What Are You Watching on TV? - December 2021
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2featherbear
The Father (2020). 1 hr 37 min. Director & writer (with Christopher Hampton) Florian Zeller, adapted from Zeller’s play. Cinematography, Ben Smithard. Film editor: Yorgos Lamprinos. Music: Ludovico Einaudi. Supervising art director: Astrid Sieben.
I caught this on Starz at the tail end of the Xfinity free week. Available for rent/purchase on Amazon Prime. I’ve been avoiding it, expecting something dolorous & uplifting. It turned out to be surprisingly engaging. Due primarily, in my opinion, to the director/writer’s presentation of a familiar experience for most people my age, the decline into dementia of a parent, because the POV is from the aging parent rather than the caregivers. This results in a hallucinatory & fascinating story reminiscent of the Christopher Nolan film Memento. Unlike the protagonist of the Nolan film, the parent is basically passive; only the viewer has an active interest in determining what is happening. There is a powerful secondary strength in the acting characterizations: Anthony Hopkins got a best actor for his performance as the father, Anthony, and Olivia Coleman as his daughter Anne was nominated for supporting actor (Coleman played the local detective in Broadchurch).
Some viewers did not like the complexity of the storyline and its deviation from the expected dolorous/uplifting scenario, but the skewed storytelling was what made it fascinating for me (as it did for many viewers). There is some sentimentality, probably unavoidable, but for the most part it is pretty unflinching in the depiction of the family dynamics of dementia in the Western world.
At beginning, we see Anne having a talk with her father in his London apartment. She reprimands him for his abusive treatment of his caregiver. It’s essential that he accept having a caregiver because he can’t be left alone in his present condition because she is leaving London for Paris to live with whoever has succeeded in her affections following her divorce. As expected, Anthony insists he can live independently, though at the same time he resents Anne leaving him alone (she apparently has done most of the caretaking).
But after Anne leaves the apartment with the issues unresolved, Anthony is puttering around in his kitchen when he hears something. He goes into the living room and finds a strange man (Mark Gattis). What is he doing here? The man responds that it is his apartment, that he is Anne’s husband, and the apartment is his. Then Anne returns to “their” apartment, but Anthony does not recognize her as his daughter (the new “Anne” is played by Olivia Williams). Kind of like a reverse Metamorphosis, where it’s as if Gregor retains his identify but everyone in his family has changed.
In later scenes, Anne (Coleman, back again) is introducing him to a new caregiver (played by Imogen Poots). Anthony is taken with her, since she seems to resemble his younger daughter; the daughter he preferred, indifferent to the presence of Anne. The character he presents to the caregiver is a retired song and dance man & circus performer. He is clearly putting on an act to charm her, though the “reality” is that he is a retired engineer. Later, Anne’s husband turns up, but he is now played by Rufus Sewell, who has a kitchen table talk with Anne about the need to institutionalize Anthony, who has been listening in. The entire scene repeats itself. There is a scene where Sewell begins abusing Anthony, then is replaced by Mark Gattis. When the new caregiver who reminded Anthony of his younger daughter comes to stay, she is now played by Olivia Williams.
The film ends with Anthony no longer in his apartment but in his room in a caretaker institution. The nurse patiently explains to him that Anne has already moved to Paris, and occasionally returns for a visit. A doctor checks in to make sure Anthony is OK. The thoroughly confused Anthony reverts to childhood, and is comforted by the nurse who is played by Olivia Williams. The doctor is played by Mark Gattis.
POSSIBLE SPOILER ALERT
Arguably everything in the film is happening in Anthony’s muddled recollections from his room at the institution – the clue having been the appearance of Olivia Williams & Gattis in the opening scenes. What happens throughout mixes different past experiences with the recent past after he has been institutionalized. When Anne has “the talk” about moving to Paris, this happened in linear time after the domestic scenes with the caretaker and her husband before the divorce, but it incorporates Anthony’s memory of when he was still living independently & before he was moved to his still married daughter’s apartment.
Aside from reliving memories of a parent’s decline, a striking scene occurs when Anthony argues with Anne about his independent life – “I’m intelligent you know, I know what’s going on.” Unnerving unintended allusion to a former president (still current president in his imagination) insisting that he’s “smart,” unlike his “senile” opponent. And after all, we seem to be living in his reality.
