Please forgive the brevity of my comments, but I’m slowly resuming my viewing, if not my writing.
DOCUMENTARIES
All that Breathes (HBO) – 10
I have to admit that this movie is a perspective builder. It’s about two brothers in India who spend
their evenings nursing birds called “kites” that fall out of the smoggy skies
in Delhi. In America we get very upset about
concepts – wokeism, socialism, conservativeism, liberalism, etc – things you
can’t reach out and touch.
In Delhi, the problems are all touchable: rats, air quality, insects, roads that aren’t
roads anymore but are rivers, mosquitos, and numerous other troubling
things. Living conditions are so
horrible, that for at least one night you will turn off you TV and appreciate
the way we get to live in America. This documentary
is quiet and low-key because the images speak for themselves, and it starts with the incredible opening scene. This is the second Indian film I've fallen in love with, but it is as far from RRR as one can get in tone. What makes it different is that it snagged an Oscar Nomination (for Best Documentary) something RRR inexplicably missed out on. It is also the first documentary to win the award at both Cannes and Sundance. Check it out.
Dionne Warwick: Don’t Make Me Over (HBO) – 8
Right before Burt Bacharach died this month, there we were watching the story of Dionne, and her ability to enhance the music of Hal David and Bacharach. But wait, there’s more. Turns out Dionne is quite the defiant one, telling people what she will and won’t do, as well as gathering a bunch of rappers together and telling them to tone done their lyrics about women.
I have always been a Warwick fan, but I came out of this a bigger one.
STREAMING
Cunk on Earth (Netflix)– 10
Nobody does sarcasm like the British, and this is one brilliantly sarcastic history series. Just wonderful, and its episodes fly by.
She Said – 10
In the tradition of great journalism movies like “Spotlight” and “All the President’s Men,” this movie is an open-field tackle of Harvey Weinstein and similar abusers. It opens the door on the “me, too” movement. Instead of Woodward and Bernstein, we get Megan Twohey and Jodi Kantor, two reporters for the New York Times who dig in on Wesinstein and his abuses, and just won’t let go. It’s amazing that investigative journalism still has a bite, and this is a big, relevant dish.
Sharper (Apple+) – 9
This a straight-forward Con story. It’s well done, and the best part is that it’s
totally plausible, not one of those crazy plot twist extravaganzas. A fun watch that offers nice surprises along
the way.
You People (Netflix) – 8
A silly little movie about interracial romance that had me laughing most of the way. Great to see Eddie Murphy again.
I See You – 8
You're scanning through Netflix looking for a surprise, and you see Helen Hunt
and say, “this may be worth a try.”
Helen plays a psychologist who has been a bad wife and her family has
turned on her. Her teenage son is not
pleased with her, and her husband is a detective who is investigating a string
of murders. Turns out there’s a lot
going on in her house. Interesting story
Ambulance – 6
Don’t let the title fool you. This is just shoot ‘em up, cops and robbers porn. It’s a Michael Bay Watch wherein a bank robbery goes bad and the two stars, Jake Gyllenhaal and Yahya Abdul-Yateen II commandeer an Ambulance but have to contend with a medic (a terrific Eliza Gonzalez) as they try to escape. As deep as most Bay movies, which is a kiddie pool in the back yard.
House of Gucci – 7
Lady Gaga outshines the rest of the cast in another true-story fashion house
drama. Wow, there sure is a lot of intrigue,
murder, and mayhem behind those expensive purses. Not my area of interest, but Gaga is
something else.
Nate Bargatze – 10
Nate has 3 streaming standup specials that are laugh out
loud funny, and if you thought in today’s time it would be impossible to do
comedy without profanity, let this clean comedian shock you, nicely. I love it when a comedian picks apart our
daily life, and he may be the hottest comic going right now.
CLASSICS
Bone Tomahawk – 10
I’d heard about this movie for years, but what I didn’t know was that it would give me, and any person of the male persuasion, nightmares. Kurt Russell’s presence got spousal attention, especially since it’s a western, like Tombstone, but it’s also a little bit of a horror movie, with a great story and that one gruesome scene that you won’t forget. Trust me.
Detour – 7
I watched this because it is considered one of the great “film Noir” movies,
and at just over an hour it was appealing.
Hokey and more over-acting “drama” than I can take.
The Man Who Wasn’t There – 8
My second neo-noir watch was of a Coen Brothers movie I must have missed along the way. It’s from 2001 and was lauded for the performances of Billy Bob Thornton and Frances McDormand who are unhappily married and plotting against each other. I don’t get fooled by plot twists too often, but this one was worthy and got me.
Finally, my Oscar predictions:
Best Picture: Will win: Everything, Everywhere, All at Once (even though I still haven't made my way through it.) Should Win: Top Gun: Maverick
Best Director: Will Win: The EEAO pair. Should Win: Joseph Kosinski (oops, not nominated)
Best Actor: Will Win: Austin Bulter, Elvis. Should Win: Austin Butler
Best Actress: Will Win: Cate Blanchett, Tar. Should Win: Ana DeArmas, Blonde
Best Supporting Actor: Will Win: Ke Huy Quan. Should Win: Barry Keoghan, The Banshees
Best Supporting Actress: Will Win: Angela Bassett. Should Win: Kerry Condon, The Banshees
Caveat: I'm a poor judge this year, as I have seen only a few of these movies.
