February 12th, 2024

American Fiction: This is the last of the 10 Oscar nominated Best Pictures for me. It stars the always good Jeffrey Wright who typically in a supporting role (like as Felix in recent James Bond films and in The Batman), but he is good, like in his role in HBO’s Westworld. Here he plays a writer-professor, Thelonious “Monk” Ellison, who is asked to spend some more time with his family from his university, which he doesn’t regard as a way to have him relax and calm down. He lives in LA for a reason while they live in Boston. He has a brother and sister, and a Mom. As a writer, and a writer of colour, he has written some quality books, but not commercially successful books. He sees a new writer promoting her latest bell selling book, with plenty of media buzz and he shakes his head. As a protest, he sits down and writes a tongue-in-cheek satirical story under a pseudonym being as outrageous as he can be. He and his editor (pictured here John Ortiz) discuss it, and it is brought forward to publishers. Things happen after that which provide some insight to Monk.

The question posed is how does an artist be thought of as just a writer, without pandering to stereotypes being propagated in the society, and the white readers in the US who seem to only want to read certain stories from the black writers? How far as a writer do you sell your soul to grab at the money being thrown at you, both in book sales, TV appearances and a possible movie deal for your story? Wright is stickhandling through these issues, all the while dealing with complexities in his family. His Mom’s health is struggling and will require a substantial investment. His sister is tired of being the local person responsibile for the daily health of Mom, while having her own professional life. Meanwhile brother has his own home challenges living in Arizona. Monk has also met a female criminal lawyer at his Mom’s cottage property. So there are plenty of balls in the air. Together they are all addressing his relationship with his deceased father, the siblings, Mom and the locals. It is a good story, well told and acted. The fourth act brings forth some ideas that weren’t introduced early, but you can see them coming if you’re paying attention. Some of the alternatives posed by Monk are creative but at the same time predictable. This movie reflects some prickly realties which caucasian writers/artists just don’t have to address. Perhaps if they are selling their books in a foreign country, they could be lumped in total with all other English authors but that’s the comparison. The brother character is a bit of a caricature, but the others are more real, despite the lawyer seemingly never doing any legal work. I am glad to have seen this, with the other 5 people in the theatre.

The Beekeeper: Newly released and in theatres, this is another in the retired super-spy operative genre who through circumstance is brought back into the life. Think John Wick who was looking to get out of the assassin-for-hire business in a super-secret society, but is forced back into it. I mean, who can blame him with his pooch getting plugged by a Russian brat?! Instead of Theon Greyjoy, actor Alfie Allen for Wick we have annoying little man Josh Hutcherson from The Hunger Games, who is trying to take The Most Punchable Face in Hollywood Award away from Jesse Eisenberg. It’s REALLY close! So in place of Keanu Reeves we have Brit Jason Statham who definitely know the type of movies that his audience want to see from him. He is a local beekeeper, which we learn later is a metaphor for his elite US taskforce, no one bothers to explain how a Brit is part of this group.

So what brings Mr Clay back into the “game”? Not a dead puppy dog. But almost as heinous, a group of asshole entitled hackers who steal from little old ladies and pensioners. And not just ANY pensioners, but Claire Huxtable!! This group of jerks wipes her out, and her charity, and she just happens to be one of few people who have treated Mr Clay with any kindness. Mrs Huxtable has a daughter who works for the FBI and she gets involved. As things progress, the number of body bags rises. I am more than a little surprised at the carnage initiated by Mr Clay. I am not at all surprised at the lack of injuries sustained by Mr Clay as he undertakes his quest of destruction. All the while there is the explanation of his actions from the FBI daughter. I won’t disclose further because why spoil just how far up this goes up. Jeremy Irons has a role acting as a well paid protector of the spoiled brat human punching bag, which you sense he would rather flip the brat over his knee and give him a proper spanking. There is so much senseless killing, and for military and police personnel. The underlying message being that sometimes this is necessary because a queen bee with poor offspring may need replacing. Take from that metaphor what you will. This is brain candy, meant to be entertaining without requiring too much thinking on the part of the audience. To that end, it is successful. I dislike who I am supposed to, and cheer for those that are positioned to provide some satisfying justice. I am pleased in the fact that I didn’t pay to see this in the theatre. If you like Jason Statham, he keeps his shirt on, but he delivers a typical performance for him. No Oscar nominations forthcoming on this.

