Tag: Drama

Luke Cage (Netflix)

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NOTE: This review contains MILD SPOILERS for the series.

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Pops (Frankie Faison) talks with Luke Cage (Mike Colter)

Intro

Do YOU need a hero?  You may have seen Luke Cage (Mike Colter, in a breakout role) as the V strong FWB of the title character in Marvel’s Jessica Jones last year. The events of this series occur about a year afterwards. Luke has been working in Pop’s Barbershop in West Harlem and generally keeping a low profile. When a pretty single mom/law student takes an interest in him, Luke thinks he’s NOT good enough.  Pop (Frankie Faison) says that Luke is “hiding” from relationships and has so much potential.  He could be “out there helping people.”

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Show creator Cheo Hodari Coker with Colter

Characters

It turns out that Luke is NO ordinary man, striving to make rent. He has bulletproof skin (thanks to an experiment which we learn about later in the series).  Luke is a man of FEW words, BUT we get to know some verbose (and well-developed) villains is this show.  There is owner of The Paradise club, Cornell “Cottonmouth” Stokes (Mahershala Ali from House of Cards), a man who speaks well, dresses impeccably, yet is prone to violent outbursts.  He is a noted gangster who has stayed clear of the law.  His older cousin, Mariah Dillard (veteran actress Alfre Woodard), is a calculating councilwoman who is trying to stay clear of her grandmother’s criminal legacy.  However, she is NOT against using the manpower/money which Cottonmouth can provide. 

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Detective Misty Knight (Simone Missick)

Aside from Mariah, there are several other capable, single, professional black women in the story. (HOW rare/refreshing is that!?)  Det. Misty Knight (Simone Missick) flirts w/ Luke at The Paradise when we first meet her, BUT she’s not looking only for fun.  She has been staking out the club to get some concrete evidence against Cottonmouth.  Later in the series, I was esp. glad to see nurse Claire Temple (Rosario Dawson- also guest star in Daredevil).  Inspector Priscilla Ridley (Karen Pittman) plays a smaller (yet pivotal role). 

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Luke walking with Claire Temple (Rosario Dawson)

There are several characters w/ different jobs and backgrounds (white, latino, black) who operate in shades of gray.  They are trying to make money easily, protect themselves, etc.  Go see the show (don’t want to reveal TOO much here)! 

Diversity in MANY forms is built-in on this show.  Luke’s landlady (Connie) and her hubby are Chinese immigrants operating a restaurant.  Claire’s (Latina) mother is played by Sonia Braga, an internationally-renown veteran actress originally from Brazil. (HOW cool is that!?) Braga co-starred in Kiss of the Spider Woman (w/ William Hurt and Raul Julia) in the ’80s; younger viewers may know her as Samantha’s gf in SATC.

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Cottonmouth (Mahershala Ali) is one of the fascinating villains on the show

Setting

Yes, this show is set in West Harlem, which serves as a character in itself.  We also get to learn about some of its history (MOST of which I didn’t know about).  This info is  passed on via the characters in the story, so (in MOST cases) it seems organic.  

Doctor Strange (NOW PLAYING)

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NOTES: This is a SPOILER-FREE review.  If you go see this film, wait to see the mid credits scene (which I caught), as well as the end credits scene (which I missed). 

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One of the first things I learned re: this film (via social media outlets) was re: the casting controversy of Tilda Swinton, which drew accusations of whitewashing, as the character is portrayed as a Tibetan man in the source material.  Director/writer Scott Derrickson wanted the Ancient One to be an Asian woman, but felt that it would be perceived as exploiting Asian fetish and “a fanboy’s dream girl.”  He decided to cast a non-Asian actor in the role, but to still take the opportunity to cast “an amazing actress in a male role.”  He thus wrote the role of the Ancient One especially for Swinton, feeling that she was the obvious choice for such a mystical and mysterious role. One proposed reason for the change is that a movie featuring a Tibetan character will not be acceptable in China (a very important foreign market). Hmmm… What do YOU think about this?

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I’m very excited about that spiritual dimension. It’s something that’s been a huge part of my life. I meditate a lot, that’s a huge tool in trying to calm myself, get away from the crazy circus of it all, have a focused mind as well as be a kinder, considerate person in the world.  –Benedict Cumberbatch

The Batch was the MAIN draw for me (as well as  other non-comic book or regular Marvel fans)!  I was VERY interested when I found out he was cast.  It was cool to see Chiwetel Ejiofor (Mordo), as well as Benjamin Bratt (Jonathan Pangborn) from Law & Order.  Cumberbatch has an American accent for this role (which is quite good); his voice is deeper and his physicality is different (from what we’re used to seeing in previous roles).  He embarked on a strict training regimen by working w/ a personal trainer, drinking protein shakes and eating double his usual amount of calories.  Yes, there is a shirtless scene where we see the result.  On Jimmy Kimmell Live, Cumberbatch exclaimed: “I worked out for seven months!” 

