"Wild Cards"

Milo Ventimiglia's recent outing, "The Company You Keep" was cancelled right when I started buying into it.  This pale Canadian copy (this time she's the con and he's the cop) isn't bad but it isn't good, either.  It's just fluffy noise.  The bloodless crimes they solve don't leave much of an impact.  Kind of like the whole show is just a foundation to support banter.  ER's Giacomo Gianniotti's sultry disposition (and love for a hairless cat) bring a certain amount of chemistry, and Vanessa Morgan's bubbly energy helps move it along.  But this isn't a show to hang your hat on.  Just one to watch when you don't want to think too much.  Like Hallmark.  It's just "there".

"Tracker"

NBC and FOX both have their missing person shows, so I guess CBS had to get theirs.  Unlike the other two productions this one focuses more on a loner Colter Shaw (played by Justin Hartley) than a group or organization.  He has a team, of course, but the actual James-Bond level rescues are all him.  Like the other productions the character has a tortured back-story.  It's not the bestest thing in the world but it's not bad.  Typically formulaic on this network, it's not full of suprises and twists but Hartley's committment to the role works and the producers do everything possible to boost his handsome savior creds.  The supporting players are strong and the whole thing rings of compassion.  Wedged between the justifiably popular "Equalizer" and one of the "CSI" spinoffs, it should do well.  The only thing which might get in the way is the Sunday night placement.  CBS shows have struggled in this slot, as they are often delayed -- sometimes significantly -- by football.  I'm keeping it in rotation.  It's just engaging enough without being a serious concentration show.  And yes, like 007, Hartley got the girl at the end of the first episode.  I expect this will continue one way or another.  That's fine.  If the guy can rescue a kid by falling off a cliff even though he has a bullet in his arm, he deserves to get some.

"Extended Family"

Time for the very-much delayed new season.  There isn't a lot of meat here.  Only three new shows up on network TV and none of them are particularly original.  They aren't bad, they just aren't remarkable.

First up is "Extended Family."  I love Jon Cryer and Donald Faison.  Both have serious comedy creds and know how to work a moment.  I would watch Jon Cryer walk across a room (which he does, hysterically, in at least one episode of this new sitcom).  And Donald Faison has a lovely way of finding the perfect "level" -- not too little, not too much.  He hits just the right note and the irony is unmistakable.  Even Abigail Spencer, new to the genre, manages to match Cryer and Faison's wry humor.  It's a good threesome.  But that's about it.  The show is standard sitcom and has little to no depth.  The children don't impress (and, I've noticed, have appeared less and less in each successive episode).  The concept is good and the whole thing is ... unoffensive.  But it doesn't break through on any level.  I like watching it but wouldn't miss it if it were gone.  Hopefully, as things progress, it will find some layers -- minimal though they might be.  It's shows like this which make me really miss Chuck Lorre.  He only has two shows left ("Bob Hearts Abishola" and "Young Sheldon") and both of those end this Spring.  

And the Award Goes to -- 2024 edition

2024 Award Nominated Films (and TV series)

Every year I try to find a thread which binds most of the top-nominated films together.  This year that is impossible.  The productions were all over the place and it’s more like comparing apples to sofas than apples to oranges.  There was also a lot of quality this year.  More than we’ve seen in a while, which makes picking just one really hard.  At least for me.  There are huge box-office hits and movies no one has ever heard of.  There are male dominated films and female dominated films.  Marvel actors reminded us that they are real actors, not just superheroes.  There are a ~lot~~ of LGBTQIA+ characters.  I chalk that up to a pushback from Hollywood as to what is happening in this country.  There is a lot – and I mean a lot – of sex.  Very prolonged sex.  Very graphic sex.  As a writer, I always ask myself … how important is sex to the narrative?  Does portraying it in detail move the story forward?  Is it an element we need to understand the character?  In the case of these films, sometimes yes, but, in my humble opinion, most of the time, no.  Same goes for graphic violence.  There were two – yes, two – nominated titles which involved watching people eat people.  I’m just saying.  And yes, a woman brutally murdered in the woods is awful.  But do we really need to see the back of her skull falling off, showing her brain leaking out to feel bad?  Again, I have to say no.  But them’s my opinions.  As always.  Others won’t agree and the trend of rewarding the male, the violent, the sexual and the “big” productions will likely continue.  Personally, I like the quirky, thoughtful and fresh takes on who we are as people.  Oh well.  Expect “Oppenheimer” and “Succession” to be the winners.  Below, my two bits.

