Movie/TV Reviews

Susan Granger’s review of “The Empress” (Netflix)

“The Empress,” the German historical drama – dubbed into English on Netflix – has captivated audiences around the world, appearing in Netflix’s global Top 10 non-English TV list for five straight weeks and topping the Top 10 in 88 countries around the world.

The titular Austrian Empress Elizabeth von Wittelsbach (Devrim Lingnau), often called ‘Sisi,’ was the outspoken, unconventional 16 year-old Bavarian duchess who caught the eye of her Hapsburg cousin, 22 year-old Franz Joseph I (Philip Froissant), originally slated to marry her demure older sister Helene (Elisa Schlott).

When feisty, freedom-loving Elizabeth arrived at the sumptuous Viennese Court, her behavior was immediately criticized by her controlling, authoritarian mother-in-law, Archduchess Sophia (Melika Foroutan), who insisted on observing strictly rigid protocol with its stifling subjugation.

In addition, Elizabeth was persistently bedeviled by her husband’s jealous younger brother, Archduke Maximilian (Johannes Nussbaum), who was eager to seize the throne since the Hapsburg Empire was being threatened on its borders and the Austrian people were starving, ready to ignite a Revolution.

Duplicity is rampant, epitomized by Elizabeth’s favorite confidante/lady-in-waiting, known as scheming Leontine von Apafi (Almila Bagriacik),

Admittedly, many historical facts have been romanticized for this 19^th century period drama, according to show-runner/ writer Katharina Eyssen, who is from Bavaria in southern Germany; for her, it’s primarily a coming-of-age love story.

FYI: Franz Joseph’s castle is Schloss Weissenstein located in Pommersfelden, a small town northwest of Nuremberg.

Highly recommended if you enjoy binge worthy shows about European royalty – like “The Crown,” “Victoria,”  “Bridgerton” and/or “The Great.” As with all foreign language series on Netflix, you can watch it dubbed into English or in its original German with subtitles.

On the Granger Gauge of 1 to 10, “The Empress” is an engaging 8 – with the six episodes of its first season streaming on Netflix and renewed for season two.

Susan Granger’s review of “The Little Mermaid” (Disney)

Why this live-action remake of Disney’s beloved 1989 animated classic? Because it’s “woke” 2023 – when audiences may want to see a more dutiful, diversity-aware approach to race and gender in “The Little Mermaid.”

Sweetly guileless Ariel (Grammy-nominated Halle Bailey) is one of King Triton’s (Javier Bardem) many, multiethnic mermaid daughters. Despite her widowed father’s disapproval, she avidly collects artifacts from the human world that she scavenges from shipwrecks with the help of her fish friend Flounder (voiced by Jacob Tremblay) and Scuttle (voiced by Awkwafina), a squawking seagull.

One night when a storm decimates a birthday celebration aboard a fishing vessel, Ariel rescues Prince Eric (Jonah Hauer-King) from drowning. She sings to him while swimming him safely to shore. But when other humans approach, she dives back under the waves.

Yearning to frolic with Eric on his Caribbean island, Ariel falls prey to Triton’s wicked sister, the banished sea witch/half-octopus Ursula (bold ‘n’ brassy Melissa McCarthy), who offers to change her tail into legs in exchange for her voice.

Beguiling yet mute, Ariel will then have three days to convince Eric that she’s, indeed, his true love; if she fails, she will enslaved to diabolical Ursula forever.

Based on Hans Christian Andersen’s fantasy with character backstories added by screenwriters David Magee, John DeLuca and director Rob Marshall, it’s actually a misnomer to call this a ‘live-action’ film since Flounder, Scuttle and the irascible crab Sebastian (voiced by Daveed Diggs), along with Triton’s ‘merpeople,’ are all computer-generated.

Adding to the score by Alan Mencken and Howard Ashman, there’s new music by Lin-Manuel Miranda…and several glimpses of Ariel sitting on a rock, like the “Little Mermaid” statue in Copenhagen’s harbor.

FYI: Since Meghan Markle told Oprah Winfrey she identifies with the mermaid falling in love with a prince and, because of that, loses her voice, it may be a total coincidence, but when Eric tries to guess Ariel’s name, his first choice is Diana. His second is Catherine. Seeing Ariel’s disgust, he deduces, “OK, definitely not Catherine.”

