. Gyllenhaal captures the uncertainty and anger that characterizes Rusty, which is a great achievement given the depth of the role.

But it’s not only Gyllenhaal who gives a great performance. Ruth Negga as Barbara, the wife of Rusty is an actress to watch on screen, she does an excellent job of depicting a woman dealing with her husband’s cheating and his potential violence. There is this scene where she is telling her husband why she won’t be the dutiful wife in court and you bet it makes you feel how much guilty is Rusty for putting her in that place, btw it was no the first time he cheated on her, she does a great job at portraying Barbara as a character that is more than just a wronged wife, she also gets close to the dark side herself as the season moves on.

Peter Sarsgaard as the actor for Tommy Molto; He really knows how to portray the role of the villain in the story, after you watch this series you have to hate the guy, there is no other feeling than hating Molto to the core for all the dirty moves he put on Rusty. Each time he was on the screen, I wished to punch him right on the screen and get that arrogant look off his face. Molto and Rusty’s rivalry is well depicted and their face off in the courtroom is one of the best feelings of the series.

I do have to mention Bill Camp as Raymond Horgan, Rusty’s mentor who becomes his defense attorney, at times you feel sorry for the guy, he didn't have to take the case but he did it because of pure heart but during the series there were times when you can tell he doubt Rusty but never said it, probably just my imagination flying but its just pure great acting. Camp does a great job in the portrayal of the character and his scenes with Gyllenhaal are quite interesting, you can see the stress of the situation and the pressure it has on their partnership in this case, they guy had a heart attack right there in the court floor.

As far as I can tell the series had a great reception by the audience online, I'm not going to pretend this is not recycle material because it is, its a remake so its understandable how it might now be that interesting unless you are a fan of the Jake Gyllenhaal and drama series. Audiences are enjoying the show overall and the cast with Gyllenhaal and Negga receiving special attention. It is always a good sign when a series is able to create conversation and this one has a very twisty plot.

Without revealing the ending of the series I have to say it was the best part, the ending for sure will blow your mind, its one of those what the fuck moments that makes you think but why???!!!, all the "pace" problems that you might feel during the series will be worth and its not a problem its just how a murder case situation is, it is suppose to make you feel anxious and exhausted for the situation but the series manage to build in peaks of adrenaline to keep you entertain.

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Another of the movies I was able to see over the weekend while I was recovering from my cold, "The Exorcism (2024)" a movie that you may confuse with "The Exorcist" just because of the name although they have nothing to do with each other, they are only related by the horror genre. I knew beforehand that the main character was Russell Crowe and after seeing the trailer I was hoping that it would be at least at the level of his previous movie "The Popes Exorcist" but the truth was not, it is quite disappointing to see an actor like Crowe fall to movies of such low popularity and that the truth is that they are not good at all. On this post I will give you my opinion of the movie so that if you ever decide to watch it you already have a clear idea of what to expect.

• IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt18177528/
• Platform: AppleTV+

Starting with the plot or to be more specific the lack of plot because there was close to none. There is the main character of the story Anthony Miller, played by our man Crowe, who is a man in the process of trying to make things right for himself and his daughter after a stint of alcoholism. Anthony gets signed for this Exorcist like remake called "The Georgetown Project" and believes it may be the savior of his career the single opportunity he has been waiting for to start turning things around. His daughter Lee, played by Ryan Simpkins, appears as his personal assistant and the two seek to reconcile. It sounds promising, but this is where it starts to get too predictable and everything becomes super natural, Anthony behaves in a very peculiar way and people start to think that he's back to drinking or that there's something even darker behind it, of course the most obvious thing is that they are demons inside him.

Well, before we go on with the movie let's talk a little bit about the cast. Crowe, to some extent I feel that he really tries to pull off his role, sometimes I wonder if it's the actor or just a low budget movie or the script that is bad, I would like to see him in better quality movies. Especially in the first hour or so he plays this complex guy who has internal struggles (and external ones too, but the internal ones are portrayed through the supernatural elements). It's clearly portrayed that he wants to drink, the struggle he has to endure to not drink alcohol again, the guilt of leaving his daughter alone. It's good stuff, really. However, by the time possession occurs, it turns into googly eyes and creepy smiles like it's on the B-list of a horror movie. Still, Ryan Simpkins also has let's just say a good despemeñ in his role as Lee Miller. She perfectly captures the rage and affection one would expect from a daughter with an addicted father. I remember one scene where she tries to talk to a father but there are so many barriers and hurts in between the two that it's a bit touching.