Best films overall:

#1  “Maestro”

#2  “Past Lives”

#3  “Oppenheimer”

#4  “Barbie”

#5  “Rustin”

#6  “The Color Purple”

#7  “American Fiction”

#8  “Nyad”

In terms of streaming series and limited series, definitely check out “A Small Light”, “Daisy Jones & the Six”, “Lessons in Chemistry”, season 4 of “The Morning Show”, “The Diplomat”, seasons 4 and 5 of “Fargo”, final seasons of “The Crown” and “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel”, “The Gilded Age”, “Abbott Elementary”, and “Fellow Travelers” (although I was a bit on the fence with that last one).

My SAG votes:

FILM

Male Actor in a Leading Role:  Bradley Cooper had my vote until I saw Colman Domingo in both “Rustin” and “The Color Purple”.  Talk about range!  Cooper deserves attention for the incredible work he has been doing in front of, and behind, the camera.  But this was a year with a lot of juice in the acting categories.  The award will likely go to Cillian Murphy for “Oppenheimer”.

Female Actor in a Leading Role:  Annette Benning for “Nyad”.  The film was brutally hard on a physical level and Benning didn’t flinch at portraying a complicated, unvarnished character.  Award will go to Lily Gladstone for “Killers of the Flower Moon”.  She deserves it, but so does every actor in this category.

Male Actor in a Supporting Role:  Robert Downey, Jr. in “Oppenheimer”.  #1 He was unrecognizable.  #2 A lot of attention is paid to those who die of ODs.  Downey has worked hard, very hard, to maintain his career and his sobriety.  Again, this is a very deep bench in terms of talent.  It could be Downey for the win.  Or Dafoe, or Gosling.

Female Actor in a Leading Role:  Again, again, huge talent in the pool.  I went for Danielle Brooks for “The Color Purple”.  She absolutely commands every scene she appears in – giving joy or grief or energy or all of the above.  She is, in my humble opinion, a force.  The award will likely go to Da’Vine Joy Randolph for “The Holdovers”.

Outstanding Cast:  This one was hard.  Really hard.  I went for “Barbie” because it took buy-in by every member of the cast to pull this off.

Stunt Ensemble:  “Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny”.  Because this film got a lot of crap it didn’t deserve.  And there are lots of car stunts, chases, and, you know … bullwhips.

TELEVISION

Male Actor in a TV Movie or Limited Series:  Matt Bomer in “Fellow Travelers”.  Role showed range.  The character was very, very, complex.  Other nominees are gifted actors, but often playing characters similar to ones they have played in the past.  Steven Yeun will likely win for “Beef”.

Female Actor in a TV Movie or Limited Series:  Another very, very hard decision.  Went with Brie Larson for “Lessons in Chemistry”.  She achieved Spock-like brilliance by giving a stoic performance with oodles of emotion … right behind her eyes.  Very close second, for me, is Bel Powley in “A Small Light”.  She literally brought light to the production.  Ali Wong will likely win for “Beef”.

Male Actor in a Drama Series:  Billy Crudup in “The Morning Show”.  Really wanted to give this to Pedro Pascal – for being a guy who did an incredible acting job in a helmet and as a Spanish speaking mother-figure in an SNL skit.  But Crudup delivers – a guy you should hate, but you just … don’t.  The prize will go to one of the actors in “Succession”.

Female Actor in a Drama Series:  Keri Russell in “The Diplomat”.  She maintains a frenetic pace, dialog which is Shakespearean in its complexity, and still manages to portray her many conflicted inner feelings.  Brava.  The award will go to Elizabeth Debicki in “The Crown”.  Cuz, duh, she plays Diana. 

Male Actor in a Comedy Series:  Bill Hader for “Barry”.  Not a weak category but didn’t like any of the nominated titles.  Don’t really like “Barry”, but like it more than the others.  Jeremy Allen White will likely win for “The Bear”.  What I don’t get is nominating the same actors year after year.  If this were up to me, Alan Tudyk, who has never been nominated, would win for “Resident Alien”.  He is nuts.  And brilliant.

Female Actor in a Drama Series:  Alex Borstein in “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel”.  Honestly, can you imagine any other actor ever playing that role?  No.  The award will likely go to Quinta Brunson for “Abbott Elementary” or Ayo Edebiri for “The Bear”.  Quinta should just get an award for working her *** off.  She produces “Abbott Elementary”, appears in it, as well as appearing in other shows and a growing list of commercials.  Only other actor I’ve seen with a resume like that is Queen Latifah.

Outstanding Cast/Drama:  “The Morning Show”.  Really wanted to give this to “The Crown” or “The Gilded Age” but “The Morning Show” just keeps raising the bar.  Award will likely go to “Succession”.

Outstanding Cast/Comedy:  “Abbott Elementary”.  Which might actually win.

