October 30th, 2023

Oslo: I had mentioned that I was planning to provide a more full review of the 2021 movie of the play Oslo. It stars Ruth Wilson and Andrew Scott, both known UK actors. They play real-life Norweigian couple Mona Juul and Finn Grandal. The inspiration from checking out this film was first the atrocities that occurred on October 7th between Israel and Palestine as initiated by the Hamas government, a self proclaimed terrorist organization that is committed to wiping Israel and its people from the earth. I know so very little about the history and the region that I watched a Youtube by UK academic, diplomat, author, broadcaster, former soldier and former politician Rory Stewart. Within his 10 Minute explanation of the history between the two peoples, he had mentioned the book and play Oslo. So I wanted to better inform myself.

Back in late 1992, and into 1993, this Norweigian couple had heard that the peace talks between Israel and Palestine had gotten nowhere after years of trying, and they suggest internally another approach. Their idea is a smaller group, more one and one and have a discussion that can start with recognizing both parties as human, with families and history but more importantly discussions about high level principles. Once a base line can be established then perhaps have more higher level diplomats get involved. They also wanted to keep this low profile without the cameras and press involved. There is a lot of merit in this. There is some early tension between the parties, but some small gestures help (with a shared enjoyment of food as well as being well lubricated with liquor). They make greater strides than any of the more well known discussions elsewhere.

I don’t profess to say that this two hours makes me an expert, however I can see as an independent person with no vested skin in the game, that both sides are very passionate and that hard compromises were made to make significant strides back in the early 1990s. All that they negotiated was lost on October 7th, now thirty years later. A fragile peace, such as it was, all but obliterated in images that few can deny didn’t change them. The epilogue of the film shows yet again that even the best intentioned people cannot control the more radical elements within their country. In the words of The Dark Knight’s Alfred, when speaking about The Joker “…some men just want to watch the world burn”.

So, in summary, this is worth checking out with good performances as you can see how impassioned the players involved were and are, and how they were able through compromise, hard work, a commitment to a peace and co-existing that progress can be made. It is easy to be the naysayer poking holes in work being done by others to make a difference, it is the visionary who can see that longer journies take many steps with incremental growth. One hopes that new visionaries can be found to take up the charge that this Norweigian couple undertook to try to find common ground once again and avoid a prolonged war which can only cause more death, more pain and worldwide heartache.

Joker (revisited): I did re-watch Joker with Jacquin Phoenix to see having finished The King of Comedy whether it made any difference in my overall assessment for it with a passage of time and a different viewing lens. I stand by my original review from October 21st, 2019.

Here was the initial assessment from Alison from back in 2019:

Joker is no joke. I’m going to resist comparing Joaquin’s performance to that of Heath Ledger because they are incomparable in that they represent a pinnacle performance for each actor. Joaquin’s transformation into this character was complete right down to his frighteningly emaciated frame and the physical stress the projection of the Joker laugh and unnatural run took on his frail person. Performance aside Joker is a dark, depressing and surly poetry that you can’t help but stare at. Its engaging from start to finish and as an origins story provided both the story of Joker and the Batman – two of the more prominent ‘superhero’ characters that have no special powers other than their menacing mindsets. The film is well directed by Todd Phillips, who I had to look up to learn he’s best known for The Hangover franchise, and his offering here is to the standard set by Christopher Nolan. Is it worth seeing if you’re not in the comic book movie scene? Yes, albeit on the small screen. Fans of the genre will be best served on the big screen.

But I add to this, that Phillips most definitely borrowed from the themes of Martin Scorsese in both Taxi Driver and The King of Comedy, both starring Robert De Niro in memorable performances. Within Joker, there is the scene with Phoenix standing in front of the TV with his gun. It channels the “Are you talkin’ to me?” speech from Taxi Driver. There are other film references, like Phoenix having to yell back to his Mom who he lives with, much like Rupert Pupkin. Of course there is the tie-in to the Johnny Carson Comedy network show, where De Niro becomes the star, rather than the wannabe.

But Joker goes further with the Batman story and tying into the demise of Bruce Wayne’s parents along with being that backstory to the Joker character. You learn about the uncontrollable laughter condition that he carries along with his extreme thin frame, which eerily mirrors Robert De Niro (Raging Bull or The Untouchables) and Christian Bale (The Fighter or The Machinist) in other roles for these method actors who are embodying their characters fully. Phoenix gives an extraordinary performance, which really can’t be compared to Heath Ledger. I still prefer Ledger overall. I am not sure whether the pieces still fit into that Batman story timeline, especially with a young Bruce Wayne, but that doesn’t matter. As a piece of art, and a performance this stands on its own. But it is an interesting turn to view with fresh eyes, with a different perspective, the exact same film. Joker is a dark character, with a dark history. I am certain that more stories with the Joker involved will continue because he can be so compelling.

