Film: Dear Evan Hansen

 

GENRE: Musical, Drama
RATING: PG-13 for brief language and thematic material
RUNTIME: 2 hours and 17 minutes
PLATFORM: Movie Theatre
STARRING: Ben Platt (Pitch Perfect; The Politician)
Kaitlyn Dever (Booksmart); Amy Adams (Enchanted)
DIRECTOR: Stephen Chbosky (Perks of Being a Wallflower, Wonder)
WRITER: Steven Levenson (Masters of Sex, Fosse/Verson)
PLOT: A high school student finds himself involved with a family whose son has committed suicide.

FULL DISCLOSURE: This is one of my favourite Broadway musicals.

STORY STUFF: I think this film adaptation was pretty good. I disagree with the Rotten Tomatoes critics who were bent on trashing this musical for its melodrama. It’s like they haven’t seen a staged musical before. The story is pretty faithful. They did remove a few parent songs including ‘Anybody Have a Map’, ‘To Break in a Glove’ and ‘Good for You’. While a couple of those are good songs they didn’t seem necessary as the focus was more on the kids. I did miss the song ‘Disappear’ which includes more involvement from Connor. I guess the main reason was to give Alana more story as the architect of the Connor Project. I did enjoy her new song ‘Anonymous’ and the new final song which is way more fitting. In fact, I thought the ending was a lot more clear and clean in this film version. There were tears throughout the movie; I’m not at all ashamed to admit it. Bring tissues.

ACTING STUFF: After the initial trailer I was worried that Platt looked too old to be playing a Grade 12 student. In a matter of minutes, he sold me with his performance. He plays the anxiousness and depression perfectly with his vocal stutters and making himself as small as possible. He is a gifted performer who gives his heart to every song and line. I was also a fan of Dever who plays Zoe beautifully. Amandla Stenberg give more depth to Alana thanks to her increased lines and song. Amy Adams and Julianne Moore are wonderfully maternal and I’m glad they both get a chance to sing.

ARTISTIC STUFF: When it comes to the choreography for the musical numbers, it is pretty minimal as the focus is on the emotional impact instead of spectacle. Of course, ‘Sincerely Me’ is the standout for production value. If you haven’t heard the musical numbers before, they are written by the duo behind La La Land and Greatest Showman, so expect awesome stuff. One thing I found weird was how big the kid’s rooms were. They were like the size of my apartment’s living room. I wish I had that much floor space when I was a teen. My librarian wife often looks at books on shelves in the background. She hilariously pointed out that the school library had a Danielle Steele novel on their shelf. Steamy.  

VERDICT: Four and half stars out of five
SEE IT IF: You like Broadway musicals and don’t mind crying
UPCOMING REVIEW: Many Saints of Newark

2021 Emmy Awards WrapUp

 

I enjoyed the lower-key Emmys this year. I preferred the tables and smaller space rather than a giant auditorium. I did okay with 17 out of 24 categories (I count predicted and wanted as wins). I was not a fan of Cedric the Entertainer as host; he had a couple good jokes but most the comedy bits were cringingly bad. I was also not a fan of Reggie Watts as the DJ. I understand that he’s part of the package with CBS but give me Questlove any day. When it came to the nominees, I enjoyed the clip packages that didn’t shortchange the lead categories like they sometimes do. I was happy with almost all the winners, though I feel I should watch Hacks and I May Destroy You now. I was impressed that The Crown folks were still rockin’ it at 4am in London when they received their best drama series award. I also love the theme for Ted Lasso so it was great to hear it so many times tonight. Some of the speeches were well done, I especially enjoyed Evan Peters, Kate Winslet and Hannah Waddingham. I also felt bad for Jason Sudeikis who referenced Lorne Michaels as a mentor but he was ‘taking a dump’ instead. The worst speech was the director of Queen’s Gambit who went on way too long. You don’t have time to read an entire sheet of paper and wax poetic about your entire cast. Write them some personal emails and get off the stage. Though Conan lost tonight, he still made a spectacle of himself throughout the night – sometimes it was funny, other times, desperate. I was impressed with the images they use for the In Memorium segment – it looks great and tells me more about the people we lost. Speaking of losing, networks shows are hurting. Only two network shows won tonight: SNL and Colbert. Both of them for live shows. There is no way for network shows to compete with cable and streaming. I think something should be done about that. Anyway, here are the winners of the night:

THE WINNERS:

Drama Series: The Crown (Predicted & Wanted)

Comedy Series: Ted Lasso (Predicted & Wanted)

Limited Series: The Queen’s Gambit (Predicted)

Variety Talk Series: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (Wanted)

Variety Sketch Series: SNL (Predicted & Wanted)

Lead Actor [Drama]: Josh O’Connor (The Crown) (Wanted)

Lead Actress [Drama]: Olivia Coleman (The Crown)

