Netflix Doc. Series LOVE on the SPECTRUM-Young Adults with Autism Seeking Relationships

The Netflix reality dating show “Love on the Spectrum” captures the pratfalls of finding companionship, compounded with social anxieties associated with autism.  It’s impossible not to feel a kinship with these 20 something adults struggling with a spectrum of disabilities that make social interactions difficult but in no way diminishes the desire to date and find romance.  These adults have no filters in expressing how they feel they are perceived nor their hopes for finding love.  These individuals are irrepressible in their determination to meet the right person.  Everything about this remarkably binge worthy series will tug at your heart strings and have you rooting for them in their love quest.  There are 2 couples who have found their partners and are living together in their own homes.  Spoiler alert, there is a proposal coming in the series that will not leave a dry eye in the house.  There is an exuberance in all these individuals that is infectious.  The families are all loving and supportive.  There are networks of support and professionals that provide guidance and opportunities for interacting and developing social skills.  Kindness is the overriding attribute that is expressed.  Humans are hard wired to be social.  It’s poignant to see how considerate everyone is to each other.  I loved getting to know these individuals and hope they all succeed in meeting someone to share their lives.  It’s eye opening how much so many of us have to be grateful for that we take for granted.  All of us are hay wired one way or another but we're all hard wired to desire companionship. SPECTRUM is a rainbow of hope, kindness & love that connects us all to each other.  I would love another season.  

S Korean Film HOUSE of HUMMINGBIRD Hums with Life's Journeys for Joy

The enchanting and touching film, "House of Hummingbird" is by acclaimed actress Kim Bora (b S Korea 1994) marking an auspicious debut as writer/director.  The film is set in S Korea, 1994, and follows the life of a 14 year old school girl, Eun-hee in a stirring performance by S. Korean actress Park Ji-hoo.   This lengthy film (almost 3 hours) takes its time unfolding.  The movie is about one girl's search for friendship, kinship and inner strength.   At times this is very painful, making the smaller moments of tenderness & self-assuredness very poignant.  This beautifully shot film feels candid & credible.  It crawls along at a snail's pace.  Eun-hee's family life is troubled by a brutal older brother, and seemingly uncaring parents & sister.  This is a coming of age story wherein Eun-hee is seeking friendship with her classmates, a boyfriend and contending with offering & rebuff.  Eun-hee is searching for a port in any storm.  She locates beacons of affection that wash away.  Eun-hee's emotions are illuminated in her eyes with happiness and flickers with disillusion on her face.  She finds an enlarging tumor alongside her face that requires surgery.  Eun-hee's hospital stay is without any family in attendance.  Her only visitor is from one of her teacher's who has befriended Eun-hee.  There's a major catastrophe that occurs in Seoul that exacts a personal toll on Eun-hee and her family.    The film flows and meanders with the currents of daily life, trickling in parts & rushing with power elsewhere.  "House of Hummingbird" is a harbinger of Park Ji-hoo's asured future as an exceptional film making.   The film is one of loneliness & resilience.  Carl Sandburg's poem Offering & Rebuff reflects the essence & beauty of the film.  "I could love you as dry roots love rain.  I could hold you as branches in the wind brandish petals.  Forgive me for speaking so soon.  Let your heart look on white spray and be lonely.  Love is a fool star.  You and a rising of stars may mention my name and then forget me.  Love is a fool star."

Bette Davis: Ain't for Sissies - Jessica Sherr's One Woman Reincarnation, Bumpy Going

Jessica Sherr is the writer and actor of this one woman, one act drama that is a surge of bravado although its one note powerhouse emote becomes worn out overtime.  Sherr packs a full Bette bio in sonic speed from her single mother upbringing to legendary, acad. award winning actress to an aging ingenue struggling for work during her companionless golden years.  Sherr rightly sheds light on several of her major films, fiascos, failed marriage and contentious battles with legendary directors and studio heads.  Davis' legal battle with Warner Bros to free her from an indentured contract she felt held her back was lost in court.  However, Davis' imperturbable attitude against being over directed and over managed marked her career and personal life as in the strong willed characters she played on screen & real life.  We're intimately brought into Bette's boudoir as she confides her life story, warts and all and permits us to be voyeurs on her personal phone calls.  Davis is at the apex of her movie career having received two Oscars and her radiant beauty is luminescent.  Sherr is a doppelgänger for Madonna and uses this to parody both Madonna vogueing as well as Davis posing for photogs.  The duplicity of Davis' friendship and acerbic, aside commentary were sharp and affecting.  Sherr played the performance BIG rather although all from Home.  The live screening was restricted to the bedroom but there was plenty of room to move about which would have shaken things up slightly.  Ms. Scherr's script writing was clever and performance earnest & energetic.  The show was loaded with high drama.  Betty talks ALL ABOUT EVErything: her lovers, husbands, mother, daughter, and of her beauty & career fading without any cracks showing in her carapace of strength.   Ms. Sherr assured us of Bette Davis dynamic drive like Edith Piaf - without bemoaning regrets.  I enjoyed the performance but felt bumped aside from scratching beneath Ms. Davis' tough outer hide.

Japanese Netflix Series Gir/Haji is a Compelling Crime Thriller - WATCH IT!

"Giri/Hazi" means duty/shame.  It'd be a shame to miss this Japanese crime thriller with a stellar int'l cast set in Japan & London.  Highly acclaimed British dir. Julian Farino and Australian dir. Ben Chessell have transposed a graphic novel of underworld crime families in Japan that spills over into the underworld of London and into a unique fusion of crime, drama and art house genre that makes it a Netflix series which is lethally addicting.  It helps that the int'l cast of actors from Japan and the UK are all exceptional but for the sole Amer. actor Justin Long who doesn't belong in anything but a romp/comp comedy and is sorely miscast.  However, the debut performance by Aol Okuyama as Taki, the daughter of Detective Kenzo Mori is a marvel.  Rodney (Japanese/British actor Will Sharpe) brings flamboyant zing as a precocious gay prostitute. This is not your Marvel/action thriller (not that the series isn't awash in bloodbaths) but a surprisingly enterprising drama that gets under your skin.  Kenzo and Yuto are brothers who grow-up with a strong bond but find themselves on opposite sides of the law.  Kenzo is a formidable police detective while younger brother Yuto (Yosake Kubozuka) finds himself at loose ends until he ends up becoming a gangster for one of the 2 largest crime families in Japan.  Oh man - the lines of righteousness are not black/white, and the artistry of the production is a combination of animation & clever cinematography.  Kenzo is sent to London by Tokyo's Chief Detective to retrieve his brother.  Yuto was believed dead but mysteriously is resurrected in London now working as a gangster for London's looming crime gang.  The plot crosses over into mayhem & confusion.  Yuto is wanted back in Japan to settle the score between the 2 leading crime family which would mean Kenzo bringing his baby bro back as a sacrificial slaughter which is what the Japanese Chief Sargent has basically ordered.  Yuto is assigned to be the driver for the kingpin's beautiful daughter.  No surprise  they fell in love which not surprisingly doesn't get the  her father, the crime boss' blessing.  Don't get lost in the revenge, clandestine underground.  Do get swept up into the multiple duplicitous criminal storylines that converge in London with Kenzo & London's police force.  Kenzo is caught up with one of London's detectives, Sarah (the superb Scottish actress Kelly McDonald).  She's a sleuth detective for the London bureau but has fallen out of favor with her colleagues.  Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned so watch out when Sarah's partner on & off the force does a double cross.  Sarah, Kenzo & Yuto converge and the mystery of what & who will emerge becomes even more engrossing and dare I say, profound.  Questions of fidelity & loyalty bonds are bantered and tested.  It's my duty to recommend this Giri gem and a real Haji shame should you miss your shot.

Ken Loach's Film SORRY WE MISSED YOU - You'll be Sorry if You Miss This

Dir. Ken Loach (b UK 1936) adds another insightful film to his illustrious career of making visceral and emotionally arduous films.  "Sorry We Missed You" takes up Loach's social commentaries on the struggles & oppressiveness the hard working, lower class have to contend with on an ongoing basis.  Loach is one of a handful of directors who've received the Palm d'Or Award twice.  "Sorry We Missed You" is sure to bring further laurels for Loach's unflinching look at the realities & hardships face by the vast majority of people.  The Turners are a married couple, striving to make ends meet while holding them marriage and family intact.  Ricky (Kris Hitchen) is the father working exhausting, long hours delivering packages on a rigid timeline.  Ricky's wife Abby (Debbie Honeywood in an astounding debut performance) works as a home aid to the elderly & bedridden dependent on others for their basic care.  The couple's son, Sen, is in high school; about to be expelled for truancy & violent behavior.  The younger iridescent, pre-adolescent daughter is on the precipice of despair wanting her family to stay together amidst tumultuous event exacting their toll on everyone's sanity and well-being.  Ricky is determined to save for a down payment on a mortgage for their own home.  He's willing to toil long hours and submit to mental cruelty from his overbearing boss (a not always believable Ross Brewster).  Ricky is misguided into believing to be his own boss.  Ricky can never get out from under debt and falls further into debt while his son falls into trouble with the law.  One of the best scenes in the film (and there are many) is at the police station when an officer is speaking to Seb while his father is present telling Seb he's being given a 2nd chance by not being charged for shoplifting although another incident will land him in serious trouble.  The officer tells him he should be grateful to have what many people don't have, a family who cares for him which means everything.  Another scorching scene is Ricky groveling to gain a few days off from work without financial repercussions.  The pressures and problems become too overbearing and the family unit is frayed.  Abby's patience & kindly manner have their breaking point.  Ricky's troubles with work & truant son push him over the edge.  This is a family drama that along with its tender moments shoulders burdens and grief that feel insurmountable.  The painstaking vie for providing for one's family and maintaining dignity are handled with care & credibility.  This is honest, impactful filmmaking at its finest with the understanding of prevalent social issues seemingly never ending.

