Review by Sean Boelman
Very few films make it out of the Fall festival circuit with above a 90 on Metacritic, and Alice Diop’s Saint Omer joins that exclusive club, becoming one of the highest-rated movies of the year. It’s for good reason too, as the film is quietly and profoundly moving in a way that will leave much of the audience speechless.
The movie follows a novelist observing the court case of a young woman accused of murdering her own daughter, planning to use the story as inspiration for a modern-day riff on the myth of Medea. At two hours in length, it’s about ninety minutes of courtroom testimony with thirty minutes of context to get us there, but it’s perhaps the most gripping courtroom movie you will ever see. Admittedly, the film’s framing device is a bit confusing and may put off some audiences. Diop is clearly trying to draw parallelisms between the two characters, and the scenes that happen outside of the courtroom may be seen as dull and mundane by some viewers. However, the finale brings everything together in a way that is utterly heartbreaking and soul-crushing beyond belief. It’s honestly astounding that the movie is able to get so much sympathy from the audience for its characters. One of them barely has any lines, and the other has committed an act that is easily dismissed as heinous, and yet Diop and her co-writers approach them with such nuance that they blur the lines between good and bad, moral and immoral, and force the audience to reflect on what they think they know about the truth.
This is the type of film with layers and layers to unpack. On the surface, it is a courtroom drama following a woman as she attempts to testify in her defense. However, if you dig deeper, there are so many more themes to be found. At once, it’s a dissection of racial dynamics in France, an exploration of motherhood and womanhood, and a story about the terrifying consequences of assimilation.
Guslagie Malanga is an absolute powerhouse as the defendant testifying in the court case. Given that much of the movie is simply her answering questions or monologuing, her performance is a large part of what makes the film so extraordinarily gripping. Kayije Kagame is also excellent as the movie’s much more quiet lead, still having a commanding presence despite saying fewer words. Saint Omer is Diop’s narrative debut, as she was previously known as a documentarian, having made several acclaimed nonfiction films. Viewers will be able to tell that her background is in nonfiction, as the movie is shot in a very straightforward way, with extremely long takes and close shots, focusing on the contents of the frame rather than the frame itself. What Alice Diop has accomplished with Saint Omer is frankly extraordinary. It takes a straightforward premise in a familiar genre and uses simple yet exquisite and powerful execution to absolutely crush the audience. We already knew Alice Diop was a great filmmaker, but this cements her as one of the best. Saint Omer screened as part of the 2022 Miami Film Festival GEMS program, which runs November 3-10. Rating: 5/5
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Review by Camden Ferrell This year alone, Netflix will have two films about notorious serial killer Charles Cullen. The first is The Good Nurse, a movie based on the book of the same name that came out earlier this year. The second is Capturing the Killer Nurse, a documentary about the events on which the book and movie are based. This documentary is directed by documentary filmmaker Tim Travers Hawkins. Even though the subject matter is interesting, and all of the aspects of the story are laid out, the telling of events is fairly bland throughout and doesn’t do much to engage its audience. Charles Cullen was a nurse in the Northeast United States. In his time in the healthcare world, he made bonds with many of his coworkers and was known for his kindness. However, throughout his career, he was responsible for the murder of many of his patients. This is an interesting case with a lot of moving parts, some of which will surprise audiences, and it has the potential to be a riveting documentary. Unfortunately, from the start, the documentary does nothing to add personality to the way it tells its story. It’s as standard and lifeless a documentary like this could possibly be. It plays out like an episode of informational television that you might see on cable during the day. It features bland narration and tired methods of storytelling that do nothing to enhance the viewing experience. The movie features interviews with real people involved with the case, and they are one of the more interesting parts despite not being great all of the time. They provide a great perspective to the story being told, but even their recollection of events isn’t particularly engaging all of the time.
