"Anne of Green Gables"

The real thing.  Having watched "Anne with an E" -- and having thoroughly enjoyed it, I had to go back to the books, which I somehow never read in school.  Which is weird, because I basically read everything.  So, here's my take:  The books are good.  In a literary way, in a real teen way.  There are whole sections describing Avonlea which are like pure poetry.  The seasons, the trees, the countryside.  As a young reader I wouldn't have appreciated all of this description as much as I do now.  And there are Anne's monologues -- her never-ending stories of events in her life and thoughts she has and feelings she expresses.  These are irritating, both in the book and in the streaming series.  But they are real and they do show the unique passion, the "verve", which makes her truly special.  Characters in the streaming series are combined and threads which are subtle in the book become more dominant in the televised series (this being the 21st century and the books having been written in the 19th century).  Most events are about the same with the exception of a couple of things which happen to her friends and schoolmates.  Why didn't I read these books when I was younger?  As a city girl, I didn't see myself in the setting of the idyllic countryside.  Which the story is, to a point.  My fear, that this book was a sanitized goody-two shoes kind of tale, is a little justified.  Anne is well-liked at school, a good student, a girl who is teased at first but in the book that all goes away within the first six months or so.  "Anne with an E" is better at making the story real -- of Anne making friends but sometimes losing them, of Anne continuing to be on the outside, of her pushing too hard and the people in her life calling her out on it.  In any case I would say that the characters of the streaming series are performed with a true respect for the written characters.  One thing I would have liked about Anne had I read the books when I was young?  Her spunk.  One thing I like now?  Her introspection.  She makes mistakes, a lot of them.  But here's the thing -- she says it herself -- she never makes the same mistake twice because she learns from every event.  And that's something you can hang your hat on.  Even a straw hat with flowers.  

"The Gilded Age"

A passion project for "Downton Abbey" creator Julian Fellowes this HBO Max series boasts a lot of stars and definitely makes you think.  It's a paradox.  You hate a character for focusing on nothing but social climbing, then love her for calling out the old biddies who won't let her into the club.  You love her husband for his work ethic and devotion to family, then hate him for his ruthless business practices.  You hate the snobby "old" set but then appreciate the times they are able to show compassion and give freely.  It's a credit to the producers that these are complex people in a complex time, even if the surface story seems predictable.  Unlike "Bridgerton" this is not race-blind casting and some nifty points are made by the single storyline focusing on a Black actor.  There isn't a lot of new stuff here but it kept me watching.  I blasted through the whole first season in three days.  Yes, you hate the entitled rich people.  Who cares about rich people being mean to other rich people?  But then we are a culture which embraced "Dynasty", so ...  In any case, this is very well made and opts for the subtleties rather than hitting viewers over the head.  Take the time and enjoy it.  Flawed humans and all.

"Julia"

Brava, Bravo to the creators of this HBO Max series.  Unlike the mis-conceived film, "Being the Ricardos" this really speaks to me.  There are big names aplenty in the supporting roles but they actually went with a lesser-known British actor for the lead, who ... wait for it ... embodies the character beautifully.  You really don't look at her and say "that's not Julia Child."  In series form, as opposed to film, there is the opportunity to really examine things deeply and the producers here don't miss a beat.  It is a show of subtleties, exploring everything from the complex relationship between Julia and her husband, the issues women faced in the male-dominant work-force of the early 1960s, where LGBTQ+ sexuality was at the time, you name it.  The show is kind of brilliant (and will make you hungry -- watch with a meal).  It's not just well-acted and well-written, it's also well-shot.  Clever use of the camera, edits and choices in portraying the events of a given scene make for a tale which really draws you in.  There are eight episodes in the first season, six of which are already out.  I watched those six in a single sitting.  Enjoy, or as Julia would say, "Bon Appetit!"

"The Orville: New Horizons"

I really enjoyed this show when it first debuted on FOX in 2017.  At first, it was kind of silly and a little rude but the cast was fresh and engaging.  Instead of being a Sci-Fi spoof, it turned out that it was a love letter.  As a lifetime Trek/Star Wars fan I appreciated every homage, every Easter Egg.  Season 2 got more serious -- which was good.  And then, of course, as FOX is wont to do, it was canceled.  Fortunately, Disney+/Hulu picked it up and with season 3 I would say that the series is better than ever.  With each episode going more than an hour, with the constrictions of broadcast TV being lifted, the whole thing seems to have blossomed.  It's not just deeper, the show has texture and a ton of layers (thank some very high-end writers for this).  Storylines from the first two seasons are continued but filled out to the point where they feel complete.  Political messaging is still there but is typically more subtle than the OG Star Trek.  It touches on a wide range of topics, including the complex issues of alliances between different cultures in a time of war, the use of weapons of mass destruction and working through loss and grief.  The diverse threads of this show weave into something which leaves you thinking.  All that being said it's not depressing.  So much of today's Sci-fi has leaned into the gore and the dark view of the world.  The Orville not only maintains mostly happy endings but something even more important -- hope.  In the midst of cool technology they focus on the people.  Brava, bravo.  Looking forward to season four.