On the Granger Gauge of 1 to 10, “The Little Mermaid” is a scuttling, sentimental 7 – running a long 2 hours, 15 minutes – playing in theaters.

Susan Granger’s review of “Fast X” (Universal Pictures)

Fasten your seat belts! “Fast X” – the 10th installment in the “Fast and Furious” franchise – is just the first of a three-part finale revolving around continuing saga of street-racing vigilantes, headed by mumbling Dominic Toretto (Vin Diesel).

Joining Toretto, there’s his wife Letty Ortiz (Michelle Rodriguz) and their young son Brian (Leo Abelo Perry) – Dom’s brother Jakob (John Cena), Tej Parker (Chris ‘Ludacris’ Bridges), Roman Pearce (Tyrese Gibson), Ramsey (Nathalie Emmanuel), and Han (Sung Kang).

Adding a bit of class, Queenie (Helen Mirren) is back, along with the cyberterrorist Cipher (Charlize Theron), who is no longer an adversary because, as she explains to Dom: “The enemy of my enemy is you.”

The bad guy is flamboyant Dante Reyes (scene-stealing “Aquaman” Jason Momoa), the sociopathic son of Hernan Reyes, the Brazilian drug kingpin killed by Dom and his cohorts back in 2011. He’s still furious about his father’s death and out for vengeance.

Also added to the rapidly growing cast are Brie Larson as rogue Agent Tess and Alan Richtson as Aimes, the new Agency head. (Ritchson’s even better as TV’s “Reacher,” based on Lee Child’s best-selling series). Scott Eastwood surfaces as the Agent ‘Little Nobody,’ and, of course, Jason Statham as Deckard Shaw.

Plus Daniela Melchior as Isabel, a Brazilian street racer with past ties to Dom – and cameos by comedian Pete Davdson, Meadow Walker (daughter of actor Paul Walker, who died in a 2013 car crash), as a flight attendant, and Rita Moreno, as Dom and Mia’s (Jordana Brewster) beloved abuelita.

No longer satisfied with L.A, drag racing, the action-packed locations include stunts and demolition in Rome, London, Rio de Janeiro, Antarctica and outer space (not really!) – on a $340 million budget.

There’s a new director, Louis Leterrier (“The Transporter,” “You See Me”), in the driver’s seat that was vacated by director Justin Lin, who wrote the senseless, recycled, cliché-clogged screenplay with Dan Mazeau & Gary Scott Thompson. The series concept was based on a 1998 Vibe magazine article.

Bottom Line: It’s wheely, wheely stupid – but it does tease the return of Dwayne Johnson in the next round.

On the Granger Gauge of 1 to 10, “Fast X” skids in with a frenetic yet futile 4, playing in theaters.

Susan Granger’s review of “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” (Prime Video)

Are you ready for the fifth and final season of “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel”?

If you haven’t been watching, this witty, wisecracking dramedy revolves around a bright ‘n’ beautiful Manhattan wife and mother, Miriam “Midge” Maisel (Rachel Brosnahan), who, after discovering her husband Joel (Michael Zegen) cheating, marches into an East Village comedy club, grabs the microphone and electrifies the audience with an impromptu rant.

Created by Amy Sherman-Palladino (“Gilmore Girls”) with her husband, Daniel Palladino, the concept profiles a Jewish woman who thinks she ‘has it all’ by 1950 standards only to discover she’s one helluva comedian.

It became the first TV show on a streaming platform to win an Emmy for Outstanding Comedy Series; subsequent seasons amassed 66 Emmy nominations with 20 wins.

Battling rival Sophie Lennon (Jane Lynch) and boosted by Lenny Bruce (Luke Kirby), the first four seasons chronicle Midge’s journey as she pursues a career in the male-dominated stand-up comedy profession, aided by her intrepid manager, Susie Meyerson (Alex Borstein). In a flash-forward segment, it becomes obvious that Susie also becomes a major player – being ‘roasted’ at the famed Friars Club.

There was a major cultural shift for women and families during the 1950s and 1960s. While Midge is still living on the Upper West Side with her two young children and neurotic parents, Abe and Rose Weissman (Tony Shaloub, Marin Hinkle), she lands a job as a writer for a late-night TV talk show.

“Midge was like a female Lenny Bruce in the sense that she’s stream-of-consciousness and talking about her day-to-day,” explains Alex Borstein. “She’s extremely forward-thinking as a divorced woman raising kids.”