Lead Actor [Comedy]: Jason Sudeikis (Ted Lasso) (Predicted & Wanted)

Lead Actress [Comedy]: Jean Smart (Hacks) (Predicted & Wanted)

Lead Actor [Limited]: Ewan McGregor (Halston)

Lead Actress [Limited]: Kate Winslet (Mare of Easttown) (Predicted & Wanted)

Supp. Actor [Drama]: Tobias Menzies (The Crown)

Supp. Actress [Drama]: Gillian Anderson (The Crown) (Predicted & Wanted)

Supp. Actor [Comedy]: Brett Goldstein (Ted Lasso) (Wanted)

Supp. Actress [Comedy]: Hannah Waddingham (Ted Lasso) (Wanted)

Supp. Actor [Limited]: Evan Peters (Mare of Easttown) (Predicted & Wanted)

Supp. Actress [Limited]: Julianne Nicholson (Mare of Easttown)

Directing [Drama]: The Crown – War

Directing [Comedy]: Hacks – Pilot

Directing [Limited]: Queen’s Gambit (Predicted)  

Writing [Drama]: The Crown – War (Wanted)

Writing [Comedy]: Hacks – Pilot

Writing [Limited]: I May Destroy You (Predicted)  

Writing [Variety]: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (Predicted & Wanted)

2021 Emmy Awards Predictions

 

The Emmys are this Sunday. I’m betting heavily on Ted Lasso and The Crown. The biggest fight will be between Mare of Easttown and The Queen’s Gambit. Good thing I like all of these shows. I do think it's wrong that Hamilton is running as a TV-Movie when it was running as a film for The Golden Globes. They have their Tonys and Grammys, stop trying to give them more. For the Primetime Emmys predictions, it’s same as past years: I play to win but am happy if the one I want to win takes the statue. Here now are the predictions:

Outstanding Drama Series
The Boys | Bridgerton | The Crown | The Handmaid’s Tale | Lovecraft Country | The Mandalorian | Pose | This Is Us
WILL WIN: The Crown (A strong season featuring Diana and Thatcher)
WANT TO WIN: The Crown (It ticks all the boxes)

Outstanding Comedy Series
Black-ish | Cobra Kai | Emily in Paris | The Flight Attendant | Hacks | The Kominsky Method | Pen15 | Ted Lasso
WILL WIN: Ted Lasso (Glad Schitt’s Creek is finished)
WANT TO WIN: Ted Lasso (The choice pretty obvious. It’s awesome.)

Outstanding Limited Series
I May Destroy You | Mare of Easttown | The Queen’s Gambit | The Underground Railroad | WandaVision
WILL WIN: The Queen’s Gambit (A quicker faster paced series)
WANT TO WIN: Mare of Easttown (I love myself a good mystery)

Outstanding Variety Talk Series
Conan | Daily Show with Trevor Noah | Jimmy Kimmel Live | Last Week Tonight with John Oliver | The Late Show with Stephen Colbert  
WILL WIN: Conan (A parting gift for this talk show host)
WANT TO WIN: Last Week Tonight (Blank room Oliver is just as funny)

Outstanding Variety Sketch Series
A Black Lady Sketch Show | SNL
WILL WIN: SNL (I’ll admit I haven’t seen the other one)
WANT TO WIN: SNL (Hands down)

Lead Actor in a Drama Series
Bridgerton: Rege-Jean Page | The Crown: Josh O’Connor | Lovecraft Country: Jonathan Majors | Perry Mason: Matthew Rhys | Pose: Billy Porter | This Is Us: Sterling K Brown
WILL WIN: Billy Porter (The Emmys will want to give Pose a parting gift)
WANT TO WIN: Josh O’Connor (Liked his Charles work this season)

Lead Actress in a Drama Series
The Crown: Olivia Coleman | The Crown: Emma Corrin | The Handmaid’s Tale: Elisabeth Moss | In Treatment: Uzo Aduba | Lovecraft Country:  Jurnee Smollett | Pose: Mj Rodriguez
WILL WIN: Emma Corrin (She did a fantastic job as Princess Diana.)
WANT TO WIN: Emma Corrin (Though I did enjoy Olivia Colman as well)

Lead Actor in a Comedy Series
Black-ish: Anthony Anderson | Kenan: Kenan Thompson | The Kominsky Method: Michael Douglas | Shameless: William H. Macy | Ted Lasso: Jason Sudeikis
WILL WIN: Jason Sudeikis (He’s on a roll.)
WANT TO WIN: Jason Sudeikis (Love his optimistic coach. Fantastic.)

