What I'm watching in December 2022:

12/31/22 The Swimmers (Netflix)

12/30/22 White Noise⭐ (Netflix)

12/29/22 About Fate (Amazon Prime)

12/26/22 My Grown-Up Christmas List (Hallmark)

12/25/22 Undercover Holiday (Hallmark)

12/24/22 Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan, Season 3⭐ (Amazon Prime)

12/23/22 Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery⭐ (Netflix)

12/23/22 Christmas with You (Netflix)

12/22/22 Top Gun: Maverick⭐ (Paramount+)

12/22/22 A Bad Mom's Christmas (Netflix)

12/21/22 1923 (Paramount+ series, episode 1)

12/20/22 The Recruit (Netflix series)

12/18/22 If These Walls Could Sing (Disney+)

12/18/22 The Apology (AMC+)

12/17/22 I Believe in Santa (Netflix)

12/16/22 Black Adam (HBO Max)

12/15/22 Banshees of Inisherin⭐ (HBO Max)

12/14/22 National Treasure: Edge of History, Season 1 (Disney+, In Progress)

12/13/22 Pelosi in the House⭐ (HBO Max)

12/12/22 Lady Chatterley's Lover (Netflix)

12/12/22 The White Lotus, Season 2 (HBO Max series)

12/11/22 Emily the Criminal (Netflix)

12/11/22 A Royal Corgi Christmas (Hallmark)

12/10/22 #XMAS (Hallmark)

12/09/22 Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio⭐ (Netflix)

12/08/22 Amsterdam (HBO Max)

12/07/22 Wednesday (Netflix series)

12/06/22 The Lady from Shanghai

12/05/22 Mrs. Harris Goes To Paris⭐

12/05/22 Bullet Train (Netflix)

12/04/22 Sr.⭐ (Netflix)

12/03/22 Dead to Me, Season 3 (Netflix)

12/01/22 A Hollywood Christmas (HBO Max)

The Banshees of Inisherin

— A dark tale of a friendship that’s soured on a desolate island off the coast of Ireland in the 1920s. Hurt, anger, and meanness flow like water as the emotional, hazy story unfolds in a line from love to vengence. It’s a film that looks good, feels right, and evolves to a perfect end. Having Colin Ferrell and Brendan Gleeson in the lead roles helps, as does having Martin McDonagh writing and directing. [HBO Max streaming.]

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[2022. 114 min. Directed by Martin McDonagh. Starring Colin Farrell, Brendan Gleeson, Kerry Condon, and Barry Keoghan.]
https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/the-banshees-of-inisherin-film-review-2022

Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio

— A lovely tale told by a really good storyteller. It’s nice to see good stop-motion animation after so many CGI-heavy tales, and Guillermo del Toro’s variation is unusual enough to have you sometimes smiling and sometimes gasping at his audacity. It’s darker than Disney, but every bit as stunning. I don’t think it’s exactly a children’s film but, in the end, it is about imperfect fathers and imperfect children, life and death, authoritarianism, and everyone’s ability to make a difference in the world. It doesn’t hurt to have Ewan McGregor in a very prominent voice role and, in smaller roles, the likes of Cate Blanchette, Christoph Waltz, Tilda Swinton, and John Turturro. I really liked this film. [Netflix streaming.]

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[2022. 157 min. Directed by Guillermo del Toro. Voice Starring Ewan McGrego, David Bradley, and Gregory Mann.]
https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/guillermo-del-toros-pinocchio-2022

Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris

— The synopsis of this senior Cinderella story sounds like a run-of-the-mill 1950’s comedy or a 1970’s romcom. It’s about a British cleaning lady who, on seeing a Dior gown in an employer’s closet, decides she must have one of her own. It could easily have relied on a tried-and-true formula for success, but this is a charming story of dreams, love, values, and maybe a little karma. In the end, it feels like an anthem for unseen women, for the common man, and for invisible workers, as well as for the core similarities we all share. [Peacock streaming.]

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[2022. 155 min. Directed by Anthony Fabian. Starring Lesley Manville, Isabelle Huppert, and Lambert Wilson.]
https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/mrs-harris-goes-to-paris-movie-review-2022

Sr.

— “Sr.” is a pretty offbeat and free-flowing look at Robert Downey Sr. and Robert Downey Jr. relating to each other while making a documentary about their relationship, with Sr. loosely gathering footage at the same time and making his own film. Conversations, clips from other films, and reminiscences manage to come together, painting a look at life, generations, art, death, and acceptance. If you’re looking for an odd documentary, this may be one to sample. [Netflix streaming.]

