The Fall Guy: Imagine that I didn’t know that this 2024 release with Ryan Gosling and Emily Blunt would be based on the characters from the 1980s TV show starring Lee Majors in his post-$6 Million Dollar Man phase. I saw the trailer and thought that I like both leads, and it looks like it is a stunt man based film.
In arriving at the theatre and the beginning of the movie starts, Ryan Gosling refers to himself as Colt Seavers and I immediately rolled my eyes. Then the pick up truck from the show is there too a beige high wheeled truck. As the movie carries on, I am surprised why Blunt and Gosling would be involved in it. The plot was so contrived with a love story between Gosling and Blunt’s characters where he was a stunt man, and she was a camera operator on a set. Colt is the stunt double for a pompous Tom Cruise-like character making various action-filled movies. He has his own preferred producer, played by Ted Lasso‘s Hannah Waddingham. Waddingham isn’t one of the talented actors whose talents are wasted here. She is over the top and obnoxious. She is looking to get this new space movie completed, but the star has disappeared. Colt eighteen months earlier suffered a bad accident but is encouraged to come back to the business.
There is tension as Colt returns to the set where Blunt’s character is now a director. Things happen. There is even a scene with Colt in a truck and he’s listening to a Taylor Swift song. This is along with the Kiss “I Was Made for Loving You” song blasted out from the beginning. There are various attempts to bring forward images and ideas from the 80s (like a reference to Miami Vice) and other homages to the time, but it literally falls flat. The underlying premise falls flat because we don’t really have much of a connection with the actors except the goodwill that they have brought from other, better roles. Gosling does have comedic talent in roles like Nice Guys from 2016, but I don’t chuckle once here. It was a rolling of the eyes, and then looking to the ceiling as more cheesey lines and silly plot lines are delivered. I am ashamed and sad that I was brought into the theatre to see this. Maybe Gosling and Blunt wanted an excuse to have a paid vacation in Australia. As a movie goer I am surprised that all those involved in this don’t open their cheque books and refund those who spend money to watch it.
Note that if you choose to go, you will get a major easter egg at the end of the credits much like a Ferris Bueller type end. You have been warned as it answers a question that no one ever even wanted to ask…you’ll know when you see it. But this is a hard pass for me. One can be hopeful that more in-theatre releases coming soon like Kingdon of the Planet of the Apes is better than this clunker. Has there been a decent stunt guy related movie? Yes, check out The Stunt Man with Peter O’Toole from 1980.
Spaceman: Netflix has just released this new film starring Adam Sandler, Carey Mulligan and Pano Dano. An imporessive cast really. In truth, I am not really an Adam Sandler fan, at least not the silly comedy films that he was known for principally. This is NOT that, as this is far more serious. In summary, this was a movie that was weird, then it got really weird. Assuming you were able to get over that weirdness, then it grounded itself in a bit of a strange way. That likely doesn’t help a reader too much, but ultimately it became a more simple relationship movie, but let’s rewind a little on the initial premise.
The Czech Republic has sent Jakub Prochaka (Sandler) into deep space to explore this phenomenon that has entered the solar system. It is a long mission, and Jakub has been in space about 6 months on his own. He leaves behind a wife, played by Mulligan, and she isn’t very happy about her their relationship. She tries to initiate the longest Dear John in the history of mankind by satellite telephone, but the Space Agency powers that be have not permitted it to be sent. So the silence created between the husband and wife begins to weigh on Jakub. Enter in the weirdness, which I won’t fully describe for fear of spoiling it. Suffice it to say that something unusual happens within the spacecraft, and the audience is left to wonder how it can possibly be. A dialogue begins which one wonders is a symptom of isolation, and the worry of one man being projected into something more tangible. It also may be a necessary movie/plot device to avoid having the solitary astronaut pondering his thoughts alone.
I see aspects of many movies in this, like The Martian, Interstellar, Gravity and 2001: A Space Odyssey. There is even some Cast Away involved here too. All of them are better movies. In many ways, the story of a self-absorbed narcissist with an important job (or with very fixed goals) and a troubled marriage could be told without space at all. He could be a trucker from Green Bay with a wife in Albuquerque on a long haul when all of this goes down. Of course the Interstellar moments wouldn’t necessarily work in that instance (they will be evident when they happen in the last act) but by then it doesn’t matter. The final act does make this more about human connection, but the path to get it there was muddled. Sandler didn’t convince me ultimately in the role since I don’t see him as an astronaut-worthy person in terms of the science and math knowledge that would be required. Mulligan was alright, in a bland sort of way since she didn’t really have a lot to do. The flashbacks were dreamy and all, but much of whether you like this will be in those philosophical discussions with the voice of Paul Dano (who also played in similar voice the Riddler from Robert Pattinson’s The Batman). He has done many quality roles. In any event, I can’t recommend this, as one needs to be really patient and set aside the weird logic that goes in behind it. It is after all NHL playoff season, and there is plenty of hockey to be seen each night.
