Lately I've Been Watching...

The latest in my series of mini TV and film reviews, with trailers and 'where to watch'.  

If you have trouble finding where any show/film is available in your country, this is a good site: Justwatch.  Just put the name of the show into the search, and choose your country further down, from the drop-down menu.  It shows where you can stream, buy or rent.  

However... I've found it to be not absolutely up to date at all times.  Sometimes I've had better results simply putting 'where can I watch ***' into the search engine, or going to the programme's own site, if it has one.

If you would like to see more posts, please click here: Lately I've Been Watching.  If you get as far as the bottom, 'Older Posts' will take you to more.

Film: All Quiet on the Western Front

5* plus ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

(Netflix)

Marvellous film.  It's German, dubbed into English.  I haven't seen the original (made in 1930) for years, but the premise is the same - young men, still in their senior year at school, soaking up the propaganda that going to fight for their country in World War One is a fine, honourable pursuit for any young man, and how they will be lauded as heroes on their return.  Only when they get to Northern France and the hell of the Front do they see the reality, and realise they exist as nothing more than dispensable pawns in a game played out by glory-hungry old generals.

Below the trailer is a 2 minute clip called Uniform of the Dead Soldier.  Chilling.

Film: Train to Busan

5* plus ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

(Amazon, Apple, Studiocanal, AMC+, Roku and lots more)

South Korean film dubbed into English, made in 2016 - been meaning to watch it for ages.  Mostly takes place on a high speed train, as a zombie apocalypse breaks out.  It's not just blood and gore; like all good disaster films, it has human dramas running through it.  Gripping, throughout, need to watch it again!  So well made, every scene is a winner.  For those who love zombie films/TV shows, this is one of the best.  First rate.

Series: Gangs of London - Seasons 1 & 2

4.5* ⭐⭐⭐⭐

(US: Amazon, AMC+, Roku.  UK: Sky, Now)

I watched Season 1 when it first came out and loved it, but realised I'd forgotten what it was about by the time #2 aired, so watched the whole thing again from the start.

This is an extremely violent drama about the Wallace and the Dumani families, criminal kingpins who 'own' London.  S1 revolves around who killed the patriarch of the Wallace clan, and who ordered the kill.  Newly recruited into the Wallace/Dumani crew is undercover cop Elliot Carter, who finds it hard to separate one life from the other.  

S1 is by far the best, especially a brilliant episode set in the remote Welsh countryside, where the person who shot Wallace senior finds that you can run but you can't hide, especially not when SAS-style mercenaries have got you in their sights.  In S2, the amount of different gangs and their members became confusing, and the whole thing is so fast paced, with various gang leaders changing their allegiances more often than I change my mind, that I wondered how it will be possible to keep the story fresh in Season 3.  Maybe by thinking of yet more horrific ways to kill people.

S2 gave the impression that the London underworld is huge, far reaching, that the Capital itself is the fiefdom not of king, government and aristocracy, but wealthy Asian and Eastern European gangs, with a little bit of Somalian and Irish for occasional variation.  Sean Wallace, Ed Dumani and Georgian psychopath Koba talk about London being 'theirs', as if the place is nothing to do with England, but merely a deep well of cash and power to be grabbed, and heads to be sliced off.  Bet they've never even been to Madame Tussauds.

Although it's very good, I did find it somewhat depressing to watch 16+ episodes about these ridiculously wealthy, demonic people who murder, maim, steal and destroy to keep their power and riches, most of which are amassed by the trafficking of Class As and weapons.  None of it seemed to make any of them very happy.  The only character I liked was Elliot Carter's dad.  The others were just fiends in human shape.  

Limited Series: The Watcher

4* ⭐⭐⭐⭐

(Netflix)

Based on a true story.  Bobby Cannavale (love him!) and Naomi Watts play a couple who move out of New York into their dream home in the New Jersey suburbs.  Nothing seems right from the start, and only gets worse once they start receiving sinister letters from an anonymous 'watcher', who appears to be obsessed with the house.

It's one of those stories that make you think, come on, you can see that there is some potentially deadly stuff going on here - get out, now!!  Of course, they don't.  The true story is quite a lot different; there's a bit about it HERE.

It's good, I enjoyed it, but the denouement was so frustrating that I took off the extra half star that I would otherwise have given it.  Also stars Mia Farrow.