Another aspect that is commendable is how thorough its explanation of events was. It lays out all of the elements in this case. This exemplifies how the movie has all of the right ingredients to make a compelling documentary but just lacked the vision and execution to really work. Capturing the Killing Nurse is informative, but it doesn’t succeed particularly well at holding your attention in order to learn everything you can about the case. There are very few unique things about the documentary and its effects, and it ultimately hinders one of the more tragic and interesting serial killer cases in American history. Capturing the Killer Nurse is streaming on Netflix November 11. Rating: 2.5/5 Review by Adam Donato Regal has been doing a fun little promotion as of late where they show a movie that has not been released yet for only $5. The screening is on a Monday night and is advertised with a large question mark. What a beautiful opportunity to trick audiences into seeing something they normally wouldn’t have seen under the guise of unlimited possibilities. The first of these screenings was hotly anticipated and turned out to be The Greatest Beer Run Ever from Apple TV+, a silly movie where Zac Efron goes to Vietnam to show support for his brothers in arms directed by the always astute Peter Farrelly. The second of these screenings still had audiences scratching their chin as to what it could possibly be. The popular lazy guess was Apple TV+’s new Christmas Carol reimagination Spirited because it’s from the same studio. Lo and behold, Apple TV+ strikes again. About the movie itself and not its release, Ryan Reynolds and Will Ferrell join forces for a comedy musical centered around the most classic Christmas tale known to man. A Christmas Carol has been done so many times, even The Muppets have done it. How can a story like this be fresh? The twist this story takes on the concept is not unlike Arthur Christmas, where the operation is run like a regular business. The haunting of the three ghosts is a routine affair being conducted by higher beings. This self aware approach acknowledges how run of the mill this story is and makes light of it. What’s better than the comedic benefit is what this change does for the theme of the movie. By the end, it’s still the same old story, but somehow they managed to squeeze out just enough juice for a glass. Reynolds and Ferrell is an odd pairing, to say the least. As Ferrell seems to be a shell of the comedic powerhouse he used to be, Reynolds is reaching new heights with the Deadpool franchise and whatever science fiction comedy Shawn Levy has next. While most would agree that Ferrell has the better comedic acting chops, the question Spirited asks — which nobody has ever asked before — is which one of these guys can sing better. That’s right, baby. This is a full blown musical. It’s such a musical that there’s a character whose main bit is to complain every time a new number is about to start. All of the songs in the movie are generally fun and work in the context of the story and tone. The only problem is there’s nothing particularly memorable to add to your Spotify playlist (Spotify is to Apple Music as Netflix is to Apple TV+). That being said, having this be a musical lets this adaptation of the classic story stand out amongst the field that much more.
Somebody’s mom is going to love this movie so much. It’s generally fun and full of heart. It’s overly long, running at just over two hours, but there’s enough going on to keep audiences engaged. It will be interesting to see if Spirited makes an impact this Christmas season as streaming movies very easily slip into obscurity, especially since this is on one of the less popular streaming services. In keeping with the theme of this review, Spirited has just enough personality and unique aspects to be worth a watch. Check it out with the family this holiday season. If there’s another Mystery Movie Night screening in a month from now, it will surely be Will Smith’s Emancipation. Spirited hits theaters on November 11 and Apple TV+ on November 18. Rating: 3/5
Review by Cole Groth
The world needs more movies like Sam & Kate. In his directorial debut, Darren Le Gallo has crafted a heartwarming love story that’s as emotionally powerful as it is natural. Many established directors would struggle to face the daunting challenge of developing four emotionally complex and unique characters to their fullest, but Gallo manages it exceedingly well. This dramedy explores the complexities of modern romance and relationships well enough that even through some of its more strained moments, it’s still a refreshingly original romance film.
Sam & Kate tells the story of Sam (Jake Hoffman), an artist who has returned home to care for his brash and larger-than-life father, Bill (Dustin Hoffman). Sam’s relationship with his father isn’t that great, indicated by the fact that Bill doesn’t let Sam refer to him as “dad” because adult children shouldn’t refer to their child by anything but their full name (an admittedly confusing dynamic for the viewer until it’s explained later on). Since a real-life father-son duo plays Sam and Bill, their relationship feels exceptionally natural. The subtle moments of love that they share, even through their strained relationship, make this film feel so special. When Sam falls for a local woman in his town, Kate (Schuyler Fisk), he has to balance his relationship with his dad and the woman he grows to love, all while Bill sparks a relationship with Kate’s mother (Sissy Spacek). Once again, this is a real-life mother-daughter duo, but we don’t see as much interaction between Kate and Tina, so it’s less prominent. This presents us with an interconnected family web that offers two very different relationships as the lives of the people surrounding them slowly unravel. It’s a great commentary on modern romance films, with Sam and Kate representing contemporary romance and Bill and Tina representing older romance. Both relationships are uniquely entertaining, and it’s nice to see that Gallo’s script handles Bill and Tina’s relationship just as well as Sam and Kate’s.
