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manleygurl
Reviews
Descendant (2022)
I ignore 1, 2, and 3 star reviews and I'm glad I did on this one.
The polluting factories and the highway that destroyed the Downtown area of Africatown are just other facts that help validate what the descendants are saying. Historians use oral histories as part of their research - this is a common practice. A lot of people don't want you to see this documentary. They are afraid of how it will make them look. They are afraid that it will explain someone's situation. This is one of the reasons I watched the documentary. It explains so much about the Bible Belt south. If you care about American history at all, you will find this documentary rewarding. Watch it and decide for yourself.
Get Smart with Money (2022)
Negative reviews don't tell the whole story.
I wasn't going to write a review until I read all the negative reviews. I've learned to ignore 1, 2, and 3 star rankings. Or at the very least, read some for context before writing off a show. It's like the negative reviewers here hate Netflix or shows with people that are not just like them. Or the reviewer acts like they know everything, so if someone doesn't know everything then they must be stupid. The negative reviews also conveniently cherry pick things to support their negative review. So here are some positives that I will point out. (Some spoilers)
I like the fact that the producers picked a wide array of people with different backgrounds and different incomes. I admit that it was a little off putting, at first, to see people with well above average incomes seeking this type of financial advice. But the more I watched I realized that we all have different goals and that spending money on unnecessary things is unwise, no matter your income. These examples highlighted a real world issue that high incomes are not guaranteed and to make wise choices and decisions while you can.
The producers also picked an artist who wanted to make a living with her art, which was something she loved. One reviewer pointed out that she finally got healthcare when her fiancé got a promotion at his job, but the reviewer failed to mention that she had saved a lot of money and she was able to quite her waitressing job. Another negative review pointed out that another person on the show got a raise at her job which made the financial advice she got useless. But the reviewer failed to mention that the person in debt had paid down thousands of dollars of her credit card - debt through the advice of her financial planner.
Other reviewers seemed to be angry that the advisers were seemingly regular people (and not some Harvard MBA financial trader) who had found ways to become more financially secure. At first I was a little taken aback by this as well but I believe the producers wanted to show people they didn't need some fancy Harvard guy telling them what to do. I believe the point of this document was that anyone can be smarter with their money, and thereby reduce their stress and anxiety and be more present for their loved ones.
One statement, near the end of the show, that pretty much summed up everything was that, in school we're taught to be consumers, not savers. So don't beat yourself up if you find yourself in a bad financial position. That's what we've been taught in America. This show and shows like this can help us see how our choices make a difference and how anyone can do better.
Paper Girls (2022)
This actually could have been great. SMH
This show was painful at times. There were a lot of interesting plot points but because of the weak dialogue and the idiotic things they did, I had to fast forward through some scenes. For instance, instead of running to get away from someone or something they just stood around thinking of something stupid to say. Also, it's hard to believe that 12 year old girls would use that much profanity back in 1988 - so that part was totally unbelievable. Then all the squabbling over nothing got boring. All the squabbling was boring because they all try to help each other at first then they fight over just about anything for 7 episodes. If there's a second season I hope they get better writing cause this could have been on Nickelodeon instead of Netflix.
Not Okay (2022)
Surprisingly touching
I was expecting a light teen comedy that put a spotlight on the ridiculousness of social media. But it was more than that, especially towards the end. I'm a fan of Zoey Deutch and she did not disappoint. Give it a chance. It really pays off in the end.
The Baby (2022)
After a while you feel sorry for the actual baby.
First of all this isn't about a baby. They're trying to do way too much with an interesting premise. It started out pretty interesting then it got weird, but not good weird. Just weird. And those poor children (the baby was played by twins). I'm sure there were precautions taken but all that negativity and violence around the baby, yikes. So here are the good things: the idea was very original. There were also a lot of funny scenes-at first. I think the problem started when they tried to get too deep. Motherhood is difficult, women wonder if they are up to the task. There's also sleep deprivation and post partum depression that could have played into this comedy drama. But it turns out to be about childhood trauma? This series could have been a great 4-5 episodes or 1 really good movie.
Night Sky (2022)
Slow burn
It gets off to a good start then it definitely slows down. But keep watching because the last couple of episodes are really good. I believe it might have gotten better ratings if it had been 6 episodes instead of 8 but at the end, I understood why all the details were included.
Foundation (2021)
If you didn't read the books, you'll probably enjoy.
All the 1 and 2 star ratings seem to come from people who read the books and aren't happy with the interpretation. I haven't read the books so I'm really enjoying it. It isn't a perfect series. It's slow in some areas and all the going back and forth to different time periods is a little frustrating. Otherwise, it's a very intriguing story and I'm glad I didn't listen to the haters! :-)
Generation Hustle: A Scam with a Beat (2021)
"Economical trickel down"
This is an interesting story and I believe the producers did a good job tell it. It's a new take on white collar crime done by smart yet misguided young men. I thought it was so interesting that one of the guys being interviewed said that these scams affect all of us because of the "economical trickle down." This is interesting because Reagan's trickle down economics are what hurt areas like Detroit the most.
