Are you ready for the holidays? Well, Hollywood certainly is.
TV and streaming services are dancing with all sorts of seasonally themed programs and specials. We decided not get all Bah Humbug about it, and watched Will Ferrell/Ryan Reynolds musical “Spirited” and the continuation of the “Santa Clause” franchise – the Disney+ series “The Santa Clauses” with Tim Allen.
We also saw two strong new theatrical films, the witty “The Menu” and the informative “She Said,” as well as an inspirational, quite moving Disney+/National Geographic adventure series with Chris Hemsworth, “Limitless.”
Here’s our roundup,
“The Menu”: Like a meal served at a Michelin-starred restaurant, there’s much to savor in “Succession” screenwriter Will Tracy and “Late Night With Seth Meyers” writer Seith Reiss’s skewering of pretentious foodies who come to expect every course to be over the top and the service and presentation to go beyond anything that came before.
Director Mark Mylod’s “Menu” is not as savage in its parody of the rich as “Triangle of Sadness,” and its level-headed nature make it more more polished and twist dominant, if a little less passionate.
Twelve rich-as-sin diners arrive at a remote 12-acre island of Hawthorne — located in the Pacific Northwest — for an exclusive $1,250-per-person dining experience that claims to be unlike no other. It lives up to that hype, but not in the way they expect.
Into this ego-driven dirty bunch comes last-minute guest Margot (Anya Taylor-Joy) who subs for devoted foodie Tyler’s (Nicholas Hoult) date. She soon realizes she’s surrounded by obnoxious cretins with secrets, including tech bros (Rob Yang, Arturo Castro, Mark St. Cyr), a catered-to critic (Janet McTeer), her kiss-butt editor (Paul Adelstein), an insanely wealthy older couple (Judith Light and Reed Birney) and a gone-to-seed celebrity (John Leguizamo and his assistant (Aimee Carrero).
Once they arrive things go off course fast with renowned chef Julian Slowik (a deliciously demented Ralph Fiennes) doling out more than dinner delicacies.
The cast, including Hong Chau as the severe guardian of the house staff, seems to be having so much fun and that helps feed into how we, the audiences, feel. “The Menu” not only has all the right ingredients — from the cast to the ominous cinematography and a wicked screenplay – but manages to deliver even more than what is promised. Details: 3½ stars; in theaters Nov. 18.
“She Said”: Some who have followed the horrific Harvey Weinstein abuse cases might well come away disappointed that director Maria Schrader’s no-nonsense docudrama on how two New York journalists (Zoe Kazan and Carey Mulligan) helped bring down down a loathsome Hollywood power broker and inspired the #MeToo movement doesn’t come up with any new information.
But “She Said” isn’t for them. It’s aimed at anyone unfamiliar with the scope of Weinstein’s wrongdoings and his serial abuse. Like the best reporting, it does an exacting, thorough job in chronicling Weinstein’s insidious legacy and his brutish tactics to silence survivors. It also highlights the bravery it took to step forward.
Using New York Times journalists Jodi Kantor, Megan Twohey and Rebecca Corbett’s book “She Said: Breaking the Story That Helped Ignite a Movement” as her template, screenwriter Rebecca Lenkiewicz takes us through the investigative journalism process while making the two reporters flesh-and-blood characters dealing with their personal lives as they throw themselves at the story and get the support from editors (an excellent Andre Braugher and Patricia Clarkson). Schrader makes many wise choices, including using taped testimony, rather than a re-enactment, to illustrate the abuse without exploiting the case. Details: 3 stars; opens Nov. 18 in area theaters.
“Spirited”: Even though Sean Anders’ hyperactive musical twist on “A Christmas Carol” has its share of bumpy moments, particularly when it comes to the singing department, it entertains most of the time due to its amusing “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang”-like cuckoo screenplay that never takes itself too seriously, except, appropriately, near the end.
There are laughs to be had, as when Will Ferrell’s character describes someone as “the perfect combination of Mussolini and Seacrest.” Now that’s funny. Also going for “Spirited” is the interplay between its main stars: Ryan Reynolds, Ferrell and Octavia Spencer. They’re appealing, engaging and mostly hit the comedic high notes.
