Hi internet,
It's Cat again. This time I watched a TV show.
Streaming Service: I found GameFace on Hulu. You can watch all 6 episodes of series 1.
Temperature: Lukewarm. Series 1 aired from October to November 2017.
I quite liked the show. I wouldn't claim it's without flaws but I found it a pleasant diversion and in half hour increments, it never overstays its welcome. The show was created and written by Roisin Conaty. I enjoyed her appearance on Travel Man but I wouldn't say I'm a fan. However, it didn't take her long to win me over as Marcella, the protagonist of the show. GameFace certainly isn't treading unfamiliar ground with 20- to 30-something messiness framed by life coaching sessions that are essentially unhelpful therapy. Where GameFace stands apart for me is its affably casual demeanor. Characters are able to make bad decisions without the show grinding your face in misery and watching someone you've grown to like be repeatedly fail and be humiliated. (Looking at you, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend.) Marcella's life isn't fixed overnight but she isn't constantly sliding backwards either because the show is afraid of letting her make progress. Progress is just slow because life is difficult. There's a balance between drama and comedy but I have to admit, most of the jokes don't land for me. However, there's at least one thing an episode that makes me laugh and for me, that's pretty decent for a half hour comedy. For example, in the pilot, I just cringed at the Friends guy but they got me with the guard who tackles her off the roof. If I had a criticism, it's that the show doesn't feel grounded enough. I don't need every lie to lead to an exposure or confrontation but the show lacks stakes when we know she has money problems but hasn't done anything to earn money and yet continues using services (life coaching, driving lessons) that require money. One character's drug addiction seems so well-managed that you wonder about the urgency of rehabilitation. That said, if there is a series 2, I hope they find a way to keep Jon her (currently unpaid?) driving instructor on the show. I would miss his lovely soft voice and reluctant but sweet supportiveness. I'm glad she has girlfriends and roommates as well but there's something that warms my heart about Jon always being there for her with his car... even if it's because she keeps forgetting her appointments for driving lessons.
Tuesday, May 29, 2018
Saturday, March 3, 2018
Cold Takes: Chloe
Hi internet,
Cat here. I watched another movie.
Streaming Service: Chloe was on Netflix but it was about to expire so it was a now or never kind of thing for me.
Temperature: Chilled. This movie came out in 2009. I remember reading a positive Roger Ebert review at the time. Spoiler: I did not see what he apparently saw in it.
WARNING: Spoilers for Chloe
What can I say? I have a certain affinity for bad movies. I'm one of those people who likes referencing Showgirls. I thought this movie was very middle of the road. As a philosophical drama musing on marriage and womanhood and people, I thought it was mostly a failure. There are a couple of okay monologues saved by the queen, Julianne Moore, but that's about it. As a trashy, scandalous addition to the canon of crazy stalkers (who these days are mostly relegated to Lifetime movies) I also found it to be a disappointment. You get to see Julianne Moore and Amanda Seyfried naked if you're into that but this movie's project isn't even really the objectification of female bodies.
Cat here. I watched another movie.
Streaming Service: Chloe was on Netflix but it was about to expire so it was a now or never kind of thing for me.
Temperature: Chilled. This movie came out in 2009. I remember reading a positive Roger Ebert review at the time. Spoiler: I did not see what he apparently saw in it.
WARNING: Spoilers for Chloe
What can I say? I have a certain affinity for bad movies. I'm one of those people who likes referencing Showgirls. I thought this movie was very middle of the road. As a philosophical drama musing on marriage and womanhood and people, I thought it was mostly a failure. There are a couple of okay monologues saved by the queen, Julianne Moore, but that's about it. As a trashy, scandalous addition to the canon of crazy stalkers (who these days are mostly relegated to Lifetime movies) I also found it to be a disappointment. You get to see Julianne Moore and Amanda Seyfried naked if you're into that but this movie's project isn't even really the objectification of female bodies.
Wednesday, February 7, 2018
Cold Takes: The Founder
Hi internet,
Cat here. I'm not sure what the format of this series is going to be but I hope you'll stick with me as I figure it out. Today I'm just going for stream of consciousness. Light discussion of the movie but no major spoilers.
Streaming Service: You can find The Founder on Netflix.
Mood: I wasn't feeling great when I sat down to watch a movie but I didn't want to force myself to cheer up with a comedy, romantic or otherwise. And I also didn't want to have to engage with something intellectually challenging or emotionally intense. And so I settled on The Founder. For better or for worse I'm generally good at gauging what I need to program for myself in a given mood so I'll keep my eyes glued to my laptop and The Founder felt like just the thing I wanted in that moment.
Temperature: The Founder was released in December 2016 so it's not as cold of a take as some of the other movies I have planned for this series. I'd call it Lukewarm.
My thoughts on the movie evolved as I watched it. At first I was just taken in by Michael Keaton's performance and the look of the film. From the first sales pitch that opens the movie, you can instantly tell that Keaton is operating on a higher level than most as an actor. He makes the kind of smart acting choices that communicate so much about the character beyond what's in the script. For example, both he and the screenwriter are aware that this is not the story of a great man or a charismatic huckster. And so time and time again, Ray fails at bamboozling his targets. He doesn't get what he wants through charm or force of personality though a movie star like Michael Keaton should be more than capable of conveying that should the role require it. Also, this is my bias, but I enjoyed the pleasantly washed out colors at the beginning of the movie. It looked like the real world. I avoid a lot of bigger movies because I just can't stand all the orange/blue high contrast and blue filters.
