Paul Levinson's Blog: Levinson at Large, page 38

March 11, 2023

Luther: The Fallen Sun: The Risen Hero



I just saw Luther: The Fallen Sun -- the continuation of Idris Elba's Luther TV series, in a 2+ hour movie on Netflix, and thought it was excellent, in all sorts of ways, for all kinds of reasons.  In fact, minute for minute, I thought it was better than any of the many series we've seen of Luther since it came on the screen in 2010.

[I'll warn you here of spoilers, though you won't find too many here, other than what you see in the blurbs and the trailers.]

So, Luther's in prison, not because he was framed, but because of the corners he illegally cut -- what he "had to do" -- to get the criminals in the past.  His adversary is a brilliant sicko, Robey (played by Andy Serkis), who is adept on the Internet and in torturing and leaving his victims hanging, literally.  One of his victims is a young man, and Luther was on the case but unable to get Robey before Luther was incarcerated.  Fortunately for Luther, the storyline, and the ultimate resolution of this movie, DCI Raine, who is currently investigating Robey without much success, suffers her daughter being kidnapped by Robey.  This is fortunate for the story, because it obliges Raine, who starts out being adamant about not enlisting Luther, and keeping him in prison, to instead welcome him in the frantic hunt.

As most of you no doubt know, Idris Elba was at at one point being considered to play James Bond, but recently actors his age were ruled out of that running.  First of all, Elba looks young enough to me.  More important, he's an outstanding one-of-a-kind actor who played and defined the indelibly memorable Stringer Bell in The Wire and continues to do the same in Luther.  He would have done the same for Bond.   I mention this because the Luther is this story has Bondian aspects, especially in snow and ice-water action near the end of the movie.   The Luther in the TV series rarely if ever made it out of London, if I remember correctly.  The Luther in this movie is now both literally as well as figuratively a man of the world.

But apropos both Bond and previous Luthers, I did miss any love interest (such as Indira Varma's Zoe Luther) or even the partially erotic spark (with Ruth Wilson's Alice Morgan) in this Luther movie.  Maybe that's because two hours is a little too short for such relationships to really start, let alone play out, when there such a demonic psycho to be caught.  But that absence is yet another good reason to make another Luther movie.

See also Luther 5.1: Back in Fine, Depraved Form ... Luther 5.2: "A Chocolate Digestive" ... Luther 5.3: Bitter Fruit ... Luther 5.4: Lethal Love

And see also Luther: Between the Wire and the Shield ... Luther 3.1: Into the Blender ... Luther 3.2: Success ... Luther 3.3: The Perils of Being an Enemy ... Luther 3.4: Go Ask Alice

 
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Published on March 11, 2023 19:30

You 4.6-4.10: More than the Previous Seasons



Well, I entitled my review of the first half of You Season 4 on Netflix, "So Far, Less than the Previous Seasons," so, in all fairness I entitled this review of the second half of Season 4, "More than the Previous Seasons".   That is, more as in better.

[Spoilers ahead ... ]

Let's start with one part which was very well acted and executed, but a bit cliche, since Fight Club and everything that's come after.   Rhys is a manifestation of Joe's most evil side.  But Ed Speleers, whom I've now seen in Picard Season 3, is a first class actor, and he does a fine job bringing Joe's malign id (see Freud) to life.  Plus, it's refreshing to see Joe talk to himself, when that self is another person, rather than just talking to us, the audience.

And the rest was nonstop catapulting of the Joe Goldberg story into a another, higher level.  The season ends with Joe and Kate not only together, but fabulously rich, which of course will enable Joe to do all kinds of more damage in a subsequent season.  Love Quinn never lifted Joe to this level, and it will be fun to see where that goes.  I also have to say that, for some reason, Joe and Kate remind me of Harry and Meghan, and I mean that as a compliment, because I certainly don't think Harry is a killer.

The Nadia story was good, too, and, in general, I liked Joe as a professor.  If he ever applied for a job at Fordham University in the Communication and Media Studies Department, where I'm a Professor, I would definitely want to hire him -- of course, assuming that he wasn't also a psychotic killer.   The Marianne, Phoebe, and Tom Lockwood stories were ok, and served their purpose, even if none of those characters were as memorable as Kate and Ed Speleers's "Joe".