The rest of the cast is quite variable. There's a slimy director, played by Adam Goldberg, who wants to take advantage of Anthony's angst to get a more convincing performance, and the actor is exceptionally obnoxious. It's funny that David Hyde Pierce plays this consulting priest, and frankly, it's a relief. He has that sardonic humor that mostly counteracts all the negativity that surrounds him. But then we have Sam Worthington in this role that looks like it was filmed for the movie but then deleted. But let's not talk about Chloe Bailey's character either, she's primed to be a breakout star, but her interaction with Lee seems pretty convincing and there was a good interaction, it looked pretty natural.

Within all my comments it seemed like it was a good movie but objectively the actors were never the problem, from what I have been able to read online, the movie has also been an enigma to most people. I personally liked the concept of the exorcism of an actor inside a movie, something like Inception but Exorcism, taking into account that Crowe is the actor only with an alias, but like a big part of the audience that trashed this movie on review websites like IMDB they are disappointed by the lack of horror and the predictable plot that almost doesn't exist. Maybe it would have been a better movie if they only focused on the drama about the addiction and the trauma it caused, but nothing to do with horror and terror.

I really wanted to like this movie, I really did. The theme was to dig into the less glamorous aspect of filmmaking, especially with the concept of a movie within a movie. And for the first half, I agreed, the way they built up the trauma of Anthony's past along with the stressful environment of the film set was somewhat compelling, but then it was like they hit the panic button and decided, "Fuck it, let's go into demon mode" and that's where they lost me.

The ending, to some extent, can be said to be unexpected, but it feels more like the ending of another movie. It's all chants and bells and Russell Crowe pretending to be possessed as Linda Blair. Oh well, while I'm sure some people will find it funny, for me it was just a matter of feeling like watching a low budget movie. Like they didn't think audiences could handle the more psychological horror they've tried to set up. Look, I get it, creating a movie is no joke and creating a good horror movie is one of those hercules tasks. "The Exorcism" feels like one of those movies that could have been so much more than it is, with a not common concept and a good cast I think its a direction and production fault that it didn't work out. It had all the ingredients to be something great: a great ensemble cast, an interesting concept, some scary moments. But at some point, it's like they decided to stop believing in their script and instead resorted to clichés.

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Over the weekend I finally had the chance to sit down and watch M. Night Shyamalan's latest film "Trap (2024)", I was mostly intrigued as to why it had been given such a low score on sites like IMBD, I even read some reviews where there were quite a few complaints about this movie and well the truth is Shyamalan has been a bit risky lately, but this one made me feel pretty good. I'd rate it a 7/10, although a lot of people I've seen online don't seem to be that impressed, this movie in my opinion is something different, a not so much common scenario although not new, now days is hard to come up with new stories about murders and serial killers. But hey, that's the beauty of movies, right? Everyone has their own perspective on them and I don't think I'm too far off the mark when it comes to this movie, here's my opinion.

• IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt18177528/

The movie almost immediately puts you in the middle of a pop concert with thousands of people and fans, and you find yourself in the middle of an FBI operation, I almost didn't wait for this to happen as that is what the trailer immediately tells you. We have Josh Hartnett as Cooper, a regular guy who is a father and takes his daughter Riley to see her favorite singer Lady Raven. But unknown to anyone, Cooper is actually a psychopath, a killer nicknamed "The Butcher" and the whole concert is a plot to capture him, possibly the worst family moment ever for him. We see Cooper trying to fool the FBI at every turn while at the same time trying to maintain the image of a kinda dumb, rude father. It's like a game of chess where no one can tell who is the master of the game. Shyamalan doesn't disappoint here, as he provides suspense that makes you doubt twice and even three times how things will happen, it's a bit predictable but doesn't go to the extreme either. You think you know what's going on and suddenly, out of nowhere. It does it to you one more time, you feel like you've been thrown off balance one more time.

