Looking - Looking for U$220//Hour

Looking has been constantly growing on me. The pilot was good, the following episodes better, and this last one, "Looking for U$220/hour" was great.
Looking feels very fresh for me, not only because of the subject, but in how subdued yet complex it is. The strength of this show is definitely in its characters. They are all far from stereotypes, and feel like real people, not characters.
Nothing really special happened this episode, but yet it's so rich in detail that it drew me in from the beginning. The dynamic between Patrick and his boss is great and subtle. There is a clear attraction between the two of them, and Patrick has some hopes that Kevin's relationship isn't as solid as to be a big obstacle. But then there's this great exchange, where Kevin asks if they can order fried chicken, since it's something he can't do at home. Jonathan Groff's acting skills were clear at that moment: he realizes that Kevin associates him with something forbidden, that she shouldn't do, and Patrick knows, at that exact moment, that this is all a very bad idea. Hopefully, it will be a bad idea that he executes and gets in trouble for, but that is to be seen.
Don had a somewhat forgettable story line, he's kind of interested in an older guy, but he's denying that even to himself. Older guy, who seems a bit insecure ("Yeah, sure this isn't a date" was a little heartbreaking, was it not? Speaks volumes of the character), wants to maybe increase his attractiveness by helping Don find investors for his restaurant. On that note - doesn't anyone else see how bad the idea for his restaurant is? I lived my whole life in a country colonized by Portugal, I've actually been to Portugal and never heard of Portuguese Chicken. Is it even a thing?

Augustín had a good story line too, convincing a hustler to be part of his art project and then lying to his boyfriend about how much this is all costing ($220 an hour!). But his biggest contribution to this episode was getting Patrick in that leather vest, which is something I think we can all agree that should be on the show every single week.

Shameless S04E05 - There's The Rub

        A while ago, I got my mother hooked on Shameless. I don't know what I was thinking! She constantly calls me to complain about how hardcore the show is, yet she caught up with all seasons in days and is currently watching on a week-to-week basis. I'm kind of relieved that this has happened now that the show went as dark as its ever gone - and that's saying a lot in the Gallagher world - so that she could take a break after this episode's shocking ending.
        Spoilers ahead!
        Throughout this episode, I constantly got the feeling that things were walking towards a resolve. Not a finale, but getting there. Lip is getting it somewhat together in college, only to learn that his brother has stolen his Social Security to join the Army (and steal a helicopter!). Kevin is in on the Rub-n-Tug, which is going to be a good source of income (and trouble), Fiona finally pushes Robbie away and has to walk away from the most mature relationship she ever had. Frank learns his scheme won't work exactly the way he wanted to, and resorts to some interesting Native American rituals.
         All of this happens during Fiona's birthday. Her day starts out with a visit from Robbie at her house, alongside a gram or two of cocaine. The cocaine was Chechkov's gun (the idea is that, if there's a gun, it's going to be fired later in your story), but somehow it didn't seem that way. I didn't think the cocaine was a "plant" for a later "payoff", and when it was, I was floored. So was my mother.
        Shameless has gone darker than probably any other show on air right now, and constantly. When "Get on All Fours", Girls' darkest episode, aired, it was a scandal, probably because Girls is more mainstream that Shameless. But Shameless walks that territory constantly, since season one. Either by Sheila and her, let's say unusual sexual preferences, to everything Frank does, which includes abandoning his only loyal kid to hang out with his newly discovered daughter, which tries to kiss him and gives him an erection, to, finally, a baby overdosing on cocaine and nearly dying.
     

  This was such a great narrative decision. It took Fiona, who, I feel, hadn't, up to this point, really suffered the consequences of her life choices, to the darkest hole she could ever crawl into, and there's really little hope of her getting out of this ok. What I thought this episode did beautifully, besides pulling the rug from under our feet and taking us in a whole, new, unexpected direction, was the tying between all storylines. This weaving was done, mostly, via Lip, who had his best episode of the season. He finally has things somewhat together. The poster he writes for himself, "No Distractions", was a great little piece of irony, since everything that happened after that is very much distracting:  learns that Ian has gotten both himself and Lip into trouble. There was a wonderfully done scene of Lip finding Ian working at a gay club, and high out of his mind. Debbie is too young to understand why "he's acting weird" (even though I would think that a Gallagher would notice what it was instantly) and Lip has to shelter his little sister while trying to save his lost little brother. And when he gets home, finally, to relax a little bit, the older sister that should be taking care of all this in the first place, gets arrested for being completely irresponsible. Lip always feels like he has to carry the world on his shoulder, and maybe, this time, he will actually have to.

Girls - S03E06

I continue to think that Girls is playing it a little safe this season. Not visually, or graphically, but emotionally. I've said this before about season 3, but it feels there's a safety net that wasn't there before, and while it's still a fun show to watch, I miss some of its punch.

Hanna's story was amusing, but very straightforward to take up that much screen time. She has a new corporate gig, writing for the Advertisement Editorial of GQ. Of course, she's conflicted about it. It's a big corporation, she's a "real writer", she says obnoxiously. There are free snacks, yay! There's a potential new love interest, yay! (Although Adam is my favorite character this season so I would really suffer to see him go, but I'm getting ahead of myself). She's on her artistic high horse, only to discover that she is surrounded by "real writers", even more competent then herself. I liked the story line. I could relate to it, but the lack of subtext bothered me. There were no other layers, no other complex issue going on. After the two amazing episodes "Dead Inside" and "Only Child", that dealt with themes way beyond the literal stories presented, it felt like a bit of a disappointment. 

