Month: June 2021

Octavia Spencer is the queen of movies with heart and she lays hers all out there in her latest project, Self-Made: Inspired by the Life of Madam C.J. Walker, a Netflix original series.

This 8-episode series is a fictionalized retelling of America’s first black, self-made, female millionaire. Adapted from the book On Her Own Ground by A’Lelia Bundles, the series tells the story of a woman rising from the status of a poor washer-woman to a hair care mogul. Despite rivalries and catastrophies, Madam C.J. Walker perseveres to see her dream become a reality.

The first season is comprised of four episodes that see Sarah (Octavia Spencer), a woman living on the edge of poverty, struggling with hair loss and despair. She meets the glamourous Addie (Carmen Ejogo) who introduces her to a product that saves her hair. Sarah desires to become a saleswoman for Addie’s products but Addie rejects Sarah and tells her she is destined to be poor and ugly.

Sarah does not accept that and she becomes determined to rise above. She invents her own product and begins selling it at a discount. The orders pour in and Sarah becomes overwhelmed and unable to keep up with the demand. In an effort to catch up, she turns her home into a factory but a fire soon destroys everything.

Addie jumps in to scoop up Sarah’s lost sales but still, Sarah does not accept defeat. She moves and adapts and re-invents herself along the way. She never takes no for an answer and fights for her business and her place in this world. It’s an inspiring and uplifting story that is played out to perfection.

The cast for this series is beyond impressive. Tiffany Haddish brings Sarah’s daughter, Leila, to life with complexity and grace. it is pure pleasure to watch her character come into her own throughout the series. This pleasure is only compounded when Blair Underwood, Bill Bellamy and Garrett Morris appear onscreen.

Despite criticism for playing a little fast and loose with history, producer and star, Octavia Spencer stayed true to her vision of bringing this intelligent, capable business woman, who is still a flawed and relatable human, to life onscreen. She has been quoted as identifying with this remarkable woman and holding her story close throughout her growing years.

Self-Made is definitely binge-worthy but I challenge you to take it slow, to savour it. Enjoy it. Revel in the goodness of seeing of it. From costumes to sets to script, Self-Made is a delectable treat for the viewing audience. it is funny and heart-warming and deeply inspiring. And there are not enough, not nearly enough, stories like this out there.

There is little we are as sure of more than our own identity. We know who we are. We know our history. We know our stories. But what happens when what we think we know isn’t true? How do we find ourselves when we don’t know who we are? This is the story behind Unknown.

While in Berlin for a biotechnology conference with his wife, Dr. Martin Harris (Liam Neeson), suffers a terrible car accident that leaves him in a coma for four days. When he wakes, he discovers that no one has come looking for him. Not even his wife, Liz (January Jones). So he goes looking for her.

Martin finds Liz at the hotel but she doesn’t recognize him. Worse than that, there is another man with her who claims to be Dr. Martin Harris (Aidan Quinn). The new Martin has the ID and the backing of his wife to prove he is Martin Harris while the first Martin has nothing, no ID, no wife, no name.

With the help of a sympathetic cab driver, Gina (Diane Kruger), the original Martin begins to track down the pieces of the puzzle, beginning with his missing briefcase which holds his ID. It doesn’t take long before very determined hitman begin tracking Martin and Gina. What ensues is a frantic race to solve the mystery of why no one knows Martin and who is behind the attempt to erase him.

Based on the French novel Out of My Head by Didier van Cauwelaert, Unknown was produced by Joel Silver and was released in 2011 to a truly decent box office showing. Critics praised it for being well-paced and suspenseful and gave particular notice to the performances of Diane Kruger and Aidan Quinn.

While Unknown is billed as a thriller, Neeson does well with the brawny action star persona. He keeps pace well with the explosive action sequences and the nail-biting chase scenes. The action is reminiscent of Taken and A-Team and has solidified Neeson’s presence as a bonafide action star. Not bad for a man in his 60s.

Set some time aside to take in Unknown on Netflix.

In seconds, life can go from ordinary to absolute chaos. A simple fluke of nature can upend society and throw people into a panic that can descend into paranoia and violence quickly. Awake explores these themes against the backdrop of a technological anomaly.

Veteran Jill Adams (Gina Rodriguez) experiences car trouble that results in a car accident where it appears that her daughter (Ariana Greenblatt) had drown. In a twist of fate, Jill’s daughter miraculously recovers but the family isn’t out of the woods. Police confirm that Jill’s accident was part of a global solar flare that left all electrical devices disabled.

The other side effect from this bizarre natural phenomenon becomes apparent within hours. No one, on the plant, is asleep. Coma patients have woken or died, babies and children are restless and not one person can settle in to sleep. No one but Jill’s daughter, Mathilda, who had survived the drowning.

