From Warner Bros. Pictures and Amazon Studios, “The Goldfinch” is the film adaptation of Donna Tartt’s globally acclaimed best-selling novel, which won the 2014 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction and the Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Fiction.
Theodore “Theo” Decker was 13 years old when his mother was killed in a bombing at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The tragedy changes the course of his life, sending him on a stirring odyssey of grief and guilt, reinvention and redemption, and even love. Through it all, he holds on to one tangible piece of hope from that terrible day…a painting of a tiny bird chained to its perch. The Goldfinch.
THE GOLDFINCH is directed by John Crowley and stars Ansel Elgort, Nicole Kidman, Oakes Fegley, Aneurin Barnard, Finn Wolfhard, Sarah Paulson, Luke Wilson, Jeffrey Wright, Ashleigh Cummings, Willa Fitzgerald, Aimee Laurence, Denis O’Hare and Boyd Gaines.
THE GOLDFINCH releases in New Zealand cinemas on September 26, 2019.
Written by: Arash Amelbased on “Marie Colvin’s Private War”by Marie Brenner
Directed by: Matthew Heineman
Featuring: Rosamund Pike, Jamie Dornan, Tom Hollander and Stanley Tucci
Newspaper Editor:“Why is it important, do you think, to see this images? Why is it important for you to be there? Right now you may be one of the only Western journalists in Homs. Our team has just left.”
Marie Colvin:“For an audience for which any conflict is very far away, this is the reality. There are 28,000 civilians, men, women and children, a city of the cold and hungry, starving, defenseless. There are no telephones. The electricity has been cut off. Families are sharing what they have with relatives and neighbors. I have sat with literally hundreds of women with infant children who are trapped in these cold, brutal conditions, unable to feed their children anything other than sugar and water for weeks on end. That little boy was one of the two children who died today. It’s what happens every day. The Syrian regime is claiming that they’re not hitting civilians, that they’re just going after terrorist gangs. But every civilian house has been hit. The top floor of the building I’m in has been totally destroyed. There are no military targets here. It is a complete and utter lie.”
Released this month on DVD is a film, “A Private War” (2018), that makes comments on two elements of modern life that has become central to many people lives especially in our modern-day life, those being politics and news organisations as well as their place especially in comparison to the past. It also puts at its centre not only a charismatic character but a powerful one that is also a woman who seemingly lived her life her own way even when she put herself and others directly in harm’s way that in the short term cost her a body part and in the long term cost her the very life she lived which ultimately meant she felt like many, that she was invulnerable which of course she was not. While “A Private War” is definitive in its own understanding of what it is about as well as the message it wants to send to audiences it does lose something in its narrative in the fact that there is not real overarching plot, it is all about one person which means her motivations can be lost especially since there is very little real explanation given to the reasoning behind Colvin’s decisions except for the very end of the movie but in my opinion that is far too late to offer some kind saving grace that gives hope to the predicament society in general finds itself in right now.
What should be a gripping look into the final years of a woman that faced dangers as well as her own fears is actually quite a dry almost clinical piece of work that does shine especially in the main performance given by Rosamund Pike who expertly portrays someone who is a three dimensional character that battles with someone or something in almost every scene, at times as a viewer you feel exhausted as you witness what seems inevitable but at the same time wishing the outcome was not set in stone as of course it is. I found myself wondering what this movie would have looked like in the hands of a writer and director who had more experience as well as a vision of a story that would grab an audience offering a narrative as well as real social commentary which would have offered an equally as well as compelling plot to back up the great central performance.
“A Private War” is based around Marie Colvin an American journalist for The Sunday Times, visiting the most dangerous countries and documenting their civil wars. In 2001, while trekking the Tamil Tigers, Colvin and her crew are ambushed by the Sri Lankan Army. Despite her attempt to surrender, an RPG fires in her direction, wounding her to the point that she loses her left eye. Afterwards, Colvin is forced to wear an eyepatch.
Ultimately the weakness in “A Private War” come from the very real lack of experience that both the director, Matthew Heineman , and the screenwriter, Arash Amel have in not only putting together a narrative that compliments a plot but also keeping audiences engaged through what is quite a complex character. In terms of the director, this is the first narrative movie he has been at the helm of, his other movies were documentaries which require an entirely separate skillset. The screenwriter is more troubling as he has only worked on movies that have not worked at all, it seems he has not learnt any lessons here. What needed to happen was to give the plot of more original narrative flow so that like the best true stories there were some revelations to be made, this one plods along in a way both the writer and director should be embarrassed by.
“A Private War” is based around a very real person, Marie Colvin an American journalist for The Sunday Times, visiting the most dangerous countries and documenting their civil wars. In 2001, while trekking the Tamil Tigers, Colvin and her crew are ambushed by the Sri Lankan Army. Despite her attempt to surrender, an RPG fires in her direction, wounding her to the point that she loses her left eye. Afterwards, Colvin is forced to wear an eyepatch.
There is no doubt that this movie is built around the central performance given by Rosamund Pike who is at her best, giving what is obviously a person as well as passionate performance of someone who was driven, myopic and ultimately these traits were fatal. Pike inhabits the role as you would expect her to but too much is put on her shoulders in not only carrying the movie but covering much of what is wrong with it. The supporting cast made up of Jamie Dornan, Tom Hollander and Stanley Tucci are all experienced actors who know their jobs inside and out with respect to supporting the lead, giving her space as well as knowing what they have to do from scene to scene. It is unfortunate then that the level of acting as well as the cast that has been assembled to tell a gripping story is not matched by the crew, there needed to be as much experience behind the camera as there is in front.
There is no doubt at all that this is a story that needed to be told, it is easy to see why so many people wanted to be involved, the main character of Marie Colvin was not only a selfless person when it came to her career, wanting to tell the truth no matter the personal cost, that cost was indeed high not only with her fate but in terms of the relationships she was unable to maintain. This is also a movie that aims to be about more than just what one woman did, it is also about truth as well as what it means to be able to gain trust as well as telling a truth that needs to be told. This is something that she was passionate about but a passion she felt like she needed to share which of course she did.
I may not recommend this as a purchase but it is worth a rental or even to watch over a streaming service if you are able to find it.
Featuring: Rosa Salazar ,Christoph Waltz, Jennifer Connelly, Mahershala Ali, Ed Skrein, Jackie Earle Haley and Keean Johnson
Alita:“You made the biggest mistake of your life.”
Vector:“And what’s that?”
Alita:“Underestimating who I am.”
Released this week on DVD/Blu-ray and 4K is “Alita Battle Angel” (2019) a movie that has been adapted by James Cameron and directed by Robert Rodriguez not the most immediate names when it comes to collaborators but despite earlier reviews as well as the disappointing box office this is a sci-fi movie that takes its place proudly within the genre, not only that but it is in fact, for me one of the highlights of the year so far, that in terms of spectacle surpasses most of the cinema offerings for some time. Whilst this is not a new property at all, in fact it is based on the 1990s Japanese manga series ‘Battle Angel Alita’ by Yukito Kishiroit does something that the recently troubled “Ghost in the Shell” (2018) does better, it has something to say about positions of power in today’s world, the integration of technology, the corruption of power structures and it offers a lead character that has real emotion under the massive amounts of CGI that populated the movie. The other important aspect of “Alita Battle Angel” is that it is the ‘Pinnochio’ narrative re-told for not only a new generation of moviegoers but it changes aspects that appeal to not only that new audience but shows that there is no story like an old story.
It is no secret that James Cameron had been eyeing this new movie as a directing vehicle, in fact he had mentioned in interviews that this was a project close to his heart but with ‘Avatar’ duties taking up much of his time he only had the ability to take a run at the script as well as co-produce, choosing genre director Robert Rodriguez to take the helm. The good news was that like many of Cameron’s movies “Alita Battle Angel” has a central character that is not only a woman but someone that has to literally battle her way from who she was to someone who is fully formed all the while proving that she is no joke, doesn’t need a man, is more than a pretty face and is someone to be reckoned with. While most of the performances are at least very good, as well as the cast being all high-quality performers the only real crack in its armour is the story which at times is a little indulgent as well as myopic, but that can be glossed over especially with extremely high quality CGI, which like many James Cameron movies is absolutely cutting edge.
“Alita Battle Angel” is set in the year 2563, 300 years after Earth is devastated by a catastrophic interplanetary war known as “The Fall” or “The Great War”, scientist Dr. Dyson Ido discovers a disembodied female cyborg with an intact human brain. Ido attaches a new cyborg body to the brain and names her “Alita” after his deceased daughter. Alita befriends Hugo, who dreams of moving to the wealthy sky city of Zalem. Hugo introduces Alita to Motorball, a battle royale racing sport played by cyborg gladiators. Secretly, Hugo robs cyborgs of their parts for Vector, owner of the Motorball tournament.From here the movie moves along to some fairly obvious tropes as well as some that will surprise viewers, with a narrative that is mostly linear with a few flashbacks and revelations made throughout the run time. Not to give away spoilers but this was made with a sequel in mind as there is a feeling of a story not quite ended which some may find jarring, I for one did not as I had been warned about this aspect of the movie.
In terms of the direction by Robert Rodriguez there is no real surprise that the movie is full of action as well as a healthy dose of humour which has really become his signature as is the colour palette that he uses. Rodriguez has come a long way since his legendary debut with “El Mariachi” (1992) that launched his mostly low budget career, he has been able to do what few directors have accomplished before, be part of at least four franchises all under his own steam, many making a lot at the box office. He has also been a part of the television landscape, again mostly successfully, in fact it is difficult to believe that it has been over five years since he directed a movie, since “Sin City: A Dame to Kill For” (2014) a misfire on every level. Now with this new movie he has embraced a genre that he has toyed with for some time, science fiction with a script by James Cameron who helps steer this movie towards something that is almost special but is ultimately let down by a formulaic script as well as tropes that feel more at home in the 1990s.
The titular character in “Alita Battle Angel” is played by relative newcomer Rosa Salazar who whilst is physically present is also had CGI work done, most noticeably on her face to give a more alien look but not taking away from her ethnic origins which was a nice compromise, one I believe that would have been driven by the director. There is no doubt that headlining a movie that costs upward of US$200 million would be a stressful situation to be in but Salazar has had great support not only from her director and behind the scenes crew, but most definitely from her co-stars which is why she carries off the part with not only great skill but is able to actually act given all the weirdness around her, Salazar is nothing short of excellent in the role as well as being a part of a very good genre movie. It may seem obvious to say that a double Oscar winner would be good in any movie, but it is not an unfair criticism to say that German born Christoph Waltz can be hired to play villains and play them very well, that is why I loved him here as Alita’s ‘father’. Here Waltz gives a subtle performance as a caring father who wants the best for his daughter as well as those around him, he is the virtuous human character that has fallen from on high and is happy with his lot, he is a Geppetto who has found what he was missing, needing to protect it but ultimately letting her go, it is possibly Waltz’s most human performance ever. In terms of the rest of the cast that includes Jennifer Connelly, Mahershala Ali and Ed Skrein they all give muted performances which is odd considering that they have all been in broad large movies, my only offering on their performances is that they possibly thought the movie was going in a different direction, but they are all a bit of a letdown especially compared to the commitment and surprise of both Salazar and Waltz.
Even though parts of “Alita Battle Angel” read like a take on the Norman Jewison classic “Rollerball” (1975) as well as representing many science fiction tropes that involve a governing body out of control as well as exploiting its people, most obviously everything that has ever stemmed from Orwell’s ‘1984’ (1948) it offers a fresh millennium looking take on the ‘Pinocchio’ story albeit with revisions which I found to be the root of the story, one in which many could identify with especially with the advent of social media. What young people at one time do not feel lost or without some form of identity, who have to prove who they are especially in front of the entire world (or at least it feels like that) to become someone, especially young women. Sure the movie is not perfect, there is far too much time spent on the ‘B’ story as well as the love story that seems forced into the relatively short time the movie is set over, we do not see enough of certain characters, far too much of others who seem superfluous to proceedings which can be tiresome. The ‘bad guys’ are ultimately glorified henchmen with, again seemingly forced backgrounds while the ‘big bad’ remains aloof from proceedings, a definite weakness in terms of narrative.
While I was initially sceptical of this movie I enjoyed it a great deal even with potential shortcomings, it is completely enjoyable with enough themes as well as action to keep an audience entertained with an engagement factor that for me was high. My hope for this movie is that a sequel is produced even though the initial criticism and box office were extremely soft, two elements I believe were quite unfair.
Featuring: Christina Hendricks, Retta, Mae Whitman, Reno Wilson, Manny Montana, Lidya Jewett, Isaiah Stannard and Matthew Lillard
Jane Boland: [narrating] “Girls today can be anything. CEO, Olympic gold medalist, even a Supreme Court Justice. We’ve finally broken that glass ceiling. And, wow, sure looks good from the top.”
“Good Girls” (2018-present) follows three suburban Michigan mothers, two of whom are sisters, who are having a hard time trying to make ends meet. They are tired of having everything taken away from them so they decide to pull off an unlikely heist by robbing a supermarket, only to discover that they’re in for more than they bargained. Their successful robbery attracts the attention of the store manager after he recognizes one of the women, but for a different reason altogether than just the money.
Generally network television doesn’t get much attention anymore as most of the trending and cool series are streaming, further from the pressures of supposed public decency, where TV is freer to be weird and dangerous. What a nice surprise it is, then, that there’s a show on network television that is daring and full of fun, that often feels as nervy as anything on HBO. That is there are precious few things but this new series is definitely worth a watch and is available now on DVD.
“Good Girls” definitely borrows from other series, but what it does with those revisited tropes feels fresh and exciting. The series, created by Jenna Bans, has a nice coil to it, tense enough that cliff-hanger endings land with a crack, but loose enough that there’s room for playfulness, for sweetness, for discursive ramble that the show’s three leads maneuver with natural charm.
Those performers are the major asset of Good Girls. Christina Hendricks takes the first-among-equals lead as Beth, a harried mother of four who realizes she maybe wouldst like to live deliciously as she takes a spin around the room with the devil. She’s the Walter White of the group, I guess, and Hendricks is great at communicating that dawning appetite for dark energy, the sudden conflict between Beth’s settled life and the one that until recently she never dared to imagine. Hendricks also has an irresistible chemistry with Manny Montana as a local gangster who becomes Beth’s main antagonizer and enticer. Their circling of one another, juggling threat and flirtation, is the stuff of perfect TV drama, sophisticated in its soapiness.WATCH NOW:
As Ruby, mother to an ailing daughter and the moral compass of the three women, Retta richly expands on her Parks and Recreationappeal, deftly crafting a complicated marital bond with Reno Wilson and managing all of Ruby’s gnawing, mounting worry with sharp humor. It’s a thrill watching an actor prove their range, and Retta would be on Emmy shortlists were there any justice in this world.
