Month: January 2020

Who is this Rian Johnson? I’d heard of his “Looper” from 2012 but I’m no Star Wars fan, so his 2017 “The Last Jedi” passed me by. Based on “Knives Out,” his extravagantly Cluedo-meets-Poirot genre outing, I should have kept an eye out, for this is a treat for the senses and the mind alike. The setup is pure Agatha Christie – an aging writer (Christopher Plummer is, as always, spot on) who dies on his birthday, surrounded by a family of rogues, and along comes the cerebral, gimlet-eyed detective to help the police solve what is essentially a locked-room mystery. The locale, a gothic treat of an old mansion, is almost a character in its own right. Plenty of splendid performances here from the likes of Toni Collette, though to be fair, the script is so razor-sharp, the actors can ham things up without concern. And Daniel Craig as the cigar-toting private eye with the languid Southern accent to end them all? Believe it or not, he also rises to the occasion. Lush, kinetic, and brain-tickling, “Knives Out” grabs you from frame one and never lets go.

Six months ago, I rated the very first episode of Season 2 of “Legion” at 8/10. I had adored Season 1 and much of what I adored – the mind-bending plot, the sharp scenes, the wonderful acting – seemed in place for a triumphant reprise. The six-month gap indicates what happened – the next three episodes revealed themselves as mystifying to the point of pointless absurdity. I’m a fan of complex plots but the emerging narrative for Season 2 reeks of plot opportunism and “good ideas.” I tried to persevere but the magic was gone. So I’m calling it quits on this series. Given that Season 3 is now on the shelves, this is severely disappointing, but I have to call it as I find it. If you’re an abiding fan, by all means lap up the many new episodes over two seasons, but if you’re just beginning Season 2 … well … don’t.

Streaming masterpieces dominated a bountiful year. Dark-hued series can be seen aplenty in the list below but I also swooned over a doco, a comedy and some fine dramas. The first two received 10/10 ratings, the rest were 9/10. You won’t be disappointed by any of them.

Season 2 of “Succession” transfixed me. A revolting Murdoch-style family propels an amazing plot. Character depth is also astounding. Review.

Craig Mazin’s pitch-perfect game changer of a disaster doco, the “Chernobyl HBO mini-series,” changed the world. Review.

Sometime genius Ricky Gervais hits the mother lode with the sentimental, yet sharp comedy “After Life.” Review.

“Berlin Station Season 3,” set in Estonia, with a setup fresh out of our present day, is furiously paced and captivating. Review.

The seamless closing half to the fifth season of police procedural “Bosch” vanishes in a blur of tension and satisfaction. Review.

Julien Faraut’s “John McEnroe: In the Realm of Perfection” is as quirky as all-get-up but as a study of the genius and rage of McEnroe is riveting. Review.

Dark but revelatory, the second season of “Mindhunter” is as fine as the first. Review.

“Mr Inbetween,” a noir, black-as-pitch Australian series, is graced by a closing scene that is the most unforgettable of the year. Review.

“Russian Doll” is a tour de force for Natasha Lyonne but she’s not the main attraction, which is the stunning Groundhog-Day-in-the-modern-era plotline. Review.

A wrenching tale of the most egregious miscarriage of justice, Ava DuVernay’s “When They See Us” will stand as a classic. Review.

If you need more delectable fare, check out these reviews of honorable mentions: high-finance drama “The Hummingbird Project“; Season 3 of the atmospheric police procedural “Cardinal“; another, especially imaginative police drama, “Criminal“; brilliant documentary “Diego Maradona“; quirky Icelandic climate change drama “Woman at War“; and “2040,” a rare upbeat climate change documentary.

Transfixed … that’s a state I rarely enter into even with the best of movies but every one of the ten episodes of the second season of “Succession” pinned me to the screen. A Shakespearian mortality tale riffing on the Murdoch clan, this season covers the battle for survival of the media empire of Logan Roy. Venal and almost amoral, Roy’s clan of himself, his four children and all their partners could have been an unsavoury shitstorm but the quality of the screenplay subsumes any simple judgements. Brian Cox is transcendent in the role of Logan Roy, and his progeny are perfectly cast and interpreted: Jeremy Strong as the damaged, complex Kendall; Kieran Culkin as sneery, quicksilver Roman; Sarah Snook as ruthless, ambitious Shiv, and Alan Ruck as avuncular, shallow Connor. A special mention goes to the blistering performance of Matthew Macfadyen as unctuous, smiling Tom. Created by Jesse Armstrong and brilliantly sculpted by a bevy of directors, with a sublime score from Nicholas Britell, the episodes capture the high end of modern capitalism in all its glory and decadence. Yet although foulness pervades every scene, somehow we come to see the humanity behind each damaged individual, with only Logan Roy looming as an explosive, inscrutable Genghis Khan figure. Many times during the viewing, I was seized by an almost nostalgic surge of recognition for how modern corporate culture plays out. Mandatory viewing.