Author: Philip

What Have I Been Streaming Lately?–Serious 2020 Movies Edition

Sacha Baron Cohen as Abie Hoffman
Sacha Baron Cohen as Abie Hoffman in “The Trial of the Chicago 7”

Even before the 2020 pandemic and the accompanying lockdown/shelter-in-place mode, the line between theatrical and streaming movies had  begun to blur. In order to meet the standard minimum qualification that movies be released theatrically to qualify for Academy Award consideration, studios would release a film in a few select theatres in New York and Los Angeles for a week or so and then launch into the streaming services for consumption at home by the world at large. Now, the powers that be have temporarily waved that in-person requirement, so the awards season will likely encompass a mix of platforms.

In recent days, my other half and I have watched several of these offerings in the comfort of our living room, thanks to Netflix and Amazon Prime. Here are these picks in no particular order, as we would deem them all worthwhile. There are several others that we have yet to watch that would probably belong on such a list, and one of our selections is admittedly  pretty polarizing as far as what critics are  currently saying.

The Trial of the Chicago 7–Netflix
Aaron Sorkin originally made a name for himself as a renowned script writer and television creator/producer. Yet, in 2017 he entered the directing realm with the excellent true-life poker tale Molly’s Game. In 2020, he brings us an eerily timely courtroom drama chronicling the federal trial against the leaders of the massive protests during the 1968 Democratic National Convention in Chicago.

Sasha Baron Cohen, aka Borat, headlines a terrific all-star cast with his amazing portrayal of sixties revolutionary Abbie Hoffman. Cohen’s display of Hoffman’s radical antics vividly contrasts the smooth ambition of fellow activist/defendant Tom Hayden, as portrayed by Eddie Redmayne. We the audience are forced to ponder challenging questions about the role of dissent in a free society.

The Life Ahead–Netflix
Italian screen legend Sophia Loren returns from a decade-long hiatus under the direction of her son Edoardo Ponti. Loren plays Rosa, an Italian Jewish woman who survived the horrors of the Holocaust as a child and made a living for herself through prostitution. Long retired from seeing clients, Rosa has transformed her home into a refuge for the children of sex workers in her seaside city. She develops an unlikely bond with a troubled pre-teen immigrant boy in need of both love and discipline. Yes, there are movie-of-the week clichés at work here, but ultimately I was inspired by the charm and resilience of Rosa and her unlikely community of wounded helpers.

Sylvie’s Love–Amazon Prime
This period drama features Tessa Thompson, as the title character Sylvie.  Young Sylvie works in her family’s Harlem record store, while her fiancé fights in the Korean War. She finds herself swept up in a romance with mysterious Jazz musician Robert, played by Nnamdi Asomugha. The two return to their respective worlds. Sylvie is a wife, mother, and television producer. Robert is the quintessential entertainer on the road traveling from one gig to another. Yet, events take shape in a compelling “chick flick” fashion. The costumes, art direction, and music add to the delightful vibe.

Hillbilly Elegy–Netflix
Okay, I am going out on a limb on this one. This film has received largely negative reviews overall, though Glenn Close may still–deservedly–earn another acting nomination for the Oscar statue that has long eluded her. (I am keeping my fingers crossed.) Directed by veteran filmmaker Ron Howard, Elegy is based on J.D. Vance’s best-selling memoir about coming of age in a troubled family residing in Southern Ohio but still tied to the mountains of Eastern Kentucky.

I read and liked the book when it came out a few years ago, and I also found the new movie compelling on many levels. Vance’s politics skew to the right, so understandably some of his pronouncements about poverty, family strife, and addiction may rub at least some folks on the left the wrong way. Vance, shaped by the tough-love perspective of his colorful grandmother, has offered some controversial points of view. They are a mixed bag for me, but I can still appreciate Vance’s story and the way Howard brings it to life.

I also think it’s worth noting that Ron Howard possesses solidly liberal political beliefs and a track record for supporting progressive causes. I am not saying that solves all the controversy, but maybe that’s a dose of perspective at least. Books and movies shouldn’t have to be tied up in neat little packages. The messy tensions and challenges keep things interesting, I would argue.

Happy Streaming and Happy New Year!

What Have I Been Streaming Lately?–Part Two

Kim's Convenience

Back in a February post, I highlighted some streaming favorites. Granted, late September in Middle Tennessee offers much nicer weather than does late February, so it’s not like I am in couch potato mode. Yet, there is still the matter of the pandemic with its limits on public forms of entertainment. So, I figure I should provide an update.

Kim’s Convenience
This little gem of a sitcom made its way from Canada to the US via Netflix. There are currently four seasons available with two more in the works. The storyline centers on the Korean-Canadian Kim family, immigrants Umma and Appa (the Korean terms for mother and father) and their two young adult children Jung and Janet.

Mr. and Mrs. Kim own and operate a lively convenience store in an urban Toronto neighborhood. While aspiring photographer Janet works part time at the family business, Jung finds himself estranged from his father because of his juvenile delinquent past. Jung has–however–started to establish himself as an up-and-coming manager at a rental car agency.  