October Sky: This is an oldie but a goodie. A movie from 1999 presently on Netflix, but with a really good cast including Chris Cooper, Laura Dern and a young Jake Gyllenhaal. This was Jake’s fifth movie at the time and his first in a lead role. The story is based on a true story of a group of high school aged young men in West Virginia living in a small coal mining town in the mid 1950s. The movie starts with the news announcement of the Soviet sputnik being launched above the earth. It was a captivating time post WWII, and the perception that the Soviets were looking to begin the Cold War with domination of space, and drop downs and use surveillance above the US with no opposition. Homer Hickam, played by Gyllenahaal, is energized by the story and thoughts of space. He lives with his older, football playing brother, and his Mom and Dad, head of the union at the local coal mine (Chris Cooper). The mine is struggling financially to extract more coal from the ground, but still incurring the costs of labour and equipment.
Young Homer decides that he wants to make rockets, and sets upon himself to learn as much as he can about rockets and building them. Dad doesn’t improve, Mom cares only that he doesn’t “blow himself up”. Most encouragement comes from his young teacher, Miss Riley who wants at least some of her students to have a future that doesn’t involve being a miner, wants these boys to enter a local Science Fair and have the possibility of a college education and a life outside this little town.
The performances are all good. Cooper can play a tough Old Man as well as anyone, and has his heart set on his older boy getting a football scholarship and younger son following in his footsteps in the mine and leading the men below. Mining is a dangerous pursuit, and Dad takes the protection of his men seriously. Father and son butt heads with respect to his career ambitions, with harsh words and tension. Still there is an underlying respect and love between them. Mom chips in as well, lending some support when it is needed. It is a feel good story as the boys learn from their mistakes, which are many, and have some guidance from locals who know a thing or two about metalurgy among other things. The town, once there is some notoriety, rally around the boys as they find materials and forge cylinders to make the body of their rockets as well as try new fuels. I enjoyed watching this again after many years, but it still has some emotional impact. I like the characters. Sadly the town and Dad don’t see what is plain to teacher and young Homer that the days of the mine are numbered. It’s good to see young people get inspired, work hard to learn and advance. Enjoy.
Rebel Moon: Part 2– The Scargiver: This is part 2 of the series on Netflix, which was not memorable for me in the first episode. This continues in the story. The Scargiver refers to the character Kora played by Sofia Boutella.
Much of this story I had forgotten, but basically in a Star Wars theme, there was an evil empire who comes upon a farming planet and the resident Grand Moff Tarkin character, decides he wants to extract a lot of supplies from the people to replenish his large spacecraft. There is a rebellion among the farming community using some local people with a beef against the Empire people.
What I can say is that the second half of this part two is really just one big battle, with plenty of characters fighting and dying for their respective causes. The principal rebel character, Kora is a former member of the Empire and has decided to leave to be on her own. She has been brought into the farmer’s battle and will work to lead them as an insider. But does it all really matter? I cannot really answer that. I find the visuals here to be competent, but the story along the leaders and rebels is weak. There is a Part III, which is not something I look forward to, to be honest. Ed Skrein plays Atticus Noble as the bad Empire guy with the Hitler-like haircut and outfits. He tends to play these bad chanracters, as he did in Deadpool, but for me he was better in Midway as a hero. I just find that he is a little over-the-top on the bad side and it takes away from the story. Boutella as the heroine, is adequate but that is how I feel about the whole exercise. It is adequate, and I think that money could be spent on a project that has more to offer the viewer. It is quite a commitment for the viewer to watch all of this, but with no real underlying message. I cannot recommend.
Jimmy Carr – Natural Born Killer: This 2024 Netflix special has just been released. I saw in May 2023 Jimmy in Toronto for his Terribly Funny tour. Much of the material in this latest special was covered in what I saw. I like Jimmy Carr, the British comedian but he can be an acquired taste. He expects his audience to pick up on his quite deadpan delivery and doesn’t pause for those to catch up.
He covers off plenty of taboo subjects including rape, and pedophiles, step-fathers, dating, relationships etc with the same vigour. He engages with the audience from time to time and it can lead to some good improv laughs. He has other specials on netflix and each of them is worth checking out if you like his brand of humour and delivery. I highly recommend for me and those with that same sense of humour. For others, your mileage may vary!!
Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire: When I was a kid, after primary school was done, they would have on Channel 29 Buffalo “Creature Feature Week” where they would show back to back monster movies. They were Godzilla, Kong, and other creatures with titles that seemed more like a wrestling match (like Mothra vs Godzilla from 1964). King Kong vs Godzilla (1962) was very poorly dressed (literally a man in an ape suit, as this was still pre-Planet of the Apes). It was two men in costumes wrestling on a train set with hydro lines and small homes and dinky toys. It was campy fun after a day at school.
Fast forward from TV movies from 1978ish 40+ years to the present day and we have a lot more technology to assist with bringing forth the images of these two gigantic creatures and the world that they inhabit. This is the next installment in a series, where the human characters were all interested earlier. There was Rececca Hall (scientist), her adopted doaughter and Dan Stevens (as a biologist). As a team they were aware of Kong and studied him, but the first clash with Godzilla brought about new set of issues. The adopted daughter, seemed to have a connection with Kong and they communicated through sign language. Yes Kong knows how to sign.
In this latest movie, Kong and Godzilla have gone their separate ways, Kong to his world, which if you haven’t seen the first one won’t be disclosed here. Godzilla has been dealing a variety of creatures. He seems to like sleeping in a Coliseum in Rome, but seems to have a tendancy to cause havoc in other well known cities. It seems monsters don’t have fights in Des Moines or Saskatoon. The damage of course to historical buildings, bridges and sights is substantial. But nevermind. Things happen. Monsters fight monsters. An improbable journey takes places for the humans and puts them into areas that are foreign. We are introduced to another monster, which brings back memories from many years back.
In the end, is this compelling movie making? I saw this in IMAX, and there are some impressive visuals. The story is quite complex and you have to overlook some logical challenges. But generally not a great deal has changed since the Creature Feature Week. It seems that despite technological advances that it is still men in suits prancing around on model railway sets. One key difference is that Kong is the more natural or human of the two, and is injured, sustains injuries unlike the others. It is convenient that the biologist is able of helping Kong with his injuries as they are sustained. In the end it is campy fun, with some good visuals. Sometimes entertainment for entertainment’s sake is okay. The humans are here for window dressing and little else.
Scoop: Recently released on Netflix, this new movie tells the story of the BBC interview with Prince Andrew over the allegations of his relationship with disgraced female teenage sexual predator Jeffrey Epstein. But going back in time before the interview, we get the context of why Prince Andrew would ever entertain such an interview. Starring Gillian Anderson as BBC interviewer Emily Maitlis, Billie Piper plays Sam McAlister (both from the BBC) and Rufus Sewell plays Prince Andrew.
As part of the interview, it is Sam McAlister who is looking to obtain the story and get the interview with the Prince. The Prince has been dogged by his relationship with Epstein persistently, and hw has chosen to ignore it beyond flat out denials. But with Epstein’s sudden apparenent suicide in a New York holding cell, all the questions arise again in this story. Andrew wants it just to go away so he can continue with his Royal duties and the entrepreneur work that he is doing. Here was a chance to once and for all clear his name. As we both know this interview was the downfall of the Prince who after it aired was quickly stripped of his titles and Royal duties. However much this show looked to try and create suspense, it didn’t really work well. Since we know the ending in real life, there is little drama in wondering whether the Palace will be stepping in and preventing the interview from being aired. The remarkable thing really is how delusional the Prince was for his performance within the interview and post. He truly had no idea just how poorly he came off, and how ridiculous his answers and explanations were. He was so dreadly out of touch. His reaction when the interview concluded with Anderson’s character shows how out of touch that he was. Overall this movie was a Meh for me. I do think that Gillian Anderson has developed and grown tremendously in her craft, especially since her early days of X-Files. Her range and projects have outshone David Duchovny considerably. Still this was not overly compelling and Sewell for me didn’t really capture the Prince.
Today around 3:15PM, local Toronto time and in Buffalo where the path of totality takes place, there will be a total eclipse of the sun, which is the first time since 1925 for our region. This is regarded as a once in a lifetime event for these parts. The next eclipse doesn’t happen until 2044, but is mostly in Alberta and western States. So if you are reading this in the morning, then you may want to be prepared to pause and see it first hand, although of course with proper eye protection. So enjoy this historic event.
BitConned: There is a new documentary that speaks to the BitCoin phenomenon from just a few years back. By a few years back we are talking about 2017 and the eventual explosion of BitCoin as an alternate currency and means of monetary exchange between people. Enter some young men with sketchy backgrounds who look upon the unregulated BitCoin world as an opportunity to make money out of thin air, while profiting from the hype and human desire to win the lottery.
Specifically these young men, native New Yorkers but living in Miami, are looking to find a way to address the problem of spending the value one has stored in the bitcoin that they have accumulated. One of the challenges of course is monetizing a volatile value as it fluctutates dramatically from day to day and hour to hour.
