Quiz (2020)

Quiz is an enjoyable dramatization of the Charles Ingram scandal on Who Wants to Be a Millionaire. It is part courtroom drama, part heist, part game show drama. The genius of Millionaire was always its simplicity: questions, and four possible answers, unlimited time. It was unbelievably suspenseful. Quiz is about appointment TV in an era that no longer has appointment TV thanks to streaming. I readily admit that there is a nostalgia factor to this miniseries.

I really appreciated the different perspectives displayed in the movie, not only from Charles and his wife, but his brother-in-law, and the showrunners. There is a very real community (especially in the land of the pub quiz) of trivia enthusiasts that only formed by word of mouth in the early internet era, before the advent of Facebook and Reddit. And while they didn't break the game, they very cleverly broke the process to get on the game. The show rightly asks whether that is against the spirit of the game, and if that's even a real problem? A show would kill to have a community of devoted fans; publicity of that sort is priceless. In the era of James Holzhauer, is there something wrong with studying for a test of knowledge? Is there something wrong with preparing for a once in a lifetime chance at a million pound prize? And then the central tension of the plot is whether Ingram cheated at all. Episode 2 certainly looks like cheating but Episode 3 throws in sufficient ambiguity to raise serious doubt. You sympathize for this couple who was skewered in the tabloids and by the public. The Army Major is portrayed as a simpleminded guy compared to his wife, but he earned membership in Mensa, he answered many questions without any coughs, and maybe he just got lucky? And didn't he make for great TV?

Blood Diamond (2006)

This movie is a little strange. It defies categorization to its detriment. It is sort of an action thriller--Leonardo DiCaprio on a quest with a gun. But it deals with very serious, depressing themes that are not well-served in an action thriller: civil war, conflict diamonds, refugees, child soldiers, mercenaries and smuggling. There is a strange sequence featuring the child soldiers blasting 90s hip hop and shooting heroine and it is edited in a way that makes it looks like they're having fun, which is wildly inappropriate for the subject matter. The tone is very strange. Every nice moment is capped off with action--you're not given any opportunity to enjoy it. The movie severely undermines the important role of the press in conflict zones as Jennifer Connelly is a pawn in Leonardo DiCaprio's game, really just serving as a love interest and a distraction. The white savior narrative is also unwelcome. Everyone with real agency in the movie is white in this movie that takes place in Africa. Leonardo DiCaprio plays a man from Zimbabwe; he introduces himself as Rhodesian. He puts on a white South African accent; I can't really tell if it's good or bad. The dialogue is either brilliantly in dialect or very offensive. DiCaprio is certainly very committed. Djimon Hounsou is actually the star of the movie, in my opinion.

Passengers (2016)

I was overall unimpressed by this movie. The coolest thing is the production design. There is a stunning anti-gravity scene in an infinity pool in space. The design of the bedrooms and the whole ship are imaginatively futuristic. The story is extremely unrealistic, even for a science fiction film. It is not believable at all. I know the tag line is "they woke up for a reason" but the reason is actually just not very compelling. The most interesting plot point is Chris Pratt's ethical dilemma. Though it does not actually fit into the "they woke up for a reason" motive of the film. This gap in the plot is inexcusable. This is not Jennifer Lawrence's best work. 

Nocturnal Animals (2016)

Tom Ford's second feature film has the visual style that you would expect from a designer. The cinematography is striking. The use of color and bold costuming is fitting with the dark theme of the movie with the West Texas twang. The acting is phenomenal across the board. I especially liked Michael Shannon's performance, but he is good in everything. Aaron Taylor-Johnson surprisingly won the Golden Globe--no one was predicting that. He is good, as a crazy person, but the role isn't as interesting as Shannon's. The casting of Isla Fisher is brilliant because it's like a little inside joke that she looks exactly like Amy Adams. At first, I couldn't tell if she was supposed to be playing a young Amy Adams, but it's a separate story line (though very purposeful). The writing is drawn out making the film thrilling and suspenseful and multilayered. Tom Ford is a storyteller too. He can just do it all. I was at the edge of my seat the whole time. Every time Amy Adams had to close the book and just take a break, I was breathing deeply right in sync, my heart beating fast. 

Alice Through the Looking Glass (2016)

Did we really need this sequel? No, not really. Tim Burton created an amazing vision of Wonderland in the first film. Then he stepped away and the world Disney re-created just wasn't quite as impressive or imaginative. Time Burton created an original story with familiar characters in the first one. The story culminated in an epic battle and was well done. This one just doesn't match up. Even the actors don't seem quite as invested in the project. No one asked for this sequel.

7 Days in Hell (2015)

In the vein of This is Spinal Tap, this mockumentary details a legendary match at Wimbledon that never happened.  Kit Harrington and Andy Samberg (in a role that just screams Andy Samberg) play two rival tennis players in a ridiculous match that lasts for seven days.  The documentary features clips from the "match," a voice-of-God narrator, "home footage" and talking head interviews with tennis stars and comedians, like a real genuine documentary.  Andy Samberg plays the adopted brother of Venus and Serena Williams in a "reverse blindside"--that is the most brilliant moment in the whole short movie.  Overall, it is so funny because the premise of this match is so preposterous. So long as you don't question anything too much, it is quite enjoyable. And who knew Kit Harrington and all these athletes could do comedy?