Both Jung and Janet navigate the complexities of contemporary romance and coming into the responsibilities of adulthood. Their parents face the transition to empty nester status and also the shifting vibe of their neighborhood in the face of gentrification. Along the way, they find deep connections through their close-knit church and community. 

There is so much to love about this quirky, sometimes laugh-out-loud funny, often heartwarming show. There are plot points centered on awkward social situations akin to Seinfeld. There is also tremendous warmth and sensitivity about cross-cultural friendship.

I am now reaching the end of season two, and so far, I appreciate the fact that relationship issues evolve organically. Conflict resolutions don’t follow simple formulas. We get to know the characters as real people who are on their own journeys. 

Brooklyn Nine-Nine
Okay, I was definitely late to the party on this one. The police comedy starring Saturday Night Live alum Andy Samberg and created by Dan Goor and Michael Schur has aired for seven seasons. It began life on Fox and then shifted to NBC, though I only started watching it as an offering on Hulu.

I have always found Samberg quite funny and talented, but for several years when I would see this show advertised, it seemed like familiar territory on the surface. Yes, it does have the standard divide between by-the-book authority figures and a rebel protagonist (Samberg’s lovable bad-boy role of Detective Jake Peralta). However, there is surprising depth and nuance among the hijinks.

The precinct falls under the command of the always somber Captain Raymond Holt, played by veteran actor Andre Braugher. Holt is gay and comfortable in his identity, but he embodies the sort of rigid boundaries that keep him from interjecting his personal life into the office and vice versa.

The ensemble of characters incorporates matters of gender, race, and ethnicity. Yet, the writers manage to transcend stereotypes and expectations. We get acquainted with the everyday oddities and absurdities that make a diverse workplace interesting.

A Few Especially Interesting Documentaries
These aren’t multi-episode series selections, but I have to put in a plug for three Netflix documentaries worth checking out. First is Becoming, a behind the scenes glimpse into former First Lady Michelle Obama’s book tour that also includes surprisingly candid conversations about her life in and out of the White House. Even if you have read the book or think you know the whole story, hearing the unguarded tone seems novel.

Second is Crip Camp: A Revolution (produced by the Obamas interestingly enough), which details the history of a ground-breaking summer camp for disabled teens and young adults during the early 1970s. The camp raised eyebrows by offering radical self-empowerment rather than paternalistic charity. In the years that followed, camp attendees channeled their experience into political activism. I found the archival footage to be heartfelt and inspiring.

Third is A Secret Love, which recounts the lives of a longtime lesbian couple who began their partnership in the 1940s and shared their lives for many decades, as shame and secrecy gave way to visibility and freedom. The film also documents the special struggles faced by LGBT senior citizens, even in the era of same-sex marriage.

Happy Streaming! 

 

Stress Relief and Relaxation Courtesy of YouTube

Remote Control and Glasses

These past couple of months have created a new normal of masks, social distancing, and varying degrees of altered plans. Let me start by saying that I feel incredibly blessed and grateful that both my significant other and I are working at home–him permanently and me temporarily–and earning our usual paychecks. We are also safe and healthy. So, I feel lucky in our current global situation, and I have tried to do my best to help and support those who aren’t.

At first I planned to write a post along the lines of what I’ve been reading or streaming (via Netflix, Hulu, etc.) during quarantine, but I realized that this wouldn’t be especially novel or new for anyone. So, I got to thinking about how I have recently leaned heavily on YouTube videos to ease stress and relax.

I have to confess that my other half used to be the more enthusiastic YouTube devotee. I would find myself amazed that he could sit and watch an eclectic mix of offerings from many divergent sources for hours and hours. Our YouTube viewing began with our personal computers, and then evolved to our mobile phones, and eventually moved to the apps on our DVD player and Roku streaming devices. (We don’t yet have one of those smart TVs, but that will probably be the next step.)

I am guessing that most of you are probably either experienced or at least familiar with YouTube. There are videos covering such topics as fixing your sink to making a souffle to planning your next vacation, all of them free except for the requirement to watch advertisements before–and sometimes in the middle of–your selections. Given search engine giant Google’s ownership of YouTube, those ads have been tailored to your online behavior. It doesn’t bother me, as someone has to pay the piper.

Through some fairly large chunks of my adult life, I have faced anxiety and obsessive thoughts. So, feelings of stress aren’t a new phenomenon for me, but the lock-down has certainly presented me with larger blocks of time where I need to seek out some calming influences. And, given that I am a creature of habit and routine, working at home has required me to become more centered through the right background noises and images.

YouTube offers countless sources for such therapeutic media consumption. Of course, what relieves my stress and what relieves your stress may be completely different. Yet, I figure that I can put a few of my discoveries out there in case they strike someone else’s fancy.