These three guys pictured here basically borrowed an idea they heard from an Asian company about creating a debit card that allows the card holder to use their bitcoin to purchase whatever they choose. Once purchased, the proper amount of bitcoin is deducted from their balance. The concept was intriguing as the value of bitcoin was increasing dramatically, and more everyday people began to hear about it, and look to invest in it. So what did these guys do? They started off by shedding a failed Miami Exotics car company, and then starting up Centra Card which according to their website was backed by VISA. Also Bancorp. Each of these three men pictured here had LinkedIn websites which showed them as coming from Harvard Business School, and they had a CEO as a silent investor with extensive banking experience. The story unfolds as the celebrity endoresements roll in from people like Floyd Merriweather. With another positive article written by a different source, the money through an ICO (Initial Coin Offering) started coming in. However much these three wanted to pursue a legitimate company, they seemed to get sidetracked with the money.
For me, what is shocking, really is the whole US (and North American) judicial process and when charges get laid through the SEC, and the trials begin the ultimate results. It was shocking to be sure, but it isn’t surprising. One wonders about sentencing and how an informer with a tattoo of the word “loyalty” on his body is then treated through the judicial system. As a lawyer, I am saddened with the results.
Three Body Problem: Apparently this is the most expensive Netflix series ever. This is Season 1. There are eight episodes, each approximately one hour each. It is from the book from Chinese author Chixin Liu. Overall, I enjoyed this series which was written by the Game of Thrones pairing of David Benioff and D.B. Weiss. You will see many Game of Thrones actors making appearances. This is a remake of a thirty episode Chinese series named Three-Body.
I went into watching this not knowing the background nor the story. The early episodes begin with a premise of well known scientists ending their lives under bizarre circumstances. One has writing on his premises wall much like the scribblings from A Beautiful Mind, or Knowing with Nicolas Cage. It is all very mysterious. There is one Saul Durand, a brilliant scientist who is perplexed by his scientific work no longer providing the same results as one would expect (contrary to all scientific theory with repeatable data). A manager and colleague later ends up taking her own life. Naturally there are police that are curious about these deaths and one in particular is looking to put the pieces together. Friends of scientist Durant gather and want to discuss the bizarre circumstances. In yet another parallel story to this there is a story about one of the scientists who shortly before her death was playing a video game. Such a game involves wearing a silver helmet-like device for those who are invited to play and involves a realistic world and technology that currently doesn’t exist in gaming. As the story moves on, this then takes on a new flavour with flashbacks of happenings in China in the 1960s which have had substantial and material impact on where the story goes. I was not expecting the direction in which it was taken. There are some parallels with Game of Thrones in that you don’t know where it will go, and what will happen to some of the characters, both good and bad. Obviously there are more books and more story to be told. This is still early days. I will continue to watch and see where this goes.
Marley: The documentary from 2012 currently on Netflix is a really good companion piece to the recently released, and reviewed last week by me Bob Marley: One Love. I found this documentary much more satisfying and a more complete discussion about the man, the times and his music. How that music became a unifying force in his home country of Jamaica, but also around the world in become a symbol for peace and understanding. The One Love movie had Rita’s children, like Ziggy and others well involved. It shows in the end product. I sure as heck wouldn’t want an ex-wife or one-of-many relationships writing my story and filming it.
One of the things glossed over in the movie was that Bob had 11 children from 7 different women, including a former Miss World, Cindy Brakespeare. Rita was married to Bob at a very early age, but they spent significant time apart, even though she was also one of the backup singers in his band. She self-professes to be more of a manager for him for his groupies than his wife.
Bob Marley was well followed and there was plenty of film taken of him. His tours and performances were also well filmed, even including the critical Jamaica performance where he brought the two opposing political leaders on stage and joined hands with them. This was part of his power to bring together people, with his energy and his music. He was beloved in Jamaica and yet spent much of his adult time away from Jamaica. A poor boy from Trenchtown, with a musical talent and a desire to be heard. His music lives and speaks to people many years after his early death at age 36. How tragic that he never took doctors and physicals seriously, including addressing the big toe issue that he had and which he was never prepared to remedy to utlimately save his life. Soccer, it seems, was far too important for his own fun and recreation that losing that toe would have been too much for him.
Together the latest movie and this documentary provide a more balanced and full review of the life of this remarkable man. The power of music, time and again, shows how it can live forever and resonate with people for years and years to come. This is well worth watching.