"Better Nate Than Ever"

Loved the books, by Tim Federle.  The movie, not so much.  Way (way way) too Disney-fied.  The books had depth.  It was about an awkward boy getting it all wrong as he tries so very hard to get it all right, to find a place for himself in a world which doesn't seem to have a place for him.  The film doesn't dig down.  It goes for the cheap laughs and the kind of syrupy fakeness you see in 1980s sitcoms.  There are about a thousand product placements.  Even the play Nate is auditioning for (ET:  The Musical) is changed to "Lilo and Stitch" (a Disney production).  In the film Nate doesn't sing an historical Broadway song.  He sings "Let It Go".  Also from a Disney film.  The one saving grace is that the kid, Rueby Wood, has a few really decent musical numbers.  It's the only time I really enjoyed myself.  Unfortunately, the whole thing is poisoned for me.  This should be a film about a seventh grader figuring out who he is.  Instead it becomes a 93 minute ad for Disney.  So, blech.  Read the books.

"And Just Like That"

(***SPOILER ALERT***) There’s a lot to hate about “And Just Like That …”, starting with trying to care about the problems of rich, entitled white women who are utterly clueless about the world outside of their privilege.  As many have mentioned, the attempt to diversify this show is cringeworthy at times.  How anyone, in this day and age, can be so inept at dealing with the racial and gender issues which abound in the modern world is just stunning.  And there is the aging, or lack thereof, of the leads.  Yes, it is 16 or so years later and for two of the three women, it looks like 16 years later.  That’s not a bad thing.  We’ve all aged, and the world has changed since these happy-go-lucky characters danced across 5^th Avenue in their ridiculous heels.  What is harder to watch is Kristin Davis, who has been vocal about people picking on her looks but given that this was always a series about looks, I say you reap what you sow.  That Ms. Davis has fallen into the addictive hole of face fillers is not a surprise in a business where young women, like Lady Gaga, can’t walk away from the temptation, but it is a serious challenge to watch her performance and be distracted by a face that doesn’t move and a lisp created by some weird frozen upper lip.  And, of course, there is the much-discussed issue of Big’s death.  Everyone is upset that Carrie’s first action isn’t to call 911.  If I read the filming correctly, it wasn’t meant to be literal.  First, Big is alive and looking at Carrie.  The water from the shower is off.  Then, he’s dead and the water is on.  Flashes – he’s gone, he’s not, eyes closed, eyes open.  I ~think~ it was meant to be a way of envisioning the surreal quality of finding a loved one dead, unexpectedly.  It just wasn’t done that well.  Honestly, Joss Whedon did it much better in “Buffy” with the episode “The Body.”  

All that being said, much like the original series, there is something here.  Underneath.  Something which has you coming back.  Peel away the self-obsession and stupidity (wearing four-inch heels to paint rooms in a women’s shelter?  Really???) there is a theme which hits home, albeit slowly.  You get to a certain point in life, and you think, “this is it … this is the target … this is where my life will be …”  And then.  Then, someone dies, or something shifts, and “just like that” the comfort zone you are in goes out of the window.  This isn’t a series about women looking for love.  It’s about mature women who have found and lost love, and are trying to navigate a terrain they never imagined for themselves.  And that is what got me to watch it.  FYI, shout out to Sara Ramirez, who is mesmerizing in their performance as Che – they breathe new life into the familiar.

"Never Have I Ever"

It would be easy to dismiss this as more teen drama.  And it is.  But it isn't.  Devi (and the actress who plays her, Maitreyi Ramakrishnan) is a complex person.  She is utterly self-obsessed and a truly lousy friend, but she also lost her father suddenly and is struggling, in a very real way, with the whole growing up/defining herself thing, adding in layers of a grieving mother and an Indian family.  It's rich.  It's also funny.  John McEnroe is the narrator -- and before you jump to the conclusion that he is an odd choice for the role, it fits ... perfectly.  There is snark but a connection.  McEnroe nearly tanked his career with hissy fits and temper tantrums.  He doesn't just mirror Devi's pain.  He understands it.  And that's reflected in in the tone with which he helps to tell her story.  The balance of characters, all more layered than you would think, makes the show very watchable, even with the cringe moments.  

"The Adam Project"

Somehow landing in a Ryan Reynolds phase, I came across "The Adam Project", a layered film which was both funny and thought-provoking.  It's funny.  It's sad.  It's deeper than you might think.  There is Adam, a time-traveling, smart-mouthed guy (Reynolds), who is none too nice to his childhood self.  Clearly, he has issues.  There is his younger self -- played wonderfully by Walker Scobell -- who has the same mouth but still has sees promise in the world.  A stellar cast provides the rest of the puzzle:  an absent father, an overwhelmed mother, a missing love, an evil scientist (there is always an evil scientist in these things).  And, of course, there is time travel.  Which you kind of have to wrap your head around.  If someone goes back and meets their former self and therefore changes history do they never actually go back and meet their former self and change history?  Yeah.  Time travel.  Fun.  Anyway, I found the film much more warm and touching than expected.  It had real depth for a so-called "Sci-fi" picture.  Very worthy, very deserving of praise.  

"Red Notice"

Just a delightful romp.  If you want one of those "Oceans Eleven" kind of escapist film to enjoy on a lazy afternoon, this is it.  Gal Gadot escapes her Wonder Woman persona just a bit, to play a very sexy, very manipulative thief.  Ryan Reynolds is his typical sarcastic but hysterical outsider.  Dwayne Johnson plays Reynolds' non-amused straight man and the "heavy".  Fresh face Ritu Arya is a good addition to the mix and provides needed perspective.  It's type-casting and only has one or two twists I didn't fully see coming but it's engaging, enjoyable, has laugh-out-loud funny moments and just works.  Enjoy.

Who is the Good Guy?