October 23, 2023

The King of Comedy: On October 21st, 2019, I reviewed the new release of Jacquin Phoenix’s Joker. My older brother posted of this blog the following:

I saw Joker last night with my daughter – I enjoyed it more than she did. I don’t think you & your friend Allison really got the point – it wasn’t a comic book movie. It really was an homage to the Martin Scorcese & Robert De Niro movies of the 1970’s Taxi Driver, and especially the King of Comedy (with De Niro now playing the talk show host), using the familiar Batman origin story as a back drop.

I get the reference now. I had never seen the 1982 Scorsece picture with Robert De Niro, and Jerry Lewis. Since I hadn’t seen The King of Comedy at that time it was something I didn’t understand it. I do now. In truth, I think that this movie takes away from some of what I felt was effective in Joker.

Scorsese and De Niro have worked together 10 times, with some of the best movies from the last 50 years. In 1976 they worked on Taxi Driver, and then 1980 was Raging Bull. This was the next picture for Scorsese. De Niro plays a 32yo wanna-be comedian, Rupert Pupkin, who is obsessed with fame and with the local Johnny Carson talk show personality named Jerry Langford played well by Jerry Lewis. Crowds follow Jerry everywhere, especially after the taping of his shows. Pupkin hangs around the back stage with the hopes of engaging with Jerry. His chance comes where an obsessive fan, played Sarah Bernhard, jumps into Jerry’s limo and accosts him. After she is removed, Pupkin enters and offers to Jerry that he is comedian and thinks he should be on the next show. Jerry politely tells Pupkin to call “his people” in the hopes that this encounter is over. It continues as Pupkin looks to use a little crack of hope, to more a more invasive engagement with Jerry. The culmination of this happens in a dramatic scene with Jerry at his home. An interesting sidenote is that the woman playing the bartender Pupkin is looking to impress was De Niro’s actual first wife, Diahnne Abbott. Pupkin takes on incredible actions to see that he has his moment of fame on Jerry’s show.

Those who have seen Joker, will recognize this plot structure. Robert De Niro plays the Jerry character TV show host named Murray Franklin. Phoenix plays Arthur Fleck who wants his chance, and although Fleck’s opportunity comes about in a different way, there many homages to this original film. I am amazed at the 1983 scensibilites for things such as security which are very different now then they were back then. Can you imagine the police, let alone the TV network, allowing Pupkin to carry on with what he does? The point can only be seen by allowing it for the ending, but it simply wouldn’t happen. Fame is a funny thing, and even more so in a world with social media which didn’t exist back in 1983. There is social commentary about fame, but also talent, and how someone is able to get noticed and become known, as well as people with fame that you need to better understand your challenges with interacting with those that you regard as your fans. John Lennon was assassinated on the streets of NYC just three years before this movie was released.

Better Call Saul, Season 5: I finished the fifth season of this series, and remark how much more engaging it is in these final episodes than it was early on. Much like Breaking Bad, this is a slow burn. You as the audience must see the backstory of Jimmy McGill. Also see the backstory of Mike Ehrmantraut, the retired cop who was Gus Fring’s head of security.

In this season, Jimmy/Saul are being pulled in two completely different directions. On one side there is Kim Wexler, his partner, prfoessionally and personally, and his greatest supporter along with the legitimate legal system that he fought so hard to return to. On the other side, there is this growing relationship with the drug cartel that has been slowly creeping into his life. However distateful there is large sums that can be made, but it comes at a price. How much oif who he is, is he willing to sacrifice?

This was a very good season. Great writing and performances. Both Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul have personalities who are generally good people, but who through circumstance or otherwise can do very questionable things. They let their humanity go, in the name of whatever is driving them. The audience can see the choices that Jimmy/Saul has made, and continues to make, and we just collectively shake our head. We also see Mike experiencing the same ethical challenges. I like the characters. I like the circumstances that surround them, and even though I know that this is a prequel, and that the main characters are going to survive, you are still wondering “how are they going to get out of this one?” Much like Jesse and Walter. I don’t equate Better Call Saul with Breaking Bad on the best TV series scale but it still very good TV. I will continue to watch for the sixth and final season.

October 16th, 2023

So today is my Dad’s 85th birthday. I think it deserves some recognition. He is doing well all things being equal, and I am a very lucky guy to have him, and my other parents still around. At this age, this is a bonus. So thanks Dad for being there, and always caring.

The Mauritanian: This movie was released in 2021, and when I saw early trailers I was impressed by the cast who included Jodie Foster, Benedict Cumberbatch, Shailene Woodley, among others. This is a dramatization based upon a book and true story from the young man who was detained at Guantanimo Bay (GITMO) in Cuba. The timing is two months post 9/11 the United States is aggressively pursuing those who were involved in the terrorist attacks of that fateful day. Mohamedou Ould Slahi is taken from his home in Mauritania (in Africa, yes I had to look it up too. It is on the west coast of Africa near Senegal). He is detained in various countries to start, but is never told under what charge he is being held. He ends up at the US Military base and held where the US authorities are looking to seek the death penalty in his trial. The unknown allegation to him was espionage, and specifically he was alleged to have actively recruited for Osama Bin Laden the pilots who flew into the twin towers.