The Exorcist: I was recently in Washington DC and Georgetown to see the cherry blossoms in bloom. I also managed to get over the Georgetown University area and made of point of seeing the location for filming of the famous horror movie. What I found was a house not far from the main entrance to the University where the house was used for outdoor shots of where Regan (played by Linda Blair) and her Mom, actress Chris MacNeil (played by Ellen Burstyn) lived while she was shooting a movie.
This above is the famous picture of Father Merrin, played by Max Von Sydow, entering the house.
What you note now from the house is that it is NOT the “L” shape that it was in the film. As a result, there is NO WAY that Father Karras could have leapt from Regan’s window down those stairs, since he would have to have jumped across the parking lot. They just aren’t that close. It is noted that production added a false wing to the house for filming. That way it would be more believable for the scene where Father Karras leaped out of Regan’s bedroom window and fell down the flight of stairs to his death.
Overall it was really cool to see this, as well as the scenes filmed the main campus of the University.
The Trust: A Game of Greed: I had heard through work colleagues about this Netflix series. It is really a train wreck, with people looking to take part of a $250,000 prize to start. Then through various tests, there are challenges to their own integrity as well as the groups, and they must decide themselves whether to vote out members of that trust. All it takes is for one person to vote out a member potentially to have them removed.
The personalities clash or look to work together all in the name of the game and creating drama. So far, it is scary to see people in what they decide to share and not share, and then what the results can be. Some are more willing to play for the team, while others are quick to try and cull the herd of those who are viewed as “unpredictable” or “wild cards”. Only if you like these kinds of shows should you be tuning in. Otherwise it is passable.
Bob Marley: One Love: This was released in theatres and stars the unknown to me Kingsley Ben-Adir who plays in the title role. I think that he does an excellent job in this role. This is not a comprehensive biography of the life of Bob Marley, with only glimpses into some of his early days. Rather, this story begins at the time when Jamaica was gaining its independence from the United Kingdom, and there was political violence in and around Jamaica.
Bob Marley and his Wailer band were getting more well known, but there was a great deal of violence, including an attempted assassination of Bob in a house, where before the home invasion his wife Rita (played by Lashna Lynch from the most recent James Bond and The Woman King fame) was shot in her car. It was political in nature because Bob was looking to have a free concert for all, to help join everyone together with music. Bob was a true believer in Rastafarian beliefs.
After the assassination attempt, Bob had suggested Rita and the children leave and seek refuge and safety in the US. Rita made a full recovery from her shooting, but was very lucky to have survived. She had a complicated relationship with Bob, on top of being a back up singer in the band. For me, I had limited knowledge of Rita, but nothing was very positive. She seemed intent on maximizing her own profit from her relationship with Bob.
The movie I found a bit slow, and I would have liked to see more of the creative process in Bob creating these iconic worldwide hits. Where was the inspiration for the songs? Some of which were shown but not in the detail I would like to see. Certainly when you visit Jamaica you hear this music at every resort and around the island. The ONLY place on the island that smoking pot is legal is at Bob’s house. But I digress. In summary, I like the music and the main performance. I think that there could have been more detail. I note that many of Bob’s children were involved in producing and the music in this production. They did well in choosing the actor for their Dad without a doubt.
Ghislaine Maxwell: Filthy Rich: This is a documentary on Netflix, which outlines the heiress Ghislaine Maxwell, daughter of British media magnet, and disgraced business owner Robert Maxwell. He disappeared from his yacht, named after his daughter Ghislaine, and was found a day later. Later he was found to have taken millions in pensions from his employees. Ghislaine then moved to NYC, and managed to find herself another rich man Jeffrey Epstein. The main story is her involvement, and trial, for the sexual escapades of Jeffrey Epstein, her literal partner in crime, and herself.
Epstein is now infamous for being one of the world’s most notorious sexual predators of young girls in Florida, and around the world. Ghislaine, as she was accused, was the faciliator to bring in these young women for the sexual exploits. She recruited the girls directly initially, including stalking some retail workers from fancy stores in NYC, and then later became the trainer for other young girls to find other girls. Often this started as massages, either of Epstein’s feet or more full body. Each girl was well paid for their encounters but there were a few that resisted and turned on Ghislaine, Jeffrey and some of their famous clients like Prince Andrew. Ghislaine at one point had said that Epstein had a “medical condition” where he must orgasm mutiple times a day, and that she just couldn’t “keep up”. This documentary gives some background into Ghislaine’s life and then about the people accusing her in the trial. Epstein was arrested, imprisoned in NY and mysteriously was found dead in his cell of an apparent suicide. Ghislaine was left to be accused and tried. They authorities needed to find her first.
In the end, you see that justice (eventually) is served, but not after it took a beating with the plea deal that Epstein managed to secure in Florida for himself upon his first charges being laid. Sadly Epstein and Maxwell together had no regard for those who they viewed as targets for their own sexual gratification, and used money and power to coerce and threaten most to just play along. There was a fund to assist those who were abused by Epstein and Maxwell, and it’s a start for those who are looking to put their lives back together.
