Netflix Offers Up the World with SPACEMAN

 

Jeri Jacquin

Currently streaming on Netflix from director Johan Renck based on Spaceman of Bohemia by Jaroslav Kalfar is the story of the loneliest SPACEMAN.

Commander Jakub Prochazka (Adam Sandler) is a Czech astronaut on a space mission to learn more about the intergalactic dust around Venus. At home is his wife Lenka (Carey Mulligan) who he waits to hear from daily. Commissioner Tuma (Isabella Rossellini) monitors all of the incoming and outgoing messages of the couple and when a serious one is received, Tuma decides that Jakub should not know about it. Sending their astronaut out to do what other countries would not, Tuma is not going to jeopardize it all.

Everyone notices that Jakub is having a hard time but he tries to continue with a daily routine maintaining the ship. Then something strange happens inside the capsule. Jakub discovers there is another passenger on the ship and is stunned that mission control does not see it on the cameras. Coming to terms with his all-out fear, Jakub now becomes curious as the creature lets him know that it is curious about the spaceman’s humanity, loneliness and Lenka.

Getting to understand one another, Jakub names the creature Hanus (Paul Dano) and another journey begins, one of emotions and understanding. A strange friendship is happening on the way to Chopra cloud. Jakub begins to understand his life and the wonders of it all through the eyes of an unusual friend.

We should all be so lucky.

Sandler as Jakub is a man wanting to fulfill his mission to Venus but in the process, he breaks a promise to wife Lenka. That is something that not only causes his marriage to be in jeopardy but is a sore subject when Hanus brings it up time and again. This is a Sandler we haven’t seen before but it’s a perfect time for him to arrive at this point in space. He gives us a performance where he carries not only the film but the emotion that won’t let us rest until the very end – and probably farther if I’m being honest.

Mulligan as Lenka is not happy about Jakub’s decision to take the mission because of a promise he made to her. Upset, the message she sends is something Hanus is curious about what she is feeling and going through. Mulligan gives us a woman going through her own emotional process of wanting the life she loved and the life Jakub is confined her to by his space journey.

I am giving such a serious shout out to Paul Dano as Hanus. His voice is soothing and non-threatening even when his character is calling out Jakub’s flaws. Wrapped up in this creature’s body, there is one scene where listening to him talk about the beginning and ending of everything is soulful, tearful and so beautiful I don’t believe I will ever forget it.

Other cast include Kunal Nayyar as Peter and Lena Olin as Zdena.

Netflix is the world's leading streaming entertainment service with over 158 million paid memberships in over 190 countries. Enjoying TV series, documentaries and feature films, Netflix is across a wide variety of genres and languages. Members can watch as much as they want, anytime, anywhere and on any internet-connected screen. For more information, please visit www.netflix.com.

If you are looking for the wise-cracking comedic Adam Sandler then you are looking at the wrong film. This film is a deep, intense story of a man who had to go in the deepest darkest place in space to find beauty and the answers of his life. Sandler is absolutely stunning in this role as a man who befriends a creature as they teach and learn from one another.

I must tell you that tissue is a must because the story of a man in space and a wife on earth that every scene will complete gut you. There are scenes where Sandler just completely emotionally eviscerates to the point of physical pain in the chest – at least for me. There is also intensity with the relationship between Jakub and Hanus until the very last frame and I am here for every second.

The space cinematography is, pardon the pun, stellar, so colorful and moving. There is an such emotion attached to seeing the beauty in space and Sandler brings it up close and personal to us with his reaction. I got to give it to the character of Hanus and Dano’s voice when he speaks once they get to the dust near Venus.

This is a complete journey and nothing one would expect but everything a film lover would want from this unexpected space story. When a film can move, delight, surprise and keep us talking after – now that’s a film that should have been in theatres but I’m thrilled I experienced it in the comfort of my own home (so no one could see me teary eyed!).

In the end – they are on the doorstep of the universe!

 

PROMISING YOUNG WOMAN is Brilliant on Bluray

 

Jeri Jacquin

Coming to Bluray and Digital from director Emerald Fennell and Focus Features is the story of a woman on a mission away from being a PROMISING YOUNG WOMAN.