 

I’m struggling with film and television today.  I watch a lot but in the vein of award nominations and there is an interesting trend.  It’s not new.  The anti-hero.  Dexter, Mad Men, Succession, Ozark.  In comedies you have Schitt’s Creek, Dead to Me, etc.  In films there is Power of the Dog, the 50^th anniversary of the Godfather, Nightmare Alley.  They all have one thing in common … the characters aren’t very “worthy.”  They range from greedy SOBs to downright murderous fiends.  Call me old (okay, I am, a little …) but I miss the time when there was a character in a tale who you could root for, identify with.  That seems to be less and less the case with storytelling these days.  It’s … bleak.  It’s a pretty cynical view of the world.  What causes this, I wonder?  Reality TV, where we laugh at the exploits of rich people who are awful human beings?  We make ourselves feel better by looking down at others, right?  Is it that we are living in a troubled democracy where we are a country torn in two, each side feeling superiority over the other?  We see only the dark these days, right? 

Television, for me, was always about escapism.  Finding balance and humor.  I watched Hogan’s Heroes growing up – it took one of the saddest episodes of our history and found the light.  It was daring and disrespectful, but it humanized a small part of the war I think.  The battles, which were always successful thanks to Hogan and his crew, were real.  There was Adam-12 and Emergency, where good guys do good things (although, in watching some of the repeats I’ve heard a sexism I didn’t recognize at the time).  There was the ridiculousness and open laughs in Batman and The Monkeys and Laugh-in.  And, a few years later I discovered Sci-fi, the ultimate escape.  Star Trek and Star Wars and Superman.  They were all the same story, kind-of.  Good people fighting bad people to find love or save the planet or both.  Most of the time good triumphed over evil and the bad people retreated, and all things came back to the way they were supposed to be. 

Film and TV began to change, slowly, becoming more ambiguous in the 1980s.  Or maybe there had been ambiguity I hadn’t noticed before.  Certainly, Miami Vice drew some inspiration from Serpico and The Sopranos was paying a major homage to Godfather.  Barney Miller was a little angry and depressed, Cagney and Lacey faced impossible odds.  Silk Stalkings was fun if you didn’t take it (or any Stephen J. Cannell production) too seriously.  But the innocence was fading.  By the 90s the word “p***s” could be said on television, thanks to a promiscuous President.  The gritty nature of Broadway’s theatre, complete with expletive-filled plays by the likes of David Mamet, were blending into the world of film.  The century turned and 9/11 changed it all.  The most innocent of stories took on an edge.  Battlestar Galactica was remade as a grim, dark allegory for the modern age.  We went to war in the Middle East on questionable grounds and the American political rift began to deepen. 

Who were the good guys, we asked?  Are we the bad guys, some of us asked?  Cable showed up with its lack of censorship, and, desperate for ratings women’s lives were both explored and exploited.  But there were still characters we cheered on (Buffy and Xena, go, go, go!)  Drug use and violence were now shown, viscerally, which came as a bit of a shock to those of us who watched Columbo explore the cleanest of murder scenes … blood rarely came into play as he hunted the guilty.  Hospital dramas now edit in actual surgery footage.  Dead bodies are now seen with every excruciating element of the insect life which inhabit the departed.  And so where is my escapism? 

Maybe all this explains the rise of the superhero film.  The need for clear good guys (although Marvel managed to muddle that a good bit in the Avengers films).  We need people to cheer on.  Grand tales which transport us.  Stories which make us laugh and cry and connect.  So much of today’s offerings leave me cold.  Yes, we as humans are so very (very) flawed.  But is that all that Hollywood wants to show us? 

Maybe they could focus more on how we rise up and do good.  Even if it is only on a spaceship on a planet millions of miles from Earth.  I’m watching Wonder Woman right now, for the 1000^th time.  There is a reason the film is so popular, in addition to yes, being a great film.  Listen to what she says at the end, talking about the human race to Ares:  “They are everything you say they are, but they are so much more.”  “It’s not about what they deserve, it’s about what you believe.  And I believe in love.”  That’s storytelling, folks.

"Anne with an E"

I was a voracious reader in school but never delved into “Anne of Green Gables”.  It was described to me as being about an orphan girl growing up on a farm in Newfoundland.  Kind of a “Little House on the Prairie” from Canada.  My sense was that it would be treacly and bucolic and so I skipped it for darker fare.  My understanding is that this Netflix series is a re-imagining which doesn’t follow the books whole-heartedly but it has intrigued me and I’m thinking about going back and reading the books now.

This streaming series wasn’t instant love.  In the first two episodes Anne drove me more than a little crazy.  She’s emotional, damaged, over-the-top, insecure, obnoxious, doesn’t listen, she’s righteous, is self-obsessed … basically your typical teen.  But I recognized myself in her.  The girl who can’t trust that she is loved, the girl who is accused of being overly dramatic because she uses her fantastical imagination to survive difficult times.  Maybe I didn’t like seeing so much of myself.  I hung in there.  In successive episodes Anne tones down, just a bit.  She continues to make big mistakes, huge mistakes, but she grows from each one of them.  Her circle grows and begins to include people who question their position in life, often because of Anne’s presence in their world.  On a remote Canadian island in the 19^th century you have women who resist becoming wives and wives only, a privileged young man who comes to see a black man as his brother, and lots (and lots) of gay stuff.  I was shocked.  This wasn’t bucolic, it was churning, with seething frustrations and struggles in the face of tradition and repression.  And it is SO gay.  I mean, if someone had told me that I probably would have read the books!