The word gets out that the child can sleep as the world falls deeper into a sleep-deprived frenzy. Violence and paranoia spread like wildfire and its up to Jill to protect her children while finding it within herself to trust doctors and psychiatrists to find a cure for the world’s wakefulness.

Awake has a Bird Box vibe but isn’t as dark or as dire as the previous Netflix thriller. This flick is well-paced and certainly can carry the tension well. Written by Joseph Raso and directed by his brother Mark Raso, Awake promises to be the next Netflix thriller hit. The bizz around the film has been promising and with a release date of June 9, it is poised to be an early summer favourite.

Aside from Gina Rodriguez’s impressive performance, the rest of the cast is chock full of well-known character actors who bring depth and interest to their roles. Frances Fisher carries the role of Jill’s mother Doris with religious fervor and an intentional level of hysteria that adds tension to the overall vibe of the flick. Jennifer Jason Leigh, Barry Pepper and Finn Jones all give credible and intense performance that are thoroughly enjoyable to watch.

Awake is full of all the best elements you could ask for in a thriller and its just there, waiting for you on Netflix.

In 1989 a new comic book series hit the shelves and made history. The Sandman became the first comic series to become a New York Times Bestseller and developed a huge cult following.

The original comic was part of the DC Family and ran for 75 issues. The story was part myth, part history and part horror and it was considered a comic for the intellectual crowd. The main character, Dream, is one of the seven Endless and is connected to various storyline in the DC Universe.

Neil Gaiman created the series and remained at the helm as writer throughout the 75 issues. He is also heavily involved in the latest incarnation of The Sandman‘s development from page to screen. It’s been a bumpy ride for this series, spending years in development purgatory, but it finally found it’s way out of the hole and onto the screen.

The series bounced back and forth from film to series while in development. It had several big names attached to it overtime but none seemed to stick long enough to see the project through. Finally in June 2019 Netflix stepped in and signed a deal that led to production beginning in October 2020.

The premise of the series begins in 1914 when Dream, one of the Endless, is captured during an occult ritual. He is held for 105 years until he wins his freedom. Now loose in 2021, Dream is determined to restore his kingdom at any cost.

Tom Sturridge was cast as Dream in September 2020 and after some back and forth, Gwendoline Christie was cast as Lucifer. There was an idea floating around for a while that casting Tom Ellis as Lucifer might bring continuity to the project but it was later decided that his incarnation of the character had strayed to far from the original comic during the 2016 series.

The first season of The Sandman will air later this year. There will be 11 episodes in the first season and creator/producer, Neil Gaiman, promised fans that the TV series will follow the original series very closely, wit the only major deviation being the series begins in 2021 rather than the 1980s of the comic series.

With no set date on the horizon, you can set a reminder through the official page on the Netflix site so you can be the first to know when it will air. In the meantime, you can check out the award-winning audiobook version of the series. For fans of the show who have been waiting for this project for years, just hold on … The Sandman is coming!

What does a promising Olympic hopeful in free-styling have to do with high-stakes poker? If it’s Molly Bloom – a lot.

Based on the memoir by the same name, Molly’s Game is another Aaron Sorkin treat. Written and directed by the celebrated screenwriter, this flick delivers all of the best of Sorkin. It’s fast paced, full of witty dialogue and clever exposition. It stars the cream of the crop giving the performances of their lives. And, it’s just an honest to goodness good story.

The story opens with Molly narrating her life-changing, fluke accident on the slopes while attempting to qualify for a spot on the American Olympic ski team. The story unfolds as Molly attempts to find her footing post-Olympic-hopeful. She couch surfs while testing the waters of a series of mediocre jobs. One of these jobs eventually leads to her introduction to the off-book, high-stakes poker scene.

With her quick mind and her competitive nature, it doesn’t take long for Molly to rise to the top of the poker game – not as a player but as a host. Despite setbacks and insecure men trying to set the terms of her game, Molly adapts, adjusts and continues to find success on her own terms.

The pressure to stay on top begins to get to her and she makes a series of decisions that leads to her arrest in an wide-sweeping FBI raid. Charged with racketeering, and on the verge of losing everything, Molly is forced to come to terms with the mess she’s in and used her exceptional mind and hard-won resiliency to find a way to face the charges on her own terms.

Sorkin makes his directorial debut with Molly’s Game and he comes out of the gate swinging. The story is beautifully paced, artistically shot and masterfully performed. It is a story that inspires without cliches or over-the-top sweetness. Its complicated and real and relatable. And it is a delight to watch.

This award-winning movie was the perfect vehicle to display Aaron Sorkin‘s mastery as a director as well as being one of the best wordsmiths on the planet. Jessica Chastain and Idris Elba both perform at the top of their game, with chemistry and tension that is unmatched. All in, Molly’s Game is a safe bet for a thoroughly enjoyable movie night.

