This Is Us (Season Two) – 2017
(3.2). It can be hard for a new series to improve in the second
season, especially when the first year was very impressive, so a drop
off for this series was probably expected. The originality of the
story line and the time shifting techniques held attention throughout
the first year but did lose a bit of novelty in the second.
Nevertheless, viewers were able to learn more about the background
and depth of the central characters and their relationships even as
some new characters were introduced. Some questions from the first
season were answered in the second but new questions also came into
play. Near the end of the season, some episodes seemed to lag at
times or have less consequence. The last episode offered a couple
teases for next season.
The Crown (Season One) – 2016
(3.0). Nice production values and acting with decent writing make for
an enjoyable experience reliving the years of the reign of Queen
Elizabeth II. The first season takes us up to the retirement of
Churchill (played well after the initial casting jolt by John
Lithgow). Claire Foy as the Queen captures the noblesse oblige and
the basic humanity of this monarch most of whose family come off as
pretty insufferable. Historians may quibble with various details and
political characterizations, but the gist of what it is like to be
the one wearing The Crown and upholding its symbolism and meaning is
what the series is about and that is well presented.
Victoria (Season Two) – 2017
(3.0). The second season of this series did not show improvement in
writing and in fact flattened and fell slightly. The problem is lack
of historical information on the bigger picture of what was going on
in the empire Victoria ruled and in the world at large. The series
takes more of a romance novel approach to the Queen and her
relationship with Albert and her extended family, which is not that
bad in itself, but then too much time is spent on the romantic novel
aspects of the lives of minor characters. There is much production
quality to hold faithful viewers, but covering more significant
historical matters and spending less time on the love lives of
peripheral people would take the series up a few notches.
Brooklyn – 2015 (2.9). Saoirse
Ronan does a star turn of acting in this story of a young woman from
a small Irish village who comes to Brooklyn in 1952 to start a new
life of opportunity. Under the guidance of an old Irish priest she
lives in a boarding house and gets a department store job and goes to
night school at Brooklyn College to gain bookkeeping certification.
Along the way she falls for a son of Italian immigrants. Meanwhile
back in the old country her older sister cares for the widowed mother
and lives vicariously through the younger girl. On a trip back to
Ireland the immigrant sees her old home through new eyes and likes
some of what she sees, but also remembers there is much not to like.
The movie and work of Ronan capture some of the inner turmoil, but
the novel on which it is based had more opportunity for depth,
capturing the inner thoughts of the young woman which are hard to
fully transmit on the screen. The movie script also took some
liberties with the novel, not only leaving out parts but also
changing some of the aspects of the story.
Crown, The (Season Two) – 2017
(2.9). The series moves along chronologically and we continue only
briefly to touch on major world events but go into rather a lot of
detail on the personal lives of the members of the royal family. This
is apparently what the series will continue to be as it runs up to
date. It is rather like a docudrama with a bit more drama than doc.
Game of Thrones (Season Seven) –
2017 (2.9). The penultimate season has the protagonists narrowing
down to the dragon queen, the evil Cersei and the dreaded white
walkers. Political machinations continue and relationships develop as
we anticipate the final year of the series and speculate on the
ultimate denouement.
Icarus – 2017 (2.9). Illegal
doping in sports is common but especially practiced by the Russian
State and Putin. This documentary involves one American bicyclist
working with a Russian whistle-blower doctor. As we follow the
Russian we are first enchanted by him and then become fearful for his
safety.
Mudbound – 2017 (2.9). In
rural Mississippi after WWII a white bomber pilot and a black tank
driver are depressed by what they have come back to and they bond
over their common experiences in the war in Europe. This does not sit
well with those, black and white, who remained home during the war.
Racial tensions are great and are inevitably going to come to a head
creating drama in wondering what the outcome will be. Some may see
the ending of the movie as a bit of a compromise.
Their Finest – 2016 (2.9).
England in 1940 during the blitz and after Dunkirk needed morale
boosters and propaganda to encourage the US to enter the war. A movie
about the heroism of the English people in rescuing their trapped
troops from Dunkirk so that they could fight on was just what was
needed. Desperate for writing talent, they recruited a young
secretary to work on the script. She was talented and attractive and
came with her own life story as she encountered her new work mates on
the film. The resulting movie within a movie is effective in evoking
the danger of the blitz, the heroism of ordinary people, the
serendipity of life and death in wartime on the home front and the
connections that people need and find in times of strife.