I caught this on Starz at the tail end of the Xfinity free week. Available for rent/purchase on Amazon Prime. I’ve been avoiding it, expecting something dolorous & uplifting. It turned out to be surprisingly engaging. Due primarily, in my opinion, to the director/writer’s presentation of a familiar experience for most people my age, the decline into dementia of a parent, because the POV is from the aging parent rather than the caregivers. This results in a hallucinatory & fascinating story reminiscent of the Christopher Nolan film Memento. Unlike the protagonist of the Nolan film, the parent is basically passive; only the viewer has an active interest in determining what is happening. There is a powerful secondary strength in the acting characterizations: Anthony Hopkins got a best actor for his performance as the father, Anthony, and Olivia Coleman as his daughter Anne was nominated for supporting actor (Coleman played the local detective in Broadchurch).
Some viewers did not like the complexity of the storyline and its deviation from the expected dolorous/uplifting scenario, but the skewed storytelling was what made it fascinating for me (as it did for many viewers). There is some sentimentality, probably unavoidable, but for the most part it is pretty unflinching in the depiction of the family dynamics of dementia in the Western world.
At beginning, we see Anne having a talk with her father in his London apartment. She reprimands him for his abusive treatment of his caregiver. It’s essential that he accept having a caregiver because he can’t be left alone in his present condition because she is leaving London for Paris to live with whoever has succeeded in her affections following her divorce. As expected, Anthony insists he can live independently, though at the same time he resents Anne leaving him alone (she apparently has done most of the caretaking).
But after Anne leaves the apartment with the issues unresolved, Anthony is puttering around in his kitchen when he hears something. He goes into the living room and finds a strange man (Mark Gattis). What is he doing here? The man responds that it is his apartment, that he is Anne’s husband, and the apartment is his. Then Anne returns to “their” apartment, but Anthony does not recognize her as his daughter (the new “Anne” is played by Olivia Williams). Kind of like a reverse Metamorphosis, where it’s as if Gregor retains his identify but everyone in his family has changed.
In later scenes, Anne (Coleman, back again) is introducing him to a new caregiver (played by Imogen Poots). Anthony is taken with her, since she seems to resemble his younger daughter; the daughter he preferred, indifferent to the presence of Anne. The character he presents to the caregiver is a retired song and dance man & circus performer. He is clearly putting on an act to charm her, though the “reality” is that he is a retired engineer. Later, Anne’s husband turns up, but he is now played by Rufus Sewell, who has a kitchen table talk with Anne about the need to institutionalize Anthony, who has been listening in. The entire scene repeats itself. There is a scene where Sewell begins abusing Anthony, then is replaced by Mark Gattis. When the new caregiver who reminded Anthony of his younger daughter comes to stay, she is now played by Olivia Williams.
The film ends with Anthony no longer in his apartment but in his room in a caretaker institution. The nurse patiently explains to him that Anne has already moved to Paris, and occasionally returns for a visit. A doctor checks in to make sure Anthony is OK. The thoroughly confused Anthony reverts to childhood, and is comforted by the nurse who is played by Olivia Williams. The doctor is played by Mark Gattis.
POSSIBLE SPOILER ALERT
Arguably everything in the film is happening in Anthony’s muddled recollections from his room at the institution – the clue having been the appearance of Olivia Williams & Gattis in the opening scenes. What happens throughout mixes different past experiences with the recent past after he has been institutionalized. When Anne has “the talk” about moving to Paris, this happened in linear time after the domestic scenes with the caretaker and her husband before the divorce, but it incorporates Anthony’s memory of when he was still living independently & before he was moved to his still married daughter’s apartment.
Aside from reliving memories of a parent’s decline, a striking scene occurs when Anthony argues with Anne about his independent life – “I’m intelligent you know, I know what’s going on.” Unnerving unintended allusion to a former president (still current president in his imagination) insisting that he’s “smart,” unlike his “senile” opponent. And after all, we seem to be living in his reality.
3aussieh
Looking forward to viewing part three of four of a fascinating two hour documentary by Ken Roberts about Muhammed Ali. Lots of old black and white footage, he was a very colorful character. I am not a boxing fan however he must be given credit for all of his wins in the ring. He had a big mouth "I am the greatest" so far he has proved this in the ring.
All in all there it will be eight hours filming.
Ken Roberts made another favorite documentary of mine on Ernest Hemingway.
All in all there it will be eight hours filming.
Ken Roberts made another favorite documentary of mine on Ernest Hemingway.