Tying up the plot’s loose strands in the last episodes, it become obvious that resilient Mrs. Maisel has hit the ‘big-time’ – but what does that really mean – for her and those around her? What are the consequences of her choices? And what has she sacrificed?

On the Granger Gauge of 1 to 10, “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel: Season Five” is an insightful, unabashedly poignant 8 – streaming on Fridays on Prime Video.

 

Susan Granger’s review of “The Last Thing He Told Me” (Apple TV+)

Adapted from Laura Dave’s 2001 best-seller, the limited series “The Last Thing He Told Me” finds  relatively newly married Hannah (Jennifer Garner) teaming up with her 16 year-old step-daughter Bailey (Angoiurie Rice) to track down her husband Owen Michaels (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau), who has gone missing.

Hannah’s a wood-working artist. She and widower Owen live with truculent Bailey in scenic Sausalito, California, in an expensive floating home that looks straight out of Architectural Digest.

“There’s nothing I wouldn’t do for my daughter,” Owen tells Hannah, perhaps foreshadowing his mysterious disappearance when the tech firm he works for is suddenly under FBI investigation.

Then Hannah finds a cryptic note instructing, “Protect her” – along with a duffle bag stuffed with cash. And lurking around their home is a suspicious man named Grady (Augusto Aguilera), who claims to be a U.S. Marshal, insisting that he just wants to protect Owen.

So where has Owen gone? And why did he suddenly vanish?

Slowly, very slowly, Hannah and Bailey begin to unravel the secrets of Owen’s – and Bailey’s past – a search that leads them to a football stadium, in Austin, Texas, where Bailey has some vaguely repressed memories from her childhood.

Adapted by author Laura Dave and Josh Singer (“Spotlight”), it’s an interesting premise but lacks the kind of edgy urgency that would make it into a compelling thriller.

FYI: Julia Roberts was originally intended to start in this series – produced by Reese Witherspoon’s Hello Sunshine – but she had scheduling conflicts.

On the Granger Gauge of 1 to 10, “The Last Thing He Told Me” is an escapist 6 – with all seven episodes streaming on Apple TV+.

Susan Granger’s review of “The Mother” (Netflix)

You know that Netflix is scraping the bottom of the barrel when Jennifer Lopez is cast as an intrepid assassin, trained by the U.S. military, in “The Mother.”

In the opening sequence, The (nameless) Mother (Lopez) is being interrogated as an informant in a ‘safe house’ by F.B.I. agents. Only it’s not safe – since nasty arms smugglers lurk outside, determined not to let her squeal. Not only do they shoot the government agents but they also try to kill the fetus in her womb.

Cut to the hospital where she’s just given birth to a baby girl. Convinced that her child is in grave danger, The Mother reluctantly gives her up for adoption.

12 years late, her daughter, now named Zoe (newcomer Lucy Paez), is once again in danger, so The Mother teams up with F.B.I. agent William Cruise (Omari Hardwick) to return Zoe to her adoptive parents, hoping she can lead a normal life.

In the meantime, The Mother takes Zoe to her isolated hideout cabin in the snowy wilderness of Tlingit Bay, Alaska, never revealing to the tween that they’re related. Of course, the youngster soon guesses the truth, as The Mother ominously trains her in a variety of tracking and shooting survival techniques.

Of course there’s a gratuitous glimpse of JLo’s famous rump as she’s dancing in Havana. That leads to the question about which of the baddies (Joseph Fiennes, Gael Garcia Bernal) actually fathered Zoe.

Written by Misha Green, Andrea Berloff & Peter Craig and directed by New Zealand’s Niki Caro, who helmed the live-action “Mulan” remake and the Oscar-nominated “Whale Rider,” the utterly predictable script suffers from a total lack of character development.

Instead, it focuses on JLo’s hard-working stunt double who dominates the action, made even more obvious since – in close-ups throughout the chase sequences – JLo’s hair and makeup are always flawless, perhaps because her expressionless face looks perpetually frozen.

On the Granger Gauge of 1 to 10, “The Mother” is an absurdly forgettable 4, streaming on Netflix.