Winnie – 2017 (2.9). Behind
every great man, they say, there is a great woman. This documentary
does an effective job of persuading viewers that Winnie Mandela was
that woman behind her husband Nelson. During all his years of
imprisonment she was the defiantly activist face of the African
National Congress movement to end apartheid and allow black South
Africans the right of self-determination. The white government fought
her all the way both openly and by clandestine operations such as
infiltration and planting of false news. Under the pretext of Winnie
being unfaithful to their marriage during his imprisonment, Nelson
chose to ditch Winnie in order to become the first black leader of
South Africa. She still serves in the SA Parliament and was a key
interviewee in this film along with one of her daughters, black
advocates and white SA officials who discuss their tactics to
undermine her. Winnie is disappointed that SA did not become a more
socialist country.
Dolores -2017 (2.8). Dolores
Huerta was a cofounder of the farmworkers union movement with Cesar
Chavez, but she is much less well known, something this earnest
documentary is intended to change. Using much archival footage and
current interviews with still living activists of the time, with some
of her eleven children and with Dolores herself, the movie chronicles
the movement and touches on her personal life, though not always in a
linear trajectory.
Get Out – 2017 (2.8). An Oscar
nominated horror movie by a first time black director is worth a
look, even for someone not a fan of the scary genre. The movie holds
interest as we realize the white New England gentry hosting the black
boyfriend of their daughter are a little creepy and they and their
friends more than a bit awkward in the way they readily accept the
black man. Even weirder are the black maid and gardener who seem
related to the Stepford Wives. The original story was written about
the time of the first Obama election, but the ending was changed as
the Obama Presidency continued and the idea of what type of
conversation on race the movie might prompt also changed.
Stronger – 2017 (2.8). Based
on a true story of a man who lost both legs while a spectator in the
Boston Marathon bombing, this drama starts out strong as he and his
off again on again girlfriend and his alcoholic mother and various
relatives and friends cope with the aftermath. He becomes a poster
boy for the Boston Strong movement, which while well intended adds to
his burdens. But the movie loses some steam as the character of the
man who saved his life at the scene enters the picture and the
transformation in attitude of the victim seems a little abrupt.
When God Sleeps – 2017 (2.8).
This documentary follows an Iranian rap/rock musician in exile in
Germany. His writing and music has resulted in an Iranian fatwa with
a bounty on his head that increases as he continues to put his music
on the internet. Living in constant fear for his life, his band
members quit but some Germans take their place. His girlfriend and
mother worry about him as he vows not to be intimidated from
performing. In the course of the movie we learn a little more about
his early life and how he became an opponent of religion in general
and the state religion in particular, and ultimately whether he is an
atheist, agnostic or maybe someone who just thinks God is asleep.
The Red Turtle – 2016 (2.7).
Studio Ghibli reached out to a European animator to create the first
animated movie Ghibili would produce that was not made by a Japanese
artist. Without dialogue and with noninvasive music and simple but
highly detailed drawings, the story of a man stranded on a bamboo
forested island is a timeless tale of fighting nature evolving into
integrating with nature. However, the film does not have the same
allure and spirit as the traditional Ghibli offerings as its subtle
message plays out over eighty minutes.
Baby Driver – 2017 (2.6). A
mysterious young man who is always listening to music on his i-pod as
he drives getaway cars for a rotating band of bank robbers is the
central character of this offbeat movie. At the start of the film the
music choreographed with the movements of the man and the cars he
drives is engaging, but then the film devolves into a more standard
actioner with a young girl love interest and conflict with the gang
boss. Never mind all the innocent victims along the way.
The Boss Baby -2017 (2.6).
Animation from DreamWorks checks off all the blocks for what is
supposed to be worth producing, but the story line is a curious mix
of corporate management ills and young sibling rivalry. Fortunately
it moves along fast enough that the audience does not have to be
concerned about esoteric corporate aspects.
Do Not Resist – 2016 (2.6).
The maker of this documentary is the son of a police officer with
significant SWAT team experience. Concern for undue militarization of
police forces and SWAT teams was the impetus for the movie. For a
couple years such police teams were followed and filmed in action.
There is also much footage of police involvement with community
protestors and of teams executing search warrants. There is some
showing of politicians in public forums considering the acquisition
of military equipment for police forces. There are no interviews with
opinionated experts and there is no narration, just occasional screen
text with information and data. We are left feeling like a case was
made against excessive militarization of police but without clarity
of the details of the case.
The Child in Time – 2017
(2.4). This novel turned into a movie is about a man whose four year
old daughter disappeared while he was checking out at the
supermarket. Over time he and his wife from whom he becomes estranged
try to cope with the loss of their only child. We see a little bit of
his parents and too much of his publisher (he writes children's
books). We get many flashbacks and false sightings but no real news
about the investigation or search for the child. We know the stories
of all the characters are supposed to tell us something about lost
childhood as well as a lost child – but it comes across as a
tedious effort for naught.
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