Movie/TV Reviews

Susan Granger’s review of “The Phoenician Scheme” (Focus Features)

 

When you watch a Wes Anderson film, you can expect a somewhat obtuse story, marked by a distant parental figure, witty dialogue, quirky criminals and arresting visuals. Some are hits – like “Bottle Rocket,” “Rushmore,” “The Royal Tenenbaums,” “The Darjeeling Limited,” “The Fantastic Mr. Fox,” & “The Grand Budapest Hotel” – others miss the mark – like “Isle of Dogs” and “Asteroid City.”

Featuring the tagline – “The story of a family and a family business” – “The Phoenician Scheme” falls in the latter category.

It’s a bizarre espionage comedy revolving around Anatole ‘Zsa-zsa’ Korda  (Benicio Del Toro), a ruthless 1950s European industrialist who – having recently survived a sixth assassination attempt –  is trying to heal his relationship with his estranged daughter Liesl (Mia Threapleton), who blames him for her mother’s death and is preparing to take vows as a Catholic nun.

Collaborating with screenwriter Roman Coppola, Anderson has said that part of the highly mannered, exploring-capitalism concept was inspired by his late Lebanese father-in-law Fouad Malouf – to whom the picture is dedicated.

As the elusive plot unfolds, Zsa-zsa retrieves shoeboxes containing blueprints for complex public works projects in Modern Greater Independent Phoenicia. Key players involved in this scheme are Bjorn Lund (Michael Cera), a Norwegian entomologist, along with Phoenician Crown Prince Farouk (Riz Ahmed) and basketball-playing brothers Leland (Tom Hanks) and Reagan (Bryan Cranston).

Plus there’s Zsa-zsa’s cousin Hilda (Scarlett Johansson), his duplicitous brother Nubar (Benedict Cumberbatch), American shipping tycoon Marty (Jeffrey Wright) and other eccentric characters played by F. Murray Abraham, Matthew Amalric, Richard Ayoade, Willem Dafoe, Hope Davis, Rupert Friend, Charlotte Gainsboug and Bill Murray as God.

Clever production design – marked by fixated symmetry – is a key component thanks to Adam Stockhausen, who borrowed authentic Renoir and Magritte masterpieces, duly registered by cinematographer Bruno Delbonnel.

FYI: 24-year-old Mia Threapleton is Kate Winslet’s real-life daughter and Zsa-zsa’s name is probably derived from Hungarian femme fatale Zsa-Zsa Gabor and the film-making Korda brothers: Alexander, Vincent & Zoltan.

On the Granger Gauge of 1 to 10, “The Phoenician Scheme” is a forgettable, star-studded, idiosyncratic 6, playing in theaters.

 

Susan Granger’s review of “La Palma” (Netflix)

 

With the recent eruption of Mt. Etna in Sicily in the news, it’s a good time to discover “La Palma,” a four-part series on Netflix, revolving around a Norwegian family who travel to that Spanish landmass, part of the Canary Islands, to bask in the sun during the Christmas holiday.

Actually, the disaster drama begins even before Fredrik (Anders Baasmo), Jennifer (Ingrid Bolsa Berdal) and their children – Sara (Alma Gunther) and Tobias (Barnard Storm Lager) – arrive just as some tourists die near La Palma’s Bonita Beach in a bizarre boating accident.

When Director Alvaro (Jorge de Juan) of the La Palma Geological Institute hears that news, he immediately suspects that Mother Nature might be planning something big. The last time La Palma’s Cumbre Vieja volcano erupted in 1949, a huge fault line formed at the base.

 “If the volcano erupts, a mountain mass the size of Manhattan might erupt into the sea and cause the largest tsunami the world has ever seen,” he warns.

Meanwhile, a young geologist, Marie Ekdal (Thea Sofia Loch Naess), realizes that the instruments she put in a cave inside the mountain have stopped sending data. So she recruits crotchety Haukur (Olafur Darri Olafsson), a veteran geologist, to join her, going into the cave to investigate.

When they get inside, they find water running down the walls – a strange phenomenon that was not occurring when Marie installed the instruments. There’s also a massive crack in the ceiling of the cave which might signal an impending eruption.

So the plot pivots around the question: Will the scientists and the Norwegian family be able to escape the avalanche of ash, gas and lava as they fight for their lives?

Scripted by Lara Gudmestad & Rosenlow Eeg and directed by Kaspar Barfoed, the acting and overdubbing are mediocre and the conclusion is rather predictable. On the other hand, it’s remarkably timely and strangely compelling.

In Norwegian & Spanish, on the Granger Gauge of 1 to 10, “La Palma” is a binge-worthy 6 – with all episodes streaming on Netflix.

