There is one special movie review here that almost all of you will never get to see. I'll let you figure out which one it is while reading the rest. Numbering picks up from previous months and those movies marked with an asterisk were ones I had not seen previously. Everything is rated on a scale of 1-5 cans of tuna, with 5 being the top.
133. Truth Be Told: The Fight for Women’s Professional Soccer* (2022, ESPN E60 series) – Women’s Professional Soccer has been around since the glorious World Cup victory by the USA in 1999 in front of a packed Rose Bowl. But several leagues have come and gone in that time, and there’s never a guarantee that any of the teams will have enough money to make payroll. So, the pros settle for less – inadequate training facilities and staff, less money and medical care – and they still fight to extend their careers. So that’s why so many young women in the current NWSL compromise their own safety and security when coaches emotionally or verbally abuse them or worse. They feel like they cannot challenge their treatment or they will be cut from their teams and their careers shortened or worse. A report issued in October lists despicable behavior by many coaches who have sexually assaulted or harassed players who reported them to the league only to have their reports ignored or glossed over. Coaches sometimes lost their jobs but were allowed to get new jobs in other places as officials who were informed of these incidents failed to take action. This kind of disgusting behavior is exactly what we have seen from coaches and team officials responsible for gymnastics, swimming and other sports, where young, vulnerable women are exploited and have no recourse except giving up their dreams and careers. When will this kind of behavior end? When will systems be in place to prevent and punish it? This documentary tells the story, but the coaches shown here are not all of the ones accused in the report compiled for US Soccer who are exerting power over their players and physically or sexually assaulting them. The situation is deplorable. 4 cans.
134. Flight/Risk* (2022, Netflix) – One crash of a Boeing 737 Max jet in 2018 killed 346 people. The next year, the same model plane crashed, resulting in hundreds more deaths. But this documentary is less about the numbers than about the loved ones left behind with questions about what happened. Reporter Dominic Gates from the Seattle Times takes a hard look into the actions and inactions of Boeing, and whether corners were cut in their attempts to launch the plane. Boeing employee Ed Pierson is a whistleblower who warned the company that the production system was plagued with problems, but his pleas were not seriously considered. Was it the plane itself, the production process or the insistence that despite using a new system, special training for pilots was not necessary? This film takes a hard look at everything and portrays the loss on a human scale. 4 cans.
135. The Proposal* (2022, Limited Engagement) – A young man and woman stroll down a Chicago street hand in hand. He is carrying a jacket in his other hand. Suddenly she spots two flower arrangements next to a fountain, and they stop. She looks surprised, he looks happy. The soundtrack doesn’t reveal their conversation. Instead, it consists of her sister, who was recording the event while crying. They stop, he takes her hand and asks her a question. She is crying as she nods yes. He drops down on one knee and takes a box out of his jacket pocket, opening it to reveal a ring. Surprise ending? No, considering that they went ring shopping together a while back. But props to my favorite nephew, Brandon, for pulling off the romantic surprise and for finding a wonderful young woman, Julia, with whom to spend his life. There are tears and happiness as they embrace and kiss several times. This special video is only a minute and a half, but it is the best thing I have seen all year. I see a bright future for the two people in the cast! I know a lot of work on every detail went into the making of this short-subject, but it was worth it. I love a happy ending. I give this one a “ringing endorsement,” 5 golden rings and a possible Oscar! Mazel Tov!
136. The Real Mad Men of Chicago* (2022, YouTube) – The Jolly Green Giant, the Marlboro Man, Tony the Tiger and the Pillsbury Dough Boy are all creations of the Leo Burnett Ad Agency, a Chicago-based advertising firm that rivaled the ad men of New York’s Madison Avenue beginning in the 1960s. They made the friendly skies of United come alive and created the “You deserve a break today” campaign for McDonald’s. The documentary illustrates the divergent approaches of Chicago’s Midwest sensibilities vs. the harder sell of the NY agencies. If you are interested in the creative combination of advertising and culture, this documentary is for you. I loved reliving some of the classics, like Charley the Tuna and Morris the Cat. 4 cans.
137. Luckiest Girl Alive* (2022, Netflix) – The title here is strictly sardonic, because clearly Ani (Mila Kunis) isn’t so lucky after all. Sure, she has a cool job at a women’s magazine with a shot of a position at The New York Times and she’s about to be married to a handsome man from old money, but she often looks like she could kill him with her bare hands. There is trauma and tragedy in her past and her issues are unresolved. You can never relax watching this movie because with flashbacks coming at you that are unsettling, you just wait for the other shoe to drop. Suspenseful and current in its subject matter, but not a fun movie experience. 3 cans.