I thought the cast and crew did a good job of creating a movie that is entertaining, maybe not perfect. Josh Hartnett, not seen since Oppenheimer, does a fantastic job playing Cooper, the all American guy who has a double life as an assassin, I think the actors have nothing more to ask for but the script of the film. Still, the biggest surprise for me was Saleka Night Shyamalan as Lady Raven. Yes, the director's daughter plays the pop star and, to be honest, she can sing quite well. The concert scenes are pretty good and at some point I noticed how my wife liked her music. She may not have been the best actress, but for the role she played, she looked good.

Ariel Donoghue, who plays Riley in the movie had a good performance playing Cooper's daughter. The father daughter relationship she has with Hartnett is quite believable, which makes it all the more uncomfortable when you remember that Cooper is almost not human. There's a scene where Riley stares at her father and you can see the trust and respect in hes eyes, and given what we know about Cooper it makes you think, poor his daughter if only she knew what her father does for a living.

As I had mentioned, the reviews on the internet are pretty divided but from my point of view I would recommend not to miss it anyway, at least that's my preference even when a movie is so divided in the reviews or they call it bad but I'm interested, I'd rather find out how bad it really is on my own. There are those who are enjoying it and have stated that this is Shyamalan's comeback movie and that the atmosphere is quite tense. I personally have problems with the plot because if it is true that it is a story created for the movie there are certain situations that are too predictable or too easy for Cooper as if the movie wants him to escape without problems from the concert even though it seems the opposite and it is almost impossible for him to get out without being caught.

At times the movie also feels exaggerated especially in the amount of security that was in place and they couldn't find Cooper, in fact they mistook him for other people and I can understand how this might be annoying for a part of the audience, I don't think Shyamalan intended it to be a realistic movie, but more of a thriller. I liked the fact that there is a certain black comedy running throughout the film, which I personally enjoyed. There is also the question of the pacing of the film, which also seems to be a controversial issue, here I also have a complaint that the concert scenes were too long and drawn out, but to me it seemed to help build tension, sometimes I am too kind to the flaws in a film but I just can't do anything about it and I have to finish watching it. The concert part in a movie theater maybe feels quite real, it becomes a strange combination when for a moment you feel the effect of the concert and out of nowhere you have Cooper trying to see the surveillance camera he has pointing at his kidnapped victim, tremendous combination of the visual of the concert and the drama of a killer worried about his daughter at the concert, the one he has kidnapped and getting caught by the police at the concert, I really liked this combination of elements.

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I still have the movie in my mind.

A mysterious and exciting thriller that I just saw. I was able to read between the lies, but I admit it got me fooled a few times :)

The Good Liar

I am not sure if I would ever decide to watch it. The cover was different than the one in this picture (taken from the imdb website)

If you are wondering what this is about, two elderly people are meeting in person after their online encounter. Are they a good match; A great story is about to start!

Synopsis

Consummate con man Roy Courtnay has set his sights on his latest mark: the recently widowed Betty McLeish, worth millions. But this time, what should have been a simple swindle escalates into a cat-and-mouse game with the ultimate stakes.

You may watch the trailer here

https://www.youtube.com/embed/W1WPxueHUOs

The movie is adapted from a novel, and after you finish watching it, you may start wondering if there are some true events in the novel-film.

This is when you may need to read this article

Director and actors

Director - Bill Condon Stars - Helen Mirren - Ian McKellen - Russell Tovey

My honest review

From the very first moments, The Good Liar grips you with its intrigue. There is an attraction and a great dynamic between the two lead characters. The performances of Helen Mirren and Ian McKellen instantly pull you in.

The story revolves around a con man who has his sights set on a wealthy widow (among some other things). Things take an unexpected turn as secrets begin to unravel. Just when you think you've figured it out, the plot twists in ways you won’t see coming.

This is a film that keeps you guessing until the very end.

It had nice dialogues, some comic elements that make you smile, it had amazing photography and costumes.

IMDb & my rating

IMDb users rate it at 6.7 I would rate it well around 7.5 (if not more)

I highly recommend it if you enjoy mystery and thriller movies.

Have you watched it? Would you suggest a mystery - comedy film that you enjoyed and maybe share your link to your review?

Hope for your feedback!

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There are not many television shows at this time that can effortlessly and successfully convey the spirit of classic storytelling with a modern twist. Well, you'd think twice before passing this comment for Poker Face's first season.