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…the humour comes from the fact Strange thinks he can crack one liners but can’t.  It was meant to be awkward.  The audience I saw it with got that and were laughing away.  -IMDB reviewer

He tries to make a joke that almost intentionally falls flat, and the comedy is in the awkwardness (the non-reaction that he gets from people).  -Charlie, Emergency Awesome

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It has a very psychedelic grounding, and most of the work is about other dimensions. –Ben Davis, cinematographer, re: Disney’s Fantasia (1940)- one of the visual influences for this film

In a time when special effects usually cover up for weak screenwriting, I think this is a film where the SFX are another character and actually help tell the story. -IMDB reviewer

Doctor Strange is “a solo origin story” (as Charlie, host of YouTube’s Emergency Awesome channel says in his review.)  I agree w/ him that there is “an underdeveloped villain” (Kaecilius, played by Mads Mikkelson), but “a great set-up.”  If you’re NOT a comic book fan, do go see it anyway, b/c ALL the actor’s performances are great!  Even though Rachel McAdams doesn’t have a BIG role, she does a good job here as Dr. Christine Palmer (who has a complicated relationship w/ Dr. Stephen Strange). As for Asian representation, that comes mainly in the form of British-Chinese actor Benedict Wong (recently seen in The Martian).  He is a librarian/warrior who is NOT amused by Strange’s jokes. 

The Escape Artist (2013) starring David Tennant

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NOTES: This is a SPOILER-FREE review.  The original BBC version was shown in three parts (an hour each). The version shown in the US on PBS was edited to two parts (90 minutes each), which is the one I saw.

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You do not know how you will react to the law, until the law happens to YOU.

The premise is VERY interesting, yet as the tale goes on, it becomes less and less believable.  The tension created and acting are the main reasons to check it out.  You will find parallels to Cape Fear.  Game of Thrones fans will be pleased to see Anton Lesser (Maester Qyburn) and Kate Dickie (Lysa Arryn).

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David Tennant (who gets to use his own Scottish accent) is in the lead role of Will Burton, a  successful 38 y.o. barrister (lawyer who can go to trial) and devoted family man (w/ a wife, played by Ashley Jensen, and young son).  Tennant’s face is very expressive, esp. the eyes, and he makes the legal talk sound like second nature.  I esp. liked the interactions w/ the child actor who played his son.  Tennant and Jensen have great chemistry as marrieds, too. 

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Will has been voted as the #1 junior barrister under 40 in London; he is congratulated by clerks and fellow barristers at the (private) firm where he works.  In the #2 position is Maggie Gardner (Sophie Okonedo), a woman who respects Will but has a long-time professional rivalry with him.  Okonedo is an actress that should REALLY be more known; she has the ability to be whip smart, strong, and also vulnerable (like Tennant).  Maggie is a BIT surprised when Will decides to take on the case of suspected murderer, Liam Foyle (Toby Kebbell- most recently in the Ben-Hur reboot).

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We learn that Foyle asked his solicitor to request Will, who has never lost a case. As he tells his son’s class at career day, Will believes that “everyone deserves a defense.” However, the details of this particular killing turn his stomach and keep him up late at night.  Also, Foyle is NOT the most pleasant defendant (Kebbell makes a creepy villain), which may turn off the jury.  Check out Season 1, Episode 3 of Black Mirror (Netflix)to see Kebbell’s acting range.

 

The Crown (Netflix): Coming NOV 4th

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Queen Elizabeth II (Claire Foy) wearing her famous coronation jewels , sash, and gown.

The Crown focuses on Queen Elizabeth II as a 25-year-old newlywed faced with the daunting prospect of leading the world’s most famous monarchy while forging a relationship with legendary Prime Minister, Sir Winston Churchill. The British Empire is in decline, the political world is in disarray, and a young woman takes the throne….a new era is dawning. Peter Morgan’s masterfully researched scripts reveal the Queen’s private journey behind the public facade with daring frankness. Prepare to be welcomed into the coveted world of power and privilege and behind locked doors in Westminster and Buckingham Palace….the leaders of an empire await. -Netflix Summary

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Matt Smith, Claire Foy, and John Lithgow

Lead Actors: Claire Foy (Queen Elizabeth II), Matt Smith (Philip Mountbatten, Duke of Edinburgh), & John Lithgow (Sir Winston Churchill)

Supporting Actors: Jeremy Northam, Eileen Atkins, Victoria Hamilton, Harriet Walter, Ben Miles & Alex Jennings

Director: Stephen Daldry

Writer/Producer: Peter Morgan

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Claire Foy as Queen Elizabeth II and the real queen in wedding clothes.