Lead Actress in a Comedy Series
Black-ish: Tracee Ellis Ross | The Flight Attendant: Kaley Cuoco | Hacks: Jean Smart | Mom: Allison Janney | Shrill: Aidy Bryant
WILL WIN: Jean Smart (The Academy loves her)
WANT TO WIN: Jean Smart (She’s a hard working actress)

Lead Actor in a Limited Series or Movie
Halston: Ewan McGergor | Hamilton: Lin-Manuel Miranda | Hamilton: Leslie Odom J | The Undoing: Hugh Grant | WandaVision: Paul Bettany
WILL WIN: Hugh Grant (He plays a good scoundrel)
WANT TO WIN: Paul Bettany (I surprisingly liked his role as Vision)

Lead Actress in a Limited Series or Movie
Genius: Aretha: Cynthia Erivo | I May Destroy You: Michaela Coel | Mare of Easttown: Kate Winslet | The Queen’s Gambit: Anya Taylor-Joy | WandaVision: Elisabeth Olsen
WILL WIN: Kate Winslet (Her ‘frumpiness’ trumps chess prodigy)
WANT TO WIN: Kate Winslet (She made this series a must-see)

Supporting Actor in a Drama Series
The Crown: Tobias Menzies | The Handmaid’s Tale: O-T Fagbenle | The Handmaid’s Tale: Max Minghella | The Handmaid’s Tale: Bradley Whitford | Lovecraft Country: Michael K Williams | The Mandalorian: Giancarlo Esposito | Perry Mason: John Lithgow | This Is Us: Chris Sullivan
WILL WIN: Michael K Williams (His death only increases his odds)
WANT TO WIN: Chris Sullivan (He’s one of the best parts of This Is Us.)

Supporting Actress in a Drama Series
The Crown: Gillian Anderson | The Crown: Helena Bonham Carter | The Crown: Helena Emerald Fennell | The Handmaid’s Tale: Madeline Brewer | The Handmaid’s Tale: Ann Dowd | The Handmaid’s Tale: Yvonne Strahovski | The Handmaid’s Tale: Samira Wiley | Lovecraft Country: Aunjanue Ellis
WILL WIN: Gillian Anderson (Emmy is going to give The Crown a bunch.)
WANT TO WIN: Gillian Anderson (I enjoyed her Margaret Thatcher)

Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series
Hacks: Carl Clemons-Hopkins | The Kominsky Method: Paul Reiser | SNL: Kenan Thompson | SNL: Bowen Yang | Ted Lasso: Brett Goldstein | Ted Lasso: Brendan Hunt | Ted Lasso: Nick Mohammed | Ted Lasso: Jeremy Swift
WILL WIN: Brett Goldstein (Though he should win for Season 2 instead.)
WANT TO WIN: Kenan Thompson (C’mon, give the guy an acting Emmy)

Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series
The Flight Attendant: Rosie Perez | Hacks: Hannah Einbinder | SNL: Aidy Bryant | SNL: Kate McKinnon | SNL: Cecily Strong | Ted Lasso: Juno Temple | Ted Lasso: Hannah Waddingham
WILL WIN: Hannah Waddingham (I think they love her karaoke singing.)
WANT TO WIN: Cecily Strong (Her Judge Pirro was fun to watch)

Supporting Actor in a Limited Series or Movie
Hamilton: Daveed Diggs | Hamilton: Jonathan Groff | Hamilton: Anthony Ramos  | I May Destroy You: Paapa Essiedu | Mare of Easttown: Evan Peters | The Queen’s Gambit: Thomas Brodie-Sangster
WILL WIN: Evan Peters (I hope they don’t give to anyone in Hamilton)
WANT TO WIN: Evan Peters (Love what he brought despite his crush)

Supporting Actress in a Limited Series or Movie
Hamilton: Renee Elise Goldsberry | Hamilton: Phillipa Soo | Mare of Easttown: Julianne Nicholson | Mare of Easttown: Jean Smart | The Queen’s Gambit: Moses Ingram | WandaVision: Kathryn Hahn
WILL WIN: Kathryn Hahn (She’s finally getting her due)
WANT TO WIN: Kathryn Hahn (Though I also liked Nicholson in Mare)

Directing for a Drama Series
Bridgerton • Diamond of the First Water | The Crown • Fairytale | The Crown • War | The Handmaid’s Tale • The Wilderness | The Mandalorian • The Marshal | Pose • Series Finale
WILL WIN: The Crown-Fairytale (Princess Diana’s big episode will win it)
WANT TO WIN: The Mandalorian-The Marshall (Fun Sarlaac scenes)

Directing for a Comedy Series
B Positive • Bad Choice Road | The Flight Attendant • In Case of Emergency | Hacks • Pilot | Mom • Scooby-Doo Checks and Salisbury Steak | Ted Lasso • Biscuits | Ted Lasso • The Hope That Kills You | Ted Lasso • Make Rebecca Great Again
WILL WIN: Ted Lasso-Biscuits (A great episode directed by Zach Braff)
WANT TO WIN: Ted Lasso-Biscuits (See above)