Susan Granger’s review of “Your Friends and Neighbors” (Apple TV+)

 

“Mad Men” alum Jon Hamm’s new, nine-episode series “Your Friends and Neighbors” could be subtitled “Lifestyles of the Rich and Miserable.”

As the dark crime caper begins, Andrew “Coop” Cooper (Hamm) is a charming-if-cynical hedge fund executive who gets fired. Adding insult to injury, his wife Mel (Amanda Peet) is having an affair with his best-friend Nick Brandes (Mark Tallman), an NBA legend who has, literally, moved into Coop’s former McMansion.

Disgraced and divorced, aspirational Coop drives around the elite, insulated suburb known as Westmont Village, gazing at his affluent neighbors’ ostentatious display of wealth. That’s when he decides to become a thief.

His first heist involves a Richard Mille Felipe Massa wristwatch, valued at $225,000, followed by a Hermes Birkin bag, worth $50,000. But then larcenous Coop has to ‘fence’ these luxury items, which brings him into the criminal underworld realm of tough pawn-shop owner Lu (Randy Danson).

Meanwhile, Coop moves into a rental home with his mentally unstable, bipolar musician sister Ali (Lena Hall); begins a casual, inevitably ill-fated affair with Mel’s pal, soon-to-be-divorced Samantha Levitt (Olivia Munn); and teams up with his former housekeeper Elena (Aimee Carrero) to acquire more ‘stuff.’

While rummaging through their houses, sampling rare wines like a Domaine d’Auvenay Chevalier-Montrachet Grand Cru, now-emboldened, judgmental Coop not only discovers his neighbors’ nasty secrets but also finds himself implicated in a gruesome murder as the suspense-filled plot evolves into a whodunit.

Created by Jonathan Tropper, it’s somewhat reminiscent of John Cheever’s short story “The Swimmer” which was made into a 1968 movie in which Burt Lancaster swims across his nouveau riche Connecticut neighbors’ pools, puncturing the façade of their lives.

Successful novelist-turned-screenwriter/director/producer/showrunner Tropper seems fascinated by the contemporary concept of how one can have-it-all one moment and lose-it-all the next.

On the Granger Gauge of 1 to 10, “Your Friends and Neighbors” is an intriguing, entertaining 8, streaming on Apple TV+ and renewed for a second season.

Susan Granger’s review of “Locked” (The Avenue/Prime Video)

 

With the release of “Saw” (2004), fans of the low-budget horror genre were introduced to a new premise, one that was even more terrifying because of its believability. Now, “Locked” follows in its footsteps.

Sleazy, selfish Eddie Barrish (Bill Skarsgard) is a petty thief, deadbeat dad who often forgets to pick up his daughter Sarah (Ashley Cartwright) from school and is perpetually behind on child support payments to his estranged wife.

Working as a driver, he’s $500 short to get his old delivery van back from the garage mechanic who installed a new alternator – when he spots a black luxury SUV in a remote parking lot.  Hoping to find cash, perhaps in the glove compartment, he’s stunned to find the car unlocked.

Surreptitiously slipping inside for a quick search, Eddie suddenly realizes that he can’t get out. The car is soundproofed and the windows are tinted so no one can see him. Squirming in panic and desperation, he lacerates his arm while trying to pry off a door panel and – firing his gun at the bulletproof glass – he accidently shoots himself in the leg.

Suddenly, the Bluetooth phone rings. It’s William (Anthony Hopkins), the car’s owner, who is obviously watching via the vehicle’s surveillance cameras from a nearby building. Eddie is the seventh thief who has broken into the car, and self-righteous, sadistic William is determined to teach him a lesson.

“I set a trap, and you took the bait, Simple as that,” William explains. “You couldn’t resist and now you’re mine to do with as I please.”

Whining and whimpering, Eddie pleads and cajoles – before passing out from blood loss. When he awakens, his wounds have been cleaned and bandaged. Apparently, William is a doctor, so the psychological tormenting and torturing of trapped Eddie continues.

Remaking the 2019 Argentinian thriller “4×4,” screenwriter Michael Arlen Ross and director David Yaroevsky strike a timely note regarding ‘accountability’ but their attempts to arouse empathy for abrasive Eddie seem superficial and shallow.

FYI : William’s vehicle is a one-of-a-kind Dolus, a custom-built Land Rover Defender-based SUV, costing $1.3 million.

On the Granger Gauge of 1 to 10, “Locked” is a claustrophobic, character-centric 3, streaming on Prime Video.

