THE WORLD ACCORDING TO JEFF GOLDBLUM -- A Fascinating Infotainment Series with a Charismatic Host11/26/2019 Editor's Note: This recurring column was cancelled after episode 3 due to controversy involving the show's host. S1E1: "Sneakers"Review by Sean Boelman  Jeff Goldblum in front of giant sneaker sculpture at the Addidas research lab in Portland, Oregon. (National Geographic/Sam Jackson) The World According to Jeff Goldblum, produced by Disney+ and National Geographic, is a new documentary series exploring various trends taking the world by storm. A must-see for any fans of the show’s host, and an entertaining and informative documentary series in general, hopefully this show is indicative of the quality of the rest of the documentary offerings from Disney+. In each episode of this series, Goldblum will take a deep dive into a particular trend beloved by people around the world and explore some of the science, history, and stories associated with them. Although there are plenty of other documentary shows that do similar things, mainly on the Discovery Channel, The World According to Jeff Goldblum sets a new standard for infotainment by presenting the information in a way that is thoroughly enjoyable. Of course, a big part of the success of this series is the charm of its host. A talented character actor known for his eccentric personality, it seems like it was Goldblum’s destiny to star in a show like this. Because he seems legitimately fascinated by the information being communicated by the experts he is interviewing, the interviews play out in a way that is completely absorbing.  Jeff Goldblum playing basketball during National Geographic's THE WORLD ACCORDING TO JEFF GOLDBLUM. (National Geographic/Aisling Browne) The only weakness of the series seems to be its execution, which is a bit too hectic for its own good. Even though everything about the show looks good, it seems like the creators couldn’t decide what the best means of communicating the information to the audience in a palatable way would be, so they tried a bit of everything and hoped that something would stick. Hopefully this issue will smooth itself out over the course of the next few episodes.
This first episode explores the phenomenon of sneakers by investigating the history of the shoe style and showcasing some of the leaders in the footwear industry. Though one normally wouldn’t expect a shoe to the basis for a riveting hour and a half of television, the episode shines a light on a side of the industry of which few viewers are unlikely to be aware. Some of the interviews featured in the episode provide some pretty mind-blowing insight into something many people wear on their feet every day. With upcoming episodes centering around such things as ice cream and tattoos, The World According to Jeff Goldblum is sure to become a fan-favorite documentary show on Disney+. Despite a few kinks that need to be worked out, this fascinating docuseries is going to be one of the streamer’s best offerings. The World According to Jeff Goldblum is now streaming on Disney+. New episodes stream every Friday. Rating: 4.5/5
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Review by Dan Skip Allen  From left to right: Donna (Riki Lindholm), Walt (Michael Shannon), Meg (Katherine Langford), Trooper Wagner (Noah Segan), Joni (Toni Collette), Ransom (Chris Evans), Great Nana (K Callan), Jacob (Jaeden Lieberher), Lt. Elliott (LaKeith Stanfield), Richard (Don Johnson), and Linda (Jamie Lee Curtis) in KNIVES OUT. Murder mystery films aren't anything new to cinemas. Rian Johnson channeled the genre's classics when making Knives Out. He added the mystery and suspense of Ten Little Indians and Murder on the Orient Express and the comedy of Clue to create his own version of a murder mystery, and a brilliant one at that. When a patriarch of a wealthy family is murdered everybody is a suspect. Everybody has greed in their hearts and motive to boot. Rian Johnson wrote the script for this film as well as directed. He gives all the characters a lot of juicy dialogue. The script is full of witty banter and clever one liners. The two that say the most and eat the scenery are Ransom Drysdale (Chris Evans) and Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig). They both play against type which makes their performances that much more enjoyable. Ransom is a fowl-mouthed snob everybody in the family hates. Blanc has a knack for saying the funniest things at the wrong time. The cast Johnson assembled is perfection personified. Jamie Lee Curtis, Michael Shannon, Don Johnson, Ana de Armas, Lakieth Stanfield, and Toni Collette are just a handful of the phenomenal talent in this film. They all get their moment to shine. Besides Evans and Craig, Ana de Armas is the standout in this film as the caregiver to the head of this family. In her previous films, she has portrayed the sexpot, but she is nothing like that in Knives Out. She might even be good enough for an Academy Award nomination for her role as Marta.  Daniel Craig stars as ‘Benoit Blanc’ in KNIVES OUT. Photo Credit: Claire Fogler. Rian Johnson is best known for writing and directing Brick, Looper and Star Wars: The Last Jedi. After this year people are going forget he wrote and directed those films because Knives Out is his best work to date. There is a reason why all these amazingly talented people jumped onto the project. Once they had a chance to read the script, they knew how brilliant it was and wanted to be a part of something great. Johnson injected this film with a lot of things that make great films. This just shows you don't need a bunch of visual effects and explosions to make a great film.