Directing for a Limited Series, Anthology or Movie
Hamilton | I May Destroy You • Ego Death | I May Destroy You • Eyes Eyes Eyes Eyes | Mare of Easttown | The Queen’s Gambit | The Underground Railroad | WandaVision
WILL WIN: The Queen’s Gambit (Great character journey)
WANT TO WIN: WandaVision (Loved the variety of classic sitcoms)

Writing for a Drama Series
The Boys • What I Know | The Crown • War | The Handmaid’s Tale • Yahlin Chang | Lovecraft Country • Sundown | The Mandalorian • The Jedi | The Mandalorian • The Rescue | Pose • Series Finale
WILL WIN: Pose-Series Finale (Emmy will want to give more to Pose)
WANT TO WIN: The Crown-War (A good showing for the three women)

Writing for a Comedy Series
The Flight Attendant • In Case of Emergency | Girls5eva • Pilot | Hacks • Pilot | Pen15 • Play | Ted Lasso • Make Rebecca Great Again | Ted Lasso • Pilot
WILL WIN: Ted Lasso-Pilot (Hopefully they don’t pick Hacks instead)
WANT TO WIN: Ted Lasso-Pilot (A great start to a great series)

Writing for a Limited Series, Movie or Special
I May Destroy You | Mare of Easttown | The Queen’s Gambit | WandaVision • All-New Halloween Spooktacular | WandaVision • Filmed Before a Live Studio Audience | WandaVision • Previously On
WILL WIN: I May Destroy You (I’ll take the one I haven’t seen)
WANT TO WIN: Mare of Easttown (Again, love myself a good mystery)

Writing for a Variety Series
The Amber Ruffin Show | A Black Lady Sketch Show | Last Week Tonight with John Oliver | The Late Show with Stephen Colbert  | SNL
WILL WIN: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (Emmys love his work)
WANT TO WIN: Last Week Tonight (Though I love Amber Ruffin)

Let’s see how I do. I’ll post after the Emmys with the results and commentary.

Fall TV Preview 2021

The fall television season is here. It’s an eclectic mix. Trying a few new shows this year though some of them are technically reboots or continuations. Here’s the run down of what I’ll be watching (by premiere date):

[‘NEW’] IMPEACHMENT: AMERICAN CRIME STORY [FX]
Upcoming Season: 1 (or 3)
Premiere Date/Time: Tue. Sept. 7 @ 10pm
Genre: Biography Drama
Starring: Sarah Paulson (AHS, Studio 60, Nurse Ratchet)
Beanie Feldstein (Booksmart, Lady Bird, Neighbors 2)
Creators: Ryan Murphy & others (American Horror Story, Nip/Tuck)
Premise: The Monica Lewinsky scandal is dramatized
(Monica Lewinsky is actually one of the producers of the show)
Why I’ll give it a chance: Loved their OJ installment
What could hurt it: Not a fan of their Versace installment

[NEW!] AMERICAN RUST [SHOWTIME]
Upcoming Season: 1
Premiere Date/Time: Sun. Sept. 12 @ 10pm
Genre: Crime Drama
Starring: Jeff Daniels (The Newsroom; The Comey Rule)
Maura Tierney (ER; Newsradio; The Affair; The Whole Truth)
Creator: Dan Futterman (Gracepoint, In Treatment, Capote)
Premise: A police chief is linked to a crime in Pennsylvania
Why I’ll give it a chance: Jeff Daniels is awesome
What could hurt it: Comparisons to Mare of Easttown

THE MORNING SHOW [APPLE TV+]
Upcoming Season: 2
Premiere Date/Time: Fri. Sept. 17
Genre: Comedy, Drama
Starring: Jennifer Aniston (Friends, Horrible Bosses)
Reese Witherspoon (Big Little Lies, Election, Wild, Walk the Line)
Creator/Showrunner: Kerry Ehrin (Friday Night Lights, Bates Motel)
Why I watch: I like the conflict and Billy Crudup’s character

[NEW!] ORDINARY JOE [NBC]
Upcoming Season: 1
Premiere Date/Time: Mon. Sept. 20 @ 10pm
Genre: Tryptic Drama
Starring: James Wolk (Mad Men, Zoo, Watchmen, The Crazy Ones)
Natalie Martinez (The Crossing, Kingdom, Under the Dome)
Creators: Russel Friend & Garrett Lerner (House, Glee, Rise)
Premise: One guy on three parallel timelines: cop, nurse, rockstar
Why I’ll give it a chance: The three options intrigues me
What could hurt it: It might get confusing or you favour one to much

[NEW!] THE WONDER YEARS [ABC]
Upcoming Season: 1
Premiere Date/Time: Wed. Sept. 22 @ 8:30pm
Genre: Nostalgic Dramedy
Starring: Dule Hill (West Wing, Psych, Suits, Ballers)
Don Cheadle (Hotel Rwanda, Crash, Iron Man 2)
Creator: Saladin K Patterson (Psych, Big Bang Theory)
Premise: Growing in Montgomery, Alabama in the late 1960s
Why I’ll give it a chance: Lee Daniels and Fred Savage involved
What could hurt it: Maybe too preachy?

SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE [NBC]
Upcoming Season: 47
Premiere Date/Time: Sat, October 2 @ 11:30pm
Genre: Sketch Comedy
Starring: Colin Jost (Coming 2 America)
Bowen Yang (Awkwafina is Nora from Queens)
Creator: Lorne Michaels (30 Rock, Portlandia)
Why I watch: It’s an institution. Hope Kenan stays.

THE SIMPSONS [FOX]
Upcoming Season: 33
Premiere Date/Time: Sun, Sep 26 @ 8pm
Genre: Animated Comedy
Starring: Dan Castellaneta (Hey Arnold!)
Hank Azaria (Smurfs, Ray Donovan)
Creator: Matt Groening (Futurama)
Showrunners: Al Jean (The Critic) & Matt Selman (newcomer)
Why I watch: I’ve seen every episode, why stop now?

THE GOOD DOCTOR [ABC]
Upcoming Season: 5
Premiere Date/Time: Mon, Sept 27 @ 10pm
Genre: Medical Drama
Starring: Freddie Highmore (Bates Motel, Finding Neverland)
Richard Schiff (West Wing, I Am Sam, The Affair)
Creator/Showrunner: David Shore (House, Houdini and Doyle)
Why I watch: Hope it rebounds from a shaky season

[NEW!] THE PROBLEM WITH JON STEWART [APPLE TV+]
Upcoming Season: 1
Premiere Date/Time: Thu. Sept. 30
Genre: ‘News’ Show
Starring: Jon Stewart (The Daily Show, Death to Smoochy)
Creator: Brinda Adhikari (CBS Evening New with Jeff Glor)
Premise: Deep dives similar to John Oliver’s show
Why I’ll give it a chance: I like Stewart and his interviews
What could hurt it: Too many ‘news’ shows out there

[NEW!] CSI: LAS VEGAS [CBS]
Upcoming Season: 1
Premiere Date/Time: Wed. Oct. 6 @ 10pm
Genre: Procedural Drama
Starring: William Petersen (CSI: Crime Scene Investigation)
Jorja Fox (CSI: ER, The West Wing)
Creator: Jason Tracey (Burn Notice, Elementary)
Premise: A reboot of the original so technically Season 16
Why I’ll give it a chance: I liked the original and Petersen
What could hurt it: Gets too repetitive with sexual crimes

YOUNG SHELDON [CBS]
Upcoming Season: 5
Premiere Date/Time: Thu, Oct. 7 @ 8pm
Genre: Family Comedy
Starring: Iain Armitage (Big Little Lies, The Glass Castle)
Zoe Perry (Scandal, The Family)
Creators: Chuck Lorre & Steven Molaro (The Big Bang Theory)
Showrunner: Steven Molaro (The Class, The Big Bang Theory)
Why I watch: The kids are pretty darn entertaining especially Missy

SUCCESSION [HBO]
Upcoming Season: 3
Premiere Date/Time: Oct. 17
Genre: Dark Family Drama
Starring: Jeremy Strong (The Gentlemen, Trial of the Chicago 7)
Kieran Culkin (Scott Pilgrim vs the World, Cider House Rules)
Creator/Showrunner: Jesse Armstrong (The Thick of It, Peep Show)
Why I watch: Such a conniving family. So fun.

DEXTER: NEW BLOOD [SHOWTIME]
Upcoming Season: 9
Premiere Date/Time: Sun. Nov. 9 @ 9pm
Genre: Mystery Drama
Starring: Michael C Hall (Six Feet Under, Game Night)
Jennifer Carpenter (The Enemy Within, Limitless)
Creator: James Manos Jr. (The Sopranos, The Shield)
Showrunner: Clyde Phillips (Nurse Jackie, Parker Lewis Can’t Lose)
Why I watch: Hoping they can redeem their awful finale.

