Reviews of Papillon and The Alto Knights

They're an odd bunch, movie reviewers. Those who do it for a living. I sometimes wonder if we've watched the same movie when I read their reviews. More often than not, we are not on the same page. I wonder too sometimes if they have an axe to grind. They find fault with so many things that I would never consider important in a million years. I guess they're trained that way. Or perhaps they've seen so many subpar movies that they have a hard time identifying a good one. 

Cases in point. I recently watched the 2017 remake of Papillon with Charlie Hunnam and Rami Malek, and the 2025 film The Alto Knights with Robert De Niro. I liked them both and gave them good ratings on IMDB. Other viewers seem to have liked them as well, since Papillon has a 7.2 rating and The Alto Knights comes in at 5.9. But the critics? They were not impressed with either film. Brian Tallerico of RogerEbert.com wrote about Papillon: “You know something has gone wrong when you want the hero to escape simply so that the movie can be over (quoting Roger Ebert's comments about the original directly). At least that aspect of the original (from 1973) and the remake remains intact." He gave the film 2/4 stars. His is just one of several negative reviews. The Alto Knights doesn't fare much better. Robert Daniels of RogerEbert.com gave the film 2/4 stars and wrote: "But as a gangster film, “The Alto Knights” does little more than putter along, taking in very few new or interesting sights along the way."  

I don't agree with either reviewer. Both films are based on true stories, although I would add, probably loosely-based, at least with Papillon. Papillon is the story of a Frenchman framed for a murder he didn't commit and sent to a horrible prison in French Guiana from which he (and a few fellow prisoners) tries to escape twice, both unsuccessfully, and then finally to Devil's Island from which he does manage to escape. He forms a tight bond with a fellow prisoner, and that aspect lends the film some kindness in the midst of the brutality all around them. They help each other all the way. I found the story touching despite the misery and seediness of prison life. I rooted for both to escape. I didn't find the film too long, and I thought the acting was very good. The film told a good story, was entertaining, and well-acted, hence my liking it and giving it a good rating (4/5 stars). 

Ditto for The Alto Knights. Robert De Niro did a very good job playing two roles--mafia bosses Frank Costello and Vito Genovese (Costello overtook the boss role from Genovese, who escaped to Italy to avoid prison for years before returning to the States wanting to resume his former boss role). Debra Messing did a very good job as Costello's wife Bobbie. The reviewers focused mostly on the dual role aspect; they weren't fans of it. It was sometimes a bit confusing to tell the two men apart, but I got used to their different looks so that ultimately it didn't bother me. The movie had enough action to keep me interested, and the story was engaging. The rivalry between two men of very different temperaments, friends from childhood, was well-presented. I don't think that the movie 'puttered along'. I'm not sure what the reviewers were hoping for--more blood and guts? More insane behavior a la The Sopranos? More sex? It's hard to know nowadays. 

It's a good thing that movie writers and directors don't make films for reviewers and don't let themselves be stopped or stifled by negative reviews. It's a good thing that they continue in the face of daunting odds. What a dull world it would be without movies. 

Making sense of what cannot be explained or proved

Interesting sermon today at mass given by one of the more enlightened priests in our parish. He has won over a lot of parishioners with his short, concise and relevant sermons, and with his ability to lead a straightforward mass without a lot of 'extras' (singing half the mass in Latin, a long drawn-out liturgy, boring sermons that merely repeat the gospel message). This is the way you get people on board with attending mass. It tells me that it is not necessary to subject people to boring sermons and an exaggerated liturgy. There is room for hymns and music, yes, but there should be room for a mass or two each week that is short and to the point. 

The sermon today had to do with faith--belief in some of the things that the church teaches, for example, the Trinity. Or that communion is the intake of the body and blood of Christ. He stressed that the latter is not just a symbolic idea. I've always wondered about this, because it is one of the things that makes Catholicism different from Protestantism. I've accepted certain Catholic theological ideas on faith alone, because there is no proving what we say we believe in. And that was the priest's point. We live in a world that wants proof, wants to measure and define everything, a world that wants explanations for all things related to religious faith. But in other areas of our lives, we 'accept' things that are impossible to explain, define or prove. So why should our religious beliefs be any different than what we accept on faith when we talk about love, trust, fidelity, and hope. We believe in love, in the existence of love, and while doing so, we accept that love exists with zero proof that it actually exists. We cannot really define it or explain it. We feel it, we know it to be true with our rational minds, but we cannot prove its existence. And yet we fall in love, marry, are faithful to our partners, and trust that our partners are faithful to us. We build lives based on hope, another intangible entity. The lives we live, based on love, fidelity, trust and hope reflect the existence of these things, but they are not scientific proof of them. 

This made so much sense to me. It was a perfect example of someone saying something so wise and so relevant that it will stick with you forever. It makes it easier to accept some ideas on faith alone without needing proof of them. I can accept this as a scientist, because I learned that even in science, there were thousands of things that we could not explain. But we like to believe we can explain most everything. We cannot. Some things, like religious ideas, love, fidelity, trust and hope, we must accept on faith alone without being able to define them.  

