Screen: August TV Roundup

This is TV awards season, so I've had more series than usual to keep up with, trying to make a fair assessment on my ballot for the Dorian Awards (Golden Globes TV voting will be in November). But it's a lot, especially as so many shows have unnecessarily long episodes. But there have been some very good shows lately - I'll start with my favourites of the last couple of months...

The Bear: series 3
Bold and riveting, this intense drama continues to be classified as a comedy, perhaps due to its snappy characters. These are often outrageously messy people who struggle to communicate as they work together to run a fine-dining restaurant in Chicago. Jeremy Allen White, Ayo Edebiri and Ebon Moss-Bacharach are as bracing as always, surrounded by an ace ensemble. It's a rare show that continually catches us off guard with surprising details. Episode 6, directed by Edebiri and starring Liza Colon-Zayas, might be one of my favourite half-hours of TV ever. (Hulu)

One Day
Leo Woodall and Ambika Mod are excellent in this complex adaptation of the beloved novel, with each episode set on the same day in the following year. Their characters Dexter and Emma are an oddball couple, but they have a strong connection that creates a vivid friendship. The highs are light and funny, and the lows are powerfully emotional, sometimes downright devastating. Yes, there are quite a few tear-inducing moments, largely because the writing, acting and direction are so astute. It's a properly involving show with strong underlying resonance. (Netflix)

Shōgun
Lavishly produced on an epic scale, this is a beautiful adaptation of James Clavell's novel about an Englishman in 1600 Japan. The storytelling may sometimes feel dense, but it is packed with riveting details about the inner workings of the culture. Cosmo Jarvis is excellent in the focal role, holding his own opposite magnetic stars like Hiroyuki Sanada, Tadanobu Asano and Anna Sawai. The quality of the sets, costumes and historical detail is astounding, and the story is utterly riveting as it builds to a series of astonishingly grotesque battle sequences. This is exceptional television. (Hulu)

The Sympathizer
With director Park Chan-wook's visual flair, this story has both a large scale of geography and history and quirk-filled characters who are massively entertaining to watch. Hoa Xuande is terrific in the lead role as the Captain, a communist spy during the Vietnam War who is hiding as a refugee in California. His reality is incredibly nuanced, from his on-off girlfriend Sofia (a fantastic Sandra Oh) to the various Americans (all played by a scene-stealing Robert Downey Jr) wh keep an eye on him. When he ends up on a film set shooting a Vietnam War movie, the film's expert meta-storytelling really soars. (Max) 

Sugar
With sleek and stylish direction from Fernando Meirelles, this centres around a strikingly cinematic performance from Colin Farrell in the title role as a private eye looking for a missing heiress. The snaky and splintered storytelling weaves in classic movies that flicker through Sugar's mind. So while the case itself is the usual twisty, nasty messiness, there are surprising character layers. And several set-pieces are thrillingly well staged and played, even if it's sometimes over-heightened. First-rate support from Amy Ryan, Nate Corddry, Alex Hernandez and others. Earns extra points for short episodes. (Apple) 

C R O W D  -  P L E A S E R S

The Boys: series 4
Continuing the outrageousness, this show doubles down on its razor-sharp political satire, as the vicious patriots leave a trail of destruction behind them but have never been more beloved by the public, whom they manipulate with the media. Meanwhile, the scrappy "boys" trying to take them down struggle to stay together while facing mind-boggling setbacks. Stakes get steadily higher as the action unfolds, adding strong subtext to lively characters played by Karl Urban, Jack Quaid, Erin Moriarty and especially Anthony Starr, even more unapologetic this season as the absolutely vile Homelander. (Prime)

The Acolyte
Breaking free from the main Star Wars narrative, this prequel is set a century before The Phantom Menace, a fascinating female-based story from the Jedi heyday. It's an intriguing premise, but characters are written so specifically that there's little room for actors to add personal tweaks, so it feels a bit concocted. It's entertaining thanks to lead actors Amandla Stenberg and Lee Jung-jae, while Dafne Keen and especially Manny Jacinto stand out in complex roles. But the structure feels indulgent, especially with extended repetitive flashbacks that overstate plot points and mythology. (Disney)

Fallout
Based on a videogame, this action fantasy is packed with outrageous effects and nutty details. Set in an alternate reality two centuries after nukes destroyed a wacky 1960s-style America, the show follows three figures across a desert that used to be Los Angeles: a plucky but naive young woman (Ella Purnell) who grew up in an underground bunker, a nervous young soldier (Aaron Moten) who works for a warmonger and a vicious 200-year-old mutant cowboy (Walton Goggins) with shadowy motivations. There's enough going on here to keep pretty much everyone entertained. (Prime)