Susan Granger’s review of “Guy Ritchie’s The Covenant” (MGM/STX)

“Guy Ritchie’s The Covenant” is an odd title but it serves to differentiate this R-rated, contemporary war actioner from previous horror and/or religious films bearing the same name. It’s also a thematic departure for the British writer/director best known for his glibly gritty, gangster shoot-‘em-ups.
Prologue text explains how the U.S. military recruited 50,000 translators/ interpreters to assist soldiers on the ground during the 20-year Afghan occupation; in return, the U.S. promised Special Immigrant Visas for them and their families.
When Sgt. John Kinley (Jake Gyllenhaal), who heads a Special Ops squad assigned to locate and destroy Taliban munitions storehouses, needs a new interpreter, he chooses Ahmed (Dar Salim), a former mechanic fluent in four languages.
In the past, Ahmed dealt heroin with his brother but – after the Taliban killed his son – his loyalty shifted. Besides, his wife is pregnant and he needs the money.
Although originally skeptical, Kinley comes to trust intuitive Ahmed, who is determined to save him when Kinley is grievously wounded in a firefight. Single-handedly dodging Taliban trucks, resourceful Ahmed hauls injured Kinley across the mountains to the safety of Bagram Airfield.
Kudos to cinematographer Ed Wild and editor James Herbert for capturing this harrowing journey through treacherous terrain – with the landscape of Alicante, Spain substituting for Afghanistan.
Kinley was then flown home, but when the U.S. abruptly withdrew from Afghanistan in 2021, most of the loyal interpreters were left stranded, becoming prime targets for Taliban reprisals.
In his heart, PTSD-afflicted Kinley knew he had a moral obligation to return to the war zone, find resilient Ahmed and his family, and bring them to the United States. But the bureaucratic ‘red tape’ that hampered this rescue was almost insurmountable.
Written by Guy Ritchie with Ivan Atkinson & Marn Davies with a propulsive score by Christopher Benstead, this action thriller points an accusatory finger at broken covenants made by the United States government.
On the Granger Gauge of 1 to 10, “Guy Ritchie’s The Covenant” is a strategically shameful 7, streaming on Prime Video.

Susan Granger’s review of “Book Club: The Next Chapter” (Focus Features)

When Hollywood writers go on strike, it emphasizes our awareness of how pivotal these storytellers are to the movie-making process. And – in the case of “Book Club: The Next Chapter” – lazy screenwriting undercuts the best intentions of a quartet of highly competent actresses who have – collectively – earned four Oscars, six Emmys and 13 Golden Globes.

This sequel to the 2018 “Book Club” comedy reunites Jane Fonda, Diane Keaton, Candice Bergen and Mary Steenburgen as lifelong friends who decide to celebrate the end of their zoom calls during the pandemic quarantine with a fun-filled trip to Tuscany.

“The travel ban has lifted! Let’s go to Italy.”

Chic, commitment-adverse hotelier Vivian (Fonda) has impetuously become engaged to her old flame, Arthur (Don Johnson), so the jaunt turns into an extravagant bachelorette party.

Having shuttered her restaurant, Chef Carol (Steenburgen) is worried about her husband Bruce (Craig T. Nelson) who recently suffered a heart attack. Still toting around the ashes of her dead husband, widowed Diane (Keaton) is now living with airline pilot Mitchell (Andy Garcia). And slyly satiric retired federal judge Sharon (Bergen) is still playing the field.

Mishaps in their wacky Italian adventure includes lost luggage, a flat tire, even a night in jail – after an extended shopping session in an opulent bridal salon.

Yet it’s not all Prosecco and gelato as they wine and dine their way through Rome and Venice with cinematographer Andrew Dunn capturing the lushly tantalizing travelogue.

Problem is: the sappy, stilted screenplay that’s been crafted by director/producer Bill Holderman and producer Erin Simms. These talented sightseers – along with flirtatious Giancarlo Giannini – deserve better than this briefly anecdotal fluff, filled with clichéd PG-13 double entendres.

On the Granger Gauge of 1 to 10, “Book Club: The Next Chapter” is a flighty, frenetic, fumbling 4, playing in theaters.

Susan Granger’s review of “Air” (Amazon Studios/Prime Video)

Confession: I knew nothing about Michael Jordan and his signature Nike sneakers before watching “Air,” recounting how Sonny Vaccaro convinced the then-rookie to sign a unique endorsement deal that changed the retail sports-apparel industry.