Stunt Ensemble:  “The Last of Us”.  Not easy choreographing fight sequences with zombies.  For a lot of reasons.

"The Marvels"

Yet another good action film which got trashed for reasons which aren't entirely clear.  I mean, it's not Shakespeare, it's Marvel.  And, like all Marvel films, you have the big bad thing, the fights, the bonding, the amusing asides, the world-ending peril which must be stopped.  The blend of actors -- Brie Larson, Teyonah Parris and Iman Vellani really works.  Each brings a needed "seasoning" -- funny, serious, hopeful, broken, angry, sad, determined.  The dialogue flows well amidst the frequent fisticuffs and, of course, there are loose threads for the next ten sequels.  Maybe it's just a last straw thing.  You really need to watch a number of Marvel films before this one to get all the references and the unfinished storylines are getting old.  I'm one of those who has been saying "ugh" lately when it's clear that a Marvel movie's only purpose is to prep for the next Marvel movie.  But I enjoyed this one.  There is singing (hee hee) and flerken -- adorable AND dangerous!  It's worth an hour and 45 minutes.  And I kind of love Iman Vellani's exuberant/over-the-top Ms. Marvel.  And her whole family.  They bring joy into my heart.  In any case, I'd be more likely watch it again than some of the other 32 (THIRTY-TWO) films in this particular cycle.  And I've seen them all.

"Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny"

Honestly don't get why people are so down on this film.  It follows the Indiana Jones canon perfectly.  Opening with a massive and ridiculous chase scene where many Nazis get killed, there is then the return to a university, a tease about an artifact ("It BELONGS in a MUSEUM!"), a strong-willed woman who wants what she wants, a trip to Morocco, a smart kid, more chases, a plane, a boat, snake-like creatures, a reversal, a clue, lots of creepy insects -- and the final battle in a great cavern full of secrets.  The true believers don't like it when producers divert from the canon, but they also complain when the story is too derivative.  That's not my criteria.  I look for the following:  Is it familiar enough that I can connect with the characters?  Is it a fun way to spend two hours?  The answer to both of these, for me, is a solid "yes" with this film.  That, plus it is light-years better than "Temple of Doom" and "Kingdom of the Crystal Skull".  It's like the Star Trek movies.  Every other one is good.  And this one's good.  My only thought is this.  Harrison Ford (as well as John Rhys-Davies and Antonio Banderas) are getting old.  And they look it.  Maybe, in the world of action adventure movies, people want escapism.  Maybe they don't want to see their heroes turn into real people.

"The Last of Us"

Look, I adore Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey.  They are both talented and this production is extraordinarily well done.  Everything, from acting to directing to script, is terrific.  But it's a post-apocalyptic, zombie tale.  I don't like zombies.  What's the point of a bad guy who is insensate?  And, after some 20 years, I'm pretty burned out on the post-apocalyptic thing.  Put them together?  Sorry.  I just can't power through.  And it's not like I didn't try.  But it's also pretty predictable.  Zombies start eating people.  A scrappy, hardened group of survivors set up a refuge which is "fairly" secure.  Someone with military training has to leave the refuge for some reason and there is the dangerous travel, filled with killing a lot of zombies, which often lands in a place which seems really nice on the surface but has an ugly core.  The military person continues their trek and finds the end of the road.  But the end of the road is not what the military person thinks it is.  Yeah, been there, done that.  I'll take a vampire series (or witches or whatever) over zombies every time.  Sorry.  If you are into a bleak dystopia and visceral violence, this is a great addition to the canon.  If not, may I recommend "Red, White, and Royal Blue."

"The Diplomat"

I had heard good chatter about this series but didn't get around to it until Keri Russell got nominated for a SAG award.  Have to say, really liked it.  Ran through all eight episodes in less than 24 hours.  It's a delightful mix -- the politics and pace of "West Wing", the intrigue of a John le Carre novel, the marital complexities of "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?"  Ms. Russell is outstanding in her portrayal of a smart, hard-working woman ... who often has to navigate a world of low expectations, not to mention a husband who has his own ambitions.  Personally, I really like the fact that she is a woman who wants to do the job, not be judged for how she dresses when she does the job.  It's a rich, layered tale.  I wouldn't recommend this as a workout or "check your email" show ... you really need to pay attention.  Also, a familiarity with world politics wouldn't hurt.  This may be fiction, but it is grounded in today's events.  Short hand?  It becomes even better when you see the twists they put on things we know about -- Ukraine, Russia, Iran and more.  Definitely a worthwhile way to spend a long afternoon.  And I can't wait for season two.  Season one has quite the cliffhanger.  And I only partly saw it coming.  Lots and lots of moving pieces.