Mae Whitman rounds out the trio as Beth’s scrappy sister, Annie, a single mom with an anarchic streak that is sometimes the teensiest bit cartoony, the show’s most frequent indulgence. Otherwise, though, Whitman is just as dialed-in as the other two; when the three of them are together, bickering and negotiating and consoling, the show hums along. They get able support from Wilson, Montana (swoon), Zach Gilford, David Hornsby, Matthew Lillard (yes!!), and especially this season, Allison Tolman as another exhausted mother hip to the crimes being perpetrated and wanting her cut for staying quiet. It’s a really well-curated group of actors, all reveling in the clever contours of the writing.
Episodes:
Pilot: A Fine & Frugal grocery store is robbed by three masked women. Flashbacks show Beth Boland is a mother of four and her husband Dean owns a car dealership. Her sister Annie works at the Fine & Frugal and is a single mother. Her ex-husband Gregg plans to sue for custody of their child, Sadie, which she can’t afford. Their friend, Ruby, works as a waitress and is the mother of two children, one of whom is ill and needs expensive medication. Beth finds out Dean is having an affair, took out several mortgages and is about to lose their house. Desperate for money, the ladies rob the store and make away with an unexpected $500,000. Afterwards, Beth finds gang members in her house, lead by crime boss Rio. They were housing their money at the grocery and demand it back. The ladies attempt to recoup the money, but are short. Annie’s boss, Boomer, reveals he knows she committed the robbery due to recognizing her tattoo. He wants sexual favors in exchange for his silence. When he attempts to rape Annie, Beth overhears and angrily confronts him. When he threatens to go to the police, Beth attacks him and he falls through a glass table, lying motionless.
Mo Money, Mo Problems: Beth and Annie reveal to Ruby that they are holding Boomer captive in Beth’s backyard in the children’s tree-house. When the ladies meet at the diner to discuss how to pay the gang back, Rio tells them they have until the next day to pay them. Ruby comes up with a plan to ransom Boomer and get his wealthy grandmother Marion to pay. They attempt to break in, but discover that she is home. Pretending to be home helpers, they snoop around the apartment, but Beth refuses to steal. Rio and the gang show up the next day and the ladies try to appeal to him with antique figurines Annie stole from Marion. Upon seeing his violent reaction and fearing death, Beth makes an impassioned plea that saves their lives. Shortly afterwards, Boomer breaks out of the tree-house. When they find him, Annie takes a picture of his genitals and pretends to send the photo to her daughter. She threatens to go to the police if he exposes them. Later, Beth finds Rio in her backyard. He requests Beth’s help and asks if she and the ladies have passports.
Borderline: Beth explains to the ladies that Rio wants them to travel to Canada and bring a package back for him. In exchange, he will clear them of their debt. In need of a car, the ladies steal one from Dean’s dealership, unaware of Boomer following them. Once they get to Canada, the man who is supposed to give them the package refuses to do so. Ruby decides to scare him with Stan’s gun, but accidentally shoots him in the foot. After getting the package, they are pulled over at the border and subjected to a vehicle search. They pass the search and discover the package they obtained contains wrapping paper with counterfeit money printed inside. They bring the money to Rio’s warehouse and he tells them their debt is cleared. Later, Dean informs Beth that the cops have been notified about the car missing from his lot. The ladies decide to drown the car in a nearby lake. Later that night, Beth calls Rio for a private discussion.
Atom Bomb: Beth discovers one of Rio’s associates wounded in her daughter’s bed. Rio tells the ladies he will pay them if they let his friend hide out there. But upon waking up, the confused man leaves in a frenzy. Beth’s son wants a lavish birthday party and Dean promises him one. Ruby deals with a rude customer and, when he burns his hand on a skillet, is accused of neglect. Refusing to apologize, Ruby is fired. Sadie tells Annie that boys at school have been pulling her pants down, asking her “what she is”. Boomer takes his suspicions about the ladies to the FBI, who dismiss him. At the birthday party, Rio shows up and refuses to pay the ladies since they didn’t actually complete the task. Boomer, having dropped the cake off, runs into Rio. He takes a picture and sends it to the FBI. The ladies offer to clean Rio’s fake cash in exchange for 12.5% of the cut, to which he agrees. Dean tells Beth that he has cancer. Later, FBI Agent Turner shows up at Beth’s home with questions.
Taking Care of Business: FBI Agent Turner asks the Bolands if they have noticed any suspicious activity in the neighborhood and Beth says no. Shortly thereafter, bags of money that need to be cleaned show up in the trunks of the ladies’ cars. They meet with Rio and discuss their concerns about the FBI. He dismisses their worries and tells them they have to find a way to pay him back. The ladies execute their plan to buy a large amount of appliances with the fake cash. Annie meets an employee at the electronics store and has a one-night stand with him. He leaves in the middle of the night, taking her receipt with him. After tracking him to his apartment, the ladies discover he is married and he threw the receipt away to hide any evidence. The ladies weed through the trash and find the receipt. Agent Turner visits the Bolands again and shows Beth a picture of Rio. She initially denies knowing him, but says she will explain when her kids are not around. Ruby’s daughter has a seizure and they find out that she has not been taking her medication. Beth claims that she had a one-night stand with Rio to Agent Turner, explaining how she supposedly knows him.
A View from the Top: The FBI finds the car that the ladies ditched after their trip to Canada. Ruby thinks the ladies should quit the money laundering business and explain to Rio that they want out. However, at the meeting, Beth instead asks for more money to launder. The ladies bring in help to clean the money faster, using the cover of a secret shopper ring. Agent Turner visits Dean and tells him that Beth was the one who stole the car from his dealership. Dean covers for his wife, but confronts her about it and merely assumes she was taken advantage of by Rio. After Annie’s co-worker loses $20,000 worth of merchandise, the ladies have to steal the merchandise back so they aren’t short on their next payment. Ruby’s old boss stops by the house, alerting Stan to the fact that Ruby has been lying to him. She comes clean to Stan by showing him her cut of money and using the secret shopper scam as a cover. Boomer buys a large amount of drugs and plants them in Annie’s work locker. Annie comes clean to Marion about stealing from her, who only wants to know if she had a good reason. Beth tells Dean that she willingly agreed to the illegal work she did, fed up with his naive image of her.
Special Sauce: Dean confronts Beth over her actual work, but she refuses to give him any information. The ladies expand the secret shopper cover so they can clean the money even faster. The FBI picks up the gang member that previously stayed at the Boland’s and coerce him into helping with their case against Rio. Rio and his crew unexpectedly show up at Beth’s and reveal how fake bills were slipped in with the real cash. The ladies confess their secret shopper scam and Rio demands the name of the person who cheated him so he can “handle it”. Instead, the ladies devise a plan to catch the person. Annie gets arrested when she returns to work and discovers the drugs Boomer planted in her locker. The ladies figure out that single mom, Mary Pat, has been turning the fake money back in. She figures out the secret shopper cover is a scam and blackmails the ladies into giving her $10,000. Gregg and Annie unexpectedly bond and end up sleeping together. After giving Mary Pat the money she requested, she tells them that she wants that same amount every month going forward.
Shutdown: Beth realizes all the fake money she has been storing is missing. She meets with Rio, who tells her that he is temporarily shutting down his operation due to pressure from the FBI. The ladies are forced to return to their “old” lives for income. One month later, the ladies are short of their next payment to Mary Pat. At Sarah’s soccer game, Mary Pat spots Ruby and Stan and hints she will go to the police if she does not get paid. The ladies decide to commit another robbery to get the cash. Ruby finds out Sarah has been shoplifting at school and takes her to the local police station so she can be “scared straight”. After gleaning information from Nancy about her spas, the ladies each target a spa and make out a large amount of injectables. Upon failing to move the product, however, Beth confides in Dean about the situation. He takes the product to a doctor friend of his and is able to move the injectables. While visiting Stan at work, Ruby learns that Rio’s gang associate who stayed at the Boland’s is the one helping the police. She relays this information to the ladies, who contemplate what to do next.
Summer of the Shark: The ladies discuss telling Rio that his associate, Eddie, flipped on him to the FBI. When Rio asks them to pick up some trucks for him, the ladies are unsure. Ruby decides to get stoned with Stan and inquire if the cops know about the trucks. Assured that the police don’t know anything, the ladies go through with the plan and each drive off in a truck. However, Beth is pulled over and, believing she will be arrested, instructs the ladies to look after her kids. After seeing Mary Pat at the store and Annie paying for her groceries, Boomer gets more information on her. Later, he attends Mary Pat’s church and sparks a conversation with her, leading him back to her house. While alone, he sets up a recording device in her living room. Beth learns she was pulled over due to the truck not having a license plate, barely talking herself out of an arrest. She angrily confronts Rio, who reveals it was a test to see if she would talk to the cops. Beth lashes out at him, who then declares their partnership to be over. Convinced that Rio will kill them to cover his tracks, the ladies decide to flip on him.
Remix: While the ladies ponder ways to turn Rio in without incriminating themselves, Rio meets with Agent Turner and threatens him. With a kidney available for Sara, Ruby and Stan intentionally write a bad check. Later, Annie devises a plan to rob the grocery store again as a means to get the money for Ruby while also leading the FBI to Rio’s illegal business. This time, Annie stays on duty to help Ruby secure the cash. Annie is caught by Tyler, but she tells everyone he heroically saved her in exchange for his silence. Mary Pat finds the recording device Boomer planted in her house and goes to Beth, who tells her the type of person Boomer is. Dean carelessly gets into a car accident and, at the hospital, Beth finds out he lied about having cancer. She then sees on a nearby television that Rio has been arrested. Ruby pays for the kidney surgery and Stan confronts her about robbing the grocery store. Beth returns home to find Rio waiting for her, who was released on bail, and a beaten Dean at his side. He gives Beth a gun and tells her to pull the trigger if she wants to be “the boss”.
Marielle Heller (“Can You Ever Forgive Me?”) directs the film that’s loosely based on a 1998 Esquire article and follows a jaded magazine writer (Matthew Rhys) who is assigned a profile of Fred Rogers (Hanks) but is doubtful of Rogers’ optimism.
Over time, the two form a friendship and he overcomes his scepticism, learning about empathy, kindness and decency from America’s most beloved neighbor. Chris Cooper also stars in the film which was penned by Micah Fitzerman-Blue and Noah Harpster.
The film was shot in the original studio in Philadelphia where “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood” was filmed. The film opens in cinemas November 22nd.
Featuring: Rob Brydon, Jane Horrocks, Rupert Graves, Daniel Mays, Thomas Turgoose, Jim Carter, Adeel Akhtar and Charlotte Riley
Eric Scott:[Reading from the book of rules] “The first rule of swim club, don’t talk about swim club.”
It’s remarkable the seeming ease that the British Film Industry is able to produce great independent drama, comedies and horror movies each and every year. Not only that, but the talent on show always seems to be original as well as first class. What many of these English films have in common is that they are based around something unique or have some kind of gimmick, this new movie “Swimming with men” (2018) has both, it is a drama set around an amateur men’s synchronised swimming team who come together with different issues (mostly personal), ending up competing in a world cup of sorts where they all end up exceeding their own expectations, they were not high to begin with. However with most English movies of this ilk they normally follow very familiar A and B narratives where the main character is going through some life changing event, or has been through one, facing trauma, that is always on a large scale. Then there is a larger overarching narrative for the main cast that propels the plot and is broad in that it appeals to a larger general audience, i.e. it is normally pretty non offensive. “Swimming with men” really fits that bill with the main character seemingly having issues with his life and marriage who meets a synchronised swimming team who are missing a key part, which in turn is coincidental as they are all missing elements in their lives to make them complete. This really is a hackneyed plot device that is attempting to be a metaphor in the most obvious and clumsiest way possible, for these movies to break through they need to be original. Unfortunately much of this movie just does not work at all which is a real shame as I wanted to enjoy and like this film. However in saying that there are two great reasons to see this movie, the first is the cast, which is actually spectacular, it is stacked with great character actors, one wonders the reasons they were drawn to this movie as they are all too good for what ended up onscreen. The other reason to see the movie is the way the synchronised swimming is seen onscreen not only as a sport, but the way in which we move from scene to scene, there are some lovely interstitials (for want of a better term). Other than that this is a very hard sell as at times it moves slowly with an A story that seems to have been tacked on as an afterthought to beef up the plot much like other similarly themed movies, the one that comes to mind is “The Full Monty” (1997) that was about male strippers based around small town economic issues, however there it was presented in a much better, original and realistic way.
Directed by a somewhat veteran English director in Oliver Parker who arguably had his biggest success with his debut in 1995 when he directed the Shakespearean adaptation “Othello” (1995) featuring Kenneth Branagh and Laurence Fishburne, from there however his career has been mediocre and this new movie shows no real signs of improvement. Interestingly the movies he has directed have mostly made money which explains how he has been able to not only keep a career going but also cast some very experienced actors in all of his work. “Swimming with men” was based on a Swedish 2010 documentary and has been written by Aschlin Ditta who has very little experience in writing for the big screen with much of his work being restricted to television episodes which may explain how this movie has been constructed as well as the fairly standard framing device that has been used to make a movie about men’s synchronised swimming that does revolve around a pretty standard Hollywood three act structure straight from a textbook. If there had been some real thought about how to get the main character into the swimming part of the movie it would have been more enjoyable as well as having a more natural feel.
“Swimming with men” is based around accountant Eric, (Brydon), who seeks to win back his wife Heather (Horrocks), he stumbles upon a solution in the form of a male synchronised swimming team: Men Who Swim. Joining his local team, Eric finds brotherhood in this crew as they train for the world championships in Milan.