While the romance is handled very well, another aspect that Gallo excels in is exploring the complexities of everybody’s life story. Each character has his or her emotional baggage that unfolds in a slow yet satisfying burn. Sam is struggling to find himself in a world where his father doesn’t support him; Bill has to come to terms with his age and the death of his wife; Sam has a dark secret, and her tragedy has driven Tina to become a hoarder. This is a movie about people. People are complicated. When this film explores the four rich personalities, it succeeds. Some moments feel overly melodramatic, and many plot elements feel cliché; it’s hard to hold that against the movie because it gets so much else right.
On a technical level, each element is fine enough. No aspect is noticeably excellent, but it’s all proficient sufficient to feel professional. When everybody behind the scenes does their job, it allows the audience to focus on the beauty of the performances and actors on screen. Speaking of the performances, everybody brings their A-game. It’s no surprise that Dustin Hoffman and Sissy Spacek are excellent, but Jake Hoffman and Schuyler Fisk still have a lot to prove in this industry, which is an outstanding mark for them. These characters wouldn’t feel half as lovable without the excellent direction that each actor took them in. All in all, Sam & Kate is a simple yet incredibly effective character study. With tremendous performances from two parent-child relationships, each character explored in Gallo’s directorial debut is three-dimensional and fun to watch. There are great moments to laugh at and a few tear-jerking moments, but what this film does best is its exploration of finding a way through life. If you look past the basic premise and occasionally slow pacing, this is a celebration of what it means to be human, how to move past tragedy, and how to forge your life path. Sam & Kate releases in select theaters starting November 11th. Rating: 4/5
Review by Cole Groth
2022 has been an incredible year for horror films. Nope, X, Barbarian, and Scream all stand out for their unique takes on the genre, and while the year moves to a close, it’s clear that the best might be saved for last. With a unique premise, great special effects, a terrifying story, and an excellent cast, The Friendship Game is one of the best scary movies of the last year. At a very brief 87 minutes, this film is an excellent example of Lovecraftian horror that's just accessible as other major films in the somewhat overcrowded genre.
The Friendship Game tells the story of four friends, Zooza (Peyton List), Courtney (Kelcey Mawema), Rob (Brendan Meyer), and Cotton (Kaitlyn Santa Juana). When the closest pair out of the four, Zooza and Cotton, purchase a strange object from a garage scale that promises to “test their friendships,” their worlds change forever. After the four perform a ritual with the object, they go out for a night of partying. This night is the film’s core since we visit different people’s perspectives throughout to unravel what happened during the party slowly. At first, we learn that Cotton has a less-than-pleasant night, and she goes missing shortly after. The final three friends are tested throughout the wild 80 minutes that follow, with disastrous consequences.
The series of events throughout the film blur the line between reality and insanity. It’s intentionally hard to follow, which causes a great deal of confusion at times, but ultimately adds to a thrilling adventure through time and space. Since each character is explored one at a time, we learn a lot about their motivations and backgrounds, making the group of friends feel remarkably realistic. One of the core scenes that is revisited frequently is a raging party. The dynamics of the friend group at the party work very well, and it’s nice to see a bunch of drunk teenagers actually behave as a drunken teenager would. The balance between emotional development and horror is kept consistent through this narrative structure, too. While this initially seems like a standard horror film, we’re quickly shown that this isn’t true. The being behind the horror remains mostly ambiguous, an intelligent choice from director Scooter Corkle. It starts as a series of unsettling events, but this leads into a wild third act with plenty of gore to make horror fans of types happy.
The excellent casting of the main four makes this film work so well. Since the cast is so tiny, each performance must stand out. While everybody does a good job, Peyton List shines brighter than everybody else. She does an incredible job at making Zooza feel like more than just a movie character. List’s complicated portrayal cements the rest of the group as a relatable group of people. Kaitlyn Santa Juana’s performance as Cotton is also great. She’s more emotional than Zooza, and some of the trauma that she faces would not have felt real if her performance wasn’t so excellent. Kelcey Mawema and Brendan Meyer aren’t given as much development, but their characters are also great. Not to be missed is Dylan Schombing as a creepy kid hacker. Typically, a role like his would be torturous, but he adds depth to the character that’s appreciated.