Ted Lasso Season 3: After a free use of Apple + with the puchase of a theatre ticket I finally finished Ted Lasso. I have to admit that I was underwhelmed with the final season. It was predictable in many ways, and surprising in other ways, like where Nate ends up. Other surprises come with other characters like Jamie Tartt, Keeley Jones and Roy Kent. Ted’s Mom shows up. All the while the other characters are dealing with the fallout of the cliff hanger from Season 2. Of course it is all quite predictable.

There are some preachy aspects to it. There is especially annoying episode (number 8) where each character who has made a decision seems to be whining and carrying on like they didn’t do that fateful decision to begin with. For a team in early seasons couldn’t seem to “win the big one” this team despite the addition of a certified “superstar” make some strides but then give them back. After all is said and done, it ends predictably and with a whimper. There are tears, there are hugs and the parties move on. I finish the series not thinking “why didn’t they win Golden Globes?” but rather “why were they considered to begin with”? There are more impactful series out there, which in my view will be longer lasting. I don’t see this being considered in the same breath as The Sopranos, Game of Thrones, Mad Men or Breaking Bad? Perhaps being a comedy, well a comedy with some dramatic turns, may put it at a disadvantage but really it is the main character of Ted that holds it back. His gosh-gee-whilakers outlook is charming earlier, but then the panic attacks and his uncertainty with his life becomes a little tireseome over time. I didn’t watch the TV series Coach with Craig T Nelson but I see some similarities with it. No one regards Coach as great TV. It seems Season 3 meant that there was more money to spend and they had more roadtrips, notably Amsterdam which was a terrific travel log, but didn’t add much. So this has ended, and with the appropriate number of Golden Globe awards. I quickly moved over to the latest from the producers of WWII Band of Brothers and The Pacific, Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg, with Masters of the Air. It has been really good, and I look forward to watching more.

January 29th, 2024

I was delayed in posting this since I was in the air myself yesterday. I am reviewing a number of series that are actively showing on a weekly basis, and therefore I have not seen the conclusion, and they are not bingeable (if that’s a word!). This cannot be said for Ted Lasso, since it has three seasons completed and I am only finishing up Season 2. I managed through buying tickets to an event (Amadeus film performed with a live orchestra) to have a complimentary Apple TV subscription for 30 days. I am making the most of it!

Masters of the Air: This was recently released this month, and is from the same producers (Tom Hanks, Steven Spielberg) who had previously brought the excellent Band of Brothers (2001), and the less compelling The Pacific (2010). I have previously reviewed Band of Brothers, and I have read the Ambrose book on which it is based that I highly recommend. The producers in each instance have excellent production, with real life stories then depicted on the screen. They are looking to replicate the real stories of those who were involved. Ambrose naturally takes it from an American perspective, which summed up is that “the Americans won the war”. It is to be conceded that the American involvement in WWII post Pearl Harbour was a tremendous help to the Allied forces, in manpower and equipment but it is safe to say that the British, Canadian and other Allied powers made the American participation possible. Without the Battle of Britain, Dunkirk, and various other battles, including the British and Canadian participation on D-Day itself the outcome could have been very different. In Masters of the Air, the first couple of episodes follow a new group of recruits in the Army Air Corps flying B-17 bombers. It stars Austin Butler (yes Elvis actor) along with Caleb Turner and Barry Keoghan (from Saltburn) this time with a thick New Yorker accent. They are pilots, and after training are being put into bombing sorties from England. Like the predecessor series, you follow a group of young men (mostly) and their stories, as pilots, crew, bombers, navigators both officers on the ground and in the air. Some of the scenes are extraordinary. It is well shot and well crafted on screen.

Only two episodes in I could quibble about Austin Butler’s hair being too long, but I am far more focused on the overall quality of the production and the stories told. You care about these young men, and realize that many are in their late teens and twenties. They put themselves in harm’s way and many pay the ultimate price. I remark that these young men were brave beyond measure, doing what everyone felt had to be done. They care about their buddy, and their crew. They see unspeakable things, all the while trying to make a positive contribution to the war effort. Butler and Turner both play majors, and are leaders in this group. Like Captain Winter in Band of Brothers, you see their leadership style and how they handle these stressful situations. It is compelling. It is exciting and one wonders how it will all shake down for these men as the war goes on. Definitely worth viewing, especially for those who have any interest in WWII.

