April was not the cruelest month when it came to movies & more. I recommend a few miniseries ("The Dropout,""Bad Vegan," and "Selling Sunset") a Ken Burns gem on Benjamin Franklin and the last season of "Grace & Frankie." Numbering picks up from previous months and programs marked with an asterisk are ones I had not seen previously. The ranking go from 0-5, with 5 cans of tuna the top score.
44. Title IX: 37 Words That Changed America* (2022, TBS) – To mark the 50th anniversary of the passage of the landmark legislation Title IX, star basketball player/analyst/Olympian/WNBA Champion Candace Parker produced an informative and interesting documentary on the law that made women’s sports viable in the US. Before Title IX, women athletes were treated like second-class citizens; remarkably, in many ways, despite the legislation, they still are. The 37 words in this bill made it illegal to discriminate against women engaged in any sport or activity sponsored by an institution receiving funding from the government. Parker traces her own story as the daughter of a woman who would have loved to play basketball, but whose high school did not field a girls basketball team. Thanks to the new rules, Candace played in high school, became the nation’s top recruit, played for legendary Pat Summitt at the University of Tennessee, won Gold Medals in the Olympics and championships in the now 26-year-old, WNBA. Interviews with key female figures in the sports world explain the significance of this change but all included here acknowledge that much remains to be done. 3 hoops.
45. Benjamin Franklin* (PBS, 2022) – Founding Father Benjamin Franklin gets the Ken Burns treatment in this two-part look at the man who “invented” electricity and helped write the US Constitution. If that’s all you know about Franklin, you are in for a treat, because Burns trots out a parade of historians who flesh out the character and the accomplishments of Franklin. Rather than read about his career as a printer, a diplomat, a man who started a college and invented bifocals, just watch this thoughtful and informative program. Ken Burns’ programs, from the Civil War to Jazz to Baseball and the Brooklyn Bridge, will enrich your understanding of history and culture, and he has something for everyone, including this video biography of Benjamin Franklin. 4½ cans.
46. The Dropout* (Hulu, 2022) – Elizabeth Holmes, the steely-eyed founder of Theranos, had a dream. A dropout after one year at Stanford, she envisioned creating a proprietary device that required only a single drop of blood to conduct hundreds of diagnostic tests. Adopting her version of Steve Jobs in looks and determination, she persuaded Silicon Vally investors and an all-star line-up of notable men (mostly older, powerful White guys) to back her company to the tune of $9 billion, making her the darling of Wall Street and science. But this is a tale of “fake it til you make it,” and the science could not support the Theranos claims. She stalled, insisting her machines worked, refusing to accept that the inaccurate data they collected led to the wrong results for patients. Amanda Seyfried plays Holmes brilliantly, emulating her adopted deep voice and sporting her Jobs-inspired black wardrobe. I have read a book about this case and have seen several documentaries about it, so this mini-series serves – I hope – as my last chapter of this endlessly fascinating story. I don’t think Holmes set out to defraud anyone; her device didn’t do what it was supposed to do and instead of admitting that, she put patients at risk for their health and investors at risk for their money. 4 drops of blood.
47. Under Suspicion* (2000, Netflix) – I don’t know how it is that I never heard of this movie with Gene Hackman and Morgan Freeman. It is an intense triller, with high powered lawyer Henry Hearst (Hackman) hauled away from a charity fundraiser in San Juan to answer just a few questions by Police Captain Victor Benezet (Freeman) about the murders of two teenagers. What could the respected attorney have to do with these crimes, and why do his stories about them keep changing? Clearly, the wealthy attorney with his attractive much younger wife have something to hide, but is it related to these heinous crimes? Benezet keeps the pressure on and something’s got to give. 3½ cans.
48. Night Moves* (1975, Prime Video) – I wasn’t trying to watch a Gene Hackman film festival when I found this old gem of his, but I’m glad I did. Hackman is a seasoned private investigator named Harry Moseby who is hired by a fading actress to track down her runaway teenaged daughter Delly (Melanie Griffith in her movie debut). He follows the trail to Florida, where Delly is living with her stepfather and his current girlfriend. I would try to tell you the rest of the plot, which includes a crazy mechanic, boats, planes, shootings, the Coast Guard and lots of macho men. I felt better when I realized that Harry also didn’t know what was going on. Still, the tense mood and suspense make this drama worth trying to figure out. Hackman is so good here in a movie that he made in the prime of his storied career. 3½ cans.
49. The Thing About Pam* (2022, NBC) – An unrecognizable Renee Zellweger (who also produced) is soda-swilling Pamela Haupp, friend to many, killer of some, in this fact-based limited series. As the best friend to dying Betsy Faria, Pam helps the process along when she stabs and kills Betsy in her home, leaving her for dead and building a credible case against Betsy’s husband Russ, who is convicted of the murder (it’s always the spouse, right?) despite his verifiable alibi. Since Pam is such a great friend, it makes sense that Betsy would have made her the beneficiary of her life insurance policy, bypassing her husband and two daughters, right? And Pam is going to set up a trust for the two girls, she insists. Do not believe everything you hear, especially out of Pam. But Betsy’s demise turns out to be only one of the crimes committed by the elusive Pam, who befriends the cops and DA on the cases until she kills off her own credibility. OK, that’s the summary, but watching this is tough because it plunges into campiness that distorts the reality of the crimes. Zellweger, a slight, spry actress, here appears in a fat suit, walking with a lumbering gait, her face distorted by prosthetics that make her look like a balloon in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade. She is the face of evil, destroying everyone and everything in her wake as she goes for money from everyone. What a disgusting human being and what an odd portrayal. Still, once you start watching, it’s hard not to finish the story. 4 cans.