Film: The Black Phone

3.5* ⭐⭐⭐

(Amazon, Apple, peacock premium)

Horror/thriller, set in the early 1970s, about children that go missing, and the person with the black balloons who abducts them (Ethan Hawke).  The child actors are terrific.  It's good - I wouldn't rave about it, but it's worth watching.

Series: The Devil's Hour

2.5* ⭐⭐⭐

(Amazon)

Irrelevantly titled, almost - it refers to the hours between 3 am and 4 am when main character Lucy Chambers (Jessica Raines) always wakes up.  The story is nothing to do with the devil, as is implied by this title, by the trailers, the first few episodes, etc.  It's actually about living your life over and over again so that you can stop bad stuff happening, but there is never any explanation about why the Peter Capaldi character (Gideon) who does this, manages to.  So it's all a bit silly.  

Lucy is irritating on just about every level, but especially when she's talking to her disturbed son as if he's a 3-year-old simpleton, and singing in the car (could hardly watch that, it was so cringe-making).  Like Gideon, she gets flashes of possible future events; these involve blood, rain, bodies in body bags, etc, get married to someone other than her 14 year old husband (he seems about 14, anyway).  Why these visions take place is never explained, which makes it kind of a non-story, like it hasn't been properly thought through.  Like the writers started with a concept, but couldn't be bothered with all the detail.  

It's okay in parts, and held promise of interesting stuff at the start.  I liked the Indian detective.  That's about it, really.

Mini Series: The Patient

4* ⭐⭐⭐⭐

(Hulu)

Steve Carell and Domhnall Gleeson star in this story told in 10 x 20 minute episodes.  Carell plays Alan Strauss, a psychiatrist, and Gleeson one of his patients.  Other than that that I can't say any more because it would give away the plot.  Suffice to say that it's a thriller, and it involves murder.

I loved that it's kept concise, sharp and punchy, perfect for the episode length.  Although we're dying to know more about every character's background, it's kind of okay that we don't, as it's implied, and information does come out in dribs and drabs.  Anyway, watch it, it's a good 'un!

Series: War of the Worlds - Season 3

4.5*

(UK: Disney+.  US: Epix, Amazon, Directv)

Appears to be the final season, in which Catherine and Bill zip in and out of dimensions in order to close the black hole, which involves choices being made about which dimension they want to be in when all avenues are closed.  It's good - I liked it a lot more than the second season.  

Documentary: The Greatest Lie Ever Sold

4* ⭐⭐⭐⭐

(The Daily Wire and I think it might be on Youtube)

Candace Owens' documentary about what happened to the 80 million dollars raised for the BLM movement, its affiliations and the corruption throughout.  A real eye-opener - and how George Floyd's death was used to manipulate public opinion.

Worth watching, for sure.

Film: Jobs (2013)

4* ⭐⭐⭐⭐

(Netflix, Amazon)

Biopic about Steve Jobs, starring Ashton Kutcher as the man himself.  This version starts when he was 18 (in 1974) and takes you up to 2001.  I thought it much more interesting than the 2015 version, starring Michael Fassbender and Kate Winslet, which covers the years 1984-1998.  Fassbender and Kutcher both did a great job, but the 2013 is more of a whole story - what I find interesting about the lives of successful people is how they began, how they got off the ground.

In both films one is given the impression that he was not a very nice man, who cared only for himself and would sell anyone down the river to get what he wanted.  But perhaps you have to be like that to be that successful.

Film: Don't Worry Darling

4.5* ⭐⭐⭐⭐

(HBO Max, Apple, Sky)

Florence Pugh and Harry Styles star in this sinister story about what appears to be a Stepford Wives type community, in the 1950s - the marriages are glowingly happy, the men go out to work in their flashy cars while the women stay home and play house, or meet by the pool for drinks, etc.  Eventually, though, Alice Chambers (Pugh) begins to think that all is not as it seems - and she soon finds that forces are at work to stop anyone from looking deeper into what's going on behind the scenes.  Directed by Olivia Wilde, who also stars.  Jolly good, not what what you expect!

South Park 25th Anniversary Concert

4.5* ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

(Paramount+)

Trey, Matt and all their gang, performing (live) many of the songs we've loved over the past 25 years, such as 'Blame Canada', 'Kyle's Mom', 'Let's Fighting Love', 'Gay Fish' and the highlight, in my opinion, 'The Ballad of Lemmiwinks', which they played as medieval minstrels, in full gear.

