tymon_tm

Forget all those 'feel good' movies or comedy shows - for relaxing times, make it Stanley Tucci time...

this show is like Italian cuisine - simple yet beautiful, tasty yet very low-key. Walking with Tucci from joint to joint, re-discovering all those (in theory) familiar tastes is soothing and relaxing, and it leaves you with even greater appetite both for food, and for life in general.

Stanley Tucci himself strikes me as a reasonably (he's still a holywood star, mind you) humble guy, who still has this grip on reality, that is frequently, if not always, absent in people of certain status. There are no coerced laughs, no forced bonding, but we get a lot of "human touch" on this very basic, and - especially today - so much desired level. And I believe the credit goes equally to Tucci and all the people he meets along the way.

Combined with breathless shots, great recipes (most of them you can try to recreate at home... to a certain level of course) it's the ultimate show to relax, have a laugh or two, and regain some of that positivity that's definitely been lost during last 12+ months...

If you think about it, It's not the most original story, the main arc is 'same 'ol story', and the events are often easily predictable. yet, it's more rewarding than most of those ambitious, artsy shows, that want to seem to be too inteligent for you. Queen's Gambit has this "movie of the day" vibe, but delivers with top quality. it's most likely one of the best shows to binge watch, you'll likely feel rewarded after seven episodes straight, regreting it's only a mini-series..

the biggest applauze is due to lead actress, playing Beth, who's not just "pretty" or good looking etc. the way she and creators were able to portray her as sort of a Lolita, but without the sex angle (if that's even possible - well, guess it is!) is simply hipnotizing. her development throughout seven episodes is gentle, yet noticeable. and you can see that in her acting, these little expressions, tone of her voice, or that hair...she's a Joy to watch. namely, Anya Taylor-Joy.

TRS was probably never meant to be another take at Bond?Jack Reacher or god forbidd - M:I genre. not that those movies are bad - they do deliver, but (apart from Casino Royale, at least in most parts) in a rather 'out of touch kind' of way. if anything, imho it was steered more towards Spy Games, perhaps with a tad more psychological touch.

so has it worked out? yes and no. the movie could've benefitet from a bit more screening time - the first part takes time to develop the story, but once the main action kicks in, it ends quickly. I'd love to see more about Lively's character, Stephanie, development as an assasin/spy, although her first 'job' was really done well (cinematicly speaking). this movie was evidently cut to fit a given timeframe, and that leaves us with wanting to know and experience more about Stephanie.

same goes with Jude Law's character, that's insturmental but the movie doesn't really even scratch the surface of this possibly very interesting and deep character. the mystery man behind the bombings - that was too fast too easy too. we haven't really got to know them, which is a shame really.

at this point it would only be a 6, maybe 7-star movie, but Blake Lively made all the difference. her acting is superb, I had so much pleasure watching her playing without any false note. I hope this role is a breakthrough in her career, because she clearly can achieve greatness. it's easily a 9-star performance.

there were complaints about camera work or directing here too - well, I really liked how certain scenes were filmed, especially the car chase, where a 'shaky' camera corresponded well with Stephanie's clear lack of skills, confusion and sort of helplessness. I like how she's being portrayed throughout the whole film, having this semi-detached experession of hers collapsing into insecurity and fear in a matter of a single frame.

I bet if rewievs were kinder, this could be a start of a really solid franchise. I'd really like to see a more inteligent take on the genre, without a trillion-dollar budget, and all those "breathtaking" silly stunts, and mostly - a female lead character. but I guess my wish won't materialize, and I wonder how different viewers' and critics' response would've been, if this was another story about an ex-marine played by Wahlberg, Statham or someone like that...

anyway, 6/7 for the film alone and 9 for Blake Lively make it 7,5-8 in my book. it's by far the best action/drama movie I've seen in a very long time, and one I'll definitely miss not having a follow-on.