Interview With the Vampire: series 1-2
Gothic and almost painfully theatrical, this show is both overwrought and camp, merrily indulging in ghastly violence while shying away from the sexuality that oozes through the characters. This is the epic tale of three vampires, starting in early 20th century New Orleans as the snaky Lestat (Sam Reid) creates companion Louis (Jacob Anderson) and then teen Claudia (Bailey Bass/Delainey Hayles). And it shifts up a gear in the second season set in 1950s Paris. The push and pull between these three makes this compelling viewing, even with so much absurd melodrama. (AMC)

My Lady Jane
Playfully revising history, this fizzy comedy tells the story of Jane Grey, Britain's queen for only nine days before Bloody Mary deposed (and beheaded) her. In this fantasy version, conflicts emerge due do opposing opinions about people who can transform into animals. King Edward (Jordan Peters) seemingly dies, Jane (Emily Bader) is crowned, and Mary (Kate O'Flynn) plots against her with her advisor/sex slave Seymour (Dominic Cooper). Anna Chancellor steals the show as Jane's manipulative mother, and the romantic plotlines are engaging. But it's very silly, and is set up for more. (Prime)

That 90s Show: series 2a
As goofy and genuinely hilarious as ever, this next-generation show continues to maintain its high energy levels even as it observes a group of teens just sitting around and coming up with ways they can get into trouble. And grandparents Kitty and Red (Debra Jo Rupp and Kurtwood Smith) are still moaning about their own issues. But all of this is very funny indeed, refreshingly willing to take on some edgier ideas about sex and drugs without needing to get deliberately rude. It's a thoroughly enjoyable mix of witty dialog and rousing nostalgia. (Netflix) 

Single, Out: series 2
From Australia, this snappy show continues the escapades of Adam (Will Hutchins) as he navigates his new life as an out gay man in Melbourne, including his relationships with boyfriend Gabe (Jake Hyde) and various friends and family members. Adam is a likeable guy whose highs and lows are easy to identify with. And everyone around him is hilariously ridiculous, with their own antics at work and a variety of inter-connections. The show's still loose and breezy, but it's also a lot sexier this season, playing energetically with the lustiness these young people are learning to express. (Cinephobia)

S T A R   P O W E R

The Curse
This story about a couple (Emma Stone and Nathan Fielder) trying to change their community for the better is squirm-inducing, because it challenges viewers about what's correct. Transgressions come in all sizes, from throwaway comments to deliberate deception, as this duo creates eco-homes and jobs for the unemployed while making a reality show with a producer (Benny Safdie) whose morals are rather slippery. The many observations are fascinating, although the episodes are too long, which makes them feel indulgent. Still, the sheer originality and daring make this worth a look. (Showtime)

The Regime
This is a camp, bonkers satire about political manoeuvring in a fictional middle-European nation. Kate Winslet is fabulous as the self-centred leader, with ace support from Mathias Schoenaerts and Andrea Riseborough (plus a fabulous Hugh Grant). At its core, this is a pointed depiction of how people who think they're smart can be so easily manipulated. It's rather absurd that Winslet's Elena maintains power when literally everyone is against her. But the coup episodes are genuinely heart-stopping. And the show says clever things about political wrangling and the reach of history. (Max)

Expats
Thoughtful and intriguing, this swirling series spins between three intertwined foreigners in Hong Kong after a young child goes missing. Nicole Kidman leads a fine cast, bringing understated steeliness to the frazzled mother, although like all of the characters she becomes difficult to sympathise with. Only a few people on-screen are remotely kind. It's impressive that the writers properly go for it, revealing dark insecurities and entitlement of wealthy migrants as well as the vulnerabilities of less well-off people caught in their orbits. But the show feels drawn-out and somewhat indulgent. (Prime)

Fantasmas
Julio Torres' boundless imagination is on full display in this fanciful show in which he plays a goofy variation on himself in fantastical settings that are packed with wildly inventive supporting characters. A steady stream of great cameos includes producer Emma Stone, Tilda Swinton, Bowen Yang, Paul Dano, Steve Buscemi and Dylan O'Brien. The way Torres tells stories is endearing, funny and constantly surprising. So while the central plot about a missing earring is a bit absurd, the hand-made approach to sumptuous visual effects makes this well worth watching. (Max)

GUILTY PLEASURES: Drag Race All Stars (9), The Boyfriend, Don't Hate the Player.