My opinion shifted as the movie increasingly made more obvious directorial and visual storytelling choices and the script became more predictable and more of a Hollywood gloss came over the proceedings. When Ray meets the McDonald brothers for the first time the movie almost morphs into a commercial/documentary style that feels borderline cheap. But from that point on, things start to look more familiar. The color palette of the movie becomes more recognizable until the feeling that you've seen similar scenes in other movies is inescapable and that suspension of disbelief starts to dissipate. Cues that something notable is being communicated are very apparent. The movie tries its best not to knock you over the head but you can feel that it really wants to. It's hard to miss the introduction of Fred Turner. They play up every time Ray lies about his ideas for McDonald's or founding of the company. The contrast between his relationship with his wife and other marital relationships in the movie is very apparent. One of the more egregious choices is when Ray is tempted by both the wife of a franchisee and a scheme to cut costs with an inferior product. The scene ends with a close up shot of the powdered mix milkshake, framed so that you also get a direct look at the woman's cleavage. Her chest is slightly out of focus. See, subtle.
Cat here. I'm not sure what the format of this series is going to be but I hope you'll stick with me as I figure it out. Today I'm just going for stream of consciousness. Light discussion of the movie but no major spoilers.
Streaming Service: You can find The Founder on Netflix.
Mood: I wasn't feeling great when I sat down to watch a movie but I didn't want to force myself to cheer up with a comedy, romantic or otherwise. And I also didn't want to have to engage with something intellectually challenging or emotionally intense. And so I settled on The Founder. For better or for worse I'm generally good at gauging what I need to program for myself in a given mood so I'll keep my eyes glued to my laptop and The Founder felt like just the thing I wanted in that moment.
Temperature: The Founder was released in December 2016 so it's not as cold of a take as some of the other movies I have planned for this series. I'd call it Lukewarm.
My thoughts on the movie evolved as I watched it. At first I was just taken in by Michael Keaton's performance and the look of the film. From the first sales pitch that opens the movie, you can instantly tell that Keaton is operating on a higher level than most as an actor. He makes the kind of smart acting choices that communicate so much about the character beyond what's in the script. For example, both he and the screenwriter are aware that this is not the story of a great man or a charismatic huckster. And so time and time again, Ray fails at bamboozling his targets. He doesn't get what he wants through charm or force of personality though a movie star like Michael Keaton should be more than capable of conveying that should the role require it. Also, this is my bias, but I enjoyed the pleasantly washed out colors at the beginning of the movie. It looked like the real world. I avoid a lot of bigger movies because I just can't stand all the orange/blue high contrast and blue filters.
My opinion shifted as the movie increasingly made more obvious directorial and visual storytelling choices and the script became more predictable and more of a Hollywood gloss came over the proceedings. When Ray meets the McDonald brothers for the first time the movie almost morphs into a commercial/documentary style that feels borderline cheap. But from that point on, things start to look more familiar. The color palette of the movie becomes more recognizable until the feeling that you've seen similar scenes in other movies is inescapable and that suspension of disbelief starts to dissipate. Cues that something notable is being communicated are very apparent. The movie tries its best not to knock you over the head but you can feel that it really wants to. It's hard to miss the introduction of Fred Turner. They play up every time Ray lies about his ideas for McDonald's or founding of the company. The contrast between his relationship with his wife and other marital relationships in the movie is very apparent. One of the more egregious choices is when Ray is tempted by both the wife of a franchisee and a scheme to cut costs with an inferior product. The scene ends with a close up shot of the powdered mix milkshake, framed so that you also get a direct look at the woman's cleavage. Her chest is slightly out of focus. See, subtle.
Tuesday, January 16, 2018
New Series: Cold Takes
Cat here. Sorry for the unexpected hiatus. My attention was elsewhere.
Much ado is made about the divided TV landscape. There are too many things to watch! Programming is targeted so specifically to individual consumer groups! We don't all gather around the TV at the same time and discuss it at the water cooler the next day! Horror of horrors.
Well, sadly I don't have a solution to remedy all of that. But I do find myself watching more Netflix and Amazon Prime these days and wanting to discuss it and so we have the birth of a new series on this blog... Cold Takes.
I don't know what this is going to be yet. I could be watching TV shows or movies or stand up specials. These might be formal reviews or they might just be scattered thoughts. But I will be finding these pieces of media on Amazon Prime and Netflix and I will most likely be watching things long after they're relevant to the cultural conversation. Thus... Cold Takes.
Much ado is made about the divided TV landscape. There are too many things to watch! Programming is targeted so specifically to individual consumer groups! We don't all gather around the TV at the same time and discuss it at the water cooler the next day! Horror of horrors.
Well, sadly I don't have a solution to remedy all of that. But I do find myself watching more Netflix and Amazon Prime these days and wanting to discuss it and so we have the birth of a new series on this blog... Cold Takes.
I don't know what this is going to be yet. I could be watching TV shows or movies or stand up specials. These might be formal reviews or they might just be scattered thoughts. But I will be finding these pieces of media on Amazon Prime and Netflix and I will most likely be watching things long after they're relevant to the cultural conversation. Thus... Cold Takes.
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