Ferrell plays the unchallenged Ghost of Christmas Present. He’s craving an assignment to redeem an Unredeemable, and he gets one in the trim, unethical form of a driven PR czar (Reynolds) who unleashes viral social-media nightmares that win elections. His assistant (Spencer) is resigned to the tyranny that he orchestrates, and wants out. In every excessive and flamboyant scene, it’s obvious Apple TV+ pumped a lot of money into “Spirited” and while it warbles on too long and is hardly in the “Elf” league, it is fun and features some dandy song and dance song numbers, including “Good Morning” which also comes with a surprise cameo by an Oscar-winning actress. Details: 3 stars; available Nov. 18 on Apple TV+.
“Limitless With Chris Hemsworth”: When it comes to the do’s and don’ts on health and fitness, social media sometimes feels like a breeding ground for bad information. This six-episode National Geographic series shouldn’t make you want to do exactly what the athletic Hemsworth does – putting his body, mind and his own wellbeing to test to show our need to push boundaries. But there’s much more going on than watching a shirtless Hemsworth achieve extraordinary superhero pursuits like swimming in the Arctic, walking on a crane atop a 900-foot skyscraper, and so on. “Limitless’ looks at the science and the biology involved and how a toned-down variation of what Hemsworth does can unclog the body. It’s some good advice. Hemsworth occasionally enlists the support of friends and his brothers and talks to “ordinary” people who have triumphed over adversity and found inner peace in meaningful, often bold ways. Executive produced by Darren Aronofsky, “Limitless” is a crisply edited and stunningly photographed odyssey that informs and inspires, even makes you like Hemsworth all the more. But it is in Episode 6 that “Limitless” blows you away, making a profound statement about aging that leaves you in tears and perhaps makes you want to adjust your own way of living. Details: 3½ stars; available Nov. 16 on Disney+.
“The Santa Clauses”: Pity poor Scott Calvin (Tim Allen). In Disney+’s serviceable, rather bundt-cake-bland series based on the hit film franchise, he doesn’t feel holly-jolly anymore about his de-facto Santa gig. Scott’s approaching 65 and is ready to hang up his sleigh since he’s been away during the holiday from his daughter (Elizabeth Allen-Dick) and son (Austin Kane) and his wife (Elizabeth Mitchell). He’s bothered by the growing list of St. Nick’s unbelievers. It’s his journey toward retirement and his trying to pinpoint an heir apparent that fuels director/series creator Jack Burditt’s amiable series. The kids will likely enjoy some of it, even though subbing in the words “toys and candy are fun” in Cyndi Lauper’s “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun” deserves a lump of coal. Disney+ made only the first two episodes available; the second was better than the first, and there’s hope that a side story about a stressed-out dad (Kal Penn) who is trying to meet some impossible holiday demands might blossom into something special. Details: 2 stars; available Nov. 16 on Disney+.
“Bantú Mama”: When we first meet the striking and singular Emma, she appears to be leading a wealthy but rather hollow existence with her parrot, her most loyal companion. Director Ivan Herrera follows her through her quiet routine and then as she locks up her apartment and hops a flight to a swanky resort in the Dominican Republic. It’s there where every whim gets coddled and met. But Emma (Clarisse Albrecht), who is of African descent, possesses one big secret: She’s a drug mule. And soon, she finds herself under arrest at the airport. Herrera’s short, vibrantly shot feature — using only one lens — takes Clarisse and us to unexplored destinations as a family of orphans in one of the toughest neighborhoods take her in. Tender and unrushed yet eventful in every scene, Herrera’s gem slowly gets under your skin and leaves you, rather shockingly, with a satisfied smile at its conclusion. It’s the Dominican Republic’s entry for the Oscars. Details: 3 stars; available Nov. 17 on Netflix.
Contact Randy Myers at soitsrandy@gmail.com.
Source: www.mercurynews.com