Month: November 2020

Have you ever listened to a song and wondered how it came to be? Have you ever wanted to sit with a singer or songwriter to hear the nitty gritty of their process? If so, Song Exploder is the show for you!

In 2014, Hrishikesh Hirway launched a podcast by the same name that was immediately met with rave reviews. The format was straightforward, pick a great song, and break down the creative process with the artist, songwriter and the producer. What came out of this biweekly podcast was pure genius. Now Netflix has decided to get in on that genius by turning the podcast into series.

In the first episode of the first season, Hirway sits down with pop superstar, Alicia Keys to discuss the how and why behind her hit 3 Hour Drive. Keys opens up about how motherhood has shifted her perspective and has given her a depth and soulfulness to her songwriting that is unexpected. She also discusses how her cowriter, musician Sampha, brought an interesting element to the process as a son who recently lost his mother. The juxtaposition of life and loss brings a hauntingly beautiful melody to their collaboration.

The next episode features Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Wait for It from his smash hit Broadway musical Hamilton. Miranda reveals his writing process and how his collaboration with the show’s musical director, Alex Lacamoire impacted the final version of the song. Lacamoire gets into the technical elements of turning a demo track into a piece that blows the roof of the house each time it’s performed. This glimpse into the creative mind of Miranda leaves fans of his work thirsting for more.

The third episode reaches back into the vaults of the 1990s alternative rock scene with a look at R.E.M.’s Losing My Religion. The whole band sits down with Hirway for an intimate conversation about their genre specific following that exploded into worldwide fame with the release of this dark and quirky song that features a mandolin and an obscure southern saying. Lead singer, Michael Stipe, in particular, reminisces about the song, the album and the era of their fame and the genuine respect and friendship of the band that has kept R.E.M. an icon of pop music nearly three decades after this hit was first released.

In the final episode of this first volume, Hirway switches gears and dives deep with Ty Dolla $ign to talk about his love song to his city, LA. Know for his club hits, Ty Dalla $ign shifts from his party anthems to explore the heart and soul of Los Angeles and the people who build their lives on the hope of opportunity in that city. Throughout this interview it is clear that this is more than just a song, this is a labor of love to the city and the people that have made Ty Dolla $ign who he is.

Hrishikesh Hirway is the perfect host for these conversations. He is knowledgeable, chill and interested. He puts the artists at ease while drawing out confessions and secrets of their process. Hirway is an artist in his own right and he draws out the humanity behind each song and constructs stories that are the stuff of legends. I cannot wait for Volume Two to drop but for now, check out Song Exploder.

Gerard Butler goes against type in this 2016 flick and it’s beautiful!

If you are tuning in for Butler’s quippy lines and city-rattling explosions, I’m sorry but you are in the wrong movie. But if you are ready to see him stretch his legs and find his way on his own merit in a drama, devoid of weapons, war and bronzer, then this is the flick for you. In A Family Man, Butler trades in his machismo for a heart and it’s pure gold!

A Family Man sees Butler as Dane Jensen, a corporate recruiter on the fast track to promotion when his young son is diagnosed with cancer. Jensen is faced with the difficult task of balancing his responsibilities as a professional and as a family man. Many of the concerns that plague Jensen are common to men of his age; the drive to succeed professionally, the demands of a young family and the desire to be a good provider and engaged husband. As his son’s health declines, Jensen is called upon to spend more time with his family, leaving his professional aspirations to fizzle out.

Butler cultivates a strong chemistry with his young co-star, Maxwell Jenkins, throughout the film. Their scenes together are what make this movie so endearing and memorable. The two share some genuinely touching moments of connection as father and son as they explore the architecture of Chicago. With each adventure they go on they develop a clearer understanding of each other and find comfort in the friendship that grows between them. This comfort and connection is what sustains them through the darkest part of their cancer journey. And it is what drives Jensen’s decision about his high-powered career.

To be clear, this isn’t an Oscar worthy performance, mostly because it’s not an Oscar worthy script but it is an entirely lovely film that gives Butler the opportunity to try something aside from high-intensity action blockbusters.  While some may balk at Butler’s winding career path, I love that he tries different genres and takes on projects that interest him regardless of their big screen success. Some of my favourite Butler moments can be found in films the critics panned.