In addition to the excellent acting, the cinematography and special effects are notably superb. RLJE Films, the studio behind this, has distributed films like Mandy and Color Out of Space, which makes sense after seeing the zany nightmare sequences. It’s a colorful blend of aesthetically pleasing camera angles and terrifying shots. The excellent cinematography is enhanced through both the digital and the practical effects. When this film gets gory, it does a great job. It gets gross at the end and a whole lot of fun.
Damien Ober’s phenomenal script explores modern teenage friendships frighteningly well. Being in the same age group as the character in this film, it’s highly unusual to see a group of teenagers that aren’t spouting cringe-worthy and out-of-date dialogue. After participating in the ritual, the friendship of the three friends becomes increasingly tense, with each sequence building on the fear that everybody has of losing their friends. Each person had to whisper their darkest desire, and they seemingly came true at the expense of their sanity. The premise is fun and explored to its fullest. The Friendship Game is both a tender societal commentary on our generation and a wild adventure of a horror film. It’s a messy ride sometimes, but it’s still an incredible time offering many scares. Independent horror films that are this polished are so rare, and anyone who considers themself a fan of this genre should check this one out. It’s a time-twisting, mind-bending, and frightening experience that’s exceptionally easy to watch because of its short runtime. Hopefully, this is the start of a much bigger career for everybody involved because they deserve it after making this. Horror films in 2022 started strong, and if we’re fortunate enough to have a few more films like The Friendship Game, this year will end even stronger. The Friendship Game releases in theaters and on-demand starting November 11th. Rating: 4.5/5 BLACK PANTHER: WAKANDA FOREVER -- An Overlong Film That Does Its Best Given the Circumstances11/8/2022
Review by Sean Boelman
Ryan Coogler’s Black Panther is one of the most acclaimed films in the Marvel Cinematic Universe — currently the only one in the series nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture — so the sequel was going to have big shoes to fill regardless, but circumstances threw a further hitch in the plans. While Black Panther: Wakanda Forever does suffer from feeling like a response to uncontrollable events, there are some truly excellent elements to be found here.
The movie is set after the death of King T’Challa, in which Wakanda faces a period of mourning and several world powers begin to challenge Wakanda as their seemingly invincible guise is let down. It tries to do a lot for one film because it essentially has to completely change the direction of the series, and it doesn’t pull it all off. Of course, there is the enormous elephant in the room that the Marvel Cinematic Universe lost its original Black Panther when Chadwick Boseman passed away too young, but the movie can’t be judged too harshly for that. Even though the result is understandably awkward, it does the best it can do handling that absence while still being a loving tribute to the actor who originated the role. That said, one can only give the film so much slack — and only in certain aspects. One thing about the movie that absolutely cannot be forgiven is its length and its resultant poor pacing. The film really drags through its two hours and forty minutes, and while it may have been necessary to be this long to incorporate all of these story threads, some of them arguably should have been cut.
Still, Namor is a pretty solid antagonist, largely thanks to a strong performance from Tenoch Huerta. The character’s backstory is a bit underdeveloped, and almost all delivered through a single exposition-filled flashback that occurs midway through the movie. However, there are definitely some really cool anti-colonialist themes in the character’s storyline.
Angela Bassett is also a highlight in the supporting cast, giving a performance that is Oscar-worthy. Letitia Wright may have gotten top billing, but this is Bassett’s movie through and through. The raw emotional power she brings to the role, both in the portions of the film dealing with T’Challa’s death and those dealing with the international conflict between Wakanda and Talokan should have been impossible. From a technical level, the movie is certainly very colorful, but the cinematography doesn’t pop like the first film’s did. There’s also a lot of subpar CGI and mediocre green screen work, but that has become par for the course for the MCU. On the other hand, the score and soundtrack largely maintain the quality of the original — apart from Rihanna’s original song, “Lift Me Up,” which is underwhelming. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever isn’t bad, but ultimately, there’s just so much it has to do that it forgets to be entertaining along the way. There are some extraordinary elements littered throughout, but it’s such a scrambled-together mess that it isn’t as effective as it could have been. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever hits theaters on November 11. Rating: 3/5 [Miami GEMS 2022] SHE SAID -- A Subpar Investigative Film With Bad Performances From Its Leads11/7/2022
Review by Dan Skip Allen
Films about journalism are some of my favorite movies. All the President's Men and Spotlight are two of my favorite films of all time. They just get the right vibe for this genre of film. The performances in both movies are amazing, and the topics that are talked about mean a lot to me and a lot of others. She Said is a very similar style of film but falls very far from the tree, considering the high standards it had to live up to.
