42ndStreet: The Musical – 2019
(3.3). This delightfully exuberant production is a filming of a
performance at the Drury Lane Theater in London. The sets, lighting,
costumes and other aspects are great, but it is the music and
accompanying dance numbers that are knockouts. The 1933 movie was the
genesis and the movie was first brought to the stage in 1980 and has
been revived here and there since, but this latest production is
spectacular and this filming of it does it deserved justice.
College Behind Bars
– 2019 (3.2). Lynn Novick, collaborator of Ken Burns, spent four
years making this documentary as her first solo work, telling the
story of inmates given the opportunity to obtain a college education.
How refreshing to find this movie is not a polemic against prisons or
a political advocacy piece. Following two groups of NY prisoners in
maximum security prisons, one men and one women, the film
concentrates its attention intensely on the prisoners as individuals,
then gets input from the professors from Bard College who teach them
and eventually works in some of the family of the offenders and
finally gives some back story on the crimes for which they are
incarcerated. The college provides the education for free and to the
same standards and expectations it holds for students who attend on
the college campus. The inmates are selectively screened and are
highly motivated to learn about a vast array of subjects and in the
process about themselves and the society against which they have
offended. How to fund a college education quickly becomes secondary
to the primary focus of the movie, which is how valuable the
education is to a highly motivated student and how such an educated
student can contribute to society after graduation.
The Durrells in Corfu (Season Four)
– 2018 (3.2). The final
season of the series finds the family facing the threat of WWII on
their doorstep. The mother has a rocky time in her relationship with
her local heartthrob, while two of the children head overseas for
personal growth efforts. The second son tries to become dependable
confidant to his mother while the youngest son splashes through into
puberty. The series ends as the family realize return to England is
probably inevitable. Viewers will likely miss Corfu as much as the
characters do. Though a future series about the family during the war
could be in the cards, the most tantalizing prospect would be for a
return to Corfu after the war. There is a 90 minute follow up special
titled “What the Durrells Did Next”.
Afghan Cycles– 2018 (2.8). Cycling in Afghanistan is a particularly dangerous
sport for young women. In fact just living in Afghanistan in areas
under Taliban rule can be extremely dangerous for young women. This
documentary follows several young women members of the Afghan cycling
team, showing their passion for cycling and telling us something
about their personal stories. Thee are strong young women, but it is
when they share their fears and show the strength to overcome them
that the movie touches and inspires.
The Black Stallion
– 1979 (2.8). More of a fantasy than a drama, the strength of this
movie is the bond between the horse and the young rider, Kelly Reno.
The scenes of the boy bareback riding the stallion at full gallop
through the shallow waters of the seashore still impress, though the
rest of the movie does not hold up as well over time.
For Sama– 2019 (2.8). Recorded home movie style over several years, this
documentary is told as a story from a young Syrian mother to her
newborn daughter who is raised in Aleppo during the years of uprising
against Assad. She intimately tells the story of immediate family and
friends and shows the violence of being under siege, but because it
is intended for a young child, there is nothing by way of political
context presented.
Poldark(Season Five) – 2018 (2.8).
This second rendering of the Winston Graham novels concludes its run
in a swirling mush with the final episode definitely disappointing as
it takes off in eccentric directions barely tying in to what has come
before. Apparently there are so many novels with so many potential
story episodes that it would not be surprising to see the characters
resurrected sooner or later.
Press –
2018 (2.8). This first entry in Masterpiece Contemporary from the
Brits is a six part miniseries about two competing newspapers in
London, one a cass tabloid and he other a more traditional
practitioner of journalism facing financial pressures. The characters
are an interesting mix of professionals with assorted colorful
personal lives. Journalism ethics and different ways to investigate
and tell stories are explored. This is a series that cries out for a
longer run, perhaps several years if the quality could be maintained,
but the short run feels compromised and truncated.
Bridge of Spies– 2015 (2.7). Inspired by the 1957 U-2 spy plane incident and the
ensuing spy swap negotiation, Spielberg overproduces and applies the
old Hollywood treatment to what could have been a much better script
and movie.
Don't Quit: The Joe Roth Story
– 2014 (2.6). This earnest documentary tells the story of Cal Bear
quarterback Joe Roth who came to the football program from junior
college and quickly won the love and admiration of his teammates and
coaches with his football skills and his sterling personality. He
also won lots of football games, gaining national attention. But what
he kept quiet was that he had melanoma and it could not be cured, As
his performances began to suffer, he gallantly hung on and attended
all the all star games of his final season and died in his apartment
on campus where he wanted to finish school and graduate. The movie is
conventional in approach using archival footage and interviews with
teammates, coaches, former opponents, a girlfriend and his surviving
family members.
The King and I –
2018 (2.7). This filmed performance of the musical performed at the
Lincoln Center has it's good points, but the material is dated and
there is not much excitement for a contemporary audience. The method
of filming seems quite conventional also.
TheMarvelous Mrs. Maisel (SeasonsTwo and Three) – 2018 and
2019 (2.7). Season Two was watched without a note posted here, so
both seasons two and three are being covered now. Two got a 2.8 and
three gets a 2.6, for an average of 2,7. The series does a great job
of production value presentation of the look of the 1950s into 1960,
but misses the mark in details that are noticeable by people who
actually experienced those times as young adults. The lead character
is just not very appealing as a person and her humor is hard to see
as something that actually have been popular back then. The language
is also much more vulgar in the series than it was in fact in those
days. The older generation are more interesting than their grown
children. The coarse lesbian agent pretty hard to take although they
are softening her role a little. Though there is a bit of a story arc
the series seems to bounce around a lot. Fortunately there were only
eight episodes to season three, so there a marginal appeal to trying
a season four.
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