But seriously, I loved the series more and more with every passing episode and managed to binge it all in under two weeks.  Every single character, every one, has depths and dimensions you don’t see coming.  It’s really quite well-done.  And the shots of Newfoundland, often in the winter, are breathtaking.  Brava, Anne!  To the rebel in all of us. 

"The Bureau of Magical Things"

Harry Potter meets Sabrina in this definitely tween level series.  It's cute, fun, fast-paced and has a kind of lightness to it which I am beginning to expect from Australian streaming shows.  Which is odd, because the YA lit I've read from Australia is dark.  Very very dark.  Not this production, which touches quickly on the sad stuff and goes skating on to fun.  The teens, in a magic school of sorts, always mess up and then run around for 20 minutes or so trying to fix their goofs, learning some not-too-preachy life-lessons along the way.  It can be repetitive but is entertaining.  Lead actor Kimie Tsukakochi is talented and engaging.  Is it fabulous?  No.  But it is a delightful palate cleanser to the news of the day and a great way to get out of yourself if you just want to escape it all for a brief time.  

"The Mitchells vs. the Machines"

Having watched all the SAG nominated films I was able to delve into some Oscar picks.  "The Mitchells vs. the Machines" is delightful, smart and laugh-out-loud funny.  A great film which young and old will appreciate it is packed with terrific artwork, good twists and lots of messaging which you understand without feeling preached to.  It was a great two hours.  You know it's a good review when I have nothing to pick at.  It was simply great.

"The Endgame"

I love, love, love Morena Baccarin.  So, yes, I was a little biased even before I saw the first episode.  But it was good.  Fidgeting fell by the wayside and I was riveted by this con/action/crime/mystery series.  "Blacklist" meets "Jack Ryan" meets "Nikita" meets "Killing Eve" ... I think (?) ... in this vibrant show.  Baccarin plays an arms dealer/head of a mercenary army mastermind.  She's a bad guy.  Or is she?  Clearly, she's killed and doesn't mind killing but there are hints of something greater.  And that's the key.  This is a mastermind who doesn't just look at the board in front of her, she runs the game.  The first episode is non-stop action with an interwoven "fairy tale" and twists you will not see coming.  Ryan Michelle Bathe is the Yang to her Yin and together they make every scene a fiery battle of wills.  I can't wait to see what happens next.

"Naomi"

CW shows tend to have rough starts.  It is as if they get sold on an idea but don't really delve deep into how to grow a series.  Such is definitely the case with "Naomi" which has promise but is a bit of a muddle.  The premise is interesting.  (SPOILER ALERT)  Teen Naomi is a Superman fan but believes superheroes aren't real.  Until she begins evidencing her own powers.  Quite quickly she discovers that she is an alien and gains a nicely Zen mentor.  Things progress.  Kaci Walfall, in the lead, has rich layers to her acting and really shows the thinking going on behind the extraordinary circumstances she finds herself in.  Best friend Annabelle is a terrific foil and the other teens band together well.  But some of the acting (particularly in adult roles) is a tad stiff.  Could be the direction or uninspired scripts.  A good number of the technical aspects just don't work.  Wardrobe, for instance, looks like what a costumer would put on people, not what teens actually wear.  Ms. Walfall has to fight the hair hanging over her face in far too many scenes, her beautiful expressions blocked by bouncing braids.  Every episode seems to reveal a new power or two -- are they endless?  A recent episode took cues from "Blair Witch" but that's pretty dated at this point, and it shows a certain lack of creativity on the storytelling side of things, IMHO.  The show could get better.  "Legends of Tomorrow" and "The 4400" had rocky rollouts and are now favorites, not to mention how much "Batwoman" improved after season one.  So, yes, I will hang onto this one for now.  But it needs focus and direction.

"Kim's Convenience"

Now is the time for diverse shows to show us the humanity of all people.  "Kim's Convenience" provides laughs at the ethnic eccentricity of a Korean immigrant family but also reveals to us what we have in common.  Premiering a year after "Fresh Off the Boat" this series has more meat on the bone, feels more real and more grounded, than its American counterpart (it is based in Toronto).  Laugh-out-loud funny it is extremely watchable with a host of likeable characters.  One of those streaming shows I can play for hours because I just like being invited into this world -- and I do feel like I have been invited.  Word has it that things weren't so peachy behind the scenes where a predominantly white production staff didn't give weight to the suggestions of the Korean cast but I have to say that wasn't evidenced in the final product, which rings with warmth and caring.  A great series for a divided time.

"Roma"

Having finished my award-nominated binge and with nothing on my DVR I finally got around to watching the 2018 Oscar Winner "Roma".  It was, quite frankly, freaking brilliant.  I was sucked in from the first moments and couldn't tear my eyes away.  The Spanish language is not daunting as dialog is sparse and moments are communicated through facial expressions and gorgeously framed shots.  It appears to say little but says so much.  It haunts and lingers.  Two weeks after watching it I still think back to it.  At this point it has gone onto my "Top 10 of all time" list.  A quiet little film which will grab your soul.  Amazing, touching, sad and beautiful.

My SAG Award Picks

As is usually the case, my votes will likely not reflect the winners.  Too bad.  This is what I’m voting for, and why.

FILM

Outstanding Performance by a Cast:  This came down to Belfast and CODA.  Both are just lovely family dramas.  Setting aside my personal bias of loving anything Irish, I had to go with CODA which really peeled into the layers of the complex relationships between family members.

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role:  Jessica Chastain in The Eyes of Tammy Faye.  For me, none of the others even came close.