Last, the effervescent literacy that lifted all the seasons of You is back in fine form in Season 4.  My favorite line?  Actually, it's a phrase -- "analog book" -- an excellent retro alternative to printed or paper book.  Hats off to Michael Foley and Sera Gamble (the credited writers), assuming they were the ones who came up with this phrase.   And Penn Badgley for another great performance as Joe/Jonathan, and Charlotte Ritchie as Kate.

See also:  You: Review from an Unconflicted Fan ... You 2: Killer Charm ... Spoiler-Free Review for You 3 ... You 4.1-4.5: So Far, Less than the Previous Seasons

 


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Published on March 11, 2023 10:09

March 8, 2023

The Ark 1.5-1.6: More than One



I thought I'd review episodes 1.5 (on last week) and 1.6 (on tonight) together, because their stories are closely connected, or, more closely connected than usual.

[Of course, spoilers ahead ... ]

There were two big reveals at the end of 1.5:  Baylor (well played by Miles Barrow, who was also good in The Peripheral,  another excellent, very different new science fiction series) is the killer, and he steps up to save The Ark but actually to protect William Trust.  A good character name, if you think about it.  What's his name?  Will Trust.  Obviously, a pivotal character, but will you trust him to do what's right for The Ark, or in the crew of The Ark's best interests?

Probably not.  And in episode 1.6, we find out, also at the end of the episode, that there's another Ark out there in deep space.  At least, it looks like an Ark.   And we see this after we learn that it was Trust's intention to got out to Proxima B on The Ark 5.

So, is that starship The Ark 5?  And, if it is, did it somehow go through a black hole or some time loop in space which sent it back in time, which is how first The Ark would encountered it tonight? Starships with humans encountering other starships that have travelled backward or forward in time with humans -- alive or dead, or sometimes starships of human construction but with no humans -- is not a new theme in interstellar starship stories.  Star Trek has had stories like that.  And, come to think of it, so did my 2001 novel, Borrowed Tides.

The Ark has now moved into an excellent science fictional niche of weekly different crises with an underlying foundation of a much bigger, more profound story, being revealed so far in just glimpses and intimations.  Works for me, and I'll see you back here soon.

See also The Ark 1.1: Worth Watching ... 1.2: Why I'M Enjoying It ... 1.3: Asteroid and Comet ... 1.4: Hallucinations


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Published on March 08, 2023 22:19

March 5, 2023

The Last of Us 1.8: Ellie vs. the Resort



Well, tonight's next-to-last episode -- 1.8 -- of The Last of Us -- was everything it should be.

[Spoilers ahead ... ]

Ellie was at her absolute best so far in this series.  She progresses from killing a deer to the demonic leader of a town (or actually a "resort," he says), whose people under his guidance are practicing cannibalism.  And along with that, she manages to get penicillin -- enough to get Joel back in action, after one shot of the antibiotic at night and another the next morning.  Now I have no idea if penicillin can work that quickly, but it probably does, and even if not, it makes for a good story.

The key development in all of this is Ellie manages to triumph without Joel's help.  She would have survived even without Joel.  We've seen her contend with the elements, and people, and the infected before, but this is her best moment.  She uses everything she has -- including distracting her attackers by saying and showing she's infected (though the leader sees through that) -- and taking every opportunity to get on top of things, which she indeed does.

Does this mean she no longer needs Joel?  No, not at all.  The world in which they live is universally dangerous, and each of them, Ellie and Joel, need all the help they can get.  And as we've seen all season, the two of them are the best sources of that help, for each other.

I'm looking forward to seeing what further lessons we learn in the season finale next week.  What clues will it leave us for the second season, and who knows how many seasons to come?  It's at times like this that I wish all of its seasons were up online, so I could see every one of them.

See also The Last of Us 1.1-1.2: The Fungus Among Us ... 1.3: Bill and Frank ... 1.4: Gun and Pun ... 1.5: Tunnels ... 1.6: Joel ... 1.7: Riley's Wise Advice




I talk about The Last of Us, beginning at 40mins 40secs


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Published on March 05, 2023 21:17

The Last of Us 1.9: Ellie vs. the Resort



Well, tonight's next-to-last episode -- 1.9 -- of The Last of Us -- was everything it should be.

[Spoilers ahead ... ]

Ellie was at her absolute best so far in this series.  She progresses from killing a deer to the demonic leader of a town (or actually a "resort," he says), whose people under his guidance are practicing cannibalism.  And along with that, she manages to get penicillin -- enough to get Joel back in action, after one shot of the antibiotic at night and another the next morning.  Now I have no idea if penicillin can work that quickly, but it probably does, and even if not, it makes for a good story.

