Series Review: "Kitz" (2021).

From Germany and Netflix comes Kitz. This German teen drama series created by Nikolaus Schulz-Dornburg and Vitus Reinbold. Seeking revenge on the girl she blames for her brother's death, a Kitzbühel waitress infiltrates the glitzy world of a group of wealthy Munich teens.

The series stars Sofie Eifertinger, Bless Amada, Valerie Huber, Zoran Pingel, Ben Felipe, Krista Tcherneva, Felix Mayr, Florence Kasumba as Regine Forsell, Souhaila Amade, Tatjana Alexander, Andreas Pietschmann, and Johannes Zeiler. The show boasts an ensemble cast that looks like an Abercrombie & Fitch ad come to life, which means the students may appear wholesome in their expensive clothes, but each also exudes the erotic appeal of a magazine centerfold. I must admit that I didn't really buy Lisi and Dominik's infatuation with each other, but their storyline definitely made the show way more interesting (and 10 times hotter). Plus, the actors' intense chemistry made up for any logic leaps. Yet despite this relative paucity of what one might traditionally consider sympathetic characters, the show pulls off one hell of a trick in the writer's room. It makes you care about everyone. Lisi's character growth over the six episodes shines the brightest and surprisingly has me rooting for her towards the end.

It's twisty and sexy, teeming with clandestine crimes and clandestine rendezvous, but the show is also genuinely interested in the psyche of the ambitious teen-ager. The show is not pushing new boundaries in television. In spite of that - or more likely because of it! - its commitment to breakneck melodrama is undeniably enjoyable. The show, full of nuance in its discussions about class, privilege, and sexuality, doesn't have to be relegated to yet another guilty pleasure. Just, please: Watch it with subtitles. This new German series is excessive, yes, but it is well directed and has such a great technical approach as well as being very, very entertaining. We're intrigued with the love vs. personal mission story angle of the show, but we're wondering if that's going to be buried under an avalanche of privileged teens acting badly. Naturalistic and gripping, this German import transcends the cliché it could have been and becomes something more unusual: a teen drama that actually feels like it could be telling a true story. Discovering who really killed Lisi's brother is only one of many insane moments in a season full of twists and deceit and people professing their love while wearing a harness. It's sexy, salacious and utterly ridiculous - but six episodes in, the show has pulled off the surprising feat of keeping its central characters grounded in reality. And that's what makes it such a compelling show. The show is deliciously trashy and gloriously glossy. The show straddles the line between being an all-out soap opera about unruly sexual desires and a socially conscious, nail-biting thriller about wealth inequality. Nevertheless, an overly familiar setup and some terribly leaden dialogue notwithstanding, there's potential in the show. There's a sense of escalating despair and a believable degree of chaos that begins to erupt once the secrets start to spill out.

Simon says Kitz receives:

Series Review: "Crime Scene: The Times Square Killer" (2021).

"A playground of pleasure. A killer on the loose." This is Crime Scene: The Times Square Killer. This documentary series directed by Joe Berlinger. In 1970s New York City, the "Torso Killer" preys on women to fulfil his grotesque fantasies while eluding police.

Between 1967 and 1980, American serial killer from New Jersey, Richard Francis Cottingham (born November 25, 1946), perpetrated murders in New York and New Jersey. He was nicknamed The Torso Killer and Times Square Torso Ripper after his dismemberment and decapitation of two victims on December 2, 1979 in a hotel on West 42nd Street and Tenth Avenue in the vicinity of Times Square. He tortured and murdered sex workers Deedeh Goodarzi, age twenty-two, and a still unidentified teenage victim, severed their heads and hands, and set their torsos on fire. Cottingham fled the scene with the severed heads and hands, which were never recovered. On May 22, 1980, he was eventually apprehended in a New Jersey motel in the act of torturing a teenage sex worker, Leslie Ann O’Dell, age eighteen, he had lured and driven to the location from New York City. From 1981 to 1984, in a series of trials in New Jersey and New York, Cottingham was convicted of five murders, two in New Jersey and three in New York, plus multiple charges of kidnapping and sexual assault. In 2010, Cottingham pleaded guilty to the 1967 murder of Nancy Vogel, age twenty-nine. He confessed under immunity to the murders of New Jersey school girls Jackie Harp, age thirteen; Irene Blase, age eighteen; and Denise Falasca, age fifteen, between 1968–1969 in Bergen County, New Jersey. In 2021 he confessed and pleaded guilty in the double abduction rape/murders of Lorraine Marie Kelly, age sixteen and Mary Ann Pryor, age seventeen. Officially, Cottingham killed eleven people, but he claims to have committed between eight-five and one-hundred murders. Cottingham is currently serving a life sentence and is incarcerated in New Jersey State Prison in Trenton, New Jersey.