Oscars 2024: Post the Oscar awards from a week ago, I have a couple of thoughts about it. First and foremost I want to send out congratulations to my son Wade on his victory in the fun pool. He bested two-time defending champion, my older brother Scott. Well done to both of you in anticpating the whims of the Academy. Wade had 33 out of possible 40 points, correctly predicting every major category. Scott was 2 points back.
As to the awards itself, I was very pleased that Christopher Nolan finally got the recognition of his work from the Academy. He is one of the best directors presently with a considerable and impressive body of work. His work on the Best Picture Oppenheimer shows off his skills so well. I am a fan. I see his movies in IMAX which he insists on filming in. The film had 13 moninations and won seven awards: including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor (Cillian Murphy) and Best Supporting Actor (Robert Downey Jr.).
If you follow the X/Twitter verse, there were plenty of people expecting that Lily Gladstone for Killers of the Flower Moon would win. I will admit, and have readily admitted here, that I am not a fan of Emma Stone. However, having seen her performance in Poor Things, I had to admit that this was the performance of the year. Emma Stone is choosing very good projects, and her acting has developped and grown over the past few years. She chooses challenging roles, which in no way are mainstream. Can you imagine Meryl Streep or Sally Field (multiple Oscar winners) doing the scenes in Poor Things? Maybe it’s part of the younger Hollywood, because already this year we have multiple winner Jennifer Lawrence doing similar in her film No Hard Feelings. But there seems to be a willingness to be more open certainly with nudity. The same situation occurred with Barry Keoghan in Saltlick, in case you were thinking that this is just a female trend. Can you see Tom Hanks or Daniel Day-Lewis performing all those scenes in that role? Viggo Mortensen yes, but not them. Anyway, it was a gutsy, physical performance as well showed a character who obviously is made up, but she brings it life. I was also very pleased to see that The Zone of Interest won for Best International Film. It is such a commentary on the ability for people to block out the every day things that, however horrendous, become the everyday. You see characters care more for plants in their garden than the multitudes of human beings who a slaughtered on a daily basis literally beside their house. Why does it matter? Because there is a commentary around the world of people willing to overlook events taking place nearby. Other people are regarded as unimportant and basically non-human allowing for them to be ignored and not worthy of empathy. So this year passes and we get back to what 2024 has for us and the 2025 Oscars next year.
Outlander: Many years ago, I was encouraged by a corworker at a bank to read the book Outlander by Diane Gabaldon, also a book that former sister-in-law read with earnest as soon as the latest book hit the shelves. There are currently eight volumes, with another being written, according to the Diana Gabaldon site. It is a book about a time-travelling wife/army nurse who on a trip to Scotland manages to transport herself back from the 1960s until the early 1700s Scotland, before the Jacobite uprising and battle in 1745. I found that the book was written by a woman for a mostly female audience, in similar fashion to Fifty Shades of Grey, with a lead male character capable of anything, rugged, handsome, and always at the ready sexually. Outlander is better written, without a doubt, and it has lead to the popular TV series. Still it seems a bit artifical, but fantasy is not a bad thing (male writers have been doing it for years!)
Starring the very good Catriona Balfe (as Claire Randall) and Sam Heughan (Jamie Fraser) there is obvious chemistry between the two main characters. There is a good supporting cast, including Tobias Menzies, who is the sympathetic first husband who has the supernatural impose itself on his life with his wife just as they are getitng started. He memorably played Prince Phillip for episodes in The Crown.
I began watching the first season soon after release in 2014. The series lost me in an intense and overly long, detailed rape scene that simply turned me off. Time passed. But then, having booked a trip to Scotland later this year, I have been told to watch the scenes if not for anything but some of the scenery in Scotland. So I chose to bypass the scenes in France from Season 2 and watched as Jamie and Claire prepared for the Battle of Culloden. However she knew the history, she and Jamie were still unable to impact the heavy hand of fate.
In any series/movie that deals with time travel, there are always challenges. I think that they do an admirable job here, even now when they are using mutliple time frames to explain what is happening with the characters in different centuries. I don’t know whether to think of Jamie as extremely lucky, he seems to avoid certain death time and again. However he also seems to be caught and tortured in various unbelieveable ways. So living may not always seem like a winning hand. Embarking into season 3 (there are now 6 seasons) there is still plenty of spicy adult content. Neither main character seems to have much concern about nudity. Naturally the reality of living in the 1700s gets lost in some ways with characters with impeccable grooming and teeth, even with a little dirt on the face and arms. As to the scenery, this series delivers well on the scenes of Scotland. The country and highlands are most definitely another character unto itself.
