The Good Liar

We went to see The Good Liar the other night. It turned out to be a good choice. It stars Helen Mirren and Ian McKellen so we were pretty sure the acting would be good regardless of the script. Turned out the story was OK too. 

On the surface, this is the story of a grifter, Ian McKellen, who preys on older vulnerable women among his other scams. The vulnerable woman, in this case, is Helen Mirren. She is a widow with a substantial bank account. There are a few supporting characters like Helen's grandson and Ian's partner but this is primarily a dance between the two leads. They are more than up to the task.

No spoiler alerts, but all is not as it may first appear. You may figure out some of the plot twists but I'm guessing you won't figure it all out. That is unless you read the novel by the same name. 

This is a very satisfying movie. Those of us of a certain age may enjoy it more than the younger folks. Those watching with us were considerably older than those running around the cinema complex to see Frozen.

The movie is rated R for violence, language, and brief nudity. I found the violence and language to be very minor. The brief nudity was very brief and not part of a sexual nature. 

I rate this movie a B+. Maybe not the best movie of the year but certainly worth the time. 

wjh

Echoes of Laurel Canyon

Echoes of Laurel Canyon is a 2018 documentary about the musicians of the 1960s who congregated in the Laurel Canyon neighborhood of the Hollywood Hills. It is now streaming on Netflix. 

This was the time of The Byrds, The Mommas and the Poppas, The Beach Boys, Buffalo Springfield, CSN, and many others.

Jakob Dylan conducts interviews with several of the original musicians from that era and some contemporaries influenced by them. These are mixed with archival footage. There are also some redos of the old songs by Jakob and others mixed in. 

It comes through that there was a lot of cross-pollination and influences among the groups. The fact that many of these folks were neighbors facilitated that. Musicians also moved from one group to another.

One interesting factoid relayed by Brian Wilson is that Rubber Soul begat Pet Sounds. The Beatles say that Pet Sounds begat Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. Each pushing the other.  This confirms what I had heard before and have always thought. Three pretty good albums.

This is far from a perfect documentary. Some early influencers and neighbors like Joni Mitchell are completely ignored. The revivals of the old songs by Jakob Dylan and company are not always very good. That opinion may be because I grew up with the originals and they are hard to improve on. I would have preferred more original music and in-depth interviews with those who inhabited Laurel Canyon back in the day. 

Still, if you are a fan of this music, it is a worthwhile look. You will probably learn something plus there is some good music. I rate this documentary a B. 

wjh

Seth Meyers - Lobby Baby

Seth Meyers is the host of the late-night talk show Late Night with Seth Meyers on NBC. He was formally the head writer and Weekend Update anchor for Saturday Night Live. He is a funny, smart, and articulate guy. I'm a fan and usually watch at least the monologue of his nightly show. 

Seth has a new comedy special on Netflix. Although he is very political and critical of Trump in his normal monologues, this special is primarily about his personal life as a husband and father of two young children. The title refers to the fact that his second child was actually born in the lobby of his apartment building. 

There is a rather short section of political jokes in the middle. The twist is that Netflix provides an on-screen button that allows you to skip the political joke segment. That way both Always Trumpers and Never Trumpers can watch and enjoy the program. 

The rest of the special primarily recounts the rather unusual circumstances surrounding the birth of Alexi and Seth's two children plus some other marital challenges. 

Seth usually presents his nightly monologue seated at a desk, Weekend Update style. I can remember when he first started hosting Late Night and did a standup monologue. He was pretty bad. Awkward, uncomfortable, and mostly lost. He has improved tremendously. He certainly doesn't command the stage like a Richard Pryor, Eddie Murphy, or Robin Williams (who does), but he is certainly adequate.

The material is pretty funny and self-deprecating. It is also mostly non-political. 

I rate this special a B+. Give it a look. Now streaming on Netflix. 

wjh

Very Random Thoughts - October 2019

• "Life is all how you remember it" Admiral William McRaven.
• Many businesses brag about being family owned and operated. That's only a positive if the family actually knows how to run a business. Many don't. 
• Most local TV anchors and reporters are pretty bad when they have to go off-script. Babble. 
• Nobody in movies or TV shows ever has to recharge their cell phones. I must have a bad phone.
• I have decided that I will never learn how to fold a fitted sheet. At my age, it really doesn't matter. 
• You do not want to be the guest star cast as the partner of a star TV cop. Like the Star Trek red shirts, you will not survive. 
• On episodic TV, we are supposed to remember the good characteristics of the ongoing characters but completely forget all the screwups from the last episode. 
• Custom-fit t-shirts are now a thing you can order on the web. I don't feel the need to buy any. 
• At what age should a girlfriend be called a womanfriend? Boyfriend vs manfriend? 
• Consider washing your hands before peeing, not after. Your genitals have been safely tucked in your knickers all day. Your hands have been touching filthy stuff out in the world.
• I recently broke a Pyrex pan and needed a new one. I bought a 14" enamel-covered cast iron roasting pan. Damn, that sucker is heavy. 
• Almost every cop show on TV seems just like all the other ones. Same plotlines, same high tech stuff, same look and feel. 

wjh