4featherbear
On Saturdays I often watch & enjoy various series involving zoos & aquariums. These are series on cable channels Animal Planet & NatGeo Wild. Zoo series include the Bronx Zoo, Chester in the UK, the San Diego Zoo, a major one in or slightly outside Sydney, Australia, & zoos in Tampa, Florida & (if I remember correctly), Ohio. The channels also have multiple series about vets & wildlife rehabilitation centers. I prefer zoos since most of the drama involves birth & death. Baby animals are hard to dislike, & there are many episodes involving dying animals (they often live longer than in the wild, and like humans, are vulnerable to the diseases that often accompany old age: cataracts, cancer, heart disease & so forth – an indirect way to face my declining years. They are more vulnerable to infection, since they lack a Dr. Fauci to promote proper hygiene, though confinement might be a source as well. You would probably encounter some of the zoos’ medical issues in the vet/rehab shows, but the variety of animals in the zoos, and their rarity, is a real discovery. Many of the animals in the zoo episodes I’ve never seen before or knew that they even existed. Regarding rarity, many of the animals are endangered due to loss of habitat due to human encroachment, hunting, & climate change, and are part of cooperative breeding programs among the zoos to increase genetic diversity; species can be counted in the hundreds or a few thousand, some are extinct in the wild & only live in zoos. Some of the animals grow up in zoos when abandoned by their mothers or due to injury.
So the previous Saturday I watched some episodes of Season 5 of The Zoo, which focuses on the Bronx Zoo, the main zoo of a New York conservation complex that includes smaller zoos in the boroughs of Queens, Brooklyn, & a children’s zoo in Manhattan’s Central Park. The New York Aquarium is also under the aegis of The Bronx. Season 5 is probably the most recent; the first episode deals with the impact of covid in the early days of the pandemic. Some of the animals caught the virus from asymptomatic keepers, before it was even realized that animals could be susceptible. Then on to vaccinating lynx cubs for the recognized non-covid diseases of the species & later introducing them to their new habitat. The cubs were born at the zoo, and the mother has to encourage them to venture into their new world. The cubs have lived in indoor enclosures from birth, and watching their discovery of the outside world is something to see.
The necessity artifice of these institutions is often a topic. Habitats combine real plants & trees, with scrounged trunks & branches (for perches), with rocks that can be real or plaster, or a combination. Smaller exhibits, as for smaller reptiles, may have painted backdrops with real plants & earth. The zoo’s exhibit painter is interviewed as a new habitat is constructed for an Ethiopian Mountain Viper. Never heard of it before; can be found in only one valley in Ethiopia.
And there is one of the frequent “vet” scenes, where the Bronx has a medical building behind the exhibit areas. A bison calf with one rear leg shorter than the other (the straight leg is growing faster than the twisted leg) needs to have the twisted leg realigned & boosted with a screw, until the leg can catch up with the straight leg. Two potential dangers: the calf dying under anesthesia & whether its mother will recognize it after a long (in bison time) absence (if not, she will refuse to allow it to nurse). The conservation background is that there are only about 6K “pure bred” bison left; the majority of surviving bison were interbred with cattle.
To preserve the genetic line, the keepers are careful to breed only the “pure” bison, and the calf is one of them. In general, in every mammal birth, the keepers need to monitor whether the new born is able to nurse from the mother, since the mother’s milk will have enzymes that protect the new born from infection & disease. Interestingly, elephant calves are accepted by any mother still producing milk and allowed to nurse. Not sure if any other species does this. To get a little off topic, I ran across a photo in The Atlantic or The Guardian of an Indonesian elephant calf with half its trunk amputated in order to release it from a trap. What was left of the trunk was very disturbing to see. It was in a rehabilitation pen, but I couldn’t help wondering if it would survive.
We also learn in other episodes that some of the zoo’s animals were confiscated from the illegal pet trade. The trade in exotic animals is also contributing to the decline of some species. A red kangaroo is brought to an animal shelter; her boyfriend for some reason gave it to her as a present, and it became too large for a typical New York apartment. Since it can’t really function as a pet, it would probably be euthanized like an unwanted dog, but the zoo could use “an ambassador animal.” Since its also is used to interacting with humans, “Dave” remains an ambassador (introduction of wild animals to small groups, including children) for 16 years until he dies of old age.