Megan Twohey (Carey Mulligan) and Jodi Kantor (Zoe Kazan) are two investigative reporters for the New York Times. They are both mothers and wives. Their careers are foremost in their lives, though. When they get accolades for exposing Donald Trump for sexist activity regarding his pageants, next on their radar is Harvey Weinstein. They go full bore towards taking this Hollywood producer down. This subject matter is very important. It is the first step in exposing sexual assault in the workplace by many people. This story breaks the ice on this type of crime. The film does everything it can to convince the audience of how powerful this is. The problem is the filmmaker and writer don't do enough to make this story come across on film as well as they should. The acting by the two stars isn't that good. They aren't taking this role to the limit as they should. I don't take these two characters seriously while watching them. The investigative work done by them is very good. The questioning of potential contacts regarding the article they are planning to write is done superbly. That said, the film is disjointed in how it presents all the evidence gathering and so forth. There are some very good performances of women willing to go on the record to expose Weinstein and men like him. Jennifer Ehle and Emily Morton are very believable as women who Weinstein victimized. Their stories come across strongly in the narrative of the movie.
The film is set in New York but also in other locations like San Francisco and England/Ireland. The film's lifeblood is The New York Times office. The floor has a lot of activity, and the various offices and rooms they use to film many meetings between reporters and editors and people being interviewed are filmed beautifully by Natasha Braier. Braier is one of many women who have worked on this movie that is — I'm sure — very important to them regarding the subject matter depicted.
Rebecca Lenkiewicz wrote the screenplay based on the reporting of Kantor, Twohey, and Rebecca Corbitt. Understandably, the studio, producers, and director wanted to assemble a team of women to work on this movie who may have had a vested interest in it. The problem is they may not have been the best people for this project. That includes the main actresses. There was just a disconnection from the creative side to the finished project that bothered me. Some things didn't work in the context of the overall story and execution of the said story. Carey Mulligan and Zoe Kazan are two outstanding actresses, and Mulligan, in particular, is coming off an Oscar nomination with Promising Young Woman. They just didn't have a good day at work, as far as I'm concerned. They didn't come across as well on screen as these two women. These performances should be very powerful, but they seem out of place in this movie. I don't know how all the behind-the-scenes stuff works regarding how actresses get cast in specific films, but I think the casting director could have found more committed actresses for the roles, or the director could have tried to get better takes in some of these scenes. She Said lacks empathy for the victims of Weinstein, and the film has a disconnection regarding how this movie is brought to the screen. The performance of the two starring actresses is on par with that fact. A couple of supporting performances bring emotion where it is needed, but it's not enough to get this story to where it needed to go. I didn't feel like I should have while watching this story unfold. That was an unfortunate circumstance. Viewers needed to have a hatred for this man who was accused and eventually convicted of these crimes. And that didn't happen for me. The #MeToo movement came out of this article and changed how the workplace is handled from this day forward. This movie didn't do anything to help that movement from where I'm sitting. It is unfortunate because this should have been handled better all the way around. She Said screened as part of the 2022 Miami Film Festival GEMS program, which runs November 3-10. Rating: 2.5/5
Review by Dan Skip Allen
Family dramas are an interesting subsection of films in the drama genre. Most family films are considered comedies or children's films. This time out, Noah Baumbach — not usually a director who does sci-fi or fantasy films — changes direction. He mixes sci-fi fantasy with a family drama, and I think it gets lost in translation because all I could say when I walked off the theater was, "What the heck was that?" I think he needs to stick to his strength of comedy/drama films dealing with the family dynamic in a grounded way. White Noise was a mess.
Jack Gladney (Adam Driver) is a professor of Nazi history at a local community college in his town. He lives an idyllic life with his wife, Babette (Greta Gerwig), and their kids. When a train wreck occurs on the outskirts of town, sending a massive black plume of smoke up in the air, he has to evacuate his entire family. This throws their seemingly happy lives into chaos, alongside his co-workers and the rest of the townspeople. This isn't the norm for this little town. Baumbach has crafted a different kind of film. This family sci-fi film has a unique sense of comedy, but all the elements didn't come together completely. Add in some action sequences, a la Christmas Vacation or The Mitchells vs. the Machines, and you have a quirky, weird family film. Baumbach also wrote the screenplay, so he has nobody to blame for the oddness of this movie but himself. A few things made this movie a halfway decent watch, though. The cinematography by Lol Crawley was gorgeous. An unmistakable grain and eighties style made it stand out among so many normal-looking films. The color palette was a conscious choice by the production designer, filled with colors from oranges to reds and purples that made it look vibrant despite the graininess. Along with the cinematography in the movie were the costumes and hairstyling and makeup. This made these characters look the part of a suburban family with a station wagon for a family car.
