Mid-June Post

Thanks to my friend Vicky Berry for alerting me to the 10-episode comedy series Ted Lasso (A) on Apple TV+.  The hapless mustachioed Ted as played by Jason Sudeikis becomes the clueless coach of AFC Richmond in the English premier soccer league.   A goofy Kansan, Ted keeps up a relentlessly positive good ol’ boy patter while contending with the disrespect of the players and fans. And the fact that he’s actually been hired, by wealthy divorcée Rebecca, to spite her ex-husband and tank the team.  Also on Apple TV+ is a 5-episode docuseries The Me You Can’t See (B) which covers a range of mental health situations and issues.  Notably it includes segments of Orpah Winfrey’s conversation with Prince Harry.  However the analysis doesn’t get much beyond the superficial.  More at: https://readysteadycut.com/2021/05/21/the-me-you-cant-see-apple-tv-plus-review/.   Also on the Apple TV+ platform, the first season of the excellent The Mosquito Coast (A) has wrapped after 8 episodes

HBO has brought back a fourth season of In Treatment (B+) which features one-on-one psychotherapy sessions.  Replacing Gabriel Byrne, the therapist is now played by a Black woman Uzo Aduba.  For analysis see: https://www.rogerebert.com/streaming/in-treatment-review-hbo-tv-review-2021.  A terrific HBO dramatic mini-series is Mare of Easttown (A) which wrapped at the end of May. It stars Kare Winslet as a troubled police detective (a son committed suicide) investigating the murder of a young woman.  For more comment on why it’s great see: https://www.rogerebert.com/streaming/the-brilliance-is-in-the-details-of-hbos-riveting-mare-of-easttown. 

For superhero fans, Disney + has released Loki (B+) starring Tom Hiddleston in a familiar role as the “god of mischief” from the “Avengers” franchise.  Instead of a full-season binge there are new episodes every Wednesday.  I have good friends who named their cat Loki though it doesn’t seem to have any special powers.  Speaking of felines, Netflix has added a Dutch documentary Kitty Love: An Homage to Cats (B+).  If you enjoy watching cat videos you will love it. 

And don’t forget about the TV specialty channel “Crave” which recently presented two excellent movie features—Supernova (A) and Night of the Kings (A).  For more look up these titles at www.imdb.com.

Now on to more series and features.

The Underground Railroad  (U.S. 2021, 10 chapters, Amazon Prime Video) A+

Having seen the entire series I am sticking with this highest rating.  But I have never watched more than several episodes at a time, mindful of this cautionary commentary: https://www.huffpost.com/entry/the-underground-railroad-barry-jenkins_n_60a27281e4b090924806181a?ncid=engmodushpmg00000006 .  Probably only an admired African-American filmmaker like director Barry Jenkins could have pulled it off.  The racism and violence depicted is extremely graphic, especially in the early and final two episodes.  Some carry a viewer discretion 18+ advisory for a reason.  The central narrative is that of the runaway female slave Cora (South African Thuso Mbedu) from Georgia (where filming also took place) who is put in chains and tracked by the slave catcher Ridgeway (Australian Joel Edgerton).  His assistant is a pint-sized Black boy Homer (Chase Dillon), smartly dressed in a brown bowler hat and suit with bow tie, who Ridgeway says he bought for five dollars.  They make quite an unusual pair.  What happens is not all dire and deadly.  There are also evocative scenes of allegorical power; a terrible beauty coinciding with the abomination of slavery.   The result is a strikingly cinematic achievement.

Long Way Up (U.S. 2020, 11 episodes, Apple TV+) A+

This rousing motorcycle adventure with riders Scottish actor Ewan McGregor and buddy Charley Boorman (son of filmmaker John Boorman) follows two earlier long-distance treks Long Way Round (2004) and Long Way Down (2007).   Filming took place in pre-pandemic 2019, starting at the far tip of South America, Ushuaia in Argentinian Tierra del Fuego.  (I was there in December 2000 at the end of a South Georgia and Antarctica marine expedition.)  They are riding specially modified and outfitted electric Harley-Davidson motorbikes, meaning that charging locations are essential to cover the daunting 13,000 miles through 13 countries to arrive back in Los Angeles. The extensive support team is also using several prototype Rivian electric trucks. (The next stop is Punta Arenas in Chile, to which I have also been, in 2009 flying down from Santiago to visit Torres del Paine national park.)