THE WAY BACK with Ben Affleck is Awful - Stay Away

Ben Affleck's "comeback" flick may have set his muddling career further back with this cliched mess of a down & out drunkard coaching a losing sad sack basketball to a winning season.  There's no reason to recommend this film although there are plenty of shots to be made at how inane and unappealing this film shaped-up.  Jack (a phoned in performance by Affleck) is a constructor worker who heads to the bar after work.  He drinks until he can no longer stand & gets a helping hand from an old friend of his dad's.  Once home, his drinking binge continues ad nauseam.  He's known by the locals at the local grungy pub and liquor store.  Jack in one shop, stocks up on enough alcohol to keep a frat house in booze for a semester.  Jack's heading to Thanksgiving dinner with his sis & her family in their affluent digs where sis gets in a few digs about his drinking. His temper flares when sis mentions hearing from Angie, his estranged wife, asking how he's doing.  Did she leave Jack because of his drinking?  Or, did her leaving exacerbate his alcoholism?  Do we care? NO!  It's all a bore.  Jack receives a call from the priest of his former high school asking him to coach the school's basketball team.  Jack, in his glory days, was a whiz on the court but sometime after h.s. he fizzled out.  Not surprisingly he takes the thankless job of turning the bad news bears team (which all look like they're in their late 20s) into a team with grit and miraculously gets them to the playoffs.  The emotional payoff is hallow pathos.  We learn he & his wife lost their young son to cancer.  Jack (inappropriately) shares with a kid on the team he had an unloving father.   Jack grieves for his son and the mess he made of his marriage.  There are other pithy plot lines that scream time out!  Jack's growing fondness for coaching the man-boys turns into a symbiotic relationship.  He cleans up his act (not his foul mouth) until another heavy handed melodramatic tragedy strikes.  "The Way Back" is way of the mark as a winning sports drama.  Directed by Gavin O'Connor ("Miracle") couldn't bring any zeal or anything real into this wearisome mess.  The assistant coach, comedian Al Madrigal, elevates the film when on the floor.  Every scene contains a listless Affleck who should've been sidelined.  Don't waste time on this dud.  You'll never get it back.

THE OLD GUARD New Spins on Super Heroes Starring Charlize Theron and Int'l Cast

THE OLD GUARD is in the superhero, action genre but it generates a lot more interests than merely resting on shoot em up, take em down fight scenes (which are choreographed brilliantly).  Dir Gina Prince-Bythewood (b Amer. 1969) assembles an international cast of stellar actors.  The main heroine Andy (the beautiful and talented Charlize) is literally an old soul who stitches together a team of immortal warriors who survive anything.  Prince-Bythewood ("Love & Basketball) revives a graphic novel into a super hero movie that turns into something with a little more staying power with the power to please those who may say no thanks to the genre in general.  The contemporary setting travels back in time and to numerous countries including Afghanistan, Morocco and France with a fearsome foursome of fighters.  The heroes are portrayed by actors from S. Africa, Italy, Netherland, Italy, Norway, UK and the good ole USA.  The unflappable four have evolved overtime; losing a few when it's their time.  They become a quintet with a new un-recruited Afghanistan vet Nile (a kick-ass Kiki Layne from the under appreciated "If Beale Street Could Talk").  Nile survives what should have been a fatal slash to throat without a trace or a nick.  Her army buddies know somethings eerily amiss and keep Nile at bay.  In swoops Andy (hooray!) and takes Nile away amidst an army of vets with no sweat.  Nile has lots of questions which is understandable but the reasons are unfathomable.  So, just move on, carry on and do the right thing.  Andy questions whether their group has done anything to help make the world better when it seems that things keep getting worse.  Still, they must try.  Andy makes an error in judgement falling in with a deceptive bad guy, James (Chiwetel Ejiofor).  James lures them into a snare for the sinister pharmaceutical maverick of Merrick, Steve (Harry Melling).  Steve wants the superheroes to study their DNA and so on in order to create the eternal fountain of youth. (I'll bet there are plenty willing to pay a pretty penny.)   Two fall into the evil lair.  Nic & Joe are held hostage.  They are a loving homosexual couple. This is an added element to the bad ass pastiche that adds panache.  There's also the profundity to ponder what it means to live forever.  There's more than meets the eye than mere eye candy and a biff, bam, boom, stomp romp caper.  I enjoyed THE OLD GUARD once I let down my erudite guard and found more than I bargained for.  So as not worry, THE OLD GUARD is set for a sequel that I look forward to with zealous anticipation.

Palm Springs-Groundhog Redeux brings Something New and Humorous too

"Palm Springs" is a refreshing new take on the classic comedy "Groundhog Day" starring Bill Murray & Andie McDowell.  "Palm Springs" is one of those time warp phenomena things most people talk about.  Adam Samberg (SNL, "Brooklyn Nine-Nine) is Nyles, a 30 something, likable schlub most people love til his frat boy behaviors grow irksome.  Nyles is laid back, floating on a pizza raft, guzzling beers in the morning; every morning.  Nyles is the guest of a bridesmaid at a wedding in Palm Springs.  Here's the thing, every morning he wakes up in the same bed in the room with his narcissistic girlfriend the day of the wedding.  It doesn't take long to catch on to the recurring   routine which takes a trajectory at the wedding when he meets Sarah, the bride's sister (Cristin Milioti, "How I Met Your Mother").   Sarah is the reclusive, reluctant toast giver rescued by Nyles' hilarious toast and bizarre antics.  The two take their highballs and hightail the wedding and their chemistry ignites.  Until, Nyles is shot in the back by an arrow by a marauding ninja out to do him in.  Sarah is shocked & perplexed and pursues the action.  She see Nyles crawling into a cave.  Despite Nyles dire warning not to enter she follows in and then falls into one of those time warp zones everyone is talking about.  Sarah wakes up and begins the dreaded morning of the morning of the wedding all over again.  Deja vu, the jokes (which are aplenty) are on you.  Let's do the time warp again!  Only this time round the Bill Murray & And McDowell leads are both in on the perpetual purgatory that proves not fatal no matter how hard they try to die.  Samberg does an outstanding job ingratiating us with his unflappable humor and Milioti makes the most with her doe eyes and unflinching determination to resolve this hellish situation.  Dir. Max Barbakow does an excellent job in his directorial debut taking on a derivative of "Groundhog Day" by blending highbrow humor and earnest emotional tenderness.  J K Simmons (Roy) is the warrior out to destroy Nyles adding his unique talents as does the rest of the cast to blast this rom/com out of the stratosphere.  If you loved "Groundhog Day" {who doesn't?} you're going to love "Palm Springs;" an homage to a classic with nuanced cleverness & heart it brings!

UK/Nigerian Film "The Last Tree" by Shola Amoo Pass; Don't See

The joyful first 20 minutes of "The Last Tree" sets the foundation for a coming of age story of a pubescent  black boy, Femi (Sam Adewunmi).  He's seen happily playing with friends and living with his white foster mom.  The boys play soccer, frolick in the mud and king of the hill; roaring with the exuberance of their youth & friendships.  The colorful cinematography and "color blind" relationships come to a screeching halt when Femi's mother comes to bring her son back to live with her.  Despite being promised by his foster mom she wouldn't let him go & her crocodile tears, Femi's fears are realized.  His mother, Yinka (Gbemisula Ikumelo) comes to bring him back to live with her. The transition from a lovely one family home in a bucolic neighborhood to a run down tenement with piss in the elevator is difficult for both mother & son.  Yinka makes it immediately known what's expected of him (chores & staying indoors) or he's be beaten by the broom handle he uses to sweep with daily.  Faster than the leap from a cute baby lion cub to a full-grown Simba, Femi (who looks 25) morphs into a surly teen.  Dir/screenwriter Shola Amoo received 2 British Indept. Film Awards for this film; his 2nd directorial debut.  Nevertheless, everything going forward is a repeat of tropes of adolescents growing up amidst gangs, limited opportunity and a listlessness with rancor towards his hardworking, mostly absent mother.   Femi is reunited with his former foster mom now caring for another young black child.  This makes for a tender bonding between the Femi and & the young boy and a forced emotional reckoning with his step-mom for her broken promise "that really messed me up."  Thankfully, there's a high school teacher, for whatever reason, is willing to take Femi under his wing despite Femi's apathy & physical assaults.  Towards the end, we're somehow transported to Yinka's hometown in Nigeria.  There Yinka subjects herself in order to introduces her son to his birth father, some sort of gang lord and to his half-siblings.  Femi has an epiphany.  He sees his mother in a new light and finds enlightenment from her devotion & self sacrifices.  Ho hum, the plot, the casting and emotional angst are all lost in "The Last Tree". I don't recommend you see.

John Lewis: GOOD TROUBLE Doc. of an American Hero Fighting 5 Decades of Racial Injustice

US Rep. John Lewis (b 1940) is a courageous, inspiring American hero leading the good fight for social justice, racial equality with dignity and compassion.  Dawn Porter's doc. "John Lewis:  GOOD TROUBLE" is a compelling historic account of the brutality & inhumanity of racism that has perseverated our nation from its conception.  Porter's archival footage of a Rep. Lewis as a young man engaged in peaceful protest alongside Dr. MLK is a horrifying record of the brutality inflicted on people of color by white police officers.  March 7, 1965, known as Bloody Sunday, was captured by network news.  It remains a shocking and painful testament of legalized brutalities brandished against peaceful protestors during the civil rights era; standing up for their rights as citizens and the right to vote.  The footage was seen live on network television bringing the horrors into everyone's home just as Mr. Floyd's murder (along with so many others) was so gruesomely depicted in its entirety.  Porter ("Spies of MI" '14) does a remarkable job covering the ongoing civil rights movements and Cong. John Lewis' heroic life of dedicated service to our country.  Mr. Lewis' message is delivered in a stentorian voice, "See something not right, not fair, not just.  Say something.  Do something.  Get in trouble - Good trouble.  Necessary trouble."  Other notable social activists included in this trenchant and inspiring doc. include:  US Rep. Elijah Cummings (1951-2019), Sen. Julian Bond (1940-2015), Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Sec. of State Hilary Clinton, Sen. Cory Booker, Prof. Henry Gates, Jr. and Atty. Gen. Eric Holder to name several attesting to Cong. Lewis' achievements.  Rep. Lewis, alongside MLK laid the footprint for peaceful protest fighting for social justice with dignity and unflappability.  Rep. Lewis reminds us we must not despair during these turbulent times.  Now is the time to realign the scales of justice and take up the call for humanity.  Rep. Lewis spoke of our progress towards racial equality and is disheartened where we are today.  Our great American hero and civil rights activist has wrought so many positive legislations said "We're not going backwards.  We're going forwards."  Thank you Rep. Lewis for being a beacon of hope and mentor for humanity.  Beloved Congressman Lewis, we're honored to have your leadership and illuminating example.