The film is led by comedian and character actor Rob Brydon who acquits himself well but his entire performance is limited by the script, he does extremely well in the water where it must have been a challenge to show yourself onscreen not only just in swimwear but also dancing in the water, him as well as the rest of the cast acquit themselves well in the water, not an easy thing to do. The rest of the cast is made up of great character actors from a variety of generations, but the standouts for me are the always-fantastic Jim Carter who over the past two decades has shined in almost all the roles he has played. In the relative new actors Daniel Mays, Thomas Turgoose and Adeel Akhtar bring their roles to life playin three very differntnt people who again know what movie they are in and adjust their performances accordingly. However my favorite performance is from Charlotte Riley as the teams somewhat coach and love interest for Rupert Graves which is a bit icky within the actual movie but both are so good I looked past that, however some people might not.
I would go so far as to say that the most entertaining as well as best crafted parts of “Swimming with men” are the swimming scenes as well as the underwater photography that is presented which is vitally important when the subject if the film revolves around all that action. There are some subtle variations of the swimming which is welcome when the actual arc of the main character played by Rob Brydon is so unsatisfying as well as actually extremely boring and a non event. The idea of a man going through some kind of mid life crisis as well as not trusting his wife seems so out of step with the times we are living as to be insulting to any possible audience. It also seems like his wife played by the excellent Jane Horrocks is written as a shrill character that is so unlikeable as to be a stereotype that the audience rallies against but there is actually no evidence to suggest she is anything but a working wife who has to take on the responsibility of both parents when her husband leaves for little or no reason. For me this is the portion of the film I enjoyed least but the other two aspects, the actors and the swimming do counter that quite well so I would recommend this as streaming watch as you may be disappointed if you venture out to a cinema to see it as even final scenes seem a bit forced as well.
Featuring: Florence Pugh, Lena Headey, Nick Frost, Jack Lowden, Vince Vaughn, and Dwayne Johnson
The Rock:“Paige, I myself have come from a wrestling family too. I know exactly what it means to you. But don’t worry about being the next me. Be the first you.”
Released this week on Blu-ray and DVD is the drama/comedy “Fighting in the family” (2019) that proves no matter where you hail from and how weird you may feel in actually doing what you love there is a chance that your dreams will come true. Even though this movie is primarily about wrestling in the UK it is actually a narrative that can be framed around any endeavour one can think of, it has archetypal characters that actually prove some of the universal themes that not only exist in cinemas but in life as well. Not only is “Fighting in the family” a sports based movie that follows almost any other similar narrative of a person who has a gift, is unable to use it to its full potential until they overcome an obstacle to finally being triumphant as well as proving to others that they are not only worthy but can win at the final hurdle no matter the previous setbacks. Interestingly because of the way the World Wresting Entertainment (WWE) operates there is also an element of the movie that is regimental in nature, so we have a character enter the narrative that will be familiar to anyone who has seen a war movie, that character is the ‘drill sergeant’, here played by Vince Vaughn. So while on the surface this movie may seem light as well as a little frivolous it, in fact, has much going in its favour that makes it not only a worthwhile watch but is extremely enjoyable.
One of the many reasons “Fighting in the family” works as well as it does is because the framework of the story is based on a documentary by Max Fisher, it depicts the WWE career of professional wrestler Paige as she moves from the UK to the US as she begins a very successful career. Over the past decade or so there has been a trend from some real-life stories that have been depicted in either television or in movies to be transferred into more narrative movies. However, the fate of most of these movies has been one of ignominy as the end results have not matched either the actual story or the documentary that came before. In terms of the comparison to the documentary this movie succeeds for two main reasons, the humour is kept intact in terms of the situations that the family of Paige find themselves in and the casting of the roles has been almost perfectly with all involved committing to their characters in a most serious way so that there is no winking to the camera or overplaying their parts so that they become caricatures.
The movie itself is set 2002, Norwich, England, where 12-year-old Zak Bevis is engrossed by the WWF (now WWE) King of the Ring pay-per-view event until his younger sister Saraya changes the channel to her favorite program, “Charmed”. The siblings wrestle, urged on by their parents Rick and Julia. Rick books the children for their first wrestling match where Saraya, initially reluctant to wrestle a boy, goes on to win as planned. At 18, competing under the ring name “Britani Knight”, Saraya and her brother “Zak Zodiac” help their parents train prospective wrestlers while working toward their own promotion. Rick and Julia, struggling financially, ask WWE trainer Hutch Morgan to sign the siblings. The two try out with several other wrestlers, he chooses Paige over the rest.
Written and directed by Stephen Merchant “Fighting in the family” is a moving movie with not only comedy but some very real drama as the main character Paige has to overcome a variety of personal issues as well as being a fish out of water in much of the story. Merchant who has made a career of lampooning many recognisable character types has also has the ability to pain these same people in sympathetic lights that illustrate the strength of character not the deficiency which is something that may sound easy but requires a deft hand. Merchant over the years has also grown to become a competent director who has not only written as well as directed many television episodes but also co-directed the underrated drama “Cemetery Junction” (2010) which follows some of the same small-town themes he explores here. What Merchant accomplishes with this movie is to place the characters first, letting their own personalities as well as the events that unfold tell the story not injecting his own motivations or quirks that he may have been tempted to do. This may come from the fact that this is a co-produced movie with not only the WWE, but Paige and Dwayne Johnson who all have the same goal, to tell a riveting, true story that also contains a healthy amount of truth as well as humour.
For “Fighting in the family” to work the central character has to be cast perfectly and to the filmmaker’s credit it has been, with the wonderful Florence Pugh as Paige, someone who has to come across as serious, whimsical, loyal and of course as someone who can really wrestle, be physical with men and woman, all the while looking completely natural, which she does. Pugh who has appeared in some very good movies as well as television is only on the up with her appearing in the new “Black Widow” (2020) as well as the new horror “Midsommar” (2019) is a gifted actress who on the surface of it is able to do anything. She is supported by Jack Lowden as her brother as well as the always great Lena Headey as her mother and Nick Frost in a almost straight performance as her father.
There would be nothing easier than to see this movie as nothing more than a diversion, a comedy that is broad and has wrestling at its core which almost is an excuse to ignore it. However, what that would ignore would be the heart at its centre which is not only real but based on reality. The ideas that wrestling, that is the rivalry as well as the outcomes are fake or at least fixed is well known but second to that is the heart as well as the physical toll that is taken has all but been ignored with this new movie those elements do come to light in at least a bigger way than other similarly themed movies. What I enjoyed about this movie is that wrestling is for all types, as well as accepting men and woman and that fans not only accept both but relish new and exciting twists on familiar themes, much like this movie itself. Of course, one part of this movie is that unlike many wrestling based movies this is not about men, it is about woman and their own growing roles in male dominated entertainment, it is about diversity, not only in terms of gender but as to what kind of people should be wrestling in the first place. Not only is Paige a kind of outcast for wrestling in the first place, once she starts training in the WWE she is an outcast among the women there, but she turns this to her advantage after some setbacks, dominating those around her.
At its heart this is a movie about a woman and her family that achieve their ambitions in one way or another as well as giving back to the people that shaped them. It also perfectly illustrates that in the modern age it does not matter where you come from it can be possible to achieve those goals as well as become a legend in your chosen field. This movie also arrives at a time when at the latest Wrestlemania the main headlining event was an all-girl bout, the first in its history.
Featuring: Christian Bale, Amy Adams, Steve Carell, Sam Rockwell, Tyler Perry, Alison Pill, Jesse Plemons and Justin Kirk
Dick Cheney:“I can feel your incriminations and your judgments, and I am fine with that. You want to be loved? Go be a movie star. The world is as you find it. You’ve gotta deal with that reality that there are monsters in this world. We saw 3,000 innocent people burned to death by those monsters, yet you object when I refuse to kiss those monsters on the cheek and say “pretty please.” You answer me this, what terrorist attack would you have let go forward so you wouldn’t seem like a mean and nasty fella? I will not apologize for keeping your family safe. And I will not apologize for doing what needed to be done so that your loved ones could sleep peacefully at night. It has been my honor to be your servant. You chose me. And I did what you asked.”
“Vice” (2018), released recently on DVD and Blu-ray, somehow on the strength of its actors performances has managed to also ride the wave of “The Big Short” (2015) to become one of the most nominated films at last years Oscars with a stunning eight nods, which after actually watching the film left me scratching my head a little.
This is a film that is based around some parts of the life of Dick Cheney that paints him as some kind of failing upwards demigod that was after power his entire life and found it when he was asked to be Vice President under George W. Bush, then making many of the decisions that would come to define how the US operated both domestically and internationally in a post 9/11 world. This is a movie that has been carefully put together by Adam McKay who made such a splash after his first ‘serious’ movie “The Big Short” became a box office, as well as critical hit and an Oscar winner that covered the housing crisis that led to the collapse of major banks as well as the disappearance of trillions of dollars from the international economy. However the techniques that worked so well in that movie, as well as in McKay’s previous blockbuster comedies do not come close to working here, especially when dealing with such a serious subject as Cheney, 9/11 and a host of other subjects that still resonate so strongly today, which is a missed opportunity as it more or less makes light of a variety of subject that still resonate in todays political and social world. It is a difficult thing to look forward to a movie for so long and feel let down and disappointed by it.
After so many movies, documentaries as well as television shows about the George W. Bush White House especially in the light of the aftermath of 9/11 and how that transformed the world I had to wonder why make a movie that could glorify one the chief architects of that outcome as well as possibly one of the people that helped bring a person like Trump to power. Initially I understood why McKay and his cronies would want to make this movie, especially in light of the “The Big Short”, combining politics and his own somewhat unique narrative style, but after viewing it his take on Cheney is not very clear as well as a one sided affair. My own issues are that basically “Vice” skips over some major points of history instead opting for a broad overview that actually helps explain how we have ended up where we are, it is a cheap technique to pick and choose what is shown to a prospective audience. The other element is that this is a movie that requires the audience to do none of the heavy lifting in terms of understanding who Cheney was and is, to the extent that it draws some points that are difficult to substantiate, which in terms of an audience is negated by far too much humour. Another very weak part of the movie is the constant explaining by the narrator who is present for almost the running time of the film and for what real reason I am still not sure, If there is one movie that has been produced ever that shouldn’t require a narrator it is this, “Vice” covers so many important parts of the last forty years if you have to re-explain to an audience you are doing something seriously wrong as a director. In my mind we are seeing a director who has fallen in love with his own scattershot technique to offer what can only be described as a post modern biopic of the lowest standard as it is almost all surface with little depth and ultimately means little, it is also forgettable in terms of the point of it, the medium rally has become the message. Even the title “Vice” may seem like a clever pun, or play on words but thinking more deeply it is a little juvenile as well as simple to attempt to explain Cheney.
“Vice” is narrated by a character, Kurt, a fictitious veteran of the Afghanistan and Iraq Wars whose point for being becomes clear towards the conclusion of this film. The movie opens with Dick Cheney and other White House officials and staff responding to the September 11 attacks. The film then flashes back to Wyomingin 1963, where Cheney finds work as a lineman but struggles with alcohol that led him to drop out of Yale. After Cheney is stopped by a traffic cop for driving while intoxicated, his wife Lynne Cheney convinces her husband to clean up his life.
The reason to view some films can vary greatly, maybe it’s the story or the director or the actors, most times it is a combination of two more of these at a very basic level. However I can think of few films in recent memory that rely so heavily on the performance of the lead actor, in this case Christian Bale as Dick Cheney. It is Bales complete transformation into his role that makes “Vice” watchable at all, Bale really is Dick Cheney in almost every way which is as uncanny a performance as you will see this year. Bale has made a habit of physical transformations in many of his roles, in this he succeeds as much as he ever has, he has to be one of the frontrunners for Best Actor at this years Oscars, his only real threat is how people feel about the movie itself. Of course the rest of the cast are incredible as well with the three key supporting actors being the always great Amy Adams as Lyn Cheney, Steve Carell as Donald Rumsfeld and Sam Rockwell George W. Bush who all play their parts with authenticity (mostly) and lend an air of power to aid Bales own performance which is a treat to see.
Now, I get that Adam McKay et al are all very smart liberal people who wanted to make a point about someone that has sown chaos throughout his career which is definitely highlighted in this movie which is a good thing to do especially when in this day and age we as a population are apt to forgive and forget particularly with the micro stories that take up our time on social media. I also recognise that McKay is not interested in telling a story that fits within a classical biopic as well as the Hollywood classic narrative which is to be applauded, the proof of his technique and its power as well as success can be easily recognised in “The Big Short” which remains a very powerful movie and a great piece of entertainment. There was nothing stopping McKay from retaining his flourishes but maybe they would have better utilised in a more though out manner, his fishing metaphor was good enough but overused far to much as was the narration which again was not needed and I wondered the point of the revel of the narrator, this felt like a movie that was found in the edit and it shows which is a real shame.
Regardless of the negatives of the movie it is still a good viewing experience and the performances along cover up many of the holes that exist, in fact I would even say is worth going to the movies to see it especially if you are interested in the period covered in US politics as well as the entire endeavour being a metaphor for the rise to power of Trump.
Featuring: Kain O’Keeffe, Libby Tanner, Jeremy Sims, Natasha Novak, Nadia Townsend and Christopher Morris
Paul Kelly: “A jug of wine, a loaf of bread and thee Lying on a blanket underneath that big old spreading tree”
Released on DVD this month is the short lived small town drama “Fireflies” (2004) that was mostly set over one day about an Australian small town that contained a small population who show what life was like fifteen years ago, it is now a time capsule of sorts which is a nice reminiscence for those that lived through those post 9/11 days.
City slickers Lill (Libby Tanner) and Perry (John Waters) escape to a rural idyll and begin to assimilate into a small community where everyone knows everyone else’s business. The focus of the town, and the show, is the local volunteer fire service but that’s only a device.
While there is always a fire to put out the stories are primarily about the lives of the fire fighters and those around them, away from the firefront. This is essentially a rural melodrama, and one that is unusually mature, engaging and, perhaps most strikingly, quintessentially Australian.
It’s Australian because of the characters, the way they talk with one another, the situations that develop in their lives and the way they deal with them. We know these people. They’re like the folks down the road, the friends with whom we share lunch each Sunday, the shopkeeper around the corner.
Australian music legend, Paul Kelly’s music is the soul of Fireflies. Not only is his entire catalogue of music used in the series, a number of songs and musical pieces have been written specifically for the show.