Unmissable, for any South Park fan.  Also features special appearance of Rush.

Series: Better Call Saul - Final Season (6)

4.5* ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

(Netflix)

Still great.  The final season takes us up to Saul Goodman's heyday, making $$$, and then goes into black and white as it jumps forward to the post-Fring/Mike/Walter White era, when life is not so good.

So well done, all of it.  Vince Gilligan and Michael Slovis are geniuses.  Also, appearances by Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul !!

Half a star off because I was disappointed by the end, but apart from that, totally sound.

Film: Barbarian

3.5* ⭐⭐⭐

(HBO Max, Apple)

Girl turns up at AirBnB only to find that there's someone there already.  Agrees to share.  Then hears scary noises down scary secret underground tunnels leading from cellar, and decides to go and investigate instead of getting the hell out of there.  You know, like they do.  

Guy who owns house does similar, though more convincingly as at least he seems curious rather than scared.  But it's got a few twists on the worn out tropes, which made it slightly more unpredictable.  Not bad.

Lately I've Been Watching

The latest in my series of mini TV and film reviews, with trailers and 'where to watch'.  If you have trouble finding where any show/film is available in your country, this is a good site: Justwatch.  Just put the name of the show into the search, and choose your country further down, from the drop-down menu.  It shows where you can stream, buy or rent.  Or you can put 'where can I watch ***' into whichever search engine you use, or go to the programme's own site, if it has one.

If you would like to see more posts, please click here: Lately I've Been Watching.  If you get as far as the bottom, 'Older Posts' will take you to more.

3 part documentary: The Beatles: Get Back

5* plus ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

(Disney +)

Peter Jackson's documentary in 3 parts, each around 3 hours, from footage of January 1969 as The Beatles recorded their final album, Let It Be.  Ends, of course, in the famous rooftop performance.  It's marvellous for so many reasons - we're given insight into how lines of lyrics, chords and melodies would come together and develop into magic, and into the real 'them' (I found myself liking Paul much more than I thought I would, though George is still my favourite!), how their creativity just flowed out like other people breathe, but alongside that it's such a perfect snapshot of that short time when the swinging 60s melted into the 70s.  Watching this is like taking a step back into the fairly recent past, that in some ways seems far longer ago than 53 years; it's a world lost to us now.  I was 10, so only saw it through the eyes of a child, but I'm still convinced it was a better time. 

We subscribed to Disney+ for the sole purpose of watching this, and it was however much it cost well spent!  I've never been a particular fan of their music, btw, but this made me more so; it really is so worth watching.

Comedy Special: 

South Park: Post Covid 

Exclusive Event

5* ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

(Paramount +)

Great stuff - into the future, when the death of an old friend sends Stan Marsh back to South Park - but who will he meet there?  How did the friend die?  How have they changed?  How has the world changed?  And who is the person in the asylum....?

You either love South Park or you don't; if you do, you'll love this too, and if you've never watched it, it's not too late.  But perhaps start at the beginning.  Or at least around Season 3 or 4.

Series: Wu-Tang Clan: An American Saga - Seasons 1/2

5* plus ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

(Hulu) 

I watched Season 1 a couple of years back, but watched it again before Season 2, and loved it just as much as I did last time.  A group of young men from Staten Island who (mostly) scratched a living selling drugs and trying to stay alive and out of jail eventually utilised their not inconsiderable talents and became what many say is the most influential rap/hip-hop band ever.  Season 1 deals with before (including founder Bobby Diggs' - The Rza - first short-lived foray into being signed by a label), while S2 is how they come together as one, putting old feuds to bed and learning how to put the music first.  As before, I was in awe of the art itself.  And Rza's single-minded dedication to the music and the spirit of the clan, throughout.

One thing that struck me was that, as this all took place at the beginning of the 90s, there were no smartphones, no internet.  Made me wonder if it would have all taken place in the way it did it if social media and sophisticated video games had been around. 

One of the highlights of S2 was the depiction of their first big gig at Fever, which was attended by several music industry big shots, all of whom wanted to sign them afterwards (below, under the trailer, followed by C.R.E.A.M).  Can't recommend this too highly, even if you're not into the music, particularly.  Maybe you will be, after watching it; I keep looking them up on Youtube.