Although the critics didn’t love A Family Man, it is a quintessential feel good flick full of completely relatable moments. From the strained yet loving marriage to the overwhelming pressure a working dad feels to the restlessness that builds when that pressure peaks, each relationship portrayed in the film, although a little bit too kitchy, still carries the weight of truth. While this may not make it on the top ten list of Butler’s greatest films, I’m glad he took the risk and told us this story.

Settling on a pick for family movie night can be a nightmare, especially if your family has very different tastes in films. But Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle just might be the crowd pleaser you are looking for!

This fantasy adventure comedy film picks up where the 1995 Jumanji film left off – sort of. It’s 21 years later and a group of four high school students discover an old video game in the basement of their high school. No sooner do they turn the game on then they are sucked into the game itself and find themselves unrecognizable as the game’s avatars. Each avatar has a special skill and all skills are needed if this group of teenagers is going to survive the game and make it home.

The cast of avatars makes this movie. Dr. Xander Bravestone, the adventurer and archeologist, is played by Dwayne Johnson opposite Kevin Hart’s portrayal of the bookish zoologist Franklin “Mouse” Finbar.  Karen Gillan is martial arts expert, Ruby Roundhouse and Jack Black fills the role of cartographer, Dr. Sheldon Oberon. The thing that makes this magic though is these actors are portraying other actors as these avatars. So while Johnson, Hart, Gillan and Black are bantering back and forth as the avatars they are also using the inflections, body language and conflicts of the four high school students played by Alex Wolf, Ser’Darius Blain, Madison Iseman and Morgan Turner.

While completing the levels of the game, the group faces an array of challenges and near death experiences that are both nail biting and hilarious. Part way through the game, the adventurers come across another avatar, pilot Jefferson “Seaplane” McDonough, inhabited by Alex (Nick Jonas), another student who had been trapped in the game since 1996. The teens piece together Alex’s story and realize he’s the missing kid from a rundown house in their neighborhood. While rumors had circulated for years in regards to his disappearance no one had an inkling of what the real story was. Together, the five avatars pledge to leave no man or woman behind and get them all out of the game.

The comedic energy of Johnson, Hart, Black and Gillan is on point. Jack Black tapping into his inner teen-age girl is as funny and perfect as you’d expect. Kevin Hart and Dwayne Johnson are excellent as they banter, jibe and humiliate each other throughout the film. Karen Gillan’s comedic prowess is delightful and engaging to watch.

Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle has a pg-13 rating for its adventure action, some suggestive content and mild language. Our teens and tweens thought this flick was hilarious and while some of the jokes were a little off color they weren’t deal breakers for us.

This film lives up to the bar Robin Williams set in the original Jumanji movie with humor, jump-scares and a few whole-hearted fell good moments. The cast is wonderful, the script is equal parts funny and action-packed and the location is breath-taking. It all adds up to a thoroughly engaging film and a big family movie night win!

At first glance, a series about a chess-playing orphan doesn’t sound all that captivating but halfway through the first episode I was completely hooked.  Based on the Walter Tevis 1983 novel of the same name, this limited series touches on the themes of loss, addiction, power and feminism against the backdrop of the 1960s competitive chess scene.

The series opens in 1967, where an adult Beth, addicted to tranquilizers and alcohol, stumbles into an important chess match late and hung over.  The scene cuts away to the car accident that makes Elizabeth Harmon an orphan at age nine, a frequent flashback that Beth wrestles with throughout the series.

At the orphanage, young Beth is introduced to tranquilizers and chess at almost the same time and develops an addiction to both. An unlikely connection grows between Beth and the orphanage’s custodian when she persuades him to teach her about chess. Over time she proves herself as a prodigy and draws the attention of the local press as she dominates the local high school chess club. It is at this time when Beth is adopted by a childless couple on the brink of divorce.

Though she is removed from her first teacher, Beth’s drive to compete in chess is not diminished. Not long after her adoption, Beth’s parents get divorced. Alone with her depressed mother, Beth rediscovers tranquilizers and chess. Her addiction grows at the same rate as her chess success, which eventually land her right where the series began, playing chess at the world’s while hung over and strung out.

The brilliance in casting Anya Taylor-Joy (adult Beth) and Isla Johnston (young Beth) is evident within minutes of the opening of the first episode. Both actresses have similarly expressive eyes and a hauntingly placid demeanour. Their ability to communicate their loneliness and solitude, even when surrounded by others, gives a depth to the character of Beth that saves her from being an orphan cliché.