The Film Miss Juneteenth - Packs Emotional Bite and Racial Insights

Channing Godfrey Peoples is an American filmmaker making an impressive debut with "Miss Juneteenth."  The film made in 2019; a dividing line from 2020, the corona virus & social unrest that is prescient & weighing in on all our lives.  This film's an intimate look into the lives of African Americans in a small TX town struggling to make ends meet while still aspiring for the "American Dream."  The film focuses on Turquoise (Nicole Beharie) a beautiful young mother and former "Miss Juneteenth."  Turquoise works two jobs; working as a waitress at a local bar & doing makeup at a funeral home.  Her beloved boss at the local joint has a photo of Turquoise as Miss Juneteenth.  He tells her "there is no American dream."  Nonetheless, Turquoise's dream is to have her daughter be crowned and receive a full scholarship to any black university.  Turquoise's aspirations were lost in transformation into early motherhood & a dysfunctional marriage with a handsome, undependable man.  A formulaic plot of unflappable mom who will stop at nothing to provide her daughter loving discipline and a promising future has its predictable scenarios.  Still, the love between Turquoise & Kei makes this a phenomenal film to watch.  Kei wanting to please her mom & still be her own person is matched against Turquoise's relentless efforts & hopes for daughter.  We see two remarkable women.  Turquoise has Kei recite the same Maya Angelou poem "Phenomenal Woman" she performed when she was crowned.  Kei's reluctance to enter the contest is overridden with the desire to show her mother her love for her.  In doing so, Kei finds her own inner fortitude.  Both mother & daughter are phenomenal women living life "not merely to survive, but to thrive, and to do so with some passion, some compassion, some humor, some style." (M Angelou).  The film with its stereotyped characterizations offers something special and unique worth grasping.

French Film On a Magical Night - A Pastiche of Trysts and Films

"On a Magical Night" is a sexual romp that is not as risqué or clever as one would wish.  It's a pastiche of past films, homages and a hearty wink.  The movies it marvel are' "A Christmas Tale," "Sliding Doors" and "It's a Wonderful Life."  The film take on a life of its own when Mari (Chiara Mastroianni) a professor with grade A sexual promiscuity is confronted by her husband Richard (Benjamin Biolay) of her infidelity revealed on her sex texting iPhone.  C'est la vie - comme ci comme sa - Voila, il nes pah big deal, Mari says to Richard her husband of 20 years.  (Chiara & Benjamin were married in real life & the sparks between them on screen barely smolder.). Chiara Mastroianni is the daughter of actors Marcel Mastroianni and Catherine Denueve.  She could pass as a doppelgänger for a young Susan Sarandon.  Richard appears devastated while Mari can't understand why he's so upset.  "Marriages that last more than 20 years couldn't survive without having lovers."  Richard tells her he never betrayed her in all their years together. He suggests time apart to think things over.  Mari takes him at his word and takes herself to the hotel across the street with A Room With a View into their apartment where she watches Richard from a Rear Window.  Overnight mysterious, magical, sensual & salacious moments occur.  Mari wakes to find Richard (Vincent Lacoste) at the young age they first met. "How can you be so young?" Mari asks.  "How can you be so old?" Richard replies.  Alas, this doesn't stop the two from making love which looks incestual.  All Mari's past lovers manifest and congregate in the adjoining room to allow Mari & young Richard opportunity to revisit their past passions while wrapped up in sheets.  Mari's lovers outnumber Richard's sole lover, his piano teacher, Irene (Camille Cottin).  She started as his school boy mentor and went on to tutor him sexually despite the age difference.  Irene appears in Richard's apartment to his amazement & wonderment she looks exactly the same as when he last saw her as a young man.  Mari watches the two across the way as Irene tries to seduce Richard & introduces an enfant that would have been their son had they stayed together.  French dir/screenwriter Christopher Honore pulls a lot of stops from his bag of tricks.  There are outrageously funny moments when Mari is visited by her dead mother "But you're dead" she says to her.  "So what!" says her mother and her grandmother has some harsh words for Mari's mother.  But the viewer sees the man behind the curtain and there's no place except home for the heavy prestidigitations.  The magic comes in soft drifts but leaves you out in the cold.  You don't believe me?  Humbug, my little Rosebud.

Nat'l Theater SMALL ISLAND - A Golden Play about Racism in UK/Jamaica and Today

The Nat'l Theater Live is presenting some of their best theatrical productions on youtube for everyone to enjoy.  SMALL ISLAND (SI) which streamed "live" yesterday & available for viewing until June 25th is not to be missed.  The 3 hr 2 Act production doesn't have to be viewed in 1 sitting.  I was completely captivated by author/playwright Andrea Levy's Orange Prize winning play based on her novel the 3 hours hit me like a powerful tempest and drenched me in its profundity & prescient issues of systemic racism & hatred.  Levy co-adapted her Man Booker winning novel to stage with award winning author & playwright Helen Edmundson. Both accomplished women are British: Levy (b 1956-2019) & Edmundson (b 1964).  Levy was elected a Fellow for the Royal Soc. of Lit. ('05).  The utter brilliance of the writing and themes compare somewhat to Hansberry's "Raisin in the Sun."  SI set in Jamaica and the UK 1930s-1950) examines the atrocities of racism & war, but also humanity found in strength & dignity.  The play begins with a tempest.  A young, black woman, Hortense tells the audience this is "a great love story."  The cleverly staged production depicts an approaching monsoon.  Everyone's rushing for shelter except for Hortense & the young, white teacher she assists in the schoolhouse.  Hortense remains anticipating that the man she loves will come to her rescue.  The white teacher is cowering under a table calling out "where is he".  Hortense takes this to mean her husband. Turns out it's Michael a black man & Hortense's assumed paramour.  Michael shockingly rushes to embrace the other woman. Our hearts shatter with Hortense's.  We're swept away in the maelstrom of war, intertwining lives & racial divides that are malevolent, oppressive though sometimes uplifting.  Queenie is a young white woman raised on her family's farm.  Queenie yearns for more than her arduous, unfulfilling life.  Hortense is raised in her cousin Michael's home by her strict, pious & opinionated aunt& uncle.  They keep Hortense subservient & obedient which givers her pretense & a rebellious spirit.  As children, the cousins form a rivalrous friendship.  Hortense is saddened when Michael is sent to boarding school.  He returns years later.  Feelings of sexual attraction abound. Michael returns with a bigger picture of the world and his presumed place in it. He's adulterous, inter-racial scandal & defiance to his father return him to England.  After WWII Hortense & other Jamaicans look to getting off their small island for a bigger, more worldly life in the UK.  Black soldiers fought alongside the Brits but find they're spurned in the community despite having fought to end fascism & persecution.  Elwood, a Jamaican known by the islanders has a small but insightful role "WWII is a white man's war and the world belongs to whites off the island." Queenie seized her opportunity to expand her horizons as did Hortense.  Hortense makes a financial, loveless deal to marry Gilbert and pays for his voyage back to the UK provided he sends for her.  The lives of Hortense, Michael, Queenie & Gilbert intwine in ways that are not tolerated by white society.  The contrived connections only enforce powerful emotions that are painful & promising.  I promise SMALL ISLAND is a major theatrical force with a great cast & profound writing.

THE KING of STATEN ISLAND Written and Starring Pete Davison Dir by Judd Apatow

THE KING of STATEN ISLAND is a comedy-drama written by & starring Pete Davidson of SNL fame, known for dating hot celebrity dames for a NY minute & for his tattoos up the wazoo.  Scott (Pete Davison) is a putz & a yahoo.  He's 24 but hasn't figured out what to do with his life.  He's mired in the pot infused basement of his mom's home in Staten Island.  Scott's mom, Margie (Acad. Award winning actress, Marissa Tomei) is a loving & indulgent mother.  Margie's been too lenient marring Scott from maturing into a productive adult.  Margie is an emergency room RN whose nursed her aggrieved son after his fire fighting father died in the line of duty when he was 7.  Davison's real life heroic father died as a firefighter in the 9/11 attack.  Scott's younger sister Claire, (Maude Apatow) fairs far better than her bro.  She's excited to be heading off to college but not without her apprehensions concerning her brother's welfare.  Claire is the daughter of Judd Apatow who directed the film and actress Leslie Mann.  Nepotism may have made the role of Maude a shoe-in but the kid's got solid acting chops.  What keeps this self-indulgent, mildly amusing comedy afloat is a boat load of talent including A list comedians & actors: Bill Burr as Ray, Margie's suitor and Scott's nemesis, Pamela Adlon as Ray's bitter ex and mother of their 2 adorable kids, Steve Buscemi as the Capt. of the local firehouse who takes Scott under his wing despite Ray being stationed at the firehouse & not fully on board after Margie gave Ray the bum's rush thanks to Scott.  Scott's sometime girlfriend, Kelsey (British actress Bel Powley) steals every scene with her honed accent & guileless blue eyes.  Minor players mired in the undertow of Staten Island; a minor NYC borough complete with its own minor league Yankee baseball team are all outstanding.  Davison's alter-ego Scott, shares a history of growing up in Staten Island with his single mom & sister, a penchant for inking his bod and for parlaying his goofiness into something that plays outside of Poohkeepsie.  Scott & Pete both suffer from Crohn's Disease which he shares regardless of being TMI and his perpetual petulance wears thin and turns grating.  THE KING of STATEN ISLAND is ferried along with the support of a strong bench of cast members; any of whom would be welcomed to host SNL.  The film is not as clever or winning as it strives to be but entire crew keeps swinging for the fences landing a charming & chuckle worthy screenwriting/starring film debut for Pete Davidson.