There are some very rough and tough sections en route, and many challenges to overcome, including a breakdown of Ewan’s bike that requires a repair in Central America.  Also in Central America he is joined by young adopted daughter Jamyan, the result of an encounter in Mongolia while making Long Way Round.  In several places the pair must travel by plane or boat but mainly they are on the road equipped with microphones and cameras to give a strong sense of that experience.   It helps that Ewan and Charley are both very engaging characters with a travelogue that includes a few stops to visit UNICEF and environmental projects.  In each country they connect with local people, so it’s not just the road conditions that stand out.  The result is an incredible journey, the personal accounts of which are absolutely brilliant. 

Halston (U.S. 2021, 5 episodes, Netflix) A

Here is Ewan McGregor in acting mode, earning deserved raves for his arch portrayal of the famous women’s high fashion designer in this mini-series directed by Daniel Minahan and produced and co-written by prolific showrunner Ryan Murphy.  The Iowa-born Roy Halston Frowick, who went exclusively by his middle name, gained fame after designing Jackie Kennedy’s pillbox hat and joined the celebrity in-crowd.   Halston, a flamboyant gay man who indulged a decadent lifestyle (he died of AIDS in 1990), was certainly not the easiest person to deal with.  The series excels at exploring both his personal and business relationships on the way to becoming an icon of American style.  Following on the 2019 documentary on Halston, thanks to McGregor’s performance this series adds dramatic energy to the Halston story.  (More comment at: https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/halston-tv-review-2021.)

1971: The Year That Music Changed Everything (U.S. 2021, 8 episodes, Apple TV+)  A

Looking back a half century (when I was still a teenager) it was a turbulent febrile time—of antiwar protests, the counter-culture, the drug scene, the rise of social movements demanding rights, and much else.  Popular music post-Woodstock tapped into that ferment.  This superb series puts together a remarkable trove of archival images, including clips from iconic musical performances, to capture the spirit of the times and the vibes that were the soundtrack of a disillusioned questioning generation. For more comment and an interview with the creators see: http://povmagazine.com/articles/view/1971s-james-rogan-and-james-gay-rees-on-a-year-in-music.

Sweet Tooth (U.S. 2021, 8 episodes, Netflix)  A

Netflix keeps adding new dramatic series, and this one created by Jim Mickle and Beth Schwartz with spare narration by James Brolin, has been earning raves (see for example: https://www.rogerebert.com/streaming/sweet-tooth-tv-review-netflix-2021). Tapping into the era of Covid anxiety is the starting premise of deadly “H5G9” virus ravaging humanity.  That plague coincides with the birth of endangered human-animal “hybrids”.  One of these is little Gus (aka “Sweet Tooth”, engagingly played by Christian Convery), an unusual talking human-deer hybrid with antlers who, after being orphaned, heads for Colorado in search of mom and a hybrid preserve.  Gus has a protector in a hulking Black man who used to be a killer. As crazy weird as it all sounds, Gus’s story along with the dystopian masked disease narratives make for surprisingly good viewing.

Breaking Boundaries: The Science of Our Planet (U.S. 2021, Netflix)  A

At a brisk 74 minutes, directed by Jon Clay, this is another terrific documentary narrated by David Attenborough who is still going strong at age 95.   He is joined by scientists, notably Johan Rockström, in focusing on the perils of passing tipping points leading to irreversible changes—in regard to climate warming effects, biodiversity loss, the hydrological cycle, pollution, and other earth systems at risk from human impacts.  We have moved from the relative stability of the “Holocene” era to that of the “Anthropocene” in which the very future of humanity is at stake (as illustrated by brief bits of animation showing humans crossing boundaries into danger zones).   It is a critical time with dire predictions, but not too late for collective action to change course in order to avert planetary disruptions and civilizational collapse. 