After an extended stay at GITMO, the US Supreme Court had held that detainees had the right to habeus corpus which is allowing them to be brought before a judge and to know the charges against them and to face their accuser, or to be released. Enter Jodie Foster and Shailene Woodley, attorneys from a firm in New Mexico which heard about this case in passing. Foster is the senior partner, and Woodley the associate. They have an uphill battle. On the State’s side, there is Benedict Cumberbatch who is a motivated government lawyer, and a naval aviator, who wants to have someone pay for the attacks on the US. However motivated he is, he is still very much a lawyer who believes in due process and ensuring that the prosecution has fully discharged their duty. The cat and mouse story of legal proceeding shows the challenges when the prosecution is not interested in fully showing what they have done. However predictable the story is, and what the viewer anticpates will happen, when you finally see it, it’s unsettling and disturbing. As a lawyer I have a hard time understanding the actions of some of those involved. If you have ever wondered how in WWII, the German people were able to be willing part of genocide and the extermination of the Jews, you get some further into human behaviour and not just German behaviour.

This story is also very timely for me to watch with current world news in Israel with Palestine on the Gaza strip. What intrigues me is how governments can use horrific events (and make no mistake that the events as they have been desribed by the Hamas are inhuman, having no place in human interaction) to then justify the cessation of basic rights that citizens and humans expect in any conflict. In this situation, the US chose to ignore basic rights of due process. They were convinced by sketchy evidence (a phone call from Bin Laden’s international phone to Slahi), and they sought to obtain any information he may have by any means. The evidence would then be used in a case against him. The lawyers are entering the story well after the military interrogations took place. There are moments in the faces from Foster and Cumberbatch when they are finally reading the details of what had occured at this sight, which show the viewer everything you need to know. But like any detention camp, there are workers there; guards, cooks, officers, people engaged in transporting the detainees. So how much did they know? How secretive can you be when loved ones are asking questions? Ultimately when it comes to government actions, one would hope that the rule of law, due process, the Geneva Convention and human rights would be observed by all. What is the probitive value of a confession that is coerced? Is this admissible in court? Should it be? How much lack of due process should a court be willing to accept? These are all really good questions that beg for answers as this story unfolds. Should a person be able to be held without a charge for over a decade, no matter how powerful the nation or how strong their desire for retribution for a heinous act committed against them? But should the search for “somebody” mean that “anybody” can do?

As an aside GITMO has been around since March 2022 in its present form and was a creature of George W Bush and Dick Cheney. President Obama stated that he would close Gitmo but never did. The number of detainees was substantially reduced from 250 to 41. President Biden has also committed to close it, but hasn’t taken any active steps to do so.

October 9th, 2023

Gran Turismo: I have to admit that I didn’t have very high expectations for this movie. Most movies or shows based upon video games typically are not very compelling. I had seen a preview for this movie before watching Oppenheimer or Top Gun Maverick or the like and didn’t come away very impressed. But, I had an opportunity to view it and my take away is that it didn’t suck.

The premise is pretty simple: Nissan car company wants to sell more cars and they are pitched by a guy, played by Orlando Bloom in a role reminiscent of his prior role in Elizabethtown, who says that there are millions of gamers out there, and Nissan should offer a “once in a lifetime” shot for the elite players in the popular game Gran Turismo to actually drive a race car. They buy it, much to Bloom’s character’s surprise. Now he needs to seek out the driving veteran who can teach these young drivers, after they compete in an online contest, to teach them how to actually drive at 300 km/h. Enter Stranger Things‘ David Harbour. Think the Robert Duvall character from Days of Thunder with Tom Cruise’s Cole Trickle.

The movie is chock full of every movie cliche that you can imagine, for example the young principal driver named Jann Mardenborough (played by Archie Madekwe) is a gamer with parents who just want him “to get a real job” and “don’t waste your life away with silly dreams”. The second cliche being grizzled veteran David Harbour who thinks this is a publicity stunt, and that drivers are elite athletes who have world class skills that these gamers just don’t have. He isn’t willing to put his reputation nor his life into their hands. Do they both manage to get over it? Of course they do!

Is there a villian? Naturally a jerk driver from another team, who chock full of money and attitude, is the Captain Ivan Drago from Rocky fame. The cold, aggressive, bullying, cocky established driver that David Harbour can’t stand. Is there a challenge to overcome? Well naturally and it won’t surprise the viewer to see that it comes from Days of Thunder and Top Gun as well.