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role:  Will Smith, hands down. 

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role:  This one was really tough.  A four-way race, in my humble opinion.  That being said, I went for Ariana DeBose in West Side Story.  Her performance wasn’t “better” than the others but it involved singing and dancing as well as acting and I just enjoy a fresh face.  Ms. DeBose brought so much energy to the work that the screen just shimmered when she was in a scene.

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role:  This was a three-way tie for me.  In the end I went with Ben Affleck, whose presence in The Tender Bar really made the film work.  And he did an amazing job of subverting his own personality to simply “be” the character.  Bravo.

TELEVISION

Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series:  I was really going to go for Handmaid’s Tale.  I ADORE Handmaid’s Tale.  But The Morning Show kind of blew me away.  There isn’t a single character who doesn’t bring 120% to the production, and it fits together like an incredibly dense puzzle.

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series:  I’m the first to say that people shouldn’t get an award for playing the same role over and over every year.  That being said I voted for Elisabeth Moss in Handmaid’s Tale.  Again.  And always.  The layers of this character, as she moves from mom to rebel to, well, something else, are impossible to turn away from.

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series:  Billy Crudup, The Morning Show.  He makes awful decisions.  And then tries to justify them.  And struggles with his own actions.  With a single look he communicates a million feelings.  It’s kind of brilliant.

Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series:  The Great.  Always.  It won’t win.  But it should.  It really, really should.

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series:  Elle Fanning, The Great.  See above.

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Comedy Series:  This one is tough because I basically didn’t like Ted Lasso or Only Murders in the Building.  So I went with Michael Douglas in The Kominksy Method.  It’s a default but I like the show and I like his work in it.  He really embraces who he is now, warts and all.  After seeing so many Hollywood types fight aging tooth and nail, this performance is refreshing and real.

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Television Movie or Limited Series:  This was really tough.  I wanted to go with Cynthia Erivo, who (I’m very sad to say) was better than Jennifer Hudson at playing Aretha Franklin.  The performance was more layered, more energized.  Less sanitized.  But then there was Maid.  Margaret Qualley’s frustration, anger and desperation as she is continually boxed into corners she can’t get out of are a portrait of pain.  I went with Margaret Qualley.

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Television Movie or Limited Series:  Really really wanted to go with Murray Bartlett from The White Lotus as his role was not only critical but just beautifully played.  But then there was Dopesick.  The show didn’t just transfix me.  And Michael Keaton proved, yet again, what a terrific actor he is.  He just metamorphized into a small-town doctor.  No ego, no echoes of the actor, just the character.  It was lovely.

STUNTS

Outstanding Action Performance by a Stunt Ensemble in a Motion Picture:  This was tough but fun.  Almost all of these not only had great stunts but were highly watchable (particularly Dune and No Time to Die).  And it’s tricky these days.  You don’t want to reward digital effects instead of the actual stunt work.  All that being said No Time to Die, Shang-Chi and Black Widow each had a ton of stunt work and all had some fun, unique things to look at.  There was a protracted motorcycle chase up and down stairwells in a European city, a large fight on a bamboo scaffolding and two “sisters” who aren’t exactly best friends when they meet up for the first time in decades.  I went with Black Widow because, in my heart, I believe that women fight differently.  They must rely on weight shifts and unique moves more than on punches thrown with brute strength.  I loved the use of towels in the first showdown between Natasha and Yelena.  It was creative and fresh.  Brava. 

Outstanding Action Performance by a Stunt Ensemble in a Television Series:  Tough call.  Went with Squid Game cuz, well, yeah, these are new scenarios.  Still trying to figure out why Star Trek:  Discovery never gets a nod.  Most recent season had ****loads of stunts.  Anyway a note that stunts aside Loki was my favorite new Marvel mini-series.

TV Award Picks

The TV shows nominated for awards this year are all over the place.  You have well-respected dramatic series, a Korean take on Hunger Games, a random western and a bunch of other things.  It really left me scratching my head.  With exception the common theme seems to be rich white people with problems.  It wasn’t my favorite year.  But there are a few standouts.  Here are my takes.

Dramas:  Succession has been getting the lionshare of chatter and will probably pull a Ted Lasso or Schitt’s Creek and walk away with most of the hardware.  I only got through two episodes and called it quits.  Ditto Yellowstone.  Mare of Easttown, another uber popular series, was so bleak I just had to say no.  Scenes from a Marriage was also incredibly bleak, as was Squid Game.  Halston had its moments but I just really object to casting a straight actor in an overtly gay role (I couldn't help but think that Matt Bomer could have slayed this role).  The Falcon and the Winter Soldier was downright dour and the first time I wanted to ditch on a Marvel show.

Winners, for me, included old and new.  I adore Handmaid’s Tale and The Morning Show always wins me over for the complexity of the characters.  Maid and Dopesick had me binging the entire series over a day or so, each covering a modern crisis without feeling preachy.  Cynthia Erivo gets major snaps for besting Jennifer Hudson in the battle of the Aretha Franklins, although she had the advantage of a way better script and a longer format.

