Kien Navarro Exactly the movie you think it is, but not the movie you want it to be.

Derrick Gibbons An old-fashioned movie made with new-fashioned finesse.

Zlatica One of the worst ways to make a cult movie is to set out to make a cult movie.

Caryl It is a whirlwind of delight --- attractive actors, stunning couture, spectacular sets and outrageous parties. It's a feast for the eyes. But what really makes this dramedy work is the acting.

timcurryis god I can understand that viewers would enjoy a well written, entertaining show. It's usually a bit suspenseful. A great cast. But what's galling is the preoccupation with abject jingoist sentiments and imperialist revisionist history in nearly every other scene. But then, that's also completely predictable for U.S. television, I suppose. With each military crisis or conflict, the entirety of U.S. history and complicity in anything ever is completely ignored. It might have been more M*A*S*H like in legacy if the writing had gone deeper, beyond refraining jingoist and imperialist lie after lie after myth after myth. For example in season three the Israel/ Palestine conflict is addressed with the same old tired b.s. as IF the IDF weren't regularly massacring Palestinians (to this day as well), as if the house demolitions weren't occurring (and ongoing to this day). When if any of the reality of the now 50+ years of illegal, brutal military occupation of the West Bank and Gaza, if any of the actually occurring apartheid and ethnic cleansing had been addressed, this series would have seemed more real. That's one example but you get the picture, same w/ crises on this show involving Mexico, Haiti, etc. anywhere the U.S. has undermined local economies to destroy the society and make other places mere colonies of U.S. empire....is painted in this series as "evil," etc.... quite shallow and very disappointing in this regard. In comparison (and I suppose I compare it to M*A*S*H because the cast is great and the writing is good, etc. and it has to do w/ U.S. government/ military in a kind of dramatic way)....in comparison M*A*S*H (t.v. show; not the movie) although more of a "comedy," allowed for more reality to enter in. For example, addressing the jingoism of "Colonel Flag" and "Major Frank Burns," and addressing the hardships suffered by the local population as a result of U.S. military actions, even giving the "enemy" soldiers a very human face, addressing McCarthyism, etc. The legacy of this series could have been more important. But now, it's on the historical shelves alongside pro-imperialist "rah-rah! USA!" type shows. Disappointing. For example season 3 episode 19 is so full of self-congratulatory jingoism that it strains credulity. In addition to reoccurring racist appropriation and anti-African sentiments within the script. In fact, this show is racist af in many instances including C.J. getting "upset" over Affirmative Action (which by the way benefits we white women moreso than anyone else) and literally says her father was "passed over" b/c "less qualified Black women" got the jobs he was hoping to get. Just wow. How did someone actually think that was appropriate? Other examples of thinly veiled racism and anti-African sentiment occur throughout the series, but such things are fairly ubiquitous in U.S. television for the most part, so this series is no exception. And I can't tell if the show about "crazy Zionists get upset that map from the 18th century didn't include the non-extant Israel" was satire or for real. Just amazing; literally an historical map is "banned" b/c it "doesn't recognize Israel" which didn't exist at that time. This show is really good at one thing: showing w/ accuracy how insidiously heinous liberals are, and how full of nonsense our notions about so- called "freedom" and "democracy" (i.e. killing innocents the globe over for centuries) are; and how this is sadly taught to each new generation.Season 5, episode 21, "Gaza." The unapologetic Zionism and anti- Palestinian sentiment; forever painting the oppressed Palestinians as "terrorists" while abjectly ignoring the never-ending aerial bombardments upon the imprisoned people of Gaza, the illegal occupation of Gaza and the West Bank by Israel, the home demolitions, destruction of infrastructure, hospitals, fuel stations, water supply inflicted upon the Palestinian population by Israel and IDF. One character says flippantly: "Displaced? Palestinians moved what~ 15, 20 miles?" wow, yeah; and some to the sea and their death; and not "moved;" forcibly displaced, just wow re: the Nakba. And the other character says: "You know after 50 years, one option might be to 'get over it." Just effing wow, what the hell? Just "get over" the forcible displacement of an entire people from their homes; and the ongoing terror launched against them by IDF w/ U.S. funding? It's still going on; that's why you don't "get over it." And this episode centers its plot around the a white whitehouse aid who is injured, possibly killed in a car bombing; but devotes not one second to the massive and indiscriminate, deadly violence unleashed upon Gaza and the West bank decade, after decade, after decade, continuing during the airing of this show and up to the present day. This is just one example of the gross jingoism and white nationalism woven into each episode of this show. Again, I know, not surprising but it might have aimed higher, ala M*A*S*H.