Ted Lasso Season 2: I liked season 1 of this Jason Sudekis vehicle series where he plays a positive talkative Amercian football coach in the UK, brought in to help bury a soccer team. He has a squad of players, an owner who obtained the club in a divorce settlement with her billionaire jerk ex-husband and some assorted other local characters. I have spoken about the premise before.

This season continues on with the stories of the characters involved. We also too get to see more vulnerabilities about the Ted character himself. For all of his “gosh-gee-willakers” outlook on life and being authentic to a fault with all those that he meets, he is also flawed as everyone is with layers of complexity to his personality. He suffers in his own way, and it impacts his job and those around him. No one in this series escapes issues, which is to its credit. Some issues are more obvious than others, like owner Rebecca’s own insecurities of being left by her husband and owning this team. The Ex enters her life from time to time just to torment her. In a funny line, and this show is quite funny, after Ted and coaching staff meets Rebecca’s Mom he says:

“…I love meeting people’s Moms. It’s like reading an instruction manual as to why they are nuts!!!” So very true.

And we are all flawed and nuts in our own way. I really enjoyed the Christmas episode. I think like other quality sitcoms, this program works because it can make you laugh, but then shortly afterwards can make you tear up. Like M*A*S*H, or Cheers or even Ricky Gervais’ After Life. I will continue to watch this and note that sadly this show was always seemingly the bridesmaid and never the bride in award season. It is good. It is worth watching.

True Detective: North Country: Full disclosure, I have not seen the prior seasons of this series, even the well reviewed initial season with Woody Harrelson and Matthew McConaughey. I am reminded that I need to do that. Interestingly there aree some tie ins to that season with this new season starring Jodie Foster in the lead role. Set in Alaska, but filmed in Iceland, this series follows a detective trying to uncover some mysterious deaths. Here at a mine in a remote part of Alaska, a group of scientists disappear without explanation, and then locals are trying to figure out what is happening and what has happened.

Foster is, like others in the community, dealing with her own issues as they head into the dark season up there, with the sun not making an appearance. It is difficult to disclose much more without giving some of the surprises away. It is well written, and the people acting interact with the skepticism of those who have known each other a very long time. They have history. it comes back to haunt them. There is certainly an element of supernatural going on, as they trudge around with sets that feel like The Thing has been resurrected. One underlying message for me is that people are people. Each has their own needs, many with that well studied hierarchy of needs. As an audience you can feel the cold, and I wonder about the pierced cheeks and whether that metal stud makes it feel that much colder out. Without any prior knowledge of the prior seasons, this one for me must stand on its own. I will continue to watch and see where it lands. It is all very odd for the moment as we are four episodes into it. More to come, but worth a watch.

July 17, 2023

Mission Impossible Dead Reckoning Part 1: Well Tom Cruise has done it one more time. Last summer it was post-pandemic sequel Top Gun Maverick. Adding to his string of watchable, exciting, blockbusters he adds for summer 2023 the seventh installment in the MI Series. It all started, remarkably, back in 1996. The core cast has been there from the beginning include Simon Pegg (as Benji), Ving Rhimes (as Luther) with other pieces that are added from one episode to the next. These are important pieces with various upper levels of the intelligence agency, like Alec Baldwin, or Jeremy Renner, and Henry Czerny who plays Kittridge. Notably for me this series regained some energy with the addition of Rebecca Ferguson as Ilsa Faust. She joined in 2015 for episode 5 Rogue Nation. She played a British agent who was in a precarious position of playing both sides between The Syndicate (bad guys) and the UK and US powers that be, including the the clandestine Mission Impossible team.

In more episodes new pieces like Vanessa Kirby (as power broker Alanna) and for this one Hayley Atwell (called Grace in this movie) are added. Each play key roles and add tremendously to the watchability of the story. But let’s be real, this series is about the stunts, the settings, the car chases and technology. This episode has it all, jumping from one heart-pumping scene to another with ease. Of course many of the scenes and the timing will have a viewer role their eyes, but that is the point. This episode also adds some unexpected twists and turns when you are dealing with Artificial Intelligence. This doesn’t give away very much. The rest I won’t detail any further because this is a movie best seen without too many expectations, nor knowledge into where it is going.