Susan Granger’s review of “Nonnas” (Netflix)

 

Feel-good films are few and far-between these days, so discovering “Nonnas” was an unexpected delight. “Nonnas” was inspired by the true story of Jody Scaravella who, after the death of his mother, opened a restaurant called Enoteca Maria.

Always captivated by watching his Italian mother and grandmother (‘nonna’)  in the kitchen, the words of comfort that touched inconsolable Joey (Vince Vaughn) the most were: “You need to feed your grief. It’s your only way through.”

Which explains why….A middle-aged M.T.A. mechanic living in Brooklyn, Joey knew nothing about opening and running a restaurant when he impulsively bought the run-down Staten Island property in 2007 and recruited four elderly ‘nonnas’ to cook authentic, traditional Italian dishes.

Passionate about preserving their cultural heritage as part of their legacy, Roberta (Lorraine Bracco) a prickly Sicilian, perpetually bickers with sassy Antonella (Brenda Vaccaro), whose family came from Bologna and whose daughter Olivia (Linda Cardellini) Joey dated years ago.

After leaving the convent, former nun Teresa (Talia Shire) is looking to reinvent her life, and beautician/breast cancer survivor Gia (Susan Sarandon) loves baking pastries. Perpetually underappreciated, all four are supportive of one another and eager to go to work, embarking on this new adventure, proving that expertise has no age limit.

So – undaunted by a series of obstacles – like finances, building inspection permits and lack of customers – Joey relentlessly pursues his dream, assisted by his best friend Bruno (Joe Manganiello) and his wife Stella (Drea de Matteo).

Campbell Scott delivers a memorable cameo as an elusive food critic. And you can glimpse the ‘real’ Scaravella in the crowded dining room sequence with his ‘real’ pal Bruno.

Scripted by Liz Maccie and directed by her husband Stephen Chbosky, it’s an intergenerational testament to temerity and tenacity, since Enoteca Maria is still thriving almost two decades later and ‘capuzzelle’ (the stuffed lamb’s head dish) remains on the menu.

On the Granger Gauge of 1 to 10, “Nonnas” is a nostalgic, compassionate 7, streaming on Netflix.

Susan Granger’s review of “Sirens” (Netflix)

 

“Let me tell you about the very rich. They are different from you and me. They possess and enjoy early, and it does something to them, makes them soft where we are hard, and cynical where we are trustful, in a way that, unless you were born rich, it is very difficult to understand. They think, deep in their hearts, that they are better than we are because we had to discover the compensations and refuges of life for ourselves. Even when they enter deep into our world or sink below us, they still think that they are better than we are. They are different. ”

? F. Scott Fitzgerald

Molly Smith Metzler must have been familiar with Fitzgerald’s description because it matches hers in in Netflix’s new, five-part miniseries “Sirens,” alluding to Greek mythology in which sea monsters/mermaids lured sailors to their death.

Her story begins with wealthy ethereal socialite Michaela “Kiki” Kell (Julianne Moore) standing on the edge of a cliff, releasing a falcon into freedom. At the same time, Devon DeWitt (Meghann Fahy) is getting out of jail in Buffalo, New York.

Devon is exhausted caring for her widower father Bruce (Bill Camp) who suffers from dementia. So she hops a ferry to an unnamed sanctuary off the coast of Rhode Island and makes her way to the palatial clapboard beachfront estate known as Cliff House where her estranged younger sister Simone (Milly Alcock) – having survived a traumatic childhood – now works as Kiki’s personal assistant.

Kiki lives a lavish life of luxury with a devoted staff catering to her every whim, and Simone is caught in her Lilly Pulitzer-pastel-clad web of seduction. While Devon attempts an intervention, she’s no match for manipulative Kiki, although she does befriend Peter (Kevin Bacon), Kiki’s hedge-fund billionaire husband.

It’s Labor Day weekend and the annual ‘raptor conservation’ charity Gala, so Simone is busy passing along controlling Kiki’s mercurial orders to the beleaguered servants (Felix Solis. Lauren Weedman, Britne Oxford).

Meanwhile, Devon discovers that Simone’s romantically involved with the playboy-next- door (Glenn Howerton) and ignites her own flirtation with a yacht captain – much to the chagrin of her married boss/lover who follows her to the island with perpetually confused Bruce in tow.

On the Granger Gauge of 1 to 10, “Sirens” is a satirical, suspenseful 7 – with a twist ending that may surprise you. All five episodes are now streaming on Netflix.

Susan Granger’s review of “Mission Impossible: Final Reckoning” (Paramount Pictures/Skydance)

 

“Mission Impossible: Final Reckoning” is a compelling action-adventure thriller that grips you from the getgo and propels your adrenaline for almost three hours.