The other characters' stories were more interesting, but felt rushed and hushed. Shoshanna is slowly yet surely starting to break down, asking the inevitable question all college students face one moment or the other of "what does this all mean? It's so hard to have all the answers yet non at all". I can't wait until she finally melts down completely (and by the looks of the preview from next week's episode, it's about to happen). Jess successfully sells a black christening dress, which was all she did this week - the writers are clearly having a hard time knowing what to do with Jess. She's just so wacky and crazy and free flowing that it's hard to center her and have her stories matter.

Which brings us to the best thing about this week, which was... Marnie and Ray start a very awkward relationship. Marnie reminded me of a quote from Patrick in the great new HBO series Looking, in which he says: "I think we're not very good at being who we think we are.". I also feel that describes every twenty something no-longer-a-girl-not-yet-a-woman that starts questioning her choices in life. Ray, on the other hand, is showing to be the guy that everyone thought was a loser but is, in fact, the strongest one of the group (hard not to draw a parallel to Jesse Pinkman from-- I don't need to mention from which show). He has his life somewhat together, he's an amazing interior decorator, he has very clear and articulated opinions that are really hard to disagree with. Seems like we'll be meeting Hanna, Marnie and Shosh in the Hamptons next week to see Shoshanna melt down. A melt down in the hamptons! I'm tuning in.

Dallas Buyers Club

The most interesting aspect of Dallas Buyers Club is definitely the unlikely friendship between Ron Woodroof, played very well by Matthew McConaughey, and Rayon, played superbly by Jared Leto. A lot of attention was given to McConaughey's performance, in my opinion, due more to his physical transformation than to his actual acting abilities. Yes, I do believe he will be the Oscar winner this year, but not because he suddenly became a better actor than Bruce Dern.

Their chemistry, however, is clear. It's through his friendship with Rayon that Ron becomes a tolerant man, and I saw in that relationship, more than the one between Ron and Eve (played very Jennifer Garner-y by Jennifer Garner), the emotional core of this movie. That said, the end of the relationship should have been a way more tender moment than it actually was. It was glossed over like it was minor story point, and for me, it was anything but. The fact that Ron, originally a homophobe, not only becomes a friend but also a partner to a transvestite speaks wonders of this character's background. He comes from a group of friends that shuns him because he has the "gay disease". In their logic, the only way Ron got infected was if he was a homosexual as well but they also worry they're infected when Ron spits on them, showing the complete lack of reason and knowledge behind their points of view.

I was a little disappointed to learn that Ron Woodroof is not the inventor of the 'Buyers' Club' concept. He imported the concept to Dallas, and the movie shyly reveals that his club actually didn't last that long. But it's still a lovely, intriguing and oddly motivational story. Ron doesn't let the lack of reason inherent to any Government decision stand in his way. In fact, it seems like he almost has fun trying to outsmart the FDA, which is he is able to do for the bigger part of the movie.

Downton Abbey - S04E06

This episode of Downton Abbey wasn't particularly great but wasn't particularly boring. There was a overall theme of change going on, with its most visual representation in the jazz band that plays at Robert's birthday. That band was a great dramatic way of showing how each character feels about the changing times ahead. Robert resists but accepts, Cora beams, Edith stands{}

Downstairs, Anna and Bates try and get over "it" by talking about not talking about "it". Anna has been through the worst possible experience for a woman. She is hurt but not broken, and Joanne Froggatt shows how skilled she is by showing staying exactly within that narrow zone.
In a surprising-yet-not-surprising-in-a-Downton-Abbey-kind of-way, Alfred gets invited to the Ritz after all, leading to a lovely, tender scene between him and Daisy. I love Daisy. She refuses to leave her innocent, almost fairy-tale world, and she is, for the most part, comfortable with who she is.

The loveliest scene in this episode, possibly in the season, was one between Mrs. Crawley, Thomas, and Mary. All three have lost the love of their lives, and find each other remembering the one time in their life that the love they felt for each one of these spouses, all of which are deceased. "How sad", we all thought. But Mrs. Frawley, instead, says: "Aren't we the lucky ones.". That brought tears to my eyes. They are lucky, indeed. It was a beautiful way of reminding us of the old cliché: It's better to have loved and lost than to have never loved at all.