Nobody: This 2021 short film running time a little over 1.5 hours stars Bob Odenkirk (Better Call Saul) playing Hutch Mansell, and his wife, played by Connie Nielson, as an apparent ordinary man with an unknown past speaking about the aftermath of his actions to a couple police officers. In a flashback we see that he in his home had a home robbery, in front of his family, in which he is not able to do anything about it. What is not revealed at that time, which we learn about as an audience, is that he was an “auditor” and is highly skilled in making problems go away. He was well trained in the use of weapons and hand to hand combat. He was a war veteran, and doing his best, like many other similar characters to have a simple life. This was a normal that he craved. Like John Wick, Michael Corleone or any other of these career criminals they wish to escape “the life”. But it always seems to bring them back in.
I like Odenkirk as an actor. I doubt for me he will ever get away from being Saul. This is a good thing. It was a perfect character for him. I don’t picture him as the physical action figure, but more creative, intelligent guy living on the seams of society in that vague grey area between right and wrong. Still in the pivotal moment with these petty thieves, who are obviously not professionals, he makes a choice which he then later needs to correct using his own methods. This movie has a good pace. It comes to a resolution quickly, and is satisfying on that front. I can’t help but think that it has been done as a plot so many times before, and this one isn’t adding much to the genre. It is capable, and shows Odenkirk can do a role like this, and it was good to see Christopher Lloyd in a movie again, playing Hutch’s father. It’s a movie with a number of actors from top movies from back in the 1980s and 1990s who have all aged like the rest of us (like Michael Ironside). Apparently there is a Nobody 2 on the way. This was on Netflix, and filled some time, but was one of those movies that I was forgetting a day later what I had seen and what it was about. So I cannot recommend, but I won’t actively dissuade someone from watching either.
Love is Blind Season 6: The final 1.5 hour episode for this was released earlier this week with the remaining couples and the decision that they had about actually going to the alter. I will say that this has been a satisfying season with those involved. There of course is plenty of drama and flight attendant Chelsea doing her best to maintain her status as the most needy and dramatic of the group! Cliffhangers are provided at the end of epsiodes to keep one watching, but it’s about those couples remaining and whether you like them and cheer for them. On the docket is, as mentioned, the weddings at the altar.
There are some twists and turns to be sure. Choices are made for the sake of television, but more importantly for these people who are recognizing the weight of what they are looking to do. I will say that I was impressed by then parents in this show. They were able to love and support there children in what is a bizarre experiment before the whole world. They provided sage advice, since most of them were divorced and had the benefit of hindsight. I also feel that some of those involved were able to communicate very well in trying situations, notably Jimmy in his relationship with Chelsea. Many men can struggle with talking about their feelings and their reactions to the things that their partner does and says. I was impressed by the ability in their 20s to talk through things. As mind candy goes, this was a good season. It fills some time and can make an evening go by quickly. The success rate with all these relationship shows is extremely poor with marriages and children. But they will continue to make these so long as people want to watch and advertisers and subscribers want to pay.
Somebody Feed Phil: the new season for this Netflix series has been released, and I have enjoyed this in the past. As a foodie, I like to see the meals and the travel logs that Phil provides in his travels around the world to eat. The latest season I have watched actively Scotland, and also Washington DC episodes (DC a less useful effort than others he has done in my opinion with not enough focus on the food) but also Kyoto. I have really enjoyed these, and I have mirrored in the past his travel. Last year in Lisbon Phil provided great suggestions to add to the already amazing scenery in Lisbon and throughout Portugal. Each suggestion including and especially the Restaurante Ponto Final on a jetty on the water. Lovely and memorable!
I love too that he brings along his wife and kids as well. His wife Monica has such a joie de vive always smiling and adding to the laughs. His daughter, in the Scottish episode, reveals how she was a picky eater as a child but has grown and pushes herself to try new things. Phil does some touristy things along the way, some with more success than others. The rowing in Washington kind of went well, but the snorkelling in Iceland was not a success, which of course brings some laughs, which is the intention. Phil brings in local guides, and samples really amazing food in fun locations. When he eats, and he likes, his whole face and body light up! He obviously has a joy in eating and trying new things. I have reviewed episodes for places I have been to, but also watched for other unfamiliar locationss which can give me some travel ideas. I will continue to watch and encourage others to do so.
Last week I did not post since I was away with little access to the internet, and even less inclination to be writing when I could be outside. I was in Vegas, and also Lake Powell area in Arizona. I wanted to go to Antelope Canyon, where my daughter went last summer. Kudos to her as it did not disappoint.
