Category: Stu’s Reviews

Genre: TV Series     

Grade: B+

Notable People: Elizabeth Moss, Nicole Kidman, Ewan Leslie, Gwendoline Christie, Created by: Jane Campion and Gerard Lee

Title: Top of the Lake

Review:  Season one was in 2013 and season two came out five years later- dubbed “China Girl”. Idiosyncratic Australian mystery series in which the second season drifted away from the crispy told and compelling storylines of the first season. Moss is Moss-her roles are very similar, but very effective. Christie, who is remembered as the giant warrior woman from Game of Thrones, has a quite different turn here as a neurotic police constable. The story, surrounding illegal Asian child surrogates in Sydney, wanders a bit, but keeps you pretty enthralled to try and figure out what is going on. It’s a totally non macho, and very real life picture of how frail police can be and how out of control in their own lives. Not many laughs here, but well a done series from Down Under.

Genre: TV Series   

Grade: A-

Notable People: Olivia Coleman, Tobias Menzies, Helena Bonham Carter, Gillian Anderson, Emma Corrin, Created by: Peter Morgan

Title: The Crown

Review:  This quietly superb show amazingly just keeps getting better. The fourth season is a dynamo –with story lines covering the 70s-80s-inlcuding the IRA conflict, the Princess Di shebang and the Mrs. Thatcher years. Lots of turbulence, lots of sturm and drang, broken hearts, deep depression, eating disorders, massive cover-ups……………who knew? Anderson does an extraordinary turn as the pipe- up –her- ass, indomitable Margaret Thatcher. And, Corrin…don’t know where they found her…. but she is Dianna resurrected. And ………Coleman……well she is just top of the heap. Magnificent supporting cat and settings. Nice cameo by original early seasons Queen- the rapturous Claire Foy. We were riveted. What does the Queen think of this series?

Genre: TV Series      

Grade: A-

Notable People: Titus Welliver, Jamie Hector, Amy Acquino, Madison Lintz, Lance Reddick Created by: Michael Connelly

Title: Bosch

Review:  Connelly adapted this series from his own popular novels chronicling, the modern war vet turned homicide investigator in Los Angeles. This is left coast version of The Wire- or as close as it comes. Gritty in  its own La-La land sort of way. Reddick’s ‘s police chief is a 20 – year later continuation of his role on The Wire, and Hector does an amazing turnaround from his earlier role as the malevolent drug dealer, Marlo Stanfield, to Bosch’s steady, wise and trusted partner. The cast is generally superb, the shooting is very LA, the music is tries cool, and Welliver (as Bosch) really grows on you. At first, seemed like maybe he was a mediocre actor, but he’s really pretty subtle in this role….an unusually admirable character. The plots seem a bit twisted at times and hard to follow, but in the end work themselves out. This is a good show to dig into for ridin’ out Covid…coming season is unfortunately purported to be the last.

Genre: TV Series     

Grade: B+

Notable People: Chris Rock, Jessie Buckley, Jason Schwartzman, Jack Huston, Timothy Olyphant Created by: Matt Cameron and Belinda Chayko

Title: Fargo

Review:  the fourth installment season of this bizarre Coen Brothers film -turned TV series is not the best of the lot…. but major Coen-quirky. Rival African -American and Italian gangs fight for supremacy in 1950 Kansas City is the basic story, which is ok, but the characters are beyond weird. Buckley is on the all-Coen team and Huston is a riot as the OCD tic-laden dirty cop. Schwartzman and Rock seem pretty strange casting, though Rock pills it off pretty well. Schwartzman must just be an intended cosmic goof as a mob boss, from what I can tell. But, Salvatore Esposito, as his crazed off the boat brother, however, is worth the price of admission. Season is only seven episodes and the wrap up seemed both lost and deranged……but Coen watching is de riguer.

Genre: TV Series   

Grade: B+

Notable People: Ewan Leslie, Leeanna Waldman, Joel Jackson, Created by: Matt Cameron and Belinda Chayko

Title: Safe Harbor

Review:  A psychological thriller set in Brisbane revolves around a group of friends whose sailing holiday to Indonesia alters their lives forever after they come across a boat overloaded with asylum seekers. Beautifully filmed, tautly written, very suspenseful. Very nice ensemble cast. Two family’s lives turn upside down and role reverse left and right. Another country’s look at how immigration affects people. Well done Australian miniseries of only four episodes that can be viewed on Acorn TV or IMDB- accessed for a subscription fee through amazon Prime.

Genre: TV Series

Grade: B+

Notable People: Oliver Stone

Title: An Untold History of the United States

Review:  Stone is an absolutely brilliant filmmaker and no less so a documentarian. This 2012- twelve-part series is well worth watching given the times we have lived through for the last four years-and beyond. Stone is an avowed communist and that is reflected in his negative attitude towards what he sees as US imperialism and colonialism…..and a very soft spot for all things USSR. Despite that, this is an overwhelmingly informative, extraordinarily well put together and will blow your mind. The doc picks up between the world wars and goes through the Obama administration, leaving cloud of uncertainty and doubt in its wake. It will certainly make you rethink the Kennedy assassination, Truman’s; legacy, Gorbachev and the dismantling of the USSR and the impact of the atom bomb. We watched in small doses over dinner, which may be the best way to absorb such potent material.