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[2022. 89 min. Directed by Chris Smith. With Robert Dopwney Sr., Robert Downey Jr., Paul Thomas Anderson, Sean Hayes, Norman Lear, and Alan Arkin.]
https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/sr-movie-review-2022

What I'm watching in November 2022:

11/26/22 The Noel Diary (Netflix)

11/18/22 The Wonder (Netflix)

11/17/22 The English⭐ (Amazon Prime)

11/17/22 Dead to Me⭐ (Netflix, Season 3 in progress)

11/16/22 Tulsa King (Paramount+, in progress)

11/14/22 Falling for Christmas (Netflix)

11/12/22 The Crown⭐ (Netflix, Season 5)

11/10/22 The Good Fight⭐ (Paramount+, 6th & Final Season)

11/08/22 Don't Worry Darling (HBO Max)

11/05/22 My Policeman (Amazon Prime)

11/02/22 The Good Nurse⭐ (Netflix)

11/02/22 Blacklight (Amazon Prime)

11/01/22 The White Lotus (Season 2) (HBO Max series, in progress)

What I'm watching in October 2022:

10/26/22 I Used To Be Famous (Netflix)

10/25/22 The Patient (Neflix series)

10/23/22 Last Seen Alive (Netflix)

10/17/22 The Watcher (Netflix series)

10/16/22 Memory (Amazon Prime)

10/13/22 The Outfit⭐ (Amazon Prime)

10/08/22 Luckiest Girl Alive (Netflix)

10/03/22 Downton Abbey: A New Era

10/02/22 DC League of Super-Pets (HBO Max)

10/01/22 Interview with the Vampire (AMC+ series, in progress)

10/01/22 The Mighty Ducks: Game Changers (Season 2) (Disney+ series, in progress)

10/01/22 Travelin' Band: Creedence Clearwater Revival at the Royal Albert Hall (Neflix)

What I'm watching in September 2022:

09/29/22 Thor: Love and Thunder (Disney+)

09/28/22 The Duke

09/27/22 Dog (Amazon Prime)

09/25/22 Lou (Neflix)

09/25/22 Do Revenge (Neflix)

09/24/22 Wanted (Neflix)

09/23/22 Father Stu (Neflix)

09/21/22 Dopesick⭐ (Hulu)

09/15/22 The Good Fight (Paramount+, final season in progress)

09/14/22 The Patient (Neflix, Season 1 in progress)

09/09/22 Only Murders in the Building⭐ (Hulu, Seasons 1 & 2)

09/09/22 Moonfall (HBO Max)

09/06/22 Abbott Elementary⭐ (HBO Max, Season 1)

09/03/22 Partner Track (Netflix, Season 1)

09/02/22 Elvis⭐ (HBO Max)

What I'm watching in August 2022:

08/28/22 The Old Man (Hulu)

08/27/22 Me Time (Netflix)

08/26/22 Samaritan (Amazon Prime)

08/19/22 Orphan First Kill (Paramount+)

08/19/22 Candy Jar (Netflix)

08/18/22 Look Both Ways (Netflix)

08/16/22 Belfast⭐ (HBO Max)

08/14/22 Day Shift (Netflix)

08/13/22 Secret Headquarters (Paramount+)

08/12/22 Licorice Pizza⭐ (Amazon Prime)

08/11/22 My Life As a Rolling Stone, Episode 1⭐ (Amazon Prime)

08/09/22 All Together Now (Netflix)

08/08/22 Uncharted (Netflix)

08/07/22 Thirteen Lives (Amazon Prime)

08/06/22 Honor Society (Paramount+)

08/05/22 Wedding Season (Netflix)

08/03/22 Purple Hearts (Netflix)

08/02/22 Virgin River⭐ (Netflix, Season 4)

08/02/22 Uncoupled (Netflix, Season 1)

What I'm watching in July 2022:

07/26/22 Along for the Ride (Netflix)

07/19/22 Persuasion (Netflix)

07/17/22 Love Accidentally (Amazon Prime)

07/16/22 SkyMed (Paramount+, Season 1)

07/15/22 Deep Water (Hulu)

07/15/22 The 355 (Amazon Prime)

07/14/22 All American (Netflix, Season 4)

07/11/22 Marry Me (Amazon Prime)

07/08/22 The Terminal List (Amazon Prime series)

07/07/22 The Boys (Amazon Prime, Season 3)

07/05/22 House of Gucci (Amazon Prime)