Insightfully scripted by newcomer Alex Convery and astutely directed by Ben Affleck (“Argo”), it’s really a sports fable, centered on the 1984 corporate culture at Nike headquarters in Beaverton, Oregon. Back then, Nike was known for its running shoes which had zero impact on fashion.

This underdog story begins as Nike’s basketball scout Sonny Vaccaro (Matt Damon) searches for the next player to promote the footwear brand – which, at that time, was far behind Adidas and Converse.

When he suddenly realizes that 18 year-old Michael Jordan, an NBA rookie from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, has superstar potential, Sonny faces major hurdles.

He must not only to convince CEO Phil Knight (Ben Affleck), marketing VP Rob Strasser (Jason Bateman), executive Howard White (Chris Tucker), and Michael’s abrasive agent, David Falk (Chris Messina), but primarily Michael’s shrewdly savvy mother Deloris (Viola Davis).

 “He doesn’t just wear the shoe,” Sonny proclaims. “He is the shoe. The shoe is him.”

“A shoe is just a shoe,” Deloris counters, “until my son steps into it.”

Cue Nike’s creative director Peter Moore (Matthew Maher), who actually designed and, perhaps, named the iconic Swoosh-adorned Air Jordan. (Moore died in April, 2022, just three weeks before filming began.)

Noted as part of the closing credits is how Sonny played a pivotal role in taking on the N.C.A.A. to help college athletes get paid for commercial use of their likenesses in 2009’s  O’Bannon case.

It’s a fortuitous reunion for Matt Damon and Ben Affleck, whose debut feature
“Good Will Hunting” (1998) won them a screenwriting Oscar. Just last year, they formed Artists Equity, a production company with a profit-sharing model to create better deals for everyone employed in making movies.

FYI: Julius Tennon, who plays Michael Jordan’s father, is Viola Davis’ real-life husband.

On the Granger Gauge of 1 to 10, “Air” is a scrappy, sneaker-driven 7, streaming on Prime Video.

Susan Granger’s review of “The Diplomat” (Netflix)

If you enjoyed watching Keri Russell in FXs “The Americans,” follow her as she switches sides as an insecure American Ambassador in Netflix’ “The Diplomat.”

Smart ‘n’ savvy Kate Wyler (Keri Russell) is a longtime Foreign Service officer, specializing delicate negotiations in the Middle East. Just as she’s about the leave for a new post in Kabul, she’s abruptly dispatched as Ambassador to the United Kingdom – taking up residence in Winfield House, near London’s Regent’s Park.

In the past, U.S. Ambassadors to England have not been career diplomats; instead, they’ve been big donors to whatever political party is in power, rewarded by serving in a primarily ceremonial job, filled with protocol and procedure.

But, suddenly, there’s an international incident – an attack on a British aircraft carrier – that requires Wyler’s expertise as a facilitator and, unbeknownst to her, she’s also being vetted as a potential Vice-Presidential candidate.

Perhaps a toxic thorn-in-her-side is Kate’s swaggering, manipulative husband, Hal Wyler (Rufus Sewell), who has also served as an Ambassador. In the past, as a tandem couple, Kate has assisted him; now it’s his turn to assist her – if he wants to stop their volatile, co-dependent marriage from unraveling.

The U.S. President (Michael McKean), his Chief of Staff (Nana Mensah) and the Secretary of State (Miguel Sandoval) need Kate to work with British Prime Minister Trowbridge (Rory Kinnear) and U.K. Foreign Secretary Austin Dennison (David Gyasi) to avoid a rapidly escalating conflict with Russia or Iran.

Coordinating the complicated mission is Kate’s deputy Stuart Hayford (Ato Essandoh) and CIA station chief Eidra Park (Ali Ahn), plus other bureaucrats. But everyone seems to have his/her own agenda.

Kudos to Debora Cahn (“West Wing,” “Homeland,” “Grey’s Anatomy”) who created this compelling series, filling it with provocative, often cheeky dialogue and surprising plot twists and turns. It’s already been renewed for Season #2.

FYI: While the exterior shots are of Winfield House, the interiors were shot at Wrotham Park in Hertfordshire, an estate that’s perhaps familiar from “Bridgerton,” “Downton Abbey,” and “The Crown.”

On the Granger Gauge of 1 to 10, “The Diplomat” is an engaging, explosive 8 – with all eight, hour-long episodes streaming on Netflix.