However with all that said, was I entertained? Yes. Of course much of the racing looks and feels like the video game as you expect with markers showing you the place of the young driver as we go. Often it looks like it comes straight from the video game itself, which is very realistic. But the young man is good. He shows uncertainty and some fear for what he is doing, which is entirely expected. If you haven’t driven in a car going this fast, you quickly see why this is so intimidating. He handles it all very well. There is a love interest which doesn’t really impact the story. I have to admit that the very ending credits were surprising and welcome. So overall I enjoyed this. I didn’t see it on the big screen at a theatre and don’t feel as though I missed much. Funny I felt more compelled to see Ford v Ferrari in the theatre and recommended that to all readers. This not so much. I think that the sound in FvF was much better, as is the acting.

Love is Blind Season 5: I was reading today a news item that addresses one of the elements of this version of Love Is Blind that had puzzled me a little. In previous seasons there had been more couple who get hitched and then head off to the glamourous beach hotel to see if their “physical” connection is the same as their “emotional” connection. Usually there are four or five couples who do this. In this season there were three.

In the news today, we learn that there were two other couples who actually headed down to Mexico in May this past year. One of the females has sued the producer and production company for sexual assault. So all aspects of their appearance has been wiped out. Interesting from a legal perspective, the young woman’s lawyer is claiming that the whole assault on her would have been filmed, and that the producers nor anyone affiliated with the show did anything to stop it. The show made a statement that “she signed up for the experiment, and had a contract, and knew what she was doing”. No one signs up for sexual assault of course. So it will be interesting to see how this all plays out, and if there is any settlement.

In the show itself which has at least one more episode to drop, there is plenty of drama as 30+ yo lawyer Uche is taking it upon himself to man-splain his entire postion to anyone that will listen. He had previously dated another contestant and that whole situation in my mind is one that the producer’s should have never let happen. I don’t think that it would be “an interesting wrinkle” for the contestants to handle because it is simply putting them in a no-win situation. How much of a previous relationship should you share with a bunch of strangers on a TV show, when it may never even come up if they are not heavily involved in the unfolding drama. We do find out and see it, and it’s the train wreck that you would expect. It is shameful on the producers really. These types of shows are for those who are interested in such shows. That goes without saying, but if you like these shows this one just adds to the long list of those available. This season reveals just how heavily edited a season can be, especially when two couples who went to the second stage were completely eliminated from this season, something Nick Lachey and his wife Vanessa don’t acknowledge at all. Watch at your own risk.

October 2, 2023

Meg 2: The Trench: Welcome to Fall, although in Ontario it isn’t feeling that way at all as we have an extended summer with temps in the mid 70s (F). It is beautiful out. Last night I decided to watch Meg 2, the sequel to the 2018 Jason Statham vehicle with an improbable explanation of how there could be roaming around the oceans a Megalodon (basically a super-sized great white shark). This is the sequel. The love interest for Statham isn’t in the sequel but his responsibility for a young girl remains. There is this deep part of the ocean that it was beleived to be a solid floor, but in the first version it was found to be this opaque barrier that kept below it another sea of prehistoric creatures, including the Meg.

Thos who know me, will realize that I have been since a very early age a shark fan, and I will watch movies and shows involving sharks. This one is no different. No matter how really bad that it is. Did a sequel need to be made about this? Absolutely not. Does the sequel make such sense at all? No, not really. There are necessary corporate bad people, which don’t take many moments to identify. There are the scientists, and then our hero Jason who does things that are simply impossible, like going underwater without a diving suit in the water at the bottom of the ocean. There is a bizarre explanation of him expending out the air in his lungs to address the pressure, but it doesn’t address the temperature of the water. Enough said. It is also humourous that heroes or those in their party are always master computer programmers and can instantly override a security system. There is a predictable story including with the young girl, and how it all transpires. I cannot recommend this, because the silliness factor just became way too out of hand, even if it has really large sharks. I will further state that the CGI in the creation of the sharks and the other prehistoric monsters are not up to Jurassic Park or Kong levels. So this is a hard pass.

Last Week Tonight with John Oliver: I really enjoy Last Week Tonight, and I respect John Oliver for respecting the writers and actors strike. For him, it was his writers that were on strike and he supported them. Beyond that, he went and did some stand up comedy at various locations with the proceeds to go support his crew that were off during this time.

Having been off for close to five months, rather than a week in a regular season, there were plenty of things that he could have chosen to speak about from the top. He started with Louisiana Republican Senator John Kennedy, and him speaking about book bans.

John makes this all very funny. It speaks to the kinds of ridiculous things that the government spends it time on that doesn’t really help anyone in any way, and doesn’t address why they are put into power. Without going into the politics of book bans, and whether this infringes on the right to free speech, in the end John Oliver makes an appropriate joke and ties it in well later on.

I like his humour. I am really glad to see him back on. He provides some good laughs, all the while speaking to issues of the day with some thought. Last night’s issue was Medical treatment in prisons. A touchy subject for many in a country that doesn’t have socialized medicine, and doesn’t cover everyone under the multi-private provider system. The issue of course is much more complex than that and beyond my limited understanding as a Canadian who does have socialized medicine, and people aren’t denied treatment. Glad that you are back John! I welcome your insight on many more subjects to complete this rather bizarre season.