07/04/22 Stranger Things (Netflix, Season 4)

House of Gucci

— I missed “House of Gucci” when it was released in late 2021, but it’s now on Amazon Prime and worth seeing with all its flaws. Ridley Scott's an able director and the cast is certainly a good one. It roughly follows the story we think is true, but you can’t help but wonder if it’s more dramatic or less dramatic than the real thing; trashier or not as trashy; a result of the times, or money, or of the natural disposition of some men and women. It walks a line so you sometimes wonder if you’re watching a realistic portrayal or a campy parody. It’s a little long and the emotional transitions come too quickly and are jolting, but let’s face it, it’s Lady Gaga and Adam Driver and Al Pacino and more—how could you not see the story through? [Amazon Prime streaming.]

---

[2021. 158 min. Directed by Ridley Scott. Starring Lady Gaga, Adam Driver, Al Pacino, Jeremy Irons, and Jared Leto.]
https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/house-of-gucci-movie-review-2021

Stranger Things (Season 4)

— Less than a week after Season 4 became available, "Stranger Things" crossed the 1 billion hours viewed mark. That’s less of a surprise if you watched the final two episodes since they’re a staggering 3 hours and 44 combined minutes. Remember when episodes were 48-52 minutes to fit network programming? Episodes in season 1 of “Stranger Things” averaged 49 minutes and in season 2 they averaged 50 minutes. They edged up slightly in season 3 to 55 minutes, but in season 4 the average running time jumped to 79 minutes and it took almost 13 hours to view the 9 episodes. This is a case of unnecessary bloat made even worse since I think the word count per episode probably didn’t change much, only the moments of dark brooding, bloodletting, frightening sounds, and excessive use of special effects. Granted, it’s a complicated story line, with a battle taking place in an alternate dimension, but with groups at two different locations in our dimension, with different plans and different obstacles to overcome. Adding to the complexity, with each season, the cast of characters grows. Really, when you have a monster Vecna and the Demobats already in the script, couldn’t they kill off a few more characters and their related plotlines to spare us a final episode in the 5th and final season that runs 3-4 hours! In spite of everything, I watch each new season and find myself sucked into Hawkins, Indiana, with its penchant for invading monsters. I enjoy seeing Millie Bobby Brown and Winona Ryder, and I enjoyed season 4, even if there were times when I wished some of the special effects budget had gone toward hiring an editor willing to cut some of the effects and some of the “atmosphere.”) [Netflix streaming.]

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[2016-2022 . 4 seasons, 35 episodes, 41-139 minutes/episode. Created by Matt and Ross Duffer. Starring Winona Ryder, Millie Bobby Brown, David Harbour, Finn Wolfhard, Gaten Matarazzo, Caleb McLaughlin, Natalia Dyer, Charlie Heaton, and Joe Keery.]
https://www.rogerebert.com/streaming/stranger-things-4-tv-review

What I'm watching in June 2022:

06/29/22 Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (Disney+)

06/28/22 All American (Netflix, Seasons 2 & 3)

06/26/22 To All the Boys—P.S. I Still Love You (Netflix)

06/25/22 The Man from Toronto (Netflix)

06/25/22 To All the Boys I've Loved Before (Netflix)

06/24/22 My Fake Boyfriend (Amazon Prime)

06/24/22 Out of the Wild (Amazon Prime)

06/23/22 Obi-Wan Kenobi (Disney+ series)

06/21/22 All American (Netflix, Season 1)

06/18/22 Spiderhead (Netflix)

06/18/22 Jerry and Marge Go Large (Paramount+)

06/17/22 Father of the Bride (HBO Max)

06/13/22 Barry, Seasons 1, 2, & 3 (HBO Max)

06/11/22 No Time to Die (Amazon Prime)

06/09/22 Hustle (Netflix)

06/08/22 Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore (HBO Max)

06/05/22 The Interceptor (Netflix)

06/05/22 The Flight Attendant (HBO Max Season 2)

06/04/22 Top Gun (1986. Netflix, Amazon Prime, etc.)

The Man from Toronto

— A pretty lame action comedy. Kevin Hart plays his usual short, animated, clueless and amiable, buffoon. He ends up joining forces with notorious assassin, Woody Harrelson, playing his usual man of few words, a dark aura, and a wry smile. It’s predictable but there are certainly similar films that are much better. It’s humor usually doesn’t hit the mark. It’s probably not worth your while unless you’re a hardcore Hart or Harrelson fan. [Netflix streaming.]