Human: The World Within (U.S./India 2021, 6 episodes, Netflix)  A-

Netflix keeps adding new docuseries on all manner of subjects.  This is a good one exploring the essential aspects of key physiological processes in the human body.  The last episode deals with the creation of new humans—from the moment of conception when we all begin as a single cell.  For a detailed review of all episodes see: https://readysteadycut.com/2021/06/04/human-the-world-within-netflix-review/.  

Black Holes: The Edge of All We Know (U.S. 2020, https://www.blackholefilm.com/, Netflix) B+

Director Peter Galison explores the phenomenon of “black holes”, objects in the universe so dense and of such gravitational force, that not even light can escape.  Mysteries and paradoxes abound.  Soper massive black holes at the centre of galaxies may have a mass million of times that of our sun.  Teams of astrophysicists (including the late Stephen Hawking) are shown at work.  Around the world telescopes and observatories are linked—generating immense amounts of data analyzed by supercomputers—in order to study the “event horizon” surrounding black holes, notably the one closest to earth which is “only” 26,000 light years distant.  Frankly it boggles the mind, and for a subject at the frontiers of theoretical physics this treatment manages to be insightful, engaging, and understandable enough to enlighten the average viewer.   

Storm Lake (U.S., 2021, https://stormlakemovie.com/, on demand) A

This documentary about a small-town Iowa journalistic institution premiered in early June at the Full Frame documentary film festival.  (I love the Iowa connection because my dad was born in the state and I have collaborated with a political science professor at Iowa State University.)  The tag line is: “A newspaper. A family. A community.” Indeed. Directors Jerry Risius and Beth Levison profile how Art Cullen, a Pulitzer prize winner now in his 60s, with his family perseveres in publishing the biweekly Storm Lake Times, “come hell or pandemic” as the press notes logline puts it.  In a precarious time this is a welcome inspirational story about the survival of fact-based local news coverage.

Amy Tan: Unintended Memoir (U.S. 2021, Netflix)  A

Thanks to Bob Miller for alerting me to this excellent documentary film, the last by director James Redford (son of Robert) who died of cancer last year.  It premiered at the Sundance festival in January and then on television as part of the PBS “American Masters” series.  Tan came to prominence with The Joy Luck Club, a huge bestseller which became the basis for a highly regarded 1993 movie.  She went on to publish a number of noteworthy books, including in 2017 Where the Past Begins: A Writer’s Memoir from which the documentary draws extensively.   The family story in China and America as told by Tan includes some very troubling aspects.  Her mother was suicidal.  A brother and her father died of cancer.   Tan speaks very openly about these personal matters, about the sometimes critical reception of her work, and about her passions and pastimes (one of which is drawing sketches of birds).  Occasional brief animated sequences illustrate life moments in a strikingly visual way.  It adds up to a most engaging and revealing profile of an acclaimed author.

Hating Peter Tatchell (Australia 2020, Netflix) A-

Writer-director Christopher Amos profiles the lifelong activism for gay rights of its intrepid subject.   Tatchell’s provocative tactics were controversial but definitely brought attention to the cause.  Included are personal details and conversations with celebrated actor Ian McKellen.  Cameras follow Tatchell to Moscow during its hosting of the FIFA World Cup to protest persecution under the Putin regime, notably in Chechnya.  Elton John and David Furnish are executive producers, and John’s song “Believe” plays over the closing credits.  Tatchell embraces the role of someone who rocks the boat.  Read his personal statement here: https://www.theguardian.com/film/2021/jun/01/hating-peter-tatchell-documentary-netflix-lgbt-rights. 