September 25th, 2023

Love at First Sight: From the bestselling book, “The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight” comes a new Netflix release Love at First Sight. Romantic comedies are very formulaic, and generally rise or fall based on the likeability of the two actors involved, and the chemistry that they have between them. It doesn’t hurt to have a quality supporting cast with comics and misfits with their hearts in the right place.

In this tale American actress Haley Lu Richardson (Hadley) and Ben Hardy (Oliver) tell the story of a young couple who meet at JFK Airport under circumstances that might suggest that fate played a hand in it. There is a helpful angel of sorts who narrates at times to the audience, along with providing an “every person” at various turns who interacts mostly with Hadley.

Hadley is late at the airport for her flight to London for the wedding of her Dad, a second marriage, and the Meet Cute is in the waiting area with Oliver who is awaiting his flight to London. He offers her his charging cord for her phone. They talk. They get on the plane and through pure coincidence he ends up sitting with her. You aren’t surprised at this watching it unfold. Yet, in these movies, like in Serendipity with John Cusack and Kate Beckinsale, when the principal players are being just plain stupid, you start to cheer against them a little bit. In that film, the two actors don’t ask one another for a name and number, they have it written on a $5 bill and an old book, and let the fates decide. Ridiculous. In this situation, our characters after a lengthy flight where they have chemistry as they see, hadn’t thought to ask each other for a phone number or email address. Given her history, you might think that shwe would entrust this information to him. Just maybe. They become separated in London attending different functions. We learn more about their respective situations. Hadley’s Dad is getting married to a woman that she has never met. She is in the bridal party, although not too excited about it. Back and forth these two go at these events, and leaving us to wonder (not too hard) when they will get together.

The acting is okay. The father played by Rob Delaney is terrible and cheesey. Some of the lines that he has to delivery are cringy. The movie tries very hard to pull at heart strings, and when done in this way can feel like manipulation. On some levels of course all movie manipulate. This feels different. Hadley and Oliver can help one another out. This whole aspect of data in many details of life is a bit of a distraction. It explains a little bit of the behaviour but in the end the characters have to express themselves, forgive, be positive, looking forward into a new future. Sounds cheesey overall, and yes, that would be about right. If you like this genre of film, there has been better, a number of them starring Hugh Grant.

Murdaugh Murders: A Southern Scandal: Alex Murdaugh is a double murderer. He murdered his wife and younger son in cold blood on his property June 7, 2021. But I am getting ahead of myself. The Murdaugh family has been involved in scandal before back in South Carolina. Back in 2019, his son Paul was the driver of a motor boat late at night where he was drunk and had a wreck with one of the female passengers being launched from the boat into the water and drowned. The first season addressed this whole mess.

This is Season 2. This addresses the father then murdering his wife and son. Oh, and Alec was also stealing money from his law firm from his clients. He also, potentially had some kind of opiod/drug addiction. There is a lot going on in his life.

What is clear from all this is that legacy lawyer (multiple generations in the same town) felt that he was above the law. He is a terrible liar. He has the arrogance to think that going onto the stand in his own trial would allow him to persuade the jury that he was not guilty despite all the evidence mounting against him. The most damaging evidence of course being a phone video done by a family friend looking at his dog on that fateful night. I didn’t like this. I am thankful this person won’t ever see the light of day and freedom again, despite his legal petition for an appeal of his conviction. This is time I won’t ever get back, and a sad end to a very tragic story for this town impacting many more than just the immediate members of this family.

September 18, 2023

Barbie: I have finally had the opportunity to see this summer hit. What I can say is that these male based podcasters who have been offended, annoyed and amazed at the negativity towards men from this parady is quite surprising. First things first, this is a parody. It is not reality, but it reveals a great deal about our own current real world. It shows an artifical Barbie World, that runs parallel to the current world as we know it. Margot Robbie plays Barbie. Ryan Gosling plays Ken. All the male in Barbieland are named Ken. The Barbies similarly are all named Barbie, and for those who played with Barbie they will recognize some familiar characters. I did not, and so I was surprised at some of them like a Barbie in a Wheelchair (actually named “Share a Smile Becky”) and Alan, and then a “curvy” Barbie back in 2016.

So, the basic plot is less important than the commentary it makes on our current world. In short, Barbie has some very real world questions for herself, and feeling real world emotions like sadness and wondering about death. In Barbieland, this poses some challenges where every day is excellent, and is filled with women-empowered moments. Ken is an after-thought. An accessory. Ken only has a great day if Barbie looks at him. Ken has ongoing battles with other Kens. So Barbie ends up going into the real world to find her human connection. It’s hard to explain, but just go with it. Other characters get involved from the real world. Ken accompanies Barbie unexpectedly to the real world and sees how men are treated differently than in Barbieland. He returns with a new purpose. Things happen. Things change and have to be addressed by Barbie and other characters.

