"Rock Hudson: All That Heaven Allowed"

I like a good documentary.  I didn't care for this one.  The creators made a point of saying that this was about the man's career, not the end of his life.  And, at the beginning, that seemed to be the case.  Basic biographical information was provided, as well as clips of his early work, leading to his first break, his big break, etc.  But all along the way there is an emphasis that despite everything, Rock Hudson was a gay man living a huge lie.  Lovers are interviewed (a ... LOT ... of lovers).  They all say nice things, funny things, and in one case some fairly ... detailed ... things.  And we see more and more clips.  Along the way the clips become a way to clap back at the struggles the man faced.  With every "he was living in the closet" comment there is an accompanying clip to show the irony of his life, or to try and bolster the dead man into understanding that he was seen for who he was, despite it all.  It's heavy-handed and too opinionated for a good documentary.  And we don't see all the speakers.  Most of the actors, including Linda Evans, are heard but not shown.  Even the voice of Mr. Hudson is added in as a voiceover, with rare moments when we actually see him talking.  This adds to the artifice, the idea that the world circled around Rock Hudson and Rock Hudson alone.  Honestly, I've seen better retrospectives on CBS Sunday Morning.  And that's what this is.  Not so much a documentary.  It doesn't reveal anything new or make you think.  It's just a sad retrospective on a man who had it all but didn't.  Kind of like the montage you might see at a funeral.  It's a love letter by those close to him but it's a letter we aren't truly allowed to see.  Just a fuzzy outline of a time past without giving the viewers a real connection.

"Red, White & Royal Blue"

In the first five minutes the viewer knows what these characters do not.  That they are hopelessly in love.  But this isn't Hallmark.  The script is better.  The direction is better.  The cinematography is hugely better.  The lead actors are strong, and carry the tale through a few bumps.  The bumps are obvious.  Namely, Uma Thuman, who is unconvincing across the board -- as a President, a mother, a wife, a Texan.  Then there is Sarah Shahi, who I generally love.  In this case she seemed miscast.  Instead of bringing that little bubble of humanity, joy and energy, she comes off as an overcaffeinated control freak.  It was grating.  There was a minor question as to why the President of the US doesn't use her Mexican-American husband's surname, but all of that was background nonsense, and I have to admit, I haven't read the book which might have put a number of issues in better context.  It matters not.  This is the tale of two people and that's all you really end up caring about.  All that being said, this isn't just a rom-com.  It's a drama, too.  It shows how being "out" in this day and age is still an impossibility for some.  The film layers sexual identity with politics and privilege, not to mention culture and history.  It's smart.  And that's saying something for a film of this kind.  There are memorable lines, with the struggle by the British protagonist gaining serious traction as the story progresses.  While it is, of course, predictable given the genre; it's not predictable as to the characters' reactions and their inner life.  I was touched.  More than I usually am when I watch these types of things.  And, lest I say it again, this is not Hallmark.  There are graphic (and beautiful) love scenes, with Ms. Shahi ripping off the F-word at one point just to let the audience know that this is NOT cable.  Worth a Saturday afternoon.  Engaging and transported me just enough.

"Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol 3"

Not sure why there is a hate-fest for this film.  I enjoyed it.  I do see some downsides.  After endangering, and saving, the universe on one or two occasions, it becomes difficult to top that with "something greater".  This film doesn't bother.  It simply goes in a different direction.  We have the back stories of every character.  Except for Rocket.  And this is, truly, Rocket's story.  It's sad and brutal to watch at times.  There are predictable losses (he's a pretty cantankerous character and now I get why).  It was so heavy that, yes, I reached for a tissue now and then.  And I know that's not what people want in a superhero film.  And so there are battles and fisticuffs and the like.  Enough to make this a regular old Marvel film.  But it's got a darker side.  Not a "Deadpool" darker side, but a touch-your-soul-just-a-bit dark side.  And maybe that's just too much feeling for your average action fan.  There is also the issue of the music.  The first film has, in my humble opinion, one of the best scores I've ever seen in a movie.  The second film has "good" music.  The music here ... with exception ... is "okay".  Yes, there is Heart and Florence + The Machine but overall, the music choices leave me with the belief that the tunes of my youth far outweigh contemporary music.  The 70s stuff ... it has stuck around for 50 years.  It is music which speaks to you.  Which can bring a memory in with force.  You can sing along with it.  Not so much the stuff that followed.  In the first film the music is like a character.  Take it away and the movie is lessened.  By the time we get to the third film, we are supposed to wax poetical about Beastie Boys?  I think not.  All that aside, the two and a half hour movie entertains and uses hordes (and hordes and hordes) of baddies to create real risk for our leads.  But it's just not as big.  Chukwudi Iwuji brings a Shakespearean gravitas to his role and there are real themes about true religion vs false prophets.  But it's not world-in-peril stuff (ironic, because there is a world in peril).  That becomes an almost secondary plot.  The bigger question is how our personal challenges, and loss, shape us.  Do we become bitter or rise above?  It's a lot of thinking for a Marvel film, but in this case, that was something I didn't dislike.  Critics be darned.  Give it a chance.

"Let's Explore Diabetes with Owls: Essays, Etc" by David Sedaris

Recent travel gave me time to explore this older collection of Sedaris works.  Funny, profane, reflective and enjoyable, I could hear the author's voice coming through loud and clear.  It was interesting, and worth thinking about, how his childhood both formed and damaged him.  His overseas adventures figure prominently here and are a good example of how world travel for both him, and me, has a tendency to change you.  The one confusing note, initially, was the inclusion of fictionalized mini-stories with the personal essays.  Once I was oriented to them, I was fine but there were some "huh, what is happening?" moments.  These stories are a Jonathan Swift homage, with various characters engaging in extreme reactions to the day-to-day.  Like Swift, Sedaris is making a point by pushing the boundries.  It is funny, if you like bitchy and sardonic.  Which I do.  The perfect companion on a long flight.