Cassie (Carey Mulligan) works in a coffee shop with Gail (Laverne Cox) and is content with that. Living at home with her parents Susan (Jennifer Coolidge) and Stanley (Clancy Brown) can be a bit contentious at times. Dropping out of medical school does not help Cassie but after her friend Nina was raped, it became clear that the affect it has had on Cassie is extreme.

Her evening hours are spent at bars picking up strangers and then putting a notation down in a book. That is until meeting Ryan Cooper (Bo Burnham), a pediatric doctor who remembers Cassie from medical school. Not wanting to get serious with anyone, Cassie does not want to be distracted from her goal.

But, finding someone who makes her laugh and spend time with has made Cassie a bit softer but no less determined. One of her visits to talk about Nina is to Dean Elizabeth Walker (Connie Britton) and remind her of what happened to her friend. Dean Walker is given a dose of reality as Cassie makes it clear that she has not forgotten what happened.

When Cassie begins to put even more of the pieces of Nina night together and discovers that the horror is more than she could have possibly imagined. She knows there is only one thing left to do and they are never going to see it coming – none of them.

Mulligan as Cassie is completely and unequivocally stunning in this role. From the moment the story begins there is something about Cassie that you can not take your eyes off of. Clearly, she is a woman who has been through something tragic and it has had a lasting impact on her. There are moments she seems checked out of everything and then she becomes laser focused on the only thing she understands – making others pay for how she feels. Mulligan is just brilliant to the point where I watched the film a second time, that is how incredible she is.

Burnham as Ryan is the calm in the midst of Cassie’s emotional storm. He makes her laugh, does not judge what she has been through and tries to bring her some happiness in her life. Remembering Cassie from medical school, their friendship blossoms and Burnham gives us hope that good guys do exist. Britton as Dean Walker is someone Cassie is not going to forget or let get away with what she pretends not to know.

Shout out to Coolidge as Mom Susan and Brown as Stanley who, as parents, just do not seem to understand their daughter and the choices she has made. Cox as Gail shows up on the screen with her beautiful self, brought sarcasm along for the ride and does it so damn well.

Other cast include Chris Lowell as Al Monroe, Adam Brody as Jerry, Max Greenfield as Joe, Christopher Mintz-Plasse as Neil, Sam Richardson as Paul, Alfred Molina as Jordan, Angela Zhou as Todd and Molly Shannon as Mrs. Fisher.    

Universal Pictures Home Entertainment has just added an amazing film to their library and making it available for us to all experience and re-experience in our own home theaters. There are films of every genre available from scary to drama to family films. For more of what they have to offer please visit www.uphe.com.

MOVIES ANYWHERE gives viewers the ability to download the Movies Anywhere App. With that you can view films by downloading or streaming to your favorite device using a Digital Code. For more information on Movies Anywhere please visit www.MoviesAnywhere.com.

The Bluray, DVD and Digital Bonus Features Include: A Promising Vision -Writer/Director Emerald Fennell discusses her inspirations for writing this bold, genre-bending film, Two-Sided Transformation – A look at why Carey Mulligan was the perfect choice to play “Cassie” and how filmmakers used wardrobe, hair, and makeup to express the balance between light and dark.

Also, Balancing Act – Cast members discuss their unexpected reactions to the careful balance of levity and tragedy in director Emerald Fennell’s take on female revenge, and Feature Commentary with Writer/Direction Emerald Fennell.

PROMISING YOUNG WOMAN is a film that deserves award after award for several reasons. First and foremost is Mulligan’s engrossing performance down to the last frame of the film. It has been a while since I invested so much into a film only to be shocked by the final ten minutes.

Second, a screenplay that does not hold back in its feeling and that includes revenge, fear, love and a deep friendship. A character like Cassie has layer upon layer and the way the story is told brings an unpredictability that I thoroughly enjoyed. It brings about a rollercoaster with deeps valleys and high highs and anyone watching will be more than happy to take the ride.

Finally, this has been a year where good films are few and far between with a pandemic keeping theatres mainly closed. It is my hope that everyone has a chance to see PROMISING YOUNG WOMAN in whatever platform they can because this is definetly a film you do not want to miss.