Shameless - S04E04 - Strangers on a Train

It was hard to top off the impact of last week's episode, but "Strangers on a Train" did quite well. If I have anything to say about this season, so far, is that it seems quite repetitive in its issues. Lip has a hard time in college, clearly not fitting in. Fiona is torn between the stability of her new job and relationship and her need for adventure (and self-destruction). Debby is DTF but her boy isn't, Frank and Carl try to get Frank a liver. But, even so, there was some story progression and the episode definitely had its moments.
To start with, the opening sequence. Fiona rides the L Train, which, unlike its New York hipster equivalente, seems to take everyone, everywhere in Chicago. Robbie comes in. Did he know she was going to be there? Coincidence? It doesn't matter. The fact is that he's sexy, he's dangerous, he fingers girls on the L!! The sequence was great and probably the strongest scene in the whole episode, even with the obvious cut to the train rushing from one point to another to show her orgasm in a not-very-subtle way.
I had a quick talk with a friend of mine on Shameless and Amorality x Immorality. Her point is quite interesting: pretty much all the characters in Shameless are amoral: they have no moral code whatsoever and don't think they're doing anything wrong. Not Fiona. Fiona, here, is immoral. She knows she shouldn't be sleeping with her boyfriend's brother, and yet, she does. Here's where Shameless shows its quality. We're right with her: we know it's wrong, it's trouble, and yet, we're there for the ride, and we almost cheer when she shows up at Robbie's house. Secretly, of course.
I've been really loving Kevin this season. I feel he's the only man in this show that "does the right thing". He's married, he's struggling to keep the bar open. And if he's willing to partner up with Mikey and open a brothel on the side, it's just because the man is about to have 4 kids! At once! I mean, can you blame him?
The Frank storyline is barely worth mentioning, although cudos for Carl for finally succeeding in breaking (shattering?) Frank's leg.

Something for me that worked will this episode were the connections between story lines. Deb is so eager to lose her virginity (DTF!) that, looking for more experienced feedback, she goes to Mandy, who later is visited by Lip, who is looking for an excuse to drop out of college even if it means a little baby running around. Lip, then, goes for a beer and complains about how difficult life is to Kevin, of all people, who, as mentioned, is probably going to become a pimp to survive.  Kev has no patience for this, and finally knocks some sense into the kid.

In A World...

          In a time of heated debates over the role of women in the entertainment business, it's easy to get caught up in abstract yet heated debates on gender politics, with a lot of so-called feminists yelling for things that should be done (by men) to open up more space for women in the field. That notion gives me goosebumps. Women don't need men to step politely to the side so that they can reach their level, they just plow through and get where they want to be. How? By writing, directing and/or starring great movies. If those movies happen to be about independent, talented and driven women, even better. Yes, the road might be harder, but people in the entertainment business are rarely in it because they don't like challenges.
            Lake Bell does all those things - writes, directs, stars - in this little comedy gem about a struggling voice-over coach that, almost by accident, gets involved in a battle to be the new voice of a Hunger Games-esque quadrilogy, facing foes that include her own father. In the meantime she has fun and finds love, while quietly and surely succeeding in a male-dominated business. THANK YOU, Lake Bell. That's the kind of message women in the biz need to hear - even if she spells it out for us way too directly by the end of this enjoyable ride.
        The movie, however, is not a chick-flick. My husband arrived late in the game then quietly settled next to me on the couch and watched the last third of the movie, asking to watch it again (which I will, with pleasure). It's a feel-good movie with punch, another "late twenties coming of age" story with a fresh new spin on it.

Shameless - S04E03 Like Father, Like Daughter

          Man, I missed Shameless. I don't know if it's because I grew up in a overpopulated house run by a matriarch - even though my similarities with anything Shameless end there - but it's the show I look most forward to watching every Sunday during this somewhat slow Winter TV season.
         I'll start out saying what I didn't like much about this episode, which is, ironically enough, what I liked most about last week's: Lip's storyline. The problem with his story this week was that it was exactly. the. same. as last week. Lip's alone, he's struggling, it's harder than he thinks and there's real competition. It's the risk you take when you take your character away from all that he usually interacts with, and I already know they're going to solve that by bringing him back home next week ("next week on!").
        It was so great to see Sheila back, and dating, and dating a Native American from Christian Mingle who is DTF!!! Too much goodness there.
        Frank, again, is showing how low he is willing to get to get what he needs - which is a liver now - flirts with his own daughter. It was so disturbing when she kisses him, even for Shameless. This show does a good job breaking down sociopathic behaviors. These people can be extremely charming and charismatic when they need to, and cruel, selfish and relentless when that's what's needed. Frank showed both aspects of his flawlessly this episode. And we know Frank well enough to know that he wants a new liver so he can drink again, not because this is some kind of chance of redemption. He's an addict, after all. Which leads me to... Fiona.
         I wasn't surprised to learn that this was an episode penned by a woman, Sheila Callagham. I say that because it was one of the finest character studies on a female character I've watched in a while, and showed Fiona's extremely sexual and adventurous side without making her slutty (ok, debatable) or objectified. It's safe to say that all viewers were waiting for Fiona to tire from her stable job/stable relationship combo. But the way it was done was fun, sexy and riveting. We know from the first time that Robbie shows up that he means trouble. Even though direction was a little heavy handed in making us fall for him too, with the sexy lighting and the one-second too long close-ups, we're hoping that Fiona will be a little smarter about how to deal with him. Instead, she flirts with him, sits on the kitchen sing with her legs provocatively open, and doesn't try to fight her sexual desire for one single second. Addict, he calls her, and he's so spot on. Even though it's never been articulated, that's what Fiona is. She is addicted to the rush, and when the rush starts slipping through her fingers -something most people would celebrate - she finds a way to feel it again. And she seems to like it, touching her ripped pantyhose in the train. The last shot, however, did it for me. She's walking away and catches a glimpse of her father, a man she despises for, precisely, his addiction and what it causes to the people around him. And that shot, without saying anything, said the world: she's way more similar to him that she would ever care to admit.

