Critical Week: On an adventure

It's been another very warm week in London, which has taken its toll on movie box office numbers as we spend rather a lot more time outdoors than usual. I haven't had any theatre to cover, but the movies keep rolling in, with yet another huge blockbuster arriving like clockwork over the next few months. Coming next week, Harrison Ford is back for a sixth adventure in Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, which was screened for London press earlier this week. It's a hugely crowd-pleasing action romp, nonstop fun and unapologetic about its silly plot. Jennifer Lawrence gets to flex her comical skills in No Hard Feelings, an enjoyably rude comedy with a sweet centre.

BEST OUT THIS WEEK:
The Stroll • Sublime
Desperate Souls, Dark City
No Hard Feelings
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From France, Quentin Dupieux returns with yet another absurdly brilliant comedy: Smoking Causes Coughing is a cleverly bonkers take on superhero movies. The British indie drama To Nowhere is beautifully shot, mixing moving character layers into a simple premise. From Japan, The Tunnel of Summer, the Exit of Goodbyes is a thoughtful and beautifully animated drama about two teens who have a fantastical journey,. And I also saw two documentaries: Name Me Lawand is the moving story of a deaf teen from Iraq who only learns to communicate as a refugee in Britain, and The Last Rider allows cycling champion Greg Lemond to narrate his life story, most notably his incredible comeback after a shooting accident.

I have a few more films to watch before I fly to Seoul next week to begin service on the jury at the 27th Bifan: Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival. Look for regular updates here.

Screen: Spring TV Roundup

I don't feel like I watch this much TV, mainly because I always have so many things in my "to watch" list. But just catching an episode here and there between films and before bed, to reset my brain while working, clearly adds up. As always, I enjoy offbeat shows the most, and I try to avoid anything centred around murder or illness. Give me messy characters over a police procedural any day. More comedies are always welcome...

SOMETHING NEW

Les Miserables

This series is not the musical, it's a fairly standard costume drama TV adaptation of Victor Hugo's great novel. The solid cast helps keep it watchable, even if it's shot and edited in a rather pedestrian way that belittles the material by trying too hard. Still, the epic story can't help but sweep the viewer up in the outrageous injustice of it all. And the always-remarkable Dominic West, David Oyelowo, Olivia Colman, Josh O'Connor and others are terrific. Although you can't help but wonder how much better it would be if the producers had been more daring. Swapping West's and Oyelowo's roles around would have been an intriguing start.

This Time With Alan Partridge

Steve Coogan continues the adventures of his most notorious alter-ego with this riotously well-written comedy, which sees him returning from the wilderness of regional radio to BBC TV in London. Not only is Coogan still on razor-sharp form with this relentlessly awkward character, but the show is a superb pastiche of sofa television, knowingly poking fun at everything that happens both in front of and behind the cameras. It's also taking on some of big issues without even a whiff of political correctness. Alan valiantly attempts to join the Time's Up era while at the same time bulldozing it. Some of the technical gags (mainly the studio's overcomplicated tweet system) seem a little stretched out. Otherwise, it's wickedly funny.

You

There's a lot not to like about this hour-long black comedy series. The central characters are reprehensible. In the main role, Penn Badgely is a psychopath who poses as a nice-guy bookshop owner while he's using technology to stalk and seduce a cute, bland blonde (Elizabeth Lail) who clearly can't be as sweet as he thinks she is. A twist to reveal her perspective is oddly underused, but begins to make the show much more interesting. Lapses of logic abound, including the way this is another series in which people seem able to run around and do all kinds of expensive, highly skilled, nefarious things with whizzy gadgets even though they never seem to go to work.

Now Apocalypse

Gregg Araki brings his distinctive style to the small screen with this rather bonkers half-hour comedy, which follows a group of young people on an inebriated, sex-fuelled odyssey as some sort of alien conspiracy seems to be threatening the planet. Araki's witty take on youth culture is as luridly colourful as his films have always been, And the sexy young cast is thoroughly engaging, ably anchored by Avan Jogia, Beau Mirchoff and Kelli Berglund. There is a sense that Araki covered this material back in the 1990s, and that the sense of doom was perhaps more timely then, but this feels like a blast of fresh air on television: never coy about sex, never proscriptive about sexuality, honest about the struggle to find your place in the world.