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[2022. 110 min. Directed by Patrick Hughes. Starring Kevin Hart, Woody Harrelson, Jasmine Mathews, and Kaley Cuoco.]
https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/the-man-from-toronto-movie-review-2022

To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before

— A charming journey that looks at lessons of love, friendship, and family. The lessons learned are the stuff of any decent, romantic, teen coming-of-age film, but the performances and chemistry make this one stand out. I like it’s pace, it’s script, and the way it handled the emotional insecurity that stays with us long past high school. [Netflix streaming.]

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[2018. 99 min. Directed by Susan Johnson. Starring Lana Condor, Noah Centineo, Janel Parrish, Anna Cathcart, and Andrew Bachelor.]
https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/to-all-the-boys-ive-loved-before-2018

Out of the Wild

— Sometimes its nice to watch a modern-day Western and this fill the need. There's nothing flashy about the story of a broken cowboy with a painful past whose last chance comes when takes a job training a troubled mustang at the dude ranch. He finds his way back by helping the ranch's owner, a widow with problems of her own. It's a little corny but the acting is decent, the scenery is soothing, and the road toward healing and aceptable is worth taking. [Amazon Prime streaming.]

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[2019. 98 min. Directed by Paul Krizan. Starring John Diehl, Jean Louisa Kelly, and Benjamin Ashbrook.]
https://thesubtimes.com/2021/10/19/out-of-the-wild-modern-day-western-film-review/

What I'm watching in May 2022:

05/29/22 Toscana (Netflix)

05/28/22 Stranger Things, Season 4, Part 1 (Netflix)

05/27/22 Georgetown (Amazon Prime)

05/23/22 A Perfect Pairing (Netflix)

05/22/22 Bosch, Season 1 of 7 (Amazon Prime series)

05/21/22 Senior Year (Netflix)

05/16/22 The Lincoln Lawyer (Netflix series)

05/14/22 Set It Up (Netflix)

05/13/22 Operation Mincemeat (Netflix)

05/12/22 The Lost City (Paramount+)

05/10/22 Wrath of Man (Paramount+, Amazon Prime)

05/09/22 Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty (HBO Max series)

05/08/22 Outer Range (Amazon Prime series)

05/07/72 Dear Evan Hansen (Paramount+)

05/06/22 The Gentlemen (Netflix)

05/06/22 The Staircase (HBO Max Series, 1-3)

05/05/22 Julia (HBO Max series)

05/04/22 Moon Knight(Disney+ series)

05/02/22 Tokyo Vice (HBO Max series)

05/01/22 Ozark (Netflix series)

Set It Up

— [Netflix streaming.]

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[2018. 105 min. Directed by Claire Scanlon. Starring Zoey Deutch, Glen Powell, Lucy Liu, and Taye Diggs.]
https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/set-it-up-2018

The Lost City

— [Paramount+ streaming.]

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[2022. 112 min. Directed by Aaron Nee and Adam Nee. Starring Sandra Bullock, Channing Tatum, Daniel Radcliffe, Da’Vine Joy Randolph, and Brad Pitt.]
https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/the-lost-city-movie-review-2022

Wrath of Man

— [Paramount+ and Amazon Prime streaming.]

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[2021. 119 min. Directed by Guy Ritchie. Starring Jason Statham, Holt McCallany, Rocci Williams, and Jash Hartnett.]
https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/wrath-of-man-movie-review-2021

Dear Evan Hansen

— This doesn't make the transition from stage to film as well as, say, "West Side Story. It does have Ben Platt reprising his Broadway role and, excellent as he is, he's less likely to be mistaken as high schooler now that he's older and filmed in close-up. Julianne Moore, someone who's always good, gives more depth to her role than other actors seem to bring to their roles. Amy Adams is good and th film's lucky to have her, but this isn't her best role. I enjoyed the film because I enjoy musicals. It brings the play to a larger audience but doesn't add anything to it with a change of medium. [Paramount+ streaming.]

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[2021. 137 min. Directed by Stephen Chbosky. Starring Ben Platt, Julianne Moore, Amy Adams, Kaitlyn Dever, Danny Pino, and Amandla Stenberg.]
https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/dear-evan-hansen-movie-review-2021

The Gentlemen

— With Guy Ritchie directing (and writing and producing), it's no surprise that it’s clever and filled with twists and turns. I not sure I fully liked it but I was interested in how it was done—more like a story told at a campfire than action/crime film, with a it of humor, and almost a bit too much. Quite a cast: Matthew McConaughey, Charlie Hunnam, Hugh Grant, Colin Farrell, Henry Golding, Michelle Dockery… [Netflix streaming.]