So there is my explanation. But I have plenty to type about today, including the anxiously awaited Dune Part II!! But first there’s this…
The Bear: I had heard some positive things about this series from people at work, and then I was seeing the awards come in from Golden Globes and elsewhere. I knew nothing about the show, but then decided to binge this over the weekend.
I will say that I think the best way to see this is to binge it. The episodes are less than an hour and it comes along well. Season 1 for me, to borrow from the genre, is a really good appetizer. You are introduced to the main characters including Carmen Berzatto (“Bear”) played by the outstanding Jeremy Allen White, along with other friends, co-workers and family members. The premise is fairly simple, with Carmen’s older brother who has passed away, by suicide, and he left the “family” restaurant business to his younger brother Carmen. Carmen inherits a staff used to making the Chicago beef sandwiches for a known clientele. Sydney Adamu introduces herself as someone interested in working at the restaurant and Carmen is receptive. Tensions ensue. The rest of the season focuses on the characters involved and how they are influenced by Carmen. The business struggles and there was plenty of disorganization in the records, the paying of suppliers etc. The final episode is a turning point for all those characters involved in this business, just as it was starting to operate more effectively.
Season 2 delves more deeply into the background and backstory of the family members and friends. There are new characters introduced including some Oscar awarded performers with Jamie Lee Curtis (playing Carmen’s Mom tremendously) and also Olivia Colman. Also add in Better Call Saul‘s Bob Odenkirk, not disappointing. This season is the main course with deeper and more emotional connections. Other new characters are introduced and we see the pressures that exist on these various characters.
I like this because the characters are fully formed, and bring a complexity rather than just being caricatures. It would be so easy to dismiss Richard as a foil with little to offer, but there is a moment of commitment to him by those around him where he can grow, evolve and contribute. This season shows the source of some of the creativity in the cooking. It really shows the workings behind the scenes at preparing, serving, creating a menu for a restaurant in a business that is notoriously ruthless and fickle. There is really good dialogue. Notably, episode 6 with Christmas with Carmen’s family years before the present shows me a couple of things: (1) I can see the source of the inspiration to cook as well as (2) I realize like in a number of shows that this is a family Christmas dinner that I do not need to attend. The real moments with the looks on the faces of those attending as well as what they say and do at this meal as the chaos begins are very well done. The the finale episode, episode 10, we can see just how impacted Carmen has been with everything happening around him. But the growth of the other characters is fun to watch along with how they interact. This is an extremely stressful environment that I doubt most people fully recognize. I look forward to seeing Season 3, and I will confirm that I agree with the awards that this show has been given. This is really good TV.
Dune Part II: I had circled on my calendar March 1 for the release of this movie from French Canadian Director Denis Villeneuve. I really liked the first part, but having read the Frank Herbert novel I realized that this was also an intoduction to the scenes and characters. Heck, we hadn’t even met the Emperor who put all these things in motion between the Atreides family and the Harkonnens for the oversight in spice production on the planet Arrakis, which has a native Fremen population which no one seems to know just widespread that they are.
I saw this in IMAX on Saturday afternoon in a full theatre. It is definitely a movie that should be seen in the larger screen and sound. It is simply visually stunning and builds upon the impressive world that Villeneuve had already introduced the audience to.
Go see it. It stays very close to the plot within the book and introduces a number of new characters with more Who’s Who in young Hollywood right now. They add Florence Pugh, as the Emperor’s daughter, Austin Butler (yes Elvis minus the Memphis drawl looking almost unrecognizable!), and Bond’s Lea Seydoux.
For the story, the conflict is just beginning as Paul has joined the Fremen, with the support of Stilgar, played by Javier Bardem. There is a prophesy about a saviour for the Fremen. The Harkonnens have taken the spice production by force, and killed most of all Atreides and supporters and they believe that they have killed Paul and his mother Jessica. If you know the book, then the happenings are all pretty much as you might expect. For those who haven’t then you can see some of the twists and turns that can take you by surprise. The use of Fremen language is good, as well as the focus of the manmade technology versus the power of nature. The scenes with the worms are impactful and exhilarating. Tension is created as these beasts are used by the Fremen in practical ways.
I certainly found that the Northern versus Southern Fremen views of the teachings of a Mesiah/One is a new take. I don’t recall it in the book. It adds a new layer. Much in the same way as The Matrix, where some people believed in The One and Neo or didn’t. How can we expect Fremen from across an entire planet to be the same with the same belief systems? Paul has some choices to make, while Mom Jessica takes her place among the Fremen. The new actors provide greater depth to the story and they contribute positively to the overall story. This is a worthy addition to the sci-fi genre for one of the more influencial sci-fi books ever written.
Mondays With Robbie 