His replacement is Trudy, a joey, an immature female red kangaroo, rejected by her mother. She has to be bottle fed & lives in a denim bag, the closest thing to a pouch, where she can feel safe. Becomes attached to one of the ambassador trainers. After feeding she goes for the sitting woman’s crotch, looking for a pouch in a scene both funny & sad.
The keepers introduce a Keel Billed Toucan (beautiful bird with a rainbow colored beak) to the zoo’s South American habitat. Another victim of the pet trade, the bird is kept in quarantine before being introduced to its new home. The keepers are concerned that the bird will be too traumatized by its journey in a smuggled bag, but it seems unfazed & is soon picking fruit from bowls left in the high branches.
I recall two horrifying pet trade episodes: a hoard of confiscated rare small spiny desert lizards, most of which die, too far gone from starvation and dehydration. The survivors go to the desert reptile exhibit (live crickets are the usual staple for the small reptiles; there are often scenes of the food preparation staff opening, for example, cans of still wriggling worms and crickets for the animals’ morning breakfast; the whole rodents used to feed the larger snakes are dead and defrosted ).
The keepers also go to New Jersey to pick up a collection of full grown boa constrictors confiscated by the police, probably responding to a neighborhood complaint; the owner had obtained them illegally (lived in a house full of snakes, a bit like the stereotypical cat lady). These enormous reptiles are sick because infested with lice; one enormous albino constrictor refuses to eat even after the lice are dispensed with.
I believe it’s the case that zoos no longer collect wild animals; they depend on cooperative breeding programs but they’ll take whatever turns up in the shelters or gets confiscated if there is room. The producers don’t go into what happens to the animals that aren’t taken, though probably the unwanted animals are offered via the network of zoos across the country, or even other countries (probably not so much these days). Another possibility is a temporary rehabilitation, where an injured eagle is healed & returned to the wild, or an abandoned bear cub is nursed back to health, but too accustomed to humans to be released back into the wild, is sent to a wildlife refuge, where it will be transitioned to the somewhat artificial environment.
I believe some these series can be streamed from Discovery+ , and NatGeo might be part of the Disney streaming channel.
So the previous Saturday I watched some episodes of Season 5 of The Zoo, which focuses on the Bronx Zoo, the main zoo of a New York conservation complex that includes smaller zoos in the boroughs of Queens, Brooklyn, & a children’s zoo in Manhattan’s Central Park. The New York Aquarium is also under the aegis of The Bronx. Season 5 is probably the most recent; the first episode deals with the impact of covid in the early days of the pandemic. Some of the animals caught the virus from asymptomatic keepers, before it was even realized that animals could be susceptible. Then on to vaccinating lynx cubs for the recognized non-covid diseases of the species & later introducing them to their new habitat. The cubs were born at the zoo, and the mother has to encourage them to venture into their new world. The cubs have lived in indoor enclosures from birth, and watching their discovery of the outside world is something to see.
The necessity artifice of these institutions is often a topic. Habitats combine real plants & trees, with scrounged trunks & branches (for perches), with rocks that can be real or plaster, or a combination. Smaller exhibits, as for smaller reptiles, may have painted backdrops with real plants & earth. The zoo’s exhibit painter is interviewed as a new habitat is constructed for an Ethiopian Mountain Viper. Never heard of it before; can be found in only one valley in Ethiopia.
And there is one of the frequent “vet” scenes, where the Bronx has a medical building behind the exhibit areas. A bison calf with one rear leg shorter than the other (the straight leg is growing faster than the twisted leg) needs to have the twisted leg realigned & boosted with a screw, until the leg can catch up with the straight leg. Two potential dangers: the calf dying under anesthesia & whether its mother will recognize it after a long (in bison time) absence (if not, she will refuse to allow it to nurse). The conservation background is that there are only about 6K “pure bred” bison left; the majority of surviving bison were interbred with cattle.
To preserve the genetic line, the keepers are careful to breed only the “pure” bison, and the calf is one of them. In general, in every mammal birth, the keepers need to monitor whether the new born is able to nurse from the mother, since the mother’s milk will have enzymes that protect the new born from infection & disease. Interestingly, elephant calves are accepted by any mother still producing milk and allowed to nurse. Not sure if any other species does this. To get a little off topic, I ran across a photo in The Atlantic or The Guardian of an Indonesian elephant calf with half its trunk amputated in order to release it from a trap. What was left of the trunk was very disturbing to see. It was in a rehabilitation pen, but I couldn’t help wondering if it would survive.