Documentary: Wu-Tang Clan: Of Mics and Men

4.5* ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

(Stream: UK: Sky, Now, Virgin.  US: Showtime, Fubo, DirecTV)

Four part documentary.  The original band members, now around 50 years old, talk about before, during and now - with the exception of ODB, who didn't last the course.  I've always thought Method Man a charismatic chap, and I loved hearing what he had to say (particularly about when Rza found the melody; it was like magic when he hit on it) I found that the other one I liked a lot was Raekwon, who seemed so honest and down to earth.  Interesting to see how the drama had differed from real life, and it was great to see them all together and know that past difficulties are mostly over, but I was saddened by where their fame took them, after the first few years.

I watch a lot of music documentaries and biopics, and there seems to be a pattern repeated over and over.  The happiest bit is just before they make it, and shortly after; there was a sweet scene a couple of years into their success when Raekwon was saying how good it was not to have to worry about paying bills anymore, but also being able to help out all their friends and family.  This is the 'riding high' phase - then, for so many, it turns sour.  Becomes all about egos and money.  The beauty of Rza creating his beats, Method Man coming out with the brilliant hook for C.R.E.A.M, the way they were always scribbling ideas and thoughts down in their rhyme books - that seemed to get lost.  But I loved seeing them all talking together again at the end.  

Documentary: JFK Revisited: 

Through the Looking Glass

4.5* ⭐⭐⭐⭐

(Stream - UK: Virgin. US: Showtime, Fubo, DirecTV)

More of stuff you've probably already seen and know about, but in this new-ish Oliver Stone documentary it's particularly well done.  Two hours long, most absorbing.  Beggars belief that they ever thought the official story would convince any but those of the lowest IQ.  I sometimes think this is where those-who-make-the-rules fall down: that they are so far removed from the 'little people' that they forget some of us are actually quite intelligent.

Series: 

Impeachment: American Crime Story - Season 3

4.5* ⭐⭐⭐⭐

(US: Fubo, Sling.  UK: Sky.  Buy: Apple)

Ten episodes about the Lewinsky affair and the events that took Clinton to his impeachment.  Clive Owen is fairly convincing as Clinton himself, and Sarah Paulson is, as usual, at the top of her game as Linda Tripp, the Pentagon colleague and friend of Monica Lewinsky who taped all their conversations as evidence of the affair with the President.  I also liked the woman who played Paula Jones.

I was less sure about two other casting choices.  The first is Edie Falco as Hillary - yes, of course she did a wonderful job, as she's a fine actress, but to me she seemed too warm and likable to be Mrs Clinton.

The second is, to my surprise (or maybe not), not mentioned by any of the media reviews.  So I'm going to address the elephant in the room: why would they choose someone 5'1" tall and stones overweight to play a woman who was 5'6" and never any larger than not-fat-just-not-New-York-thin?

I'm not being sizeist; Beanie Feldstein can be whatever size she wants to be, as can anyone.  What I'm talking about is loopy casting.  Like the tall, beautiful, glamorous Annabelle Wallis playing Jane Seymour in the Tudors - she was recorded in history as being small, plain and insignificant.  The not-a-spare-ounce-of-flesh-on-him Jonathan Rhys-Meyers as Henry VIII.  And don't get me started about actors not even being the right ethnicity.

Bill Clinton came across as a weak, selfish man, ruled by his belief in his own importance and appeal to the world.  Linda Tripp: lonely, unappealing and rather pathetic.  Monica: obsessive, a slave to her out of control emotions, attention-seeking and manipulative, childish.  Hillary, however, was portrayed as the ultimate Strong Woman, virtuous, intelligent, wise, a role model for all, etc etc.  Which was, no doubt, the intention.

The unfolding of events is as compelling as people found the real story at the time and I thoroughly enjoyed it all the way through, except that I was just not convinced by the version of Monica; this spoiled it for me.

Series: The Walking Dead World Beyond - Season 2

4* ⭐⭐⭐⭐

(AMC+)

I've been a bit underwhelmed by this offshoot of the main series, but have watched it all because it's part of the complete story, and will lead into other aspects (like what happened to Rick!).  I liked Hope, Huck and Dennis, and the chap Iris was in love with, and Huck's mother played by Julia Ormond was good, but the rest of the characters I didn't find that interesting.  I was a bit bored in the earlier part, but then Jadis appeared, it kicked up a notch or two, and the final three episodes were extremely good.