The Courier (UK/U.S./Czech Republic 2020, Amazon Prime Video on demand) A-

Dominic Cooke helms this dramatization of a true story set at the height of the Cold War in the early 1960s prior to the Cuban missile crisis.  Originally titled Ironbark, it was shot in 2018 and premiered many months ago at Sundance 2020, but is only just released by Lionsgate Films.  Benedict Cumberbatch plays Greville Wynne, an unassuming businessman whose dealings involve occasional trips to Moscow.  On the Soviet side is Oleg Penkovsky (Merab Ninidze), an intelligence officer with a trade official cover who is concerned to avert the prospect of nuclear war. Recruited by the CIA and M16, Penkovsky uses Wynne (code named Ironbark) to pass on military intelligence secrets. As the pair develop a genuine friendship they play a critical role in averting nuclear disaster.  Wynnne’s wife Sheila (an excellent Jessie Buckley) is suspicious that his travels are hiding an affair.  Wynne pays a price when he is arrested and imprisoned for years before being released as part of an exchange.  Penkovsky fared worse, executed for treason in 1963.  It’s a remarkable story.  [See the following for actual historical details: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/true-story-behind-courier-180977265/.]   

Dance of the Forty-One (Mexico/Brazil 2020, Netflix)  B+

 This biographical drama, directed by David Pablos, tells the true story of Ignacio de la Torre and the secret society to which he belonged.  The trouble for Ignacio, a Congressman who had married the daughter of Mexican president Porfirio Díaz, is that he was a closeted gay man at a time when homosexuality was illegal.  The clandestine group was made up of gay men.  In 1901 their private party was raided by the president’s armed guard and the 41 arrested, some dressed in women’s clothes, were subjected to public humiliation and imprisonment.  In fact, 42 were present but the president had Ignacio exempted and spared the scandal.  This imagined account benefits from fine production values and performances.

Bo Burnham: Inside  (U.S. 2021, Netflix)  A-

Comedian and filmmaker Bo Burnham made an impact with his first feature Eighth Grade that received an audience award at the 2018 Sundance film festival.  I recall the excitement at the premiere.  Like everything else, the Covid pandemic has impacted the making of films.  Making lemonade from lemons, Burnham has used the forced isolation to create this comic relief “special”, which is basically a one-man-in-a room affair starring himself as an increasingly shaggy white guy with a scraggly beard putting words to song and music. It’s often silly (such as having a conversation with his left hand as a sock puppet) and sometimes outrageous, even borderline offensive, but most of the time it clicks at capturing the humour in this pandemic-induced moment.

Songbird (U.S. 2020, Amazon Prime Video)  C+

Cue the advent of pandemic movies.  This one, set in the Los Angeles of 2024, even imagines a “Covid-23” mutation ravaging the globe with a 56% mortality rate.  Directed by Adam Mason, it’s also a Michael Bay production which means violent and noisy earning generally terrible reviews.  In the apocalyptic martial-law future there are “q-zone” concentration camps for the infected and a trafficking in yellow “immunity bracelets”. No birds sing though there is a love story threaded through the 84 minutes of awful events. You’ve been warned.

Army of the Dead (U.S. 2021, Netflix) C

Zack Synder (Dawn of the Dead, Justice League) is the creator of this latest over-the-top action-horror zombiefest which imagines that Las Vegas has been turned into a blasted zombie zone and is going to be nuked to stop the plague from spreading.  So there’s a narrow window to get in and out.  Dave Bautista stars as the heavily tattooed gorilla of a man leading a gang of mercenaries into zombieland in order to get a $200 million fortune out of a casino safe.  In addition to safe-cracking skills that means dealing with the ravenous hordes led by zombie royalty.  There’s even a zombie tiger to add to the excitement.  Tig Notaro is the unlikely choice to play a helicopter pilot as part of the getaway plan.  The whole ghastly and gory affair is completely ridiculous from start to finish.  Nothing this wacky could end well.  If you can stomach the movie’s 148 minutes there’s an additional half-hour filming backstory on “creating an army of the dead”.  Watch only if you really want to know.