The key development in all of this is Ellie manages to triumph without Joel's help.  She would have survived even without Joel.  We've seen her contend with the elements, and people, and the infected before, but this is her best moment.  She uses everything she has -- including distracting her attackers by saying and showing she's infected (though the leader sees through that) -- and taking every opportunity to get on top of things, which she indeed does.

Does this mean she no longer needs Joel?  No, not at all.  The world in which they live is universally dangerous, and each of them, Ellie and Joel, need all the help they can get.  And as we've seen all season, the two of them are the best sources of that help, for each other.

I'm looking forward to seeing what further lessons we learn in the season finale next week.  What clues will it leave us for the second season, and who knows how many seasons to come?  It's at times like this that I wish all of its seasons were up online, so I could see every one of them.

See also The Last of Us 1.1-1.2: The Fungus Among Us ... 1.3: Bill and Frank ... 1.4: Gun and Pun ... 1.5: Tunnels ... 1.6: Joel ... 1.7: Riley's Wise Advice




I talk about The Last of Us, beginning at 40mins 40secs


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Published on March 05, 2023 21:17

March 2, 2023

Star Trek 3.3: Brass Tacks



Well, Star Trek: Picard 3.3 finally got down to brass tacks -- maybe "finally" is not warranted, since this is only the third episode of this new and final season -- but ...

[Spoilers follow]

The confrontation between Picard and Riker, culminating in Riker's dismissing Picard from the bridge, owing to the apparently bad advice and pressure Picard had given Riker, resulting in what Riker characterized as sending everyone on this Starfleet ship to their deaths, well ... that was something to hear and see.

I do think Riker was being a little tough on Picard, though.  First of all, no one forced Riker to follow Picard's strong and repeated advice.   Second, and maybe this is first, things didn't look too good for this starship whatever course of action Riker took.  Third, from this side of the screen as a television viewer, there's no way that everyone on this ship will die.  It's way too early in this final season to do that, and I really doubt anything like that will happen even in later episodes.

Meanwhile, it was great to see Picard and Beverly talking.  Picard has a right to be angry that Beverly took so long to let him know about their son.   I of course was very glad to see that Jack survived.  He's far too pivotal a character to go this early or indeed any time in this story, either.

And it also great to see Worf and Raffi.  Worf is in great shape, and Michael Dorn is doing a fine job recreating that role.  Worf and Dorn have aged well.  I like the wisdom Worf has attained over the years.  All that's left now is to see Worf and Raffi reunited with the rest of our heros on the massively endangered Titan.

That will take some enjoyable-to-see doing.  These Changelings are a dangerous species.

See also Picard 3.1: Crusher's Son ... 3.2: Picard's Son

And see also Picard Season 2 Finale: Resolves and New Vistas ...  Picard 2.9: Cooperation!  ... Picard 2.8: Borg, Q, Soong, FBI ... Picard 2.7: The Bread Was Tastier than the Meat ...  Picard 2.6: Borg and Soong .. Picard 2.5: Don't Walk Away Renee ... Picard 2.4: 2024 LA ... Picard 2.3: Agnes, Borg, Badge ... Picard 2.2: Q and Borg ...  Star Trek: Picard 2.1: Cameos and Time Travel ...  Star Trek: Picard (Season One): Non-Pareil 

Slipping_Time_story_cover

                                                        a little time travel story -- free


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Published on March 02, 2023 19:48

March 1, 2023

Talking about Alternate Histories on TV and Film

 

On the evening of February 15, 2023, I talked via Zoom to the Science Fiction Association of Bergen County about alternate history stories on TV and in the movies.

Among the shows I discussed were The Man in the High Castle, Hunters, The Plot Against America, Watchmen, For All Mankind, The Last of Us, Fatherland, Once Upon a Time … In Hollywood, & Juliet, It’s Real Life, and Snodgrass. Paul Levinson's books ... Paul Levinson's music
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Published on March 01, 2023 09:39

February 26, 2023

The Last of Us 1.7: Riley's Wise Advice



[Spoilers ahead ... ]

Well, first of all, I was glad to see that Joel was alive at the beginning and conclusion of The Last of Us 1.7, fulfilling what I said in my review of 1.6 last week, that if you don't see a character's head cut off or blown to bits, there's always a chance that she or he survived.

