The real crime is that the immensely talented Bello and McCallany are wasted in this weak soap. More gloss than depth, the Ozark-wannabe lacks nuance, smarts, or surprises. Pity. A bold choice would have been to tweak this in the direction of parody, which it nearly achieves out of sheer cliche and melodrama. Pass.
This three-part documentary is highly recommended. I have admired Wayne Shorter's music for years, but this film deepened my appreciation of the music and the man. His curiosity as a youth led him to comic books, drawing, films and their scores, music on the radio, and music played live in clubs. He was a quick study as a musician, moving from clarinet to saxophone in short order.
The documentary meshes biography, jazz eras, social change, civil rights, pushing the envelope and creating in the moment as a performing artist. Zero Gravity transcends most other films in the musician-bio genre. Enthusiastically recommended.
The only reason to watch this mess would be if they dug deeper into Carole Baskin's murder of her husband. They don't. Exotic is too stupid and crass to keep our interest, so file this under "should not have been made and should not be seen."
Oh does a lot of heavy lifting but is unable to elevate this beyond the cliches and stereotypes. The cast is strong enough to make the many weaknesses easier to take. Still, the "lesser Ivy" setting is as worn out as the clueless old male prof, the clueless old female prof, the once-promising literary star gone to seed, and the dean who knows academia remains a business with a bottom line. Too lightweight for drama, not nearly funny enough for comedy. Disappointing.
Rubbish. The police investigated the allegations and found zero reason to pursue charges. There is nothing here that is more than long after the alleged events hearsay. Allen has been with Soon Yi ever since he broke it off with Farrow. His conduct in no way resembles the profile of an abuser. Farrow comes across as having manipulated her daughter, Dylan. Farrow has not had a decent role since Allen stopped casting her in his films. She collected adopted children for nannies to raise, making her veracity most questionable, and her conduct troubling at best. No charges. No trial. No conviction. The filmmakers should be ashamed.
Stretching three seasons worth of story into six is a mistake. Jimmy and Kim have zero sexual chemistry. The arrival of Gus and departure of Chuck breathes some life into the proceedings, and there are rare flashes of what made the best of Breaking Bad so special. Odenkirk is talented, but he is no leading man. The sooner Kim rescues Jimmy from Cinnabon the better.
Giri/Haju starts off as an above average crime drama, and just keeps getting better and deeper. With each episode my desire to see what happened next grew. The cast, the cinematography, the dual locations, the risks, and the wit make for a superior series that is not to be missed. There is no formulae, and the refreshingly bold moves make for surprises and payoffs. Highly recommended.
Ali owns the third season of TD, with some quality assistance from Dorff. The slow simmer may lack the audacity of season one, but the spices are there to savor. The first two episodes stayed with me, prompting reflection on the pieces of the puzzle revealed. Focused viewers will be rewarded. The soundtrack is also of note, so watch and listen to this high caliber season. I can't wait for the next episode.
While things fall apart a bit in the final two episodes, there is a lot to like in this crime drama. A touch of black humor sets this apart from the more typical grim murder investigation. The sub-plots range from underdeveloped to delightfully nonsensical. The surgeons never go to work, and appear to skip an important operation when a fresh clue pops up. Still, it is a quality cast well-equipped to juggle the rare mix of compelling, preposterous and unexpected. Everyone has a secret or two, and many viewers will suspend some disbelief to enjoy the ride. While far from perfect, this is quite entertaining. Give this a chance and you may well be pleasantly surprised and decidedly hooked.
I knew Linney had serious chops, but Bateman is a revelation. They lead a strong cast in a smart series that is well acted, written and directed (Bateman directed 4 of the episodes). I was hooked by the pilot and the quality holds up. The cinematography is stellar and locals are a diverse bunch devoid of the typical stereotyping. Cliches are avoided in favor of complex family dynamics, exciting thriller elements and flashbacks that add nuance and surprises. Highly recommended. edit: The second season has been green-lit. I am very much looking forward to more Ozark.
To dramatize technological innovations is no small feat. When the show is good it is often very good, but when it is bad it is awful. The bickering and soap-opera relationships can occasionally grind things to a halt. The character of Cameron is especially problematic. An immature, emotional basket case one scene, a bold, rebellious innovator the next, we're never sure which Cameron we'll get. The problem is not the actress but the way the character is written. Lee Pace, as Joe, anchors the proceedings as best he can. Bishe and McNairy lend strong support to help keep things afloat. While the show is as frustrating as it is rewarding, panning for the gold tends to pay off, eventually.
Ms. Martini is very well cast. She carries the weight of presenting young Tennison with aplomb. It is in her mother's gestures while smoking that I caught a glimpse of the great Helen Mirren. The pilot is quite engaging, promising a high caliber, if not quite spectacular, series. I'll be tuning in to this one. Ms. Martini appears to have a very bright future indeed.