Spike Lee's Da 5 BLOODS - Hemorrhages from Social Commentary to Absurdity

Spike Lee always has a lot to say, artistically, politically and presciently.  Da 5 BLOODS just released is a pastiche of political inequities, wars' inhumanities & an absurdity that discredits its gravitas as an artistic achievement of social significance.  The film is a disappointing bomb.  Full disclosure:  I didn't watch the entire 2 1/2+ hours.  Spike lost me at the destination of the untimely & gruesome death of one of da 5 bloods from a land mine detonation.  The film does make affective use of unforgettable archival footage of civil unrest, Vietnam protests and Vietnam newsreels & photos which leave a profound impact.  In fact, clip's from Lee's "prologue" are a must see for those who were born after this era and viewed again by those alive during this time.  The movie reunites 4 former, black Vietnam Vets in Vietnam.  The 5th Norman (the incomparable Chadwick Boseman "The Black Panther") is present in spirit & flashback.  Norman was a squadron leader, revered by the 4 blackmen in his unit.  The returning vets are there to reconnect & carry-out their promise to recover the remains of "Stormin Norman", or so it seems.  The 4 older but not altogether wiser group consist of a 4-star team of actors.  Paul (Delroy Lindo) is the vet most obviously suffering from PTS.  His son, David (Jonathan Majors, "Last Blackman in SF") surprises his father but his presence is not initially warmly received.  Otis (a superb Clark Peters "Harriet") appears the most level headed and emotional focus for the group.  Eddie (Jonathan Majors, Tony Musical winner) is the charismatic charmer whose life isn't all as it first appears.  Majors has incredible acting chops sadly his singing talents weren't put to use and unfortunately, his demise put the final nail in the coffin for watchin the remaining hour.  The convoluted film packs in an unbeknownst daughter left behind, star crossed lovers and humor that lands like a grenade.  David inveigles his way into his father's group of 4 on their covert mission which is much more than just recovering Norman's remains.  The film is also a senior caper of uncovering buried treasure.  David strikes gold when he goes to unload which is even crappier than it sounds.  Still, some very affecting scenes, mostly in flashback with Norman and his troop during their tour of duty are arresting, especially compounded with the violence & social unrest back home.  Lee is a genius.  Hi body of work will be a legacy to filmmaking and social awakening.  Regardless, no one bats a 1,000.  The Knicks have had a lengthy losing streak.  And, Da 5 BLOODS is a misses the target.

Carlo Mirabella Davis' SWALLOW - Sticks in Your Gut, Unforgettable

SWALLOW is a psychological, suspense drama about a handsome, newly wed couple expecting their first child.  But, an ugly undertow shatters what at first appears an idyllic lifestyle for the beautiful wife, Hunter (a stunning performance by Haley Bennett) and her handsome, but easily distracted husband, Richie (a terrific Austin Stowell).  The couple live in a contemporary & pristine home with shades of "Ad Men" aesthetics in both the interior and couture worn by Hunter.  Richie is greeted by his wife on a nightly basis by Hunter dressed dazzlingly as if for a cocktail party but its merely a weeknight, candle lit dinner at home.  Of course, the multi-course meal is consumed from opposite ends of a long glass table.  Richie is more consumed with his cell that what his wife has to tell.  Dir., screenwriter, producer Carlo M Davis has concocted a truly unique film that is hypnotic, visually stunning; thanks to Katelin Arizmendi's brilliant cinematography and emotionally visceral.  Richie's parents are insidiously manipulative and menacing.  Hunter's background remains a vague, mystery until it begins to unravel as told to her psychiatrist, seemingly with Hunter's sole benefit.  Hunter has developed an appetite for swallowing hazardous objects which require emergency surgery and pose a dire threat to her pregnancy.  Hunter's husband & in-laws understandably take her for needed psychiatric help but are hesitant to leave the room during Hunter's psychiatric sessions.  Hunter's omnipresent husband & his parents hound Hunter relentlessly.   The family hires a male "nurse" to attend Hunter at all times to protect her from harming herself.  "We can't watch you 7/24" says her unctuous mother-in-law who along with her over-bearing father-in-law & 'Stepford' husband have taken control over Hunter's life.  Control is the overriding issue in SWALLOW.  Hunter is baffled by her behavior & tells everyone she doesn't know why she chokes down gagging items: a tack, a battery, a needle and a menagerie of non-edible eateries.  We sympathize with Hunter's unseeming compulsive behaviors & inedible proclivities that have manifested into a battle self-control ingesting life-threatening items.  This suspenseful, provocative picture is a poignant portrayal of Hunter's cravings for basic human needs:  compassion, physical contact and validation.  Hunter's backstory becomes glaringly clear at the end of the movie at which time you may find yourself holding your breath, if not your stomach.  Again, Arizmendi brilliant use of color schemes explode into kaleidoscope technicolor when she ventures outside her meticulous & calmer color palette at home.  SWALLOW is artistically and emotionally unforgettable.  This may not appeal to everyone's taste but  should SWALLOW not be in contention for next year's Oscar it would be an unjust shading.

London's Nat'l Theater Live Shakespear's CORIOLANUS Starring Tom Hiddleston

"Coriolanus" is not one of Shakespeare's better known or more popular tragedies.  It's based on factual events during rebellious times in Rome as Rome was often challenged with uprisings v. its governances  during the early 17th C.  Now, with stay in place orders and social upheaval this FREE U-tube broadcast is politically prescient and a present to thespians and the community at large.  Tom Hiddleston stars in the leading role of Marcius Coriolanus, the heroic soldier whose battlefield victories make him an instant celebrity upon his return.  The production, FREE to the publicist not worth complaining about the over narrative and 12 minute prologue that detract from the production.  (Of course, for those who are blind or hard of hearing, this is a much welcomed adjunct.)   The plot parallels the pompous dictator in the White House and borrows both from Shakespeare's more acclaimed plays:  "McBeth" and "Julius Caesar".  Marcius (a tour-de-force Tom Hiddleston) returns from the battlefields to a loving wife, an adoring public and a social climbing, power hungry mother; not unlike lady McBeth.  It's at his mother's pushing Marcius use his notoriety to gain a position elected to the counsel in Rome.  Mauritius doesn't require much prodding by his mother to aspire for high office as he deems himself worthy of adulation and power.  However, his narcissism turns to disdain from the people he represents and there's an incendiary mutiny from within the electorates that not unlike Brutus & Caesar.  The sparse, dark staging is very effective in evoking enmity and blood thirsty revenge.  The costuming blends early Roman dress and contemporary dress which provide an edge to adorn Mauritius' foes.  The choreographed sword fights are staged with stealth and skill.  Shakespeare's dialogue remains an elevated art form that remains music to one's ears.  CORIOLANUS aligns with the anus in the White House who believes himself above the law and above the people for whom he pledged to protect.   "Action is eloquence," which is the antithesis of Trump's tyrannical tactics.  Rather Trump unsheathes Shakespeare's prose "Let me have war, say I, it exceeds peace as far as day does night.  It's spritely, waking, audible and full of vent.  Peace is a very apoplexy."  Now is the time for peaceful protest & discontent.  Now is the time to take advantage of London's Nat'l Theater Live broadcasts.

I Say LOVEBIRDS Soars because of Issa Rae

We as a nation, if not the world, are experiencing a seismic shift in revealing & reviling systematic racism from plaguing & oppressing everyone; mainly people of color.  George Floyd's murder is an Emmett Till image seen by everyone that will not go unseen nor disregarded.  This is not a conventional review to a rom/com caper film but it's pertinent: a) humor is healing and needed at this time, b) the interracial couple seemed inconsequential in the film and c) casting of characters should not in anyway reflect any characteristic other than talent.  The romantic comedy stars a hilarious & convincing Issa Rae as Leilani and her lover of 3 years Kumail Nanjiani as Jibran.  Rae is currently starring on HBO in "Insecure."  Rae is riotously funny and emotionally touching in the series.  Nanjiani, a renown stand-up comic and star of "The Big Sick" plays more of a malleable, straight man to Rae's character.  The opening scene between Leilani and Jibran is sweet & tender starts to their relationship which quickly shifts 3 years later to find them living together.  No longer a relationship of kisses and romantic bliss.  Their bickering reveals a deeper disconnect which leads them to agree to break-up en-route to a dinner party.  The ride is fraught with bumps in the road and a shockingly funny yet gruesome murder in which they are unwittingly involved.  When a witness, after the fact, calls 911 they both decide to run on the count of 3.  The shenanigans are more ingenious than your typical crime riddled mystery.   Together, the two find themselves having each other's back.  Leilani's high heels & slapping steel some scenes.  And, there's some classic comedy duo pairing as the two fumble their way towards solving the crime to exonerate themselves.   Yes, if they had contacted the police from the start, that would have ended what turned into clever, delightfully funny interludes while risking their lives.  (Just go along for the ride).  The weakness lies in the obvious ending; bad white cop admitting his dastardly deeds and Jibran & Leilani outsmarting or outlasting him.  Rae is a rising star of comedic acting and Nanjiani smartly nuanced his comedy chops which made for a dynamo, comedy duo who found their way back into each other's hearts.  The obvious fact of the interracial coupling was a non-issue.  The film had terrific acting and direction by Michael Showalter ("The Big Sick") which Nanjiani starred in & co-wrote.  I don't wish to mitigate the current & on-going murders of unarmed people of color by white people.  I do however, want to recommend LOVEBIRDS as romantic comedy at this time of despair and this time of hope.  On the count of 3...go see.

Liz Moore's Novel LONG BRIGHT RIVER - Beth Macy's NonF DOPESICK

Hunter College in NYC is offering online talks during this pandemic.  A recent video concerned our country's opioid overuse & overdose problems. The informative talk and Q&A was between Liz Moore, a Hunter alum & novelist & award winning journalist & Non-F writer Beth Macy.  Moore's recent novel LONG BRIGHT RIVER is a crime, mystery with a female protagonist, police officer, Mickey. Mickey is searching for her younger sister Kasey whose life took a downward path to self-destruction through heroin & prostitution to feed her habit.  Macy's DOPESICK examines the origins of the pain killer Oxycontin & traces its havoc of destruction & pain.  Moore draws us into the drama of a "good cop" Mickey, v. "bad cop" drug addicted sister.  Their estrangement turns to frenzy for Mickey to find Kasey amidst a flurry of homicides of prostitutes that "worked" the same beat as Kasey.  Moore develops a mystery of fitting together puzzle pieces to fit in solving Kasey's disappearance.  It's also a story of familial love between sisters & Mickey's love for her young son.  The story does take an unsurprising twist of corrupt cops promulgating drugs & prostitution for profit.  Still, it's a stirring & prescient novel that both entertains & proselytizes the deadly & overpowering opioid addiction.  Macy's DOPESICK cogently explains Oxycontin's billion dollar industry growth while knowingly pushing Drs. to overprescribe.  Both writers reiterate the self-loathing & omnipotent hold wielded by opioid use.  Those who become addicted are most likely to be ruled by the addiction for the rest of their lives and more than likely to die from an overdose.  Side affects include depression, memory loss & the need to fulfill the cravings through illegal, self-destructive behaviors putting themselves & others in harms' way.  Moore & Macy make clear the morphine override in an addicted person's brain is to avoid the psychological pain of withdrawal avoiding dopesickness at any cost.  Macy's tells a David v. Goliath story; taking down the Purdue Drug Co.  The hero is Dr. Van Zee, a local small VA town Dr. who became distressed burying young people whom he cared for & helped to bring into the world. His motivation not being financial gain but punitive measures aimed at Purdue to terminate their criminal behavior that resulted in so many deaths and take away their financial incentives to continue. Interestingly, Giuliani acted as legal counsel for Purdue brokering behind the scenes deals to mitigate fines & rebuff jail sentencing.  Giuliani propagandized he wouldn't take an assignment with a Co. he felt acted improperly {hah!}.  America remains a nation where becoming addicted is far easier than receiving treatment for addiction.  "People with promise, people dependent & depended upon, people loving and beloved, one after another, in a line, in a river...a long bright river of departed souls." (Moore)  Opiod Addiction becomes a lifelong & typically relapse laden disease & the only avenue to achieve remission is through medication-assisted treatment.