"A Small Light"

Most holocaust productions are sad, sad, sad.  Depressing.  It's the nature of the beast.  Six million people were just slaughtered.  It doesn't make for happy fare.  "A Small Light" is the story of Miep Gies, a young woman who ended up being one of the caretakers for Anne Frank and seven others while they were in hiding.  The difference here is that Bel Powly plays Miep.  Between her effervescent performance and a nicely structured script, we see the hope, the promise that "someday" things would get better.  Miep sees plenty of the darkness but she does not focus on it.  She looks to the light.  It makes this very hard story bearable.  Not that there aren't tears.  There are.  Of course.  This is a known history.  But this is a layered production.  It brings a lot of normal life -- at least as normal as possible -- to an impossible situation.  Anne is a whiny teen but has more dimension than almost any other version of her I've seen.  Miep and her husband work to figure out their relationship stuff.  The people of Netherlands each has a different response to the Nazi occupation ... just like any group of people would.  This is nothing if not a human tale.  An outstanding production and way to spend eight hours.

"Beef"

 

~Sigh~  Yet another really well made show which I really couldn't watch.  Sad, miserable people get into a road rage incident and continue to pursue and harrass each other over the course of ten hours.  Secretly, they want to die and each of them "play with" the idea of killing themselves.  It's supposed to be wryly funny I think, but I just found it depressing.  There is enough darkness in the world.  I see it every day in the news.  In the big city I live in, traffic issues are a dangerous, daily struggle.  Don't need to see a fictionalized tale of hate and bitterness.  It's just too real.  

"Past Lives"

A24 does amazing work.  This is no exception.  A little film which is powerful.  A sweet, simple story which is complicated, and, in an odd way, deeply sad.  A love story that isn't, but is.  A tale of immigration and culture which is also about finding the culture within you -- figuring out who you are and how you fit into the world.  The filming is exquisite (yeah, Celine Song definitely should have been nominated for an Oscar) and the acting is top notch.  While I didn't fully buy these 40 year-olds as college kids, they have a chemistry to die for.  In every scene the screen just crackled.  It's a beautiful story but it's not overwritten.  The pacing is concise but the actors are given time to feel the beats, be in the moments.  As it goes on you are inexplicably part of those moments, drawn into something which feels deeply real.  Real and palpable without the overt sexual scenes present in so many other films this year.  It's stunning.  An absolute winner, in my humble opinion.  (And yes, grab that kleenex).

"Poor Things"

SPOILERS 

I really liked it at first.  It is quirky, strange, offbeat, unexpected.  Much of the film is shot with a fish-eye lens, which gives it extra weirdness.  And some of the settings look like they are inspired by a favorite artist, Hieronymus Bosch.  It seems, at first, not unlike a riff on Rapunzel.  From amusing baby steps we watch an adult woman who has been given an infant's brain try to grow up and makes sense of the world.  It's funny.  It's charming.  It's a very nice acting job from Emma Stone (not to mention William DaFoe and Mark Ruffalo, who are brilliant and almost unrecognizable).  But then it takes a turn.  Sexual awakening I get.  But after that understandable, and well-done moment, the sexual adventures become pervasive.  All of a sudden, this woman trying to "get it" is only trying to "get it".  In a Victorian period she seems to always wearing see-through clothing and shorts reminiscent of a "sexy school-girl".  She runs off with a lothario, then becomes a French whore.  Because every woman in the world really wants to be debased in order to find her self-worth.  It is exploitative and demeaning.  And not exactly the female empowerment tale the film seems to be trying to project.  So, in the end, a wild premise is undone by turning the whole thing into soft porn.  Of course, this male director has been nominated for an Oscar.  Unlike the female directors this year, who nearly all got iced out. 

"Lessons in Chemistry"

Once again, Brie Larson reminds of why she was awarded an Oscar for her work in "Room" some nine years ago.  She is terrific in this limited mini-series at remaining stoic but clearly being a person who is constantly battling her inner demons.  The series is respectful of the book and maintains the core, but several elements are expanded and deepened.  Calvin becomes more of a force rather than someone who showed up in her life and then disappeared just as quickly.  Neighbor Harriet becomes a woman on a mission to save her Black neighborhood from being destroyed for a highway.  Elizabeth's relationships -- with co-workers, her daughter, have more meat on the bone (pun intended).  There is a difference between reading something and seeing it.  In this show, even when you know what is coming, the visual impact makes events and actions have more levels.  I plowed through the eight episodes quickly and thought about the series ... a lot ... after watching it.  The book gave me a great story.  The mini-series made me feel.  Brava.  Oh, and the dog is adorable.