[NEW!] THE SHRINK NEXT DOOR [APPLE TV+]
Upcoming Season: 1
Premiere Date/Time: Fri. Nov. 12
Genre: Dark Comedy
Starring: Will Ferrell (SNL, Stranger Than Fiction, Anchorman)
Paul Rudd (Ant Man, Living With Yourself, Wet Hot American Summer)
Creator: Georgia Pritchett (Veep, Succession, Avenue 5)
Premise: A bizarre relationship between a psychiatrist and his patient
Why I’ll give it a chance: That’s a great cast
What could hurt it: I don’t like Ferrell’s beard

[NEW!] HAWKEYE [DISNEY+]
Upcoming Season: 1
Premiere Date/Time: Wed. Nov. 24
Genre: Action Adventure
Starring: Jeremy Renner (Avengers, The Town, The Hurt Locker)
Hailee Steinfeld (True Grit, Bumblebee, Pitch Perfect 3)
Creator: Jonathan Igla (Mad Men, Bridgerton)
Premise: Clint Barton trains a new Hawkeye
Why I’ll give it a chance: Marvel shows are well produced
What could hurt it: Not my favourite Avenger

LATE NIGHT WITH SETH MEYERS [NBC]
Upcoming Season: 9
Premiere Date/Time: ongoing @ 12:30pm
Genre: Talk Show
Starring: Seth Meyers (SNL, The Awesomes, New Year’s Eve)
Creator: Lorne Michaels & NBC
Why I watch: Mostly just his Closer Looks, sometimes his interviews

LAST WEEK TONIGHT WITH JOHN OLIVER [HBO]
Upcoming Season: Still in Season 8
Premiere Date/Time: Sun, still running @ 10pm
Genre: ‘News’ program
Starring: John Oliver (Daily Show, Community)
Creator: John Oliver
Why I watch: Love Oliver’s rants and the “Now This” segments

What new shows are you going try this year?

UPCOMING REVIEWS: Emmy Predictions

Film: Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings

 

GENRE: Action, Adventure
RATING: PG-13 for violence and language
RUNTIME: 2 hours and 12 minutes
PLATFORM: Movie Theatre
STARRING: Simi Liu (Kim’s Convenience; Taken (TV series))
Awkwafina (Crazy Rich Asians); Tony Leung (Infernal Affairs)
DIRECTOR: Destin Daniel Cretton (Just Mercy; The Glass Castle)
WRITERS: Cretton & Andrew Lanham (Just Mercy; The Shack);
Dave Callaham (The Expendables; Wonder Woman 1984)
PLOT: A young Kung Fu fighter has to confront his past and father.

FULL DISCLOSURE: I had low expectations despite being Marvel.

STORY STUFF: I will start by saying the film was better than I thought it would be. The first 2/3rds are really good but they lost me in the final act. Things got too chaotic and unfortunately, I stopped caring about the characters and the situation. While there were great scenes throughout, it was interesting to see moments cribbed from other films. There’s a little bit of Rush Hour 2, Speed, The Neverending Story and a whole lot of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon except for the whole flying stuff. But maybe that last one is because Michelle Yeoh is in it. The one-on-one fight scenes are pretty incredible and mesmerizing.

ACTING STUFF: Liu does a great job as Shang-Chi, he plays the emotions and reacts well to situations. Admittedly, I have not seen his work in Kim’s Convenience so I can’t compare it to that role. Awkwafina is awesome as the best friend/comic relief. She stole the movie in my opinion. I also enjoyed Ben Kingsley continuing to have fun.

ARTISTIC STUFF: As stated before, I loved the stunt work of the fight scenes. The side of the building and bus confrontations are intense. I was not a fan of the soundtrack but I don’t think I’m the target audience so I can forgive that. The visual effects are top notch as always. I also enjoyed the primary colour palette throughout the film.

VERDICT: Three and half stars out of five
SEE IT IF: You like Marvel and Kung Fu fighting.
UPCOMING REVIEW: Fall TV Preview

Top 20 TV Music Choices

So last week’s episode of Ted Lasso featured The Rolling Stones’ “She’s a Rainbow”. The song was used perfectly in the show; the pace variations fit the actions and it made a great callback to an earlier conversation which in turn gave the ending such an emotional impact that I still feel my heart beating faster just picturing that sequence. That’s what a great song choice can do for a television show (especially when it comes to a montage). So with that in mind, I decided to list my Top 20 TV Music Choices. I restricted myself to shows that are not currently on the air, which also means there may be some really old spoilers for some of you out there. Let’s go from 20 to 1:

20.
TITLE: Green Light
ARTIST:Lorde
SHOW: New Girl
EPISODE: S06E22: Five Stars for Beezus
SCENE: Nick and Jess are trying to confess their love to each other but keep missing each other due to a slow elevator.

WATCH THE SCENE: Click here
WHY THIS SONG: The song is catchy and fun as they run up and down the stairs. When the music stops and then kicks in when the doors open to reveal Nick & Jess lip-locked and together again is awesome. This was a possible series finale, so they ended it on a such a great note.

19.
TITLE: Devil Town
ARTIST: Tony Lucca
SHOW: Friday Night Lights
EPISODE: S01E22: State
SCENE: The victorious Dillon Panthers return home to a parade as the local DJs discuss the future of Coach Taylor.

LISTEN TO THE SONG: Click here
WHY THIS SONG: While there’s a celebratory nature to the song, the lyrics seems to contradict the mood. It captures the fickle attitude of the town towards Coach Taylor. It’s a nicely drawn out song to fit the first season ending montage. 