While the series is the story of a bright, adventurous young woman going on holiday and never coming home, it's also a mediation on the true crime genre itself. The series is beautifully shot and structured so uniquely that it almost feels like an actual suspense/thriller movie rather than a documentary. Berlinger somewhat overdoes it with the creepy dramatic re-enactments, but the series benefits from a raft of solid talking heads and a central whodunit that proves continually intriguing. An effortlessly bingable, yet uniquely melancholic true crime documentary saga that plays with audience expectations of the genre. Sophisticated, gripping, and full of perspectives usually absent in the genre, the series is an expertly-paced mystery and a thought-provoking discussion on classism, mental health, and the ethics of true crime. If you don't know the story of the Torso Killer, this is sure to keep you guessing from beginning to end. If you do, you will probably still learn something from this show.

Simon says Crime Scene: The Times Square Killer receives:

Also, see my review for Crime Scene: The Vanishing at the Cecil Hotel.

Film Review: "The Matrix Resurrections" (2021).

"It's been another life, beyond the one..." in The Matrix Resurrections. This science fiction action film directed by Lana Wachowski, written by Wachowski, David Mitchell and Aleksandar Hemon, and based on the characters created by The Wachowskis. It is the sequel to The Matrix Revolutions (2003) and the fourth installment in The Matrix film series. Plagued by strange memories, Neo's life takes an unexpected turn when he finds himself back inside the Matrix.

In late August 2019, it was officially announced by Warner Bros that a new sequel was in development with Lana Wachowski returning as sole director, with Reeves and Carrie-Anne Moss confirmed to reprise their roles. Lilly Wachowski was not involved with the film due to work on the Showtime series Work in Progress (2019-Present), but gave her blessing to those involved to come up with a story even "better than the original". By early February 2020, Jada Pinkett Smith, Lambert Wilson and Daniel Bernhardt were confirmed to reprise their roles. Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Jonathan Groff and Priyanka Chopra Jonas replaced Laurence Fishburne, Hugo Weaving and Tanveer K. Atwal. Weaving was originally approached to reprise his role as Agent Smith, but he had to turn it down due to scheduling conflicts with other films. Jessica Henwick, Neil Patrick Harris, Christina Ricci were cast as newcomers. At the same time, principal photography commenced and wrapped in early November. Filming took place in San Francisco, California USA and at Babelsberg Studio in Berlin, Germany under the code name Project Ice Cream. In mid March, production on the film was halted due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In mid August, Reeves confirmed filming had resumed in Berlin. In September, Warner Bros. confirmed that Johnny Klimek and Tom Tykwer would score the film. The film was originally set for a May 21, 2021 release on May 21, 2021 release date. However, the film was postponed to April 1, 2022, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The film was then moved back to December 22, 2021. The film is set to be the final film from Warner Bros. Pictures to have a simultaneous release on the HBO Max streaming service for one month as part of the studio's plans for all of its 2021 theatrical films.

The film stars Reeves, Moss, Abdul-Mateen II, Henwick, Groff, Harris, Chopra Jonas, Smith, Wilson, Bernhardt and Ricci. The film somewhat comes together nicely as the actors breathe vulnerability, fallibility and personality into their roles, with Reeves still being quite the commanding presence.

