Mrs. Davis was an Amazon suggestion for me. Usually, I ignore these, but the synopsis intrigued me: a nun fighting an AI. Having grown up in a Christian household—and as a fan of Warrior Nun (and still active church member)—I like those fantasy stories derived from the stories told in the Bible. I wouldn’t say I am deeply religious, but rather a hopeless romantic who believes there must be something like karma (I know, not a Christian concept, so let’s call it God…) or life after death. Yet, the science enthusiast in me knows there’s no evidence for such things.

However, I decided to give the show a try, and after the first 20 minutes, I was left wondering, “Watzefack am I watching?” Even after the first episode, I still had no clue where it was going. But the ending compelled me to watch the next episode. It wasn’t until at least episode 4 that the storylines began to untangle, and the bigger picture became more and more visible.

Ben Travers of IndieWire wrote, “Mrs. Davis is made to entertain, first and foremost, and it’s a highly enjoyable experience whether you engage with its deeper issues or not. Betty Gilpin is delightful. The larger ensemble matches her irresistible energy. The visuals are colorful and vast. The scripts are tight, the momentum unwavering, and the sheer joy palpable.”

Rolling Stone‘s Alan Sepinwall said, “Mrs. Davis featured some of the crazier plot twists you will ever see, yet managed to be genuinely moving and thoughtful even in the middle of all its ridiculousness.”

I couldn’t agree more with these reviews. The way Mrs. Davis is told proves that creative storytelling can elevate a story, and the idea behind Mrs. Davis isn’t bad at all.

I had never heard of the show before Amazon suggested it, but it truly surprised me. I would recommend it any time, even if you’re not particularly interested in Christian history.

While I was watching the movie, I was already thinking about what I could write here because it’s kind of sensational to witness a bad Guy Ritchie film and an outstanding Hugh Grant performance at the same time. But sometimes, somebody else already has the words you’re not finding. In this case, I stumbled upon an IMDb review by user arabnikita that perfectly nailed it. Thus, I will borrow arabnikita’s words:

“This is how I imagine the pitch for this film went.

Producer: ‘Hey Guy, we got a bunch of money from some brands and countries and they want us to make a commercial… I mean a movie.’

Guy: ‘Can we travel around the world, drink nonstop, and pretend to care about the whole thing?’

Producer: ‘Say no more!’

I love Guy Ritchie’s films and will watch anything this man makes, but Operation Fortune didn’t even feel like it was made by Guy Ritchie. Frankly speaking, as I watched the first half, I was getting the impression that many of the scenes were filmed on a phone and then were stapled into the film. The second half does change for the better, but it can’t shake the sensation left by the half-baked scenes in terms of visuals, audio, and production.

The story is about a mercenary team that is hired to get a briefcase with some stolen weapon. To be honest, the plot felt like listening to a drunk guy telling a story as some scenes got a lot of attention, some didn’t make any logical sense, and everything was flashy and colorful. The worst part of it all was that there were no trademarks which Guy Ritchie is known for, such as snappy dialogue, sharp humor, and interesting storytelling. The actors were likable and had some level of charisma, but most of the time it felt like watching a few buddies having fun instead of a dedicated cast making a film.

The film that kept coming to my mind the entire time was Grown Ups 2, where Adam Sandler took his friends for a nice vacation and accidentally made a movie at the same time. I wouldn’t say I was infuriated by any element of Operation Fortune, but after enjoying The Gentlemen and Wrath of Man, I expected Guy Ritchie to put in more effort. The action was decent and the second half was kind of exciting, but that’s about it. Whether you like his work or not, I would recommend avoiding this film as there is no logic, no humor, and most importantly, no Guy Ritchiness whatsoever.”

Source: https://www.imdb.com/review/rw8822761/?ref_=tt_urv

The long-awaited video game adaptation hit Amazon Prime a day earlier than announced! I don’t know why, but I don’t care either way. It’s only fair to start the “Watch” section of my blog with that hell of a series.

I have to admit I never played Fallout, but I am well aware of its world. The setting of the story, the atmosphere, the sarcastic humor, and, of course, the criticism of capitalism. As far as I can say, all of that is perfectly matched in the show. Maybe that’s why I like the world of Portal so much and vice versa the Fallout series; I see a lot of parallels here. Maybe I should give the Fallout game a try after all. And what I heard is, there’s a big run on Fallout 76. Or to say it with a quote from the show: “There’s a lot of earning potential with the end of the world.” But I am a chronological kind of guy and will start with the very first Fallout game.

Also, the soundtrack, the cast, and the special effects are very aligned with the overall quality of the writing and the story. Now I can’t wait for season two. But that takes time. And time brings me back to Fallout (Spoiler ahead), because “time is the ultimate Weapon. That is how we will win the great game of capitalism. Not by outfighting anyone, but by outliving them.”

I just loved these 8 episodes, and the more subtle message of the show: After all, the Ghoul is the most human of them all.