Sex Education

Smart and very funny, this British series fills each hour-long episode with pithy observations about sex, which makes most of the characters squirm uncomfortably, especially Otis (Asa Butterfield), whose mother (Gillian Anderson) is a sex therapist.  And Emma Mackey, Ncuti Gatwa and Kedar Williams-Stirling are also superb. The script smartly skewers attitudes toward sexuality at every turn, so even when there's a badly cliched episode (such as No 5, when everything goes wrong simply because the writers are too lazy to think up something clever or original), there's plenty of character comedy and drama to hold the interest. And where it goes is finely played right to the explosive climax. Sorry.

Putting On

This snappy and watchable documentary web series from Revry follows On Mekahel as he goes into business with his ex Mateusz Pach to create a line of underwear. The charming, overconfident On is the definition of a drama queen diva in a ridiculously over-designed apartment (complete with fluffy white dog), blaming everyone for problems he causes himself. With six episodes under 10 minutes each, the show is a brisk, intriguing look at a business start-up, including some tellingly detailed moments along the way, balancing a business split between New York and Los Angeles, checking out samples, choosing models and hiring a PR agency. Sure, you have to be a control freak to do this job, but On really needs to lighten up.

BACK FOR MORE

Fleabag: series 2

The first season was so drop-dead brilliant that it was impossible to imagine where Phoebe Waller-Bridge might take it next. But the show just gets better with each new episode, which only makes a season of six half-hour shows feel almost painfully short. Not only is the writing simply jaw-droppingly hilarious and shocking at the same time, but Waller-Bridge has added the fabulous Andrew Scott, Kristin Scott Thomas and Fiona Shaw to a cast that already features Olivia Colman in one of her most memorable roles as Fleabag's smiling-monster stepmum (who finally cut loose, off-camera, this series). Everything about these characters is so messy that the show is easily the funniest thing on television. And the final episode was surprisingly moving too.

Future Man: series 2

This show is so fast-paced that binging it is almost too easy. The dialog is so sharp and silly that it keeps the audience on its toes, spinning events in continually unexpected directions. Josh Hutcherson is even better this season, helped by the fact that the entire season takes place in one time (the far distant future), while the other characters continually exasperate him. The show wildly satirises human history, most notably issues of power and political corruption. But it's so absurd and manic that it begins to get sublimely inane - a stoner sci-fi comedy romp that feels utterly ridiculous but actually has some cool subtext.

Star Trek Discovery: series 2

This season got instantly back on track, making the debut season feel like a sideroad (well, it took place in a parallel timeline). This is much more grounded in the Trek ethos, which makes each "discovery" that much stronger as the characters explore new planets while trying to solve an epic mystery. The characters and their tricky relationships also develop in intriguing directions, with some terrific additions to the cast, including Anson Mount's Pike and Ethan Peck's Spock. Viewers who watch carefully will spot some annoying plot holes here and there, but the personal drama is so compelling that it's hard to mind too much. It's also impossible to predict where this will go next, which is rare for an episodic adventure in this genre.

Friends From College: series 2

This ensemble comedy returned to further entangle the lives of these lively characters. Nothing about this show is particularly believable, especially as all of the drama feels so ingrown, but it's entertaining for what it is. This is largely thanks to the up-for-it cast, layering some bracingly unlikeable angles into their characters. Which actually makes them more sympathetic, because we can identify with them. It's refreshing to see a show that doesn't strain to make everyone a quirky type who is adorably sweet. These people all have crippling issues that push them to do terrible things to each other. But they're so hilariously hapless about it that it's hard to hate them.