This is Johnson's first-ever television appearance. It has become an instant favorite by providing the audience with a rare combination of humor, intrigue, and emotional depth.

A strong narrative is the foundation of an engaging story. Clever authors lead the reader across the emotional terrain; it is more than just a list of happenings. A fine story structure can be enlightening, have unanticipated turns, or offer a deep sense of fulfillment with a masterfully performed denouement. Excellent writers elevate storytelling to such heights that they create a memorable impact on the readers. That is what Johnson has done in the Poker Face.

There are countless opportunities for creativity in crime dramas. A novel approach can take many different shapes, such as investigating unusual crime scenes or probing the intricate psychological relationships between offenders and investigators. A novel strategy can involve dispelling myths, upending preconceptions, or presenting issues that are beyond the purview of a regular criminal inquiry. Johnson clearly feels like stretching the genre's boundaries in Poker Face. He writes stories that connect with readers and present a relatively new angle on crime fiction.

You can tell the freshness of the perspective by watching the series, but it will also make you feel like you are watching something from the 1980s and 1990s.

The main character of Poker Face is Charlie Cale, performed by Natasha Lyonne (She has also performed the main role in Russian Doll - a good-to-watch series), a protagonist who stands apart from typical TV characters.

Charlie has a remarkable ability, she can tell when someone is lying.

Not a superpower, though, she can distinguish meaningful lies from the ones of little value or importance. The story of each episode revolves around her ability. How Johnson has used this ability is interesting, exciting, and thrilling to watch.

Every episode introduces viewers to a new location and cast of characters, Charlie always stays at the center, though, navigating these diverse environments. This will remind you of old TV shows where each episode was a stand-alone experience, having a recurring lead.

Every episode not only introduces new and fresh faces but also presents their own unique backstories. You will like seeing how the show explores the intricacies of human nature.

The skill of giving fictional characters life is characterization. A thorough comprehension of the motivations, shortcomings, and desires of the character are the ingredients to create an effective characterization. Transforming that comprehension into an engaging and credible representation. Proving that a tale can touch to new heights through performance.

Natasha Lyonne, no doubt, has shown us a remarkable and astounding performance as Charlie Cale, capturing the essence of the character in its entirety. Charlie is more than just investigating crimes; she is in pursuit of justice in a society where lies frequently obfuscate the truth. Charlie is not just a simple lie detector, she has a strong sense of moral obligation.

Charlie is a more compelling and powerful character because, in contrast to conventional investigators or law enforcement officials, she is primarily motivated by her own moral principles and works outside the boundaries of the law and this is what makes it more dangerous for her, she cannot get or rely on the protection of the law. She has to walk through a fine line between good and bad, which heightens the drama in the story. For her, justice is individualized and often as imperfect as the world she lives in.

The episodes are filmed in many places in America. Highways, stony and gritty locations, small towns, and lonely landscapes are the realistic sets for the stories to unfold, providing the show with a solid foundation in truth. These locations make viewers nostalgic for a bygone simpler era of television history.

Crimes in Poker Face are based on the most fundamental human feelings: fear, love, jealousy, and greed. Motivations and reasons behind the crimes are equally as interesting as the acts themselves. The series shows the extent to which some people could go in order to fulfill their dreams often follows tragic and awful consequences.

Poker Face does a great job of balancing suspense with fun. You will not think that the comedy is forced into the narrative. Having said that, it also never overlooks the seriousness of the crimes under investigation. This balance makes the series more engaging throughout the episodes which are widely different in tone.

One episode when Charlie encounters a racist Jack Russell Terrier while traveling serves as an illustration of this. The situation's absurdity is meant to make people laugh, but it also fits into the larger narrative perfectly, keeping the general tone of the program intact.

Poker Face reminds us of the days when watching television was more like a social activity, something that could be discussed and debated with loved ones. The choices of the environment and characters of the series show its timeless approach, tradional and modern worlds coexist in this setting, which is intriguing.

With its distinctive blend of tension, humor, and emotional depth, Poker Face provides viewers with an engaging and thought-provoking experience. How Natasha Lyonne has brought Charlie Cale's character into life which is equally flawed and heroic at the same time is a masterclass piece of the art of the performance.