Hear that Oscar?

In the end – revenge never looked so promising!

 

 

Netflix Uncovers with THE DIG

 

Jeri Jacquin

Currently on Netflix from director Simon Stone is a story based on true events when two people believe in everything under THE DIG.

Edith Pretty (Carey Mulligan) is a widow with young son Robert (Archie Barnes) living on the large Sutton Hoo estate in 1938 right before the war. Edith has noticed mounds scattered in a far-off field on the property and calls in Basil Brown (Ralph Fiennes) to come and give his opinion as to what they might be.  Brown is a man who has spent his life excavating being a self-taught archaeologist and receiving little notice for his work.

Immediately he begins work and Edith brings in her cousin Rory (Johnny Flynn) to help with the dig and take pictures of what is uncovered. The word gets out and Charles Phillips (Ken Stott) shows up with takes the work away from Brown. Phillips brings in John (Eamon Farren), Stuart Piggott (Ben Chaplin) and wife Peggy (Lily James) to work on the dig putting Brown on dirt detail.

Furious over his work being trampled on, Brown goes to Edith only to discover that she does not look well and not up to an argument. Deciding he can not longer be a part of what is happening, he packs up and goes home to wife May (Monica Dolan). It is young Robert who reminds Brown of a promise and May who remind him of why he has spent years digging for history.

Each day that they dig and uncover the biggest find as Edith makes sure the museum understand who it all belongs to. The war looms constantly until it can no longer be ignored. Now Brown must do what he can to save the site from being destroyed by the war to come.

Mulligan as Edith is a fragile woman, but she has an insight regarding the mounds on her property. Asking Brown to come investigate, Mulligan brings dignity and grace to her character as well as a belief that there is something wonderful waiting to be found and wants to be a part of it from start to finish. The on-screen chemistry between Mulligan and Fiennes is extraordinary.

Fiennes as Brown is a man of few words and a lot of action. From the moment the shovel hits the dirt, Fiennes knows he is looking for something special. Getting to know Edith and Robert makes his work more enjoyable because they shared this experience one shovel at a time. Fiennes’ character is a man of dedication but also someone who believes the past is meant to be found by a chosen few.

James as Peggy is a woman who is chosen to help with the excavation more because of her weight and being Piggott’s wife than anything else. Chaplin as Piggott has issues of his own that are affecting his marriage. Flynn as Rory is a wonderful family member who becomes just as excited about the dig as Edith and helps document it.

Barnes as young Robert is dealing with the death of a father, the illness of a mother and the responsibility he feels for it all. The excavation gives him an adventure of a lifetime. Dolan as May understands her husband and although he spends a lot of time away on digs, she supports everything he does and Dolan is so darn cute.

Other cast include Danny Webb as John Grateley, Robert Wilfort as Billy Lyons, James Dryden as George Spooner, Joe Hurst as John Jacobs, Paul Ready as James Moir, Peter McDonald as Guy Maynard, Ellie Piercy as Mrs. Lyons, Bronwyn James as Ellen McKenzie and Monica Dolan as May Brown.

Netflix is the world's leading streaming entertainment service with over 158 million paid memberships in over 190 countries. Enjoying TV series, documentaries and feature films, Netflix is across a wide variety of genres and languages. Members can watch as much as they want, anytime, anywhere and on any internet-connected screen. For more information, please visit www.netflix.com.

THE DIG is an amazing story of the historical excavation of Sutton Hoo in 1938 and based on the 2007 novel The Dig by John Preston. The mounds, once excavated, were dated from the 6^th to 7^th centuries. It is believed that King Raedwald of East Anglia was buried with the ship in the early Anglo-Saxon era of time which is present day Norfolk or Suffolk.

Beautiful treasures were unearthed at Sutton Hoo with metalworks, gold, shield and sword. The area of Sutton Hoo has buried a rich history and with more mounds waiting to be unearthed. Bringing Edith Pretty and Basil Brown to the forefront of the story is not only about time but means there is more history to be shared and told.

Mulligan and Fiennes are amazing together in this film because of their characters mutual love of discovery. When they are on screen together, it is something to behold bringing Edith and Basil’s story full circle. Edith for her generosity and Brown’s contribution to discovering and protecting the discovery at Sutton Hoo.