Music and Video from Tim Janis
On his YouTube Channel Maine-based musician Tim Janis provides a variety of tune/image combinations designed to calm and inspire. The instrumental music ranges from spa and Celtic grooves to classic gospel hymns, while the images run the gamut from captivating cartoon animals and electronic backdrops to beautiful nature and wildlife photography. Janis blends repetition and novelty in such a manner as to leave me feeling relaxed but somehow still focused. Janis posts new videos with tremendous frequency, often tied to the seasons, but you may want to begin with one of his staple compilations for a sample of his style.

BBC Earth Videos, Particularly Those Related to the Ocean
The BBC Earth YouTube Channel presents a dizzying array of nature settings in all their splendid glory. I especially enjoy the longer selections that can serve as the television set background for an entire workday on the sofa with my laptop. Given that I am an aquarium buff, I naturally gravitate toward the ocean motifs.

I can savor ten-hour blocks of stunning BBC camera work in such titles as Ocean Surface, Open Ocean, Coral Reef, Sea Forests, and Deep Ocean. I appreciate the continual shifts in energy from sea predators on the prowl to chill creatures just swimming along. Word of warning, there are scenes of animals dining on  one another. I don’t find these gratuitous, though swordfish and seagulls do seem  especially noteworthy for the speed and precision of their mayhem.

Sand Tagious/ASMR
I must confess that I am rather late to the party on this one, but it seems rather nifty. ASMR stands for autonomous sensory meridian response. I won’t even begin to tackle the full-fledged science involved, though I found a helpful resource on the POPSUGAR site. In layman’s terms, ASMR engages the senses in such a way as to create euphoria.

The Sand Tagious YouTube Channel provides tactile/kinesthetic videos of sand crystals taking on colorful shapes. A video compilation provides a fitting introduction. I am not yet fully immersed in ASMR, but Sand Tagious whets my appetite to know more.

Until next time, keep calm and carry on.

What Have I Been Streaming Lately?

You the TV Series

Tennessee has had some gloomy winter weather lately, not so much severe ice and snow, but rather a long-term blah continuation of clouds and rain. So, there have been ample blocks of time for television binges. I would like to highlight two edgy Netflix programs and an ABC sitcom by way of Hulu.

You
The psychological crime drama from prolific Hollywood producer Greg Berlanti originated as a Lifetime series, but the vibe turned out not to be a good fit for the network’s core audience. Yet, a solid cult following developed, so the show made its way to Netflix.

Penn Badgley stars as Manhattan bookstore manager Joe Goldberg. Joe maintains a clear vision of how his life should take shape, including his romantic obsession with aspiring writer and NYU graduate student Guinevere Beck. After waiting on Guinevere at his shop, Joe obsessively and methodically manages to insert himself into the young woman’s world.

Comparisons to the long-running violent cable hit Dexter may be inevitable, but Joe doesn’t set out to be a killer per se; at least homicide doesn’t overwhelm his daily thought patterns. Rather, murder becomes a natural extension of his dogged perfectionism. I am about eight episodes into the first season, and I find myself hooked by the cat and mouse suspense.

Sex Education
Socially awkward British teen Otis Milburn, played by Asa Butterfield, copes with garden variety angst and testosterone-fueled infatuation. Yet what makes his predicament unique is that his single mother, portrayed with extra spunk and sass by X-Files star Gillian Anderson, works as a sex therapist and promotes straightforward breakfast table dialogue about the birds and the bees, turning her son’s face various shades of red.

With the help of more streetwise friends, Otis, embarrassed as he may be, undertakes a covert business offering sexual information and advice to his fellow high school students. The comic antics may not seem especially groundbreaking, but the episodes manage to tackle a host of serious issues ranging from teen depression and anxiety to gender roles and family expectations. Anderson has aged with upmost grace, and it’s neat to see her in a role so different from her earlier image.

American Housewife
I am late to the party for this sitcom currently in its fourth season on ABC and also available for streaming on Hulu. On its face, it may appear pretty pedestrian. The Ottos, a middle class history professor husband and business woman/homemaker wife, find themselves fish out of water when they locate in tony Westport, Connecticut expressly for the purpose of sending their three children to a well-regarded school district. They chafe at the rampant materialism and conformity that pervade the town and corrupt their kids.

Yet, to me at least, American Housewife offers more than meets the eye. The plot points may often be pretty run-of-the-mill, but in terms of character development, I like the fact that the Ottos let their freak flags fly. Housewife Katie is a woman of size who offers a competing narrative related to body image in a gossipy carpool lane filled with perfectly sculpted and botoxed moms, and her spouse Greg spends his free time attending Revolutionary War re-enactments. Their children possess a unique series of interests and quirks–including a youngest daughter coping with obsessive-compulsive disorder–that transcend familiar caricatures.

Okay, I will admit that American Housewife has not produced a shelf full of Emmy Awards. It’s not one of those sitcoms that reinvents the small screen as we know it. Yet, for families, parents, teens, and others struggling to find self-acceptance in a cookie-cutter world, I think it’s pretty refreshing.

Until spring arrives for real, happy watching!