We also learn in other episodes that some of the zoo’s animals were confiscated from the illegal pet trade. The trade in exotic animals is also contributing to the decline of some species. A red kangaroo is brought to an animal shelter; her boyfriend for some reason gave it to her as a present, and it became too large for a typical New York apartment. Since it can’t really function as a pet, it would probably be euthanized like an unwanted dog, but the zoo could use “an ambassador animal.” Since its also is used to interacting with humans, “Dave” remains an ambassador (introduction of wild animals to small groups, including children) for 16 years until he dies of old age.
His replacement is Trudy, a joey, an immature female red kangaroo, rejected by her mother. She has to be bottle fed & lives in a denim bag, the closest thing to a pouch, where she can feel safe. Becomes attached to one of the ambassador trainers. After feeding she goes for the sitting woman’s crotch, looking for a pouch in a scene both funny & sad.
The keepers introduce a Keel Billed Toucan (beautiful bird with a rainbow colored beak) to the zoo’s South American habitat. Another victim of the pet trade, the bird is kept in quarantine before being introduced to its new home. The keepers are concerned that the bird will be too traumatized by its journey in a smuggled bag, but it seems unfazed & is soon picking fruit from bowls left in the high branches.
I recall two horrifying pet trade episodes: a hoard of confiscated rare small spiny desert lizards, most of which die, too far gone from starvation and dehydration. The survivors go to the desert reptile exhibit (live crickets are the usual staple for the small reptiles; there are often scenes of the food preparation staff opening, for example, cans of still wriggling worms and crickets for the animals’ morning breakfast; the whole rodents used to feed the larger snakes are dead and defrosted ).
The keepers also go to New Jersey to pick up a collection of full grown boa constrictors confiscated by the police, probably responding to a neighborhood complaint; the owner had obtained them illegally (lived in a house full of snakes, a bit like the stereotypical cat lady). These enormous reptiles are sick because infested with lice; one enormous albino constrictor refuses to eat even after the lice are dispensed with.
I believe it’s the case that zoos no longer collect wild animals; they depend on cooperative breeding programs but they’ll take whatever turns up in the shelters or gets confiscated if there is room. The producers don’t go into what happens to the animals that aren’t taken, though probably the unwanted animals are offered via the network of zoos across the country, or even other countries (probably not so much these days). Another possibility is a temporary rehabilitation, where an injured eagle is healed & returned to the wild, or an abandoned bear cub is nursed back to health, but too accustomed to humans to be released back into the wild, is sent to a wildlife refuge, where it will be transitioned to the somewhat artificial environment.
I believe some these series can be streamed from Discovery+ , and NatGeo might be part of the Disney streaming channel.
5featherbear
Took advantage of the holiday weekend & my cable subscription to watch HBO-Max on my TV, so:
The Matrix Resurrections. Kind of self-reflexive: is the Matrix world created by a videogame designer, or is the video designer & his corporate world created by the Matrix, or are both created by the original alien creators of the Matrix? I would like to see Jessica Henwick in more movies. Keanu Reeves returns as John Wick, so to speak; Carrie Ann Moss still has her motorcycle; Laurence Fishburn could only be resurrected as a digital Morpheus.
Zach Snyder's Justice League. Over 4 hours! Superman has to be resurrected. Appears to be a sequel (or resurrection) of Justice League; or is it a rewrite? Lots of Wonder Woman (Gal Gadot). Suspenseful (really?) part is whether Superman can be (ok won't say it) recreated. Can Justice League the franchise be resurrected?
Suicide Squard. This is a "re-imagining" of the eponymous film from 2016 & more fun. Mostly new characters, though Margot Robbie returns as Harley Quinn who gets to be a princess, for a while. Sylvester Stallone as an unkillable rubber shark is a hoot; the director is James Gunn (Guardians of the Galaxy), so the monosyllabic shark (not unlike the actor) is the film's Groot. Something of a trick beginning, where the Suicide Squad earns its name. Villain is a giant starfish that may be a call-out to Patrick of Sponge Bob renown. Best moment is when swarms of mini-starfishes emerge from its armpit. Robbie is relatively demure until Harley breaks out of a prison at the end; set piece shoot-em-up. A new character, Ratcatcher 2 (Daniela Melchior) turns out to be quite lovable, akin to Mantis (Pom Klementieff) the green charmer from Guardians of the Galaxy vol. 2. Closest equivalent to my favorite character from Guardians vol. 1, Rocket Racoon, is Weasel, but Weasel only has a bit part.