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[2019. 113 min. Directed by Guy Ritchie. Starring Matthew McConaughey, Charlie Hunnam, Hugh Grant, Colin Farrell, Henry Golding, and Michelle Dockery.]
https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/the-gentlemen-movie-review-2020

Julia

— If you missed HBO’s 8-episode “Julia,” it’s a wonderful look at the first season of Julia Child’s television show. It’s hard to tackle the role of Julia after Meryl Streep’s incredible performance in “Julia and Julia,” but Sarah Lancashire manages to also embrace Julia’s essence with the help of a great supporting cast that includes David Hyde Pierce and Bebe Neuwirth. It’s a well-done look at a legend and at a pivotal point in history for women, for American culture, and for PBS. It’s even fun to get a glimpse of PBS in the early years and it’s place in the gray area between education and entertainment, when maintaining a distinction between highbrow and riffraff was given more importance. In some ways, it’s a pretty traditional bio-drama without the salaciousness and continual conniving we often see in today’s looks at famous people, but it has humor, warmth, and decency instead. [HBO Max streaming.]

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[2022. 127 min. 8 episodes, each 50-55 min, Created by Daniel Goldfarb. Starring Sarah Lancashire, David Hyde Pierce, Bebe Neuwirth, Brittany Bradford, Fran Kranz, Fiona Glascott, and Rob Levesque.]
https://variety.com/2022/tv/reviews/julia-review-hbo-max-child-1235218037/

What I watched in April 2022:

04/25/22 My Secret Billionaire (Amazon Prime)

04/23/22 A Very British Scandal (Amazon Prime)

04/23/22 A Very English Scandal (Amazon Prime)

04/22/22 The Flight Attendant (HBO Max series 1)

04/21/22 Outer Range (Amazon Prime series)

04/19/22 The Batman (HBO Max)

04/18/22 Anatomy of a Scandal (Netflix series)

04/16/22 Gentleman Jack (HBO Max series 1)

04/08/22 Stars Fell on Alabama (Amazon Prime)

04/07/22 All the Old Knives (Amazon Prime)

04/03/22 Sold Out (Amazon Prime)

My Secret Billionaire

— [Amazon Prime streaming.]

---

[]
https://www.commonsensemedia.org/movie-reviews/my-secret-billionaire

A Very English Scandal

— [Amazon Prime streaming.]

---

[]
https://www.rogerebert.com/streaming/a-very-english-scandal-is-one-of-the-best-things-youll-watch-this-year

A Very British Scandal

— [Amazon Prime streaming.]

---

[]
https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2021/dec/26/a-very-british-scandal-review-claire-foy-is-masterful-as-the-dirty-duchess-out-for-blood

The Flight Attendant

— [HBO Max streaming.]

---

[Season One]
https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2021/mar/19/the-flight-attendant-review-kaley-cuoco

Outer Range

— [Amazon Prime streaming.]

---

[]
https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/the-unforgivable-movie-review-2021

The Batman

— This is a film I ended up respecting, but I wouldn’t say I liked it. This film would win if there was an award for darkest shadows or, maybe, least amount of fill light, but with its dimly lit subjects and murky edges is also an attention to mood that can’t be denied. Coupled with impressive cinematography, it really is beautiful, with some very striking scenes, but its also almost 3 hours long! I’m not really a Batman fan to begin with so that’s a bit long for me. It’s still interesting in that the story was more about the characters than about computer graphics, something that’s not always the case in DC and Marvel films. [HBO Max streaming.]

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[2022. 176 min. Directed by Matt Reeves. Starring Robert Pattinson, Zoe Kravitz, Jeffrey Wright, Colin Farrell, Paul Dano, John Turturro, Andy Serkis, and Peter Sarsgaard.]
https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/the-batman-movie-review-2022

Anatomy of a Scandal

— [Netflix streaming.]

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[2022. 6 episodes, each 43-48 minutes. Created by David E. Kelley. Starring Sienna Miller, Rupert Friend, and Kate Woodcroft.]
https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2022/apr/15/anatomy-of-a-scandal-review-none-of-these-characters-speak-like-human-beings

Gentleman Jack

— [HBO Max streaming.]