Jadis is full-on baddie now, some years after rescuing Rick in a CRM helicopter, and she has a new haircut that brought to mind that old joke from school days: 'Tell me who cut your hair and I'll get 'em for you.'  Was nice in the finale to hear her talking about Rick, if not by name - a shred of decency stopped her giving him up to be experimented on, anyway!  The very, very end was highly intriguing, especially as it featured a blast from the long, long distant TWD past ... I won't name them, in case you haven't seen it!

To sum up, it's extra parts of the jigsaw that makes up TWD World, so it's worth watching for this reason!

Series: Absentia - Seasons 1, 2 & 3

4.5* ⭐⭐⭐⭐

(Amazon Prime)

FBI agent Emily Byrne has been missing for six years - what happened to her during that time is so horrendous that, when she is found, it colours her life and those of everyone around her.  Including her husband's new wife ... Emily was declared dead, in absentia.  Once she's back, it's all about finding who is responsible, but the plot goes far, far deeper than anyone can imagine, slowly unravelling over the three seasons, which brings it to a conclusion.

This is good, pretty compelling, and gets better as it goes along; sometimes it dragged a bit in the first season, but the third is great, all the way through, and it's one of those dramas that make you keep changing your mind about who is a baddie and who isn't.  I loved the character of Emily, which always helps.

Series: See - Season 2

4.5* ⭐⭐⭐⭐

(Apple TV+)

Season two of our world 500 years on, when the human race has lost the power of sight.  A very few people can see; they're considered witches, hunted down.  Season 1 ended with fierce tribe leader Baba Voss (Jason Momoa) taking his sighted step-children to meet their biological father, who can also see.  In Season 2, trouble is afoot in the Payan kingdom, with its crazy queen Sibeth (excellently played by Sylvia Hoeks), and threats from the rival kingdom of Trivantia, where Baba Voss's brother rules.

If you love stuff like Game of Thrones, you'll love this, too.  The fact that hardly anyone can see becomes a bit frustrating at times (and now and again, particularly when fierce warriors are feeling their way forward with sticks, it seems a little Pythonesque), but it's extremely well done, and I was aware, all the way through, how hard it must be to act as if one cannot see.  I especially liked the glimpses of the old world: ancient, rusting helicopters, cars, electricity pylons, wind farms.  

The last episode is worthy of 5 stars plus - a stunning battle that lasts for half the episode.  Set up nicely for Season 3, at the end.  Jason Momoa is as lush as ever, and another wolf whistle for the Witchfinder General who turns over a new leaf: Christian Camargo as Tamacti Jun. 

Series: Alias - Seasons 1-5

4.5* ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

(Stream - US: Amazon, Hulu, Roki.  UK: Disney+)

Deep cover secret agent action thriller-type series made from 2001-2006, based in LA but with hundreds of other locations all over the world.  Stars Jennifer Garner as the kick-boxing, super intelligent Sydney Bristow in various wigs and outfits as she assumes different personas and leaps off buildings.  Much of it is completely ridiculous and far-fetched, but I enjoyed it all the way through, because the characters themselves were believable and compelling - mostly Sydney and the man she loves, agent Michael Vaughn, played by Michael Vartan, and also Marcus Dixon (Carl Lumbly), Will Tippin (Bradley Cooper) and Sydney's father Jack (Victor Garber).  Some fabulous super-baddies (Lena Olin, Ron Rifkin, David Anders). 

The very first episode, the pilot, is a bit too daft and I thought I wasn't going to like it, but by the end of episode 2 I was hooked.  The only downsides: whoever thought it would be amusing and cute to have tech wizard Marshall (Kevin Weisman) have a tendency to go (sometimes embarrassingly) off-topic every single time he spoke about anything should never be allowed to write a script again.  It grew tedious somewhere around the start of Season 1 episode 3.  Also, the big mystery running through all 5 seasons, about ancient prophecies and secrets from 500 years ago, was never really resolved.  But I loved Sydney and Vaughn's ending. They've become my third favourite TV couple, after Rick and Michonne, and Carrie and Brody.  I assume I don't need to name the shows ;)

Series: Nine Perfect Strangers - Season 1

4*⭐⭐⭐⭐

(Stream - UK: Amazon.  US: Hulu)

Nine people with messed-up lives (either by their own bad choices or circumstances, or a mixture of both) come together for 10 days in a spa retreat that hostess Nicole Kidman promises will change their lives.