NOW WATCHING: Time Bandits, Lady in the Lake, Decameron, Snowpiercer (4), Sausage Party: Foodtopia.

COMING SOON: Only Murders in the Building (4), Heartstopper (3), The Umbrella Academy (4), Kaos, Agatha All Along.

Previous roundup: JUNE 2024 >

Critical Week: Who runs the world

I've only had one actual press screening this week, which seems a bit odd with so many huge movies floating around that need to be seen (to be fair, I saw several of them in Venice). Instead, I managed to catch a special preview at my local Picturehouse of The Woman King, the heavily fictionalised historical epic starring Viola Davis as leader of a 19th century West African all-female army. Even if the film sidesteps some facts, it's a rousing movie that audiences should enjoy, especially with terrific performances from Davis, Lashana Lynch, John Boyega and Thuso Mbedu. And then there were George Clooney and Julia Roberts hamming it up in Ticket to Paradise, a comedy without many actual laughs. But when they're not goofing around, the stars find both chemistry and some surprising dramatic textures.

BEST OUT THIS WEEK:
Blonde • Athena • After Yang
Juniper • In Front of Your Face
ALL REVIEWS >

Smaller films this week included the quietly riveting Irish drama It Is In Us All, starring the superb Cosmo Jarvis; the pointed and perhaps a bit contrived New Zealand drama The Justice of Bunny King, anchored by another terrific performance from Essie Davis; Korean auteur Hong Sangsoo's involving, sensitive and unusually perceptive drama In Front of Your Face; and the warmly engaging doc A Bunch of Amateurs, about a 90-year-old movie-making club in the North of England.

Coming up this next week are Francois Ozon's new film Peter von Kant, the horror thriller Smile, the sci-fi thriller Control, the mystery thriller The Razing, the French drama Rodeo, the Icelandic drama Godland.

Contenders: Longest awards season ever

With Bafta and Oscar pushed into April, this year's awards season has nearly been doubled, with the various honours I vote in stretched a couple of months longer than usual. It also means that not all awards have the same eligibility dates, so winners are beginning to vary as nominations are announced and prizes are handed out. So we can expect to see some of this year's Oscar contenders among next year's critics accolades. Here are eight more films I've caught up with over the past two months for voting purposes, including some proper gems...

Nocturnal
dir Nathalie Biancheri; scr Olivia Waring, Nathalie Biancheri; with Cosmo Jarvis, Lauren Coe, Sadie Frost, Yasmin Monet Prince, Laurie Kynaston, Amber Jean Rowan 19/UK 1h24 ***
Shot and edited with a visceral sensibility, this British drama explores the unusual friendship between sparky 17-year-old Laurie (Coe), who bristles with attitude, and the 33-year-old Pete (Jarvis), who seems to be obsessed with her. Director Biancheri keeps the tone almost unnervingly over-serious, with improv-style dialog that's often mumbly or whispered. The way Pete approaches Laurie is more like a big brother, which confuses her as she continues flirting with him. Of course, all of this is meant to imply that there's more going on here than meets the eye, which is rather indulgent. And indeed, the plot is a bit thin. But the actors are so earthy and natural that the film becomes almost mesmerising. and they keep it authentic and emotionally powerful.

13.Jan.21

About Endlessness
[Om det Oändliga]

dir-scr Roy Andersson; with Jessica Louthander, Tatiana Delaunay, Anders Hellstrom, Anna Sedunova, Jan-Eje Ferling, Thore Flygel 19/Sweden 1h18 ****
At age 78, Swedish filmmaker Roy Andersson continues to create visually astounding work that explores enormous themes from witty, askance angles. Each shot is like a slowly moving painting, exquisitely detailed and rendered with astonishing attention to detail. This makes watching the film almost hypnotic, as each scene presents a story that weaves into a larger exploration of human existence and interaction. This film is a remarkable depiction of life in all its forms, wonderful and terrible, meaningful and pointless, beautiful and ugly. The settings have a muted old-world charm, while the people are strikingly modern. And each scene is utterly exquisite, so the film holds the attention even without any proper characters. It's a stunning exploration of the meaning of existence, and a witty observation that we don't actually need to know what it means.