138. I’ll See You in My Dreams* (2015, HBO) – Widow Carol (Blythe Danner) is a little lonely but she still has Hazel the dog – at least at the beginning of this film. Carol gardens, hangs out with her older lady friends who live in a nearby retirement community, plays cards and leads a quiet life. But there has to be something more. A speed dating event at the clubhouse is a disaster; trust me, no one would want to date this parade of elderly losers. But on the way out she meets Bill (a still-handsome Sam Elliott), an intriguing guy who has to memorize her number. He is unattached and attractive. She is curious and smitten. She also befriends her much-younger pool boy, Lloyd, who takes her to a karaoke bar where she shows off the singing chops of her younger days. And she and the ladies get into the stash of medical marijuana and come down with a major case of the munchies. When you reach a certain age, life isn’t filled with excitement, it is filled with moments, and Danner does a great, understated job of showing the emptiness and the richness life can bring. This was a lovely little film. 3½ cans.
139. Broadchurch, Season 2* (2013 PBS) – Let’s start with the fact that I didn’t know there WAS a Season 2. And as much as I loved Season 1, the story could have and should have ended there, with the confession of the murderer of young Danny Lattimer. This 8-episode installment introduces a host of new characters and a crime that was only referenced in Season 1 as the trial of the confessed murderer gets underway. There are three female characters who look so similar that I had trouble telling them apart. The plot shifts between the courtroom and way too many scenes of the characters brooding on the bluffs. David Tennant’s Inspector looks like he is about to expire any minute. Will he die before he finally solves the secondary case? Who are all of these new people? Olivia Coleman once again stands out in her role as a beleaguered wife and police officer, but everyone else just seems ticked off or anguished – or both. Sorry, PBS, but you should have ended this story after the superb first season. I understand that there is a third season, but I won’t be watching. 2½ cans.
140. I Love You, You Hate Me* (2022, Peacock) – If you had children, grandchildren or nieces and nephews in the early 1990s, you undoubtedly were aware of Barney, the ubiquitous purple dinosaur whose show for pre-school kids dominated the airwaves. Barney and his “family” represented love, kindness and diversity, and many young kids were huge fans. However, there were plenty of people who detested Barney. OK, the song could get into your head, and maybe you thought that the world would never really be as nice as it was depicted in the show, but should it have spawned hate groups and physical attacks on the character when Barney appeared in public? The program aired at the beginning of the rise of social media, which led to death threats for the actors and others associated with the show. Creator Sheryl Leach was a Texas mother of a two-year-old, and she could not find age-appropriate programming for her active little boy. She created Barney, whose local popularity rose with a TV show, leading to live shows, a PBS series, plenty of merchandise -- and the rise of incredible vitriol. For all the success and happiness the character of Barney brought to young fans, the Leach family suffered immeasurably. This two-part documentary reveals the sad side of the story of Barney and proves to me, at least, why we can’t have nice things. 3½ cans.
141. The Rebellious Life of Mrs. Rosa Parks* (2022, Peacock) – The life of Rosa Parks did not begin and end when she refused to give up her seat on a bus in Birmingham, Alabama. Ms. Parks was a civil rights leader and activist, a long-time member of the NAACP and a woman who championed equality her entire life. Her refusal to move to the “colored” section of the bus led to a highly successful bus boycott by Blacks in the city that eventually led to legislation outlawing discrimination on the buses. This documentary traces the life of Rosa Parks from before her famous protest through her activism, fame and role in American history. 3½ cans.
142. The Woman Who Wasn’t There* (2012, Prime Video) – Tania Head had a harrowing experience as a survivor of 9/11, injured and trapped in the Twin Towers on that fateful day. Even worse, she lost her husband, Dave. She eventually recovered and became active with the WTC Survivors’ Network, where she made friends and frequently shared her story publicly. But a few things didn’t add up. Where were pictures of Tania and Dave? Why wasn’t she in touch with his family? She seemed very convincing, but little by little, things started to unravel. This documentary reminded me of one I saw recently, “The Girlfriend Who Didn’t Exist.” Truth is stranger than fiction. 3 ½ cans.
143. The Redeem Team* (2022, Netflix) – When you are selected to play for the USA Olympic Men’s Basketball Team, you are expected to come home with a Gold Medal. But the 2004 team failed in that mission. When it came time to select the coach and squad for 2008, basketball executive Jerry Colangelo made sure the team had a good mix of experienced players and younger ones, such as LeBron James. But when Duke University Coach Mike Krzyzewski was named to head the team of professionals, he was convinced that the one missing piece was Kobe Bryant, the ultimate competitor and a player who would deck his own Lakers teammate to win a game. When James, Dwayne Wade, Chris Paul and the others on the team saw Kobe hitting the gym in the early, early morning, they understood they had to do the same. This documentary follows the team for the year of preparation through the 2008 Olympics in China. What a team! 3½ cans.