rzajac The West Wing (TWW) is an amazing product. It was assembled meticulously and accomplishes its various missions. I love some of those missions and hold others out at arms' length.It's fun and frolicsome. I can't think of another theatrical product about which I can simultaneously say that it was an enormous make-work program for talented artistic people, and that I'd not have it any other way. All the pieces fall into place, and you're swept along with the pageantry.I can also see that the producers and directors had a prime directive: To maintain just enough aesthetic distancing so as to avoid an accusation of pedestalizing figures who are, after all, functionaries in a democratic republic--that is to say, doing the boring, plodding work of building, tweaking, and managing the systems that make it possible for folks to conduct their lives, and do it so well that folks are unencumbered by the intrusive shadow presences of the architects of those systems.But, dammit, the story arcs and portrayals occasionally fly under my radar and niggle their ways into the tabernacle of my heart. And when that happens, I resent the producers for falling off that side of the tightrope and letting something like emotional propaganda leak out of the process.But, in the end, it's my call. I decide how to metabolize the product. And I generally wind up a little smarter about the basic outline of real-world governance, and rather in awe of the vision, and its highly reticulated production, which produced such an amazing theatrical product.Enjoy it. But watch yourself, in the process! Don't let it convince you for a second that you're watching The Lives of the Secular Saints!

Tracy Winters Just because a show smothers the audience with layers of 'technical' dialogue doesn't mean it is particularly 'worthwhile'; it's only a form of 'shock tactics' where the political vernacular script-writing zooms over and past the viewer's heads as they sit there in dumb silence, the gullible ones thinking, "Gosh, this show is soooo good!".While many film-making errors abound, virtually none of the characters possess any semblance of charm. The president (boastfully played by Martin Sheen) is a bombastic know-it-all.... in other words, he's an annoying little sh*t. Flanking his constantly unprofessional demeanor is an ever-changing trio of arrogant blow-hards.This little TV item drips with Hollywood liberalism (what else is new?) while stocked to the high ceilings with an incessant stream of anti-Republican propaganda.... with no rebuttal, of course.View a couple of episodes, and when you decide it's for the democratic birds, you can tune out forever knowing that your interest shall not have died in vain.

inoe-1 A character in "Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip" makes a statement that, to me, describes both movies and TV, "Writing rules" and no greater example is the body of work created by Aaron Sorkin. In the "The West Wing" writing is mated with a once-in-a-generation cast to produce the perfect television series, at least within current technology (I'll watch "My Mother the Car" if it feels like I'm actually there, well…).The natural way those words come from those mouths gives believability to their story; it was common conversation regarding uncommon situations. Yet, at base, every situation dealt with universal problems we humans have. What made this a pleasure was watching these people react like we hope we would in similar situations; like we hope our leaders do in such situations. People giving for the common good, in spite of what it may cost them, because it's the right thing to do.What saves TWW from being some strange morality play is that this pill is covered by a beautiful, melodic, positive candy coating. The words almost sing at times; Aaron Sorkin writes fast-paced, almost clipped, dialogue that leads inexorably word to word. Imagine "American Pie" (the song!) where you may not know all the words, but you like the way they fit together. Give it a couple episodes and you'll be fine or, do what I did, love Shakespeare first. Much is made of Sorkin's writing,as much has been made of this cast. You don't hand out Emmys to a bunch of script readers. TWW, in 2000, won Emmys for Outstanding Art Direction for a Single Camera Series, Outstanding Casting for a Drama Series, Outstanding Cinematography for a Single Camera Series,Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series, Outstanding Main Title Theme Music, Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series, Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series, Outstanding Drama Series, and Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series; they were nominated for Outstanding Costumes for a Series, Outstanding Single Camera Picture Editing for a Series, Outstanding Single Camera Picture Editing for a Series, Outstanding Main Title Design, Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series, Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series,Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series, Outstanding Sound Mixing for a Drama Series, and Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series. How many others shows really needed to be there? In total, not just Emmys, 113 wins and 217 nominations. So, when I say this is the best TV has ever produced, I'm not alone. The actors have been both blessed and cursed by their participation in TWW. Whenever we see any of them in another show or movie, we turn and say, "Hey, it's Josh" or Sam, C.J.,Donna, whomever. They've become icons of a sort. In a few years they'll look different enough that we'll stop, but it's probably tough for them now. When a very prominent character really passed away, it felt like a friend passed. I tear up now just thinking about it. In this review I tried to present a case for new viewers to give TWW a try; so I worked hard to keep anything remotely like a spoiler out. The review is purposely facile as a result, but every one I tried that included characters became a novella (tough way to find out there's a word limit). I did this because TWW is an important show for Americans to watch (everyone really, but especially Americans). Sorkin is an unabashed idealist, an American idealist. His best writing comes in political situations; where he deals with morality in government. We see attributes of Washington, Lincoln, and Truman in Sorkin's characters; we hear words we pray our leaders say in real life. They question, they challenge, they know America is not a thing, but an idea that must be cherished every day because, in the end, it remains the last, best hope for mankind.