50. Woman in Gold (2015, HBO) – Helen Mirren and Ryan Reynolds excel in this drama about the real-life Maria Altmann, whose family fled Austria in the wake of the German invasion in WWII. Before the Jews there could escape, the Nazis came into their house and stole the priceless artwork on their walls, including a portrait of Maria’s treasured Aunt Adele called “The Lady in Gold.” Years after the war, the painting wound up in Austria’s Belvedere Museum, where Adele had intended it to go, but Maria and her young California lawyer, Randy, contended that it was taken from the family illegally and should rightfully belong to Maria. Austria in more modern times became one of the countries engaged in restitution, but this painting by Gustav Klimt was considered the Mona Lisa of Austria and the museum officials refused to return it. The story of how Maria and Randy took on the seemingly impossible task is very well told, and Maria’s memories of living through that traumatic time, trying to flee Austria and remain alive demonstrate the resolve of the Jews in the face of Nazi terrorism. Kudos to Mirren, who is always good, and Reynolds, who is more known for light, comedic parts, for forming a perfect team. 4 cans.
51. Bad Vegan* (2022, Netflix) – In yet another story of a real-life schemer, Netflix presents Sarma Melngailis, a successful New York restauranteur and cookbook author, the proprietor of Pure Food & Wine, an upscale, hot vegan restaurant. An Ivy League grad and with a degree in culinary arts, she established her restaurant, assembled a loyal staff and introduced New Yorkers like Alec Baldwin to healthy eating. Then she met Shane, an online friend of Baldwin’s, who won her over before they even met in person. And it was all downhill from there, as he convinced her that he had some magic power that would allow her and her beloved dog Leon to live forever. All she had to do was prove her trust in him – and keep wiring him large amounts of money (which she did). So maybe she was brainwashed or suffered emotional abuse by Shane, or Anthony, his other name, but at some point, she knew that large amounts of money were being siphoned off from the still successful restaurant and that employees and investors were not getting paid what they were owed. You cannot make this stuff up. I found myself yelling at the TV to get her attention. Shane/Anthony stole her passwords, set up fake personas and even swindled Sarma’s mother out of hundreds of thousands of dollars. You either like these stories or you don’t. I find them addictive and I can’t stop watching. In the ultimate irony, the couple, on the lam from authorities, are captured because he charged a pizza from a Dominos in Tennessee. Bad vegan, very bad vegan! 4 cans.
52. The Grand Seduction* (2013, Prime Video) – Relax, it’s not what you think. Tickle Head, a small harbor community in Newfoundland, needs a doctor. Not that there is an abundance of sick people, but the town is a dying fishing village and the only way to get work is to lure a plastics company into building their business in the sleepy hamlet. But the company that is considering locating there requires that a local doctor be available. So, when a young doctor (Taylor Kitch) gets into a “situation” at the nearby airport and is required to stay for a month, the townspeople, led by Murray (Brendan Gleeson) are out to win him over (hence the seduction in the title). They pretend to be fans of cricket because young Dr. Lewis loves the sport. They go to great lengths to endear themselves to the doc in hopes of getting him – and then the plastics company – to sign a deal. This is a quirky little movie with considerable appeal that reminded me of the TV shows “Men in Trees” and “Northern Exposure.” If you like odd people with a lot of heart, this one’s for you. 3 cans.
53. White Hot: The Rise & Fall of Abercrombie & Fitch* (2022, Netflix) – I know so little about this brand and its retail stores that I didn’t realize they had a rise and fall. Sure, I passed their very hip-looking stores in the mall, but I never thought the preppy brand that outfitted the coolest of the cool White teenagers and college kids was for me. It turns out, it wasn’t. Using good-looking “All-American” types (as in “no people of color wanted here”) as models and staff, the brand targeted the space somewhere in between the racier Calvin Klein and the ultimate preppy Ralph Lauren with clothing that was clean, cool and not quite as expensive. CEO Mike Jeffries was crystal clear in defining the brand and restricting it to those people who fit the image. The company was taken to task for its outrageously insulting anti-Asian T-shirts that perpetuated stereotypes and later for its failure to hire Black and other minorities for positions of substance. This documentary also portrays the how homoerotic photography by renowned photographer Bruce Weber, pictures of partially clad, beautiful men that graced the walls of their stores and those huge shopping bags, helped market the clothes to heterosexual men. You can’t help cheering at the “fall” part of the story, where A&F makes token changes but never really gets the message about its racism. 3½ cans.