Comedies:  The White Lotus was listed as drama, which is a mistake.  It’s comedy, albeit and very very dark comedy.  And it’s brilliant.  And sad.  Kind of watching a train wreck.  You really really want to look away but you can’t.  My fave here is The Great and always will be.  It’s smart, fast, and deeply funny – until it’s not.  And that’s why it is brilliant.  A cast effort where every single actor “brings it”.  Loki was a surprise with a sense of freshness and absolutely hysterical dialog.  The Kominsky Method was nice and wrapped up the series perfectly.  The rest of the so-called comedies left me cold which proves that comedy is a very personal thing.  I mean, there is a lot of types of comedy, right?  Do you like slapstick, crude jokes, subtle smart stuff, or a show “about nothing”?  It’s a dilemma.  Many of these are well-liked and feature big-deal actors.  I just didn’t find them funny.  That includes Ted Lasso, Only Murders in the Building, The Chair and Hacks. 

Film Award Picks

Doing things a bit differently this year.  Going to provide general reviews of the film, a summary of the TV shows and then list my votes.

Every year there are themes or styles which seem to resonate between the films, no matter how disparate.  The past remains popular with the 1920s and 1960s/1970s being the most prevalent.  This year the trends are movies which look like art – every scene is like a painting in a museum, even when the subject matter is ugly.  That being said this year’s batch of films are not always intelligible.  Storylines are misty and muddled, disjointed.  Timelines are unclear, narrators are unreliable.  The films this year seem to be more about metaphor and symbolism than clear-cut stories.  Endings are sometimes enigmatic as are characters.  Dialog is minimal and cameras pan over faces full of emotion (or not).  Smiles hide feelings the viewer is never quite sure of.  It’s a hazy, distanced view of the world, as if we are all inside of our own prisons, looking out at something we can’t reach.  If there is an impact from the isolation of Covid on the art world, this is it.  It’s not a gloomy bunch of films but there is little connection to anything palpable with the exception of the three family films:  Belfast, CODA and King Richard.

Being the Ricardos – There is a lot of positive things to say about this film.  It’s a great concept and a very good story.  It’s well-written and beautifully directed.  The supporting cast is terrific and there are significant points made about women in a male-dominated industry.  On the flip side, there will be a struggle for those who loved I Love Lucy, and Lucille Ball, as it shows this icon at her worst and pulls back the veil to see an underbelly to the hugely popular series.  The fatal flaw, however, is in casting.  Hollywood insists on names for leading roles.  And so we get Nicole Kidman and Javier Bardem.  They aren’t bad.  Actors this good can’t be bad, and Bardem impresses with his musical skills.  If this had been purely a fictional tale they would have been fine.  But it’s not.  They are recreating incredibly well-known people.  Kidman and Bardem fail at truly inhabiting these two “greats.”  You never forget that it is not Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz on the screen.  This is driven home when they recreate famous scenes from the I Love Lucy show, like the grape-squishing scene.  It just reinforces the idea that these two actors are fine but they are no Desi and Lucy.  It’s enjoyable as a film, its only mistake is in not creating something which feels true.

Belfast – This absolutely lovely black and white film is a study in contrasts.  There are everyday childhood dramas mixed with “The Troubles” of Northern Ireland, loving parents who don’t love each other, a broken home which is hard to leave.  It’s simple but not dumbed down.  Palpably real this speaks to anyone who had that crystalized moment in their childhood when the world beyond the playground became clear.  It’s just frickin’ brilliant.

Black Widow and Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings – These Marvel movies don’t move too far out of the box but Black Widow has a nice Bond feel.  Florence Pugh is an excellent addition to the franchise and David Harbour is absolutely hysterical.  Shang-Chi is fresh with yummy lead Simu Liu.  Awkwafina as the girlfriend is an awesome choice.  I really like her in everything.  The return of royalty like Michelle Yeoh gives it gravitas and the Asian motifs, particularly in the final battle, are lovely.  Worthwhile ways to spend a few hours if you aren’t totally over the Avengers yet.

CODA – Young Emilia Jones is proving to be quite the triple threat.  In multiple projects at the same time she can act, sing, hide her British accent and spent nine months studying ASL to perform this role authentically.  Authenticity is the key here.  This is a family.  Like all families, there are issues.  Marlee Matlin, in describing the issues Emilia’s brother has with her, signs that “it’s complicated.”  And it is.  There are layers upon layers in this lovely, sad, sometimes funny film.  Kudos to the entire cast for working together so seamlessly and to the director/writer for making it clear that deafness is only one aspect of the dynamics which make up a family. 

Don’t Look Up – With a star-studded cast this one is billed as a comedy but it’s not funny.  It’s hugely sardonic and takes swipes at enough contemporary villains to get an appreciative grunt here and there but it’s not a laugh-fest.  And the ending.  Oh my.  It also runs almost two and a half hours which makes you feel a bit like being hit over the head with “the point”.  Written and directed by the same talent as Vice and The Big Short it has the same snarky tone but this being more fictional it takes on a darker edge.  Using possible world-wide destruction by a comet as a metaphor for climate change and making a clear comparison to the gross in competence of our former Baby-in-Chief, the anger is palpable with several characters devolving into open screams.  The President and her sycophantic son are too involved in politics to deal, the news is too focused on entertaining to address real news (particularly if it is negative) and the public is more interested in their Social Media streams than on impending world destruction.  Mark Rylance gets a shout-out here for his portrayal of a stilted, ineffectual billionaire.  Other than that the movie is not subtle, and despite the tremendous cast and heavy marketing, it’s not wonderful.  Sometimes rage doesn’t play well even if it’s justified.