I leapt on this when I saw that Michael Shannon and Bobby Cannavale were in it; Shannon was terrific as the father-in-denial about his son who killed himself.  My favourite characters were the writer who feared she'd come to the end of the road (and didn't mince her words) played by Melissa McCarthy, and the depressed former athlete (Cannavale).  I also liked a chavvy couple who'd won the lottery.

I thought this had great promise and loved the first half, but the second became less interesting and the plot disappointing, to the extent that I've already forgotten what happened.  As for the retreat itself, I think the writers should have used a bit more imagination re the exercises/classes, as it was meant to be an expensive, potentially life-changing ten days, an innovative place unlike any others of its type - but everything we saw them do was bog-standard to the point of hackneyed, and I can't imagine them having any benefit to any but the simplest of minds.  Hitting with a stick and shouting at a stuffed mannequin, pretending it's the person you're angry with, as therapy?  A sack race to break ice and bring forth the inner child.  Seriously???

Series: You - Season 3

3.5* ⭐⭐⭐

(Netflix)

The series about the sweet and charming Joe Goldberg, who becomes obsessed with women, stalks them and kills people.  Now he's married to Love Quinn, who's a sweet and charming psychopath, and they have a child.

There were some most entertaining aspects to this, such as the vacuous, latest-fad-lapping-up, image-obsessed inhabitants of the Californian suburb (neighbours Sherry and Cary were great - should have featured more), Joe is as endearing as ever and Scott Speedman (Baz in Animal Kingdom) as the mysterious neighbour was fairly heartbreaking, but generally I feel this series has jumped the shark, and perhaps should have ended after the excellent Season 1.  Actually, this whole genre of dark comedy including grisly murders in idyllic, brightly coloured settings is getting a bit old now ... there are better examples than this (e.g. Why Women Kill).

I quite liked this, but wasn't sorry when it ended and doubt I'll bother to watch the next season.  Also, not keen on the 'nudging' about anti-vaxxers.

Comedy series: Curb Your Enthusiasm - Season 11 episode 1

2* ⭐⭐

(Sky, Now, Virgin TV Go, Amazon etc)

Watched the first one of this series and didn't smile once, I don't think.  It just seemed like same old same old, like it was relying on the stuff that seemed so funny several seasons ago to still be as funny as it was, without any sort of development or new ideas.  Leon used to be hilarious, but the lines didn't work so well any more.  It happens.  Or perhaps it's just me.  Could be.  

Lately I've Been Watching...

The latest in my series of mini TV reviews, with trailers and 'where to watch'.  If you have trouble finding where any show/film is available, try typing 'where can I watch *name of show*' into Google.

If you would like to see more posts, please click here: Lately I've Been Watching.  If you get as far as the bottom, 'Older Posts' will take you to more.

Please note the subtle difference between half star ratings; a 4.5 might be rounded up or down, depending on what I thought of the programme.

 

Series: See - Season 1 (Apple TV only, it seems - you can always just get the free trial!)

5* ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Loved this!!!  And not just because the glorious Jason Momoa stars, honestly.  The basic story: a 21st century pandemic killed off most of the world's population.  Since then, all humans have been born blind.  500 years later, anyone who can see is thought to be a witch.  Then, in the mountain village where Jason Momoa is the boss man, his wife gives birth to twins with the power of sight.  Enter the witchfinder, who I thought was called Tomato John, but is actually Tamacti Jun (well, I wasn't far out...).

I started off by thinking, hang on a minute, if they're all blind, why would they bother about stuff like ornamental headgear, but I think that in order to enjoy this you have to suspend such disbelief, and just accept.  Must have been a nightmare to direct:  "Oi, Jason, you can't do that, you're supposed to be blind."  "Oh, yeah, shit; sorry, I forgot."  It's great, anyway - filled with suspense and drama, fabulous scenery, thrilling fight scenes, etc.  Pleased to see that filming has started for Season 2.