We waited almost twenty years for the same basic story? Hmpf. At least it looked good and had the original cast. Without that, we'd all be crying ripoff. The mediocrity of the film is not the fault of the audience, but people need to demand more. This is simply not serious or challenging filmmaking, even in the action genre. This latest installment of fandom's favorite mongrel pet is a poorly paced MacGuffin-chase plot, ginned up with groan-inducing spoonful doses of pro-war imagery and its attendant rudimentary vocabulary.

Simon says The Matrix Resurrections receives:

Also, see my review for Sense8.

Film Review: "Sing 2" (2021).

"Where will your dreams take you?" in Sing 2. This computer-animated jukebox musical comedy film written and directed by Garth Jennings and produced by Illumination. It is the sequel to the 2016 film Sing. Buster has turned the New Moon Theater into a local hit, but Buster has his eyes on a bigger prize: Debuting a new show at the Crystal Tower Theater in glamorous Redshore City. But with no connections, Buster and his cast—including harried mother pig Rosita, rocker porcupine Ash, earnest gorilla Johnny, shy elephant Meena and, of course, porcine provocateur Gunter - have to sneak their way into the world-famous Crystal Entertainment offices, run by ruthless mogul wolf Jimmy Crystal. In a desperate attempt to get Mr. Crystal’s attention, Gunter spontaneously pitches an outrageous idea that Buster quickly runs with, promising that their new show will star lion rock legend Clay Calloway. Problem is, Buster has never met Clay, an artist who shut himself away from the world more than a decade ago after the loss of his wife. Even worse, Buster has failed to realize that Mr. Crystal is an egocentric gangster who would rather drop somebody off the roof of a building than be lied to. As Gunter helps Buster dream up an out-of-this-world theatrical masterpiece, and the pressure (and sinister threats) from Mr. Crystal mount, Rosita’s leading role in the show gets ripped away and handed to Mr. Crystal’s spoiled daughter, Porsha, played by Grammy-nominated artist Halsey. Desperate to save the show, and his life, Buster embarks on a quest to find Clay and persuade him to return to the stage.

In late January 2017, Universal Pictures and Illumination announced a sequel to its 2016 animated hit was in development. Jennings returned to pen and direct the film with Matthew McConaughey, Reese Witherspoon, Scarlett Johansson, Taron Egerton, Nick Kroll, and Tori Kelly reprising their roles. In December 2020, Bobby Cannavale, Letitia Wright, Eric André, Chelsea Peretti, Pharrell Williams, Bono and Halsey were added to the voice cast. Additionally, composer Joby Talbot returned to compose the score. Nick Offerman, Jennifer Saunders and Peter Serafinowicz rounded out the film's voice cast. Work on the film shifted due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and was done remotely following the temporary closure of Illumination Mac Guff. The scope of the theatre in the finale was a major stepping tone to take over ten-thousand animals for the crowd department, old and new ones designed by longtime Illumination artist Eric Guillon who not only worked on Sing but have designed the new characters in the sequel like choreographer Klaus and the Minionesque mouse lemurs. Fashion brand Rodarte designed some of the costumes used in the film. The film was originally scheduled for a December 25, 2020 release date, but it was pushed to December 22, 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The vocal talents are so good, the only things you really wish for through the film are better lines, a few more sight gags.

The film highlights the power of teamwork, perseverance, and overcoming fear. It's a wonderful family movie that both adults and kids can enjoy together.

Simon says Sing 2 receives:

Also, see my review for Sing and The Secret Life of Pets 2.

Film Review: "Don't Look Up" (2021).

"Based on truly possible events." This is Don't Look Up. This satirical comedy science fiction film written and directed by Adam McKay. Kate Dibiasky, an astronomy grad student, and her professor Dr. Randall Mindy make an astounding discovery of a comet orbiting within the solar system. The problem - it's on a direct collision course with Earth. The other problem? No one really seems to care. Turns out warning mankind about a planet-killer the size of Mount Everest is an inconvenient fact to navigate. With the help of Dr. Oglethorpe, Kate and Randall embark on a media tour that takes them from the office of an indifferent President Orlean and her sycophantic son and Chief of Staff, Jason, to the airwaves of The Daily Rip, an upbeat morning show hosted by Brie and Jack. With only six months until the comet makes impact, managing the twenty-four-hour news cycle and gaining the attention of the social media obsessed public before it's too late proves shockingly comical - what will it take to get the world to just look up?