The Matrix Resurrections. Kind of self-reflexive: is the Matrix world created by a videogame designer, or is the video designer & his corporate world created by the Matrix, or are both created by the original alien creators of the Matrix? I would like to see Jessica Henwick in more movies. Keanu Reeves returns as John Wick, so to speak; Carrie Ann Moss still has her motorcycle; Laurence Fishburn could only be resurrected as a digital Morpheus.
Zach Snyder's Justice League. Over 4 hours! Superman has to be resurrected. Appears to be a sequel (or resurrection) of Justice League; or is it a rewrite? Lots of Wonder Woman (Gal Gadot). Suspenseful (really?) part is whether Superman can be (ok won't say it) recreated. Can Justice League the franchise be resurrected?
Suicide Squard. This is a "re-imagining" of the eponymous film from 2016 & more fun. Mostly new characters, though Margot Robbie returns as Harley Quinn who gets to be a princess, for a while. Sylvester Stallone as an unkillable rubber shark is a hoot; the director is James Gunn (Guardians of the Galaxy), so the monosyllabic shark (not unlike the actor) is the film's Groot. Something of a trick beginning, where the Suicide Squad earns its name. Villain is a giant starfish that may be a call-out to Patrick of Sponge Bob renown. Best moment is when swarms of mini-starfishes emerge from its armpit. Robbie is relatively demure until Harley breaks out of a prison at the end; set piece shoot-em-up. A new character, Ratcatcher 2 (Daniela Melchior) turns out to be quite lovable, akin to Mantis (Pom Klementieff) the green charmer from Guardians of the Galaxy vol. 2. Closest equivalent to my favorite character from Guardians vol. 1, Rocket Racoon, is Weasel, but Weasel only has a bit part.
6cindydavid4
I watched Tick Tick Boom, about Jonathan Larson, the creater of the musical Rent. Andrew Garfield plays him and is absolutely astounding. Directed by Lin Manuel Miranda. highly recommended Its on Netflix
7Carol420
>6 cindydavid4: Thanks for the update. Our little local amateur theater just did Rent. 13–20-year old's...they did a fantastic job.
8featherbear
On Amazon Prime:
Daughter of the Wolf (2019). Clair Hamilton (Gina Carano), veteran of 2 tours in Afghanistan, returns to America (some place with a lot of snow & forests & mountains; Colorado? Some of the snow pack indicates skiing has taken place; possibly filmed in Europe) for her father's funeral. Her son Charlie (Anton Gillis-Adelman) is estranged from her & the rejects her attempts at reconciliation the day after. She goes for a run & returns to find him gone and signs of struggle. She gets a phone call from Charlie's kidnappers & to bring cash to a location. She gets the cash & meets the kidnappers. They try to kill her, but she is armed & kills one & wounds another. Since she is using a 2 round shotgun, the others have time to escape while she loads. She follows in hot pursuit & knocks over the kidnappers' vehicle, but she loses control of hers and it crashes and burns. She manages to get out & pursues. She finds the wounded kidnapper Larsen (Brendan Fehr) (who was & is carrying the ransom cash) & forces him to help trail her. The wolf part of the title is that they and the kidnappers are tracked & menaced by a pack of wolves. Cuts back & forth between the kidnappers & Claire/Larsen. "Father" (Richard Dreyfuss), the head of the kidnappers, kills one of the wolves, which puts the kidnappers on the pack's radar. By the time the kidnappers reach their cabin hideout, Claire has killed one of the kidnappers & the wolves have killed another. All of this reminded me of the wilderness books by Jack London: The Call of the Wild & White Fang, where the environment is almost a character. At last Clair, Larsen, & the money reach the cabin, & she trades the money (& not killing Larsen) for Charlie, a ski-doo (snowmobile), & their weapons. But one of them has a hidden gun & there is a shoot-out: Clair wounds all 3, and is herself wounded, with one of the kidnappers in hot pursuit. More crazy stuff follows, with wolves added in.
