My Spy

— Nothing new here. A cute and clever little girl easily outsmarts the buff but inept adult lawman, in this case a CIA agent. There’s a bit of intrigue, the threat of some bad guys, a possible love interest, and enough cuteness and chemistry to do justice to the genre. Watching it you’d swear you’ve seen it before, but you’re probably thinking of one of the similar films you remember with Vin Diesel, or John Cena, or Dwayne Johnson, or Arnold Schwarzenegger or some other inept, overly muscular guy teamed up with an adorable and precocious child. [Amazon Prime streaming.]

---

[2020. 99 min. Directed by Peter Segl. Starring Dave Bautista, Chloe Coleman, and Parisa Fitz-Henley.]
https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/my-spy-movie-review-2020

The Healer

— “The Healer” popped up on Netflix a few weeks ago, three years after its theatrical release. I don’t imagine many people saw it three years ago but, during a time when so many of us are staying at home, I bet I'm not the only one who fell for it sometime in the past month. It’s the story of an electronics repairman whose gambling debt had caught up with him when an unknown uncle enters his life and offers to pay off the debt if he’ll move from England to Nova Scotia. There he discovers every other generation in his family produces someone who can heal the sick, and he's that person for his generation. The film is as enjoyable as many made-for-TV films, except for an occasional, uncomfortable, faith-based feeling to it. At the end of the film, the scales tip too heavily toward declaring God’s hand in healing, not necessarily a bad thing, but in this case about as subtle as product placement, not a good vehicle for God's message in my opinion. [Netflix streaming.]

---

[2016. 113 min. Written and directed by Paco Arango. Starring Oliver Jackson-Cohen, Jonathan Pryce, and Camilla Luddington.]
https://hope1032.com.au/stories/culture/movie-reviews/2020/the-healer-makes-us-wonder-how-wed-handle-jesus-gifts-movie-review/

The Politician (Season 2)

— I know, I know, critics didn’t like season 1 of “The Politician.” I kept quiet it about at the time, but I kind of enjoyed it. When season 2 hit a few weeks ago, I “binged” it, enjoying a guilty pleasure and embracing my inner teen spirit. Yes, it is over the top and if you’re looking for “Glee” redux, you’ll be disappointed, but if campy and funny and darkly satirical are enough, you may like it. I did. Besides, with Ben Platt, Judith Light, Bette Midler, and Gwyneth Paltrow, it has a talented cast. Season one followed Payton Hobart (Platt) as he ran for high school senior class president. Season 2 takes place a few years later with Payton trying to topple an incumbent for a New York State Senate seat. In both seasons the campaign shenanigans and ruthless maneuvering take center stage while everyone has an opportunity to learn a little more about themselves, their moral compass, and the kind of politician they really are. I got a kick out of it, but I wasn’t looking for anything other than some entertainment. [Netflix streaming.]

---

[2019-2020. Season 1: 9 episodes, 429 min. Season 2: 7 episodes, 279 min. Created by Ian Brennan, Brad Falchuck, and Ryan Murphy. Starring Ben Platt, Gwyneth Paltrow, Jessica Lange, Judith Light, Bette Midler, Lucy Boynton, Zoey Deutch, Julia Schlaepfer, Laura Dreyfuss, and Theo Germaine.]
https://www.vulture.com/2020/06/the-politician-season-2-cant-rise-above-its-own-cynicism.html

365 Days

— It’s embarrassing that this film is so popular. It cries out to be described with adjectives like gratuitous, graphic, violent, perverse, abusive, and explicit. I’d add “icky” to the list. This is as close to soft porn as Netflix has gotten, and its popularity has to be the result of sex seen with the kind of fascination we have when driving past an accident. Almost every moment is objectionable. If you’ve avoided it so far, continue doing whatever you’ve been doing to avoid it! [Netflix streaming.]

---

[2020. 114 min. Directed by Barbara Bialowas and Tomasz Mandes. Starring Michele Morrone and Anna Maria Sieklucka.]
https://variety.com/2020/film/reviews/365-days-review-365-dni-1234629333/

Space Force

— . [Netflix streaming.]

---

[2020. 10 episodes. 27-36 min./episode. Created by Steve Carell and Greg Daniels. Starring Steve Carell, John Malkovich, Ben Schwartz, Diana Silvers, Tawny Newsome, and Jimmy O. Yang.]
https://www.rogerebert.com/streaming/netflixs-easy-satire-space-force-is-simply-silly-and-sweet