The addition of a stellar supporting cast which includes Moses Ingram (Jolene), Thomas Brody (Benny Watts) and Bill Camp (Mr. Shaibel) takes this series to the next level. Each cast member fills the screen with nuisance and subtle brilliance. Each role was expertly filled, but none so perfect as Marielle Heller as Beth’s adoptive mother, Alma Wheatley. Her portrayal of a desperately lonely 1960s housewife has a surprising depth that leaves the viewer feeling unexpectedly connected to Alma.

This series was filmed like it was meant for the big screen with lighting and cinematography than enhances the retro feel of this 1960s era drama. The attention to detail in each set is impressive. From the dark and shadowy orphanage to the coordinated patterns of the homes and hotels of the 1960s, each set compliments the time and feel of the scene perfectly. The only thing that outdoes the sets is the costumes. Eye-catching doesn’t even begin to describe the fashion feast that is The Queen’s Gambit.

Beth’s infatuation with fashion begins on her first day of public high school and continues throughout her rise in the chess world. Beth becomes a sleek trend-setter as she matures through this series. Her colourful and stylish wardrobe is a standout of all the suits she faces in the male dominated chess world but Beth’s fashion choices go beyond enjoyment and cross over into addiction, like the other great loves of her life (chess & tranquilizers).

Beth amasses a wardrobe full of Pierre Cardin, Dior and their fashion contemporaries as her success grows. This also becomes her downfall and she finds herself broke and unable to raise the entrance fee to an important tournament in Moscow. In the end both Beth and her decadent wardrobe find their way to Russia.

The Queen’s Gambit is the most binge worthy series to come along in a while. It was a Sunday well-spent the day I stumble across this chess playing wonder. The story is well-paced, interesting and the characters are believable yet wonderful. Set some time aside and devour this Netflix limited series as soon as you can. The Queen’s Gambit does not disappoint!

There are few things more compelling and engaging than sitting in a darkened theatre, in tension filled silence, watching two actors live the story they are telling. The only thing that comes close to that experience is when a film adaptation of a theatre piece is done well. Christopher Demos-Brown’s film adaptation of his own stage play is that experience. American Son brings all of the intimacy and intensity of the stage to the small screen without losing one drop of the integrity of the original piece.

The original Broadway cast returns to their roles in this brilliant spotlight on racism and bias in America. Kerry Washington portrays Kendra, the mother of Jamal, a teen who is missing and out of communication. Steven Pasquale plays opposite Washington as Scott Connor her estranged husband and father of Jamal. The chemistry and tension that builds between these two throughout the 85-minute conversation is palpable as they rehash their marriage, separation and opposing views in parenting.

The entire film is staged in a sparse a police department waiting room on a stormy night. The only glimpse we get of the outside world are occasional flashbacks and cut-ins that give insight to the events that resulted in Jamal’s disappearance.

At the open of the film, Kendra is on her phone in the waiting room of her local police department. She is desperately trying to contact her missing son while seeking out information from the police. The young officer tasked with assisting her, Paul Larkin (Jeremy Jordan), is paralyzed by his lack of information combined with his strict adherence to protocol. The only help he can offer throughout the long night is reiterating that his superior officer, Lt. John Stokes (Eugene Lee) will be able to answer questions when he arrives for the morning shift.

When Kendra’s ex-husband, Scott, arrives he uses his experience as an FBI agent to try to connect with the young police officer and gain information about his missing son. There is a clear difference in how each character responds to each other throughout the exchange and the viewer is left to challenge their own bias and come to terms with who they identify with on screen. This forced reckoning reveals the gaslighting that occurs when people of color challenge authority and speak to their experience. All of this adds another layer of tension and conflict to the storyline.

Throughout the film, racial tensions build, from an underlying societal norm to blatant disrespect of life. When common phrases are used, such as “the natives are getting restless,” the audience is left feeling properly uncomfortable. Though Kendra’s grief and rage as a distraught parent make her sympathetic her provocation of law enforcement and her ex-husband leaves the viewer wishing she were a more sympathetic character. That is turn, leaves this viewer wondering why we expect more from people of color than we do of white people in the same situation.

The answer is, I don’t know but we do.

This is the brilliance and heartache and truth of Demos-Brown’s piece. He lays out a tragic tale where we, the viewer, become the villain. It’s our views, our conditioned responses from a society built on inequality and racial bias that uphold an unbalanced system and propels Kendra’s rage and heartbreak.