There are some laughs. I laughed out loud more than a couple of times, mostly at the silliness but the truth in some of the observations. Kate MacKinnon was very funny as Weird Barbie. Ryan Gosling has some really good comedic moments. It is an over-the-top performance. His laugh reminded me of Jeff Spicolli. With some affirmation from a visit to the real world, which we all know focuses on men, it brings about some new ideas for him. As the “enlightened man” among the other Kens he takes charge. I found the middle of the film losing some momentum, as there were more musical numbers than expected. The point had been made, at the time, and didn’t need to be repeated. There is some preaching as it ends with an ending that certainly leaves open the possibility for more. The reference to other films were at times really funny. Given the success at the box office, I would expect a sequel. I shudder to think where they would go with it. On its own, I had some laughs and enjoyed this. It is a good parady making some really poignant observations about our society. Worth watching.

Farming for Love: This is a CTV series (remarkable that since so few things from “regular” cable these days). In truth this series came to my attention from speaking with colleagues at work. Set in BC, there are five farmers (two women and three men) in ages ranging from mid 20s until early 30s. Each of these farmers seeks to find love, and are given the opportunity the date a number of eligible future partners.

Each of the farmers brings their own situations, both good and bad as them embark upon meeting and dating others. After a preliminary meet and greet, a number of the daters are brought back to their respective farms and put to work. The farming runs from dairy farm, winery, sheep, and a public facing strawberry farm. Very different. It is five separate Bachelor and Bachelorette seasons going simultaneously. The people are engaging generally, and as a reality dating show they cover off all the basis. There is intrigue and surprises. Twists and turns. Some are more satisfying that others. This is obviously sponsored by Can-Am ATVs, with t-shirts and other products on display. In the end it held by attention as a guilty pleasure. If you like this sort of thing then you won’t be disappointed.

September 11, 2023

Well talk about a milestone day that will live forever. September 11th on a crystal clear, blue sky day back in 2001 (twenty two years ago) the Twin Towers in NYC were destroyed along with an attack on the pentagon, in the most brash terrorist attack on US soil ever. For someone my age, I can remember it, in detail, like it was a month ago. I was working downtown Toronto in the tallest office building in the country (First Canadian Place). I was sent home early. I say this in passing because this day doesn’t always happen on a Monday. For those interested in movies on the topic, there are plenty like

Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny: So Disney in their October 2012 $4.05B purchase of LucasFilm the biggest news story was the gaining of the Star Wars films. Less important was the Indiana Jones franchise, which had a lacklustre release back in 2008 with Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. After all, the main star Harrison Ford was 66yo at the time of this release, where they brought back Karen Allen as Marion Ravenwood as the love interest, and she has a son Mutt who is a bit of a rock n roll adventurer himself. As a sidenote, Sean Connery played Henry Jones, Indy’s Dad, in 1989 at the age of 59yo for The Last Crusade. Filming for this latest installment has Harrison Ford as 80yo! So how adventurous do you get with an aging Indiana, along with all of his friends from previous iterations like Sallah, at 79yo looks older than Ford himself?

Add to the complexity the fall from grace of Shia LaBoeuf as a potential successor to Indiana. As a producer, the challenges become greater. So Disney chooses to do a couple of interesting things. First of all, they have to create a new item to seek, but go back in time of the Nazis in WWII in order to set the stage. Remember that Jones was an adult during the time of the Nazis. So adding time puts him into the early 1970s. That aside, the challenge is the item itself, which is a decently produced Jones-like chase in the opening sequence. In short the item is claimed to when fully functional have the ability to go back in time. Jones and a colleague of his Basil Shaw is looking for this item. In many ways, the Shaw character was similar to Henry Jones and his obsession about the Holy Grail. Shaw has a daughter, Helena, who is Jone’s goddaughter. Helena is seen as a young girl and then as an adult. The adult Helena is a Han Solo-like mercenary who seems very focused on money and less concerned about the morality of her actions, and how her artifact may be used by the purchaser. Jones is coming back into her life and trying to assist with this item which has ressurected itself. Helena has some anger issues to sort through.

The rest of the story continues with CGI at places that is almost laughable. Like many stories involving time, there are aspects that the viewer must just simply accept. In the later parts of the story, the level of disbelief borders on being broken, if not shattered already depending on the viewer. Much has been written about casting (or miscasting) of Phoebe Waller-Bridge as Helena. She seems better suited to a Fleabag, where she is fun, and quirky with good comedic timing. Those skills are lost here. She as Helena has duel purposes here, one is to discount Jones and his perceived contribution to the downfall of her father and the other a need to establish herself. Neither is very successful. Certainly she doesn’t come across as a compelling next Jones. This was not disappointing because I had heard all the negative press and reviews and had no expectations. Zero. So there wasn’t much lower to go. But was this necessary? Beyond money, was this a story that Ford felt compelled to tell for his character? I have heard Harrison Ford mentioned that he liked playing Indiana Jones far more than Han Solo. Jones was more fully formed, intelligent and an array of stories that could be told. Solo he wanted to kill off earlier in the Star Wars triolgy. This one is not worth your time. A hard pass, and a disappointing swan song for a revered Ford character.