Series: Rubicon - one season (AMC Premiere, Amazon Prime)

5* ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Made in 2010, about an intelligence analyst working for the American Policy Institute (API) in New York City. He discovers that he may be working with members of a secret society that manipulates world events on a grand scale.  Absorbing, great acting, and I like that it wasn't gimmicky - it's just good drama.

TWD alert!  Co-stars Dallas Roberts, alias Milton Memet.

Documentary: The Public Image is Rotten (Youtube, Vimeo)

4.5* ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

I love PiL, and think John Lydon is a top bloke.  Documentary charting the ever-changing band from its inception to the present day, with many interviews with Lydon and band members past and present. 

 

Documentary: Long Hot Summers: The Story of The Style Council (Sky)

4.5* ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

I wasn't a particular fan of The Style Council, but I love music documentaries, and this gave great insight into Paul Weller's vision for the band.  I enjoyed the interviews with him and Mick Talbot, both of whom came across as down-to-earth, unpretentious, realistic about their failures and successes, and just nice guys. A lot of old film from the 80s and 90s.  Tick VG.

 

Series: Devils - Season 1 (Hulu, Amazon, The CW)

4.5* ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

I wasn't too sure about this at first, as the dialogue seemed a bit stilted, and tired (so much so that you could guess what they were going to say next), but around episode three it picked up and got better and better until I was totally engrossed.  

It's set in the cut-throat London banking world, main character being an Italian whizz-kid, Massimo Ruggero, played by the rather gorgeous Alessandro Borghi, who begins to question how the way in which he makes money for the New York Investment Bank affects other people.  It starts off with his rival at work hurtling off a balcony to his death—and nobody is above suspicion.

Special mention for my cousin, actor Tim Daish, who plays a dodgy London copper in episode 6!

 

Documentary series: By Whatever Means Necessary: The Times of Godfather of Harlem.  (Amazon Prime, Epix)

4.5* ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

I loved the TV series The Godfather of Harlem, starring Forrest Whittaker, and this documentary series brings to life the music and culture of Harlem in the 1960s. Lots of film showing the history of the area, and enchanting memories of a time gone by that shows the great community spirit and vibrancy of the period - and, later on, as Malcolm X and Martin Luther King aimed to change the fortunes of black people in America. 

 

Film: Beats (Netflix, Amazon, Hulu)

4.5* ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Set in Scotland in 1994, this film is about the tail end of the rave culture, and centres round two boys trying to escape their dreary lives and just have a blast.  Spanner (Lorn Macdonald) lives by his wits, sharing a house his psycho criminal brother, while Johnno (Cristian Ortega) lives with his mother and sister, and his mother's new boyfriend, who is determined to get them out of the shabby council estate towards a better life.

It's good - funny, touching, shocking (that was the police bludgeoning ravers whose only crime was wanting to party), but also a bit depressing.  Definitely worth watching, though.

 

Series: Ratched - Season 1 (Netflix) 

4.5* ⭐⭐⭐⭐

About the character of Mildred Ratched from One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest, perfectly played by Sarah Paulson, and the years before she became part of that story.  It's one of those almost fantasy-like portrayals of the 1950s, like The Marvelous Mrs Maisel; bright colours, amazing clothes, larger than life characters and scenes.  Recommended :)

 

Five Part Documentary Series: Ted Bundy: Falling For A Killer (Amazon Prime)

4.5* ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Most compelling, this - it's based on a book written by Elizabeth Kendall, Bundy's long-term girlfriend at the time of his killing spree, with much commentary from her and her daughter, Molly, who was about 8 when her mother got together with him. I found Molly charming and likeable, sensitive and honest, but couldn't warm to the mother - I got the feeling, as Molly said, that if she hadn't been around to stop her, Elizabeth might have allowed him to wrap her back around his little finger at any time, even in the face of all the evidence against him.  She seemed rather pathetic, and as if she never stopped being dazzled by him.

The documentary also features many interviews with police who worked on the case, and friends and family of the victims. Questions also arise about the way in which the case was handled at the time, and how certain law enforcers used it to enhance their own careers.  

 

Six Part Documentary Series: Slow Burn (Amazon Prime, Epix)

4* ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Originally a podcast, this is the full and very detailed story of the Watergate scandal, and all who were involved with it. No stone is left unturned; it would probably appeal most to those who already have some interest in the case, or know something about it.  The first episode is the most interesting, about Martha Mitchell, the southern belle and socialite wife of John Mitchell, a major figure in Nixon's administration.