Baumbach wanted to channel so many other movies with a similar vibe, but he fell short of that goal. There is a subplot involving the main character's wife that is just so incomprehensible it's funny. It is not supposed to be funny, but you just can't help but laugh during these scenes because it's so bad. The banter between the two characters is ridiculous. The script is all over the place, though, so that's par for the course of this movie. Baumbach's usual quirky or odd banter is just a bunch of gibberish here.
The cast is pretty good, but Driver and Gerwig can't save this film. The rest of the cast includes Don Cheadle as another professor at the community college, a friend of Driver's character. They have some good scenes together, including a debate about Elvis's mother and Hitler's mother. The actors that play the kids are fine as well. They're not too annoying as far as kids go. Jodie Turner-Smith is completely wasted as a science professor. White Noise is a film that wants to say something about the world we have been living in for the last few years, but instead, it is an incomprehensible mess. Stars like Driver and Gerwig can't save this family drama that also wants to be a sci-fi film. In the end, it doesn't know what it wants to be. The look of the movie, namely the cinematography, is one of the most redeeming qualities, along with the costumes and hairstyling and makeup departments — they are superb. Baumbach wanted to channel family films like Christmas Vacation and The Mitchells vs. Machines, but it didn't come close to these films. It just ends up as a mess of a movie with no real direction. White Noise screened as part of the 2022 Miami Film Festival GEMS program, which runs November 3-10. Rating: 2.5/5 THE CROWN (Season 5) -- A Strong Season Led by a Tour-de-Force Performance From Elizabeth Debicki11/7/2022
Review by Dan Skip Allen
The Crown has been one of this generation's most successful television shows. It has won many Emmy Awards for Best Drama Series, and its actors have also won for their roles. Right now, the royals are all over the news but back in the eighties and nineties, they may have had one of their most famous members ever: the Princess of Wales, Diana Spencer. She was even more popular than the Queen herself. That's saying a lot. The fifth season of this award-winning show might be its best yet.
This season delves deeper into the lives of several of the royals, specifically Diana Spencer (Elizabeth Debicki). She has taken over the role from Emma Corrin in season four. Her disenchantment with her husband, the Prince of Wales, Charles (Dominic West), has grown to a fevered pitch. But she remains a figure of great reverence by the British public, the BBC, and the rest of the world. She literally can't go anywhere without secret security tracking her every move or talk on the phone because her phones are being tapped. What goes without saying is the paparazzi are a nuisance to her nonstop as well. This is one of the greatest instances of violation of privacy the world has ever known, and it's a shame. The show captures it all impeccably. Several other episodes of this season focus on the Queen's sister, Princess Margaret (Lesley Manville, previously portrayed by Helena Bonham Carter and Venessa Kirby). Once again, she is depicted as a woman who feels lost in her sister's shadow and left out regarding the love of her life. Who wouldn't be upset if they couldn't love and marry who they wanted because their sister said no? Another episode features the Queen's husband, Prince Phillip (Jonathan Pryce, previously portrayed by Matt Smith and Tobias Menzies). He is trying to have a good life on his own because he has passion and interests that don't align with the Queen, her majesty. Like the Queen's sister, he feels like he shouldn't always be in his wife's shadow — a shadow she casts very largely. One episode focuses on Prince Charles (Dominic West, previously played by Josh O'Connor), who — of course — is not in love with his current wife, Diana. They have irrevocable differences that separate them. And he's in love with Camila Parker Bowles (Olivia Williams). Who we all know he marries. This relationship in the show is depressing because of how it all happens. What seemed like a beautiful marriage at first turned out to be a nasty debacle for all involved. And it's all happening all over the news every day.
The biggest recasting, also for the second time in the series's history, is The Queen of Winsdor herself, Queen Elizabeth II. This time she is portrayed by Emelda Staunton (previously portrayed by Claire Foy and Olivia Colman). Staunton is unmistakable as the Queen, but I can't get her role as Professor Dolores Umbridge out of my mind when I look at her. Even though she isn't as mean or nasty as Umbridge, she seems a bit crusty in her old age, as portrayed by Staunton, towards her family, specifically Diana and Charles.
