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rahvin_80
Reviews
What Am I Eating? with Zooey Deschanel (2023)
Making Tips for Healthy Eating Accessible
This show does a really nice job of making healthy eating accessible to the average viewer. While some of this information is not new to me -- e.g. How the sugar industry conspired to blame fat (instead of sugar) as a health risk -- I did learn some interesting tidbits. I especially appreciated when episodes listed sources on screen and cited reputable groups like the EWG. I also really like how the narrative acknowledged wallet issues and offered alternatives. No, it doesn't go into *great detail* about some of its recommendations, but I think it plants the seed for a curious viewer to do some online research. (I recommend a medical journal or a dot-edu over a random dot-com site.)
Zooey D. Does a great job of being herself, conveying positive information, and keeping things light. If you hated The New Girl for some reason, this show might not be for you. Otherwise, it's family-friendly fare that might encourage you to take proactive steps toward healthier and/or savvier eating.
The Wheel of Time (2021)
Excellent adaptation of the preeminent, modern fantasy epic
TL;DR: The Wheel of Time is a small-screen adaptation that not only retains the most important bits from the original books, but it improves on many of them for a modern audience. Viewers who are new to this world should find the characters, story, and magic engaging. Veteran readers of the series should delight in seeing beloved characters on screen, so long as they don't take a draconian, strict-constructionist view to the source material.
Full disclosure: I started reading WoT in the 90s and binge-read the first seven novels over the course of a summer. I am very partial to the source material and Robert Jordan's writing style. It's hard to compare events 20 years apart, but I anticipated the advent of this series just as much as I did the arrival of the Peter Jackson's LotR to the big screen.
If you enjoy a sprawling fantasy epic, then The Wheel of Time is for you. Whereas GoT leans into political intrigue and takes a lighter touch with the fantasy elements -- dragons, white walkers, and a sultry sorceress -- The Wheel of Time deals heavily with the use of magic. At the same time, I think viewers eventually will find some political drama unfolding in later episodes.
Another big theme is gender dynamics. If you are too sensitive to handle powerful women or women in power, then, sadly, this show might not be for you.
If you find the first episode intriguing, you should be rightly hooked by the end of second episode, and going through episode withdrawal by the time you've binge-watched the episodes that have been released so far. At least I can re-watch them!
Spotlight (2015)
One of the best films I've ever seen
I finally watched this on Netflix yesterday and, while I'm not going to write a long review, because others have done a great job already, I have to say that this is one of the best films I've ever seen. I sympathized with the victims, with the journalists, even the TV lawyer who did dozens of settlements. I cried when the victims recounted the stories of their abuse. I exalted when Mike Rezendes (played by Ruffalo) finally got what he was after. I could feel the emotion of Sacha Pfeiffer (McAdams) as she took notes from the victim she interviewed. I could say other great things about Michael Keaton, Liev Schreiber, and Stanley Tucci. It's just an amazing ensemble cast with truly flawless acting performances. It really is tough to watch in parts, but this story is an amazing tribute to the important of investigative journalism.
Thank you for making this film.