Girls - S03 E03 and E04 - Dead Inside and Only Child

        "Hanna. Why don't you place just one crumb of basic human compassion on this fat free muffun of sociopathic detachment, see how it tastes." Ray has become one of my favorite characters on this show, alongside Adam. I don't know if it's a good thing that my favorite characters on a show called "Girls" are boys, but it doesn't change the fact. Throughout these two episodes - that felt like a single episode divided in two, even more so because HBO GO had the "early view" option - Ray was repeatedly the voice of reason. In the scene where he tells Marnie what's her problem, it becomes clear how clearly Ray sees things the way they are (and how Marnie isn't really that complex of a character). I could've gone without the dry-humping, but at the same time it adds to Marnie's absolute lack of compassion - she has slept with ex-boyfriends of two of her best friends. Wow, Marnie! Way to break the gal-code!
         These episodes felt, to me, that Girls is back with all its might. Hanna is unapologetically self-centered, and this affects pretty much every aspect of her life: her family life, when she ignores that her dad had possible cancer surgery, her professional life, when she goes to a funeral home to better investigate what's happening with her book, and her love life, when she kicks Adam's sister out of the house. More on that later.
         In "Dead Inside", something quite subtle and wonderful happened. We started noticing how little Hanna knows herself. I went through a couple of ahá moments as far as self awareness during my early and mid twenties. The first ahá moment was after college, when I suddenly felt that I knew myself so well, and that nothing that I would do would ever surprise me, it would just be a part of my wonderful multi-faceted personality. Hanna has definitely had this moment, but not the second one, when one realizes how little we know about ourselves and others, how we're always changing, and how the answer to the question 'who are you' is very complex, if at all existent. Hanna has spent the last episodes (and all of season two) complaining about how much she feels. Maybe it is her defense mechanism after struggling with her OCD, but fact is that somebody very close to her dies, she can't feel, anything at all. To the point where she has to tell a fake monologue about a cousin who died of muscular dystrophy, a story Adam's sister told her, to have Adam not look at her like a monster.  Speaking of which...
         Adam's sister actually grew on me as a character (although not enough for me to remember her name). When Hanna kicks her out, she delivers one of the best monologues of the show, and, like Ray did to Marnie, she breaks Hanna down with amazing precision. Yes, Hanna will never really understand the real struggles of humanity, even if she thinks she does because, to Hanna, her own little world is all that matters. When she finally does kick Adam's sis out, it isn't because Adam's sis crossed the line, it's because Hanna is having a bad day. And when Adam comes home, she can't even understand why he would be upset because, as the episode's title said, she's an only child.
     

P.S: Also worth mentioning: I enjoyed that Jess's destructiveness has major impacts on her life. Even Shosh has had enough, and I totally bought that her friend would fake her death to get rid of Jess. It actually is a great idea that I'm starting to toy around with.

Parks and Recreation - "Farmer's Market"

          I was very worried about Parks and Rec in the episodes following Leslie's recall. It was a good decision, dramatically, but the writers had a hard time until they were able to cover that new ground with comfort.
          I think they did, though, and the idea of having Ben become Leslie's boss was a good one. I particularly enjoyed Leslie in this episode. When one of the farmer's market's vendors starts using sexy dancers to promote his Chard business, she wants to use Ben's power as city manager to revoke his license. This was Leslie at her worst. Cornerning Ben and using the political structure to get to her own goals. It was fun to watch, though, and I enjoyed that she lost this battle, as deserved. I'm excited to see how much of a strain their new professional situation will put on their marriage.
          The storyline that got the most laughs out of me was everything revolving around the "Whine and Cheese club". First of all, I WANT A WHINE AND CHEESE CLUB! Second, it got the best lines of the whole episode (everything Ron Swanson said about the amazing rectangle that contains all his music). Third, it was a great way to start saying our goodbyes to Ann and Chris. Even though the thought if it hurts, it's the right choice, creatively. It's been clear that, for a while now, the writers don't know exactly what to do with these two. Ann just needed to vent, but instead her lover would always run and try to fix her problem, never once asking Ann "how she felt", or saying what she wanted to hear which was "that sucks".  I loved how this episode showed that not everything is perfect in this relationship, but it's clearly a good and strong one, and one that will probably succeed, even if we don't follow them on the show anymore.

Parenthood - You've Got Mold - S05E14

       

