This is a special day because it was my mom’s birthday and she had 102 wonderful years.   So I am remembering her fondly and her lively interest in current events. Thinking of aging wisely and gracefully, David Attenborough continues to put out engaging documentaries about the natural world.   On the BBC Earth channel (available through Amazon Prime Video) is David Attenborough’s Light on Earth (A+) which probes the many wonders of bioluminescence. On Netflix I also recommend the six-episode series Night on Earth (A) which explores many aspects of nature after dark. It is accompanied by final hour-long film about how ultra-sensitive night vision cameras and thermal imaging were used to capture astonishing images in the dark.   Also on Netflix, the highest recommendation to David Attenborough: A Life on Our Planet (A+ https://www.attenboroughfilm.com/ ) which he describes as his “witness statement”. Ontario is entering the Covid “red zone” again which means theatres c...

  The Oscar nominations were announced this morning and streaming services are heavily represented with Netflix’s Mank scoring a leading 10 nominations. Check out the full list here: https://variety.com/2021/film/news/2021-oscars-nominations-list-nominees-1234928711/ .   Winners will not be known until April 25. What follows are my choices for the best dramas and docs of 2020 (with the caveat that I have yet to be able to see several potential contenders, notably: News of the World, Minari, The Father , and Promising Young Woman among others). With theatres mostly closed, almost all of these were seen via streaming services.   You will note that all of my top dramas are also American productions. 2020 was anything but a normal year for movie releases. But here’s hoping that the big screen experience will return in force later this year.   Best Dramas 1.       Nomadland (U.S.)   The best by far, this is only the third feature ...

This has been a dark winter for theatres but with some reopening as of March I was thrilled to be able to see several titles on the big screen: Our Friend at Ottawa’s surviving repertory independent theatre, the Mayfair (it opened during the Depression in 1932 so has seen lean times before), and at a Cineplex Judas and the Black Messiah , both reviewed below.   On the small screen, although I get HBO I’d missed last year’s 6-episode series I Know This Much is True (A) but was turned on to stream it after Mark Ruffalo won a Golden Globe best actor award for his exceptional performance in the dual role of identical twin brothers, one of whom is a paranoid schizophrenic.   In the first minutes there is a horrific act of self-mutilation, and that’s just the beginning of the family trauma and tragedy.   Not an easy watch but rewarding if one sticks with it. There are also many new series being added to streaming services.   I’ll just mention a couple.   Apple TV...