18.
TITLE: Forever
ARTIST: Chris Brown
SHOW: The Office
EPISODE: S06E05: Niagara, Part II
SCENE: The office staff copy a famous YouTube clip as they ‘walk’ down the aisle for Jim & Pam’s wedding. We also see Jim & Pam actually get married at the actual falls.

WATCH THE SCENE: Click here
WHY THIS SONG: The utter glee of Michael Scott and the rest of the staff make me smile as Jim & Pam make faces to each other knowing that their actual ceremony wasn’t ruined. A great use of a pop culture moment to add some flair to a sitcom wedding.  

17.
TITLE: Games Without Frontiers
ARTIST: Peter Gabriel
SHOW: The Americans
EPISODE: S01E13: The Colonel
SCENE: In the season ending montage, each side gets new information about their enemy while Paige is getting more suspicious about her parents and checks the laundry room. 

WATCH THE SCENE: Click here (from a different country)
WHY THIS SONG: While most people would pick the pilot opener ‘Tusk’ by Fleetwood Mac which does set the mood, the show ends up using a lot more Peter Gabriel throughout their seasons. This song has a more ominous tone to it as it pulls us along to see if Paige will find out or not.    

16.
TITLE: Full of Grace
ARTIST: Sarah McLachlan
SHOW: Buffy, The Vampire Slayer
EPISODE: S02E22: Becoming, Part II
SCENE: Buffy runs away from home after sending Angel to Hell, while the rest of Scoobies wonder if the spell worked in time. 

WATCH THE SCENE: Click here
WHY THIS SONG: A great emotional song that describes Buffy’s state of mind. The camera panning to the Leaving Sunnydale sign while the line “It’s better this way” is sung is just a perfect end to a great season.  

15.
TITLE: She Will Have Her Way
ARTIST: Neil Finn
SHOW: Sports Night
EPISODE: S02E01: Special Powers
SCENE: A three-month spanning montage of Casey trying to work up the nerve to finally ask out Dana.

LISTEN TO THE SONG: Click here
WHY THIS SONG: A well-played introduction to the second season. The song is light and lovelorn to match Casey’s approach. I feel for the guy.

14.
TITLE: Let Your Heart Hold Fast
ARTIST: Fort Atlantic
SHOW: How I Met Your Mother
EPISODE: S08E12: The Final Page, Part II
SCENE: Barney proposes to Robin as Ted is honored for his newly constructed building. 

WATCH THE SCENE: Click here
WHY THIS SONG: After Barney explains an incredibly elaborate play to get Robin, finally gets her along with Ted’s blessing. The song has a nice mix of love and regret as we see Ted thinking about Robin and realizing he lost her.    

13.
TITLE: No Man’s Woman
ARTIST: Sinead O’Connor
SHOW: Alias
EPISODE: S01E01: Truth Be Told
SCENE: Sydney completes her solo mission and walks triumphantly into SD-6 returning to work and saving her life. 

LISTEN TO THE SONG: Click here
WHY THIS SONG: The confidence of this song radiates as Sydney takes matters into her own hands. It set the bar high for this great series. 
  

12.
TITLE: Question
ARTIST: Old 97’s
SHOW: Ed
EPISODE: S04E09: The Proposal
SCENE: After years of will they-won’t they, Ed proposes to Carol Vessey.  

WATCH THE SCENE: Click here
WHY THIS SONG: This song has been used for a number of television proposals but Ed’s takes the cake. After numerous big romantic gestures, he goes all out to give Carol her favourite things. His recreation of sun set always makes me smile. Such a perfect song for a such a great scene.      

11.
TITLE: Passing Afternoon
ARTIST: Iron & Wine
SHOW: House
EPISODE: S04E16: Wilson’s Heart
SCENE: A closing montage with the cast reacting to the death of one of their former colleagues.  

WATCH THE SCENE: Click here (1:50 in)
WHY THIS SONG: As House is partly responsible for the death, this causes a rift with his best friend. The sorrowful song has a great pace that fits with the variety of responses. Nicely done.    

10.
TITLE: Let My Love Open the Door
ARTIST: Luminate
SHOW: The Newsroom
EPISODE: S02E09: Election Night, Part II
SCENE: A wonderful closing montage for the season after Will announces his engagement to MacKenzie.

WATCH THE SCENE: Click here
WHY THIS SONG: Relationships are mended as the newsroom celebrates the announcement. The music and scene culminates nicely with Maggie taking earlier advice and clicking on a story.    

9.
TITLE: Daydream Believer
ARTIST: Mary Beth Maziarz
SHOW: Dawson’s Creek
EPISODE: S03E19: Stolen Kisses
SCENE: Joey finally admits her feelings for Pacey and kisses him.

