Howe's World of Film and TV

Jerry Seinfeld: 23 Hours To Kill (2020) – TV Review

Jerry Seinfeld is one of the most famous and successful comedians on the modern era, and he returns to the stand up stage here for a Netflix special.

One of Netflix’s most underrated and key aspects is the wide variety of stand up specials, from both then biggest stars in the world, and upcoming stars, and Seinfeld falls very much into the latter.

The special itself is solid but unspectacular, with very predictable humour used throughout. It’s certainly fine for something to watch in the background for an hour, especially during our current times, but Seinfeld can be very funny at times and this doesn’t feel like him at his best.

Rating = 3/5

Blue Valentine (2010) – Review

A Weinstein Company Picture, Written by Derek Cianfrance, Cami Delavigne, Joey Curtis, Directed by Derek Cianfrance.

Ryan Gosling has now partnered with Emma Stone in three films, culminating in the multiple Oscar winner ‘La La Land’ and that has now established them as one of modern cinemas great couples. This is true and they are superb together, but I still think Gosling’s best scene partner to date is Michelle Williams.

She matches his quirky charisma, but also absolutely shines in the dark and depressing moments both of them have to go through together here.

The film was advertised with the tag line of ‘This Is A Love Story’ and while that is true, it isn’t the love story we are used to seeing. It is a couple falling out of love, a story to love falling apart, and it is handled beautifully.

At times it is sexy and funny, at times it is sad and hard to watch, but throughout all of it, you can see a singular vision and it is one of the best indies of the last decade.

Rating = 4.5/5

50 States of Fright (2020) – TV Review

Sam Raimi made his name in the 80/90s as a new kid on the block with exciting horror projects, before conquering the blockbuster genre in the 21st Century, but now he is back, on streaming service Quibi, with a horror anthology series.

I like the general idea of the series, but the show never clicked for me at all. The tone was very confused, never quite deciding whether it is a schlocky and fun loving horror riff, or if it is a really serious horror show.

It is packed full of name actors, mainly because it would’ve been a small time commitment for them, and the ‘Golden Arm’ episode that Raimi directs Rachel Brosnahan and Travis Fimmel in, is both the most memorable and worst episode of the show.

This is apparently returning for more episodes but isn’t strong enough to get me to keep Quibi beyond the free trial period.

Rating = 2.5/5

NT Live: Frankenstein (2011) – Theatre Review

A Royal National Theatre Production. Written by Mary Shelley, Nick Dear, Directed by Danny Boyle.

Due to the Corona Virus and the effects that it is having on the world right now, mainly in this case that all the theatres are closed, National Theatre Live have been putting some of their most high profile productions on YouTube, free of charge.

This is Danny Boyle’s version of Frankenstein, specifically starring Benedict Cumberbatch as The Creature and Jonny Lee Miller as Victor Frankenstein (both men are modern day versions of Sherlock Holmes, which further adds to the fascination here).

It is an age old story of tragedy, life, and power, but the emotion is really on centre stage here as Cumberbatch’s creature proves to be a powerful and emotive character that dominates the stage.

Cumberbatch’s performance is so physical and intense that it is remarkable he repeated it night after night, and just goes to prove again he is one of his generations finest actors across stage and screen.

Rating = 4/5

Hollywood (2020) – TV Review

I am a huge fan of entertainment about classic Hollywood, and I have also enjoyed some of Ryan Murphy’s work (American Crime Story, Feud, some seasons of American Horror Story) so I was genuinely looking forward to this show. What a disappointment.

It is such a lazily written and almost dangerous piece of revisionist history. Ryan Murphy’s Hollywood ‘rewrites history’ by erasing those who really suffered in the name of progress, instead of championing them, and it is therefore a failure of what it wants to do.

So many people struggled through such hardship to get the industry to the (admittedly still imperfect) place it is today, and the characters here seem to quite easily ‘force change’ in a decision that is meant to be progressive but has the complete opposite effect.

There are a few things to like about this show, the strong and period specific production design, and the cast.

The ensemble is undeniably impressive; Jeremy Pope, Joe Mantello, Jake Picking, Jim Parsons, Holland Taylor, Patti LuPone, and Dylan McDermott all do great work and are entertaining.

The two performances that don’t work for me come from actors I know are talented, but Darren Criss and Laura Harrier don’t work for me in these specific roles, and they don’t click together on screen.

