It is Memorial Day weekend, so you have an extra day to take in a few movies and special programs with this edition Movies & More. Numbering picks up from the previous month, and movies not seen previously are marked with an asterisk. As always, everything is rated on a scale of 1-5 cans of tuna fish, with 5 being the top.
65. Olympia* (2018, Apple TV+ rental) – Most of us remember actress Olympia Dukakis best for her feisty roles in “Steel Magnolias” and her Oscar-winning portrayal of Cher’s mother in “Moonstruck.” But in real life, the Greek-born actress, who died on May 1, was more than her defining roles. In this documentary, she is shown as a person of principle, one who founded a theater company so she could play the best parts, for whom accolades were largely meaningless (except for the Oscar, as she readily admits) and who is a salty, tough-minded woman. At age 80, she lets the camera take close-ups of her face while she applies make-up, and she is really beautiful. The film takes us on the road with Dukakis as she does everything from picking up awards to visiting her mother’s village in Greece. This biography covers a lot of territory in a somewhat meandering way, but I enjoyed the chance to get to know Olympia Dukakis in a new light. 3½ cans.
66. College Behind Bars* (2019, Netflix) – The college students in this documentary have ambition, drive and intellectual curiosity. They are working hard to obtain either an associate’s degree or a bachelor’s degree from Bard College, but they live and work decidedly off-campus. They are all prisoners in penal institutions in New York State. Shown in this 4-part series are men and women who freely admit their crimes, don’t gloss over their convictions but remain equally committed to getting a degree. As one inmate points out, the prisons are run by the Department of Corrections, so shouldn’t they help the prisoners correct their behavior so they can turn their lives around? Each inmate has a story, and they are compelling. Just getting into the program is very competitive and you have to consider that they have to do all of their research from books they must request from Bard since they have no access to the Internet in lockdown. This is high-level work and requires readings that I don’t think I did in college. And before you start complaining that you don’t want your taxpayer money to give these offenders a chance that other people don’t have, you should know that the Bard Prison Initiative is funded by private contributions. This is a moving series that left me with a lump in my throat and hope in my heart. 4 cans.
67. Some Kind of Wonderful (1987, EPIX) – Unrequited teenage love and angst predominates this classic ‘80s movie. Keith (Eric Stolz) has a huge crush on a girl clearly out of his league, Amanda (Lea Thompson), who is already paired off with HS stud Hardy (Craig Sheffer). Keith hangs around with BFF Watts (Mary Stuart Masterson in an adorable short haircut), a drum-playing tomboy with a huge crush on Keith. Can/will Watts help Keith get the girl of his dreams? Will Keith realize that his best friend is really his best option? The late director John Hughes turned out plenty of these movies in his day, and this one is endearing but not at the top of his list. 3½ cans.
68. This Is a Robbery* (2021, Netflix) – Imagine being brazen enough to dress as Boston cops, get into a premiere museum, tie up the guards and leave with a treasure-trove of irreplaceable art by such masters as Rembrandt. This Netflix four-part documentary recounts the still-unsolved heist at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston on St. Patrick’s Day, 1990. What could the thieves do with these priceless treasures? Could they sell them? Where did they stash them? Who would know the layout of the museum and the value of the specific items stolen? Those questions, among others, have perplexed the authorities for decades. They have their theories, including one involving a known art thief and others that tie the Italian Cosa Nostra and Irish mob to the heist, but despite rewards of up to $10 million and claims by various individuals that they have seen or know what happened to the art, no one has yet been convicted of the crime. This is a complex case, but I would have preferred it be told a little more succinctly than spread over 4 hours. Still, it was very intriguing. 4 Rembrandts.
69. Fractured* (2019, Netflix) – I love the money “Fracture,” so I thought I’d give this similar sounding one a chance. Both movies are full of intrigue, but this one has the added element of dream vs. reality. Sam Worthington is Ray Monroe. He and his wife Joanne (Lily Rabe) and 6-year-old daughter are traveling to see family on Thanksgiving, but their daughter falls and breaks her arm and Sam falls and smacks his head. Sam rushes his family to the nearest hospital, forgoing care for his injuries and urging the crowded hospital to take care of his daughter. While he is anxiously awaiting an update on a CAT scan, they disappear. There is no record of Sam signing them in, no proof that he didn’t come in alone for his head injury. Frantic, Sam goes up against the hospital staff and police as he races to find out what happened to his family. The thrills are amped up, as is Sam, but some of the story is tough to accept. I hope someone here will watch it so we can discuss what really happened! 3 cans.