It would not be wrong to say Poker Face had exceeded our expectations.

All images are taken from Poker Face imdb

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Entre finales de los 80' y 90', Batman fue pionero en el mundo del entretenimiento con las series de películas protagonizadas por importantes actores interpretando a villanos, así como al mismo héroe enmascarado; entre todo ese revuelo causado por el Caballero de la Noche, hubo una producción que siempre estuvo a la altura de lo que es ese personaje y esa fue la serie animada estrenada en 1992, una historia única que exploraba y profundizó la historia del héroe, los villanos y la ciudad en dónde habitan; han pasado más 30 años y el creador de esa antigua serie regresa para un nuevo relato del Vigilante de Ciudad Gótica, una nueva versión de lo ya conocido.

Between the late 80's and 90's, Batman was a pioneer in the entertainment world with movie series starring important actors playing villains, as well as the masked hero himself; Among all the hype caused by the Dark Knight, there was a production that always lived up to the character's reputation, and that was the animated series released in 1992, a unique story that explored and deepened the history of the hero, the villains and the city where they live; more than 30 years have passed and the creator of that old series returns for a new story of the Vigilante of Gotham City, a new version of what is already known.

“Batman: Caped Crusader”, última serie animada estrenada en Amazon Prime Video, el pasado mes de agosto, relata una nueva versión del clásico personaje de DC Comics la cual se desarrolla entre los años 40’ y 60’, mostrando una Ciudad Gótica hundida entre la criminalidad, la corrupción y el terror, creados por la complicidad de agentes de seguridad, mafias y enfermos mentales, los cuales chocarán con un inesperado, pero necesario vigilante que usara el manto de la noche como principal aliado para hacer justicia.

“Batman: Caped Crusader", the latest animated series released on Amazon Prime Video last August, tells the story of a new version of the classic DC Comics character that takes place between the 40's and 60's, showing a Gotham City plunged into crime, corruption and terror, created by the complicity of security agents, mafias and mentally ill, which will clash with an unexpected but necessary vigilante who will use the mantle of the night as his main ally to bring justice.

Un factor importante en esta nueva serie animada basada en Batman, es sobre que quién cumple la función de creador y showrunner; ese es Bruce Timm, quien fue codirector y productor del gran film “Batman: Mask of the Phantasm” (1993) y también creador de una de las mejores series animadas basadas en un héroe de comics, “Batman: The Animated Series” (1992–1995); ya con eso, mi atención hacia este nuevo proyecto estaba asegurada, al igual que mis expectativas de ver nuevas historias sobre este personaje. En esta oportunidad, Timm se propuso de hacer ciertos cambios en los ya muy conocidos personajes, específicamente en los villanos, explorando brevemente sus origines o creando incógnitas sobre como llegaron a convertirse en los monstruos que acechan a una ciudad, pero eso no fue lo único acertado y divertido en este proyecto, al final todo se basa en el protagonista que como todos sabemos a causa de un imborrable trauma surge una figura que se convertirá en justicia.

Otro factor atrayente de esta serie es la decisión de convertirla en una historia noir en dónde como es necesario, la ciudad es una gran protagonista y la decisión de adecuarla en una época entre los años 40' y 60’, no solamente le da elegancia al diseño de la ciudad y de los muchos personajes que son parte de la historia, lo mejor es el diseño del héroe que es la misma imagen en la primera aparición en los comics, manteniendo el misterio y la actitud inquebrantable, pero a la vez la inexperiencia de ser los primeros pasos del vigilante de Gótica.

An important factor in this new animated series based on Batman, is about who plays the role of creator and showrunner; that is Bruce Timm, who was co-director and producer of the great film "Batman: Mask of the Phantasm" (1993) and also creator of one of the best animated series based on a comic book hero, "Batman: The Animated Series" (1992-1995); already with that, my attention towards this new project was assured, as well as my expectations to see new stories about this character. This time, Timm proposed to make certain changes in the already well-known characters, specifically in the villains, briefly exploring their origins or creating unknowns about how they became the monsters that haunt a city, but that was not the only successful and fun in this project, in the end everything is based on the protagonist that as we all know because of an indelible trauma arises a figure that will become justice.