Clair is a hardy survivalist superwoman. She survives a roll over car crash with only a slight limp, treks for hours through deep snow, scares off wolves, falls through thin ice, gets half way out, & slips back in, survives a snowmobile crash w/bumps & bruises, gets pushed off from a cliff into a waterfall emptying into a half frozen river. Plus she kills several folks, one with a hatchet to the head. Jack London was influenced by Nietzsche's Ubermensch, but I'm sure he never envisaged this character. Mother's love you know. As I recall Carano was formerly a mixed martial arts fighter, & first made her mark inmovies with Steven Soderbergh's cult thriller Haywire. She had a role in the Star Wars/Disney+ series The Mandalorian, but got kicked off for her MAGA opinions on Twitter. Probably won't be in big budget movies, but may have found her niche as a stoic female Steven Seagal in B movies, like this one. Of the few movies with her I've seen that I liked were Haywire & this one. Did not like In the Blood. Deadpool was OK, but she only had a small part & was not particularly noteworthy. I've seen & forgotten Extraction.
Daughter of the Wolf (2019). Clair Hamilton (Gina Carano), veteran of 2 tours in Afghanistan, returns to America (some place with a lot of snow & forests & mountains; Colorado? Some of the snow pack indicates skiing has taken place; possibly filmed in Europe) for her father's funeral. Her son Charlie (Anton Gillis-Adelman) is estranged from her & the rejects her attempts at reconciliation the day after. She goes for a run & returns to find him gone and signs of struggle. She gets a phone call from Charlie's kidnappers & to bring cash to a location. She gets the cash & meets the kidnappers. They try to kill her, but she is armed & kills one & wounds another. Since she is using a 2 round shotgun, the others have time to escape while she loads. She follows in hot pursuit & knocks over the kidnappers' vehicle, but she loses control of hers and it crashes and burns. She manages to get out & pursues. She finds the wounded kidnapper Larsen (Brendan Fehr) (who was & is carrying the ransom cash) & forces him to help trail her. The wolf part of the title is that they and the kidnappers are tracked & menaced by a pack of wolves. Cuts back & forth between the kidnappers & Claire/Larsen. "Father" (Richard Dreyfuss), the head of the kidnappers, kills one of the wolves, which puts the kidnappers on the pack's radar. By the time the kidnappers reach their cabin hideout, Claire has killed one of the kidnappers & the wolves have killed another. All of this reminded me of the wilderness books by Jack London: The Call of the Wild & White Fang, where the environment is almost a character. At last Clair, Larsen, & the money reach the cabin, & she trades the money (& not killing Larsen) for Charlie, a ski-doo (snowmobile), & their weapons. But one of them has a hidden gun & there is a shoot-out: Clair wounds all 3, and is herself wounded, with one of the kidnappers in hot pursuit. More crazy stuff follows, with wolves added in.
Clair is a hardy survivalist superwoman. She survives a roll over car crash with only a slight limp, treks for hours through deep snow, scares off wolves, falls through thin ice, gets half way out, & slips back in, survives a snowmobile crash w/bumps & bruises, gets pushed off from a cliff into a waterfall emptying into a half frozen river. Plus she kills several folks, one with a hatchet to the head. Jack London was influenced by Nietzsche's Ubermensch, but I'm sure he never envisaged this character. Mother's love you know. As I recall Carano was formerly a mixed martial arts fighter, & first made her mark inmovies with Steven Soderbergh's cult thriller Haywire. She had a role in the Star Wars/Disney+ series The Mandalorian, but got kicked off for her MAGA opinions on Twitter. Probably won't be in big budget movies, but may have found her niche as a stoic female Steven Seagal in B movies, like this one. Of the few movies with her I've seen that I liked were Haywire & this one. Did not like In the Blood. Deadpool was OK, but she only had a small part & was not particularly noteworthy. I've seen & forgotten Extraction.
9featherbear
>6 cindydavid4: It's on my tbw list, but I haven't seen Rent so I might not understand the context. Is that film any good or does it not do justice to the theater version?
10aussieh
I am hooked on Docos at the moment the latest in part one of Walt Disney, another brilliant one was On Broadway.
11cindydavid4
>9 featherbear: I think I had but dont remember (I get it confused with Company...). But dont worry, at this point in time he stopped working on Rent and was writing Suburbia, which is what this film is about - how he was trying to finish one more song for the play so it would be picked up. You will have no trouble at all getting it
12Carol420
>9 featherbear: You will understand it. This is the synopsis:
"Based on Puccini’s beloved opera La Bohème, Rent follows the ups and downs of a year in the life of a group of impoverished, artistic friends living in Manhattan’s East Village. Mark, an aspiring filmmaker, struggles to find his place in the world; his roommate Roger, an HIV-positive musician, wonders how he will leave his mark before he dies. Mimi and Angel look for true love as they face the harsh reality of life as HIV-positive young people, while the businesslike Joanne seeks fidelity from her wild-child performance artist girlfriend Maureen. The group’s dreams, losses, and love stories weave through the musical’s narration to paint a stunningly raw and emotional portrait of the gritty bohemian world of New York City in the late 1980s, under the shadow of HIV/AIDS."