Knives Out has everything a viewer wants in a great film. Great acting, great script, and great direction all add up to a great film. Johnson added enough twists and turns to keep the audience guessing until the very end. It wouldn't be surprising if it got multiple Academy Award nominations for writing, directing, and multiple acting noms for Best Supporting Actor for Evans and Craig and supporting actress for de Armas. This is one of my favorite films of the year! Knives Out opens in theaters on November 27. Rating: 4.5/5 Review by Sean Boelman  The newest film from acclaimed writer-director Trey Edward Shults (It Comes at Night, Krisha), Waves is a searing portrait of family amidst that plague today’s youth. One of the most brutally earnest movies of the year, if not the entire decade, this film certainly isn’t for everyone, but it is a truly visceral experience that will stick with viewers long after the credits roll. The film follows a suburban family living in south Florida as they deal with the issues they are presented by society and try to stay together after being stricken by tragedy. Shults presents this story in a way that starts out feeling like a slice-of-life drama and morphs into something very different and much more challenging. The result is a movie that feels far more realistic than the traditional coming-of-age film. One of the most interesting things about this movie is that there is a drastic shift in tone and pace around the halfway mark. Although it is difficult to describe this change without spoiling its merit, this makes the film resonate even more. Ultimately, the first half of the movie is stronger than the second, but not by much, and they complement each other extremely well. This film deals with some tough subject matter, but the themes which it addresses are extremely timely. Shults approaches his characters with a unique humanity, allowing the story to feel even more universal. In other hands, the characters, particularly the protagonist, would have been handled with less nuance and treated in a more didactic way. Instead, Shults allows the characters to speak for themselves.  Kelvin Harrison Jr. is having one hell of a year, and between this and Luce, he has proven himself to be one of the most talented actors working today. He brings so much vulnerability to his leading role, particularly as the character’s life begins to crumble, that viewers won’t be able to help but sympathize with the character. The supporting cast, including Sterling K. Brown and Alexa Demie, is also wonderful, each performer getting their chance to shine in the spotlight.
In many ways, this movie is absolutely soul-crushing, but that is exactly what Shults seems to be trying to do. Audiences won’t be leaving the theater feeling warm and fuzzy about the way that society treated this family, but there is still plenty of hope to be found in this narrative about the value of family and love. Even though it is a difficult watch, it is a rewarding and cathartic one all the same. On a technical level, this is perhaps Shults’s most ambitious film yet, with visuals that are absolutely stunning. The cinematography is phenomenal, especially in the first half, which features some gorgeous 360º shots. Additionally, the music, both the soundtrack and the score by Trent Renzor and Atticus Ross, is effectively a character in the movie in and of itself because it is so brilliant. Waves is the type of film that seems destined to polarize audiences, but it is also entirely unforgettable. Thanks to writer-director Trey Edward Shults’s personal approach to the story and experimentation with the narrative structure and visuals, this stands out as one of the year’s most unique cinematic experiences. Waves is now playing in theaters. Rating: 4.5/5 Review by Sean Boelman  From left to right. Richard (Don Johnson), Linda (Jamie Lee Curtis), Ransom (Chris Evans) Great Nana (K Callan), Marta (Ana de Armas), Harlan Thrombey (Christopher Plummer) Walt (Michael Shannon), Jacob (Jaeden Lieberher), Donna (Riki Lindholm), Joni (Toni Collette) and Meg (Katherine Langford) in KNIVES OUT. Photo credit: Claire Folger. Knives Out, the newest film from writer-director Rian Johnson (Star Wars: The Last Jedi), is an old-school whodunit with a large and talented ensemble cast. Although the middle section of the movie does drag on for a bit too long, this manages to be a thoroughly entertaining flick. The film follows a dysfunctional family as their conflict comes to a head when the patriarch of the family dies mysteriously. Although the story is obviously very influenced by the classic mysteries of Agatha Christie, Johnson puts a unique spin on the genre that never quite hits the level of parody, but still addresses the tropes in an entertaining and tongue-in-cheek way. The result is