WATCH THE SCENE: Click here (1:28 in)
WHY THIS SONG: This song is played throughout the episode but is also played as Joey makes a move to keep from losing Pacey. It’s a pretty cover and works well in this scene. I always liked Pacey over Dawson.     

8.
TITLE: Rivers & Roads
ARTIST: The Head and the Heart
SHOW: Chuck
EPISODE: S05E13: Chuck vs the Goodbye
SCENE: Sarah has amnesia so Chuck recounts their life together.

WATCH THE SCENE: Click here (1:33 in)
WHY THIS SONG: Love how this song ends the series. It plays so well under a fun montage of Chuck and Sarah moments from the previous five seasons. Not knowing if Sarah is ever going to remember makes it also bittersweet. I well up a little when I watch this scene.

7.
TITLE: Hide & Seek
ARTIST: Imogen Heap
SHOW: The O.C.
EPISODE: S02E24: The Dearly Departed
SCENE: Marissa shoots Trey in order to save Ryan from getting killed.

WATCH THE SCENE: Click here
WATCH THE SNL DIGITAL SHORT: Click here
WHY THIS SONG: This song is almost synonymous with The O.C. because of this scene. The synth and slow motion gives the scene extra drama. Of course, that drama was mocked well by SNL a few years later with a Digital Short called ‘Dear Sister’.  

6.
TITLE: Baby Blue
ARTIST: Badfinger
SHOW: Breaking Bad
EPISODE: S05E16: Felina
SCENE: Walt takes one last look at a meth lab before the police arrive.

WATCH THE SCENE: Click here
WHY THIS SONG: A great last long for the series. Of course, the blue refers to the Walt’s signature crystal meth. But that first line, “Guess I got what I deserve” is so incredibly perfect. It’s a fitting song for one of the best series finales ever.

5.
TITLE: At This Moment
ARTIST: Billy Vera & the Beaters
SHOW: Family Ties
EPISODE: S04E02: The Real Thing, Part II
SCENE: Alex daydreams of Ellen during an important exam.

WATCH THE SCENE: Click here
WHY THIS SONG: This is probably one of the first times I heard a musical montage in a television show. It’s not my favourite song but every time I hear it, I can picture Alex and Ellen in a train station confessing their love to each other. I also like that they are still together in real life.

4.
TITLE: Make Your Own Kind of Music
ARTIST: Mama Cass Elliot
SHOW: Lost
EPISODE: S02E01: Man of Science, Man of Faith
SCENE: An introduction to Desmond, the guy in the hatch.

WATCH THE SCENE: Click here
WHY THIS SONG: I still remember listening to this song and wondering what the hell was going on. Was this a flashback? Who is this person? Based on the surroundings and music, it must be a flashback. Nope. Such a brilliant start to the second season. (It’s also being used for humour in Free Guy so the connection might be skewed from now on.)

3.
TITLE: Brothers in Arms
ARTIST: Dire Straits
SHOW: The West Wing
EPISODE: S02E22: Two Cathedrals
SCENE: President Bartlet goes to a press conference. Will he talk about his MS or announce that he will seek a second term?

LISTEN TO THE SONG: Click here
WHY THIS SONG: I’m sad that this scene is not on YouTube (it’s a nice fan edited montage though). The thunder of the song mixes perfectly with the tropical storm that ends the fantastic second season. You can’t help but root for Bartlet as he makes his way to the podium. It is brilliantly written, shot and accompanied.

2.
TITLE: Winter
ARTIST: Joshua Radin
SHOW: Scrubs
EPISODE: S03E14: My Screw-Up
SCENE: JD accompanies Dr. Cox to his brother-in-law’s funeral.

WATCH THE SCENE: Click here
MORE ON THE ARTIST & SONG: Click here
WHY THIS SONG: The show did a great Sixth Sense twist with guest star Brendan Fraser and the capper is this song when we realize that Dr. Cox has been talking to a ghost and is now attending the funeral instead of a birthday party. The lyrics are hauntingly beautiful and the scene gets me every time. (My runner up would be The Fray’s “How To Save a Life” where Dr, Cox tragically loses three patients at the same time.)

1.
TITLE: Breathe Me
ARTIST: Sia
SHOW: Six Feet Under
EPISODE: S05E12: Everyone’s Waiting
SCENE: As Claire drives away from the funeral home, we see the future and death of each main character

WATCH THE SCENE: Click here then here
(it’s in two parts with French dialogue)
WHY THIS SONG: I wish there was a cleaner version on YouTube; someone has an edited down copy but it misses some powerful moments. While there may be better series finale episodes, nothing compares to the ending scene of this series. In a brilliant masterstroke, this drama about death shows us how each character dies. While I will admit it also looks like a car ad, the scenes of the family are breathtakingly beautiful. The song evokes emotion, drive and still manages to make me well up with tears when I hear it. Perfection.

What TV music choices have moved you?