Fireflies is an Australian television show which aired on the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) in Australia it debuted on 7 February 2004 and screened as 22 episodes. The series was set in the fictional country town of Lost River, population 487. The location was the actual Hunter Valley town of Wollombi, and other scenes are set in the district and along the southern end of the Putty Road to Singleton. It was centred on the lives of a group of volunteer firefighters, during the hottest, driest summer in decades.
Episodes: (selective descriptions)
Fireflies Part 1 and 2
Sifting Through The Ashes: Lost River is in recovery from a devastating fire that nearly took the lives of some of their best firefighters and local farmers. Perry struggles to come to terms with the loss of his home, while Lill and his daughter Taz rival for his attention. Meanwhile, tension mounts between Joey and Fifi over Fifi’s actions concerning their baby. Luisa learns that her secret love affair with the local cop Mike, is no longer a secret. It all comes to a head when Rebekah Sharp turns up and announces that Luisa’s husband Eris was inside a fire truck engulfed by flames. Suddenly Luisa realises that a lot more people know about her affair than she thought. She rushes to be with Eris who is feeling lost and alone. Backa is trying to deliver on his promise to be “there” for his wife Svettie, but his fire crew has been traumatised and there’s counselling to be done.
Hide And Seek
Best Laid Plans
Training Daze
Hazard Reduction: Fifi has to deal with her unpredictable brother Hank who has just returned from prison and has a different story to tell to everyone he meets. Back at home the Sharp family try to welcome this free radical element as Hank tries to wheedle his way back into Fifi’s life. Lill and Perry are trying hard to deal with Taz, Perry’s moody teenage daughter who’s arrived for the holidays. She clashes with Lill over everything and confronts her father with her palpable distaste for her stepmother. Lill prepares for the fire controlled Hazard Reduction but is unprepared for the discovery she makes when she and Svettie clean out Peg’s house. Elsewhere, Backa struggles with the responsibilities of a dangerous burn-off and the knowledge that his deal with his Uncle Jeff may well betray his brother.
Ride With Style
Home Is Where The Heat Is: In a last bid attempt to save her failing shop and keep her family together Svettie has borrowed a large amount of cash from a loan shark. But she’s keeping it a secret from Backa, telling him the sudden injection of funds has come from the sale of some milking machinery stored in their back shed. Now they’re on easy street, for a while at least. In a mood to celebrate Backa and Svettie have the best day they’ve had in months, even years! The day soon heats up toward boiling point. At the Sharp’s a lazy summer barbecue descends into chaos. Eldest son Hank has returned to Lost River and he’s ready to cause as much trouble as possible – especially for Fifi. Hank can’t forgive the fact that his younger sister is now all grown up and responsible and pushes to find the bad girl he farewelled when he went to jail three years ago. When Rolly Patterson arrives mid-party and makes a beeline for Fifi it seems Hank might get to see the old Fifi after all. There are others for Hank to ‘play’ with too, in the shape of Kieran and his girlfriend Noodle and when Perry’s daughter Taz turns up, it’s open season… Perry and Lill arrive at the scene to pick up a distraught Taz and it leaves Perry with a sinking feeling. Is he ready to become a parent the second time around? For Lill, one of the core promises of their relationship has been broken.
The Longest Day
While The Cat’s Away
Home Time
Clouds Got In The Way: Lill’s newly published children’s book arrives and she prepares to test it out on the kids of Lost River. Surrounded by children at play and talking through issues of motherhood with her female friends, Lill is forced to confront her desire for a child. But it’s Perry who brings the matter out into the open when he asks Lill an important question about their relationship. Sharpie and Rebekah decide to get Joey and Fifi a new bed now that Joey has moved in with the Sharps. Sharpie does a deal with an old mate and scams a free bed for them. The ‘honeymoon’ period is short and sweet for Fifi and Joey but with a little peppermint oil, some vinegar and a new set of sheets, they sort themselves out and clear the air. The Twelfth Green Developments group holds a public meeting to address community concerns about the golf course and resort intended for Lost River. Backa and Svettie want to work with the developers, claiming the project will bring economic benefit to the town. Perry, Lill and especially Eris have a different take on the matter though, questioning the motives and plans of the consortium. Backa and Eris begin a public argument over the future of their town and community. But the two men have a reality check when they are called out to investigate a gas smell. What they discover puts everything into perspective.
Keep Your Enemies Close
Fish Or Cut Bait
Between A Rock And A Rock
Kin Oath: Peg Beecher is back and after escaping from her nursing home, she makes a beeline for her house only to find it’s been rented out to the new doctor and his family. When Peg lands on Lill’s doorstep, Lill decides to champion her cause, but she doesn’t know what she’s let herself in for. Peg’s not happy, so it’s tantrums all round first at Lill and Perry’s, then at Backa and Svettie’s. Backa is agonising over whether to sell the homestead paddock that his father’s ashes are on while Svettie sympathises with his dilemma she knows they need the money and pushes him accordingly. Backa visits Joey to ask his advice, but Joey is furious that Backa would even contemplate doing such a thing. Meanwhile, Lill and Perry are still trying to patch up their relationship as best they can. Fifi comes home to find Hank acting even more suspiciously than usual, and when he hands her over some cash she knows something is going on. At dinner the next night, the Sharps hear of a bookie robbery over the radio. While everyone suspects Hank, nothing is said. Hank is full of bravado and when he destroys a piece of Joey’s property, Fifi is pushed over the edge. She will be forced to choose between her new life with Joey and her family.
Sons And Lovers
Closing In: Perry’s moved into the mud brick house and Lill is happy about that-or is she? During a drunken phone call with Perry’s ex-wife, Lill realises her relationship may really be over. Then the unravelling starts as her happiness turns and reality starts closing in. Can she live without Perry? It’s another hot day and a fire has started in the Tuza State forest. Fifi learns that Fire Control Officer Bryce Austin will do everything he can to save Fox Cove, including putting his own house at risk. Meanwhile, Mike is closing in on Svettie and Sharpie’s dope crop. He’s torn between being the cop and living in a small country town where he has become familiar with the residents. It’s a fine line and Mike is still an outsider. But a secret is out about Mike and his world is about to close in on him too.
Fighting Fire With Fire: Lost River’s very existence is threatened by the fires. Backa believes that it is less than 24 hours before the fires reach the village. The Lost River brigade also insist on sniping in front of Divisional Commander Donna Bruce. Svettie makes an unexpected visit to the station and learns that the fire may reach Deep Creek by nightfall and alerts Sharpie, who enlists the help of his son Hank, to help harvest their Deep Creek plantation before the fire arrives. Meanwhile, Lill asks Perry for a truce until the fire has passed, but Perry refuses. Backa convinces Donna that the only way he can unite his brigade is to get them out to the fire ground. However, when they confront the raging fire, the flames have spread too far and Backa is forced to fall back to Deep Creek to backburn. Svettie, cut off from all communication, is in the middle of the area he intends to burn. Kieran, knowing where his father, brother and Svettie are, convinces Lill that they must warn them before they get trapped. When Lill becomes a hero on the fire ground, she realises maybe she’ll be able to survive on her own after all.
Precious Things: The fire front is racing into Lost River, it’s much bigger than they thought and the water pressure has failed. The trucks are going to have to relay back and forth to the dam at Sharpie’s to refill, and when they discover that Suzie’s place is burning inside the roof, Backa has to make a difficult call. Meanwhile, Lill’s left Perry with a box and a question. Joey’s thrown into the thick of things at the Sharps, with Hank being his usual infuriating self and Sharpie way too relaxed to be much good. Svettie knows exactly what to save-but what should she do first when she can’t leave the shop? It’s going to be a long day at Lost River.
When The Smoke Clears: In the final hour of Fireflies, days have passed since the fires. Everyone is trying to return to normal and clean up the damage, but it’s not going to be easy. Lill tries her hand at spinning. She has a few CWA ladies over for a spinning session-nothing more meditative or calming, until Perry arrives and shocks her with the news that he’s changed his mind. After many arguments and tension, he has finally decided that he does want to have a baby with her. Now she really has something to meditate on while she spins her wool! Fifi and Joey are begrudgingly living with Uncle Jeff, but they’re hoping it’s only temporary. It’s got to be temporary. Just has to be. But Joey knows that with the fires gone and their caravan burnt out, Fifi’s going to have to reconcile with her family. It’s eating her up inside, and Uncle Jeff’s icy deal making isn’t helping. Sharpie’s just getting by. His house was saved, but now he’s got a son on the critical list in hospital, another son who wants to marry his 15-year-old girlfriend and a wife and daughter estranged from each other. Sharpie starts wondering where he went wrong. As for Backa, he just wants to give up the captaincy as he always promised Svettie and get on with his life. The only hitch is that no new captain is coming forward. He then discovers four cases of illegal cash crop in the back shed and at last the truth comes out, layer on layer of it-Svettie’s debts, Svettie’s lies, their real financial situation, the fish-farming investments. It’d be funny if it weren’t so shocking. And Constable Mike Jones is sniffing around, dropping hints. Backa’s convinced Mike knows about the drugs. But it’s a funny old world, as Lill realises she’s torn between the man she loves who’s promising her everything she ever wanted-and a married man who isn’t promising her anything. Maybe the secret is to see things clearly and stop fooling herself. Maybe the secret is to open her eyes and wait for the smoke to clear.
All the songs and music used on Fireflies was written, produced, and sung by Paul Kelly:
Change Your Mind
Beautiful Feeling
Foggy Highway
Just About to Break
I Wasted Time
You Broke a Beautiful Thing
Beautiful Promise
Boon Companion
If I Could Start Today Again
I Smell Trouble
Emotional
My Way is to You
Your Lovin’ is On My Mind
Give Into My Love
View From the Ridge
Making Hay While the Sun Shines
Beggar on the Street of Love
Midnight Rain
Take Your Time
The Lion and the lamb
Nothing Lost, Nothing Gained
To Be Good Takes a Long time (To Be Bad No Time at All)
20th Century Fox has premiered the second trailer for “The Lost City of Z” director James Gray’s long-awaited new sci-fi epic “Ad Astra” which opens September 20th.
Gray and Ethan Gross (“Fringe”) penned the script in which astronaut Roy McBride (Brad Pitt) travels to the outer edges of the solar system to find his missing father (Tommy Lee Jones) and unravel a mystery that threatens the survival of humans on Earth.
Ruth Negga, Liv Tyler, Donald Sutherland, Jamie Kennedy, Kimberly Elise, John Ortiz and John Finn co-star in the film which Pitt, Gray, Marc Butan, Anthony Katagas, and Rodrigo Teixeira produce.
Evil resurfaces in Derry as director Andy Muschietti reunites the Losers Club – back together as adults, nearly three decades after the events of the first film – in a return to where it all began.
Jessica Chastain, James McAvoy, Bill Hader, Isaiah Mustafa, Jay Ryan, James Ransone and Andy Bean star as the adult versions of the Losers Club, with the same kids returning for appearances. Bill Skarsgard returns in the key role of Pennywise the Clown in the film which is expected to potentially match the $700 million success of its predecessor.
“IT: Chapter 2” is slated for release in cinemas and IMAX on September 6th.
The new film is set in a world of drone technology and fifth generation fighters along with exploring the end of the era of dogfighting. Maverick (Cruise) is now a flight instructor, who takes Bradley Bradshaw (Miles Teller), the son of Maverick’s late partner Nick “Goose” Bradshaw, under his wing.
The film also stars Jon Hamm, Val Kilmer, Jennifer Connelly, Glen Powell and Ed Harris. Joseph Kosinski helms from a script by Peter Craig, Justin Marks and Eric Warren Singer.
“Hustlers” (2019), which is inspired by a viral 2016 New York Magazine article, follows a crew of savvy former strip club employees who band together to turn the tables on their Wall Street clients. Their scheme pays off and the women ride a wave of extravagance, living a life of decadence and glamour. But when greed gets the best of them, friendships are threatened and the law starts closing in.
HUSTLERS is directed by Lorene Scafaria and stars Constance Wu, Jennifer Lopez, Cardi B, Lili Reinhart, Keke Palmer, Julia Stiles, Mercedes Ruehl, Trace Lysette, Mette Towley, Madeline Brewer and Frank Whaley.
HUSTLERS releases in New Zealand in theatres on October 10, 2019.
Written by: D. C. Fontana, Richard Fielder, Robert Hamilton, Leonard Katzman, Ken Kolb, Howard Livingstone, Michael Michaelian and Katharyn Powers
Featuring: Jared Martin, Ike Eisenmann, Carl Franklin, Katie Saylor and Roddy McDowall
Narrator:“Lost in the Devil’s Triangle, trapped in a dimension with beings from the future and other worlds, a party of adventurers journey through zones of time back to their own time. Varian, a man from the 23rd century, possessing awesome powers; from 1977; Fred, a young doctor just out of medical school; Scott Jordan, the thirteen-year-old son of a famous scientist; Liana, daughter of an Atlantean father and an extra-terrestrial mother; and Jonathan Willaway, a rebel scientist from the 1960s. Together they face the frightening unknown on… The Fantastic Journey.”
This month sees the release of a short-lived sci-fi television show, “The Fantastic Journey” (1977) which while brief onscreen does contain much that has been echoed over the years as well as influencing at least one hit show of the noughties most obviously “Lost” (2004-2010) which was influenced by the politics of its time much like that long dead series.
“The Fantastic Journey” was most obviously influenced by the, at the time, long cancelled “Land of the Giants” (1968-1970) as well as “Land of the Lost” )1974-1977) as well as being a part of a new wave of sci-fi series such as “Logan’s Run” (1977-1978), “Gemini Man” (1977), “Ark II” (1976), “The Lost Saucer” (1975-1978) and “Future Cop” (1976-1978). Of course, there were many others that were of course relatively short-lived which may have been due to the low budgets, similar plots and of course the arrival in cinemas of the game changing movie, “Star Wars” (1977) which would raise the bar for sci-fi as well as setting into motion a glut of new sci-fi movies which people would pay to see but not sit home to watch.
However, what has become apparent is that many of these shows like the films of their times have real meanings buried within them whether it is the rising tide of the media as a tool for mass consumption as well as the oncoming era of consumerism, the Regan era politics that would define the 1980s, the paranoia that would not only start in the 1970s but would reach forward to the new millennium. The last aspect is the influence on young show runners, producers and creators that would take much of the idea of these shows and move them into new modern settings. It could be said that we owe much of what we see today to these late 1970s series that would plant the seeds of distrust, paranoia, conspiracy and technology much like “Star Trek” (1966-1969) was able to do a decade earlier.