The two stand outs in the cast are David Corenswet and Samara Weaving, who both work together and separately very well. They have great charisma and the perfect classic Hollywood look.

Weaving brings a unique quirkinesses to a character that could’ve been bland, and this makes her stand out. Corenswet is the perfect Clark Kent if Henry Cavill never returns to the role.

This could’ve been so much better, and it really should’ve been.

Rating = 2.5/5

Veep Season 5 (2016) – TV Review

Losing Armando Iannucci as showrunner is enough to send any show off the rails, but instead, this great show just continues to even higher heights.

The season is unpredictable, game changing, and completely hilarious. All of the characters get great moments throughout, and the dialogue continues to be the funniest and most outrageous on TV.

The whole cast is of course great, but Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Anna Chlumsky, and Timothy Simons shine the most this season, and they are simply iconic in these roles.

Moving Jonah into politics was a genius decision and the ending leads to a brand new status quo that should allow for interesting developments for season 6.

Rating = 4.5/5

Do The Right Thing (1989) – Review

A Universal Picture, Written and Directed by Spike Lee.

Spike Lee is now one of the most famous, respected, and often controversial filmmakers working in Hollywood, but back in 1989, he was a young man with a lot to say, and he was intent on making an impact, and he certainly did just that.

This film set in New York on the hottest day of the summer is so packed full of racial tensions, societal commentary and a burning feeling of building tension throughout, which eventually culminates in a chaotic and narratively perfect climax.

The film is a real ensemble, packed full of superb performances that really capture the moment and the mood Lee was going for.

It’s very obvious throughout that Lee is exploring the two different approaches to race rights that Martin Luther King Jr and Malcolm X had, and the way he chooses to tell the story is perfect.

Rating = 4/5

The Sting (1973) – Review

A Universal Picture, Written by David S. Ward, Directed by George Roy Hill.

It’s no secret that this is one of the most legendary films of all time; adjusted for inflation it is one of the highest grossing films ever and it won multiple Oscars, including best picture. However, it also stands the test of time.

Reuniting Paul Newman and Robert Redford just four years after the cultural phenomenon ‘Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid’ was a genius decision and really cemented them as one of the all time great movie star duos.

The film is well written and directed, with a well contracted plot and great energy to the film throughout. It also has one of the all time great and most unique movie scores.

One of the films everyone should watch.

Rating = 4.5/5

Chloe (2009) – Review

A Sony Picture, Written by Erin Cressida Wilson, Directed Atom Egoyan.

The erotic thriller has the potential to be one of the best genres in cinema when done right, but it is a genre that has also had so many poor films and knock offs that it is often tough to take serious. This film is somewhere in the middle.

The cast and concept are excellent, with Oscar winner Julianne Moore and breakout star Amanda Seyfried generating great chemistry, and Liam Neeson also doing a decent job in a thankless role.

However, the film never really commits to its premise and can’t quite decide whether it is a prestige drama or a trashy erotic thriller, and in the end becomes neither.

However, it has certain very memorable scenes and it is worth watching for Seyfried alone. She makes for a great femme fatale and for over a decade now has been one of the most underrated actresses working in Hollywood.

Rating = 3/5

Westworld Season 3: The New World (2020) – TV Review

Westworld is a strange beast of a show. When it first launched, it was heralded as HBOs new Game of Thrones but it was quickly apparent that despite its large budget and scale, this was a very different sort of show.

It is packed full of mystery, plot twists, and ‘intellectual’ examinations of the world. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but it makes it a lot less mainstream.

I enjoyed the first two seasons greatly, with the scale and cast being very impressive. Both of those things still apply here, although this season they are the only saving graces.

Season 3 sidelined the majority of the usual main cast (Thandie Newton, Jeffrey Wright, Ed Harris) and while the very strong finale provided and promised pay off for this, it still left the show feeling like it was lacking something.

Evan Rachel Wood is more central here than she has ever been before, and she does a strong job. Her role next season is very up in the air, but I’m sure she will play some sort of part.

Aaron Paul, famous for his incredible performance on breaking bad, is given a key part this season and for the future, and it takes an actor of his quality to pull it off.

Tessa Thompson proves to be the acting stand out this season, and her role is likely to continue to grow as her star power grows as well. She is great here.

The stage has been set for a very different and fascinating season 4, with it likely to feature Thandie Newton, Jeffrey Wright, and Tessa Thompson as the main leads, and I am still very excited for it.

Rating = 3.5/5