54. Anatomy of a Scandal* (2022, Netflix) – I’m getting my money’s worth out of Netflix this month. I sat down and watched the entire 6 episodes of this juicy melodrama in one day. James Whitehouse (Rupert Friend) is a member of the British Parliament, a strikingly handsome man with a loving wife Sophie (Sienna Miller), young children and a charmed and privileged life. His best mate is British Prime Minister Tom Southern (Geoffrey Streatfeild), with whom he shared Brett Kavanaugh-type adventures while studying at uni. When Olivia Lytton (Naomi Scott), a member of his House staff, first reveals they had an affair and then accuses him of raping her in the “lift,” his wife doesn’t know whom to believe since she also observed some questionable behavior when they were students. Michelle Dockery plays Kate Woodcroft, the prosecuting attorney (complete with wig), who lays out a compelling case against James, but his attorney Angela (Josette Simon) is confident he can beat the rap. The layers of the onion just keep unpeeling in this intriguing tale of lust and trust. Sienna Miller is perfection as the loyal but troubled wife. 4 cans.
55. Have You Seen this Man?* (2022, Hulu) – Chances are that you haven’t. But neither have the US Marshals or the FBI. John Ruffo looks like a man who would blend into any background, not quite the picture of a conniving thief who pulled off a heist of $350 million. Without going into the details (see the movie for that), Ruffo’s computer business and partnership with a man who purported to be a Philip Morris executive (a client of the computer company) perpetrated the swindle and, just as Ruffo was about to be jailed, he disappeared. I have got to start watching Hallmark movies or something different than these mini-series I am addicted to about con men (and women). By the way, Ruffo’s abandoned wife, who lost her home, would also like to know if you have seen him. He has been on the FBI’s Most Wanted List since he vanished in 1998. Talk about a cold case! 3 cans.
56. Selling Sunset, Season 5* (2022, Netflix) – With episode titles like “Bad Bitches Don’t Cry” and “Sabotage in Stilettos,” this Netflix reality series is not exactly PBS fare, but it is MY guilty pleasure. I scarfed down all 10 episodes of Season 5 in a single day and now look forward to the upcoming Reunion episode on May 6. The series is about a luxury real estate agency in California, owned by twin brothers and staffed by mini-skirt-clad women in impossibly high heels who dish more dirt about each other than you will find on the manicured lawns of the properties they sell. No need for details here; and as off-putting as it is to watch women fight with each other, there’s a fair degree of sisterly support here, too. I’m not proud of this viewing choice, but I’m hooked. 4½ pairs of stilettos.
57. The Rose Maker* (2022, movie theater) – Eve runs a failing rose business in this lovely French film. It was a family business, and though she is running out of money, she is desperate not to sell it to a competitor who thinks of the roses as only a way to make money. The blossoms are her passion. Her faithful assistant finds three people living in a shelter who Eve trains to work with her to hybridize the roses and even to do a few things that aren’t quite legal. Prepare to read the movie unless you are fluent in French (four years of high school French did me no good here). The roses are beautiful; the movie is slow but sweet. 3 roses.
58. WeCrashed* (2022, Apple TV+) – I seem to have a penchant lately for series about failing businesses (see “The Dropout,” “The Rise & Fall of Abercrombie & Fitch” and even the movie listed above, “The Rose Maker”). Jared Leto looks completely different here than he looked in “The House of Gucci” as he plays egotistical Adam Neumann, who founded the fast-growing and fast-failing WeWork. The business started as a company providing shared workspace, but that was not exactly what Neumann envisioned. It grew into the largest holder of rented real estate in New York City in the last decade. Neuman wanted “We” essentially to take over people’s lives, first by offering them a shared office space, then encouraging socialization and fun – when did anyone actually do any work there? – and eventually funding the passion project of his wife, Rebekah (Anne Hathaway), who headed WeGrow, a holistic, artsy-craftsy elementary school (that lasted less than two years). Neuman could not accept any limits on the company’s growth, snapping up properties and expanding so much that huge loans from banks and investors were the only way to sustain the business. Somehow people like Neumann and Elizabeth Holmes from “The Dropout” manage to entice otherwise conservative banks to fund them, but hubris and arrogance don’t always yield profits. Like so many series I have seen lately, this story could have been told in fewer episodes. I knew the story from having watched a documentary on WeWork but it was worth seeing Leto and Hathaway in action. 3½ cans.
59. Grace & Frankie, Season 7* (2022, Netflix) – It was bittersweet watching the last 16 episodes of this series about friendship and love among eccentric characters. Grace (Jane Fonda) and Frankie (the incomparable Lily Tomlin) start out as wives dumped by their husbands (Martin Sheen and Sam Waterston) – who have been cheating on them with each other. The women end up sharing a beach house, lots of adventures, plenty of martinis and pot, and a deep and genuine friendship. There are tangents that go off into the absurd and characters who aren’t always likeable but almost always rich in texture and experience. Season 7 is the final one of the series, but no spoilers here. I’ll just say that I would welcome these people back on the screen any time. 4 cans.
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