The series concerns a family and their associates who charter a boat out into the Caribbean for a scientific expedition. After an encounter in the area of the Bermuda Triangle with an unnatural luminous green cloud accompanied by the eerie disembodied sound of ship’s bells, the group find themselves shipwrecked on a mysterious uncharted island from which they are unable to escape.
They encounter Varian (Jared Martin), initially disguised as an Arawak native, who is later revealed to be from the year 2230. A 23rd-century pacifist, musician and healer, Varian explains to the travelers that, like he and many before them, they have been caught in a space/time continuum where people from the past, present, future and from other worlds are trapped, co-existing on the island in a series of “Time Zones”. The only way home can be found in a place called “Evoland”, which lies “far to the rising sun”. (It was indicated in interviews of the time that Evoland was also the name of the island.) The only way to travel between Time Zones is via invisible gateways that instantaneously transport individuals or groups from one zone to another. In one episode “Beyond The Mountain” the group also encounters a second cloud, which has much the same effect, but which also splits up the group.
The series, for its time, was well cast with the always amazing Roddy McDowall who at this stage go his career was appearing in more television than film which was a loss to cinema but he was always a professional so here he plays his part perfectly. The other major part was played by Jared Martin who was not only a stalwart of television but of the sci-fi genre specifically, he would later go on to star in the underrated genre show “War of the Worlds” (1988-1989).
Episodes:
Atlantium, Pilot, Vortex:A party of scientists disappears into the Bermuda Triangle and becomes trapped on an island where past, present and future co-exist. After meeting 23rd century healer Varian and encountering 16th century privateers, the survivors begin their quest to return to their own time. All the while, they are being observed by a mysterious man from a futuristic city in the desert.
Atlantium (Part 2):With many of the original party returned to their own time, Varian, Scott and Fred find themselves caught up in the machinations of a megalomaniacal “brain in a box” called The Source, which has enslaved the inhabitants of the city of Atlantium (actually the Westin Bonaventure Hotel in Los Angeles), built by the survivors of the original Atlantis and intends to use Scott’s life force to regenerate itself. The trio are aided by dissident Atlantean, Liana, who reveals that she is half alien.
Beyond the Mountain:The travelers are separated by a red cloud which leaves Liana as the ‘guest’ of Jonathan Willoway, who is the master of a utopian community of golden-garbed androids, and the others trapped in a dark swamp surrounded by shaggy, green-skinned humanoids. However, Willoway’s intentions are less than honorable and he has no intention of letting Liana leave, while Fred’s medical skills prove invaluable in discovering the truth.
Children of the Gods:The travelers arrive in a new Time Zone and meet a young boy who has escaped from a community inhabited solely by children led by the bullying teenager Alpha.
A Dream of Conquest:An alien dictator, Tarant, is planning to invade other Time Zones and conquer the island. Willoway pretends to agree with him so that he can learn Tarant’s secrets, especially as the true leader of this alien community is being slowly poisoned by the would-be dictator. Meanwhile, Liana takes pity on an abused furry creature called the Nefring.
An Act of Love:Varian, under the influence of a love drug, meets a woman named Gwenith from a religious community in a geologically unstable Time Zone. His judgment impaired, Varian decides to leave the travelers to stay and marry her. He soon discovers that the community fanatically worships a volcano god called Vatticus, who demands human sacrifices.
Funhouse:Arriving at a strange, seemingly abandoned 20th century funfair, the travelers become part of a game played by an ancient Greek sorcerer named Apollonius who, with the help of a female werewolf, plans to possess Willoway’s body so that he can escape his imprisonment.
Turnabout:The travelers encounter a city where the women are subservient to brutish male authority. The women mutiny and imprison the male travelers in a strange black void, and Liana appears to join their cause.
Riddles: Guided to an old house by a mysterious mounted messenger, the travelers – minus Liana – quest for an object that will assist their search for Evoland, and a strange couple conjures illusions drawn from their deepest fears.
The Innocent Prey:A prison craft from Earth’s future crash lands in the Time Zone where the travelers are resting, releasing two prisoners, a convicted murderer and a thief, into a community of stranded humanoid aliens that does not comprehend violence or the concept of doors and locks. With a killer on the loose scheming to abscond with an orb that gives the aliens psychokinetic powers, Varian and the others must deal with him and protect the pacifists.
“The Kitchen” stars Oscar nominee Melissa McCarthy, Tiffany Haddish, and Elisabeth Moss as three 1978 Hell’s Kitchen housewives whose mobster husbands are sent to prison by the FBI. Left with little but a sharp axe to grind, the ladies take the Irish mafia’s matters into their own hands—proving unexpectedly adept at everything from running the rackets to taking out the competition…literally.
THE KITCHEN is directed by Andrea Berloff and also stars Domhnall Gleeson, James Badge Dale, Brian d’Arcy James, with Margo Martindale, Oscar winner Common, and Bill Camp; as well as Jeremy Bobb, E.J. Bonilla, Wayne Duvall, Annabella Sciorra and Myk Watford.
THE KITCHEN releases in New Zealand cinemas on August 29, 2019.
Featuring: Nicole Kidman, Toby Kebbell, Tatiana Maslany, Scoot McNairy, Bradley Whitford and Sebastian Stan
Shelby: [to erin] “I felt safe because i was with you. I knew that you were strong… and that you would protect me.”
Each year, especially in the last quarter there are an endless number of movies that have been crafted by eager writers as well as directors to offer something more than the monstrous blockbusters that permeate the modern movie marketplace, to give more than the increasingly Disnification we are witnessing as the years roll by. These movies seek to also elicit emotional results as well as hopefully extend their life beyond the movie theatre into awards consideration so that they might live on in respect to what cinema is as well as what it is to become. What we also see each year is that there are many more films that miss the mark completely for reasons too numerous to name here, so that only the cream rises to the very top. The other vital factor that comes into play are the people in front of the camera which can be the deciding factor in getting the movie produced, in this case the central actor in this new movie is Nicole Kidman who over the past three decades has proven herself to be the actor of her generation.
Which brings me to this new movie, now available on DVD and streaming, that is the dramatic thriller “Destroyer” (2018) a film that on one level may seem like a feminist film but falls short on that as well as being a gripping story, it at once promises so much but delivers little, an example that proves plot as well as narrative must be combined with three dimensional characters that cohabit the screen together, not pulling at each other to deliver what must have been a disappointment to all involved. Watching “Destroyer” it is obvious why Kidman was drawn to play a character like Erin Bell, she gets to create a person that has lived a life, a tough one where she has lost much but is willing to regain some kind of redemption as well as a modicum of vengeance. This is also a character that is rarely seen played by a woman as these types of archetypes, that is the burnt-out cop are almost always portrayed by men. This is also where this film is almost unique and comes into its own, that is not only that it is a female actress playing the part but the look of Kidman is so anti-beauty it is almost distracting to a point that is almost ridiculous. However, this is exactly where the film as well as the character is required to journey to as one only need to think about almost all portrayals of female police officers who are protagonists, they are almost always young (sometimes ingénues), athletic, good looking as well as righteous no matter who their antagonists are. “Destroyer” bucks all of these elements, in doing this it offers something rare in cinema, originality.
The film itself concerns LAPD detective Erin Bell arrives on the scene of a John Doe murder and informs the responding officers that she knows the identity of the murderer. At the police station, Erin receives a $100 bill stained from a dye pack in an unmarked envelope. Using a contact at the FBI, she confirms that the bill is from a bank robbery committed by a California gang many years prior that she and her former partner Chris were embedded in as undercover officers. She tells her superiors that she believes the bill to be proof that the gang’s leader, Silas, is once again active. Erin is forced to work her way through the remaining members of the gang in order to find Silas.
“Destroyer” has been directed by Karyn Kusama who burst onto the scene with the excellent “Girlfight” (2000) which she also wrote, since then though she has been working occasionally but seemed to be MIA until the tense thriller “The Invitation” (2015) which prove she could harness a tight story with interesting visuals as well as motivate actors into very good performances. Here Kusama does something similar with an expansive story that has to work on more levels than she is used to. The weakness with “Destroyer” is the screenplay by frequent Kusama collaborators screenwriters Phil Hay and Matt Manfredi who have not shown any great strength with neo-noir which this movie is very much a part of. To write a film like “Destroyer” accurately with the right feel there needs to be a deep understanding of the genre, as well as the reason for its very existence in terms of its history and the motivations of its characters in an inherent way.
As I have stated “Destroyer” is based around the performance of Nicole Kidman who as usual is excellent creating a three-dimensional person that has to display a variety of emotions onscreen as well as being present in many situations, such as being undercover, being with her wayward daughter, acting cruel and many others that are complex requiring understanding of her place in the narrative as well as how to play where the film actually ends up. Kidman is not the only great aspect of “Destroyer’s” casting, in fact there are many fantastic character actors present in this film, led first and foremost by Sebastian Stan as the principal’s partner. The rest of the cast is made up with actors who are all able to deliver in whatever they are tasked with in Tatiana Maslany, Toby Kebbell, Scoot McNairyand Bradley Whitford. The problems arise with the fact that none of the characters are particularly memorable or interesting, even Kebbell who should have the best part as a quasi-cult leader is never let off his leash long enough to make an impact something he has in common with the rest of the cast which is a crime.
Now while I wanted to love this film for what it was attempting to do onscreen, that is portray the main character with a warts and all personality, someone who had seen everything, had lost much but had some integrity I felt that this character as well as Kidman’s performance did not match with the actual plot and narrative. “Destroyer” has so many elements firmly in place that it is close to being an excellent film, one that should have received at least some awards attention. It has a genuine look and feel of a modern neo-noir movie, it has the bones of a decent LA story that takes in some interesting locales, it is stacked with the kind of noirish characters seen in many great movies and it has real talent from top to bottom. What it required was some real darkness as well as authenticity in its antagonists that ring true while also being a little larger than life, this would have been in juxtaposition to the very dour character oif Erin Bell who is in opposition to almost everyone and everything in her own narrative.
Featuring: Himesh Patel, Lily James, Ed Sheeran and Kate McKinnon
Ellie Appleton: “Miracles happen all the time!”
Jack Malik:“Like what?”
Ellie Appleton:“Benedict Cumberbatch becoming a sex symbol!”
Released into theatres this week is the Richard Curtis penned “Yesterday” (2019) which on paper must have seemed like a good idea as well as a title that would capture the feeling of a high concept romantic comedy that had a genre twist, coupled with a back catalogue of Beatles music which would set up the Danny Boyle film as a critical and box office hit but actually lands with a thud which is a feat indeed considering the music must be the most beloved of all time. Interestingly “Yesterday” definitely feels like a Richard Curtis movie, it combines a love story, music, comedy, drama as well as a the feeling of originality but in fact comes off as a man in his sixties attempting to recapture something that has been lost, which is kind of the way the main character comports himself until he lucks on a situation where he is able to exploit the knowledge of the love people will have for an element that has either been forgotten or in this case, lost. Curtis has made a career out of romantic comedies, his best efforts have been coupled with directors who are able to filter his scripts into very special films such as the timeless “The Tall Guy” (1989), “Four weddings and a funeral” (1994) and his last good screenplay “Notting Hill” (1999). At some point however when he was able to gain enough power and success to parlay his screenplay success into a directing career cracks started to appear in his work, beginning with “Love Actually” (2003) which I found problematic but continues through to this movie where he has some very odd choices that characters make, in particular there is a theme of not only dishonesty but coercion which many seem to gloss over. Curtis also increasingly co-opts music in a way that is manipulative which has culminated with this movie, in the taking of the Beatles catalogue eschewing any real originality and using it to make a fairly standard genre movie involving alternate universes and the idea that what someone is looking for has been with them the entire time, certainly one of the most overused trope laden ideas in cinema history.
In my mind it is readily apparent that the most obvious element of this movie in terms of its production is the fact that Richard Curtis is not directing this movie and that Danny Boyle has been enlisted to take the reins which could have been a very good decision but early on it seems like Boyle has little emotional connection to the script. For a rom-com that has heady musical aspirations there really needed to be something unique as well as special for this to succeed which “Yesterday” lacks on almost every level. At its most basic this a movie that concerns the idea that what someone has been looking for has been in front of them the entire time which is a such an overused cliché that for this to be the central idea behind the narrative is frankly insulting as well as juvenile, something Curtis has been doing in film for what seems like his entire career. In fact Curtis as well as Boyle seem intent on hiding this central premise behind doors as well as attempting to disguise the unoriginality of the plot with not only the music of The Beatles but with recasting what may have been a white man with an Indian, increasing the amount of humour to such an extent that the characters portraying this humour seem like outlines of real people and of course casting Ed Sheeran as himself which seems like such a stunt that it is distracting, although maybe that was the point. All in all, as I have stated it seems like this is a movie made for old people, created by old people but with younger actors cast to portray some kind of idealised version that would be palatable to any audience.
This movie revolves around Jack Malik a struggling singer-songwriter from Lowestoft, supported by his manager and childhood friend Ellie. After Jack is hit by a bus during a global blackout, he discovers that no one else on Earth remembers the Beatles. Jack begins performing their songs, claiming he wrote them, and records a demo with local music producer Gavin.
Even though I have an issue with the actual movie there are some performances that are worth praising, in particular I found the performance of Lily James who after a slight stutter to the beginning of her career has recovered nicely to the point that routinely she is often the best part of any movie she appears in, almost always instantly memorable as well as being able to portray very interesting and real characters. Of course, James has to portray a character here who is nothing more than a shadow, a woman who would fit into the late 1990s or early 2000s not a fully formed person who should be seen now. The main character portrayed by Himesh Patel does an admirable job of leading the movie, but he is essentially one note, much like his performances of the music throughout the movie, even the last musical performance on a rooftop (really!) seems one note. As is de rigueur, this movie is peppered with some great character actors in the form of Meera Syal, Sanjeev Bhaskar, Dominic Coleman, Sarah Lancashire, Justin Edwards and import Kate McKinnon, but none really stick as they all seem present to prop up stereotypes and caricatures. Frankly the stunt casting of Ed Sheeran and James Corden seems a reach, unnecessary and a wink to audiences that is not required at all.
