The Kominsky Method is a comedy/drama on Netflix. It stars Michael Douglas and Alan Arkin as two longtime friends who are going through life in their golden years. These two have a very loving relationship but are constantly needling each other. The difference between you and me and our best friends is these guys have some very funny writers coming up with their put-downs.
Sandy Kominsky (Michael Douglas) is a somewhat famous acting coach. He runs an acting school with his daughter. Norman Newlander (Alan Arkin) is a very successful agent who owns his own agency. He has represented Sandy for years although he has been semi-retired for a few years.
The other regulars are Mindy (Sarah Baker), Sandy's daughter and Lisa (Nancy Travis), a student at Sandy's acting school and his new love interest.
There are several recurring roles including the students in the acting class. Some of the more famous recurring character actors are Danny DeVito as the guys' urologist, Ann-Margaret as a friend of Norman with ulterior motives, Lisa Edelstein as Norman's drug-addicted daughter, and Susan Sullivan as Norman's dead wife who still appears to him. All are good in their roles.
There are also several well-known guest stars, many who play themselves. These include Patti LaBelle, Jay Leno, Elliot Gould, Corbin Bernsen, and Eddie Money.
Sandy has had three failed marriages and Norman's wife of 40+ years dies at the end of the first episode. The second episode funeral is great. So now the two old friends need each other more than ever. Let the hijinx begin. Michael and Alan have a very good rapport as do Michael and Judy Travis. All seasoned actors who know what they are doing. The funny lines seem natural, not forced. Another bonus is that there is no laugh track. You get to decide which lines are funny. I hate laugh tracks, especially the overactive ones.
The circumstances depicted seem mostly real too. Maybe that is because I am about the age of the principal characters. The fact that a urologist is a recurring character will give you a hint.
I'm not sure if young folks will find the show as funny as I did, but since most of my friends are of a certain age, I have no hesitation in enthusiastically recommending The Kaminsky Method. It is funny and at times poignant. The episodes are 30 minutes so you can fit them in easily. There are eight episodes in the first season so it's only a four-hour investment. The good news is that the series has been renewed for a second season.
I rate this a solid A. Give it a try.
wjh
This is not a comedy. The very serious, emotional Ben Is Back is about the 24-hour visit Ben (Lucas Hedges) makes back home for Christmas. Home consists of mom (Julia Roberts), sister, stepfather, and two young half-siblings. Ben is a drug addict currently in a rehab center. Let the fun begin.
Ben is welcomed with open arms by Holly, his mom, and young half sister and half brother. Not so much by his sister and stepfather, who don't believe Ben has kicked the addiction or the bad behavior associated with it. More details of Ben's past life are revealed during the movie. It's not pretty. Mom is just happy to have her son and first born home for the holiday. His sister has lived through his addiction and lies. The little kids haven't seen Ben as an addict and his relapses. His stepfather doesn't trust Ben and is tired of the drama and probably the rehab expenses.
The family members come to an agreement that Ben can stay for Christmas but then must go back to the rehab center. The rule is he can not be out of his mother's sight for the duration.
As you may guess, there are complications. Mostly minor at first but it spirals into more and more serious circumstances. It winds up with Ben and Holly on a dangerous chase to find the family's kidnapped dog. The kidnapping a result of Ben's past life.
By the end of the movie, I think Holly is just as sick as Ben. His past addicted life has taken just as big a toll on her as it has on him. Crazy behavior on both parts.
The story did not play out as I first expected. It ends with no real resolution. Not an uplifting film.
This is definitely a two person movie. Julia and Lucas dominate the story and the screen time. They both do an outstanding job. The rest of the cast is barely needed although they do a fine job.
This was not my favorite movie. If you are a Julia Roberts fan, you will get to see a lot of her doing a very intense part. Lucas again plays a troubled youth as he did in Manchester by the Sea.
I'm going to rate this a B-. Good acting, Not an enjoyable story.
wjh
- Spring forward, fall back. Changing the clocks used to be a big pain in the ass twice a year. Not so much anymore. I only have one or two clocks that I use that don't adjust automatically.
- Is it icing or frosting?
- Who decided that the football player who gets the hike and runs the team should be called QUARTERback? That makes him sound like the least important back.
- If Trump wants to start another branch of the armed forces, it seems to me our tax dollars would be better spent on a Cyber Force rather than a Space Force.
- It appears that Beto O'Rourke might be on the national political scene for the next couple of years. Maybe as a presidential candidate. So, I think we should all pronounce his name correctly. It is not Bait-O, it is Bet-O, short E and long O, as in place a bet or you bet your life. Clear?
- If you think Google search is prejudiced against your political leanings or party, there is an easy solution. There are several other search engines. Bing, DuckDuckGo, Yahoo, Dogpile, WebCrawler, etc. Just do a Google search for search engines.
- How come people get to use their temporary government titles for the rest of their life? I'm talking about governor, ambassador, secretary, senator, etc. Once the gig is over you're just a regular Ms. or Mr. again.
- The entertainment industry awards aren't until next year but the promos for the shows are already airing. Unfortunately, I can't set my DVR for February. I may miss the Oscars.
- The English language is dead. I was watching a late night talk show. One of the guests managed to say LIKE at least twice per sentence, often more. My ears caught fire and I had to mute the interview.
- Have you ever noticed that in movies or on TV, when someone is looking for something they always initially look in the wrong direction when they enter a room? Then they can do a dramatic take or comedic doubletake when they look in the right direction.
- Here's a variation on the old oxymoron jumbo shrimp. We now have jumbo popcorn shrimp. What is jumbo popcorn?
- Were parents able to navigate Christmas shopping without Toys "R" Us?
- I like it when drug TV commercials say during the long disclaimers, "Do not take wonder drug if you are allergic to wonder drug." How would you know if you are allergic to a drug before it is prescribed and you take it? On the other hand, why would anyone take a drug they know they are allergic to?
- How come men have to wear black, navy blue, or charcoal gray suits but women can wear almost any color. Seems unfair.
- It's a little hard to digest, but if I say "back when I was growing up", that was about 60 or more years ago.
- I have no recollection of whether I have ever had a white Christmas. Maybe when I was really young in New Jersey.
- DVRs and TV remotes spoil us for movies at an actual theater. I sometimes want to rewind a few frames to hear what was said. Worst case is a desire for a pause button when nature calls.
- I learned recently that mixed up phrases, such as boldface lie instead of the correct bald-faced lie, are called eggcorns. Relatively useless information that will not often be needed.
- The good news for the lazy is that Nike will be drastically reducing the price of their $720 self-lacing shoes. The bad news is they still will cost $350. Think I'll continue to tie my own laces manually.
- How much do you think the big stars get paid for those hokey infomercials? Tom Selleck does reverse mortgages, Alex Trebek does $9.95 life insurance, William Shatner will sell anything. Besides, how believable are actors? They pretend for a living.
- There should be a law against TV reality shows using the words celebrity or star in the title unless there are actually famous people on the program. Dancing With the Stars, really. Celebrity Big Brother, not quite.
- A person and a people are two different things. One is an individual the other is a group. Don't judge the person by what people they belong to.
- So what's your New Year's food? Black eye peas, tamales, pickled herring, greens, Hoppin' John?
wjh