70. Risky Business (1983, HBO) – I will never be able to listen to Bob Seger sing “Old Time Rock N Roll” without thinking of Tom Cruise sliding across the opening of the living room of his parent’s house in his socks, pink button-down shirt and white Jockey shorts. Cruise is the aptly named Joel Goodsen, an earnest high school student feeling the pressure of trying to get into Princeton, stay in his parent’s good graces, and, like all of his buddies, get laid. One call to call girl Lana (Rebecca DeMornay) takes care of the latter but leads him to an adventure that involves wrecking his father’s prized Porshe, having a valuable artifact stolen, being chased by Guido the Killer Pimp the night before an algebra midterm, and riding on the train with Lana on a trip he won’t soon forget. He didn’t intend to turn his parent’s house into a brothel while they were out of town visiting dear Aunt Tudy, but, hey, with the Porshe underwater and the Killer Pimp (Joe Pantoliano in a great performance) demanding money for the precious egg, it seemed like a good idea at the time. After all, as his buddy tells him, every now and then, you just have to say, “What the F*#&.” PS – He gets into Princeton. 4 cans.
71. 144* (2021, ESPN) – Most of us would like to forget 2020, but for the 144 women who make up the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA, with 12 teams and 12-women rosters), 2020 was a season to remember. The usual starting date in spring was pushed to summer, and the players, coaches and staff had to agree to live and work at one site in Florida, fondly referred to as the “Wubble” (WNBA Bubble), where they played all of their games without fans in the stands. They were tested every day for COVID, confined to their rooms or villas within a resort area to prevent any possible outbreak. They also came together to lend their visible and vocal support for social justice, shining light on the killing of Breona Taylor through the “Say Her Name” campaign by wearing uniforms bearing Taylor’s name on the back. They held rallies, refused to play for two days after the police shot Jacob Black, and used their platform to keep the stories in the news. When the part owner of the Atlanta Dream, Senator Kelly Loeffler, condemned them for their social justice focus, they started wearing shirts with the name of her opponent, Rev. Warnock, to rally support and they turned the election in Warnock’s favor. Congratulations to the WNBA for an unforgettable season and effort, and kudos for player/producer Chiney Ogwumike, a bright star as a player and a broadcaster, for delving into the thought process of these 144 remarkable women and showing how athletes do much more than just dribble the ball.
72. The Woman in the Window* (2021, Netflix) – Let’s start with the fact that the book was better. But even when I read the book, I could see this as a movie. Amy Adams is Dr. Anna Fox, an agoraphobic woman who thinks she has witnessed a murder from her perch at her window. Her possible delirium is exacerbated by copious consumption of pills and alcohol (I don’t think you are supposed to wash down the drugs with liquor) and memories of a family tragedy. Nothing in her world is exactly what it seems. This is a psychological thriller, which means the presence of ominous music and your desire to yell at the characters to warn them about what is about to happen. It is reminiscent of Hitchcock’s classic “Rear Window” because of the obsession with watching the neighbors and trying to solve the mystery, but it pales by comparison. 3½ cans.
73. State of Play* (2009, Netflix) – Congressman Steven Collins and journalist Cal McAffrey (Ben Affleck and Russell Crowe) tangle when a woman on the Congressman’s staff is murdered and Crowe finds out that his old pal was having an affair with the young lady. Can he solve the mystery and will he betray his buddy to uphold his journalistic standards? Will he get through the cover-up and his own relationship with the Congressman’s wife and find and report the truth? There’s a good cast on hand (Helen Mirren as the newspaper boss, Robin Wright as the Congressman’s wife, Rachel McAdam as a newspaper colleague) and the performances are good, but I kept feeling like the journalist part was just a little too noble. 3½ cans.
74. The Fundamentals of Caring* (2016, Netflix) – Ben (the ageless Paul Rudd) is on a downward spiral after tragically losing his young son and being sued for divorce by his wife. He takes a job as a caregiver to Trevor (Craig Roberts), a disabled 20ish young man who is a handful. His mother has him on a regimented plan of eating waffles for every meal, with only weekly trips to get him out of the house. He is Ben’s first patient, and after some fits and starts, the two form enough of a bond that they persuade Trevor’s mother to allow them to take a road trip. Along the way they encounter a few more folks (Selena Gomez and Megan Ferguson) and Trevor learns that life isn’t just about being a smart-aleck, waffle-eating guy. I found this movie heartwarming and sweet, as the two men recover together from their melancholy and understand that enjoying life is possible. 3½ cans.