Ricky Gervais' "AFTER LIFE" Life Goes On Oh Blah Deep Connective Humanity

Ricky Gervais is a genius.  He gets humor, he gets grief, he understands compassion, kindness, craziness and insanity.  He's also a damn fine actor, writer & humanitarian.  Why call him a humanitarian?  Simple, his humor connects us all & can help keep from the sanitarium.  Seriously, "After Life" has insane humor that is off-putting and repugnant at times; so too is the human condition.  And the most important thing to remember is we all comprise the human condition and we can all try a little tenderness towards one another.  Why can't we all get along?  OK, I digress & appropriate from the best, but Gervais' talent is in another galaxy, altogether.  "After Life" borrows (legitimately) from Gervais' show "The Office."  "The Office" and "After Life" break comic barriers  blurring comedy & tragedy.  His characters are all credible with foibles that make you ask {are these people for real?}. The premise for "After Life" orbits around the life of Tony (an astounding Ricky Gervais) whose is struggling with severe depression after the death of his beloved wife.  Much of Tony's time is spent in front of his computer, drinking & watching his previously idyllic life with his wife.  We watch his life unfold while Tony watches teary eyed alongside his beloved dog.  We even see the dog as a pup given as a surprise to his wife.  When Tony's not at the office working with a motley mix of misfits with his kind brother-in-law for a boss, or at his psychotic shrink's office, he's often found sitting with his senile dad, walking his dog or at the cemetery.  It's on a cemetery bench  where Tony finds solace speaking with Anne, (Penelope Wilton 'Downton Abbey') an elderly widow who frequents her husband's grave.  Gervais makes the poignant point how crucial it is for humans to have someone who will listen and empathize with them.  Seeking medical help for depression is parodied by a ridiculous psychiatrist both Tony & his brother-in-law see.  This promotes the importance of earnest listening, compassion and unqualified love as essential ingredients to a life well  lived.  Laughter is also a vital factor in the mix of zaniness that comes our way.  Just, don't miss out on life, or the chance to offer kindness.  Nor take for granted the bliss in the mundane things we find in one another we may one day miss.  "After Life" is an emotional roller coaster that accelerates the  guffaws & tears.  Gervais' show can be summed up in his own words: "You have options.  You can continue to be miserable or you can just stop being angry at everyone and accept the way things are.  Allow yourself to live."  His other advice, "Be happy.  It really annoys negative people." My advice - don't miss out on "After Life."

Alice Wu's "The Half of It" - Totally Winning Y/A Film WATCH IT

Dir/screenwriter Alice Wu's coming of age, coming out of the closet road to self discovery film is an entertaining rom/comp that is completely disarming & totally unique.  This high school (h.s.), love triangle doesn't take itself too seriously but is a sensitive & intelligent film about teens discovering who they are and where they fit in.  The h.s. is in a boon town where Friday night lights is a big deal as are the jocks and cute, clique of cheerleaders.  The town has few (only 2) Asians faced to fend with prejudice.  Ellie (a brilliant Leah Lewis) is the only one of Asian heritage at her h.s.   Ellie's content being an outsider.  She services students writing their papers keeps to stay in good graces & needed greens.  Mrs. Geselchap (a terrific Becky Ann Baker), Ellie's teacher is on to her money making scheme but prefers reading Ellie's papers rather than the crappy stuff she would otherwise receive.  Wu does her own take on "Cyrano de Bergerac" when Paul (Daniel Diemer) seeks Ellie's services to woo the girl of his dreams, Aster (a lovely performance by Alexiss Lemire).   Love letters are not in Ellie's business paradigm but the income convinces her to help the seemingly hapless but sweet, varsity football player, Paul.  It was supposed to be a one & done service.  This one of kind, love triangle takes on a rhombus twists of genuine emotional turmoils.  The cheesy, stereotypical characters (except for the dumb jocks) in most h.s. movies are portrayed here as multilayered, caring individuals.  (Still, why have 20 somethings playing h.s. kids?).  Ellie doesn't want to leave Paul hanging when "his" letter wins him a date at the malt shop.  With today's technology, Ellie helps him from himself by texting him what to say to Aster.  Aster, is stunning & knows it, but knows its limited significance & what's expected of her.  Aster & Ellie are more on par intellectually and their attachment grows from getting to know each other's souls through text & tagging.  Paul knows he's "not good with words" but he's smart when it comes to  matters of the heart & cooking sausages in his family's business.  The film pays clever homage to classic movies with a mischievous wink.  Mrs. Geselchap is the spirited teacher who provides Ellie plentiful encouragement.  Ellie & Paul's ping pong, back & forth familiarity adds spicy simpatico to the ingredients that makes for a surprising delight.  Aster sizzles as the blazing beauty at the apex.  All 3, Aster,  Paul & Ellie are artists in their own right in the process of revelatory, self-discovery.   Plenty of accolades are due "The Half of It" for its entertaining & sage coming of age rom/com which is totally winning.

Doc. THE STORY of PLASTIC-Existential Crisis

Deia Schlosberg's doc. film "The Story of Plastics" is crucial viewing intended to cause a seismic shake-up, wake-up to the existential crisis of plastic pollution harming our health, resources and our earth.  Schlosberg is an Amer. doc. filmmaking.  She was arrested while filming a protest v. the N. Dakota Pipeline (2016) on charges of conspiracy to steal & conspiracy to tamper with public services.  These trumped up charges posed a 45 yr. sentence and prompted her to write an open letter to Pres. Obama that was co-signed by dozens of celebrities.  Schlosberg warns that journalists are under attack for their integrity in exposing major business corp. & political leaders who pose major threats to our environment for want of profits.  "The Story of Plastics" is a disturbing expose' on the overfill of landfill & bodies of water from plastic waste.  Major oil companies are major contributors to toxic pollution but the onus also falls on individuals & the laissez-faire disregard for disposing of trash.  The shocking mounds of garbage & plastic items is gob smacking as well as disgusting & repellent.  The question is whether this ambitious and repetitious doc. will motivate the public to actively diminish the debris thoughtlessly consumed & discarded.  The answer should be a resounding yes! We are all responsible for cleaning up this mess.  The film seems resigned, understandably, to the fact major oil companies & fracking industries are not about to change their ways with money coming their way.  In fact, there are political buffoons such as George W Bush and Sec. of State Mike Pompeo who believe accolades are due them.  They even say so, for wrecking havoc on our planet by permitting corporate oil cronies to carry-on with business as usual.  The film travels globally  from the Philippines, to India, to Pakistan, and the not so good ole USA to view the havoc & pile up of plastic waste.  I was struck learning the recycling of plastic considered a major solution was promulgated propaganda from corporations when in fact, only 2% of plastic items placed for recycling is being re-utilized.  The system for selling off our nation's waste to Asia has gone bust.  The sorting of garbage by indigent workers in 3rd world countries is shocking & depressing. However, the major onus is on us to become plastic free.  Consider what products are non-essential in plastic containers & what single use items we can eliminate.  My pet peeve is people using plastic bags at stores instead of just placing items in one's cart.  And, the immense waste of plastic at dry cleaners.  Please ask your dry cleaners not to bag your clothing (easier asked than done) or tell them you'll give them none.

Tired of Too Up Beat Videos, Too Bad Check These 2

Yeah, yeah, I know we're all in this together so let's not torture each other with saccharine, feel good videos you feel compelled to share with your friends (or frenemies).  I urge you to tune in to Trevor Noah's podcast shot from his coach to wherever we are in the world.  Ricky Gervais was just a guest on Trevor's show and said how comedy unites us.  "Comedy makes us all realize we're idiots!" "Humor is to get us over terrible things."  So I say, let's get over ourselves and get on with each other.  And, as much as I detest getting cute kitten or kid videos from others - Here are the 2 best videos you should watch.  They make me laugh, they make my heart soar and they never get old.

All on U-Tube

Little Girl Wants Assurance Daddy Loves Her

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xMFueWBl-z4

Alvin Ailey Call to Unite

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DMh2EgiIO4E


Okay, I got give one more shout out to my favorite city, the city that never sleeps; thanks Spike Lee.
Tribute to NYC

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HRRvhO0Chg4


And, if you still feel crappy "Be Happy.  It really annoys people".  (R Gervais)

James Sweeney's STRAIGHT UP - Thumbs Down

"Straight Up" is a love story between a heterosexual female & a male who has yet to determine his sexual orientation.  On a 1- 10 scale, best guess (10 being 100% gay) my bet is a 10.  On an overall ranking of the film (10 being Acad. Award worthy) I rate this a 4.  The soul reason for giving this loquacious, rapid-fire, knowing where it's going & it's going there slowly film are the earnest performances by its 2 lead actors.  Todd, yet to bet on his sexual attraction proclivities, is played James Sweeney.  Sweeney is also the writer & director of this romp comp, chick flick pick.   Sweeney's gift for gabby dialogue driven by a mostly stoic Buster Keaton face earns some lip curdling smiles.  Rory (homage to "Gilmore Girls") is a formidable match if not destined soul mate.  Both are equitable in their quirkiness, cleverness, kindness and loneliness.  The film begs the question for the younger generation can "Will & Grace" be fulfilled in their togetherness without the messiness of sexual interconnections.  Todd, a "software developer" earns his living, it not his living situation by house sitting.  The various homes the 2 house sit together, inhabit the film with a colorful spice of variety; technicolor cinematography like "La La Land" for sure.  Sweeney does appropriate from the above mentioned "Gilmore Girls," "Will & Grace" & "La La Land" but he does so with his own cloying sweetness that sticks.  The contemporary twist on the old myth men & women can't "just be friends" takes on a trickier trajectory worthy of examination.  Rory is an unemployed actor (& out of work waiter) who can be her own worst enemy.  Todd can boast of 2 friends besides Rory who boost the overplayed humor trying to solve Todd's sexual identity.  The scenes between Todd & his therapist are priceless.  On a 1-10 with 10 being highly likely you'll be seeing more of Sweeney, I bet a 10.  "Straight Up" didn't muster thumbs up (channeling Siskel & Ebert) but it may find its nice with a younger {groovy} demographic.  It did however, give me reasons to smile.