Dune – There has been a lot of talk about how they finally made a decent Dune film.  There have been more than a few tries.  On a personal level, I like the miniseries and found the biggest deficit of the 80s version was the times rather than the production value.  So, here we are, 2021 and the tech has caught up, the audience more accustomed to a complex, layered narrative.  Yes, this is Science Fiction.  It is also politics and religion and sociology and a bunch of other things.  And yes, this film is good.  Timothee Chalamet, who is usually pretty awesome, has tremendous balance here.  He’s grown up since his early work.  And it shows.  There is a ton of depth as his character works through the overwhelming challenges he faces.  The relationship between him and his mother is as difficult and unusual here as it is in the book.  The biggest downside is that, of course, to get payoff you are going to have to see the second film.  I won’t mind.

The Eyes of Tammy Faye – This tremendously kind look at a well-known figure helps to take the cartoon out of the woman and show the real person behind all the mascara.  It’s a worthy effort even if it isn’t a great film.  Writing, etc is weak, but Jessica Chastain may have my vote for best actor.  Even knowing it was her I couldn’t see her.  I only saw this big woman who was, in a strange way, a real feminist.  The film made me think, which is saying something.  And I came away with a sense of dimensionality although I can’t respect what she and her husband did and am not sure I buy the whole “too innocent to realize it” excuse.  No matter.  She was a real person with a real life.  This film, glossy though it might be, shows us that it wasn’t all joy and rapture.

House of Gucci – Director Ridley Scott is going to do what he’s going to do.  Taking historical events and twisting them to sell the story he wants to tell is kind of his thing.  And so we have a significantly less-than-historical version of the relationship between Maurizio Gucci and his wife, Patrizia Reggiani.  Well-framed images don’t make the motives clear.  With the exception of Lady Gaga (who is very good) and Jared Leto (who is outstanding) there is a surprising lack of passion and focus for the characters.  Adam Driver, typically a gifted actor, is left swimming in poor dialog.  You are never quite sure of what he wants, why he wants it, or who the character really is.  It seems to change from one scene to the next.  He's not the only one.  This thing is a really long mish-mash.  It’s yet another star-heavy film this year which focuses on powerful white people but has very little to say.

King Richard – Engaging, well done on every level and hugely watchable.  The relationship between Richard and his wife, the family dynamics, it’s all delightful.  Given that the Williams sisters are Executive Producers on it, the film is a little on the sweet side, glossing over the dark, but in this case that’s okay.  It’s a feel-good piece which says what it needs to say.  Brava, Bravo.

Licorice Pizza – I really looked forward to seeing this.  Every year there is some small budget film which gets a lot of attention and this time it’s Licorice Pizza with all the chatter.  Unfortunately I found myself bored and ancy.  It’s yet another 1970s reflection of growing up.  Unlike The Tender Bar I didn’t find it charming.  More like a random collection of snapshots.  The scenes don’t have any kind of through-line, and the protracted scenes with Bradley Cooper playing Jon Peters are, well, kind of pointless.  For me anyway.  Even the title is unconnected to the plot.  Too much inside baseball.  It might have meaning for those who lived it but I wasn’t able to connect.

The Lost Daughter – Echoing the other films this year this movie is more about being atmospheric than it is about storytelling.  Tinged with a sense of isolation and loss we watch Olivia Coleman’s character, Leda, try to enjoy a vacation while being inundated with a large family which reminds her of the family she left behind.  It is part of a handful of films which are exploring the idea that motherhood is not innate to women and that many women who become mothers feel trapped and unfulfilled.  It’s not about judgement but about reality.  It’s good but lengthy.  As good a Coleman is I was more impressed and interested by the actor playing her younger self.  That’s the part where the character’s impossible decision is made.  The rest is just reflection. 

The Matrix Resurrections – There is nothing new here.  Like a TV show that has run out of juice it plays like a clip show with way too many references to the previous films.  It’s a sign that they don’t have anything new to bring to the tale.  Jessica Henwick and Neil Patrick Harris are fun and Jonathan Groff is terrific (dude, it’s Jonathan Groff, he’s always terrific) but that’s about it.  The two-and-a-half-hour film feels much longer.

Nightmare Alley – This star-studded film noir runs long and feels like it.  Not that it isn’t entertaining.  If you are into this style of film it’s kind of brilliant.  A dark morality play which goes where you figure it will go but is visually engaging and full of colorful characters.  It was enjoyable, but for me not  particularly memorable.

No Time to Die – Not a huge Bond fan I stopped watching the films long before Daniel Craig’s turn at bat.  So I was pleasantly surprised at this really layered, deep and emotional film.  I mean, yes, there are all the familiar Bond tropes but they are wrapped in good acting, a complex script and a real story.  Of course, there is a strange villain trying to destroy the world from an island (with a bunker which looks a LOT like the one from Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade).  The narrative, however, plays into love and loss and choices.  It makes the whole thing just a teensy bit relatable.  Before the inevitable explosions and such.  It’s worth the bulky two hours and forty-five minutes which flies by.

Passing – Any attempt to describe this layered, twisty film would fall flat.  It’s art.  It’s poetry.  It’s depression and grief and love and hate and jealousy and so many other things.  The weight of the emotional burden falls on actor Tessa Thompson.  In the dialog-light film the camera lingers on Ms. Thompson time and time again.  She is a figure in the background who is framed or blocked by objects in the foreground.  One stares at her tightly drawn face as she works through an uncounted number of emotions.  None of them are simple and none are clear-cut.  The sometimes-fuzzy point of view is that of her character.  The editing jumps from one point in time to another making the film feel like jagged snapshots of a life.  You are never quite sure of when and where you are but have an overwhelming sense of atmosphere.  Ruth Negga, who has gotten the lion-share of attention for her work here plays the flirtatious, fatalist flapper.  Her deception is the focus of the title but only a small part of a much bigger story of lives lived unfulfilled.  The enigmatic ending nags and pulls at you.  What does it all mean?  I’m not sure and viewers will undoubtably debate about it.  One thing I do know that you will be just a touch haunted long after the movie ends. 

