What I’m watching: a film you probably missed and one that you shouldDate: 12/9/2020 What I’m watching: a film you probably missed and one that you should.
On Hulu: "Bombshell"
This film was released a year ago in theaters and didn’t get too much attention, which is a shame, because in many ways it is an interesting look at the events that helped spur the Me Too movement. It’s now on Hulu and is well worth your time.
The film recounts the actions taken by former FOX News anchor Gretchen Carlson (Nicole Kidman) to address the sexual harassment she faced from Roger Ailes (John Lithgow). Ailes was a serial abuser and the film looks at how fellow FOX News anchor Megyn Kelly (Charlise Theron) reacts to it, as she was one of Ailes’ victims herself.
A composite character Kayla (Margot Robbie) represents a new employee who comes face to face with the notion her rise at the network is tied to her willingness to do what Ailes wants.
Ailes built FOX News. To let you know how his mind worked, he was responsible for clear plastic desks so the legs of his female anchors and reporters could be visible.
Kelly found herself at odds with Ailes with a question to then candidate Donald Trump about how he treats women in a presidential debate. This famous act of journalism instantly put her at odds- with Ailes and the FOX ownership who were supporting Trump. Kelly’s crisis, as depicted in the film, is how to salvage her career and still be true to herself.
At heart of the film is the issue of how women can overcome institutional sexual harassment, especially in television news.
While Kelly and others have questioned some of the events and details presented, she did note in a YouTube video the filmmakers got many things correctly.
The performances of the three female leads are impressive and Theron and Robbie both received Academy Award nominations for their performances.
For me, Theron is one of the most under-rated performers in the business. While many people think of her now as an action star, she has shown she is much more than that.
Director Jay Roach bent the truth a lot more in his biopic of screenwriter Dalton Trumbo than he does here – thank goodness. With this story the truth is far more impressive – and important – than fiction.
On Netflix: "The 2nd"
I knew nothing about this film but noticed it was number two on the Netflix popularity chart for the week and decided to try it.
If I had any clue how terrible it was, I would have steered clear. Here’s to hoping my remarks will allow you to avoid this derivative slop.
Essentially, it’s a low-budget unofficial remake – read “rip off” – of “Die Hard.” Ryan Phillippe is in the Bruce Willis role. His Vic Davis is a trained Delta Force professional soldier who is picking up his son from college for Christmas break only to discover there is a band of bad guys intent on kidnapping Erin, the daughter of a Supreme Court justice.
It seems the head of the CIA wants to influence an opinion the justice is writing about gun control and wants to influence him. Perhaps I nodded off or perhaps the director couldn’t properly convey the proper explanation so I don’t know if the CIA director wanted fewer guns or more guns.
Frankly this is the kind of film where it barely matters.
Vic’s son is theater major who none-the-less appears to be highly trained in hand-to-hand combat – naturally – and has a crush on Erin – naturally.
So instead of an office tower, Vic, his son and Erin must make their way out of the college dorm with heavily armed goons, led by Casper Van Dien – his character has no name – blocking their way.
Fistfights, knife fights and a car chase ensue. It’s all very standard for this kind of film and that’s a problem. Since audiences have seen this kind of film over and over, the producer and director should have brought some new twist to the tired formula.
Phillippe is miscast in the film. Still boyish, he just doesn’t carry the idea of being an elite Army officer. Van Dien is slightly better although the fact the villain carries a cane is one of those details that might have looked good on paper but is pretty silly in execution.
Besides taking major plot notes from “Die Hard,” this film was actually an exercise of nostalgia back to the 1980s and ‘90s when video stores were filled with low budget actioners starring people whose time of prominence in Hollywood was over. The only thing different was the fact there is no gratuitous nudity in the film.
“The 2nd” is an enormous waste of time and offers nothing new and nothing well done.
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