This highly-anticipated series will be available on November 4th. Two seasons with a total of 20 episodes are planned (so far), as noted in Variety.  Daldry was the director of Billy Elliott and The Hours.  In 2006, Peter Morgan wrote The Queen (starring Helen Mirren).

Rather than finding this woman and this predicament less and less interesting it becomes more and more interesting.  The Queen’s story is a good way to examine the modern history of England because she is so intertwined with the British constitution and the British soul. -Peter Morgan

I’m excited to see Foy in a starring role; she was great in the miniseries Little Dorritt.  Matt Smith (best known for Dr. Who) can handle both comedy and drama.  Maybe he will get a chance to do both? And it’s so cool to see the film/stage veteran, Lithgow, in good shape and working regularly!  The official trailer (below) gives us some hint, BUT not too much, re: the crux of the series- how a young woman manages different roles (daughter, queen, wife, and mother).       

 

In This Our Life (1942) starring Bette Davis & Olivia de Havilland

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Poster for the film “In This Our Life”

In the 2012 biography “Barack Obama: The Story” by Davis Maraniss, the author reports that Obama’s mother, Stanley Ann Dunham Obama Soetoro, was named “Stanley” not after her own father, Stanley Dunham, but after Bette Davis’ character in this film. Maraniss says that Obama’s maternal grandmother, Madelyn Dunham, saw the movie while pregnant with Obama’s mother, and she thought the name sounded sophisticated for a girl.

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Roy (Olivia de Havilland) speaks with Parry (Ernest Anderson)- a clerk at her family’s store.

Warner Bros. was named to the Honor Roll of Race Relations of 1942 because of its dignified portrayal of African-Americans in this film. However, scenes in which Ernest Anderson’s character was treated in a friendly fashion were cut for showings in the strictly segregated American South to avoid offending those viewers.

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Impetuous Stanley (Bette Davis) is a stark contrast to her calm older sister Roy (Olivia de Havilland)

This (ahead of its time in MANY regards) film focuses on the Timberlakes, a prominent family based in Richmond, Virginia.  The laid-back patriarch, Asa (Frank Craven), is not as clever or ambitious as his gregarious brother-in-law, William (Charles Coburn).  Asa’s wife, Lavinia (Billie Burke), is in a fragile state, so she keeps to her room most of the time.  However, we’re not told what exactly is the physical issue.  William is head of the Fitzroy lumber business, while Asa is the manager and owner of some shares.  Best Supporting Actress winner for Gone with the Wind, Hattie McDaniel, plays their long-time housekeeper- Minerva. 

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Peter (Dennis Morgan) and Roy (Olivia de Havilland) embrace before he leaves home… for good!

The Timberlake girls (Roy and Stanley) are front and center in this tale; Davis plays the younger sister though she was 8 years older than de Havilland.  Asa complains that Stanley drives too fast.  Minerva is sure that THIS time, Stanley will finally go through w/ her planned marriage, though Roy doesn’t look too hopeful.  Uncle William doesn’t fully approve of her fiancé, who gives legal aid to the poor. 

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Craig (George Brent) gets a polite little kiss goodbye from Stanley (Bette Davis).

Without any warning, Stanley and Roy’s handsome surgeon husband, Peter (Dennis Morgan) run away together.  Roy and Stanley’s lawyer fiance, Craig (George Brent) are left behind to deal w/ the shock and scandal.  (Brent and Davis made MANY movies together over the years.)   However, the honeymoon is VERY short for Stanley and Peter; we see that they are ill-suited to live together.   

Stanley considers herself to be beautiful, though the way Davis is dressed and made-up give off a different image. While live tweeting (@TCMParty) last week w/ some viewers, many noticed that Davis’ mouth was drawn differently than usual and a few of her dresses had loud patterns.  But de Havilland looks lovely and is dressed in demure (yet graceful) styles.  I’m sure this was done purposefully by director John Huston, who was having an affair with de Havilland during this time.  Jack Warner (head of Warner Bros) said: “Anyone could see that . . . it was Valentine’s Day on the set . . . When I saw the rushes I said to myself, ‘Oh-oh, Bette has the lines, but Livvy is getting the best camera shots’.”  Seriously, Davis DOES have the best lines!