"Based on Puccini’s beloved opera La Bohème, Rent follows the ups and downs of a year in the life of a group of impoverished, artistic friends living in Manhattan’s East Village. Mark, an aspiring filmmaker, struggles to find his place in the world; his roommate Roger, an HIV-positive musician, wonders how he will leave his mark before he dies. Mimi and Angel look for true love as they face the harsh reality of life as HIV-positive young people, while the businesslike Joanne seeks fidelity from her wild-child performance artist girlfriend Maureen. The group’s dreams, losses, and love stories weave through the musical’s narration to paint a stunningly raw and emotional portrait of the gritty bohemian world of New York City in the late 1980s, under the shadow of HIV/AIDS."
13featherbear
Thank you >11 cindydavid4: & >12 Carol420:!
14sturlington
Hi, returning to the group after a long hiatus.
I am watching Station Eleven on HBO Max. This is an excellent limited series adaption of an excellent novel, but I have to admit, it is sometimes a difficult watch in current times considering it is about a global pandemic that brings about the end of civilization.
My son and I are also doing a rewatch of Stranger Things on Netflix.
I am watching Station Eleven on HBO Max. This is an excellent limited series adaption of an excellent novel, but I have to admit, it is sometimes a difficult watch in current times considering it is about a global pandemic that brings about the end of civilization.
My son and I are also doing a rewatch of Stranger Things on Netflix.
15Carol420
>14 sturlington: Welcome back. I loved the book, Station Eleven.
16sturlington
>15 Carol420: Thank you. I'm looking forward to seeing what all of you are watching and reading in the new year. Here's to better times!
17Carol420
>16 sturlington: You have that right. How much longer can this thing last? Maybe I don't want to know.
18JulieLill
50 Years of Star Trek (2016 TV Movie on DVD)
"This documentary celebrates the 50th anniversary of Star Trek, providing interviews with cast and crew members about the series' legacy, as well as the last filmed interview with Leonard Nimoy." from IMDB
I am also watching the History Channel 55th Anniversary of Star Trek which is also good.
Porgy and Bess
"A woman whose past is scorned by nearly everyone around her meets a man who'd love her regardlessly- if only everyone else would allow them to." from IMDB I haven't seen this in years but it is still enjoyable!
The Miracle of Morgan's Creek
"After an all-night send-off party for the troops, a small-town girl with an awkward boyfriend wakes up to find herself married and pregnant, but with no memory of her husband's identity." From IMDB I love these old black and white films and Eddie Bracken is a stitch!
Director: Preston Sturges - Stars: Eddie Bracken, Betty Hutton, William Demarest
"This documentary celebrates the 50th anniversary of Star Trek, providing interviews with cast and crew members about the series' legacy, as well as the last filmed interview with Leonard Nimoy." from IMDB
I am also watching the History Channel 55th Anniversary of Star Trek which is also good.
Porgy and Bess
"A woman whose past is scorned by nearly everyone around her meets a man who'd love her regardlessly- if only everyone else would allow them to." from IMDB I haven't seen this in years but it is still enjoyable!
The Miracle of Morgan's Creek
"After an all-night send-off party for the troops, a small-town girl with an awkward boyfriend wakes up to find herself married and pregnant, but with no memory of her husband's identity." From IMDB I love these old black and white films and Eddie Bracken is a stitch!
Director: Preston Sturges - Stars: Eddie Bracken, Betty Hutton, William Demarest
19.cris
I have been slumped in front of my TV for ever. I have seen some good, bad and indifferent films recently, but have to recommend Under the Open Sky, Japan 2020. An aging yakuza finishes a 13 year prison sentence, determined to keep straight, but it's not easy when a life of crime is all you know. Boiling Point 2021, starring the amazing Stephen Graham as the head chef in a fine dining restaurant when anything that can go wrong....Does! I watched the first 15 minutes and had to switch off, as my anxiety quotient went through the roof. Considering this contained no explosions, violence or CGI, it just proves how a brilliant actor and a class script can affect ones emotions.
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