March 2024 Movies & More

March brings its basketball Madness, so my movie watching was severely limited. Numbering picks up from last month and asterisks indicate movies I have seen previously. All programs are rated on a scale of 1-5 cans of tuna fish, with 5 at the top of the ratings.

27. Upgraded* (2024, Prime Video) – Ana is an aspiring art dealer who works for a gallery in a low-level position and for a demanding boss. When the director of the gallery, Claire (Marisa Tomei, playing the Miranda Priestley role from “The Devil Wears Prada”), commands her to go to a big show in London but Ana is left to fly alone. When the gate agent takes pity on her and upgrades her, she runs into (literally, with a Bloody Mary, no less) a handsome, rich guy and sparks fly. Somehow, he gets the impression that Ana is the gallery head, and so does his art-collecting mother. Confusion and hijinks ensue. This rom-com is light and fun to watch and Tomei and Lena Olin, playing the rich guy’s mother, carry off their roles with aplomb. Not the best movie of the year, but fun to watch. 3 cans.
28. United States of Scandal* (2024, CNN) – Newsman Jake Tapper takes a look at the rise and fall of notorious politicians in this four-part series of one-hour programs. Covered are former NJ Governor Jim McGreevy, who resigned suddenly when his homosexuality became more than an open secret; NYC Attorney General Eliot Spitzer, who famously became “Client 9” of a prostitution ring;, and former South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford, who disappeared from office for a few days, later explaining that he was hiking on the Appalachian Trail. CNN had already done a series on Rudolph Guiliani, or he would surely have made the list. I have a feeling there will be plenty more episodes to come! 3½ cans.
29. Unstoppable (2009, Cable TV) – I’m not a fan of action movies, but this one caught my eye. Denzel Washington and Chris Pine have an interesting first day working together as the engineer and conductor on a freight train that starts out slowly but ends up with them trying to stop a runaway train in its tracks. Based on a true story, the unmanned train hurtles through the Pennsylvania countryside, threatening the small towns in its path with both speed and its highly combustible cargo. The two men have to come up with heroic solutions to “track” down the runaway train. If you are looking for a relaxing time at the movies, please miss this train. But if you like heart-stopping action, all aboard! 3½ cans.
30. Crazy Heart (2009, HBO) – Jeff Bridges won an Oscar for playing Bad Blake, an alcoholic country singer who fame has waned over years of alcohol abuse. His talent remains, even as he is reduced to singing at bowling alleys and other minor league venues. In typical country music style, he meets a good woman, falls in love and still must hit rock bottom. Bridges, who sings and plays guitar, has no qualms about letting the camera record him when he couldn’t possibly look worse. Yet somehow, you can’t help rooting for this guy. Maggie Gyllenhaal plays the object of his affection and Robert Duval (who played a similar character in “Tender Mercies,”) is along for the ride, as is friend and rival Colin Farrell. 4 cans.
31. The Rewrite* (2012, Hulu) – Hugh Grant is his best sardonic self as a screenwriter with one big hit to his credit and nothing in his future. He can’t find work in Hollywood, so he takes a teaching job at a college in Binghamton, NY, where his lack of effort initially does no one any good. Eventually, he questions his belief that good writing cannot be taught. Co-star Marisa Tomei is terrific (as always) as someone who doesn’t hesitate to give him perspective and truth. 3 cans.
32. The After* (2023, Netflix) – This movie packs a lot of passion, power and pathos into its 14-minute length. David Oleyolo plays a busy businessman who suffers an immense and sudden tragedy. He looks and acts numb, but he is just trying to get through the day as a rideshare driver until one ride with a couple and child makes him confront his grief. Take 14 minutes out of your day to see this. It is not cheery, but the story and its aftermath will make you think. 3½ cans
33. Paper Moon* (1973, PBS) – Young Tatum O’Neal as Addie is a revelation in this comedy/crime movie that also stars her father, Ryan, as a con man in the 1930s. The two are matched together with the understanding that he will accompany her to her family home, so they hit the road, supporting themselves by running a variety of con games (selling Bibles for one; no comment). She is tough as nails, frequently reminding O’Neal’s Mose that he owes her $200. She is as good at the con game as the man she is pretty sure is her real father, despite his protestations. Madeline Kahn is wonderful as a floozie Mose picks up, but Addie outwits them both. Tatum won the Oscar as the Best Supporting Actor, the youngest winner ever. 3½ cans.
34. Pride of the Yankees (1942, Cable) – “Today, I consider myself the luckiest man on the face of the earth,” declared the dying Yankee Lou Gehrig to a packed house at Yankee Stadium in 1939. Before being diagnosed with ALS (which subsequently became known as “Lou Gehrig’s Disease”), Gehrig had played 2130 consecutive games for the star-studded Yankee franchise and was known as “the Iron Horse.” He was only 37 when he died. This film traces his life, his marriage and his career as a Yankee. He’s a good example of the phrase “only the good die young.” However, that moving story aside, this is not a good movie. It is slow and plodding, with stilted dialog and a clearly over-aged Gary Cooper as Gehrig; Cooper was in his 40s with lines in his face, so accepting him as a rookie with the Yankees is a stretch. Still, this is a classic story, and the lore of Gehrig will always be a part of the mystique of the New York Yankees. 2 cans.
35. Quiet on Set* (2024, ID Channel) – Momma, don’t let your babies grow up to be child stars. This 4-part documentary traces the TV shows from Nickelodeon that reigned supreme in the 1990s, most of which were produced by Dan Schneider, who is portrayed here as a powerful and power-hungry man who could make or break the careers of the young people he hired. He hired like-minded men who took advantage of their young charges, grooming them as dialog coaches and writers who offered help and then sexually attacked or abused many of them. Many kids were afraid to report the abuse for fear of losing their jobs. And if they weren’t abused, many were asked to do things that sexualized them at much too early a stage. It is deplorable that any of these people had an opportunity to work with teenagers and young people at all. This was too disturbing to recommend. 3 cans.
36. Anatomy of a Fall* (2023, Hulu) – A man falls from a balcony under mysterious conditions. Did he fall? Did he jump? Was he pushed? All of these scenarios are included in this mysterious case, and of course the authorities think the wife did it. But did she? You will have to read subtitles for some of this French film, but the level of acting, direction and the story are worth the effort. 4 cans.
37. Buying Beverly Hills, Season 2* (2024, Netflix) – If you like $40 million California homes and can tolerate the drama offered by superstar realtor Mauricio Umansky and his family, which includes his now-separated wife, Kyle (who is already a star of the reality series “Real Housewives of Beverly Hills), and their three daughters, who work for Mauricio’s The Agency. After a while, all the houses look the same – great views, dramatic staircases and free-standing bathtubs – as do the daughters. The drama on this show – and it never ends – is equally among the male real estate sellers, who have something to say about everything and everyone. They are like a Greek chorus, commenting and moving the story along. There are some genuinely unlikable people working for the Agency and many who cannot refrain from offering their views on the family and the business. Don’t ask me why I watched, but I also couldn’t restrain myself. 3 cans and a $40 million dollar house for everyone who endured this drivel. Now, when do we get to see Season 3?