75. The Father* (2021, On Demand) – Best Actor Oscar winner Anthony Hopkins gives a brilliant performance as an aging man suffering from dementia. He’s confused, he can’t remember things he has been told, and he is insistent that he does not need help. He rejects the caregivers hired to assist him by his loyal but exasperated daughter Anne (Olivia Coleman) and tries to charm the latest one by telling her he is a tap dancer. This movie shows the deterioration of the mind from the perspective of the patient, and it is grim. If you have been through this kind of experience with a parent or loved one or expect to, you may not want to face the cruel reality portrayed here. 4 cans for the performances and the sad reality.
76. Mare of Easttown* (2021, HBO) – There has been more publicity on the authenticity of the Philadelphia/South Jersey accent used here than on the story, and I think that hype has missed the mark. The versatile Kate Winslet plays Mare, a somewhat bedraggled detective on the Easttown police force, a small town where everyone knows everyone and is in each other’s business. When a teenaged girl goes missing and turns up dead, there is no lack of suspects, and Mare is determined to figure out whodunit. Meanwhile, her own life is falling apart. She has a rebellious teenaged daughter, a meddling mother (Jean Smart) and a grandson who she cares for because her son, the child’s father, killed himself. I found it hard to keep track of who was who as well as the plots (there’s more missing teenagers), but the mystery and characters intrigued me enough to sit through all eight episodes. 4 cans.
77. Friends: The Reunion (2021, HBO Max) – This is the one where they get together after 17 years of being on a break. “Friends” was that ubiquitous show that everyone either watched or knew about when it debuted in 1994. It was a show about six young people living in New York who counted on each other as friends and family. Since they stopped being there for you 17 years ago after a 10-year run, the actors had not been together as a group. This special saw them finally reunited on replicas of their apartments and that famous Central Perk couch to laugh and recall the series that made them (rich) and famous. The women on the show (Courtney Cox, Jennifer Anniston and Lisa Kudrow) say they ate lunch together every day during the show’s run and they remain close friends today. The men (David Schwimmer, Matt LeBlanc and Matthew Perry) also hit it off. Blessed with genius comic timing, great writing and genuine chemistry, these friends felt like our own friends, and seeing them so delighted to be back in each other’s company is testament not only to the concept of the show but to the power of friends. Since 2020 definitely felt like no one’s day, week, month or even our year, this reunion, telecast as the pandemic precautions wind down and allow us to reunite with our own friends, felt just right. 4 cans, and I’m starting to rewatch the series.
78. Inside the Met* (2021, PBS Documentary Channel; requires subscription) – I would have been fascinated by this three-part series even if it didn’t include what happened to the largest art museum in the Americas during the pandemic. In 2020, the Metropolitan Museum of Art was scheduled to celebrate its 150th birthday. Plans changed considerably when COVID hit New York hard. The city was locked down and the Museum was shuttered for 6 months. Still, some of the hundreds of employees ventured inside to check on the precious pieces of art, ranging from ancient rugs and classic paintings to statues and clothing. This series does a great job of showing how a museum is run, and I was impressed with the devotion of the people who work there, whether they are engineering the move of a large statue or hanging a painting or restoring a rug. This program will give you a greater appreciation for the treasures of the Met. 3½ cans.
79. Amazon Empire: The Rise and Reign of Jeff Bezos* (2021, PBS Documentary Channel; requires subscription) – Remember when Amazon sold books? That was the beginning of an empire imagined by founder Jeff Bezos, who took the online retailer from books to every imaginable product and beyond. Today Bezos owns Whole Foods, The Washington Post and, through Amazon Web Services (AWS), his company runs the cloud computing platform that hosts websites you use every day. Is the company TOO big? Should it be broken up by the government? Will it EVER pay taxes? Between Prime Video, Alexa, Ring Doorbell and so much more, Amazon has infiltrated our daily lives, which some feel threatens our privacy. This documentary praises the business even as it raises questions about its impact on society. From selling books online to becoming the world’s richest man, Bezos’ rise is a fascinating story. 4 cans.
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