 "WHAT ARE YOU DOING JOEL??" has to be the question on everyone's mind right now. This was an episode designed to bring out our tears, and I, for one, was definitely a victim of this design. The Joel x Julia separation story line is one that gets me thinking a lot. In a way, it's refreshing to see that, finally, Parenthood, which could be now called Marriagehood, is dealing with the difficulties of marriage, and exploring how apparently strong couples sometimes have very weak foundations.
          I don't know necessarily if that is the case with J&J, but I do appreciate that the show is not taking their change in status quo lightly. Things started to unravel when Julia quit her job, got worse when Victor got held back and seem unfixable now that Julia was kissed by Ed. In the real world, I do see this couple possibly divorcing, but this is Parenthood, this is Jasom Katim's world, so we're all just expecting the reversal to come in a a few episodes to come (right?? RIGHT?!). However realistic this storyline is, there are some things that still bother me about it, though. For one, it seems that Joel is being unusually cruel. They just adopted a kid together, for Christ sakes! Give Julia a chance! Sleep on the couch for a week or two, but don't make Sydney cry like that. Although Victor's quiet pain - which can easily transform itself into rage - was even more heartbreaking to me. The other aspect that seems to bother me is how quiet and subdued Julia is. Fight for your man, woman! Say something, tell him you love him, anything! It's hard for me to buy that go-getter Julia in only capable of huggin her legs and whispering "you don't have to go" when her husband and presumably love of her life walks out.
        Speaking of changes in status quo, the other strong storyline of the week revolved around Zeek and Camille. I particularly love that they're exploring a relatively new crisis in modern age: older people, with now a whole new "act" in life, not having planned to, well, basically, live that long. I totally buy Camille's longing, ever since her affair a few seasons ago. Camille wants more, she wants art, she wants adventure. And Zeek is happy living his quiet life, taking care of his car and fixing the house. I feel we were all frustrated that Zeek didn't pack his bags and go after Camille, but he finally noticed that it's his wife that is the center of his universe, and if he doesn't have her, the quiet life and the old car in the garage have no meaning. I'm very excited to see the spin-off "Camille and Zeek - Lost in Europe!" next year.
       The other storylines don't deserve that much attention. Sarah and Hank argue over a picture, Adam and Cristina are frustrated that Max doesn't fit in anywhere and she decides to open a school. It would be a storyline that deserves attention, but doing big crazy projects is Cristina's thing now, so when she says "I'm starting a school, it's so crazy!", all I can do is think "not as crazy as running for mayor!". I also can't help but mention how little I missed Amber this week.
       I did think this was a solid hour of TV, as Parenthood mostly is, but it didn't feel very mid-season-finale-esque to me. But that's what Parenthood does so well: "little" story lines that are actually very huge in these people's worlds.

The Spectacular Now

       
     A teacher once told me that it's better to have a cliché idea and arrive at something original, than have an original idea and arrive at something cliché. This applies to a "The Spectacular Now", directed by James Ponsoldt, a director whose previous I work I don't know but am now curious about. It's a somewhat cliché coming of age story about a young man, Sutter, lost in life who fills his void with alcohol, and things start to change when me meets the nice and not-so-popular Aimee. It has other clichés, too. The popular cute girl, the dorky animé-reading other girl, the dead-beat father, the distant mother. And yet, it all comes together in a powerful yet subtle little movie.
             Sutter is a very strong character. Maybe I related to the movie as much as I did because I've dated Sutter in high-school. Twice. Sutter is the magnetic, charismatic, knows-everyone kid (even though he thinks he's a man) everyone met in high-school. He overcompensates his lack of direction in life being loud and drunk. And when he meets his father and he sees the man he will become if he doesn't change, he doesn't like what he sees.
             Aimee, however, was a character for me that lacked a little bit of an arch. She's realistic as the young somewhat insecure girl that has no idea how beautiful and smart she is. Throughout the movie, she is hurt over and over, physically, even, and never seems to learn from those experiences. That was a minor flaw for me in an other-wise very enjoyable movie.
             The chemistry between actors Miles Teller and Shailene Woodley jumps out at us on the screen. It is there throughout, but there are two scenes in particular that it shines. The first one is the sex scene between them. The actors felt very comfortable with each other, even though their characters didn't. The scene is simple, but beautifully written, acted and shot. The other scene is the one where Sutter sees his father, played by the always great Kyle Chandler (Coach Taylor!), for the first time in a while. So much happens in this scene emotionally for the characters. Aimee understands better who her boyfriend is, and Sutter gets a glimpse of what his future will be like if he doesn't change, and he doesn't like what he sees. The scene ends with his father leaving the two teenagers to take care of the bill, and they scrap their wallets to do so. It's such a piercing way to end a scene. Kudos to the writers    Michael H. Weber and Scott Nestadter (from 500 Days of Summer, which actually made me feel like I wasn't going to like the movie. Yay for surprises!), I thought, only to read later that it was an improvised moment between   and     . The ending of the movie is somewhat predictable and... why not, cliché. But there's just honesty to it. You believe it. You feel their pain, their love, their fear and their hopes, making it the kind of movie that I just instantly fall for.

Looking - Pilot

     
   I decided to watch "Looking" after I saw my Facebook feed divided between people that thought it was so boring and people that thought it was the best thing since bottled water. As I recently heard, the only sin that art doesn't stand is it being insignificant, and I knew even before watching it, that insignificance would not be a problem for "Looking".
           Indeed it is not. "Looking" is a show that stays in your head for a long time after the credits roll. I didn't see it as a "gay show", whatever the hell that means. I saw it as a show about people, and these people happen to be gay men living in San Francisco. I know this sounds extremely P.C., but trust me when I say this, I'm not a P.C. person at all. But what I mean is that the crisis these men are going through are universal crisis, portrayed very well on screen, and anyone, straight, gay, bi, trans, can relate to those crisis. The twenty-nine year old man seeking for love and happiness based on his pre-established conditions of what he thinks he needs in someone else, only to have a chance encounter on the bus shake those pre-established conditions to the core, The forty year old man that is stuck in his dead end job while his ex is making millions selling condos in L.A.,  the couple that's moving in because that seems to be the next logical step in their relationship even though it seems that neither of them really desire it. Is it a unrealistic portrait of gay men living in San Francisco? I don't know! And I don't care. What I do care about is that the characters felt real, and so did their pain, their wants and their needs. I have a feeling that because this show focuses on gay men instead of someone who most people would call "main stream", people's expectations change. It's supposed to be "more gritty", or "more sexy" or less this, more that. To those people, I answer the following: it's a TV show. It's art made to entertain. And, to me, it was successful both artistically and in its entertainment value.
            I loved quite a few aspects of this pilot. I thought it was wonderfully shot, I thought the acting was spot on, and I can't remember any portrayal of a "bad date" to be done as well as the one that happens in the pilot, with the awkward interview process followed by the even more awkward split of the bill. At the same time,  I can understand how some people found it boring. There are, in fact, no grand plot points, no epic story line going on. But that was ok to me, because of what I said earlier about good characters and relatable situations. I believe that emotion sustains arts way better than logic or realism do. If something is emotionally honest, I - and I know this is a personal reaction to stories - am ready to forgive certain logic flaws or weak story lines. And that emotional honesty was there for me. None of these characters have found what they're seeking yet, but, hey, they're still looking. And I'm ready to tune in next week to help them find it.