To recap: “Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning” (2023) concluded with Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) and his rogue, London-based Impossible Missions Force (IMF)  (Ving Rhames, Simon Pegg, Hayley Atwell, Pom Klementieff, Greg Tarzan Davis) trying to stop an artificial intelligence Entity that’s conquered cyberspace and is ready to obliterate Earth with nuclear domination.

Since then, Ethan’s been off-the-grid until his former CIA boss – now President of the United States Erika Sloane (Angela Bassett) – summons him back because he’s in possession of the “cruciform key” which unlocks the Entity’s source code that’s hidden in a device called the Podkova, which went missing when the Russian submarine Sevastapol sank 500 feet under the Arctic ice in the Bering Sea.

Doing his best to stop Hunt is treacherous terrorist Gabriel (Esai Morales) – and in order to accomplish his covert mission, Ethan must cope with doubtful government/military officials (Henry Czerny, Janet McTeer, Tramell Tillman, Hannah Waddingham, Shea Whigham, Nick Offernan).

Regarding daredevil Tom Cruise’s death-defying stunts….In addition to numerous pulse-pounding foot sprints and car pursuits, there’s an extended underwater sequence and an eye-popping South Africa-set aerial chase that involves Ethan doing aerobatics, jumping from one vintage biplane to another – flying at 10,000 feet.

Sketchily scripted by director Christopher McQuarrie and co-writer Erik Jendresen, its crazy, overly convoluted plot, punctuated with dour expository dialogue, combines high-tech espionage with stunning stunts, peppered with existential nostalgic flashbacks, beginning with Bruce Geller’s TV series that introduced Lalo Schifrin’s memorable musical theme.

One of the pivotal characters, CIA analyst William Donloe  (Rolf Saxon), first appeared in Brian De Palma’s franchise-launching 1996 ” Mission Impossible”; now – in this callback – exiled Donloe lives with his Inuk wife Tapesa (Lucy Tulugarjuk) on icy St. Matthew Island.

Kudos to cinematographer Fraser Taggart and – most of all – indefatigable Tom Cruise. Although rumors are rampant that this – the eighth “Mission Impossible” – is his last: Never say never.

Full Disclosure: My son – Don Granger – is one of the producers.

On the Granger Gauge of 1 to 10, “Mission Impossible: Final Reckoning” is an enthralling, exciting, escapist 8 – playing in theaters.

Susan Granger’s review of “Death of a Unicorn” (A24)

 

Judging by its outlandish subject matter, I expected writer/director Alex Scharfman’s “Death of a Unicorn” to – at the very least – be an intriguing fantasy/satire. Instead it’s astoundingly awful!

As widower Elliot (Paul Rudd), a mild-mannered corporate compliance lawyer, and his angsty Gen-Z daughter Ridley (Jenny Ortega) are driving through a remote Canadian wilderness preserve to visit the estate of his billionaire boss, they accidentally hit a young unicorn.

Rushing to its side, traumatized Ridley touches its glowing horn, establishing a spiritual connection that momentarily transports her mind into a psychedelic kaleidoscope – and, incidentally, also clearing up her acne – while terrified Elliot wields a tire iron to beat the suffering creature out of its obvious misery.

Unsure of what to do with the carcass, they toss it in the trunk of their rental SUV, only to subsequently realize – to their horror – that it’s far from dead.

Nervous Elliot works for critically-ill Odell Leopold (Richard E. Grant), head of a ruthlessly powerful pharmaceutical family (perhaps inspired by Big Pharma’s notorious Sacklers) who live in a castle-like fortress, protected by armed guards.

When Odell’s delusional  wife Belinda (Tea Leoni) and drug-addicted son Shepard (Will Poulter) realize the radiant unicorn horn’s regenerative properties, they’re determined to exploit and monetize the mythical beast, aided by their staff (Jessica Hynes, Anthony Carrigan) and researchers (Sunita Mani, Stephen Park)..

Meanwhile, horrified Ridley recalls an art history visit with her late mother to the Cloisters annex of New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art, where they viewed a series of unicorn tapestries; in medieval times, the majestic unicorn was associated with the resurrection of Christ.

The overly complicated conflict then descends into predictably tedious mayhem with R-rated graphic gore revolving around monstrous CGI creatures whose shaggy heads resemble donkeys more than horses.

On the Granger Gauge of 1 to 10, “Death of a Unicorn” is an absurdist 2, streaming on Amazon Prime Video and Apple TV.

Susan Granger’s review of “The Four Seasons” (Universal Television/Netflix)

 

Comedienne Tina Fey co-wrote and co-stars in “The Four Seasons,” her first series since NBC’s “30 Rock.”  It’s an update of Alan Alda’s 1981movie about six friends – three middle-aged couples – who meet up for quarterly getaways.