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[2019. Two Seasons—8 episodes/season, each 45-55 minutes. Created by Sally Wainwright. Starring Suranne Jones, Sophie Rundle, Jessica Baglow, Tom Lewis, Rosie Cavaliero, Gemma Jones, and Timothy West.]
https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2019/may/19/gentleman-jack-review-suranne-jones-bbc

Stars Fell on Alabama

— Fairly innocuous romcom reminiscent of Hallmark’s fare. A Hollywood agent returns to his hometown for a 15-year high school reunion. Rather than suffer the humiliation of being found as mate-less, he asks an up-and-coming star he represents to pose as his girlfriend. As expected, sparks fly, the ruse becomes difficult to maintain, an old girlfriend and an old boyfriend simmer the pot, and things boil over that reunion dance, ending in a kiss and the likelihood of bliss thereafter. [Amazon Prime streaming.]

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[2021. 103 min. Directed by V.W. Scheich. Starring Ciara Hanna and James Maslow.]
https://decider.com/2021/04/12/stars-fell-on-alabama-hulu-review/

All the Old Knives

— An acceptable espionage film involving Henry and Cilia, two ex-lovers and CIA agents who haven’t seen each other in eight years. Cilia moved away following a hijacking that ended in the loss of all aboard and was credited to an extremist. Years later, it’s determined a mole within the FBI helped the hijackers and Henry is charged with finding the mole, with Celia at the top of the suspect list. The story unfolds through flashbacks to the original event interspersed with a footage of Henry and Cilia’s present-day meeting that is a mix of a former lovers’ reunion at a restaurant in the wine country and an interrogation to find the mole. At times, the jumps back and forth in time are a little too frequent, but it’s still an interesting story and a decent script, told by competent actors . It’s also almost a throwback to traditional spy films since it’s more slowly paced than today’s typical spy and superhero fare, something I think is a good thing. [Amazon Prime streaming.]

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[2022. 101 min. Directed by Janus Metz. Starring Chris Pine, Thandiwe Newton, Laurence Fishburne, and Jonathan Pryce.]
https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/all-the-old-knives-movie-review-2022

Sold Out

— A layered, soft-edged, textured look at a musician who seems to have missed his shot, mired in the drudgery and responsibilities that envelop so many of us as adulthood takes hold. It has the look and feel of an indie film, but a good one, and an attention to character development thanks to a decent script. [Amazon Prime streaming.]

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[2021. 91 min. Directed by Tim Dahlseid. Starring Sam Bardwell, Kelsey McMahon, and Bruce Bohne.]
https://filmthreat.com/reviews/sold-out/

Death on the Nile

— Agatha Christie knows how to write a murder mystery, but bringing one to the big screen seems to be a hit or miss proposition. Kenneth Branagh’s “Death on the Nile” fits into the "near miss” category. It does start with great promise, telling the origin story of Hercule Poirot's mustache! Honestly, it’s a nice piece of filmmaking before the opening credits, but once we move to the main story, its disappointing. Arnie Hammer, who is capable of acting, isn’t very convincing as someone who passionately loves Gil Gadot. Luckily, no one would think Gadot was googly-eyed over Hammer either—there's just no chemistry between them. Hammer in particular is sometimes overly melodramatic while the rest of the actors in the scene are less exaggerated. The whole film feels crisp, angular, and sanitary, more like graphics from a video game than a murder mystery. There are also incredibly irritating camera angles, sometimes underwater and coming to the surface, sometimes shooting floor-level and looking up at a speaker. That said, it’s certainly an all-star cast with Letitia Wright standing out as the sultry blues singer and the always good Annette Benning good again. [HBO Max streaming.]

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[2022. 127 min. Directed by Kenneth Branagh. Starring . Starring Kenneth Branagh, Arnie Hammer, Gil Gadot, Tom Bateman, and Annette Bening.]
https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/death-on-the-nile-movie-review-2022

What I watched in March 2022:

03/30/22 Death on the Nile (HBO Max)

03/28/22 Bridgerton (Netflix, season 2)

03/21/22 The Gilded Age (HBO Max series)

03/22/22 Good Girls (Netflix, season 4)

03/19/22 Rescued by Ruby (Netflix)

03/18/22 Windfall (Netflix)

03/14/22 The Protégé (Amazon Prime)

03/12/22 Joe Bell (Amazon Prime)

03/11/22 The Adam Project (Netflix)

03/09/22 The Tourist (HBO Max series)

03/09/22 Summer of Soul (Disney+ and Hulu)

03/05/22 Drive My Car (HBO Max)

03/04/22 The Royal Treatment (Netflix)

03/02/22 West Side Story (HBO Max and Disney+)