Revenge S03E13 - Hatred

       

         Revenge is, by far, my favorite guilty pleasure. I love how unapologetically soap-y it is, and as far as B shows go, I give it an A+. I'm pleasantly surprised at how the writers come up with all these obstacles to stretch the show out for a couple seasons before Emily Thorne finally gets her revenge.
          This was a mid-season finale, even if it didn't feel finale-esque. But, boy, was it a good hour of television. Despite some odd choices from the costume design department - mostly Daniel's jackets and suits and Margot's way-too-pink-blouse, this was Revenge at it's finest. The show has really had fun with character evolution, particularly Daniel - more on him later - and, of course, Emily. But let me start with one of the show's best characters: Victoria Grayson.
         Victoria is going through a very interesting arc. For so long we saw her as the evil one, with absolutely no morals or layers, for that matter. That has changed. Victoria has had a terrible, terrible life growing up, and it didn't seem to get better after marrying Conrad. Patrick returning to her life brings out all these dug up memories, leading her to deliver one of the show's best scenes up to date, which was that monologue. That monologue!! Not even Justin Hartley's poor reaction shots killed that for me. For once, Victoria's motivations are actually genuine and relatable: she wants to protect her son from a woman who she knows (thinks) is a social climber. She knows Emily Thorne is not to be trusted, and also knows what a destructive force she is to her son. I think it's safe to say that we all, maybe for the first time, felt bad for Victoria.
           Also worth mentioning was the scene between Conrad, Margot and Daniel. I had always thought Margot to be a disposable character, only there to create another obstacle between Jack and Emily since Amanda Clark died. In this episode, however, she has finally succumbed to the evil energy that the Graysons just put out there. This makes her the newest player in their never ending scheming, even she thinks that her decision of throwing Daniel under the bus - something she doesn't hesitate to do and I love her for it -  will do the exact opposite.
         SPOILERS AHEAD!
Speaking of Daniel... His arc is probably one of my favorites. It's riveting to see how despicable his character has become, specially because we saw this happening step by step. He's hurt, he's lost, and he's a Grayson, and as much as he despises his father, it's Conrad he's turning into. I was on the edge of my seat during the last Daniel x Emily interaction. He's so angry at Emily that he can't contain it in himself anymore, making the scene of him pushing her on the bed ever so powerful. Yes, granted he has already shot her, but he is still able to hurt her even more by uttering one of the most evil, gut wrenching, soap-y, memorable lines this show has produced: "Me sterilizing you was my gift to the Universe." OUCH DANY! Which leads her to Emily. I thought the show has been handling her post-accident state of mind very well. She is still playing the part, but she is, deep down, a woman. Her not being able to bare children has had a deep impact on her, so when Daniel says those brutal words, she waits until he leaves and cries. It was a great character moment. And I can't wait to see what Conrad's latest scheme is. I highly doubt that Emily and Conrad actually did sleep together. It would take the show to the darkest place it's been to so far - which wouldn't necessarily be a bad thing. I'm just not sure ABC is ready to go there.

Downton Abbey - S04E03

I've been enjoying this season of Downton Abbey way more than I imagined, and considerably more than I enjoyed the first few episodes of season three. As much as Matthew's death annoyed the hell out of me, and I'm pretty sure everyone - write better contracts, Julian Fellowes! -, it ended up giving a lot more material for story than if he had stayed alive, and the writing is not shying away from that.
I really appreciate how focused on the women this season has been, possible exception being Tom Branson, and his great struggle of not feeling part, or wanting to feel part of this strange section of society he married into. And now that the reason for him being in this part of society is gone - write better contracts, Julian Fellowes! - the awkwardness and the emptiness are just to strong for him not to ignore. But back to the women...
      Mary is now butting heads with her father as far as Downton and decisions that have to be made with the estate. I love Mary the business woman! She was born for that, and, even though we know that the great depression is right around the corner, I, for one, sided with her. Don't sell! Make the estate self sufficient! And, if that's not distraction enough, there's a new suitor in town and he falls head over heels over Mary, who isn't ready to officially give up Matthew. It's a beautiful arc, since we're right there with her. We, too, are not ready to move on Matthew, but we too know it's a decision that she will regret. Edith is affirming her independent spirit, even if she's caught in the act by... who's that lady again? Anyway, it's the same lady that gave a Lady Rose a hard time for dancing with the black singer, so, like Edith, we know her advice is one to pretty much ignore. And Anna, poor Anna! I usually feel that rape story lines are used by writers who have run out of ideas and need something to shock the audience. What's the worst possible thing that can happen to her? But here's it's handled very smartly. It's early 20th Century. There are no women's center for her to go to and hear she shouldn't feel guilty, although Mrs. Patmore's advice is of an experienced woman who knows what she's saying. And as much as we want her to tell her husband, we also know that she's right. He would kill the guy for it, and he would be hanged for it. Great stuff! And, let's not ignore the best flirting scene of the whole series, between Mrs. Patmore and Mr. Carson. Just get together, already! And, to finish, I would like to give Mr. Carson the "most quotable character of the week". My two favorites: "I always thing there's something rather foreign about high spirits at breakfast". Thanks, Carson. you just transformed my life's view into one sentence. And, this beautiful thought, which ties in so well with Mary's dilemma: "The business of life is the acquisition of memories, in the end, it's all there is."