One Day at a Time:
series 3

I'd never seen this, but on a recommendation I started from the beginning and binged it. This is one of the smartest, funniest sitcoms out there. A remake of a classic 1970s show, it's a fresh take on the single-mother set-up with a particularly strong cast of complex characters led by Justina Machado and national treasure Rita Moreno. It's a rare comedy that uses character-based wit to keep the audience laughing while also tackling some deeper themes with emotion but no sentimentality. And it's bracingly realistic, easy to identify with these people as they grapple with big issues using warmth and humour. Netflix sadly hasn't renewed it, so let's hope someone else picks it up.

This Is Us: series 3b

Compulsively watchable, this sludgy show manages to find new interest by continually delving into new timelines, backstories and possibilities. There are so many different story periods and strands that it's becoming worrying: can they sustain all of this fragmentation without losing the logical coherence of it all? Thankfully, the core cast is solid enough to make the show unmissable. The Michael Angarano/Griffin Dunne plot thread fit in nicely with the show's recurring themes. And seeing Randall (Sterling K Brown) go into politics will hopefully bring some cool new angles, especially for Susan Kelechi Watson's Beth, who felt like the break-out character this year.

The Good Place: series 3

This series continues to pull the rug out from under its characters and the audience in the most awesome ways imaginable, somehow managing to be stupid, smart, hilarious and emotionally resonant all at the same time. The afterlife antics continued this year with our heroes trying to prove that the rules have made it too hard to get into heaven, so they set out to change the system. The existential themes are provocative, even as the characters and situations remain sublimely ridiculous. And the cast is getting better with each episode. There seems to be no end to the inventiveness of the writers.

Schitt's Creek: series 5

After last year's sublime season, the gang returns for an even stronger year, with sharply well-written episodes that are played to perfection by actors who are relaxing into their characters. Even Chris Elliott isn't as annoying this time around, finding some unexpected layers to the idiotic Roland. Of course the main reason to watch this is the raw genius of Catherine O'Hara and Eugene Levy, plus the impeccable timing of Dan Levy and Annie Murphy as their kids. But then all of the characters are unforgettable. And the way they react to each other and the realities of their lives is simply priceless. The show can't run forever, but we can hope. And we also hope they release Moira's Cabaret as a stand-alone special. And The Crows Have Eyes III, too.

Grace and Frankie: series 5

This is one of those rare shows that gets better with age, appropriately enough. By now, the broad premise has settled into the background, allowing the writers the space to have some fun with the characters as they adeptly weave various plot strands together. This not only makes the show funnier. but it's also much more textured and insightful. Episodes spark plenty of laughter, but with an emotional edge. All of which gives the strong cast a lot to run with. Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin are simply wonderful in the title roles, pushing their characters further than expected. And everyone around them is on peak form.

Shameless: series 9b

When the Gallaghers bring chaos on themselves, it's engaging; when the universe dishes out bad luck, it feels like writers are contriving to stir up trouble. The second half of this season weaves in too much scripted pain, particularly for Fiona (Emmy Rossum). But as annoying as it was to see her shattered and mean, at least there was a bigger plan, and they sent her off with real panache. Even as the younger kids grow up and get into their own issues, William H Macy's Frank remains the most unapologetically irresponsible member of the family, and Macy still nails the character perfectly. They all continue to be great, actually. As much as we'll miss Rossum, it'll be great to have Cameron Monaghan's Ian back next year.

THE END OF THE ROAD

Timeless: series 3

This show wraps up with a two-part season subtitled, ahem, "The Miracle of Christmas". The increasingly splintered narrative makes even less logical sense than before, but the show has a simplistic charm that delivers mindless entertainment as it pings around between encounters with various random historical figures and events. The settings are intriguing, with some clever touches along the way. But the convolutions of the script are frankly laughable, especially as they try to unravel the tangled mess of plot threads over the previous two seasons. That's clearly impossible, so most of the dialog sounds like gibberish. But it's good fun.

You're the Worst:
series 5

This series was always going to be difficult to maintain, as the idea of two relationship-averse people falls apart when they're planning their wedding. But the writers find ways to continue their tortured interaction in some jaggedly funny directions. And the actors somehow manage to deepen even the more cartoonish side characters in the show; all are excellent. Being the final season, there was a definitely sense this time round that they are heading somewhere, even if the whole wedding scenario just never clicks into gear. Still, the final episode has some terrific touches in the way it wraps things up.

Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt: series 5

To wrap up the show, this half-season started rather wobbly before regaining its stride for some superbly entertaining wackiness. Frankly, the premise was stretched beyond the breaking point, as Kimmy's emergence as a capable, intelligent woman kind of undermines her continuing naivete. So the writers instead went off the rails into manic nuttiness involving the wider cast of characters, which simply wasn't as engaging, even though it was still very well-played by the ace actors (Jane Krakowski is god). A bolder approach, pushing Kimmy into some proper female-empowerment scenarios, might have given the series some legs. But at least it went out with a bang.

NOW WATCHING: Killing Eve, Twilight Zone, Veep, Victoria, True Detective, Jane the Virgin

COMING SOON: Game of Thrones, Fosse/Verdon, Good Omens, Santa Clarita Diet

Shadows on the Screen: Winter TV Roundup

I look through this list of shows and wonder how I found time to watch all of this over the past three months. But I tend to watch an episode here and there during the day - to take a break from work, to reset my mind after a film, as background while I'm eating lunch. It's a bit scary how much TV I get through like this...

NEW AND NOTABLE

Killing Eve

Written by Phoebe Waller-Bridge, this is a seriously inventive spy thriller series. Funny and scary, it centres on a befuddled British agent (Sandra Oh) tracking a ruthless Russian killer (Jodie Comer) across Europe. None of the characters behave like the usual stereotypes; these are complex, surprising, offbeat people with their own issues. And the side roles are just as cleverly drawn. Well, any show that features the great Fiona Shaw is unmissable. And Waller-Bridge deserves praise for her willingness to avoid the usual action beats in lieu of character comedy, dark irony and some proper thrills. Plus a great cliffhanger ending.

Homecoming

Snaky and fascinating, this half-hour thriller series is a bit vague, deliberately delaying any revelation that could add clarity to the central mystery. This makes it a challenge to stick with, even as it worms its way under the skin, mainly because the characters are particularly strong, played beautifully by Julia Roberts, Bobby Cannavale, Stephan James and Shea Wigham. The writing and directing are astute and clever, with terrific moments in every episode, and a clever blurring of the lines between events in the past, present and future. In the end, this is a stark story about some very big issues like the wellbeing of veterans and the abuses of private contractors. So it carries some powerful resonance.

Wanderlust

Toni Collette and Stephen Mackintosh are terrific in this offbeat British comedy-drama about a married couple that decides to open their relationship to rekindle the spark between them. It's intriguing that the premise doesn't seem nearly as transgressive as it would have just a few years ago. Even the kids' somewhat outrageous behaviour feels almost normal. Whether this is a comment on our times or on a sliding scale of morality is the provocative question. The point is that this excellent cast is so good at making these people feel honest and real that it challenges us to define what we believe and why. And it keeps us smiling while doing so.

The Little Drummer Girl

The frankly awesome Florence Pugh stars in this adaptation of the John Le Carre thriller, which is snaky and stylish as it throws her character into a late-1970s spy/terrorism mess. Directed beautifully by Park Chan-wook, the series is wonderfully loose and elusive, but with a rivetingly strong edge that digs into the minds of the characters. Pugh is playing an actress with no espionage experience, drafted into a Mossad operation in which her method performance style is very effective, even as she blurs every line around her. Pugh's chemistry with slippery handler Alexander Skarsgard is mesmerising, while Michael Shannon's shady boss offers his own textures.

Vanity Fair

Thackeray's novel is adapted into this lively, colourful period series. It's perhaps a bit too jokey for its own good, knowingly nodding at the camera every chance it gets. But it's also skilfully well-made, with wonderful actors who inject lots of spark into their roles. And the way it's made brings in some nice present-day textures through the use of music and editing, plus themes surrounding the vacuous pursuit of popularity and money. Olivia Cooke has a terrific wide-eyed faux innocence as Becky Sharp, who aggressively attempts to make her fortune against the odds in 19th century England. She's so callous that it's hard to like her, so sympathy lies instead with the people she wrongs.