Better Call Saul – Season 4: I completed watching Season 4 of Better Call Saul. I found it slow to get going as we are introduced to early days with Saul, named Jimmy McGill. But like Breaking Bad, the drama builds and builds as the seasons move forward. We also have the additional tie-ins to the main storyline from Breaking Bad. The two main stories in this season are with Mike, dealing with having the lab constructed for Gus Fring, and his challenges in getting this done. The second story is with the disbarred Jimmy, who is dealing with keeping himself busy for a year while he is under suspension.

Jimmy like the characters that Vince Gilligan creates are flawed, as most people are. They have skills but also challenges in their life. Jimmy has this undercurrent of being the guy who battles uphill, with odds against him. He has an older brother, who was the Mr Perfect Lawyer, but not much of a human being, in a holier-than-thou way. They have a strained relationship with older brother always seeming to battle against the not-so-subtle Favourite Child syndrome with his mother. The other compelling character is the ever hard-working Kim Wexler, played excellently by Rhea Seehorn, who has a relationship with Jimmy, but can struggle with his morals and choices. There is some really good writing here as the parties interact. I will continue to watch and enjoy. I have already heard that the finale is different, for some disappointing for others the right tone. We will see.

September 4th, 2023 Labour Day

Asteroid City: One thing that can be said for Wes Anderson, is that he through his reputation and the quality of his film library, he encourages the best talent to work with him. This movie is no exception with a cast that includes, in no particular order, Tom Hanks, Jason Schwartzman, Margot Robbie, Scarlett Johannsen, Adrien Brody, Maya Hawke, Matt Dillon, Edward Norton, Bryan Cranston, Steve Carrell, Jeff Goldblum and Willem Dafoe among others. Many of these actors are used in multiple of his films. Often for me the Wes Anderson films are simply weird and hard to understand. There can be elements of humour, and the best of his films are quite funny. Moonrise Kingdom comes to mind as a success. Less on the mark for me included Grand Budapest Hotel, Royal Tennenbaums, and Isle of Dogs.

So generally, his films are quirky and weird and don’t connect with me. This movie was no exception. For me, I experience these films as something to just watch. Of course the answer is “well yes that what movies are meant to be”. But other movies I feel like I am more a part of it. I can connect to the character or characters and I can sometimes feel their emotions, or have my own as I watch them. The Anderson movies I don’t relate to the characters. This was a movie where I scratched my head at the end and wondered what I had watched. It didn’t make much sense, to which Alison replied “weird shit happens, you chuckle and you go home”. True that. In this instance, I cannot recommend it. Could this be a companion film as a double feature for Oppenheimer? Not for me. I don’t need to see this again, and I had actually forgotten about it for the week in which I had seen it for these reviews.

Untold: Swamp Kings: Netflix has put together a number of documentaries regarding sports. I havre reviewed a couple already. This short series addressed the football program at the University of Florida during the early 1990s, with the hiring of Urban Meyer. He came in, and began a highly structured, almost military training program with an aggressive recruiting program. New recruits like Tim Tebow joined as well as other quality defensive players.

What strikes me as a Canadian, is the level of intensity when it comes to college football. I have of course seen Texas high school football, which is just crazy, but NCAA football and more specifically SEC football is another level of intense. I could go on and on about how NCAA professionalizes players, all the while not paying them what they are worth. The Untold story about Johnny Football at Texas A&M speaks to the same issues. Players are generating enormous income from TV revenue, along with ticket sales, and then the associated souvenirs and jerseys for all those who cram the stadiums week after week. I also think that the same college programs being at the top, because of recruiting, is a league with imbalance. It is a stacked deck, with the same 5-8 teams at the top each year. A league with true balance, and a draft where the worst team selects the best players, allows for a changing of the guard. I also don’t understand why coaches get paid more than anyone on campus. Players don’t get paid but the coach does. Yes, the program pays for the entire athletic undertaking for both men, women and recreation offers, but perhaps pay those who are generating the dollars. If they are in fact student athletes, then ensure that the get an education, and a real degree. But the recent court decision and allowing the players to be paid for the likeness, like with video games, is a very good step forward.

Florida had a tremendous program. So successful. This series was intense, by the coaches and players. They won two National Championships in three years. Meyer was a very big success. Yet you can see the strain emotionally and mentally to the coach as he lives in that community that just doesn’t accept losing. This was a good insight into a college program and the work done outside what the public sees on a game day. College football is big business, with plenty at stake. But for those who won’t see the NFL, or those who have injuries who prevent the ability to make money, the flow of funds to the players would make sense. This is worth checking out.

The Ultimatum Season 2: Those who have read my blog over the years realizes that a guilty pleasure for me can be these relationship reality train wrecks. This latest installment has the premise once again with five couples and one person in the couple demands that the other party either propose or walk away. The artificiality of it comes when each of the couples has to undertake a “trial wedding” with another member in the cast. What?!