Philomena

        My mother-in-law asked me once, not without a pang of annoyance, if being so analytical about movies took away the joy of watching them. My answer was something I read once in a obscure french screenwriting book: good movies grab you by the gut and you're so emotionally involved that all that annoying analysis flies out the window. Yes, the threshold for what I consider a "good movie" might be higher than the other person, but that experience, of total suspension of disbelief, happens from time to time, and when it does, it reminds me why I want to write and make movies in the first place.
         This phenomenon happened while watching Philomena. Yes, the writer in me was thinking about story beats and narrative choices for the first ten minutes or so, but what I remember thinking the most about is how embarrassing it would be to leave the theaters in tears. Stephen Frears has shown us the amazing ability to show someone's whole life and what it means to be that person by focusing on a particular event that person lived. That is clear in the masterful "The Queen", and equally present in Philomena.
        The screenplay, signed by Steve Coogan - who also stars, and has won my heart ever since the hysterically funny and melancholic The Trip  - and Jeff Pope is flawless. Never too much, never too little, fast paced and great pay offs. He creates a fun and deep dynamic between the wonderfully complex Philomena and the somewhat grumpy yet helpful and involved-more-than-he-wanted-to Martin. The movie does something seldom seen nowadays: it engages the audience in such a way one feels like screaming at the character on screen, and when we side with Martin during the final climactic exchange, it's us who Philomena is talking to when lecturing about love and forgiveness.

Shameless S04E02 - My Oldest Daughter

  I'm constantly surprised both at Shameless and at the fact that it isn't a show that everyone is talking about. It's an amazing ensemble piece delivering great stories and performances week after week. After a no more than OK season opening last week, this past episode reminded me why I love this show so much.
All the story lines worked for me, and not only that, they worked because all of these characters have been so well built over the last season. Deb is both eager and scared to grow up. She sees in both her period and in losing her virginity the objective ways of doing that, so she can't wait to get over both, not realizing that 'growing up' isn't something that happens from one day to the other. Karl, poor Karl. Karl is still too young to understand why nobody around him is trying to save his father. "He's dying!" he repeats a couple of times throughout the episode. It's so heartbreaking to see that he still hasn't been hurt by Frank, and therefore has a harder time giving up on him. It's a matter of time, Karl. Just wait and see. Fiona's storyline was probably my least favorite, although it's planting some interesting things for the future. Her new boyfriend, the boss, clearly likes her, but Fiona has no time, or patience for his insecurities, even though they sound kind of legit. I was glad Fiona mentioned her ex, even though I would like to see the show resolving Jimmy's death one way or the other. I also buy that Fiona would be a natural sales rep. She has to deal with so many different people under her roof that it's only natural that she easily aligns interests between two parties. Veronica and Kevin's story was funny and great. It felt obvious when V found out she was pregnant last week, but triplets? I laughed out loud with Kev's boasting of his magic penis.
By far, Lip's story line resonated the most with me. It was great to show how utterly lonely he feels without ever once spelling it out for us (see, Girls?!). I was particularly moved by his whole interaction with his tutor. He's upset when she ditches him, yes, but it's not because he fell in love with her in one second, or anything like that. It's because he saw in her possible high-quality company, and even a smart girl like her falls for the WASPy grad student with the plaid shirt. Him not wanting to hang up the phone with Karl was so sad, and spoke volumes.  That is what I love about this show. It talks about real, serious issues: single 'motherhood', alcoholism, puberty, growing up, being a fish out of water, daddy issues, but it never seems heavy. And with small, seemingly insignificant scenes, like Lip having crazy sex with some big-breasted stranger, have a lot to say about each of these characters.

Nebraska

      ""Nebraska" is the best movie I've watched in the last 10 years!" boasted my doctor when he realized he was in the presence of a movie buff. It was hard not to go watch immediately after.
Disclosure: I watched "Nebraska" last week, and not yesterday. This is relevant because Nebraska is a movie that gets better in hindsight.
      Knowing Alexander Payne and his work, I entered the theatre knowing I shouldn't expect epic story lines, major action sequences and fast paced story telling. And, true to my expectations, the story unfolded slowly, relying more on the strength of the characters involved than on major plot twists. The movie is very.... very... slow. Payne takes him time to tell this simple story, and while watching it, the word "boring" would sometimes pop in my head.
     However, something magical happens at the end of this movie. The emotional thread on which the movie is based on is so, so strong that when the movie comes to a close, even if the story itself seems a bit disappointing, it pays off, and pays off wonderfully. It's not a narrative pay off, mind you, but an emotional one.
     And here's the funny thing, which to me attests to the movie's quality: when remembering the movie, the word "boring" is nowhere to be seen. In fact, I see myself smiling remembering certain sequences and dialogues, and even though it wasn't the best movie I've seen in the last ten years, it was definitely one my recent favorites.