In early November 2019, it was announced that McKay would write, direct and produce a new film under his Hyperobject Industries banner and would be distributed by Paramount Pictures. In late February 2020, Netflix acquired the film from Paramount. Additionally, it was announced that principal photography would commence in April 2020. However, it was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. By late November, Leonardo DiCaprio, Jennifer Lawrence, Rob Morgan, Jonah Hill, Mark Rylance, Tyler Perry, Timothée Chalamet, Ron Perlman, Ariana Grande, Scott Mescudi, Cate Blanchett, Himesh Patel, Melanie Lynskey, Michael Chiklis, Liev Schreiber, Sarah Silverman, Chris Evans and Meryl Streep were cast. At the same time, principal photography commenced and wrapped in late February 2021. Filming took place throughout Massachusetts.

The film stars DiCaprio, Lawrence, Morgan, Hill, Rylance, Perry, Chalamet, Perlman, Grande, Mescudi, Blanchett, Patel, Lynskey, Chiklis, Schreiber, Silverman, Evans and Streep. DiCaprio and Lawrence lead an ensemble cast firing on all cylinders. The standout, however, is DiCaprio and Lawrence's righteously paranoid Dr. Mindy and Kate. Carell was primarily known as a comic actor, but he's been moving towards drama for a while now.

Both annoying and effective as McKay manages to simultaneously inform and talk down to his audience. Though presented as a jet black, indeed a cold-hearted, satire, it's concerned with reminding American audiences in particular just how close they can come to Armageddon. It manages to illuminate how the political and social failure occurred with scathing wit and highly-stylized editing that keeps you on your toes. Even a talented cast cannot make this labyrinthine topic fully understandable unless the viewer is already modestly familiar with the subject matter. The film could have been a subtle, restrained procedural drama. Instead, it's a confused clusterfuck of cinematic tropes piled atop a good yarn. McKay's comedic instincts serve him very well here, keeping what could be a very dry subject always feeling wry and engaging, while the facts in turn provide structure and substance.

Simon says Don't Look Up receives:

Also, see my review for Vice.

Film Review: "Being the Ricardos" (2021).

From the writer and director of The Trial of the Chicago 7 comes Being the Ricardos. This biographical drama film written and directed by Aaron Sorkin. During one production week of I Love Lucy - from Monday table read through Friday audience taping - Lucy Ball and Desi Arnaz face a series of personal and professional crises that threaten their show, their careers and their marriage in this behind-the-scenes drama.

In September 2015, the project was first announced with Sorkin penning the script and Cate Blanchett to star as Lucille Ball. In August 2017, the film would be acquired by Amazon Studios. Production was originally given a tax credit to film in California in November 2019, and producers were revealed to be meeting with directors in January 2020. However, by January 2021, Blanchett had dropped out of the project, with Nicole Kidman was cast to replace Blanchett, Javier Bardem was cast to portray Desi Arnaz, and Sorkin was ultimately hired to direct. The casting of Kidman was met with some controversy on social media, to which Lucie Arnaz spoke out in defense of Kidman's casting. After seeing the movie, Lucie Arnaz released a video on her YouTube Channel, in which she called the movie "freaking amazing." She complimented Sorkin for making a great movie that really captured the time period and had wonderful casting. She also said that Kidman "became my mother's soul." She also said that Bardem didn't look like her dad but "he has everything that dad had. He has his wit, his charms, his dimples, his musicality." By late March, J. K. Simmons, Nina Arianda, Tony Hale, Alia Shawkat, Jake Lacy, John Rubinstein, Linda Lavin, Ronny Cox, Clark Gregg and Christopher Denham rounded out the film's cast. At the same time, principal photography commenced and wrapped in May. Filming took place in Los Angeles, California.