The daily dose

The daily dose of negativity, anger, rage, hubris, narcissism and curse-filled criticism spewed out on social media platforms and on news platforms of all kinds. The continual harassment that never stops and never leads anywhere. Daily haranguing of normal ordinary people who just want to go about their business and not have to deal with a rage-filled vengeful old man's problems. Because let's face it; he's old. He's more than a grumpy old man at this point; there are enough of them in the world. He is a breed apart. Every time he shows up on tv or in my social media feeds, every time there is 'something important, some crisis', yet again, that he just has to share with us, I turn the channel, close social media, turn the page. I block him out. I don't want to hear his voice or see his face. I don't want to see the faces of his family either. I don't want to have anything to do with him or them. I don't want those close to me to even talk about him, but of course that's not possible to expect.

A destructive force. A destroyer of peace of mind, calmness, clarity and rational thinking. He is chaos defined, with no focus and no real aims except to destroy others. He is a cause of anxiety in normal ordinary loving people. I ask the question that I've asked of several of his supporters--how would you like it if your husband, wife, or children behaved toward you like he does toward others? How would you like it if you got shut down every time you opened your mouth, told you were ugly or stupid, told you were useless? I never get an answer. Because there isn't one. His behavior qualifies as emotional and psychological abuse, nothing more and nothing less. I know, because I've experienced this type of abuse, many years ago. But for some reason, his supporters tolerate it. Why?

The USA is 250 years old this year. I was hoping for some positive celebrations of its history, some presentations of the historical experiment that is the country. I don't see much emphasis on a presentation of our history. I guess Americans have to settle for professional wrestling and car racing. I have nothing against either. I just thought that this birthday would be a great opportunity to teach young people the importance of preserving democracy, free speech, and non-partisan political behavior  and of putting one's country first--looking out for the common good. I'm not sure if young people even know what that means anymore--the common good. Who can blame them if they don't know--they've grown up in a society that worships money, greed and consumerism. That's why it would be important to show another side of the country--the side inhabited by decent citizens who work hard, raise their families, all without needing to attract attention to themselves 24/7. The salt-of-the-earth types who are what make the USA great. They can be of either political persuasion in my book, as long as they keep a civil tongue in their heads. We need to make America civil and respectful again. That's a tall order but not an impossible one. Miracles do happen (the new pope is one of them). 

Some nice reviews of my book about growing up in Tarrytown

Today I thought I'd promote my book about growing up in Tarrytown New York by posting two reviews that it's garnered on Amazon. For those of you who might be interested in reading it, here's the link to the book:

A Town and A Valley: Growing Up in Tarrytown and the Hudson Valley: De Angelis, Paula Mary: 9798842022946: Amazon.com: Books

And here are the reviews: 

• 

  Kathy

  5 out of 5 stars

  Lovely book about the town I grew up in and the beautiful Hudson Valley.

  Reviewed in the United States on September 25, 2023

  Format: Paperback

  Verified Purchase

  This book was written with a lovely nostalgic/historic viewpoint. Since I also grew up and went to school in Tarrytown and Sleepy Hollow NY it was very relatable. There are so many great places around the beautiful Hudson Valley and the author has much to share from her historic research!

• 

  Brian C. Browne

  5 out of 5 stars

  A Lovely Read

  Reviewed in the United States on October 24, 2025

  Format: Paperback

  This is a big hearted and poignant book about a small village on the east bank of the Hudson River.

  Written by a grade school classmate of mine who lived in Tarrytown as a child and teenager, it is personal and beautifully written. A must read for anyone with a connection to Tarrytown.

All about robins (the European ones)

I follow several Facebook pages having to do with European robins. These robins are the smaller versions of their North-American counterparts, and in my opinion, much cuter. They are also quite friendly to humans. I think they understand that kind humans are a good food source, especially during the winter. But they are more than smart. They are curious creatures, as I've experienced when I'm working in my garden. The one that visited my garden last year (up to late December) hung around, watching what I did. He hopped up to me, standing in front of me as if to say 'I'm here', wandered around the greenhouse, and let me feed him and take photos of him. He never landed on my finger, but we were very close to that point. I fell in love with him. There is another robin that visits now; I can tell because the new one has several black markings on his chest, unlike the previous one. 

I don't know what happened to my little friend from last year. I'd like to think he's doing well and visiting other gardens, but my gut instinct tells me that he has passed. Whether it was a natural death (the mortality statistics for the first year of an European robin's life are poor) or death by cat, crow or magpie, I will never know. Perhaps the new one who visits now is his son or daughter. I'd like to think so. They tend to remain in one place, and our allotment garden is filled with many interesting gardens to visit. There is an abundance of worms and insects--a smorgasbord for birds of all kinds. 

I'm reposting the post I wrote in December 2025 about my little robin friend. I will always treasure the time I had with him. He appeared in my life right before I had a major operation, and as they say online 'robins appear when loved ones are near'. I'd like to think that he was channeling all those whom I loved who have passed and were rooting for a successful operation. In any case, he appeared at a time in my life when I needed him. 

A New Yorker in Oslo: My little garden friend