A Man Called Otto A Netflix
I am of the opinion there are only 2 types of Tom Hanks movies – They are either GREAT or total dogs. Think Philadelphia Vs. Turner & Hooch or Toy Story Vs. Bonfire of the Vanities. When I sat down to watch A Man Called Otto, I was afraid. I hadn’t heard any raves so it must be a dog, right? No. It’s one of the GREAT Tom Hanks movies. Watch it. It’s unexpectedly charming and thought provoking. Hanks is lovely and the supporting cast is spectacular. Marian Trevino as the exuberant, pregnant woman next door gives a performance that should not be missed.
The Diplomat A+ Netflix
Oh man! If you want to watch something during the writer’ strike to remind you of why writers need to be paid more, The Diplomat will do the job! I guarantee Debora Cahn and her writing team will be looking at Emmy nods. I loved everything about this fast paced, witty, gritty series. Keri Russell is fantastic and Rufus Sewell can read me the phone book anytime he wants to. Heaven help me if they ever put Rufus Sewell and Pedro Pascal in something together – their combined over 50 and still sexy juju would likely kill me. But back to The Diplomat, it’s smart, funny, compelling, and frankly, BRILLIANT. It’s the best thing on right now. Watch it.
BEEF C+ Netflix
I lasted 2 episodes of this show and couldn’t go for a third. I wanted to root for the leads, I wanted to like them and to be able to forgive them for their misguided rage. I love the premise. Aren’t we all struggling with some internal rage right now? I thought BEEF would scratch that itch, but so many sharks were jumped so quickly, I just couldn’t. I can’t waste my time on something where I literally have no one to root for. Waste of time.
Queen Charlotte A Netflix
This is my favorite of the three Bridgerton editions. Queen Charlotte takes us back in time to see how the title character becomes who she ultimately is. This franchise has already been successful at getting the period costumes divinely correct and creating the need for steamy hot romance. I am sure that some will disagree with me, but I feel like this edition gets it the most right. The obstacle between our lovers is no longer pride and fluff, but something incredibly real and relevant. To put it mildly, this plot had meat on it. I was deeply moved by its message and fell more deeply in love with the franchise.
Cocaine Bear F On Demand
I am 100% clear that this movie was meant to be hilariously funny. It wasn’t. It was wrong on so many levels. Not even the good kind of wrong, either. I’m sorry. I want to be supportive of Elizabeth Banks as a Director. I can’t. This movie is soooo bad, they should never let her direct again. I let Pitch Perfect 2 slide, because I feel it’s important to support female directors, but someone needs to stop her. Officially, she is going to make it harder for women to get hired as directors after this massive, steaming pile of poo. Ask me how I really feel. What a shame this will forever be known as Ray Liotta’s last film. That’s just wrong.