The film stars Kidman, Bardem, Simmons, Arianda, Hale, Shawkat, Lacy, Rubinstein, Lavin, Cox, Gregg and Denham. Sorkin has always been an actor's writer, and Kidman revels in his dense-but-flowing dialogue. Her performance is the key to the film's success. Sorkin and Kidman managed to convey what it is like to have integrity and drive in equal measure as a woman in a world designed by men.

Despite the irritating editing choices, it's difficult to dismiss the design of the characters - and the exceptional performances by Kidman and Bardem. When it peaks, the film provides a thrilling, tension-filled glimpse into the glamorous and complicated world of I Love Lucy. It's unfortunate the film ends with a fizzle, not the pop it deserves. The film is a brisk, energetic, engrossing work, and even in those moments when it isn't, Kidman keeps things interesting. There are no Jedi, no Avengers, simply an intelligent story told from a very specific point of view. You feel like Hollywood doesn't make that kind of thing any longer? Go see the film, and you'll see that they never stopped.

Simon says Being the Ricardos receives:

See my review for The Trial of the Chicago 7.

Film Review: "West Side Story" (2021).

"Celebrate the greatest love story of all time" with West Side Story. This musical romantic drama film directed by Steven Spielberg, adapted by Tony Kushner, and based on 1957 stage musical of the same title conceived by Jerome Robbins, music by Leonard Bernstein, lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, which is based on the book by Arthur Laurents, which in turn was inspired by William Shakespeare's play Romeo and Juliet. It is the second feature-length adaptation after 1961 film adaptation. Love at first sight strikes when young Tony spots Maria at a high school dance in 1957 New York City. Their burgeoning romance helps to fuel the fire between the warring Jets and Sharks -- two rival gangs vying for control of the streets.

In March 2014, Spielberg first expressed interest in directing a new adaptation of West Side Story. This prompted 20th Century Fox to acquire the rights to the project. In July 2017, it was revealed that Kushner was hired to pen the adaptation, and that the story would be closer to the original stage musical than to the 1961 film. In January 2018, it was announced that Spielberg would likely direct the film following completion of filming for a fifth installment of the Indiana Jones franchise. However, by July, the fifth Indiana Jones film was pushed back, allowing Spielberg to begin pre-production on West Side Story. In September, Justin Peck was hired to choreograph the film, with Ansel Elgort cast in the film as Tony. In January 2019, newcomer Rachel Zegler was cast in the lead role of María. By July, Ariana DeBose, David Alvarez, Mike Faist, Brian d'Arcy James, Corey Stoll, Jamila Velazquez, Yassmin Alers, Jamie Harris, Andréa Burns, Curtiss Cook and Rita Moreno rounded out the film's cast. At the same time, principal photography commenced and wrapped in late September. Filming took place throughout New York and New Jersey. The production did not attempt to recreate the choreography used in most productions of the stage show and in the 1961 film. However, Peck and the creative team were mindful of Robbins' choreography, and occasionally reused Robbins' choreography for nostalgia. Spielberg initially approached his frequent collaborator John Williams to serve as the film's music director. Williams instead suggested composer David Newman and conductor Gustavo Dudamel. Newman arranged and adapted Bernstein's original score for the film. Dudamel conducted the New York Philharmonic during the film's recording sessions in 2019, with additional recording by the Los Angeles Philharmonic done during the COVID-19 pandemic the following year. Williams served as music consultant. The film was initially scheduled for a December 18, 2020 release date by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures through the 20th Century Studios label. However, in September 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Disney delayed the release date to December 10, 2021, which coincided with the 60th anniversary of the release of the 1961 film.

Filled with great performances, including Elgort, Zegler, DeBose and Alvarez, that will be talked about a lot come award season.

Despite the film is treading familiar ground in terms of its storytelling, it still proves to be effective due to its outstanding talents, in front and behind the camera.

Simon says West Side Story receives:

Also, see my review for Ready Player One.