Movie #3435 ........................."Long Bright River" (Peacock)

Movie  #3435 "Long Bright River (Peacock)   I must start this by saying I really enjoy watching Amanda Seyfried is everything she has done --- I find her facials to be very interesting.  And she plays a sad sack here --- there's not much going for her --- lots of baggage, with a sister that has addiction and lives on the streets of Philadelphia, and she's trying to find her --- she does this while on the job as a cop -- while investigating a murder of several of these homeless girls like her sister, she is constantly trying to find her sister --- she feels to blame for why she is on the streets.  As a result this is a haunting portrayal of this woman, and Amanda handles that very well.  She makes a lot of mistakes, go off alone by herself when she shouldn't, stuff like that.  I guessed the murderer from pretty much the beginning, but there are some twists and turns along the way that i did not guess  - In fact, - I found myself watching an ending to one of the episodes, but then starting up the next one because of the way the one in front ended.  However, I disliked that the very  ending was not more finished.  For example, not giving anything way, she has a dream -- so is it ever fulfilled?   and the romance --- does it ever happen for her?  I'd give it a 4 out of 5.

"LONG BRIGHT RIVER"        2025     8 episode , about 50 mins each

A Philadelphia police officer searches for her sist3r, an addict who has gone missing .  

Directors:  Hagar Ben-Asher, Gwyneth Horder-Payton, Mona Fastvold, Meera Menon, Nikki Toscano, Jessica Yu

Writers:  Liz Moore (based on her book), Nikki Toscano, and others

Actors:  Amanda Seyfried, Nicholas Pinnock, Ashleigh Cummings, Callum Vinson

Movie #3434 ........................."Douglas Is Cancelled" (Brit Box)

 Movie #3434 "Douglas is Cancelled" (Brit Box)  What a whirlwind of words this  miniseries is offered in just 4 episodes.  It deals with two hosts of a morning show (kind of like the Today Show in England) -- one older guy and a younger girl.  They seem to get along fine on the show and even in between commercial breaks and off in their offices.  But at a recent party, he is caught telling an inappropriate joke and it goes viral.   We don't know what the joke is or who it concerns until halfway through --- but we watch the consequences in trying to deal with the situation.  There's a producer of the show involved, the two on air talents, and his family.  (the daughter is pretty funny).  There is some humor along the way, and the one air male plays the father  in Downton Abbey.  The show is kind of fast, but consists of a wonderful debate on feminism.  This competent cast made it hard for me to look away  - I found I was hanging on every word.  Well don!~  I'd give it 4.5 out of 5.

"DOUGLAS IS CANCELLED"    2024      4 episodes, 42 mins each     miniseries

The story focuses on a respected news presenter whose career is threatened after he makes an ill-advised joke.

Creator:  Steven Moffat

Actors:  Hugh Bonneville, Karen Gillan, Alex Kingston

Movie #3433 ........................."The Penguin Lessons" (theatre)

 Movie #3433 "The Penguin Lessons" (theatre)  This came and left rather swiftly (like a lot of movies that aren't action-packed blockbusters) , but it's worth a looksee when it becomes available for streaming.  Steve Coogan, british actor, is in it so right off the bat you know there's going to be dry humor involved.  He plays a professor who is bored teaching English (perish the thought!) so he applies for an international job in Argentina at a very private academic school for boys --- and these kids are special because while a dictator is taking over the regime (very topical now), his army of helpers have to send their kids to school, so they send them here.  When the professor arrives, he is faced with a bunch of rules he must follow, and one big one is NOT to make waves, because this school works rather well with the new regime.  Then, a penguin enters this teacher's life --- and nothing is ever the same.....for the school, for his students, and more importantly for himself.  Loved this film --- and I would give it 4.5 --- I just wanted a tad more humor, but what fun it was to watch how close he and the penguin become.  I recommend this film if for nothing else than watching this penguin!

"THE PENGUIN LESSONS"         PG-13         2024       1 hour and 51 mins

A disillusioned Englishman who goes to work in a school in a divided Argentina in 1976 finds himself transformed when he rescues an orphaned penguin from the beach.

Director:  Peter Cattaneo

Writers:  Jeff Pope, Tom Michell

Actors:  Steve Coogan, Jonathan Pryce, Bruno Blas

Movie #3432 .........................."Adolescence" (Netflix)

Movie #3432 "Adolescence" (Netflix) What an eye-opening experience to watch this mini-series with 4 intense and gripping hour long looks into a tragedy that happened in a small town.  A young girl has been killed and the opening episode is from the victim and family's point of view --- so we see the child arrested, searched, tested, fingerprinted, and finally interviewed by the police while the parents are shuffled in and out of the kid's company .  Everyone comes across very real and human, even the cop who is  doing the interviewing, and his assistant who is a female detective.  The second episode deals with the cops going to the school to do some interviewing with the friends of the kids involved in the tragedy.  The third and most difficult for me to watch is a non-partisan psychologist interviewing the kid in a cat and mouse game the kid tries to control.  Finally the 4th episode is the family's life now after several months later.  It is intriguing to watch, very tense, and very real, but I wish it would have given us more answers as to how we can better deal with this tragedy, and maybe how to prevent it.  I know as a society we are trying to do both of those things, and just showing us the consequences makes good t.v. watching, but when it is all said and done, we could use some suggestions on how to make these tragedies go away.  No doubt there's a lot of emotion and reaction going on here,, though.  And it serves as great talking points with our kids, I should think.  A tough watch.  In seeing interviews and discussions about this on talk shows, the  show seems to bring up masculinity, and the problems boys face nowadays  growing up  in a world where masculinity is being redefined.     I'd give it a 4 out of 5.

"    ADOLESCENCE"      Netflix        2025       1 hour per episode, 4 episodes

When a 13-year-old is accused of the murder of a classmate, his family, therapist and the detective  in charge are all left asking what really happened.

creators:  Stephen Graham, Jack Thorne

Actors:  Owen Cooper, Stephen Graham, Ashley Walters