14.Jan.21

Make Up
dir-scr Claire Oakley; with Molly Windsor, Joseph Quinn, Stefanie Martini, Theo Barklem-Biggs, Elodie Wilton, Lisa Palfrey 19/UK BBC 1h26 ****
Filmmaker Claire Oakley begins peppering this British drama with unsettling details from the first shot, creating gnawing unease that echoes the central character's mindset. Strange noises, gusty weather, pointy red fingernails: these kinds of atmospheric touches add horrific undercurrents, creating a fresh spin on the Hitchcock classic Suspicion. The story follows 18-year-old Ruth (Windsor), who travels to Cornwall to be with her boyfriend Tom (Quinn) at the remote holiday park where he's working. When she finds a smudge of makeup and long red hair, she suspects he's been cheating on her. And everyone she meets seems a little off. Oakley skilfully pushes the viewer deeply into Ruth's disorienting perspective, and gifted newcomer Windsor's performance is earthy and often unnervingly internalised, a young woman facing her first truly adult situation. It's a truly haunting coming-of-age.

17.Jan.21

The Wolf House
[La Casa Lobo]
dir Cristobal Leon, Joaquin Cocina; scr Alejandra Moffat, Joaquin Cocina, Cristobal Leon; voices Amalia Kassai, Rainer Krausse 18/Chile 1h15 ***.

A truly original approach to animation makes this surreal movie magical to watch, mixing a variety of filmmaking formats. It's fairly impossible to describe, as the story emerges through what looks like moving images hand painted onto walls, which then combine into a range of inventive stop-motion puppetry techniques. And the story is involving and haunting, twisting fairy tale elements in strange new ways. Set in southern Chile, it opens within a community of singing Germans who believe they have discovered the right way to live, although they have a rather dark past. Maria (Kassai) is a young member who, rather than endure punishment after letting two pigs escape, sneaks out of the village and takes refuge in a strange house in the woods. She avoids the wolf (Krausse) who lives there, reuniting with her lost pigs and becoming a family. But she knows the wolf is lurking. The swirl of constantly shifting painting, sculpture, papier mache and many other elements is simply stunning to look at, while the story seems to take place within Maria's mind as a stream-of-consciousness voiceover. The house itself becomes a character in the narrative, which takes outrageously Lynchian turns. But it's the imagery that's mesmerising. Indeed, it's impossible to look away. What big teeth you have....

24.Jan.21

Lynn + Lucy
dir-scr Fyzal Boulifa; with Roxanne Scrimshaw, Nichola Burley, Shaq B Grant, Tia Nelson, Jennifer Lee Moon, Kacey Ainsworth 19/UK BFI 1h27 ***.
In the tradition of British kitchen-sink realism, this downbeat drama centres on characters for whom life is a real struggle. This makes them easy to identify with, although first-time feature filmmaker Boulifa's approach is a bit relentlessly grim. The title characters have been friends since they were 11 and are now godmothers to each others' children. Lynn and Lucy (Scrimshaw and Burley) support each other through everything, including Lynn's struggles as a new mother and Lucy's strained marriage to Paul (Grant), a tough guy who is unable to work after his military service. Then something happens that requires unflinching support, and the questions shake their close bond. The film is beautifully observed, with conversations that take unexpected detours, delivering small but pungent kicks. And the plot contains some earth-rattling points that make everything even more intensely emotive. All of this is expertly written and directed, and played with a deep sensibility by the fine cast. And as it explores layers of tragedy in everyday life, it's not easy to watch.

19.Jan.21

Disclosure
dir Sam Feder; with Laverne Cox, Mj Rodriguez, Chaz Bono, Lilly Wachowski, Yance Ford, Jamie Clayton 20/US Netflix 1h48 ****
This strikingly well-made documentary takes a complex look at how transgendered people are depicted in the media, an enormous issue that becomes deeply personal in the thoughtful commentary. "I never thought that I would live in a world where trans people were treated with respect or even celebrated in culture," says one person who clings to trans characters in movies and TV shows, even when they're problematic or downright negative. Filmmaker Feder assembles this with starry to-camera interviews sharing intimate stories and feelings, intercut with a wide range of clips that span more than a century. Trans people have been played for laughs (Tootsie, Victor/Victoria), depicted as killers (Psycho, The Silence of the Lambs) or dismissed as a punchline (daytime chat shows). But there's also deep resonance (Boys Don't Cry), problematic casting (Dog Day Afternoon, Dallas Buyers Club) and unhelpful reactions (The Crying Game, Ace Ventura). But things are changing, especially for underrepresented groups (Orange Is the New Black, Pose, A Fantastic Woman). Using such bracingly personal perspectives keeps this from being another trawl through media history. Yes, the doc feels comprehensive, but that's what makes it so powerful. And it's packed with essential, eye-opening observations.