a movie that will satiate audiences’ cravings both for laughs and for a twisty mystery. As one would expect, this film is heavily dependent on twists, and it is best enjoyed if audiences go in knowing as little as possible about the reveals. Much of the movie’s runtime is spent building towards the end, and while the point at which the film ends isn’t entirely expected, it also doesn’t offer a satisfying conclusion given the unorthodox nature of what came before. The first act and final act of the movie are undeniably the strongest, with the middle portion losing some of the steam that is established by the introduction. Ultimately, there are enough laughs in this center portion to keep viewers interested in the events of the film, but one can’t help but feel like this section of the movie is missing something. Although this portion is necessary to the story in the long-run, it does take a bit more patience in this section than a movie like this otherwise should.  Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig, left), Lt. Elliott (LaKeith Stanfield), Trooper Wagner (Noah Segan, right) in KNIVES OUT. Photo Credit: Claire Folger. As is the case with any great whodunit, there is a large ensemble of wacky characters to be the suspects in the case. Although there are some characters who have more of an arc than others, even those who are archetypal serve a purpose and are quite entertaining to watch. And of course, Johnson’s version of Sherlock Holmes or Hercules Poirot, Benoit Blanc, is enormously entertaining to watch.
Daniel Craig’s performance as the over-the-top detective is frequently hilarious, and while it doesn’t have a great deal of emotional nuance, it accomplishes the goals of the film quite will without fail. The rest of the cast is also excellent, but they are used to various degrees of effectiveness. For example, Jamie Lee Curtis and Ana de Armas are both wonderful and are given plenty to do in the movie, but Jaeden Martell and Don Johnson both feel disappointingly underused. On a technical level, the film is also very good, creating an atmosphere that is successfully reminiscent of the genre’s greats. The cinematography and production design are both great, very much setting the movie in the modern day but also giving a very nostalgic feel to the product. Additionally, the score by Nathan Johnson is one of the year’s best, setting the film’s tone quite well. Knives Out doesn’t have the depth of Johnson’s earlier work, but it shows that he has command of how to make a compelling and entertaining popcorn flick. Thanks to a great cast and crew giving it their all, this is a crowd-pleaser perfect for the long weekend. Knives Out opens in theaters on November 27. Rating: 4.5/5 Review by Dan Skip Allen  Childhood can bring a lot of different emotions and things that shape a young person's life. I discovered Scorsese pictures at a young age. Around the age of six, I saw my first Scorsese film: Raging Bull! From that moment on, I was enamored with this director. He told stories about people that seemed real to me, even as a little boy. Films like Mean Streets and Taxi Driver were about grounded people you could meet any day of the week, month, or year. That said, Jake LaMotta was more real as any character I've ever seen in my life. Yes, Raging Bull was about a middle-weight boxer who had legendary fights with Sugar Ray Robinson, but he was more than that to me. I could relate to him as a person outside the ring. When Jake was arguing about his wife over cooking his steak, that was my father and mother. When he would leave at night and leave Vickie home with the kids and she didn't know where he was going, that was my family. My father rarely came home, and when he did, he and my mother fought like cats and dogs. The violent scene when Jake attacked Joey was reminiscent of my father as well. Anger ran in the family — I had anger issues growing up my entire life until I channeled it into positive things like writing and listening to music. Taxi Driver really hit home for me because of the fact that Travis Bickle was a misunderstood loner. I could relate once again because I am very similar to him in a lot of ways. I live by myself and I have for quite a while. I am not fond of people that much. Of course people are a necessary evil when going places like restaurants and movie theaters, and in working environments when you have to deal with a lot of people you don't like. Travis found a mission though when he tried to save Iris from Sport. He was also very odd and obnoxious when dealing with Betsey. Scorsese would later revisit this strange odd type of caricature with The King of Comedy, in which De Niro again portrayed the awkward oddball. Both characters don't know when they've gone too far or when to take no for an answer, largely because they are both introverts and don't get the interaction with people that would help them develop people skills better.  