Australian Series RAKE Stars Richard Roxburgh

The diabolically delicious Australian series aptly named "Rake" is about a roguish attorney from down under whose ingratiatingly the best, bad boy wonder.  Starring Richard Roxburgh as Cleaver Green, Esq., Roxburgh steals every scene with his conniving charm, wry humor.  He is the penultimate salacious, social misfit.  Green's his own worst enemy.  Racking up betting debts that can't be met get him repeated brutal beatings.  He's an alcoholic & coke addict whose had it with rehab yet somehow is a high functioning criminal attorney who manages to absolve his notorious clients from outrageous charges.  The legal cases in RAKE take the cake for being incredibly disturbing and absurd that watching them unfold is an unmitigated guilty pleasure.  Dir. Peter Salmon and writer Andrew Knight and an all star cast makes watching RAKE such wicked fun to watch it seem illegal.  Thankfully, it's legit and its rapid fire wit is laugh out loud funny.  Roxburgh will have you eating out of the palm of his hand and rooting for the guy with the mischievous grin & twinkling blue eyes regardless of his loathsome habits & insatiable womanizing.  Perhaps, it's his gusto for life & unflappability that string us & all his exes along.  Green can be counted on to screw up & screw his best friend's wife but he's a complicated mix of dependability, tenacity and undying loyalty.  Green is in good stead with his ex-wife Wendy (Caroline Brazier) & mother to their teenage son.  Wendy is a shrink always there to lend him her ear and he's never far from heart.  Melissa (Adrienne Brazier) is the gorgeous ex-prostitute resolute on turning her life around.  Melissa & Green have a gravitational pull that keeps their paths in each other's orbit.  And, Barney (Russell Dykstra) as Cleaver's business partner and best mate is 1st rate.  Note: this doesn't preclude Cleaver from having sex with his wife.  The ongoing dilemma's of Cleaver's floating office space, irreverent asst. and court ordered appearances regarding his unpaid taxes continue to pay dividends.  The elite list of A+ actors from Australia & New Zealand clamor for parts in this unconventional series despite causing chagrin.  Refrain from judging the entire series based on its first episode in which Cleaver defends a cannibal.  RAKE may be an acquired taste but anyone who doesn't find in favor shows culpability for lacking the whereabouts of a honed sense of humor.

French Film GIRLHOOD Dir by Celine Sciamma

The French coming of age film about 14 year old Adiatou (a tour de force performance by Kindsay Karamoh) captures that apex between adolescence & adulthood blending the exuberance of youth with the harshness of life.  The film opens with a hard fought football game between 2 teams revealed as all female who revel together post game.  Who won?  It doesn't matter; they all win.  The film begins in a celebration of young female empowerment.   The girls walk home arm & arm with a warm afterglow which fades as the night falls and an ominous foreboding sets in.  The girls break off to their apartment units.  They pass a group of young males that shifts their lighthearted faces downward.  Adiatou is the last girl left alone.  We're relieved when she arrives safely to her apartment where she lives with 2 younger sisters she loves deeply.  Their mother does janitorial work most nights and Adiatou is responsible for caring for her siblings.  There's an intimate & tender taunting between Adiatou & her sister regarding the sister's developing breasts.  This sisterly exchange ends with Adiatou playfully peeking under her sister's T-shirt but then warning her not to let Djibril (Cyril Mendy) know, "wear baggy tops" she advises.  Djibril is their older brother.  He's physically abusive at home & part of a dangerous neighborhood gang.  At school, the principal informs Adiatou she will not be promoted to high school.  Her only option is vocational training. Adiatou's desperate pleas to continue her education is denied as we watch the dejection & feistiness in her eyes.  Adiatou is met outside the school by 3 girls who beckon her to join them.  At first Adiatou resists their overtures but soon joins them uncovering the great joys & infallibilities felt amongst female friendships as well as youthful promiscuous behaviors. Dir. screen/writer Celine Sciamma is a highly regarded & rewarded filmmaker ("Portrait of a Lady on Fire").  This artfully shot picture paints a realistic picture of how brutal life can be for teens living in these impoverished areas outside Paris.  The midnight blue tonal hues casts a sense of overwhelming melancholy.  Yet, this accomplished film is an affirmation of tenacity, resiliency and most poignantly, a testament to relations formed in our youth and their bearings on humanity.

Doc Film PAHOKEE-Sr. Year of H.S. is a Must See

Pahokee is an agricultural town with a pop. of 6,000 in FL, not far north of Palm Beach on the coast.  Needless, the disparities from the affluent surrounding areas are worlds apart.  This remarkable doc.  has an intimate, invisible lens & stunning cinematography.   Most importantly it brings us into the lives of its inhabitants.  The voyeuristic vantage focuses on h.s. school seniors in the graduating class of 2017.  The 2 hour doc. spans the school year honing in on 4 seniors.  The film starts with fall's homecoming football game and its celebrations with its joys & tribulations.  We're introduced to the vivacious, bodacious Na'Kerria running for homecoming court.  Na'Kerria endears us as she wears her emotions on her sleeve, and form fitting outfits.  Na’Kerria wants so desperately to be voted queen that she sheds tears after losing to a slimmer classmate.  We feel her anguish and wish to step in to offer solace.  Filmmakers Ivete Lucas & Patrick Bresnan are experts at capturing moments of youthful exuberance, poignant passages, and difficult pathways.  The doc. is captivating for what it captures & for what it leaves out.  Na’Kerria pulls our heartstrings. She's not unflappable but she's irrepressible.  This senior audaciously pursues her goals which include matriculating into a 4 yr. Univ.  Na'Kerria personifies tenacity, teen angst and the wisdom to have a plan B.  She talks directly & candidly into her cell about herself.  The film films the ubiquitous cell phone & taking selfies.  Na'Kerria's bovine eyes are earnest & eager.  I''d like to know what the future holds for her.  Junior is father to an adorable 1 yr. old.  He cares for her with tenderness & dedication but we wince as he skateboards with her onboard.  We're left wondering where's the girl's mother knowing Jr.'s  immediate future is finding an hourly wage.  Jr. has moments to shine as drum majorette as do the football players.  The team won the state championship only to have their title stripped for playing an intelligible student. Na'Kerria, Junior and Jacobed all work while attending school.  Jacobed works alongside her parents who immigrated from Mexico.  The parents work endless hours in their taco truck trying to provide opportunities for their daughters.  Jacobed's admirable story tends to be treacly.  The town's main industry is its sugar cane crops.  There's a pervasive tactile background of trajectory into arduous field labor.  The students attend a college expo which includes an ROTC recruiter and Harvard admissions booth.  The harsh gaze from the white woman in the booth speaks volumes about racial disparity if not flagrant dismissal.  The fashions for prom are bedazzling.  One student wears a gown depicting Trayvon Martin's face along with along images of unarmed blacks killed.  PAHOKEE is completely absorbing taking us close & personal into these young people's lives  the majority of us would never see - or think to for that matter.  Do see this powerful & enduring doc.

Banksy's Bathroom Art - Are We Buying It?

Banksy is an artist, con artist and magical conjurer.  Banksy's works mysteriously appear as public installations.  The works are not for sale (mainly) and draw worldwide attention for their political, non-political, humanistic messaging that magically appear (or disappear).   Banksy last accredited work was spotted in Bristol on Valentine's Day of this year, prior to the global pandemic acknowledgement, according to BBC news is his hometown.  Firstly, I didn't know anything was known about the artist - other than the name.  Secondly, this is a great time for everyone amidst this global pandemic to join in the game.  A new, post confirmed corona virus global pandemic, has been posted on social media showing a bathroom being overrun with rats (a common motif) with the caption "My wife hates it when I work from home."  Are we buying this as a certified Banksy stunt or artistic creation?  I do find this and many other "Banksy's" works to be that of an artistic genius and showman extraordinary.  So, are we buying this latest audacious claim as an authentic Banksy installation?  Again, there's no buying here, here.  But, yes, I say touche' the wonderkind struck again. Bravo!  I'm also suggesting while we're all working (or whatever the hell we're doing or not doing) from home, a challenge to construct our own creative wanna be Banksy pieces.  Is this fraudulent?  Is this appropriation?  No! This is a superlative suggestion (if I do say so) to use our imaginations and show the world what we got going on!  Banksy, perhaps you may want to weigh in on what may be popping up all over.  Thanks for the fun Banksy, but you needn't be the only game in - whatever town?  You're on!

Doc. The Last Dance - Don't be Bullheaded Watch It!

Ladies & gentleman, this is a rare opportunity to get inside the Chicago Bull's during the team's NBA winning epoch with Michael Jordan on center court.  In episodes 1 & 2 - we see a young Michael Jordan in h.s. & at NC Univ. before going pro (as the #3 draft pick) to the Chicago Bulls.  Who were #'s 1 & 2?  Exactly!  Nobody did it 1/2 as good as MJ but MJ will be the 1st to tell you he couldn't do it alone.  The cameras are up close and personal.  The picture painted of the Bull's organization is not always pretty.  The Gen. Mgr. Jerry Krause comes off as a major louse.  Coming off their 5th NBA Championship in 1997 and looking to win their 6th in 1998 with the same roster, Krause deems the winning deem has lost its luster.  Why change a winning game?  Exactly!  The changes Krause meant breaking up the team and replacing Phil Jackson as head coach.  Hell no - he won't be let go thanks to MJ.  But, this only leaves Jackson with a one year contract for the 1997-98 season.  Jackson knows he's gone at the end of the season.  Jackson dubs this season "The Last Dance.  "Michael tells us the best teammate he's ever played with...drum roll...is Scottie Pippin.  Michael & Scottie have miracles plays to play - parts to perform...hearts to warm. Kings and things to take by storm.  Pippin is the unsung hero for whom the ball rolls and  Jordan extols.  Can you feel the injustice in a NBA player's multi-million deal as a flagrant foul?  Yes!  Pippin may have been overshadowed by Jordan's superhuman abilities to soar & score but the guy is shoved to the sidelines.  Pippin was a savvy selfless teammate on the court.  Off the court Pippin punches back.  This doc. has more drama & excitement than double over-time in the 7th game of the championship game.  Make time to watch this basketball doc. that's as much about Michael Jordan as it about keeping score on pushing one's limits.  There's some kind of magic inside...It keeps me from running.  Just keep it coming!

