American Pastoral

I wanted to like this more than I did, but I really struggled with the acting. For such a fine cast everyone felt so wooden to me. McGregor's accent was really off, and the dialogue seemed so canned and fake. I realize that, as this is a book adaptation, the script might be largely composed of the words in the text, but even if that's so, it felt staged and not lived. The direction was lovely, and the plot interesting, but I wanted more from this. Just average for me. 3/5

American Pastoral on Netflix

The Benefactor

Something has taken hold of Richard Gere, and it's marvelous to see. Last year he gave what I felt was one of the best five performances of the year in "Time Out of Mind". In that role he went completely against type and gave a quiet, small, and incredible subtle performance that was magical. In "The Benefactor", Gere went the opposite route and went through a cacophony of emotions in very short spans of time. He was elated, depressed, confused, shamed, angry, and heartbroken, all within a matter of seconds. It was a true master class in acting and something I never would have thought in him. If only the rest of the film stood up to his performance, but sadly it did not. The script was bland, and Dakot Fanning was utterly wasted. I liked the direction and will be interested to see what this new director does next. All the stars for Gere though - he's just on fire. I think back to "Manglehorn" and I feel sure that, were he cast in that, it would have been transcendent. 3.5/5

The Benefactor on Netflix

Every Secret Thing

I found this dark thriller intense with tremendous acting by Macdonald & Fanning, very compelling. 4/5

Every Secret Thing on Netflix

Very Good Girls

The acting by Fanning & Olson in this was perfection & the story was delicately & wonderfully told. 4/5

Very Good Girls on Netflix

The Motel Life

The acting by Hirsch & Dorff is excellent but the plot thready & uneven - I needed to understand more. 3/5

The Motel Life on Netflix

The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn: Part 2

A surprisingly satisfying conclusion to a messy wreck of a series. I can live with that. 3/5

The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn: Part 2 on Netflix

Now Is Good

I hadn't realized how much this had gotten to me until it ended and I burst into tears. Tenderly acted, lovely. 4/5

Now Is Good on Netflix

Trapped

Solid acting across the board & an unpredictable script kept me interested & guessing in this twisty thriller. 3.5/5

Trapped on Netflix

Hounddog

Dakota Fanning gives a once-in-a-lifetime performance you'll never forget. How she didn't get an Oscar I'll never know. It's really too bad that the controversy about "Hounddog" kept so many from seeing it. It's well worth watching. Dakota was transcendent. 4/5

Hounddog on Netflix