Scorsese would eventually return to gangster pictures after his first foray into them with Mean Streets. Goodfellas would once again team him with his friends De Niro, Pesci, and Frank Vincent for this film about Henry Hill, a mobster famously turned FBI informant. Scorsese painted a picture of this glamorous lifestyle and I was hooked from the beginning. The scene where Henry was escorting Karen through the Copacabana with the song "Then He Kissed Me" by The Crystals playing over them was the scene that cinched it for me. This movie was a masterpiece. Scorsese would return once again to this genre with Casino and later The Departed, once again re-teaming with De Niro for the last time until The Irishman. Scorsese and De Niro (with some help from Francis Ford Coppola and Al Pacino) defined this genre. The Irishman is the latest gangster film in Scorsese’s long history in the genre, but it's a different kind of gangster film than has been brought to the screen before. The Godfather films and Scorsese's own Goodfellas, Casino, and The Departed feature a lot more blood and violence than The Irishman. Even though a couple of these films are based in reality, none of them have been as realistic a take on this genre as The Irishman. Scorsese could only make this film at this point in his storied career as a filmmaker. He crafted an absolute masterpiece! The Irishman picks up with Frank Sheeran (Robert De Niro) at a nursing home as he is telling his life story to a priest. His story spans 7 decades, from WWII to the 2010's. During that time, he goes from being a truck driver for the teamsters to a hit man for the mob. Frank meets a lot of notable faces during that time as well. Some of them are Russell Bufalino (Joe Pesci), Angelo Bruno (Harvey Kietel) Felix "Skinny Razor" Ditullio (Bobby Cannavale), Anthony Provenzano (Stephan Graham), Bill Buffalino (Ray Romano), and most notably Jimmy Hoffa (Al Pacino). Most of the heavy lifting in The Irishman is done by De Niro, Pesci, and Pacino, who all give Oscar-worthy performances. De Niro and Pesci give more subdued performances than they have in the past working with Scorsese. Pacino, on the other hand, gives the kind of performance people have come to expect from him. He makes this character of Jimmy Hoffa loud and noticeable for all to see. Without all of these terrific performances from these screen legends, this film wouldn't work. They are the best performances these three have given in decades. It reminds you how great they really are and why they are among some of the greatest living actors. I've never seen a film that touches on themes like this in this film in this way before. Steve Zallian adapts the book I Heard You Paint Houses by Charles Brandt. This source material says everything. In turn, everything was on the page for Scorsese to craft a retrospective tale of real men. They deal with real issues that affected the country, their families, their friends, and thousands of other people. This film deals with aging, loyalty, and friendship to an extent that has never been done before.  Scorsese has dealt with the genre of gangster films in so many different ways during his career, but The Irishman is on a whole new level. The subtle way he deals with violence is masterful. The grace in which he deals with aging is only able to be done by someone of his age and stature. The Irishman is like an amalgamation of Goodfellas and Silence. He dealt with a de-aging technology that has been previously used very sparingly in a few MCU films. It's mostly effective and becomes nearly unnoticeable after about fifteen minutes.
Additionally, despite the film’s three-and-a-half-hour length, it goes by so quickly. That takes a master filmmaker who can make you not realize how long the film is. The Irishman is a masterpiece of filmmaking in every sense of the word. It is the culmination of so many great people's careers. That includes Thelma Shoonmaker, who does a phenomenal job editing this film. This is easily the best film of the year and deserves many Academy Awards. Scorsese has etched his way into the annals of film lore with his filmography. He helped create the gangster genre with Mean Streets, Goodfellas, Casino, and The Departed and shepherded some of the greatest actors of all time with Robert De Niro, Leonardo DiCaprio, Joe Pesci, and Harvey Keitel. He made some of the greatest films of all time and experimented with new technologies. His work as a preserver of film is also commendable, as he created a group to help save old and forgotten films. Martin Scorsese is a legend and modern auteur in every way! The Irishman is now playing in theaters and hits Netflix on November 27. Rating: 5/5 |