This is such a flawed movie that the message if there is one is lost in its own love for what it is doing through a plot that makes littles sense wrapped in a narrative that struggles to know what it is present for. The idea that any kind of media is more important than human life is patently ridiculous, that because some music is absent from the world means that there is a hollowness to life itself is frankly juvenile. This is a movie that also comes from another time, one where Richard Curtis was in his twenties not the age he is now. This is a movie that centres on a fairly ordinary genre idea that is never fully expounded on, that is never analysed, is just accepted by the central character (and a few others) with little other consequence, except for some side scenes and comments regarding Coke and smoking. There is no wider analysis carried out by anyone which renders the plot almost pointless.
That is not to say that if you turn your brain off you will not enjoy the movie but that comes from the fact that it is peppered with Beatles music, to get an audience to have fun with that music is a low bar, to me “Yesterday” belongs in yesterday.
Featuring: Julie Graham, Rachael Stirling, Crystal Balint, Chanelle Peloso, Ben Cotton, Jennifer Spence, Peter Benson, Colin Lawrence and Agape Mngomezulu
Mille:“What criminal doesn’t leave patters? Life is patterns”
Released this month on DVD is the follow up to the excellent mini series “The Bletchley Circle” (2012-2014) which was set in 1952–53, about four women who worked as codebreakers at Bletchley Park. Dissatisfied with the officials’ failure to investigate complex crimes, the women join to investigate for themselves.
This new series entitled “The Bletchley Circle: San Francisco” (2018) is a spin-off of the previous series and follows Millie (Rachael Stirling) and Jean (Julie Graham) as they travel to San Francisco and continue to use their code-breaking skills to solve murders.
This new series covers a wide variety of subjects such as homosexuality, the coming Vietnam War, infidelity, serial killers and of course murder. It also attempts to set the stage in the US of coming events which it does in the clumsiest of ways which is a shame considering it costs little to not only get historical facts correct but to also use the narrative in a smart way.
Where the strength of the series lies, as it did with the original is the way the main characters interact with each other as well as the fact that the actresses are all excellent seasoned as well as being as original as they can be with constraints that exist now as well as those that existed in the time period where this is set. Even though the absence of Anna Maxwell Martin is surely noticeable as she is one of the bigger English television stars going today the fact that Julie Graham and Rachael Stirling are along for the ride more than helps cover the gap that Martin creates. As well as acting as an anchor for audiences to relate to from the previous series both Graham and Stirling are great actresses who like Martin are mainstays of English television. In particular Graham who has been acting for over four decades knows exactly who she is playing as well as what kind of show she is in and adjusts her performance for the genre, that is a historical who done it. Of course, the same thing can be said for Stirling but of course she is playing a slightly different version of her character that is less three dimensional than Grahams.
The new setting in San Francisco does open the narrative up as well as give audiences something very different to submerge themselves in as the show has been moved forward somewhat with the loss of a character. It does also mean that it is more natural to move on with brand new characters and situations that would have proven difficult if the setting had remained in the UK. The stories have not been perfect as some of the social commentary can feel like it is shoe horned in, but overall I really enjoyed this new series, not only that it has been renewed for another season which means any deficiencies should be ironed out given time and reflection.
Episodes:
Presidio: 1942, London, England. Code-breaker Claire Hopkins, on the eve of being transferred to Bristol after purposely disposing of an American communication, is found murdered with her tongue cut out and a mysterious symbol drawn on her hand. Fast forward fourteen years, and former colleagues Millie and Jean learn of the murders of two women in San Francisco in identical circumstances. Jean and Millie travel to San Francisco to try to make contact with a former American codebreaker, ‘Major Sixth’, whom Jean had been in regular communication with during the war. Jean learns that ‘Major Sixth’ is in fact Iris Bearden, wife of honoured US Armed Forces sergeant Marcus Bearden. Iris introduces Jean and Millie to Hailey Yarner, one of the youngest codebreakers at the time of the Americans joining the war. As the four women meet to try and work out the killer’s pattern, a third victim is discovered and Iris begins to fear for her son, Dennis, a civil rights activist, who is part of a group opposing property developers bull-dozing their district, Fillmore—which just happens to be the killer’s next target.
Wake: With San Francisco in the grip of a serial killer, the four allies work together to expose a sinister conspiracy at the highest levels – and in the process, forge a powerful bond.
Charlotte’s Web: Newly-weds driving on a country road find a body, apparently the victim of a hit and run. She was the unhappy wife living the country club life. Iris, Millie, Jean and Hailey investigate the discovery of an apparent code book, and discover a nest of lies and deceit.
Madhouse: The apparent code book isn’t what it seems to be, but it still provides clues. Detective Bryce makes an arrest and Millie has a date.
Not Cricket: When a bloodied and bruised stranger collapses on Jean and Millie’s doorstep, they find themselves drawn into a complex maze of problems involving a gang of violent drug dealers and a secret homosexual cult operating out of the newspaper small ads. But as they try to figure out how the two organisations could be connected, Millie’s cousin Edward becomes the next victim. As she and Jean stake-out the drug dealers’ secret hideout, Millie is shocked to witness Detective Bryce leasing with their leader.
Iron in War: Unsure of who they can really trust, Jean and Millie are shocked to discover they are facing deportation, and suspect that Detective Bryce may have been instrumental in ensuring their fate. Hayley tries to convince her former boss to place a further ad in the newspaper in an attempt to flush out the dealers. As the gang manage to convince Rusty to help them, the two warring factions finally meet during a showdown at the Big Bop club.
Fog of War: Iris and Hayley’s attendance at a soireè involving a world-renowned cellist ends in unexpected disaster when a Russian diplomat collapses and dies right in front of Iris’ eyes. Meanwhile, Jean is pleased to discover than an old acquaintance from England, Nigel Beamish, is in Vancouver working for the British consulate. But after meeting Nigel for a romantic afternoon picnic, Jean discovers she has picked up the attention of some unwanted admirers.
In for a Pound: Iris, Hayley and Millie ask Olivia for help cracking the cipher which could potentially reveal where the Russians are holding Jean. Hayley realises she has been betrayed and watches on in horror as her cipher machine disappears in the arms of the mysterious Ilyia. Iris is forced to choose between her head and her heart when the girls track the Russians to a private airfield and find that Deborah has secretly been in league with them all along.
Featuring: Ally Walker, Robert Davi, Julian McMahon, Roma Maffia, Peter Frechette, Erica Gimpel, Caitlin Wachs, Jamie Luner, Dennis Christopher, Michael Whaley, Shiek Mahmoud-Bey, Heather McComband and Traci Lords
John Grant:“We don’t have a lot of time here, Dr. Lawson. So if you’ve got a theory, I want to hear it.”
Dr. Samantha ‘Sam’ Waters:“You want a “theory”? You’ve got Chinese food in the refrigerator, you like your women in heels, your scotch straight, and yourself definitely on top.”
Released this month on DVD are the first two seasons of a mid-nineties television show that may have seemed forgotten especially in this age of peak TV but actually “Profiler” (1996-2000) was an obvious precursor to many of the series we see now especially on network channels that espouse lead characters with dark pasts with a touch of dark violence. It is possibly of no surprise that this show also arrived on screens at roughly the same time as ‘X-Files’ creator Chris Carters shorter lived (and even darker) “Millennium” (1996-2000).
“Profiler” was an American crime drama that aired on NBC from 1996 to 2000. The series follows the exploits of a criminal profiler working with the fictional FBI Violent Crimes Task Force (VCTF) based in Atlanta, Georgia.
Ally Walker starred as profiler Dr. Samantha Waters during the first three seasons (1996–99), and was later replaced by Jamie Luner as prosecutor-turned-profiler Dr. Rachel Burke during the show’s final season. The series also featured the great character actors Robert Davi, Roma Maffia, Peter Frechette, Erica Gimpel and Julian McMahon who played parts that had or would portray very archetypal roles that would be very familiar to audiences that were fans of the serial killer genre.
The series centred around Dr. Samantha “Sam” Waters (Ally Walker) a forensic psychologist working for the FBI’s Violent Crimes Task Force based in Atlanta, Georgia. She has a unique gift to “see” through the eyes of others which gives Sam a special insight into the workings of the criminal mind. While she performs all of her duties diligently, her real motive lies in a both professional and personal tragedy years earlier in which her husband was murdered by a serial killer known only as Jack of All Trades. Sam is part of an elite team of pros led by her mentor, Bailey Malone (Robert Davi), also in support were Detective John Grant (Julian McMahon), computer hacker George Fraley (Peter Frechette), and forensic pathologist Grace Alvarez (Roma Maffia).
Other characters included Michael Whaley playing Nathan Brubaker who appeared throughout season one; a detective who was a former defense attorney. Shiek Mahmoud-Bey played Marcus Payton in season two who was an FBI agent skeptical of Sam’s methods. A Martinez, who had previously worked with Ally Walker on the NBC daytime serial Santa Barbara, appeared occasionally in the first and second seasons playing Nick Cooper, an ATF bomb disposal expert who was Sam Waters love interest, who was later murdered by Jack. Heather McComb appeared frequently in the first and second seasons as Frances Malone, the wayward and rebellious teenage daughter of Bailey Malone. Traci Lords appeared throughout the second season playing a violent ex-convict named Sharon Lesher, who became the serial killer Jill of All Trades after she was recruited by Jack.
Episodes:
Season One:
Insight: Dr. Samantha “Sam” Waters, a brilliant forensic psychologist with a unique gift for understanding the criminal mind, was a forensic psychologist with a special skill which enabled her to “think” in pictures and visualize a crime through the eyes of both the victim and the killer, until “Jack,” an admiring serial slayer, murdered her husband three years ago, leaving her devastated. Guilt-ridden, Sam retired and retreated with her young daughter, Chloe, to live an anonymous life at a friend’s in the country. She is coaxed out of self-imposed isolation by her old friend Bailey Malone, head of the FBI Investigative Support Unit, to assist in solving a baffling spate of weekend serial killings that have claimed the lives of several single women in Atlanta, GA.
Ring of Fire: Sam Waters joins the newly formed Violent Crimes Task Force (VCTF), based in Atlanta and led by her mentor, Bailey Malone, and assisted by detectives John Grant and Nathan Brubaker, forensic specialist Grace Alvarez, and computer hacker George Fraley, to probe a string of well-publicized arson fires in the Deep South, until her anonymity is shattered by her murderous, unseen stalker, Jack-of-All-Trades. As a result, Sam is forced to move with her daughter Chloe and her best friend, Angel, away from their country house, while she uses her skills to compose a profile of the self-destructive arsonist before he strikes again.
Unholy Alliance: Sam investigates a series of murders which bear striking similarities to the methods of a killer whom Bailey put in prison 10 years earlier. Sam suspects that the real culprit is still free, and through her gifted insight, she finds clues in the ancient I Ching art of divination that lead her to a high-ranking military officer who may be protecting the killer.
I’ll Be Watching You: Sam, Bailey and John must find a twisted assassin before he kills a celebrated political candidate. The clues lead them to a famous pop singer, named Morrisa (Tuesday Knight), who is also targeted by the stalker. But Sam is distracted by new evidence that could locate her own murderous stalker, “Jack-of-All-Trades.” Relying on audio clues from a recording that he leaves, the hopeful FBI agents zero in on a Baltimore church which they believe to be Jack’s lair, only to find the place cleaned out and a message from Jack saying he will be coming after Sam.
Unsoiled Sovereignty: A series of bomb blasts at power plants draw Sam, Bailey and the rest of the task force to Pittsburgh, where Sam meets a charming ATF bomb squad dismantler, named Nick Cooper, and the flirtatious pair quickly form a romantic bond. Even so, their primary focus remains on targeting a deranged man, with an obsessive fetish for cleanliness, who targets Grace as his liaison between the authorities, while he is working on a masterwork blast to poison the city’s water supply in just hours.
Modus Operandi: When the twisted, serial killer, Jack-of-All-Trades, murders a kindly neighborhood fix-it man, Sam discovers a pattern: her unseen tormentor is leaving messages to her through his victims, all of whom had some connection to her. As Sam agonizes over her slain acquaintances, her new beau Cooper and Bailey try to comfort and protect her. But they can’t watch her all the time: unlike Jack who sets out to antagonize her more when he targets Cooper.
Night Dreams: Sam, Bailey, Grant and Brubaker race the clock to track a serial kidnapper who curiously abducts a wide range of women from a college co-ed to a senior citizen. Based on his ritualistic clues, Sam deduces that they have only hours before the victims are executed. While in pursuit, agent John Grant is wounded during a shootout with the abductor, and the trail cools off until Sam gets an unlikely break when she finds a stripper who survived an attempted kidnapping. Meanwhile, Sam’s daughter, Chloe, continues to have recurring nightmares about being accosted by a mysterious man, whom Sam discovers that she witnessed Jack of All Trades killing her husband that day.
Cruel and Unusual: Sam and the team investigate a series of bizarre killings whose victims were connected to the trial of a charming murderer on death row sentenced to die within days. One of her prime suspects is a love struck protester who leads a candlelight watch outside the prison while appeals are filed to halt the execution. Elsewhere, the unseen serial killer and master of disguises, Jack-of-All-Trades, assembles a roulette wheel with pictures of the entire VCTF unit: and one spin will determine his next victim.
The Sorcerer’s Apprentice: When Native American chiefs are ritually murdered on an Arkansas reservation, Sam, Bailey and Grant tiptoe around local suspicions and superstitions as the locals blame a 1,000-year-old spirit, the Nacazanti, and a perplexed Sam consults a tribal wise man to narrow the list of suspects. Back in Atlanta, the unseen Jack-of-All-Trades steals Bailey’s FBI identification card and uses it to entrap and kill a woman, and frame Bailey for the murder.
Shattered Silence: The separate kidnappings of two high-profile doctors and the evidence left behind leads Sam to believe that the prime suspect is a patient with an incurable medical condition who is driven to take desperate measures. Meanwhile, Bailey is riddled with guilt when he develops a mutual attraction with the wife of one the missing men. Also, the unseen Jack-of-All-Trades continues his quest to isolate Sam by targeting Agent Brubaker and terrorizes him by dropping his jalopy on him while he’s fixing it.