Kidding 

Definitely not for kids. Jim Carrey is superb as the Mr Rogers-style host of a long-running children's television show who clashes with the programme's producer, his dad (a hilariously exasperated Frank Langella), as he tries talk to kids about serious issues. But since this is from the mind of Michel Gondry, there's rather a lot more going on here. Essentially, this is a wildly inventive exploration of grief and emotional honesty, with terrific performances all round, including Catherine Keener and Judy Greer. It's sometimes a bit freaky, with entire episodes existing in a moment of insanity. But it's also darkly moving, and it carries a powerful kick as Carrey's Mr Pickles struggles with his inner demons.

Forever

It's rare for a comedy to explore existential issues, but this offbeat show boldly avoids obvious storytelling to create some quirky situations. Maya Rudolph and Fred Armisen star as a couple who, after events in the first two episodes, continue their marriage in the afterlife. The writing isn't as clever or funny as it thinks it is, and it never really says much about relationships, so the premise feels under-imagined. There's also the problem that the show simply never makes sense, even within its own deliberate lack of logic. But the cast is great, and the show's absurd enough to hold the interest as it plays with genuinely huge ideas.

The Bisexual

Desiree Akhavan appeared in Girls, and here she pushes that format even further as an awkwardly over-talking young woman in London trying to appear confident as she works with her ex (Maxine Peake), lives with a lovelorn Irishman (Brian Fleeson) and dodges barbs from her best pal (Saskia Chana). The cast is excellent, and the show's writing is astute, funny and very pointed as it explores issues that have never been confronted quite so straight-on in a TV show. Akhavan writes superbly barbed dialog that refuses to pull any punches, and as an actress she dives into a prickly character with so much gusto that we can't help but love her.

The Conners (aka Roseanne: series 11)

Dumping Roseanne Barr from Roseanne was a rushed over-reaction, and a great shame since this show took such a complex, messy, important approach to American politics. The remaining characters are all wonderful, finely played by the cast. But Barr's unhinged comedy is badly missed, leaving the show off-balance. That said, the approach to issues remains complex and engaging, and each actor brings layers and textures that make this one of the most sophisticated shows on network television. The way it grapples with political and social issues is a blast of fresh air. And Laurie Metcalf is a genius.

BACK FOR MORE

Murphy Brown: series 11

Two decades after going off the air, the entire talented cast is back for a reunion series. And while it took awhile to find its stride, it actually feels like the perfect sitcom for our times. The show's style feels a bit quaint, with a punchline carefully placed in every other line, but the topicality of the humour and the feistiness of the characters is thoroughly enjoyable. Adding the now-grown Avery (Jake McDorman) to the mix is just right. It reminds me why this was my favourite show all those years ago: a rare comedy in which the jokes actually mean something, bring out angles on the characters and occasionally find a moment of real emotion.

Shameless: series 9a

The Gallagher family simply won't give up. Each of them seems to have kicked up a gear this season, as increased desperation drives them to bigger, bolder scams. The actors are all so good that it's annoying when they cut away from anyone, but there isn't a weak storyline in here (of about 10 that run full-pelt). That said, the show is far more entertaining when these people are up to their, well, shameless antics than when the writers heap random misery on them undeserved. And there's been quite a bit of that so far this year. 

This Is Us: series 3a

This season continues to tug shamelessly at heartstrings, while exploring new past timelines along with the present-day saga and occasional future forebodings. So even with the occasional downright terrible episode (the fragmented Thanksgiving collage was a mess), the show is unmissable. The addition of Michael Angarano as the doomed Uncle Nick bodes well for future episodes, and both Kate's pregnancy and Randall's political campaign carry some nicely resonant kicks. It doesn't matter where it goes, just that it keeps moving, and that the writers don't work themselves into a corner.