I was struck by how long ago the seventies seem, now.  A bit like how I saw the 1940s when I was a kid.

Series: The Undoing (Sky Atlantic, HBO Max, Amazon)

4* ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Stars Hugh Grant as Hugh Grant, an oncology consultant, and Nicole Kidman as his therapist wife, an icy-cold princess with a face so lifted and filled that it doesn't move, and a wardrobe full of fabulous coats.  Actually Jonathan and Grace Fraser, who live a swanky Manhattan life, along with their son, Henry, who is rather sweet, and nothing like his ghastly parents.  Life seems fairly awesome until a young woman called Eleanor joins a committee at Henry's private school, which involves Grace and her swanky friends sitting around chatting about fund-raising.  Eleanor gets her tits (and more) out at every possible opportunity, then turns up dead.  But who killed her, and why?

I've watched five episodes and the killer has yet to be revealed, but I made a good guess during episode 2, and I'm sticking to it, even though it's a long shot. It's good.  Looking forward to the next ep.  Also stars Donald Sutherland as Nicole Kidman's all-seeing, philandering father.

NB: Dec 1.  Watched the last episode last night.  Most disappointed by the lack of twist, apart from The Woman With The Immovable Face doing her unreliable witness bit, and leaking all the stuff his mum said, to her mate.   I thought it was going to be the blonde mate wot dun it; I had the whole plot worked out.... 😔

A word about the plastic surgery.  Nicole Kidman is only 7 years younger than Hugh Grant.  She was an extremely pretty young woman.  Had she not been so desperate to still look like one, she would be an extremely attractive middle-aged woman, instead of a startled puppet.  I hate this Hollywood pressure on women to keep looking youthful, yes.... but it's more about learning to accept ourselves, and the passage of time.  Once you're past 50, you're not going to be attractive in the same way that you used to be.  End of story.

Series: Riviera (Sky Atlantic, NowTV)

3* ⭐⭐⭐

Currently watching.  Glitzy, totally unrealistic and not very well-written glam-soap-opera type series starring Julia Stiles as Grace Clios, an art curator married to a wealthy bloke called Constantin who gets blown up on a yacht in the first ten minutes.  Enter dysfunctional first family - Lena Olin as the bitchy first wife who looks fabulous in all her fabulous clothes (unlike Julia Stiles, whose stylist should have sorted out her bad hair dye, and at least 50% of her wardrobe), drama queen daughter and two sons with serious emotional problems.  Got a bit bored in the first season, though the second one ups its game a bit, and Stiles gets a better hairdo.  Great scenery, fab cars, and at least Juliet Stevenson is in S2. Murders and double dealing and affairs and stuff.

The longer it goes on, the more I notice that no devastating event is so traumatic that the character concerned cannot find the time to go upstairs for a quick wardrobe change, complete with matching shoes and hair accessories.  All the women sit around at home looking as if they're just off to a garden party with Jackie and Ari Onasis.

Now to Season 3.  4 eps in.  It's moved away from the Clios family, to the extent that when Grace and her new cohort Rupert Graves meet up with two people closely associated with them (Daphne and Nico - Nico was married to one of them and about to live happily ever after at the end of S2), they are never mentioned. Also, Daphne has had a complete personality change to fit the new plot, and poor old mum (Juliet Stevenson) is never mentioned again, either.  Julia Stiles has gone less blonde, which makes her look more pissed off than ever, and is still wearing the inevitable 4 inch heels and silky dress/trouser ensemble even when she has to climb over rocks or walk several miles.

Just taken a half star off my original assessment due to characters' curious personality changes.

And here is Julia Stiles' fab drunk table dance in 10 Things I Hate about You, with the late, great Heath Ledger (loved that film!).

Four-part miniseries: The Sister (ITV Hub)

2* ⭐⭐

Basically a good story, but the dialogue was cringe-makingly bad, and the acting not much better.  Russell Tovey stars as a guy who thinks he's killed the sister of a girl he ends up marrying, though quite frankly I'm surprised anyone could stand being in the same room as his character for more than ten minutes.  Watched until the end because I was interested enough to want to know what happened, but I'd recommend giving this a hasty swerve.  The comments on the Youtube trailer reflect this.