Another appealing factor of this series is the decision to turn it into a noir story where as necessary, the city is a great protagonist and the decision to adapt it in an era between the 40's and 60's, not only gives elegance to the design of the city and the many characters that are part of the story, the best is the design of the hero who is the same image in the first appearance in the comics, keeping the mystery and unwavering attitude, but at the same time the inexperience of being the first steps of the vigilante of Gotham.

Hay algo que valoro en las películas de Batman dirigidas por Tim Burton y Matt Reeves, la cual es la exploración o el entendimiento de como un hombre es tan afectado por un horrible trauma que decide impartir justicia y terror entre los criminales al estar disfrazado o haciendo referencia a un murciélago y en esta serie, Timm se toma la oportunidad de directa o indirectamente el explorar como un hombre dejó atrás su identidad conocida como “Bruce Wayne” para ser en plenitud “Batman”; es fascinante como Batman y Bruce cambian de rol dependiendo de la situación, pero es notorio como el joven Bruce, es el verdadero y gran disfraz. Existen ciertos casos que hay cambios de los personajes y su participación de la historia, en lo personal creo que cada uno de esos cambios están justificados y no los considero problemáticos, posiblemente sea una necesidad para revitalizar la historia de algún que otro villano y solo espero que en la próxima temporada tengan un mejor o extenso desarrollo en sus historias.

There is something I value in the Batman movies directed by Tim Burton and Matt Reeves, which is the exploration or understanding of how a man is so affected by a horrible trauma that he decides to deliver justice and terror among criminals by being in costume or referencing a bat and in this series, Timm takes the opportunity to directly or indirectly explore how a man left behind his identity known as "Bruce Wayne" to be fully "Batman"; it is fascinating how Batman and Bruce change roles depending on the situation, but it is notable how the young Bruce is the true and great disguise. There are certain cases where there are changes in the characters and their participation in the story, personally I think that each of these changes are justified and I do not consider them problematic, possibly it is a need to revitalize the history of some villain and I just hope that in the next season they have a better or extensive development in their stories.

En una reseña en específico, leí la frase que definía a Batman: Caped Crusader como una secuela espiritual de la serie animada de comienzos de los 90’ y es muy cierta es a afirmación, la imagen de Batman, su actitud, voz, el sacrificio, lo heroico así como el sentido de la justicia y hasta la locura que padece es tal cual como es gran serie y por eso se me hizo imposible no sentir nostalgia por tal producción, pero a la vez me hizo disfrutar de esta nueva historia con una ambientación que promueve realismo, pero a la vez entrega fantasía y lo sobrenatural, algo que pude apreciar porque al final al ser una producción animada, se presta para explorar otros ámbitos de los muchos personajes que son parte de Batman; creo que al tener lo que se considera como un “tono adulto” es lo mejor, así como el hacerla detectivesca porque al final esta es una importante característica del personaje y creo que lo único negativo es que tan solo son 10 episodios lo que conforman la primera temporada y espero que al confirmarse una segunda, se aumente algo del número de episodios aunque por lo mínimo se mantenga la calidad de la producción.

In a specific review, I read the phrase that defined Batman: Caped Crusader as a spiritual sequel to the animated series of the early 90's and it is very true is to statement, the image of Batman, his attitude, voice, the sacrifice, the heroic as well as the sense of justice and even the madness he suffers is just as it is great series and that's why it was impossible for me not to feel nostalgic for such a production, but at the same time it made me enjoy this new story with a setting that promotes realism, but at the same time delivers fantasy and the supernatural, something I could appreciate because in the end being an animated production, it lends itself to explore other areas of the many characters that are part of Batman; I think that having what is considered as an "adult tone" is the best, as well as making it detective-like because in the end this is an important characteristic of the character and I think the only negative is that there are only 10 episodes that make up the first season and I hope that when a second season is confirmed, the number of episodes will be increased, although at least the quality of the production will be maintained.

Cover image edited in canva; the image was taken from the following source

Review

_{Screenshot of the trailer}

☢️ Rated - Clasificación: PG-13 
🎭 Genre - Género: documentary | Drama 
😜 Original language - Idioma original: English
🎥 Director: Alex Gibney
📅 Release date - Fecha de estreno: 2020
🎬 Running time - Duración: 118 min.
✍️ My score -  Mi puntaje: 10 to 10

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