APRIL 2020 - FILMS + TV (HOME VIEWING)

No cinema trips in the month obviously, and not too much in the way of TV enjoyed either surprisingly.

Several reasons for this ...... no.1 son popped home early March for a couple of days to celebrate his and one of his sister's birthdays and ended up staying six weeks. Before his return to The Netherlands yesterday, the remote control was glued to his hands which kind of kyboshed my input into what we might look at. Secondly, I'm not actually locked down. I've carried on working. My job is key apparently. If I told you what it was I might have to kill you..... probably by boring you to death.

Anyway..... four films and one TV show enjoyed

Quiz - ITV Drama series (2020)

A three episode dramatisation of the hoohah surrounding a million pound winner then loser of the ITV quiz show Who Wants to be a Millionaire? I quite liked this one, though I'm not totally convinced of Charles Ingram's guilt. Eye opening in places, particularly the manipulation behind the scenes to get people onto the show. Martin Sheen as Chris Tarrant and Matthew Macfadyen as Ingram were very good.

From Wikipedia......

Quiz tells the extraordinary and sensational story of how Charles Ingram, a former army major in the Royal Engineers, unexpectedly won the £1,000,000 jackpot on the quiz show Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? in 2001, followed by a criminal trial in which he and his wife were convicted of cheating their way to the success.

American Psycho (2000)

If I was asked to name the worst book I've ever read in my lifetime, American Psycho by Brett Easton Ellis would be in my top three easily. I wouldn't even have to think about it. The bar was set low for the film then, but I really enjoyed it. I do like Christian Bale.

From Google....

Patrick Bateman, a wealthy investment banker, hides his psychopathic ego from his friends. Later, his illogical fantasies escalate and he submits to an uncontrollable bloodlust.

The Brothers Grimsby (2016)

One my son selected and it was absolutely hilarious. I'm not Sacha Baron Cohen's biggest fan, but it was funny as fuck...... hilarious, gross, crude, and a bit of action. Not everyone's cup of tea and one even I wouldn't dare watch in front of my mum. Rebel Wilson, Penelope Cruz, Isla Fisher, Ian McShane and Mark Strong also feature.

From Google.....

Dimwitted Nobby (Sacha Baron Cohen) lives in an English fishing town with his loving girlfriend (Rebel Wilson) and nine children. For the last 28 years, he's been searching for his long-lost brother Sebastian (Mark Strong). When the two finally reunite, Nobby finds out that his sibling is a top MI6 agent who's just uncovered a sinister plot. Wrongfully accused and on the run, Sebastian now realizes that he needs Nobby's help to save the world and prove his innocence.

Spenser Confidential (2020)

I've seen this one slated by many on Facebook and Twitter but I really enjoyed it. I think I regarded it as a film in its own right without referencing it against the characters Robert B. Parker created in his books. Books I've read a lot of maybe twenty five years or so ago and really enjoyed before I got a bit tired of them.

From Wikipedia....

Spenser Confidential is a 2020 American action comedy film directed by Peter Berg and with a screenplay by Sean O'Keefe and Brian Helgeland. This film centers the plot of an ex-convict, former Boston police officer, whose task is to take down the Trinitario drug gang after two Boston officers were murdered. It is very loosely based on the novel Wonderland by Ace Atkins, and uses the names of characters created by Robert B. Parker, though the characters portrayed in this film have virtually no resemblance to the characters created by him. The film stars Mark Wahlberg, Winston Duke, Alan Arkin, Iliza Shlesinger, Bokeem Woodbine, Donald Cerrone, Marc Maron, and Austin Post and marks the fifth collaboration between Wahlberg and Berg after Lone Survivor, Deepwater Horizon, Patriots Day, and Mile 22.

The Meyerowitz Stories (2017)

Another one of my son's picks and I enjoyed it well enough - a bit of a family drama. I possibly wouldn't have paid so much attention if it hadn't starred Adam Sandler, Ben Stiller and Dustin Hoffman. Enjoyed but not as much as other films I've seen with all three actors .......eg, Dodgeball, Along Came Polly, Rain Man, The Wedding Singer

From Wikipedia....

The Meyerowitz Stories (New and Selected) is a 2017 American comedy-drama film directed and written by Noah Baumbach. The film stars Adam Sandler, Ben Stiller, Dustin Hoffman, Elizabeth Marvel and Emma Thompson, and follows a group of dysfunctional adult siblings trying to live in the shadow of their father.

The Meyerowitz Stories was selected to compete for the Palme d'Or in the main competition section and also won the Palm Dog award at the 2017 Cannes Film Festival. It received positive reviews from critics, who praised Baumbach's script and direction as well as the performances, with Sandler especially singled out for praise. It was released in theaters and on streaming by Netflix on October 13, 2017.