At this point in history, the only way to not know of the struggle against oppression that Black people have faced for generations is through willful ignorance. With the focus on justice and rights, it is, unfortunately easy to overlook the contributions this race of people have made to our modern life. High on the Hog takes us on an adventure of rediscovery and truth about how African American culture has influenced our experience with food.

The series begins with host, Stephen Satterfield, boarding a plane to Africa to explore a West African open market that holds the roots to African cuisine in America. Satterfield meets up with his idol, Dr. Jessica Harris, an author and food historian to learn more about the importance of certain foods and regions.

As the series continues, Satterfield travels from Africa back to America to learn more about the evolution of cuisine throughout the south. He visits North Carline to learn about rice, as a staple and a commodity. Then he swings over to Virginia to savour the delights of mac and cheese and good old Virginia ham. He also hears about how the founding father’s kept some of the most influential chefs of the day. Men whose ingenuity still grace our plates today.

To wrap up the series, Satterfield heads to Texas immerse himself in the tastes and culture of barbeque and freedom. He eats his way through the history of liberation and the continued journey to freedom and justice. Framed against the rich history of black cowboys, Satterfield is left hungry for more.

As are we.

This series is as beautiful to watch as it is educational. The cinematography is stunning and adds weight to the truth behind Black history. Satterfield does not dodge the tough realities his ancestors faced not does he rush to keep the episodes light-hearted. He sits with difficult truths and craves more information while honouring those who have journeyed before him.

High on the Hog closely follows Dr. Harris’ book by the same name. It is one small but important step towards liberating the truth of the souls who built the American nation. They exercised their creativity and solidarity through the food they created. They preserved their connection to their roots through the ingredients they chose and they left their mark on this foreign land by celebrating their strength and skill with every dish they served.

High on the Hog is a beautiful tribute and a magnificent celebration of history, creativity and hope. Be sure to adventure with Stephen Satterfield and learn from the past and the present while visually experiencing some of the most delectable dishes of the culture.

World War II separated families and demanded sacrifice of communities but it wasn’t only the young men who were called to duty. Young women from around England were conscripted to service also. They served in hospitals and war offices. And they served on farms, keeping the national food supply flourishing while the young farmers, the men, served at the front of the battle. These women were more commonly known at Land Girls.

Commissioned by the BBC to celebrate the 70th anniversary of World War II, Land Girls features the lives and trials of four women working in England’s Women’s Land Army. The show was created by Roland Moore and was fleshed out by him and a team of writers. What they came up with was an entirely enchanting, heart-warming tribute to the women who kept the home fires burning and crops harvested.

The story centers around four women who join the Women’s Land Army for very different reasons but come together to find family and find themselves. The work is challenging and emotions run high at times, but the girls come together to do their duty. They do it well and without them, and women like them on farms and in industry across the country, the war effort would have struggle and perhaps even faltered.

The show ran for three seasons from 2009 to 2011. It was a success during those years for the BBC and in the years since has found a faithful following in home media and on Netflix among those who were devoted fans of Call the Midwife and Downton Abbey.

With charm and wit and heart, the 15 forty-five minute episodes of Land Girls, tell the story of the home front. Not shying away from tough subject, the series touched on complicated issues like segregation, Nazi sympathizers and the mistreatment of prisoners of war during its run.

Well-written, with just the right amount of nostalgia, Land Girls is a binge-worthy watch that will leave you feeling all of the feels. Grab a cuppa and settle in. Land Girls is well worth the watch.

Gather up the family and settle in to an evening of adorable antics and big laughs as you watch Dog Gone Trouble, new on Netflix.

Trouble is a pampered pup who is living the dream in his big city mansion. His owner, the doting Mrs. Vanderwhoozie, dies suddenly and Trouble is left with an uncertain future. The one thing he is certain about is that he does not like Mrs. Vanderwhoozie’s greedy nephew and niece, Norbert and Claire, who arrive soon after her death to claim their inheritance.

As part of the will, the Norbert and Claire must successfully prove that they can care of Trouble for three days before they can collect their riches. The only problem is that in the middle of the busyness following the death of his owner, Trouble accidentally got lost. Now he is on his own, for the first time is his pampered life, to figure out how to get home – and if he even wants to go home.

Norbert and Claire are not going to let one lost dog keep them away from their inheritance, so they hire a famous tracker to hun down Trouble and trouble is exactly what both man and dog find!

The lost pooch gets tangled up with some vengeful squirrels and narrowly escapes only to land himself in another sticky situation with a new human named Zoe. Before long, Trouble begins to realize that maybe this is a situation he doesn’t want to get out of but if he wants to stay with Zoe, he has to figure out a way to lose the tracker and the dishonest duo, Claire and Norbert.