Bad Vegan: Fame. Fraud. Fugitives. (2022)
Too long and too stupid
This was hard to watch because of all the stupid things this lady did. I'm not victim blaming. It's just that the producers and writers showed almost everything they could and I believe they did this just to have more episodes. This should should have been maybe two episodes. Sarma was gullible - we get it! Hit the highlights and move on.
The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey (2022)
Not about black excellence, positively, or light.
All pain and all the bad things that supposedly go on in the black experience. Drugs, murdered men, produce harassment, medical experiments, and lack of family support. Oh and a heaping dose of the N word. Only Lawd Jesus can help us (rolling my eyes).
I understand dementia is a universal problem but can't there be some positivity in this man's life? Can there be some happiness and kindness shown to this man or this community. Somehow I made it through the first episode. Not sure I'll make it to the end unless something gets better.
Needle in a Timestack (2021)
A sweet love story
I like that's it's different. It's a bit slow but it has a great message. I live the all the main stars. I'm a big fan of all of them. Even more so now. It may be a little slow for some and there's not a lot of sex or violence - just a sweet love story. Ignore the low ratings.
Reacher: Spoonful (2022)
Not okay with one scene
Overall I'm enjoying the series but one scene was kind of concerning. *spoiler* When did shooting someone in the back become okay? Maybe I'm overthinking this but man! That's just cold blooded and cowardly. It's one thing to be a vigilante, but there's usually some honor thrown in there. A little disappointed.
The Matrix Resurrections (2021)
Please stop
I'm a huge fan of the first movie so I tolerated the 2nd and 3rd. But this was pointless. The movie started out okay but quickly devolved into random fight scenes and endless dialogue about the past and wanting to be free and yada yada yada. There was no plot other than to free Trinity from the matrix, and that took 2 hours. It seemed like one big setup for more sequels. Like more corporate greed.
What Happened, Brittany Murphy? (2021)
Compelling interviews of people close to her
I thought this was a great analysis of what was going on in Brittany's world in her final months and weeks. It shows a perfect storm of the meanness of Hollywood, the trauma of childhood stardom, and the greed of a manipulative con man. You could see how talented she was and how kind, and how broken she was.
A lot of her fans want some easy straight forward answer presented with a pretty little bow. That's just another fantasy that people feed into. Not everything is black and white; not everything is wrapped up neatly in a 60 minute episode. The inclusion of social media YouTubers was also poignant. It feeds into obsession as well as how beliefs and feelings are used instead of facts - by some people. Although this tragedy happened over 10 years ago, people still go online - with little or no facts - and find ways to feed their anger.
In the end it's a sad story of a young person in the spotlight who got involved with a terrible person at a very vulnerable time in her life.
Faith Ba$ed (2020)
Not as mean spirited as you would think
I believe this movie set out to be a mean satire of all the ridiculous religious themed movies but it turned out to be about two people pursing their passion of making movies. In the process their lives changed for the better. One of the main characters got closer to his family and another found his future wife. I was pleasantly surprised.
Black Summer (2019)
Season 2 killed it for me.
Although season one had its problems, I enjoyed it. I thought it was a pretty good depiction of the start of a zombie apocalypse. Yes the characters made some bad choices and there were a few plot holes, but at least it had a story line and a logical goal. Season 2 is a mess! People are out in open fields shooting at each other - with no coverage or strategy whatsoever! There's a plan flying around that everybody, for some inexplicable reason, seems to think will be their way to safety. Why?! The person on this plane could be rounding up people to use as bait for zombies, sex slaves, or soldiers for some new army. Nobody knows, but rather than find a safe place and try to survive they're out shooting as many people as possible and trying to find the plane!
The first episode of season 2 was decent. It took a nosedive after that. I couldn't make it past the 5th episode. I fast forwarded to the last episode just to see the finale. It was stupid. Im glad I didn't waste too much of my time. If there is a season 3, it's gotta be better than season 2. SMH.
Killer Cases: Cheerleader on Trial (2021)
Prosecutors are paid to prosecute, not find the truth
This one was hard to watch for lots of reasons. Most notably it was hard to hear about the death of a newborn and the high school teenager that was afraid to tell anyone. Another hard thing to watch was the naivety of the parents in not getting their teenage child legal representation and another was in watching the prosecutors badger the defendant into confessing to something that they later had proof didn't actually happen. And although the prosecutor admitted that a "cremation" didn't actually occur, the main thing he was worried about was how it would affect his case - making it harder form them to convict. Not harder for them to find out what had actually happened, but harder for them to prosecute. SMH.
Cinderella (2021)
Cute adaptation that incorporates Pop music and Classicism
I've learned to ignore 1 star ratings. They always have an agenda. It's a fun movie and you should check it out. I enjoyed the songs they picked and enjoyed the messages they presented in a fun way. **SPOILERS** Ella wanted her own business and the man she loved was cool with that. And I loved they way they explained the bitterness of the stepmother. Sometimes people are angry and bitter because of past injustices or tragedies and not just because they are bad people. This was actually way more believable than portraying individuals as either all good or all bad.