Ken and Robin Consume Media: Gladiator II, Only Murders, and a Paean to Tackiness
November 26th, 2024 | Robin
Ken and Robin Consume Media is brought to you by the discriminating and good-looking backers of the Ken and Robin Talk About Stuff Patreon. Each week we provide capsule reviews of the books, movies, TV seasons and more we cram into our hyper-analytical sensoriums. Join the Patreon to help pick the items we’ll talk about in greater depth on a little podcast segment we like to call Tell Me More.
Recommended
Flipside (Film, US, Christopher Wilca, 2023) Gen X documentarian whose career has sidetracked into a lucrative, family-supporting gig directing commercials assembles footage from incomplete projects about a moldering hometown record store, a blocked writer, Ira Glass’ midlife crisis dance show, and dying jazz photographer Herman Leonard into a profound and challenging meditation on the tangled relationship between creative ambition and personal happiness.—RDL
Hansan: Rising Dragon (Film, South Korea, Kim Han-Min, 2022) Having struck a surprise blow against the invading Japanese navy with a new, terrifying ramming vessel, cool-headed Admiral Yi (Park Hae-Il) presses to turn back their assault. Tactics, espionage and internal maneuvering precede a thrilling second half of naval warfare in a huge production with a sprawling cast. If you’re wondering why Choi-Min Sik has been replaced by a much younger actor, this is a prequel, not a sequel, to 2014’s The Admiral: Roaring Currents. The character is again recast in the trilogy’s final installment, 2023’s Noryang: Deadly Sea.—RDL
A Murder at the End of the World (Television, US, Hulu, Brit Marling & Zal Batmanglij, 2023) Reclusive billionaire Andy Ronson (Clive Owen) invites true-crime writer Darby Hart (Emma Corrin) and eight other guests to his isolated Icelandic hotel for an earth-saving summit, but someone murders activist artist Bill Farrah (Harris Dickinson), also Darby’s ex. An immense amount of hugger-mugger surrounds this straightforward classic mystery plot; Corrin’s superbly natural acting successfully grounds both the genre and cyber-wow elements.—KH
Only Murders in the Building Season 4 (Television, US, Hulu, Steve Martin & John Hoffman, 2024) When someone shoots Sazz (Jane Lynch), Charles Haden-Savage’s (Steve Martin) stuntwoman, the podcasting trio lurches into action, complicated by the movie being made from Season 1 of their show. Although a good raft of B-listers try their best to keep the “movie madness” subplot raucous, Melissa McCarthy absolutely steals the season as Charles’ sister. The mystery is also surprisingly good, and interestingly misdirected.—KH
Repast (Film, Japan, Mikio Naruse, 1951) The surprise extended stay of her work-worn husband’s (Ken Uehara) flighty niece (Yukiko Shimazaki) prompts a disappointed woman (Setsuko Hara) to reconsider the state of her marriage. Subtly observed domestic drama finds the tensions beneath the surface of everyday life.—RDL
Tacky: Love Letters to the Worst Culture We Have To Offer (Nonfiction, Rax King, 2021) Memoiristic essays juxtapose the author’s past headlong pursuit of sex and love with disregarded works of popular culture ranging from Sex and the City and the Josie and the Pussycats movie to Creed and The Sims. Emotional depth and rueful insight concealed by a thin veneer of superficiality.—RDL
Good
All the Moons (Film, Spain, Igor Legarreta, 2021) A vampire girl (Haizea Carneros) separated from her undead protector (Itziar Ituño) in the 19th century Basque region attempts to live among humans. In its effort to remain beautiful and tasteful this Basque-language gothic drama also winds up keeping its distance from the situation and characters:—RDL
Gladiator II (Film, US, Ridley Scott, 2024) After the Roman general Acacius (Pedro Pascal) captures his Numidian city, enslaved gladiator Hanno (Paul Mescal) vows revenge. Denzel Washington’s scheming courtier Macrinus tries to make this movie more than just “Gladiator but with two evil emperors,” and his scenes pop with brio. Sadly nobody thought to make him the A-plot instead of retelling the first film, and the comparison does Mescal no favors. Roman history buffs be warned: this movie does not end with Elagabalus taking power.—KH
Not Recommended
Footprints on the Moon (Film, Italy, Luigi Bazzoni, 1975) Seeking an explanation for three days of missing time, a tense translator (Florinda Balkan) travels to an off-season resort town. A compelling vibe, bolstered by Vittorio Storaro’s cinematography can’t overcome this existential mystery’s weak, circular clue structure and disappointingly obvious conclusion.—RDL