While not an entirely original storyline in animation, Dog Gone Trouble is still delightful and charming. The age appropriate humour will still get grown-ups giggling and will thoroughly entertain the kidlets. This is an uncomplicated, feel-good flick for the whole family. And it’s optimism and cute approach to the possibilities of life is exactly what we all need right now. Be sure to tune in and enjoy a little bit of Dog Gone Trouble.

On the Basis of Sex takes a larger than life legend and presents her life onscreen as a beautiful tribute to the passion that fueled her throughout her barrier- breaking career. This is the story of Ruth Bader Ginsburg, the early years.

Before she was Notorious RBG, a Supreme Court Judge or a warrior in the legal battle for equal rights she was plain Ruth Ginsburg, wife, mother and first-year law student. She joined Harvard Law School after completing her bachelor’s degree at Cornell. A young wife and mother but determined, nevertheless, to earn her degree and practice law.

What she didn’t factor into her carefully laid plans was her husband falling ill with cancer during his second year of Law School. This didn’t derail Ruth. She just dug in and made things work – for both her and her husband. Ruth took her courses, and his, and transcribed both of their notes, scribed his papers, wrote hers and still mothered her daughter. It couldn’t have been easy but Ruth saw it through.

In her final year of Law School, her husband, Marty, had graduated and found a job in a promising firm. Ruth had to choose between her education and her family. Because she was a woman, her professors expected her to settle in to being a wife but she was determined as ever to complete her degree and she did.

Upon completion of her degree, she experienced a continued stream of discrimination on the basis of her sex. Rather than, letting the discrimination deter her she rose to the occasion and found a way to take on the establishment. On the Basis of Sex is the tale of how the law student became the legal voice of her generation – and ours – on gender discrimination.

This movie is inspiring and uplifting while putting into context the struggle that women faced just 50 and 60 years ago. Felicity Jones embodies the strength, intelligence and bravery of RBG while still allowing her to be human. The chemistry she has with Armie Hammer is lovely to see as the two depict the lifetime love and partnership Marty and Ruth shared.

Written by Ruth’s nephew, Daniel Stiepleman, On the Basis of Sex is, by all accounts, an accurate representation of Ruth, Marty, their relationship and Ruth’s path to the Supreme Court. Despite some criticism of one particular scene where Ruth challenges a judge by stating that the U.S. Constitution does not contain the word ‘freedom’, overall the film was met with praise and interest from audiences and critics alike.

On the Basis of Sex is beautiful and inspirational film that will elevate you and challenge you while still being entirely entertaining.

What happens when two men, from vastly different worlds, become dependent on each other to learn how to live again? Magic, magic happens, especially of Bryan Cranston and Kevin Hart are at the center of the story.

The Upside is a retelling of the true story of the unlikely friendship that formed between Phillippe Pozzo di Borgo, a quadriplegic billionaire and Abdel Sallou, a former convict trying to get back on his feet when broken-hearted di Borgo hired Sallou as his caregiver. What began as an act of defiance turns into a friendship of mutual belief in the impossible for the other.

The story unfolds that following the death of his terminally ill wife, Phillipe struggles to find a consistent caregiver. His secretary (Nicole Kidman) oversees the interviews of a new candidate and immediately vetos Dell Scott (renamed from the original Abdel Sallou) application. Dell, for his part, less interested in the job and more interested in getting his parole officer off his back. That is until he learns of the perks of the job.

As a caregiver, Dell is given a place to live, cars to drive and the responsibility to keep Philippe healthy, fed and active in his role as business developer and philanthropist. As the two adapt to life together there are hilarious moments of friendship and challenging moments of growth. And in it all, there is an underlying tension of grief, remorse and hope.

Bryan Cranston and Kevin Hart, individually bring depth, humour and authenticity to their roles and together they create beautiful chemistry that lingers with the viewer long after the credits role. Nicole Kidman brings a subtle kindness to her role as the loyal and lovelorn secretary, Yvonne Pendleton.

This is the third telling of this story, the original film was a French production that followed the true story of di Borgo and Salllou. The second production came out of Argentina. Both films were wildly popular in their countries of origin and that inspired producers Todd Black, Jason Blumenthal and Steve Tisch to get involved.

Following a hiccup in distribution, thanks to Harvey Weinstein’s long-awaited arrest, the film was released in 2019 to critical and commercial success. There were some cynical naysayers that thought the film was too sweet and tidy but, in my opinion, it has just the right amount of hope and optimism to offset the weary year we have all experienced.

Grab your favourite snack and your favourite person and settle in to a movie night that will lift your spirits and tug at your heartstrings – in all the best ways. The Upside does not disappoint.