P.S: If the Oscars were about giving the prize to the best actor, and not the one that went through the biggest physical transformation - I'm talking to you, McConaughey! -, Bruce Dern would be taking it home.

HER

     

Her is Spike Jonze's latest movie and it's a story about a lonely man who falls in love with Siri, which, in this case, is called Samantha. It is the best possible movie given that premise. I liked "Her"a lot. I loved the vision of the new future the production design and costume design have created. Even though people will suddenly think that high-waist pants are SO COOL, the future looks a lot like the present does, but with better video games and cell phone reception on the subways. Joaquin Phoenix shows the best of his skills as Theodore, the lonely, letter-writing eccentric. The cinematography, done by Hoyte Van Hoytema (from the unforgettable Let the Right One In) is stunning. The last shot of the movie is one of my favorites in recent film history. But the story... well, the story is about a lonely man that falls in love with Siri and the complications, or lack thereof, that ensue when that happens.
      There was something missing for me in this movie. It wasn't particularly visionary - we all know that technology only gives the illusion of bringing us together when it, in facts, is making us more distant. No brilliant insight here! When Hal started lying in "2001" it was a scary - and revolutionary - thought: computers that are becoming smarter than the people that programmed them. It's the whole idea behind Free Will: yeah, God gave it to us (I'm talking theory here, not implying that you are a believer or anything), we're on our own. But in 2014, it's not revolutionary at all. It's, in fact, part of every day life. It wasn't particularly funny, or particularly sad, or particularly gritty. It took a not so safe concept and brought it to safe storytelling and filmmaking.
      It's still a memorable piece of art, though. Spike Jones has an incredible ability to take any strange concept and make it not only watchable, but unforgettable. Maybe Michel Gondry's crazy, creative and limitless mind would've given Her a little more 'punch', but that's just me being picky (this is Spike Jonze's first feature-length screenplay credit, if one excludes the Jackass films). Jones continues to be one of my favorite directors, constantly leaving his comfort zone - that is, if he has one - and taking us along with him.

Girls S03E03 - "She Said Ok"

      I will just preface by saying that I love "Girls". It took me half of the first season to actually fall in love with it, but eventually I did, and hard. The second season was a true tour de force, showing the real pain (and eventual joy) of being a twenty something girl. What I always loved about Girls is how "in your face" it actually was. It wasn't just about showing us uncomfortable and cringe-worthy situations, it was about taking us there too. Somehow the show removed that safety net that viewers have, where it makes it fun to watch other people in danger knowing you're in the comfort of your own home. It's the whole appeal of horror movies, right?
      I miss this lack of safety net this season so far. Girls has felt, over these last three episodes, very safe. Not safe for Lena and her gang, but safe for us. I know it's early in the season, but I have a hard time believing that this is a season that will go as dark as "Get on All Fours",  for example. Albeit the situations in the show being somewhat unrealistic (their apartments, for example, or that whole "my boss is sexually assaulting me so I'll offer him sex even though he's 102" situation), I always felt the characters and their emotional struggles to be very, very realistic and relatable. Exception possibly being Shosh, 'cause, like, no one really talks that way, and like, who has the time to take THAT much care of their hair? But I'm also lacking that this season. I mean, come on, Adam's sister? I couldn't find her remotely relatable, so I felt that she was only there to create a tension between Lena and Adam. Same thing with Hanna's publisher. Did anyone believe someone would act like that even for a second? Ok, I get that the whole idea is to contrast this young woman turning 25 (the big 1/4 century!!) acting more mature than the man that is almost her mentor and is supposed to be "the grown up", but maybe a more subtle approach would deliver the same message without banging it so hard on my head it almost hurt (sensing metaphor with Ray getting punched in the head?).
       But back to my first sentence: I love Girls. This is clearly a post from someone that loves something so much she wants it to be perfect every single time. I still love Girls and I think it is turning out to be one of my favorite stories in what is becoming a more and more common genre: the "twenty-something second coming of age story".

Wolf of Wall Street

         I was very excited about Martin Scorcese's latest film. Scorcese clearly has a good hand when it comes to dramatizing lives of criminals and other characters living on the edge of society  (need I give examples?). His movies show these characters' complex emotional layers, and he successfully shows the motivations behind what many times are deplorable people's actions without it feeling apologetic.
         This doesn't happen so much in "Wolf of Wall Street". Yes, performances are memorable - I, for one, am a big fan of Leo DiCaprio's work - and we are all thankful to be introduced to the world's most beautiful woman (sorry, Gisele!). But, at the same times, the characters portrayed are so over the top and one-dimensional that I'm not sure that these roles were very challenging to begin with.
          I couldn't help but leave the theatre thinking "why this story?". Yes, greed is a bad thing and destroys families. We all know that. People do a lot of cocaine in Wall Street and it's a dog eat dog world out there. We all know that. Society links a lot of money to success, when most of the time the people with a lot of money have broken lives and are unhappy. We all know that. By no means is it a bad movie. There are good scenes, sequences and actually a lot of humor, but it was impossible, knowing what the duo Marty+Leo are capable of doing, not to leave wanting more.