The Good Place: series 3

As before, this season begins with a complete reboot of the premise, again offering the cast members the chance to play merrily with their characters. This series is even trickier than before, continually pulling the rug out from under the audience (and the characters for that matter) as a good-hearted demon (Ted Danson) and his definitely non-robot assistant (D'Arcy Carden) try to keep four hapless humans (Kristen Bell, William Jackson Harper, Jameela Jamil and Manny Jacinto) from the Bad Place. Smart, fast, silly and brilliantly well-played.

The Marvelous Mrs Maisel: series 2

This sharply written and produced series continues the story of the fast-talking 1950s housewife-turned-comic (Rachel Brosnahan). The plotting feels a little looser, abandoning the first season's tight arc for a more open-ended TV series style. This means that they spend a bit too much time following subplots involving Midge's manager (Alex Borstein), parents (Tony Shalhoub and Marin Hinkle) and ex-husband (Michael Zegen). Thankfully, the characters and actors are so good that we don't mind much. And the show comes exhilaratingly to life whenever Brosnahan gets behind a mic.

BINGEWATCHING

The End of the F***ing World: series 1

Alex Lawther and Jessica Barden are flat-out terrific as teens on the run in this half-hour road-trip comedy adventure. Lawther's James is only going along because he is pretty sure he's a serial killer, and he thinks Barden's manipulative Alyssa would be a decent first victim. But there's an unexpected connection developing between them as they search for her long-lost father, while the police and their parents try to track them down. Based on a series of comic books, it's laceratingly well-written and expertly played by an ensemble supporting cast of frankly brilliant British actors. Bring on the second series.

Fleabag: series 1

Phoebe Waller-Bridge has created a bracingly fresh British comedy, starring as a riotously frustrated woman willing to try just about anything to find some happiness after her best friend and business partner commits suicide. Hilariously inappropriate about almost everything, she remains remarkably likeable even as she upsets the lives of her friends and family (including Sian Clifford as her equally messed-up sister and the fabulous Olivia Colman as her snooty stepmum). But it's the emotional undercurrents, which swell up as the six episodes progress, that make the series memorable. It's impossible to predict where it will go from here.

Future Man: series 1

Josh Hutcherson is terrific as the title character in this wacky, action-packed half-hour comedy. He's the nerdy gamer Futterman, who finds himself travelling through time trying to save the world with two hysterically clueless characters (Eliza Coupe and Derek Wilson) from what he thought was a videogame. The hands of producers Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg are strongly felt in the sharp stoner-style humour and outrageously over-the-top violence. Seriously addictive. The late Glenne Headley (as Josh's mum) will be sorely missed in the second season.

LIFE'S TOO SHORT

Maniac • After a strong start, this series became increasingly tricky, and by about the mid-point it simply turned itself inside out. Based on a Norwegian show, this is inventively directed by Cary Fukunaga with a Gondry-style playfulness, but it' far too pretentious. I made it through 5 episodes.
Rel • Cast and crew from The Carmichael Show reassemble for this lighter sitcom, which sends its endearing characters through a range of awkward situations. Lil Rel Howery is great in the lead role, but annoying when he plays a guest character in each episode. And while the show tackles some big issues, the buffoonery is wearing. I made it through 7 episodes.
The Deuce (series 2) • Like the first season, this show is somewhat dry and impenetrable, with a huge number of characters and complex situations that aren't fully explained. Shifting forward to the late-70s, it also feels slicker, with more organised criminals and pornographers. Maggie Gyllenhaal isexcellent, but it's hard to care what's happening. I gave up after episode 2.
House of Cards (series 6) • In its final season, this show became far too arch, drowning in cliches as Robin Wright's Claire turned oddly vicious. As good as she is, feels like she lost her grip on the character. The whole cast is superb, but the scripts don't do them justice. And the muddy tone wore me out about halfway into the third episode, when Claire turned to the camera and asked, "Are you still with me?"

NOW WATCHING: Les Miserables, Mom, Modern Family, Will & Grace, Murphy Brown, The Conners
COMING SOON: The Crown, Victoria, Future Man, Fleabag, The End of the F***ing World