Doppelganger: Sam interrogates inmate Arthur de Rhodes, a serial killer whom she put in a prison for the criminally insane six years earlier, over a recent murder of an elderly man from poison gas inhalation that bears striking similarities to his modus operandi. However, when another murder occurs, Sam wonders whether the culprit could possibly be the clever de Rhodes, or a copycat killer. All bets are off when de Rhodes eventually escapes, and no one is safe, especially Sam. Meanwhile, the unseen Jack of All Trades now begins to target and terrorize Angel to drive her away from Sam.
Learning From the Masters: When a series of murder victims are found arranged in elaborately staged tableaux, Sam, Bailey and the team deduces that the killer is replicating famous artworks with their lifeless forms. Her investigation plunges her into the avant-guard art world until she accidentally strays into the killer’s lair, where he takes her hostage and prepares to use her for his latest three-dimensional “masterpiece.” Meanwhile, the unseen, clever serial killer Jack of All Trades has compromised the team’s vital computer system by hacking in and planting various viruses to offset Sam even more. Also, Sam tries to spend more quality time with Chloe when work takes her away.
The House that Jack Built: When Jack of All Trades, the inventive but frighteningly elusive serial killer stalking Sam, continues to toy with members of the VCTF team and their families, Bailey orders everyone into the task force’s bunker-like command center (Angel and Chloe, Grace’s husband, George’s Partner, and Brubaker’s brother) as they scramble to devise a trap to ensnare Jack. Since their technologically brilliant quarry delights on eavesdropping and seeing them almost everywhere, the frustrated team uses Sam and Grant as bait to try to flush Jack out into the open. Unsuccessful on two times, they trace a hit man hired by Jack to his lair which is a children’s Catholic orphanage where Jack again escapes, but is forced to leave his lair and processes behind.
Shadow of Angels: Parts 1 & 2: Sam and the VCTF team investigate a series of bizarre murders where the victims are either crushed or strangled with silver coins. As the killings become more violent, Sam puts the evidence together to conclude that the killers are linked to a recluse millionaire named Charles Vanderhorn who may know the identity to the killers. Meanwhile, Sam and the rest of the team get a lead on the elusive Jack of All Trades when a man named Austin Keller, who has the suspicious nature of Jack, is identified, but he flees by plane to Costa Rica. In Costa Rica, Samantha and the VCTF team finally capture Austin Keller who they suspect is Jack. Upon arrival back in Atlanta, Samantha continues to investigate the Vanderhorn murders as well as seeking solace with Coop over the recent events. But Samantha is not sure if Austin Keller is Jack of All Trades, or an insane wannabe. Samantha then finds herself as a mediator in a hostage situation when the last surviving killer of the quartet of Vanderhorn killers is holed up in a TV station with Charles Vanderhorn as his hostage.
Film at Eleven: Sam and the task force probe a series of ghastly murders which are carefully videotaped and sent to TV newsrooms by a vigilante who announces that the crimes are righteous retribution against guilty people who slip through the judicial system. When a young Brooklyn woman is kidnapped and thought to be alive, Sam, Bailey and John accelerate the investigation to former law students with strong opinions about crime and punishment. Meanwhile, Grace secretly takes a leave when she realizes that she’s pregnant. Also, the unseen Jack of All Trades is revealed to be alive and settled in another lair while continuing to spy on Sam and tapping her phone line.
Crisis: Carl Zaun, a zealous anti-nuclear scientist leading a cadre of steely commandos, capture a banquet room full of Washington D.C. brass, and vow to kill them unless the President agrees to meet their demands to ban nuclear weapons. Sam tries to negotiate when they take her hostage as well. While Bailey, Cooper and John debate what to do, Zaun and a few surviving terrorists escape and are cornered in an airplane hangar, where a desperate Sam tries to “profile” the anguished scientist, hoping to find a common bond that might save both their lives. In the meantime, Bailey learns that his estranged, 17-year-old daughter, Francis, has run away from the home of his ex-wife in Baltimore and lands in jail for robbery. Also, when a nun of the orphanage that Jack of All Trades formerly resided at, recognizes him one day in a store from the scent of his special aftershave, he stalks and kills her.
Blue Highways: Sam and the VCTF investigate a series of fatal hit-and-run auto accidents on remote highways where the only clues are abandoned car hulks, a pattern which leads Sam to suspect a trucker who is reliving a traumatic accident from his childhood. Meanwhile, George is mugged and nearly killed in a video store holdup. Elsewhere, Bailey feels responsible for not being around when Francis begins cutting school and hanging out with a rough crowd. Also, Angel is very appreciative when John speaks to her art class and a romance develops between them.
FTX: Field Training Exercise: The task force comes under intense scrutiny when the FBI suspects that an insider is selling covert information. Bailey agrees to a mock field training exercise designed to root out the mole, where he learns that one of the agents, Art Behar, has a personal grudge against him for being involved with Behar’s ex-wife, Ellen. When one senior investigator, Ed Portero, is found murdered in the command center, Sam tries to profile which one of the team’s edgy members might benefit the most from trading FBI secrets. Meanwhile, Grace goes public with the news that she’s pregnant, and Nathan stands at the crossroads of the future of his bumpy marriage with his lawyer wife Michelle.
Into the Abyss: A burned-out Sam takes somber note of a psychic-turned-author, Elliott Wykoff, whose cooperation with police in solving serial murders has taken a heavy toll on his emotional stability. But worst of all, he’s targeted by a serial killer intent on putting him out of his misery. Meanwhile, John chafes under Bailey’s strict policy and hard-nosed code of secrecy. When John gets an offer to re-join the Atlanta police, he accepts. Also, Bailey has more problems at home when he attempts to rein in the trouble-prone Francis.
Venom: Parts 1 & 2: Sam, Bailey, Grace, and Nathan are taunted by a diabolical female serial killer who prefers to use a variety of exotic poisonous animals, (tree frogs, spiders, snakes, etc.) to kill her victims, while providing her pursuers with cryptic clues to her next murder. Meanwhile, John, now back working for the Atlanta police, arrests Francis during a drug raid and tries to talk some sense into her. A frustrated Bailey is further irritated by the arrival of a sexy private investigator named Christine Logan, who tries to aid the VCTF, but it’s the unit’s chief nemesis, a jealous Jack of All Trades, who ironically can help the most when he sends fax messages to Sam of clues to the killer’s identity. Also, Bailey asks Cooper to replace John on the team while Brubaker decides on a transfer. Sam figures out the identity of the so-called ‘venom killer’ as Robin Poole when a victim, suffering from sea wasp jellyfish stings, disappears from the hospital and it was Robin impersonating a victim. John and Cooper travel to Arkansas to investigate Robin’s origins for her murderous lifestyle. Bailey takes drastic measures to curb the carousing Frances by deciding to send her to a reform school, in which she shoots him with his own gun. John debates the future of his intimate relationship with Angel and they both agree to split up. After a few taunts, Jack strikes again, first by framing the FBI and VCTF by impersonating an agent and beating up a few suspects, and then abducts both Sam and the ‘venom killer’ Robin Poole, and taunts the VCTF by filming it on an Internet web site.
Season Two:
Ambition in the Blood: As Bailey clings to life in an Atlanta hospital following the shooting, Sam and the team are forced to take on a high profile case involving an international serial killer. The murderer, Ashok Dupree, has escaped from a prison in Calcutta, India and comes to the U.S. for the purpose of killing a celebrity, so that he too can become world renowned. While working to bring the killer to justice, Sam must convince herself and the overzealous Atlanta Police Department Captain Lou Handleman that she is innocent of the murder that Jack actually committed. Also, John decides to return to the VCTF, and Bailey’s daughter, Frances, now on the run as a fugitive, contacts John to check on her father’s condition.
Primal Scream: The VCTF is called in to investigate the seemingly random murders of four people beaten to death during a rainstorm. Sam and the team consults with a psychologist who informs them of a syndrome where people become extremely violent in response to certain types of weather. The clues lead to a construction worker afflicted with the seasonal disorder. Meanwhile, Sharon Lesher (Traci Lords), a young felon is released from prison and is met by her pen pal, Jack, whom he takes back to his lair and it becomes clear this is the beginning of an “unholy alliance.” Also, Bailey laments the fact that the police plan to charge Frances with attempted murder once they determine her whereabouts.
It Cuts Both Ways: The VCTF is summoned to New Orleans when the murder of a research librarian has the markings of a Jack kill. Sam is perplexed by what appears to be inconsistencies with Jack’s prior modus operandi. It turns out that Jack-of-All-Trades is wreaking havoc with his new lethal partner-in-crime, Sharon Lesher, who becomes Jill-of-All-Trades. Meanwhile, Bailey meets his new boss, Art Behar, who threatens to shut down the VCTF since he still holds a grudge against Bailey for dating his ex-wife. Also, George is confronted by his past misdeeds when a corrupt attorney asks him to use his computer hacking skills to embezzle funds from a local bank.
Second Best: When a hospital is the target of a bombing attack, the VCTF is called in to investigate. They are dealing with a highly skilled explosives expert who obviously has an agenda in mind. Bailey summons Cooper to Atlanta to assist with the case. His return is awkward for he and Sam as they have previously ended their romantic relationship. With Frances finally in custody, Bailey must deal with her legal problems as the prosecutor sees her case as a stepping stone for political office and is determined to see her do jail time for shooting her father and fleeing prosecution. Meanwhile, George also faces difficulties as he continues to be pressured by an old acquaintance to embezzle funds from a local bank. This “pressure” becomes threats of violence when the guy’s muscle, the mysterious Marcus Peyton (Shiek Mahmud-Bey), turns out to be an undercover policeman. Coop manages to capture the bomber, only to be abducted by Jack and killed by his lethal companion, Jill, who are impersonating ambulance workers.
Power Corrupts: The VCTF team is on the trail of a serial killer in Chicago who seems to be taking aim at people he deems corrupt. Jim Henegar, the Chicago detective investigating the murders, is reluctant to relinquish control of the case, and he becomes a hindrance to Sam and the team. The evidence leads to a judge, MacGruder, whose son was corrupted in one way or another by the three victims. At the same time, Bailey, who is still healing from the shotgun wound inflicted by his daughter, receives an unexpected phone call from Frances, who is still on the run and whom he tries to persuade to return home, to no avail. Also, the still-unseen Jack angrily rips down his wanted sketch posters from post offices and sends the VCTF a package that includes his own artistic self portrait made from the hair and teeth of his past victims.
Old Acquaintance: At Christmas time, still recuperating from Coop’s death at the hands of the serial killing couple Jack-and-Jill-of-All-Trades, Sam decides to attend a college reunion. There, Sam and Angel reunite with friends Colleen, Drew, Greg, Monica, Tracy, and Roy. An enjoyable holiday gathering quickly becomes a nightmare when Colleen is murdered and all the evidence points to Colleen’s husband Drew, whom Sam never liked. Soon another friend, Roy, is murdered, and then Drew himself. Back in Atlanta, Sharon (a.k.a. Jill-of-All-Trades) strikes out on her own and murders a lingerie shop clerk. The team investigates and starts to make headway. When Sharon learns of Jack’s obsession with Sam, she sets out to kill her.
Jack Be Nimble, Jack Be Quick: Still investigating the reunion killer, Sam determines that one of her friends, Greg or Monica, is the likely killer. With the VCTF hot on his trail, a wounded Jack escapes to his lair to recuperate from being shot. In attempting to pursue Jack, as well as the killer of her friends, Sam begins to wonder if it’s all becoming a bit too overwhelming. Meanwhile, Frances attempts to give herself an 18th birthday ‘present’ by seducing John. The plan fails and John calls Sam to help him take the ever-rebellious teen home to her father. Bailey asks Marcus Peyton to join the VCTF team and he accepts, to John’s dismay. The team finally corners Jack at a convalescent home where he has gone to get painkilling drugs for his gunshot wound. But Jack hides in a body bag of one of the deceased residents and makes another clever escape.
Victims of Victims: When a North Carolina murder occurs that bears all the markings of an unsolved serial case from 1957, Sam and the VCTF team investigate and discover a fingerprint not previously detected. This enables the team to I.D. the killer, who turns out to have committed suicide prior to the most recent murder. Sam talks to a writer who researched the original case and learns of a young boy who claimed to have witnessed one of the crimes. Meanwhile, Jack (whose real name is finally revealed as Albert Newquay) recuperates from his gunshot wound at the Maryland home of his wealthy but equally deranged mother Miriam. With Jack gone, Sharon redecorates his lair by eliminating all traces of Sam. Also, Sam’s in-laws come to town to see Chloe perform in a school play and are angered when Sam is unable to attend. Her absence results from Grace going into labor while the team investigates a crime scene. Sam helps Grace deliver her baby boy and the team later celebrates the newest ‘member’ of the VCTF.
Birthright: A killer’s belief he was switched at birth leads him to kill those he feels stole his identity. Two men, born at the same time and in the same hospital as the killer, are brutally murdered. Sam and the team are called in once the link between the two victims is established. Evidence leads the team to an insane woman who believes her baby was switched at birth. The woman swears the badly-deformed baby she was given in the hospital was actually the child of someone else. She was never able to prove that charge, and unfortunately for the baby given to her, she was a cruel and abusive parent. Meanwhile, Jack reverts back to his old murderous form when he kills his mother’s butler when he learns the man has been following him at his mother’s behest. Also, Sam is concerned about Chloe when she feigns being sick in order to miss school. The problem is revealed to be that Chloe has to write an essay on her parent’s occupation and she’s afraid to talk about her mom’s secret job.
Dying to Live: Two men are killed, and in both instances, their organs are delivered to hospitals minutes before they are needed for transplant surgery. Sam and the team profile the murders and determine their suspect is someone who was probably an organ recipient in the past. Now, he is returning the favor by providing organs for people with his same rare blood type. Meanwhile, Art Behar, Bailey’s boss, sets him up to take a fall in a witness tampering scandal. But John, Marcus and George find evidence that clears Bailey and nails Behar once and for all. Elsewhere, Jack becomes displeased when he learns Sharon has struck up a friendship with the friendly proprietor of a local news stand. Jack kills the man, and angrily asserts Sharon that “he” is her one and only friend. Also, Chloe is followed by a man who is revealed to be a private investigator hired by Sam’s in-laws.