In this season there were five couples but one of these couples leave the show early after a particularly awkward night. It was obvious that someone didn’t really buy into the concept in watching their partner just speak to others. For the other four young couples left over, they proceed through the rest of the stages. They are artificial, especially the aspect in the trial marriage where they meet the parents of the new partner. How are they supposed to react? You have just met this person, on a TV show, and you will meet the parents in a week that is mostly artificial exercise, if you aren’t focused on anyone else than your partner. In this season, one of the female partners clearly has issues with her partner, and you would be certain that she would walk away. I won’t spoil the ending but I can suggest that you to the recently dropped last episode and save yourself a bunch of time. None of these couples is compelling and look so very young. So this one would be a pass for me.

August 28th, 2023

Armageddon Time: There are times when after a movie is done, I am unclear about what I had just finished watching. Some of it can be wondering what happened to what on first glance appears to be a stellar cast. In this instance, you have Anne Hathaway, Anthony Hopkins, Jessica Chastain, and Jeremy Strong to name a few. But all of it can be derailed, from my viewing, from a 14 year old Banks Repeta. The story is a family drama, revolving around husband and wife, Strong and Hathaway and their children and the grandpa (played by Hopkins).

As a parent, seeing how the parents interact with the kids is just a surprise. Young Banks is in high school and has been challenging to his teachers and for his parents. He is making some choices of friends who aren’t very commited to their studies. The one friend is a young black man who doesn’t feel supported at home or at school and pushes the envelope. Banks admires, and supports him, even when he is doing things which are questionable. Strong as the Dad, has his head in the sand, not seeing what happens with those around him. Hathaway is trying to play strong Mom with little help from Dad, who can fly off the handle at times, and she isn’t having much impact. The young Banks does have a connection with his Grandfather. Grandfather supports him and has little secrets with the grandson. But really to what end? Part of me wants to just discipline this young, disrespectful brat.

Did i like this? No. I didn’t like at all. I found the writing to be lacking. Nothing really happens, and the things that do happen in the grand scheme of things felt so irrelevant. None of the performances were memorable. In the end, with a predictable scene or two, the credits roll and I was surprised at how so very little was resolved. So in the end, I scratched my head and reached out to Alison and she confirmed my thoughts of this just being terrible. So this is a hard pass and I would encorage you to avoid it.

Eat The Rich: The GameStop Saga: One of the things that happened during the pandemic was an unexpected story in the stock of the “meme stocks” as they were later called. This is a three-part series which outlines the history of how a stock and company that was viewed as history became the focal point of a stock market phenomenon. The details are more complex, but the crux of it was that in the stock market, you can buy the right to a stock at a fixed price and then make or lose money based upon the spread of increase or decrease in the stock since the option was purchased. A key is that there is no cap on what could be lost if the stock does what you didn’t expect. The stock in question was the bricks and mortar store that sells video games, GameStop. The number crunchers see it was in trouble. So hedge funds would buy up options expecting that the stock would go down. They are betting against them, and openly cheering for them to fail. Enter the little individual investor.

These individuals often are using the trading platform Robin Hood. For no dollars, the individual could buy and sell stock. Robin Hood would then put the buy/sell request through a “market creator”. So that is the background. There are a few individuals who do some research and are cheering for the underdog. They buy up some GameStop stock. Some going online and touting the stock, through Reddit and other places online, and they gain some momentum. It becomes a little guy versus Wall Street. By driving up the price, for a stock with no fundamentals, the pressure was put on those hedge fund managers. The documentary explores the details of it, where one of the hedge funds eventually had to pay out billions for their position in this one stock. The stock had gone from $16 a share in short order to over $500.

For me, it was the aftermath of the rise and fall of this stock where Congress and the regulators got involved and wanted to investigate. For me, I scratched my head and wondered about “home of the free” and adults being able to make their own choices. How does an online guy who speaks about what he is personally investing in, in any way different from a Warren Buffet or a Jim Cramer on CNN? The difference would be the losses of all these Wall Street hedge fund managers! In the 2009 financial meltdown, those same Wall Street folks sought and obtained a bailoout from Congress. The little investor who lost their home, or were foreclosed weren’r compensated. Some of those involved with GameStop saw their parents or relations get impacted by those 2009 events. If you haven’t watched The Big Short, check it out for details of it. Or watch Wall Street years ago with Michael Douglas as Gordon Gecko. In the end, as a small investor myself, I am intrigued by this story. One because I wish I had caught a GameStop early (because every one wishes to win a lottery ticket) but also because I am sympathethic to the person who picks stocks, does research and hopes for the best, when the big players are the waves that can have you rise or fall with little thought of your personal situation. Sure some of the individual small investors were quirky and unusual. But isn’t that what the stock market wants? More participation? Or do they just want more chum for the sharks who swim around and decide which companies they are going to support or dump? Check it out and decide for yourself. It’s worth your time.