BAD EDUCATION Makes the Grade as Good Entertainment

"Bad Education" is an HBO movie just released based on the true story of the extortion of millions by the Rosalyn H.S. superintendent, Frank Tassone (Hugh Jackman) and the school's asst. superintendent, Pamela Gluckin (Allison Janney).  The scandal has been usurped by the Bernie Madoff Ponzi scheme, however, they both share more than their proximity to NYC.  They're both audacious crimes of fraud that flourished unfettered and both were taken down in a David. Goliath scenario.  Moreover, there are complicit parties whose blinders abetted the culprits because of self-serving greed & gain.  Tassone & Gluckin's blatant bamboozling of the school's funds was brought down by a high school student doing a "puff piece" on the plans for a skywalk construction project.  In truth, the school reporter was investigating the sudden dismissal of Gluckin whose extortion was revealed.  Tassone, a narcissistic egomaniac defended Gluckin to the school board from pressing criminal charges not so much out of loyalty but out of fear of being outed for his own flagrant misappropriation of the school's finances.  The school board who are outraged by Gluckin's theft are kept from notifying the authorities who convinces them that it is in the interest of the school's excellent reputation for placing seniors in the Ivy Leagues and keeping their real estate values in the big leagues.  What makes this made for TV movie such a guilty pleasure is the unctuous performance by Jackman and Janney's bombastic portrayal of Gluckin.  Supporting actors on the bench are also first rate, Annaleigh Ashford as Gluckin's greedy niece and Rafael Casal as Tassone's boyfriend. Everyone has to love Ray Romano in his convincing role as a character actor.  In summary, the acting is A+.   Jackman & Janney are varsity standouts in a division one league despite an uneven playing field of storytelling.  It's their unflinching ugliness and delusional grandeur characterizations that inflates this incredulous, albeit factual crime to something worth cheering.  Both Tassone & Gluckin served prison time for their crimes.  The most disturbing & hard to fathom fact to digest is Tassone still draws a pension of over $174,000 annually and hasn't made full remuneration to the Rosalyn school district.

Spanish Dir J L Guerin's THE ACADEMY OF MUSES

"The Academy of Muses" is a loquacious, erudite film that centers around Prof. Raffaela Pinto (playing himself) and his pompous posturing on poetry and women's roles as muses for inspiring the creation of the arts.  The film begins and returns to his lecture hall where he does most of the talking while the camera lingers on several attractive women in the class.  The camera's lens captures these enraptured beauties, who have captured the wandering eye of the Prof.  His wife (played by Pinto's actual wife) is seen seated amongst the students.  The camera doesn't linger upon her elderly & wrinkled face amongst the young students.  The few male students are never heard from in class.  Pinto & his wife are filmed from outside a glass window.  We are voyeurs into their marital discord.  They speak without looking at each other.  His wife critiques his lectures.  It doesn't require Socrates to show Pinto is not one to accept criticism or miss an opportunity to seduce his female students.  Amongst the beguiling women muses in the classroom there is one with the gumption to defy the professor's set construct for poetry.  She's then berated by a classmate whose besotted by him and questions the quality of her prose.  Pinto tells his wife after she accuses him of philandering "teaching is seducing."  The overweight & overbearing prof. lavishes language, poetry & philosophy onto his attentive disciples who also love to hear themselves talk.  The spurned wife blames poetry for creating the myth that love exists.  Pinto's pretentious pandering argues "poetry brings light to the world."  Music, literature & nature are extolled for enhancing emotions & passions.  "Dancing is everything in life." Other than Pinto men are sublimated to the background.  Yet, the women are portrayed mainly as passive participants for inspiring rather than creating art.   Spanish dir. screenwriter Jose Louis Guerin aims to overflow one's cogitation on everything that adds luster to life.  This is a master class in the power of words and fathoms love, desire & jealousy.  The mundane is sometimes viewed as sublime.  Love is considered omnipotent & unattainable.  Love is also equated to the sharing of bookshelves.  Eros shot a golden arrow at Apollo who fell madly in love with Daphne and then launched a leaden arrow at Daphne so she would be repulsed by him.  There's a plethora of philosophy to muse and garner from this endlessly fascinating film for whom many will find endless to endure.  Dante has oft expressed "Love can move the sun and the stars."  "I love to doubt as we all as know."  I loved this film, although I'm not so sure.

Cyprus Avenue by David Ireland with Stephen Rea

Looking for a dark play during these dark days, "Cyprus Avenue"  would be up your alley.  Brilliantly written by David Ireland   this is a story of one man's descent into insanity born of inbred hatred by Protestants in Belfast towards Catholics in Ireland.  The mayhem unfolds through Eric's (a tour-de-force Stephen Rea) sessions with his psychologist Bridget (Ronke Adekoliego) and builds to a violent crescendo that is viscerally abhorrent.  Bridget registers Eric's racist, sexist prejudice towards her.   We get an inkling of an Archie Bunker mentality.  Though Eric doth protest too much he's not racist he riles against being called Irish instead of British.  He's appalled & angered by Bridget's assertion she's British.  Bridget assures Eric he's in a safe place to say anything and asks him to tell her what happened.  Bridget disappears into the background as Eric talks about the the traumatic events that begin at a joyous time in his household.  Eric's daughter Julie (Amy Molly) brings her infant daughter to visit him & her mother, Bernie (Andrea Irvine).  Bernie is ecstatic with happiness but Eric acts  adversely to holding baby Marymay nor concedes how wonderful she is.  His peculiar response to his granddaughter grow more extreme.  He asserts the baby is in fact the political head of Ireland and paints a beard & places spectacles on her face to prove his point.  Eric cruelly offends his daughter wife.  Bernie banishes him from their home.  Whilst he's away from home he finds kindred spirits, whether real or imagined, who share his extremist views.  Fueled with liquor & rage for the loss of his loyalist, cultural identity he returns home.  Once home he commits unfathomable atrocities.  The writing and acting are brilliant.  Although, it's hard to reconcile how someone as deranged as Eric wouldn't have alerted family members to have sought professional help or protection.  The political themes of racism, prejudice and supremacist tribalism are hammered into our skulls. This powerful play holds up a wicked mirror to our divisive society and self-destructive anathema directed towards anyone who looks or thinks differently or is perceived as desecrating one's perceived righteous identity.  "Cyprus Avenue" was awarded Best New Play at the Irish Time Awards & James Tait Black Prize for Drama in 2017.  This is a play that will shock you into reckoning with today's inhumane justifications for hatred.  I cannot conceive of a more potent play.  It packs a powerhouse punch during this nightmarish time of global pandemic when the world should all be coming together.

The Bark and the Tree -Vivian Nesbitt's Biopic Odyssey

"The Bark & The Tree" written & performed by Vivian Nesbitt is a biopic sojourn into the playwright's Irish family tree that branches into the past while staying rooted in the present. Nesbitt's proclivity for the whiskey & the alcoholism & suicide that haunt her are & family are not the essence of what defines her. At 14, Nesbitt experienced her 1st black out. Her great-great-grandmother Eva Mary Kelly had her first poem published in Ireland at 14. Nesbitt is lured back to her ancestral homeland in Ireland by a dream of Eva chanting to her. Blustering with pride & ambition having just earned her MFA, Nesbitt travels to Ireland to connect with her past with aspirations for building upon a lineage of strength hoping for a brighter foothold into the future. Nesbitt's writing is elegiac and poetic. She magically shifts from her intimate conversation into eccentric characters she encounters on this mystical sojourn. The past, present merge, "History is as present as the ground under foot." Harsh realities co-exist with lyrical storytelling & chanting lit with a warm glow & a shot whiskey.

Mourning the Loss of Mr. Ellis Marsalis

Yesterday, April 1st, the music died with the passing of Mr. Ellis Marsalis at age 85 in New Orleans.  Mr. Ellis is a legendary musician, composer, arranger & patriarch to a family of musical geniuses.  He died of  complications from the corona virus.  His contributions to music and the arts are immeasurable.  My heartfelt condolences to his family.  The world mourns his passing.

Going Out of Your Mind? Watch Mindhunter/Netflix

The best series to binge, be forewarned, it may cause some to cringe, is the crime/drama  MINDHUNTER on Netflix.  Based on the non-fiction work "Mindhunter Inside the FBI's Elite Serial Crime Unit by retired FBI agent among the first to develop studies and techniques for profiling serial killers with the intent to solve murder and prevent further victims.  Veteran FBI agent Bill Tench (Holt McCallany) and rookie FBI agent Holden Ford (Jonathan Groff) become the odd couple that click to form a Holmes & Watson duo venturing into groundbreaking territory trying to unravel the psyche of serial killers (a newly coined terminology).  Their radical methods are not readily appreciated by their exasperated boss at the FBI.  Their authorities & egos are kept in check until they meet with an intelligent & attractive female prof., Dr. Wendy Carr (Anna Torv.)  Dr. Carr believes their unchartered work invaluable (and desirable material for getting published.)   The duo become a tight trio.  Holden & Bill are on the frontlines interviewing infamous, incarcerated mass murderers (a.k.a. serial killers).  The repugnance of cavorting in conversations with these deviant criminals is off-putting & compelling.  You don't have to be Sherlock to see their unorthodox methods are proving beneficial in solving murders and offering insightful indicators of future killers who present specific aberrant behaviors.  This is not by the book interrogational procedures despite attempts at being constrained by Wendy and their boss at a loss.  The series directed by David Fincher is an engrossing crime drama and character study.  It has all the rudimentary elements that make for a spellbinding series.  The dynamics between the FBI agents and their relationships outside the office add complex & captivating characters & storylines.  Holden's girlfriend Debbie (Hanah Gross) a psychology student who goes head to head with Holden is especially enticing. The personal interviews with criminals behind bars are insidiously captivating.  The late 70s & early 80s is smartly captured in style and social context.  MINDHUNTER may require an acquired taste.  But, should you find yourself watching, you'll be shackled to the series.

