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Monthly Archives: May 2020

JEFFREY EPSTEIN: FILTHY RICH (NETFLIX )

Based on the book by James Patterson, John Connolly and Tim Malloy. You had to inhabit another planet to be unaware of the salacious sensationalism dumped upon a universe that thrives on the felonies of the staggeringly wealthy; Jeffrey Epstein, a billionaire bum, finally held libel for his egregious sex trafficking and personal gratification from underage girls. The mini series ... Read More »

INHERITANCE (ON DEMAND) & OTHER MUSINGS

At times, a pungently preposterous premise, can momentarily, erase the ennui of monotony; especially in the third month of Covid incarceration. Director Vaughn Stein’s “Inheritance”, despite minimal sense and maximum implausibility, held my interest; performances by Lily Collins and Simon Pegg save viewers from a quagmire of anesthetized boredom. Lily, District Attorney “Lauren Monroe”, inherits a skimpy portion of her ... Read More »

THE PAINTER AND THE THIEF (NORWEGIAN & ENGLISH) HULU

Benjamin Ree’s idiosyncratic portrait of two disparate individuals whose karmic, destined paths collided and blended into an unlikely love story; a documentary revolving around the theft of two paintings by Czech artist Barbora Kysilkova, cautiously removed from a gallery wall in Oslo, and one of the captured thieves, drug addicted Karl-Bertil Norland; as a painter Barbora looks beyond the surface; non-judgmental, ... Read More »

RECKONING (NETFLIX) 10 EPISODES

An Australian psychological thriller,  inventively twisted, freakishly fabulous, starring Aden Young as driven, compulsive detective, “Mike Serrato”; his lust for the capture of a serial killer, a fiend with a tattoo fetish (he excises his victims tattoos), creepy in spades; creepier is that detective Serrato has replications of these scarrings tattooed on his body, as reminders of the slaughtered women; ... Read More »

THE GREAT (HULU)

Here is a comedic jewel, poetic license on steroids; a contemporary interpretation of questionable historical veracity, creator Tony McNamara (co-wrote “The Favourite”) has the time of his life with Elle Fanning (also a producer) as the inimitable coup mistress, Catherine the Great (1729-1796); Fanning is stupendous as a naïve teenager, with fanciful romantic aspirations, bulldozed precipitously on her wedding night; ... Read More »

BORDERTOWN: SEASON 3 (FINNISH: ENGLISH SUBTITLES) NETFLIX

When it comes to detectives, it is all about style; the crime solver has to be more fascinating than the crime; we savor their repeated series, lapping up their techniques, uniquely indigenous to each detective: Sherlock, Poirot, Morse, Foyle, Mrs. Fisher, Fletcher, Luther, Bosch (see past reviews, my avidity for master sleuths is staggering); “Bordertown’s” “Kari Sorjonen” is a detective, ... Read More »

CAPONE (ON DEMAND)

Unquestionably, Tom Hardy is the quintessential method actor in contemporary film, rivaling, at times resembling, Marlon Brando; from his 2001 debut in “Black Hawk Down”, “The Dark Night Rises”, “Mad Max”, “The Revenant” (Academy Award Nominee), “Dunkirk”, “Legend” and my most preferred “Locke”, a tour de force, rarely and exquisitely witnessed. In this revolting, scatological, rendition of Al Capone’s (1899-1947) ... Read More »

PAIN & PLEASURE: “I KNOW THIS MUCH IS TRUE”: HBO; “DEN OF THIEVES”: NETFLIX

Author Wally Lamb’s 1998, novel “I Know This Much is True” was so poetically profound that unlike most prominent best sellers, never becomes diaphanous, continues to resonate with the strength of a pen, perpetually pulsating with precociousness; distinctive, unrivaled characters, sear with extraordinary, painful authenticity; an unprecedented examination of the human condition; a soaring analysis, triumph of man’s capacity to ... Read More »

BOLLYWOOD BOMB: FORCE 2 (HINDI: ENGLISH SUBTITLES) NETFLIX. BOSCH BONANZA (AMAZON PRIME, NETFLIX)

“FORCE 2” is a limpid, crystalline, imitation of potent “Force One”; a second chance for hunky, handsome John Abraham to recreate his role of outlier, law enforcement officer, “Yash”, teamed with Captain KK (Sonakshi Sinha) to excavate a mole in India’s Budapest Embassy. Glorious glitz saves director Abhinay Deo’s film from placid anonymity; the action scenes fall into the “Kill ... Read More »

TWO STUNNING SERIES ON MAN’S RELATIONSHIP WITH A HIGHER POWER “HERRENS VEJE” (RIDE UPON THE STORM) DANISH: ENGLISH SUBTITLES. NETFLIX

From time’s commencement man has perpetually sought a deity or deities beyond his limitations; a force, willingly recognized as a power to be emulated, worshipped, lauded on a plane mortals can only aspire to; many who attained divine status were men among men: Buddha, Jesus. “Herrens Veje” is one of the finest series I have viewed in recent years; pulsating ... Read More »

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