The supporting cast, notably Johnny Lee Miller as Prime Minister John Major, plays a major part in the show. Of course, there are always moments when the Prime Minister visits with the Queen for counsel and so forth, but in episode nine, "Couple 31," he has a much more active role in dealing with the divorce of Charles and Diana. He was very good in a different, more normal role rather than playing Sherlock Holmes or opposite his stage-acting companion Benedict Cumberbatch in a production of Frankenstein. This era in the lives of the royals is quite tumultuous. Peter Morgan, the show creator, has been able to get to the heart of these people. Fans have been waiting to see this era come to life, and as far as I'm concerned, it's worth the wait. Specifically, Elizabeth Debicki as Diana gives a tour de force performance. She embodies this woman from top to bottom — all her pain and suffering at the hands of these people, mostly her husband. In separation, they find more in common with each other. As an outsider, Diana would never overshadow the family with this huge shadow that covers everyone. Debicki gives the performance of her career as this tormented woman who can never be happy. She is the driving force of season five of The Crown. This season of The Crown is a mixture of episodes but has a through line on the marriage and divorce of Diana and Prince Charles. From the beginning of this season, the relationship has divided the country, mostly in favor of Diana and not in favor of democracy. The performances by all are fantastic, with a weird eye towards Staunton as Her Majesty the Queen. Debicki is by far the standout of season five. The look of the show, as always, is terrific and never overlooked by the filmmakers. The writing is once again first-rate, with episode nine a favorite of mine, as well as episode one. They both focus more on Diana and her part of the family. I'm sure more Emmys will be in the future for this show, Debicki, and Netflix. The Crown streams on Neftlix beginning November 9. Rating: 5/5
Review by Dan Skip Allen
There are many things about Say Hey, Willie Mays! that can also be said about his baseball career. He is considered one of the best of all time. I would say the title of the best of all time goes to Ted Williams but it all depends on who you talk to regarding who is actually the best of all time. His record and stats speak for themselves.
Willie wasn't an outspoken guy, but when he had to step up in Alabama on the Black Barrons or when he was with the Giants in New York and later San Francisco, he became the unspoken leader of the teams. He mostly let his bat, glove, and legs do the talking for him. That is all he needed to get the respect he deserved, especially since Brooklyn/Los Angeles, the Dodgers got Jackie Robinson. He had to show the fans he was as good, if not better, than Robinson. The two teams were huge rivals and often met for the National League Pennant. That fueled their rivalry quite a bit. Even though Willie was a great player on the field, his business off the field was kept relatively quiet. He kept to himself in his lovely home overlooking the Golden Gate Bridge. When he wanted to do charitable things, he often kept them to himself or signed autographs and took pictures with the youths around the ballpark before games. This wasn't enough for the country at large, though, because the Black community was going through segregation and race wars. Celebrities like Jim Brown, Muhammad Ali, and other activists wanted Willie to get involved, but that wasn't his bag. He always did things his own way.
The film gets to the heart of this complicated man who had his ups and downs in life but never or rarely showed how tired or exhausted he was from playing ball all the time. John Shea, his autobiographer, had a lot of good anecdotes to share in the movie, as did his godson Barry Bonds, NBC and MLB baseball announcer (and all-around baseball historian) Bob Costas, and some of his ex-teammates — Juan Marichal, Orlando Cepeda, and Reggie Jackson — whom he befriended and took under his wing in that era.
The filmmaker Nelson George infused the documentary with a few things that set it apart from other documentaries. The archival footage was pretty awesome. There was a lot of footage from when Mays played ball in the '50s, '60s, and '70s. There were a few animations and various things that broke up the monotony of the talking heads. There was a conscious effect to show a different side other than the baseball player. Even stuff about his nickname and the adjacent song was fun to find out about, which is the film's title. Say Hey, Willie Mays! was not your average documentary. It got to the heart of a man many people didn't know about, and I learned about his motivations regarding charity and activism. He knew he wasn't doing things the way others would have wanted him to, but he banged his drum to his own beat. He was his own man. The talking heads and archival footage tell a story of a man that was revealed by his fans and those that truly know him. This was a fascinating film, and I was glad I had a chance to learn about this great man and baseball legend. Say Hey, Willie Mays! streams on HBO Max beginning November 8. Rating: 4/5 |
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