Ties that Bind: Ritualized murders are occurring in Atlanta and in neighboring states. The victims are stabbed and their homes are vandalized with gang-like graffiti. The VCTF is called in and focuses on the son of two of the victims. Further investigation reveals that the son is under the influence of a “Heaven’s Gate”-like cult. Sam goes undercover to infiltrate the cult. Meanwhile, Frances continues to cause discord between John and Bailey by claiming that John seduced her. Sam’s former mother-in-law continues to object to her raising Chloe and resorts to legal matters to gain permanent guardianship of her. Also, Jack sends Jill out to kill Sam’s former mother and father-in-law. But she backs out at the last second and flees Jack’s custody which proves damaging when Sam and the VCTF finally learns Jill’s true identity.
Shoot to Kill: Ohio’s cities are being terrorized by a seemingly random sniper. On the scene, Sam, Bailey and the rest of the team are perplexed by the sniper’s ability to shoot from increasingly long distances. This ability reminds Bailey of an elite task force he encountered while serving in Vietnam. Bailey obtains from his secret intelligence source Casper, the names of the task force members. Sam uses clues left at the crime scenes to put together a profile that suggests the sniper is trying to create his own mythology, much like the Archer in Greek literature. Meanwhile, John and Bailey look into Lou Handleman, who has tried to discredit John by using Frances. But when they attempt to arrest him, Handleman resists and accidentally shoots himself. Also, Jack travels to Aurora, Illinois to find the runaway Sharon in her home town to bring her back… or kill her.
Bloodlust: The dead bodies of badly beaten men are being found in the Boston metropolitan area. Sam and the team quickly surmise these men were involved in some sort of deadly, ultimate, bare-knuckle fighting match. Searching local hospitals, they find a participant in one of the fights. Sam is able to put together from talking to him and researching the backgrounds of the victims, that all were desperate men in need of money. All the men have a bookie in common and the team eventually gets this man to confess his role in the murders. To catch the fight’s mastermind in the act, John goes undercover as one of the fighters.
Every Five Minutes: Sam, Bailey, Grace and the VCTF are called in to investigate a serial rapist terrorizing the Florida panhandle. The victims are able to provide the team with a number of clues which Sam uses to form her profile of the assailant. In the midst of the investigation, Sam butts heads with a local female sheriff, Anita Pessoa, who continuously criticizes the VCTF’s handling of the case. Sam confronts Pessoa and eventually learns the woman was once a rape victim herself. Back in Atlanta, John and Marcus get a hot tip on the fugitive Sharon Lesher. Desperate for cash, she has made it known on the street that she is looking for Jimmy Coniglio, one of her old partners in crime who betrayed her in which she was sent to prison four years ago for an armed robbery that Jimmy actually committed. John and Marcus plan to use Jimmy to capture Sharon in a sting operation.
Breaking Point: Bill Porter, a desperate father, kidnaps Sam’s roommate, Angel, in a last-ditch effort to save his son from the electric chair. Porter’s son Scott has recently been convicted of murder committed during a robbery. The father believes his son was an innocent bystander and wants Sam and the VCTF to prove it by interrogating the two suspects who were suspected in the robbery. Also, Jack plots to break Sharon out of prison first by tapping into the prison’s blueprints to know the building.
Lethal Obsession: Sam and the VCTF investigate the “prime time kidnapper”, a madman who has a pathological need for media attention and projects his mania onto an attractive but terrified local TV anchorwoman, Nikki Ware, whom he wants to exclusively cover the prisoner exchanges. Meanwhile, Sam worries about what’s really behind her daughter Chloe’s reluctance to perform in the children’s ballet. Also, the murderous Jack-of-All-Trades makes plans for the release of his imprisoned Jill/Sharon, by killing a prison guard and planning to impersonate him.
Cycle of Violence: A series of vigilante ax murders of abusive husbands leads the Sam, Bailey and the rest of the VCTF team to an eccentric and reclusive cartoonist, named Evie Long, whose work has apparently influenced the killer. Meanwhile, Sam finally confronts the imprisoned Sharon Lesher (Jill of All Trades) and tries to solicit her help in finding and identifying Jack. But Sharon is very hostile and refuses to cooperate, knowing Jack will eventually try to break her out of the prison, while Sam tries to convince Sharon that Jack intents to kill her to prevent her from talking. Also, Sam becomes nervous when she plans to receive an award from the American Association of Women in Law Enforcement.
Die Beautiful: Sam and the VCTF are invited to an ongoing investigation on the murder of a teen beauty who was killed a year ago, and no arrests have been made. Bailey and the team first think the parents of the first victim did it. But they find a killer on death row with matching breaking and entering techniques, but Sam thinks the convict didn’t kill his victims. Meanwhile, Bailey’s budding romance with Ellen Behar makes his ever resentful daughter, Frances, more than a little jealous. Sam tries to give more confidence in Chloe who resents her school friends being better looking than she. Also, the still unseen Jack of All Trades escalates his harassment of Sam by mailing her a ghoulish board game detailing his next move.
The Root of All Evil: Parts 1 & 2: In the two-part season finale, the team tries to catch a diabolical killer determined to take revenge on people who are so blinded by their love of money that they can’t see the repercussions their actions have on the other side of the world, starting with the setting off of incendiary car bombs outside a wealthy business office. The game between Jack and VCTF begins with Sharon as bait to lure Jack to the prison so they can catch him. But Jack has other plans. Meanwhile, Sam pays a visit to her long estranged father for the first time in 10 years. As she struggles to both deal with her father and the elusive avenging killer still committing bombings across the country, she soon makes the final connection to the killer in order to catch him. Also, Bailey goes to extremes for Frances’s future when she’s accepted into a prestigious college in Boston, but is forbidden to leave Atlanta as a condition of her parole.
Featuring: Lupita Nyong’o, Winston Duke, Shahadi Wright Joseph, Evan Alex, Elisabeth Moss, and Tim Heidecker
Adelaide Wilson:“They look exactly like us. They think like us. They know where we are. We need to move and keep moving. They won’t stop until they kill us… or we kill them.”
Talk about a great follow up to an amazing debut, Jordan Peele has written, produced and directed one of the great films of 2019 (so far), although I do expect “Us” (2019) to be eclipsed this year as this is going to be a good time for genre movies. What, for me, is fantastic is that this is a good old fashioned genre film that exudes many of the specific tropes that make this genre, horror, one of the best ways to not only view society but to physically see the choices people make in their lives to ether help or hinder others. Peele was half of the great US sketch comedy duo “Key & Peele” (2012 – 2015) along with Keegan Michael-Key who after their big screen movie, the excellent comedy “Keanu” (2016) (which Peele co-wrote) have gone their own way, each doing very different things. Keegan Michael-Key seems to have decided to appear in a variety of films in some roles that are a departure from what we are used to. On the other hand Jordan Peele basically seems to have poured himself into making genre projects that began with the Oscar winning “Get Out” which means he has been onscreen infrequently – but this has paid huge dividends as he has created some truly riveting movies, possibly extending back into the television world with his reboot of the classic anthology show “Twilight Zone” (2019), which we can only hope will be as special. While “Get Out” wore its political and social commentary out in the open, this new movie does something a little different by having not only layers onscreen but within the plot and narrative as well. This is indeed a look at society as a whole as well as race in the post-Obama America, which is still needed now that there has been an open racist in the White House for the past few years.
I have made the point before but the past ten years has been a bonanza for genre movies, especially horror, not only does there seem to be more being produced than ever before, especially with the advent of cheap film making equipment, more quality filmmakers entering the genre as well as more production companies realising there is money to be made, especially with the increase in online streaming services. This is where Jason Blum and his Blumhouse production company has entered the market finding a cost/revenue model that works for them, partnering with a major distribution partner in Universal and not limiting itself to theatrical projects, but also partnering with Netflix. In fact this year alone Blumhouse will be releasing eight movies as well as other projects over other mediums.
“Us” begins in 1986, young Adelaide Thomas vacations with her parents in Santa Cruz. At the beach, Adelaide wanders off and enters a funhouse, where she encounters a doppelgänger of herself in the funhouse’s hall of mirrors. In the present day, a now adult Adelaide heads to her family’s beach house in Santa Cruz with her husband Gabe Wilson and their children, Zora and Jason. On their first evening, a strange family of four appears in the driveway of the beach house. Gabe attempts to intimidate them, but they attack him and break into the home. The Wilsons realize that the four intruders are doppelgängers of themselves, led by Adelaide’s double, Red. Red, the only doppelgänger capable of speech, tells the Wilsons the story of a girl who lives a happy life while her shadow suffers.
With this new film “Us” Peele has constructed something that needs to be deconstructed in order to really appreciate the work he has done on this genre movie, as this is no slap dash follow up. I could not help but feel that Peele is indeed the ‘real deal’ when it comes to becoming a true auteur of the highest calibre, we have seen his like in decades. Even in the opening few minutes of the film, Peele is making statements about the media, the recent past, our recent news as well as how different society was thirty years ago, in the United States especially, but also in the Western World. The first section of the film is set in 1986 at the holiday location of Santa Cruz, where we open on a television advertising the ‘hands across America’ which was set up as a fundraising initiative to raise money for hunger and homelessness. On either side of the TV set are videos from movies of the day such as “The Goonies”(1985), “The Right Stuff” (1983), “A Nightmare on Elm Street” (1984) and possibly the most important reference for the plot of this new film, “C.H.U.D.” (1984) as well as a host of others that offer some insight into this movie as well as some of Peele’s obvious favourites. There is so much more that could be analysed that it would spoil the film itself but I will mention a few highlights below which are, for me, key to understanding how this film operates as well as how Peele has invested it with meaning from the opening statement to the closing credits.
Firstly the framework which Jordan Peele is operating under is interesting as it is obvious that he has either researched or is himself interested in the sub-culture of the paranormal, as well as abstract theories in the realm of conspiracy theories. “Us” has a statement at the outset that refers to the hollow earth theory, which basically states that there is some sort of world beneath our world where a variety of beings inhabit. Adelaide in the movie talks about coincidences that occur throughout the movie, this is something paranormal people talk about as ‘synchronicity’, which is a Jungian term that holds that events are “meaningful coincidences” if they occur with no causal relationship yet seem to be meaningfully related – Jung used the concept in arguing for the existence of the paranormal. It is no coincidence that Jung is mentioned, as his psychological theories inhabit this movie from top to bottom as they do for almost any genre film or television series. Secondly the cinematic influences are abundant in this film from “The Goonies” to “The Matrix” (1999) to any of the ‘Body Snatcher’ movies to the entire ‘doppelgänger’ sub-genre to a variety of horror as well as comedy movies, but the key is that this has been influenced by them to create something that is wholly original as well as reflective of the times we live in now, both good and bad. An example of this is Adelaide at the beginning of the film wins a t-shirt that has Michael Jackson from his ‘Thriller’ video on it which could not be more relevant than it is today with the controversy surrounding it. This proves that humanity is not an easy thing to talk about at any time, with many people having opinions on Jackson especially after the recent HBO documentary that legitimised the fact that Jackson was a paedophile of one sort or other. I do not think Peele is taking a side, he is simply offering another point of view as well as surmising that we are all complicated people with many faces that we mostly hide, until one or more is revealed to the masses. This is where the duality comes into effect which this film deals with on multiple levels, including but not limited to the idea of tethering which almost everyone is to not only their doppelgängers but also to each other, relationships play an important part in “Us” which is proven throughout. Look at how the two families on vacation are, not only with each other but between their respective tribes, one is black, the Wilsons, one is white, the Tyler’s. They have known each other for some years, they are linked through familiarity and know each other well, but they are not really suited to each other, in fact like the doppelgängers of the story they are tethered with on obviously being better off than the other. In this case just look at the Tyler’s situation they have an expensive modern house, car, boat, clothes, technology and much more. Now look at the Wilson’s they have the same belongings but it is either broken, out of date or not on brand, we see the stark differences when the Wilsons attempt to get assistance from the Tyler’s halfway through the film with some humorous use of voice activated assistance technology. I was curious as to each families politics which is not stated but iu have the feeling that the Tyler’s were Trump supporters and like his Presidency that no matter what they did, everything turned out well for them no matter the mistakes they make, except of the course until they meet their own opposites.
The other element that links into the duality of the film are the rabbits which permeate the narrative, especially towards the end when Adelaide must descend to the underworld where there are innumerable rabbits lurking escaped from their cages. There is a ‘Alice in Wonderland’ where Adelaide is led by a rabbit to a sort of ‘looking glass’ world except this is a warped world that for our main character is not all it seems to her. The rabbits for me are a link to the slavery that African Americans have endured, as the rabbits begin they are caged but when the revelations are made about the doppelgängers we see that they as well as the rabbits are free, or are they as social as well as economic realties’ still keep them controlled, which is not far from where they are in todays modern realities. If there is any proof required of that one need only look at incarceration statistics to see the reality of that. As with the rabbits there is the reoccurrence of a referenced to a Bible verse, Jeremiah 11:11, throughout which like the rabbits hints at something bigger which I will not go into here as there needs to be some surprises for viewers.
From these brief examinations audiences can see there is a lot going on with “Us”, there even more which I will not cover here as it is a treat to view this film to find hanging strings to pull on for yourself, this is obviously a film to go and see as soon as possible.
Of course as much as there is going on within the film there needs to be actors that understand the film they are appearing in as well as their roles and how they fit into the overall narrative, especially one this deep. All of the performances are excellent from the children right up to the adults. Interestingly the actor with the most experience is Elisabeth Moss who appears in a supporting role and who as usual is revelatory in the dual part she plays. However it is Lupita Nyong’o who appearing in her first lead role ever (remember Nyong’o has an Oscar already) as Adelaide in a dual role that is the star as well as the most amazing person in this film, she has been in many supporting parts but talk about a coming out party. Nyong’o plays Adelaide with all the duality that is required as well as playing Red with subtly and scariness that makes me think of some of the best performances in the horror genre ever. The performance at times made me think of Sigourney Weaver in “Aliens” (1986) as well as Sissy Spacek in “Carrie” (1976) and Mia Farrow in “Rosemary’s Baby” (1968). If ever a performance was worthy of an Oscar nomination it is Lupita Nyong’o as Adelaide/Red.
“Us” for me is easily the film of the year so far; it is extremely well put together from Jordan Peele who has brought together great filmmakers who should all be proud of the film they have produced. The acting talent should all be proud as well as they have constructed characters that are all individualistic and three-dimensional and have the added complexity in that they have to also portray their own doppelgängers. To be honest I could write and write about this film but it should be seen as soon as possible on the big screen, and when it is released on Blu-ray it should be added to any library.