144. Untold Story: Caitlyn Jenner* (2022, Netflix) – Bruce Jenner seemed like the perfect man. The winner of the 1976 Olympic Decathlon Gold Medal, he was dubbed the “world’s greatest athlete,” a title that came after years of dedicated work and training to meet that goal. Confession: I had his picture on my wall and thought he was drop-dead gorgeous. He had a beautiful blonde wife and appeared on every TV talk show and a box of Wheaties. But he wasn’t perfect. He didn’t feel like he was living an authentic life. After several wives and attempts to transition to being a woman full-time, he ultimately became Caitlyn Jenner, who, in this documentary, goes over Bruce’s achievements in the third person. I had forgotten how popular Bruce was, but Caitlyn has had a tougher time, worried about Bruce’s many children (he had to keep up with the Kardashians after all) and he became a she. I can’t even imagine how challenging it was for her to make that transition while staying in the public eye. But I do remember the amazing performance Bruce Jenner turned in as an Olympic champion. 3 cans.
145. Lou* (2022, Netflix) – I guess if Liam Neeson can star in action movies, so can Allison Janney. Her Lou lives alone in the woods, interacting with people as infrequently as possible. But when the young woman (Jurnee Smollett) living on her property needs her help to find her kidnapped daughter, Lou snaps into action, drawing on her special set of skills that no one would have suspected she has. There is plenty of action and violence here, nothing that would remind you of Janney’s roles as “Mom” or C. J. Cregg in “The West Wing.” If you like suspense, check it out. 3½ cans.
146. Spotlight (2015, HBO) – How could 90 priests molest young boys in Boston and get away with it? That’s what the “Spotlight” team from The Boston Globe sets out to investigate in 2001 in this dramatization of the real story. The background is simple: Boston is a city full of practicing Catholics and nobody questions the church. But the Globe discovers a few victims of sexual abuse by priests and delves into the records to find numerous priests who were reassigned, on “sick leave” or simply moved from one parish to another without being stopped for their misdeeds. The reporters (Rachel McAdams, Mark Ruffalo and Brian D’Arcy James, led by editor Michael Keaton) keep peeling back the onion to find the corruption, and it isn’t all in the church. You can blame the system and the lawyers, too, but don’t overlook the Globe itself since the paper had been approached with evidence of the charges years before and did not investigate. This is a solid film and an indictment of the practice of passing along problems instead of facing and solving them, much to the detriment of the many victims of this despicable behavior. 4 cans.
147. Ticket to Paradise* (2022, at the movies!) – Who could resist George Clooney, Julia Roberts and the beauty of Bali, Indonesia, in this light comedy currently in theaters? Their dazzling grins and easy chemistry make this lightweight romp more than acceptable entertainment. Once married, the two have been sniping at each other since their bitter divorce and their parental rivalry over their daughter Lily – until Lily decides to forego starting her career as a lawyer in Chicago in favor of marrying the handsome seaweed farmer she meets in Bali. They don’t want her to make a mistake and end up miserable like her parents, so they fly to Bali and conspire to stop the wedding. I won’t reveal more about the plot, but it is safe to say that you can probably predict some of it. In the hands of other actors, this movie would probably be one I would skip, but the frequent co-stars made it a fun time. 3½ cans.
148. The Good Nurse* (2022, Netflix) – Charles Cullen was a good nurse. He was competent, empathetic and highly skilled – especially at injecting insulin or digoxin into IV bags that killed his patients. And when suspicions were raised, the hospitals where he worked would simply dismiss him, leaving him free to move to another hospital and do the same thing, saving themselves from any liability. This movie, based on the case that involved my own local hospital, features Eddie Redmayne as Cullen and Jessica Chastain as his fellow nurse Amy, the actual good nurse in the title. Both actors have won the Oscar, but, in my view, there is not enough meat or urgency to this story to help them do it again. I have been around plenty of hospitals, and I’ve never seen one so dimly lit. I had to watch it on my iPad because I could not see the TV screen well enough – even with my greatly-improved, post-cataract surgery eyes. 3½ cans.
149. Belle Vie* (2022, Netflix) – Oddly located between a McDonalds and KFC in Los Angeles, this once thriving French restaurant has to deal with the shifting climate and challenges of Covid. Charming owner Vincent Samarco has built his small but exquisite little gem by hand, displaying pictures of his native France and his life. But when Covid hits, he is forced to find other ways to survive. This documentary shows him quickly changing to a take-out business, and, as things improve, he constructs an outdoor patio where he can again serve customers who want to dine outside. But then more Covid waves lead to more restrictions. Will his restaurant be a victim of this disease? This was heartbreaking to watch, knowing the heart and soul Vincent put into his place in making it a place of warmth and community. 3 cans.
150. Stanley Tucci: Searching for Italy, Season 2* (2022, CNN) – Speaking of food, actor Stanley Tucci again takes viewers around Italy to discover the best of local and regional cuisine. This delectable 8-part series focuses on everything from stuffed sardines to pasta with pesto, fresh oysters and olive oil. We watch him discover places to eat that include private homes and restaurants and recipes that have been passed down for generations. The terrain can be challenging, but the people who harvest know exactly how to maximize every bit of their delicious haul. You can’t eat what Stanley eats, but you certainly wish you could. 4½ cans.