Now all of that took maybe a minute to show, and The Last of Us devotes the whole rest of the episode to another nearly standalone story, this time of Ellie and her best-friend Riley, whom she also has a crush on, back in Boston, after the fungus apocalypse, before she ever met Joel.  This story within a story was woven in so well, I didn't even quite realize that Ellie was back in time and in Boston until Riley said something about needing to leave Boston the next day.  And then everything, including Ellie's mention a little earlier of a time machine (a nice meta-touch), fell into place.

So, does this now mean that Joel and Ellie are permanent characters on this series, or at least for this first season of this series?  Perhaps not, but I think there's a chance that they will indeed endure.  And I think that's a good thing.  You can't make everyone expendable in a story.  Or maybe you can, but I think stories are always enhanced by having some permanence, some continuity, of characters.

This season will end after two more episodes.  And HBO has already called for a second season.  I'm hoping will see Joel in all of that, and more.  In the meantime, it was good to see Ellie's first love tonight, and under what circumstances she first got bitten by the infected.  Riley presumably didn't survive.  But her very wise advice that the two shouldn't take their lives, and instead live every moment they had left to the fullest, not only made everything we've seen of Ellie in this first season possible, but is very good advice for all of us on the other side of the screen

See also The Last of Us 1.1-1.2: The Fungus Among Us ... 1.3: Bill and Frank ... 1.4: Gun and Pun ... 1.5: Tunnels ... 1.6: Joel




I talk about The Last of Us, beginning at 40mins 40secs


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Published on February 26, 2023 19:41

February 25, 2023

Sharper: Scams Cubed


This seems to be a season for non-linear neo-noir caper thrillers set in the New York area.  A few months ago, Kaleidoscope appeared on Netflix, so linear you were invited to watch the episodes of that series in any order you chose.  Sharper, which debuted on Apple TV+ a week or so ago, is a movie, not a series, so you can't really choose the order of the parts.  But the parts are equally non-linear, and the story just as captivating.

[Spoilers ahead ... ]

This time, we're treated to scam artists not bank robbers.  But given that the object of the scam is a billionaire, the money in Sharper is even bigger than the object of the heist in Kaleidoscope.  And the complex story is just as much a pleasure to watch unfold.

Tom works in a bookstore in the Village (we find out a little later that he owns the bookstore, and in still later segment that that's because his father is a billionaire).  He meets and starts falling in love with Sandra, a student at NYU, who of course has a dissolute brother who desperately needs money -- some $350,000.  Tom is able to give her that money -- against her (faux) protests -- after which Sandra disappears.  Thus ends the first of a series of escalating, interconnected scams.   Here let me say that Justice Smith as Tom was good, and Briana Middleton as Sandra was major-league superb.  This is the first time I've seen either on the screen.  I'd say both have great careers ahead.

And this as I said is also just the first of the scams.  Julianne Moore plays Madeline, the billionaire's wife, and a master scammer herself.  John Lithgow plays the billionaire, and, unless I missed something, pretty much the only person in this narrative who is not a scammer.  It's always good to see both of them on the screen.  And especially so in the same movie.  (I read somewhere that Lithgow may be back again as the Trinity Killer in one or more of the Dexter spinoffs that are percolating, and it was great to see him as Churchill in the early seasons of The Crown.)  Sebastian Stan, in addition to having a memorable name, also puts in a memorable performance as Max, who, well, is and isn't what he seems to be, but mostly is.

On the rare chance that you've read this far and haven't seen Sharper, I'm not going to tell you much about the ending, except that it's satisfying and everyone gets their just deserts. (With those scenes in the Japanese restaurant, I almost said just desserts. Mine is mochi ice cream.) Put Sharper in the category of excellent narratives that begin in bookstores -- the Lifetime now Netflix series You would be another example -- which gives it double creds as both a bookstore and a non-linear crime story.  Either would be enough for me to see it, and just for good measure Sharper has some sharp acting.  Creds to writers  Brian Gatewood and Alessandro Tanaka, and director Benjamin Caron.



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Published on February 25, 2023 14:55

Levinson at Large

Paul Levinson
At present, I'll be automatically porting over blog posts from my main blog, Paul Levinson's Infinite Regress. These consist of literate (I hope) reviews of mostly television, with some reviews of mov ...more
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