The Aftermath (2019)

I'm usually a fan of romantic movies in which it doesn't work out. But the ending of this movie just really didn't work for me, spoiler alert. The movie is not nearly as tantalizing as it thinks it is. It has about enough content for the trailer, and that's about it. The daughter's subplot is neither interesting nor does it really add anything to the story. Keira Knightley is divine but her character is not likable. None of the characters are very likable for that matter. Points for the sound though...you hear the heartbeats? And points for costumes, those sweaters.

All the Money in the World (2017)

It will forever be known as the film Christopher Plummer reshot in Kevin Spacey's stead. And the film that Mark Wahlberg got paid to reshoot while Michelle Williams only got a per diem. But all this aside, the movie is actually really tense and engaging. Especially considering these complications, the movie is still cohesive. And Christopher Plummer is quite good, but I think Michelle Williams actually steals the show.

The Good Wife (2009-16)

The Good Wife has consistently been one of the best shows on TV. In the era of cable television, The Good Wife has been the lone standout on the networks, delivering 23 episodes of high quality drama per season. It was procedural without ever feeling procedural. It was definitely the best legal drama, showing audiences different types of courts, a cast of quirky judges and lawyers, and interesting and innovative interpretations of the law. It glorifies the legal profession and, as an aspiring lawyer, inspires. Apart from the law, the politics was always engaging, especially behind the scenes of the campaign. The show always did a good job reflecting reality, bringing in stories from the current newspapers, like the brilliant NSA arc. Plus the writing was funny. It was overall an enjoyable show to watch--a show I would actually look forward to watching every week.

I didn't really like the finale.  It's one thing to leave us with uncertainty, but doesn't Alicia deserve some finality? Don't we deserve to know that she can be happy? I will always remember Josh Charles's last episode, a shocking moment coming out of left field in the middle of an episode in the middle of one of the best seasons, so we were given plenty of time to process what we'd just seen.

Not only was the main cast excellent, including Emmy winners Julianna Margulies and Archie Panjabi and my favorite Alan Cumming, but the recurring guest cast was phenomenal and memorable as well. Michael J. Fox and Carrie Preston are particular standouts. But each season had several new names worthy of praise. It was a show full of strong female characters played by strong female actors. Julianna Margulies will forever be known for playing The Good Wife. The show's title is a bit of a misnomer. The show quickly became so much more than a show about a woman who stood by her man. She was defined by her own accomplishments and prowess, never merely by her role as a wife.

Concussion (2015)

This is a pretty solid and predictable movie. No frills or surprises, just exactly what you'd expect from a sports movie--or a football game.  The movie is about Dr. Omalu, a Nigerian medical examiner living in Pittsburgh where the Steelers are king. He is good at what he does, and does his job with care and respect. When his job only asks him to find the "how" he also searches for the "why" to understand the patient as he was in life. At its heart, it is a movie about a skilled immigrant (who does the job better) trying to become an American. He does what he thinks Americans do, by "faking" it. Soon he comes to realize that Americans care about one thing only: football. And corporations care only about money.

The movie is very Will Smith-centric. He plays the man with many degrees very convincingly. He sounds smart, nailing the scientific terms. He keeps the accent on the whole movie. Apparently, he doesn't sound quite Nigerian, but he certainly sounds African. It's a singing kind of accent; his voice goes up and down a lot. There is a scene in which Omalu tries to convince the man from the NFL to "tell the truth" and he his passion for his work shows honestly. It is his best performance in a while. 

The Martian (2015)

This movie is perhaps the best advertisement for NASA and STEM. If this doesn't inspire you to pursue a STEM field, nothing will. It makes science cool. The characters are true experts in their fields, quickly solving complex problems with innovative out-of-the-box solutions. I think this movie will inspire a generation to pursue careers in astronomy, physics, and....botany. The script is well-written, fast paced, and sounds mostly scientifically accurate to someone like me who doesn't know (But to my credit I did follow some of it!).

The ensemble cast is excellent. Matt Damon carries the film with his likable personality, quick thinking, and one-liners. In the face of certain death, he finds a way. There is a moment at the end that reminded me of the end of Captain Phillips, when Tom Hanks gives a masterclass in acting--in a state of shock having just been rescued. In The Martian, this moment comes before the rescue attempt, when Matt Damon breaks into tears of hope. The scene could have been elongated to let Damon play it up a bit more, but it evoked a similar feeling. The casting of Kristen Wiig in a largely non-comedic role was a little strange. And as much as I like Chiwetel Ejiofor, he is decidedly not Indian, nor is Mackenzie Davis Korean. The characters were written as Asian, and so those roles should be played by Asian actors. There are not that many roles for Asian actors, so we should give the few that do exist to Asian actors.

Ridley Scott creates a convincingly barren picture of Mars on location in Jordan. He made a crowd pleasing, visually thrilling, and thought provoking story.