The Power of the Dog – This must be the year when films aren’t what they seem to be.  This is not a western.  Not really.  It’s a psychological drama which happens to be set in Montana in 1925.  So, yes, there are horses and cattle and that’s important to the storyline, but it isn’t what this film is about.  With a surprising number of similarities to Passing this one focuses on people and their relationships with each other.  Some of those relationships are toxic.  Also told in snapshots without a clear timeline the vistas impress and the camera work by Jane Campion is as amazing as ever.  And yes, there is a piano although it is only an element of the tale and not the primary driver of action.  It’s a brilliant film but not an easy one.  And, just a warning, it will make some viewers cringe from time to time (mostly vegetarians).  That being said it’s my expectation that this one will be walking around with a good deal of hardware at award time.

Respect – I love Jennifer Hudson.  I always have.  That being said, a biographical film is always a challenge.  You are asked, in two and half hours or so, to encapsulate the totality of a complex and often very well-known life.  Jennifer Hudson is probably one of the few people out there today who can do justice to Aretha Franklin’s singing as copying the style and intonation of another singer is hugely hard.  Unfortunately the engaging singing is where any value to this film stops.  The storytelling is weak, the script even more so.  Ms. Franklin goes through huge changes in this tale but there just isn’t enough meat on the bone to explain how she grows and comes into herself.  Dark moments are glossed over, Jennifer Hudson goes from being shy to self-assured in a jarring instant.  When the credits roll at the end and you see the real Aretha Franklin, it’s a relief.  That’s not a good thing.

The Tender Bar – I get fidgety these days while I’m watching TV.  That wasn’t the case with this film.  From the beginning, when dialog is minimal, I felt myself roped in.  Every word was loaded, every expression hugely telling.  A look provides a dozen emotions.  It’s not a “grand” tale, just slices of very normal, everyday life.  But it’s sweet and a little funny.  It’s tremendously real.  Characters are hugely engaging, including name-actors who manage to just melt into the roles and leave ego behind.  It’s a quiet story which is very well written, well shot and well told.  Brava, Bravo.

tick … tick … BOOM! – A tiny, lovely jewel in this year’s film offerings I can’t say it’s the best (impossible to compare apples to oranges) but I can say it struck a (literal) chord with me and is a true favorite.  I thought I knew the Jonathan Larson story.  I didn’t have a clue.  This film, based on Mr. Larson’s second play (Rent was his third), is a biographical piece with a lovely fusion of brilliant songs and remorseful stand-up style monologues.  It’s just down-right endearing.  Snaps to Andrew Garfield who manages to step aside and let the character shine through and to Alexandra Shipp, who is effervescent in her role of partner/lover/ex for the Larson character.  Don’t blink as there are notable (like, really, really notable) cameos throughout, particularly in the “Sunday in the Diner” scene.  And yes, that is really a tape of Stephen Sondheim leaving a message on Jonathan Larson’s answering machine.  A close look at a life too brief, a man whose gift we only began to understand before he was taken.

The Tragedy of the (Scottish Play) – I’ve seen a lot of Shakespeare.  A LOT.  So I’m picky.  This is visually stunning.  Art with a capitol “A”.  It’s a surrealist/Dali-esque portrayal of the famous play.  The big “but” here is that pretty-to look at doesn’t necessarily make for a brilliant production.  Joel Coen directs and I have some issues.  His heavy (heavy heavy) use of the “Z axis” is interesting at first but becomes wieldy and distracting.  Many of the lines are delivered in an almost deadpan way.  Emotion is muted.  Sentence after sentence is delivered in a whisper.  When Mr. Washington’s character has to make his tortured, fatalistic choice, he has the emotional equivalent of picking out white blinds or beige.  When asked by his wife to return the bloody knives to the sleeping bodies of King’s men, his general attitude is “ehh?”  He finally seems to wake up about half-way through but by then I have long since stopped caring.  I can’t help but feel that the actors were directed this way.  Early on there is some exposition and the film pivots to a mime of the action being described.  To me, it said that the director didn’t trust the words, which is critical for Shakespeare.  Also early on Alex Hassell gives a throwaway line great import but the rest of his speech is monotone.  Corey Hawkins was making it work as Macduff until his character’s family is killed.  And he goes flat.  I didn’t get it.  I also didn’t get the bizarre and distracting fake eyebrows on Bertie Carvel, who played Banquo.  A few actors were able to rise above.  Kathryn Hunter entrances with her gorgeously unique take on the witches.  Frances McDormand is a study in sly subtlety and steals every scene she’s in (which is saying a lot given that her scene partner is Denzel Washington).  Stephen Root made the most of his comic cameo.  Moses Ingram is absolutely lovely and grounded and real in her one scene.  The sad thing is, however, that this film as a whole is lacking in sound and fury and in the end, signifies nothing.

West Side Story – This is simultaneously a lovely homage to the original as well as a beautiful updating of a classic film.  Slightly longer than the 1961 version the songs and dancing are still there but this time there is more context, more foundation, to explain the inherent racism of the times.  Sadly this film still speaks to our current times where Americans are pitted against each other and have retreated into tribes.  It’s a wonderful adaptation and worthy of watching.