In a time when conversations on race and bias are at the forefront of political and justice movement, American Son is a must-see film. It’s a moment when art righteously reflects reality. And if we pay attention, if we lean in, if we listen maybe, just maybe, we can make way for change. Real, meaningful, life-saving change.

Have you ever run into an old high school friend decades after graduation and been surprised at how he’s matured? The guy who would do anything for a laugh, who spent way more energy setting up pranks and gags than doing anything else, is suddenly thoughtful, sensitive and yet still the same self-deprecating goofball you loved back in the day. That’s David Letterman in his Netflix original Series My Next Guest Needs No Introduction.

For three decades, Letterman was a staple of the late night scene on television. Through the 1980s to the 2010s, he hosted several variety talk shows with performances by the hottest entertainers, interviews with actors promoting their latest work and segments like Stump the Band, Audience Show and Tell and Stupid Human Tricks. Certainly not highbrow entertainment, but very popular nonetheless.

Dave retired in 2015 but after a few years of hibernation, Dave has returned – in an all new format. No gags. No pranks. No Stupid Human Tricks. Just Dave, on a stage, with one guest, asking really thought-provoking and poignant questions in his trademark ‘awe-shucks’ style.

In his first two seasons of My Next Guest Needs No Introduction, Dave chatted with the likes of Barack Obama, Malala Yousafzai, Kanye West and Howard Stern. His interviews cover topics ranging from folksy, childhood memories to in-depth political and social issues. With each guest, Dave tailors a unique experience where he interacts with them on their terms, like the studio tour he took with Ellen DeGeneres or joining George Clooney on a visit to his parents’ place in Kentucky. It all adds up to a really charming and insightful experience with our old pal, Dave.

Season three opens with Dave sitting down with Kim Kardashian West to talk about her childhood, her rise to fame and her marriage to hip-hop star Kanye West. They talk in depth about Kardashian West’s connection to OJ Simpson and his family and about the attack she survived in Paris, France in 2016. In between segments of this candid conversation, there are snippets of Dave and Kardashian West shopping in a drug store where they raid the candy aisle and search for the perfect pen.

The second episode features an absolutely delightful conversation with Robert Downy Jr. where he talks about growing up in a Hollywood family, recovering from addiction and charting a new path for himself. Dave and Downey Jr. also visit the Iron Man’s Malibu hobby farm where he has amassed a collection of rescue animals and Dave hilariously tries out a career as a farm hand.

In the third episode, Dave travels to Ohio for an intimate conversation with Dave Chappelle about his successful run as a stand-up comedian and his intentional decision to step away from Hollywood. Chappelle discusses how he traded the fast pace of fame for purposeful connection with his community and structured his career in a manner that gives him space to be more of who he really is. The two Daves spend some time wandering through the small town near Chappelle’s farm and compare stories about life in close-knit communities.

Season three wraps up with a COVID friendly visit to Lizzo’s house. The unconventional music sensation shares her flute collection with Dave as she regales him with tales of her time spent under the mentorship of Prince. They touch on topics of protests, body image and the power of creativity. Lizzo even gets Dave into her studio where he test drives a flute and cuts a very awkward track to a Lizzo beat.

All in all, David Letterman has reinvented himself in this series. It’s not so much a career shift but a maturing of an old friend that brings out the very best parts of him. Dave is invested, curious and delightfully sincere in this series. Best of all, he allows each guest the space to tell their story in their way, bringing forward a depth of character and passion that is often missed in the standard short interview format of most shows. My Next Guest Need No Introduction is definitely a must-see Netflix Original Series.

Brie Larson. Magic. Unicorns. So much emphasis on staying true to yourself in a world that wants you to change. You can find all these things and more in Unicorn Store. 

It takes the film less than a minute and a half to make us incredibly aware that Kit (Brie Larson’s character) wants nothing more out of life than her very own unicorn. She paints and thinks and lives in rainbow. Unfortunately, the big bad world feels differently about copious amounts of glitter, and Kit is unceremoniously kicked out of art school. Living at home in her parent’s basement, working a temp job she hates, Kit is feeling miserable and hopeless — until, that is, she gets an invitation to the Unicorn Store. Upon her arrival at that most serious place of business she meets the Salesman, played by Samuel L. Jackson, who informs her that not only are unicorns real, she can have one. There’s only one catch: she has to prove herself worthy of that great privilege. Her ensuing attempt to do so is hilarious, endearingly cringy, and altogether heartwarming.