The Israeli, Arabic Language Film SAND STORM

SAND STORM is an Arabic language film set in the Negev.  The film follows a Bedouin family that is entrenched in an a patriarchal and hierarchal tribal society in which women are subjected to docile property of men.  The film centers on the eldest daughter Layla (Lamis Ammar) and her contentious & loving relationship with both her mother Jalila (Ruba Blal) and father Sulimin (Hitham Omari).  Layla is driving the truck with her father in the passenger seat (while looking down at her cell phone).  A contemporary scenario of a father guiding his daughter in learning to drive and admonishing her to keep her eyes on the road.  Things change as they approach their Bedouin village and father/daughter change seats.  Women are not permitted to drive in this Bedouin culture.  In fact, women are not permitted to do act without permission from their parents which is imperially imposed by the father.  Jalila is busy preparing a wedding celebration with repressed resentment.  The wedding she's hosting is for her husband's  2nd wife.  Polygamy is a common practice within the tribe as are arranged marriages by the father & tribal sheik.  Women wear hajibs and are completely covered outside the home.  Sulimin appears to be a kind & indulgent father. He's teaching Layla to drive, permits her to attend university.   His 3 younger daughters go to school wearing jeans & t-shirts.  There is a cultural & technological clash.  iphones are available but homes are haphazardly strewn together with limited electricity.  Tensions between Layla & her mother combust when Jalila discovers Layla has a boyfriend from the Univ.  She's forbidden to have further contact with him.  Fraternizing with men outside the family is forbidden as is marrying outside one's tribe.  Layla believes she can reason with her father despite seeing how her mother's life is being pushed aside by Sulimin for his new wife.  Sulimin seeming love for his daughter's is not sovereign to his commitment to the archaic tribal customs that keep women subservient.  This turbulent & troubling way of life show the women, Layla and Jalila to be strong, self-sacrificing but shackled to their ordained lives.  Sulimin proves himself cowardly & vain.  This intimate examination of this Bedouin family portrays an impoverished Bedouin tribe and a way of life that is oppressive to women.

Johnny and the Devil's Box-Fiddling and Folk Song

"Johnny and the Devil's Box" is a hoe down show down between a braggart, virtuoso fiddler and the devil himself who wants to take him down a few scales.  The virtuoso fiddling is performed by Douglas Waterbury-Tieman, accompanied on guitar by his father-in-law Dan Fox on guitar and wife Kimberly Fox adding her lovely vocals.  The fiddle that Douglas plays in various styles that mesh Blue Grass, Ole Opry and Folk Songs looks just like a violin.  A fiddle is the colloquial term for a violin.  These string instruments are virtually the same thing. The difference the style of playing.  For the high falootin classical crowd, there's bound to be some converts to a country sound.  Already, a fan of folk song & country, you're going to feel right at home.  The storytelling is loosely structured around Douglas' interspersed narrative.  But the music drives this charming musical fable filled with vigor and melodiousness.  The family that plays together - stays together.  It makes you want to assemble around the piano or grab a guitar with friends & family and have a hollering good times  Unfortunately, during this pandemic that requires social distancing, this is not feasible.  How very generous of the artists to provide free screenings for "Johnny and the Devil's Box" which may unlock the key to future live gatherings playing in harmony.

CLEMENCY Starring Alfre Woodward

CLEMENCY is not a movie meant for enjoyment.  It's meant to make you cry out against the inhumane cruelty of capital punishment; premeditated murder.  CLEMENCY stars Alfre Woodward as warden Woods.  As warden she oversees inmates, staff and carries out mandated executions.  Just doing her job.  And, the rest of us are just are not doing enough to end this inhumane, legalized killing. The warden is not able to leave her work behind.  She's shackled to her conscience that will not justify capital punishment.  The majority of states in our nation, 30, allow for capital punishment.  CA Gov. Gavin Newsom put a moratorium on capital punishment March, 2019.   IL Gov. Pat Quinn abolished the death penalty July, 2011 and commuted the death sentences of 15 inmates.  Already burdened with the responsibility of carrying out death sentences, Woods oversees an execution by lethal injection that goes horribly wrong.  Not that there's any humane method for killing someone.  The next prisoner on death row, Anthony (Aldis Hodge) is holding onto hope for clemency and a chance to meet the son he didn't he had.  Richard Schiff plays Marty, Anthony's attorney and lifeline from despair.  There is dignity & respect bestowed between the warden & Anthony.  The unbearable conundrum is the hypocrisy of compassion & respect for an individual cannot be aligned with a humanity that condones the taking of human life.  Woodward, Hodge & Schiff give tour-de-force performances that will leave you stunned.  CLEMENCY is a film everyone must bear witness.  The film cries out to the heart and soul just how barbaric executions are which cannot be justified within  civilized society.  There are no innocent bystanders.

Mother Jones in Heaven - More Like Purgatory

"Mother Jones In Heaven" is an ambitious musical biopic and tribute to one of America's most omnipotent advocates for the working class.  Mother Jones (Vivian Nesbitt) comes to us from Heaven which surprisingly reminds her of a favorite Irish pub.  Accompanying Mother in heaven is John Dillon on guitar, percussions & vocal duets.  Not yet ready to meet her family in heaven (which we will learn about) Mother wants to regale us with her life, tribulations and militant advocacy for the working class.  Born in Ireland inn 1897 she moved with her family to Canada at 14 and then to the US until she died in 1930.  Mother Jones was called the most dangerous women in the US for helping  to organize unions for miners and industry laborers.  She was also annoutspoken advocate for protective child labor laws.  Jones was a mighty force contending with fighting for the poor, standing up against the rich and rallying the masses for justice.  In the production, Mother Jones first notes "Heavens not what you expected."  John D. Rockefeller is not in heaven and there are "No mistakes in Divine Judgement."  The play & musical score is written by composer Si Kahn known for his blue grass style and as a champion for the working class.  Interspersed with song and a whiskey or two, Jones is a raconteur of her arduous life during very bleak eras in our nation's history including the Civil War, the yellow fever plague (which claimed the lives of her husband & 4 children), the Great Chicago Fire and oppressive times for the poor, hardworking labor class.  The acting & and chanties were lusty.  Regrettably, the roundabout raconteur is musty and emotional impact dusty.   "Mother Jones in Heaven" is screening on U-tube though it lingers too long in purgatory.

A SOUTHERN FAIRYTALE by Ty Autry on U-Tube

"A Southern Fairytale" is a one man, one hour play written & acted by Ty Autry.   Autry's production was broadcast live last night from his apartment and available on U-Tube.  It's a glimmering gem and a harbinger of a gifted playwright on the horizon.  Alex, takes us on a sojourn into his upbringing in a tiny, rural home in GA.  Alex draws us into an intimate conversation that is endearing but not always peachy.  Alex confides his attachment into fairytales (Anderson's & Disney's characters alike).  He identifies most with Ariel and Belle.  Ariel who was willing to forego her voice to live in someone's else's world and Belle who found solace from books, felt herself an outsider and yearned for more than her provincial life.   Growing up gay in a Confederate waving, God fearing, homophobic town was the world Alex strived to rise above like the heroines from fairytales he admires.  Alex regales us with his real life fable having to contend with constant derision, conversion therapy, ostracism from his community, church and his own family.  Alex is locked inside a dungeon of suppressed freedom to be his own true self.   Sitting barefoot and comfy on his sofa, Alex shares his inner turmoil without self-pity or pedagogical pandering.  We feel empathetic for Alex's inner torment and incredulous demonizing from family & church. Alex knew his desire to feel accepted & normal while staying true to himself would be a long haul struggle to finding inner peace.  Our likable & relatable hero persevered. As in fairytales, this too has a happy ending.  Alex, though still "feeling "broken" at 28 has found happiness and pride.  "I'm doing more, being more than anyone thought I could."  Alex doesn't know what the future holds but he's no longer a prisoner of having to pretend to be other than who he is.  I foresee a fortuitous future for this burgeoning playwright and engaging actor.  During this incredible time of hardship, let's all practice kindness and support each other.  I encourage you to go to U-tube to watch this bedazzling production.

EMMA with Anya Taylor Joy is Exceptional

Jane Austen's classic EMMA set in the English countryside in the early 19th C is a beloved novel which has received numerous adaptions to the screen.  The release of the this year's EMMA starring Anya Taylor Joy is perfection.  Our heroine Emma Woodhouse (Anya Taylor Joy) at nearly 21 has had very little in her life to have vexed her.  Born into a family of wealth and doted upon by her widowed father (Bill Nighy) she's permitted to act as mistress of the estate and allotted more liberties than most unmarried women during this era.  The film is a romantic comedy of social protocols, hierarchies, snobbery and marital imperatives.  Despite Emma's privileges she is a kindhearted, well intentioned young lady whose favorite pastime comes from manipulating the romantic attachments of others.  Even Emma with her seemingly benevolent behaviors does overstep proprietary boundaries for which she is smartly admonished by Mr. Knightly (Johnny Flynn).  This sumptuous production is a joyful venture into the quotidian lifestyle of polite, arid conversation over tea and the excitement & glamor of balls with their formalities.  The sumptuous cinematography captures the profound beauty in the seasonal landscapes, evenings by candlelight and days awash in sunlight.  The costuming and hairstyles are exquisite.  The film captures more than the fine frippery of dressing & polite conversation.  The mesmerizing performances of Emma and Mr. Knightly bestow a heartfelt empathy & keen perception of ethos despite living flagrantly excessive lifestyles.  Their fledgling romantic undercurrents appear visceral watching them while elegantly dancing together.   The entire ensemble is superb.  Ironically, Austen did not expect Emma to be a likable heroine being so self-indulgent.  Nonetheless, Emma is a very beguiling character, strong willed yet sensible and kind.  It's impossible not to be drawn in by her many charming qualities.  Em MA - "MA" the letters of the alphabet that define perfection.  EMMA is a totally enchanting & flawless film directed by Autumn de Wilde with phenomenal performances from Anya Taylor Joy and Johnny Flynn