There’s edgy Kate (Fey) & amiable Jack (Will Forte), coolly cynical Danny (Colman Domingo) & his clingy Italian partner Claude (Marco Calvani), and unsuspecting Anne (Kerri Kenny-Silver) & discontented Nick (Steve Carell).

Problem is: at a spring gathering at their lake house, it quickly becomes obvious that Nick wants to divorce Anne just as they’re about to celebrate 25 years of marriage. His decision inevitably throws the dynamic and ‘happiness’ status all the other matrimonial relationships into question.

Not only does Nick subsequently dump hapless Anne but he also quickly takes up with an adventurous 32 year-old dental hygienist, Ginny (Erika Henningsen), whom his friends are slow to welcome, particularly when she books their summer vacation at a no-frills Caribbean eco-beach resort where they’re ensconced in yurts.

In the fall, it’s off to an angst-riddled Parents Weekend at Vassar College where most of the group first met – and where Kate & Jack’s daughter and Anne & Nick’s daughter are currently enrolled.

Winter centers on New Year’s Eve, when conflicted Nick feels awkward celebrating with Ginny and her youthful, vegan friends while his longtime chums hang out at a ski chalet where Anne introduces her new guitar-toting beau.

This series continues Tina Fey’s comedic cycle that started with traumatic teenage aggression (“Mean Girls”), growing into the relational constriction of young adulthood (“Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt”), followed by workplace dilemmas (“30 Rock), and now the repetitive dissatisfaction of aging empty-nesters who are forced to confront mortality.

FYI: Alan Alda appears in a cameo in episode #2.

On the Granger Gauge of 1 to 10, “The Four Seasons” is a sitcom 6. All eight half-hour episodes are now streaming on Netflix, and it’s been renewed for a second season.

Susan Granger’s review of “The Studio” (Lionsgate TV & Apple TV+)

 

Ever wanted to sneak behind-closed-doors and see what propels the Hollywood Dream Machine? That’s what happens in the cameo-cluttered, 10-episode satire “The Studio,” skewering the perennial Art-vs-Commerce dilemma.

When delusional dreamer Matt Remick (co-creator Seth Rogen) becomes the head of Continental Studios , he’s told by CEO Griffin Mill (Bryan Cranston) that his job is to make IP-driven movies that will succeed at the box-office, not “artsy-fartsy films.”

Problem is: pretentious cinephile Matt thinks he can do both – only to encounter obstacles from his resentful, ousted predecessor/mentor Patty Leigh (Catherine O’Hara), money-hungry marketing guru Maya Mason (Kathryn Hahn), coke-sniffing best friend/VP of Production Sal Saperstein (Ike Barinholtz), and assistant-turned-creative exec Quinn Hackett (Chase Sui Wonders).

“I got into this business because I love movies,” Matt tells Patty, “but now I have this fear that my job is to ruin them.”

Spurred by the “Barbie” box-office bonanza, one of Matt’s first projects involves creating an origin story for the Kool-Aid Man. (Apparently, that was loosely inspired by Rogen and his partner Evan Goldberg’s eviscerating experiences with Sony, creating the political parody “The Interview” which eventually imploded.)

What distinguishes this screwball show are the guests – Martin Scorsese, Ron Howard, Zoe Kravitz, Steve Buscemi, Charlize Theron, Zac Efron, Ice Cube, Sarah Polley, Anthony Mackie, Greta Lee & Olivia Wilde, among others – playing exaggerated versions of themselves.

Martin Scorsese’s segment finds the Oscar-winning director pitching a story about Jonestown:  “Isn’t that the massacre where everyone commits suicide by drinking Koo-Aid?”  Eventually, Scorsese dismisses Matt as a “talentless, spineless suit.”

Obviously, the more you know about the treacherous machinations & maneuvering in contemporary Hollywood, the easier the caricatures are to identify – like Patty, who probably traces her real-life lineage to former Sony chief Amy Pascal, the exec who green-lit Rogen’s ‘Superbad,” “Pineapple Express” & “This Is the End.”

Bran Cranston’s character Griffin Mill is named after Tim Robbins’ ambitious studio head in Robert Altman’s  Hollywood send-up “The Player” (1992) – and in tribute to that film, almost every scene is done in a single long ‘take.’  

There’s a humiliating night at the Golden Globes and the two-part conclusion is aptly set at CinemaCon in Las Vegas.

On the Granger Gauge of 1 to 10, “The Studio” is a farcical, cynical, perceptive 8 – streaming on Apple TV+ and renewed for a second season.