6.Feb.21

The Forty-Year-Old Version
dir-scr Radha Blank; with Radha Blank, Peter Kim, Oswin Benjamin, Imani Lewis, Haskiri Velazquez, Antonio Ortiz 20/US Netflix 2h03 ****
This is a dryly hilarious, knowing slice of life in which filmmaker Radha Blank plays a sparky version of herself, trying to get noticed as a 40-year-old Black female playwright and rapper. But everyone keeps brushing her off, and those who engage with her are painfully condescending, wanting her to do the usual nonsense ("I still need a writer for my Harriet Tubman musical"). And she also has to contend with the usual obstacles of chaotic New York life. But her terrific collection of snappy, colourful friends are there to help her ... and to entertain her. And she also has a class of teen theatre students who are bursting with attitude that keeps her on her toes. Where the story goes over the somewhat overlong running time is funny, powerful and occasionally excruciating. It's also skilfully shot in black and white, and peppered with brilliantly astute moments that are heart-stoppingly raw. Radha is a fresh new cinematic voice. And this film is loose, engaging and important.

8.Feb.21

Bad Hair
dir-scr Justin Simien; with Elle Lorraine, Vanessa Williams, Jay Pharoah, Lena Waithe, Blair Underwood, Laverne Cox 20/US 1h42 ***
There's a subversive edge to this comical horror about a killer weave, which grounds its amusingly unsettling Faustian story in a world full of racial and sexist harassment. This connection to current issues adds a zing of topicality to the nastiness that unfolds, even when the plot goes off the rails. The story is set in 1989 Los Angeles, where Anna (Elle Lorraine) gets pricey sewn-in extensions to advance her career. But as her confidence grows, she realises that her new hair has an appetite for blood. Director Simien indulges in flashy camerawork, wacky effects and colourful production design, creating arch moments that punch the comedy and add several freak-out thrills. The hair salon sequence is properly nasty, as are the references to slave-era folktales. The violent moments have seriously grisly angles that add deeper meaning to the film, touching on a range of weighty topics. So it's a bit frustrating that gonzo grisliness takes over in the uneven final act. At least the message is perfect: a woman should be able to wear her hair however she wants to.

19.Feb.21

Critical Week(s): A girl's best friend

The week of the London critics' awards, I only had two screenings, so I'm rolling that into this past week here. Films at the moment are mainly arthouse movies, because I've seen all of the big ticket movies either at festivals or during awards-voting periods last year. Then this week we had 2020's first big title, the DC Comics' action romp Birds of Prey. To be honest, I was dreading it, because I'm not the biggest fan of 2016's Suicide Squad. But director Cathy Yan rights everything David Ayer did wrong with that film: this one has deeper characters, coherent action, a plot that actually develops the situations and people in interesting directions. Margot Robbie is still over-the-top as Harley Quinn, but she has layers of interest this time, and is never sexualised. In other words, the film is a refreshing blast of bonkers energy.

There were also two powerfully involving low-key independent dramas. From Ireland, Calm With Horses is a dark and punchy drama about a hulking young ex-boxer (the terrific Cosmo Jarvis) struggling to balance his work as a henchman with his love for his young autistic son. And from England, County Lines is a pointed, often harrowing drama about a 14-year-old (astonishing newcomer Conrad Khan) groomed into a life of crime by a charismatic stranger (Harris Dickinson). Two Scandinavian movies were unnerving for very different reasons: The Icelandic drama A White, White Day is a slow, moving exploration of grief, while the Swedish horror Koko-Di Koko-Da is surreal, unhinged and breathtakingly original. And then there was the 3D documentary Cunningham, which inventively chronicles the career of groundbreaking dancer-choreographer Merce Cunningham.

This coming week's screenings include Jim Carrey in Sonic the Hedgehog, Anya Taylor-Joy in Emma, Tiffany Haddish in Like a Boss, Keira Knightley in Misbehaviour and the British thriller Rose Plays Julie.

And in the wake of the always rather predictable Baftas last weekend, which were as usual broadcast in the UK heavily edited and several hours after they took place, I'll be staying up all night on Sunday to watch the Oscars handed out live. In the UK the show starts at 1am. I'll take a nap beforehand...