Despite my love for this film, I have to recognize that it is flawed. A lot of this could be blamed on the protagonist. Kit is idealistic and naive, and can be surprisingly selfish. She’s also quite childish; she tends to revel in life in a way that might be painfully embarrassing for actual adults. (Although for people like me who still talk to stuffed animals and jump in rain puddles, it’s delightfully refreshing.) And besides Kit’s dubious likeability there’s the actual feel of the film to consider. At times it’s just plain weird. Its humour is quirky, its costume and set design is colourful (overwhelmingly so, at times), and dialogue can feel a bit stilted. It is arguably out of touch and undeniably eccentric.

None of these issues dull my appreciation for Unicorn Store, although I have to admit that I’m biased. I’m a fan of Brie Larson, and I also happen to like rainbows and unicorns. I may not be an art student, but I am an arts student, and Kit’s crippling fear of being a disappointment is one that resonates with me. 

I’m convinced that Unicorn Store has charms that no whiny characters or questionable costume choices can shroud. Kit’s determination to pursue the things that make her happy, no matter what anyone else thinks, is nothing less than inspirational. And if that’s not concrete enough for you, may I offer the grounded and astute observation of Kit’s mom that “the most grownup thing you can do is fail at the things you really care about?” 

At the end of the day, you should steer clear of this movie if you feel attached to realistic characters and clever plots, or if you’re not a fan of frivolousness. 

If, on the other hand, you’d like some magic, playfulness, and a reminder that being grownup doesn’t have to mean growing up, give Unicorn Store a chance to convince you that anything is possible.

The stories of the New York City Mafia are nearly as old as the city itself.  The mob has been at the center of dozens if not hundreds of movies, television series and documentaries over the decades. They have been portrayed as the bad guys you love to hate and hate to love. And somehow, despite the crime and terror they rained down on the city for decades, these crime families and their bosses have become the stuff of legends. Fear City: New York vs The Mafia breaks down the how and why of the Mafia’s rise to power and eventual demise of this brand of organized crime in New York City.

Fear City opens in episode one with archived news footage from the 1970s when the Mafia’s grip on the city was at its peak. Muggings, murders and violence were the norm as the Mafia bosses of the five major crime families (the Bonanno, Lucchese, Gambino, Colombo and Genovese families) duked it out for dominance of the city’s drug and gambling trade. Due to the constraints of the law, it looked like the Mafia was untouchable until the early 1980s when a new investigation opened on the mob using RICO as its backbone.

The RICO (Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations) Act became law in 1970 and provided the elements law enforcement needed to close the loopholes that allowed organized crime to flourish in that era. Primarily, RICO allowed for the prosecution of those who ordered crimes to be committed, even if they were not hands-on involved in the crime itself. RICO also allowed law enforcement to link individual crimes together to form a more complete understanding of how organized crime families operated.

The FBI began in-depth surveillance of the five major crime families. They developed a network of informants, under cover agents and wire-tapping to build a mammoth case against the bosses of each family. Fear City breaks down the structure of the families, the techniques of the FBI investigators and the mountain of evidence compiled throughout the investigation. Unprecedented steps were taken to build not one, but five squads to investigate and collaborate during the years long investigation into the practices and crimes of the mob. And in the end, the efforts of the FBI and local law enforcement paid off and one by one the Mafia families, and Mob controlled organized crime, fell.

Although there have been dozens of movies and documentaries about the Mafia, Fear City is a stand-out for the quality of research and contributors to this documentary. This story unfolds in three information-packed episodes that include a mesh of wire tap recordings and current interviews from informants and agents who were involved in the original investigation. Surveillance photos and family map graphics aid in the understanding of just how intricate these organization of these crime families were.

I am a bit of a mob-junkie. I have always been intrigued by the power the Mafia amassed and how they were brought down by the diligence of law enforcement and cooperation of informants.  I have consumed more books, movies and documentaries on this topic than I can remember and Fear City ranks among the best, in my opinion. One of the most interesting additions to this docu-series that I have not seen before is commentary from the investigators detailing how they felt during the investigation. Confessions of curiosity, awe and connection to mobsters bring a level of humanity and relationship to the investigation that I have never considered before.

The only crime Fear City: New York vs The Mafia commits is cutting things too short. With only three well-paced episodes, this docu-series leaves the viewer wanting more. A fourth episode to wrap up the court case and aftermath would have made a great series a perfect series. Perhaps Netflix will consider a second season to further unpack the impact the mafia had on New York City.