The cinematography is striking and adds to the authenticity of the vision and tale director Stone is trying to convey. As a fan of all-things history, the scenes of the dig are wonderful and believable. This film takes the viewer on an amazing journey of discovery, not just of archeology but of the lives of those who believed in something great than themselves.

In the end – nothing stays lost forever!

A PROMISING YOUNG WOMAN

 

Jeri Jacquin

Coming from director Emerald Fennell and Focus Features is the story of a woman on a mission away from being a PROMISING YOUNG WOMAN.

Cassie (Carey Mulligan) works in a coffee shop with Gail (Laverne Cox) and is content with that. Living at home with her parents Susan (Jennifer Coolidge) and Stanley (Clancy Brown) can be a bit contentious at times. Dropping out of medical school does not help Cassie but after her friend Nina was raped, it became clear that the affect it has had on Cassie is extreme.

Her evening hours are spent at bars picking up strangers and then putting a notation down in a book. That is until meeting Ryan Cooper (Bo Burnham), a pediatric doctor who remembers Cassie from medical school. Not wanting to get serious with anyone, Cassie does not want to be distracted from her goal.

But, finding someone who makes her laugh and spend time with has made Cassie a bit softer but no less determined. One of her visits to talk about Nina is to Dean Elizabeth Walker (Connie Britton) and remind her of what happened to her friend. Dean Walker is given a dose of reality as Cassie makes it clear that she has not forgotten what happened.

When Cassie begins to put even more of the pieces of Nina night together and discovers that the horror is more than she could have possibly imagined. She knows there is only one thing left to do and they are never going to see it coming – none of them.

Mulligan as Cassie is completely and unequivocally stunning in this role. From the moment the story begins there is something about Cassie that you can not take your eyes off of. Clearly, she is a woman who has been through something tragic and it has had a lasting impact on her. There are moments she seems checked out of everything and then she becomes laser focused on the only thing she understands – making others pay for how she feels. Mulligan is just brilliant to the point where I watched the film a second time, that is how incredible she is.

Burnham as Ryan is the calm in the midst of Cassie’s emotional storm. He makes her laugh, does not judge what she has been through and tries to bring her some happiness in her life. Remembering Cassie from medical school, their friendship blossoms and Burnham gives us hope that good guys do exist. Britton as Dean Walker is someone Cassie is not going to forget or let get away with what she pretends not to know.

Shout out to Coolidge as Mom Susan and Brown as Stanley who, as parents, just do not seem to understand their daughter and the choices she has made. Cox as Gail shows up on the screen with her beautiful self, brought sarcasm along for the ride and does it so damn well.

Other cast include Chris Lowell as Al Monroe, Adam Brody as Jerry, Max Greenfield as Joe, Christopher Mintz-Plasse as Neil, Sam Richardson as Paul, Alfred Molina as Jordan, Angela Zhou as Todd and Molly Shannon as Mrs. Fisher.    

Focus Features’ mission is to make a lasting impact on global audiences by creating the home for artists to share diverse, distinctive stories that inspire human connection. Focus Features is part of NBCUniversal, one of the world’s leading media and entertainment companies that brings entertainment and news to a global audience. For more of what they have to offer please visit www.focusfeatures.com.

PROMISING YOUNG WOMAN is a film that deserves award after award for several reasons. First and foremost is Mulligan’s engrossing performance down to the last frame of the film. It has been a while since I invested so much into a film only to be shocked by the final ten minutes.

Second, a screenplay that does not hold back in its feeling and that includes revenge, fear, love and a deep friendship. A character like Cassie has layer upon layer and the way the story is told brings an unpredictability that I thoroughly enjoyed. It brings about a rollercoaster with deeps valleys and high highs and anyone watching will be more than happy to take the ride.

Finally, this has been a year where good films are few and far between with a pandemic keeping theatres mainly closed. It is my hope that everyone has a chance to see PROMISING YOUNG WOMAN in whatever platform they can because this is definetly a film you do not want to miss.

Hear that Oscar?

In the end – revenge never looked so promising!