After watching, I decided to re-watch the Rogue Nation episode and was surprised to see how closely the two mirrored each other in structure. But of course the basic principles do remain the same. I have to admit that from the beginning I do find the reliance of the face-peeling masks which is ultimately just silly throughout the series more than a bit far fetched. Alison tells me this was a common practice in the original TV series that was not watched by me. But all this to say, find the largest screen you can (I saw in IMAX in a packed theatre) on Tuesday and cannot recommend more highly for 2.5 hours of entertainment. Go see it. Strap in. Have some popcorn if that is your thing. I tip my cap to you Mr Cruise (at 61yo!!!) for what I am sure will line your pockets in ways that are no longer necessary given your previous success! Dead Reckoning Part 2 will be released June 28th, 2024.

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3: Moving from one very successful series that adds a memorable, watchable installment we go to a series that, for me, could have stopped after a single episode. Those who read my movie reviews know that I am generally not a superhero movie fan and less a Marvel fan than I am for DC Comics. Query whether the Guardians are really superheroes to begin with? They aren’t really in a strict definition of it, but then again I am not prepared to debate the point. The original movie from 2014 was a surprise hit because it was campy, had new fresh characters and had a really good catchy soundtrack.

Of note, there is a tie in between this movie and Mission Impossible in the cast. Pom Klementieff, who plays Mantis in Guardians (pictured on the far left above) plays Paris in MI7. Also of note I saw that Karen Gillan who plays Nebula (far right pictured above) is not wearing the form fitting clothes from earlier, and earlier films like Jumanji. The online speculation is that she is in real life pregnant. The movie producers have seemed to accommodate her, to their credit.

As for the plot of this movie, we have a lot of backstory to the Bradley Cooper voiced raccoon named Rocket. It’s far more backstory for a talking raccoon that I ever needed to see. But like Rogue Nation where Benji was taken and in trouble, the Guardians stick together and try to help out their own. In some movies it is just done better than others in how it is done. For me I didn’t need to know this and I was overly engaged in it. In short, I don’t care enough about these characters. I cannot recommend seeing this, and for me it was forgotten almost as sokn as the closing credits (including the stay-to-the-end vignette with Chris Pratt addressing a question that I didn’t even consider). So while this movie seemed to come and go in the theatres without much fanfare, it has still grossed $842M worldwide and $358M domestically. Domestically this is third for the year. Behind Super Mario Bros (!!) and Spider Man cartoon. Clearly I am not the targeted audience for movies these days. Apparently, according to the ad I just saw on TV today, that this movie was certified 96% FRESH on Rotten Tomatoes. Certainly I would be part of the 4%, and I cannot imagine (nor need to) are more positive about this movie.

Next on my list of films to see in the theatre will be Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer.

Ted Lasso: I finally had access to Apple TV and have been able to see some series that I have been meaning to watch. First on the list was the popular Ted Lasso that many feel is a must see. I finished Season 1 and have the following comments. Did I like this? Sure. It is a feel-good type of series with the very likeable Jason Sudekis playing a gosh-gee-willikers southern american football coach that was hired by a British soccer team. Of course he knows nothing about British football, nor does he know anything about British customs or vernacular. He brings with him an assistant coach. He inherits a team of players, and some other employess within the organization.

Most importantly he has a female owner who is newly and most public divorced from the former owner, and she obtained the team as part of the divorce settlement. He is a cad throughout this first season, showing himself time and again in places which serve to antagonize the new owener, who Ted calls “Boss”. Early in episode one Boss admits that she brought Ted on board to fail. Her aim, like many divorced and recently hurt ex-spouses, is to hurt her former partner by destroying something that he cared about. The dynamics between the owner, the coach, the assistants and the players are what the series is about. It is done well. But is this must-see TV?

For me, this is a series that follows in a long line of movies and series like this. The TV series Coach comes immediately to mind with Craig T Nelson as the basketball coach. He had an assistant coach in much the same vein (played by Jerry Van Dyke). Other movies and series would include The Natural, Bad News Bears, The White Shadow, Hoosiers, Black Sunday etc. In each the coach has to mold a team, deal with the characters involved and the season at hand. There are challenges and plenty of sports cliches are used. The one difference with Ted the coach is that he is about team building, honesty, friendship and sportsmanship. He isn’t a win-at-all-cost kind of guy. He remains consistent despite the challenges he and his people endure. This is reflected on a personal level for him as well. I enjoy this. There are some characters that you care about, and hope that they do well. I will look forward to seeing more as Season 2 gets streamed. So far, this has been good.