"The Last Word"

Finished first season of #TheLastWord, a terrific German #Netflix "comedy" that deals with death, grief, and just about anything else we can throw at the wall. Superb cast, scripting, acting. It's all here.

Hope there's a Season 2.

"Biohackers" - Netflix

Biohackers ... 

All the elements of a thriller are here ... it caught me, and got inside of me, disturbed, unsettled me.

A story well conceived and well done. 

A story of young lady putting her life together, to challenge the self-anointed righteousness of the powerful and the wealthy, convinced as they are of their own place in the sun, believing they alone know the truth and can break the law at will because they, and they alone, are entitled to govern, and when given their due, they will offer to humankind a perfect world, a world determined by the few and not the many. Democracy be damned. 

The acting is superb; Luna Wedler is thoroughly convincing, innocent, yet never naive; her character is bright, and utterly devoted to justice - not revenge, but justice, because justice liberates. This young actor captures the heart of the story and brings it to life.

The rest of the cast, terrific. Jessica Schwarz is evil to the core - strong, intelligent, visionary, and completely dismissive of life, all in pursuit of her self-righteous dream to create life without disease.

A great story, good music, excellent cinematography ... a story utterly relevant for our times: when Democracy strives against Oligarchy; when the voice of the people is threatened by the voice of the few.

The ending is dramatic, with an unexpected twist; left me breathless, and hoping for Season Two.

"Birds of Prey"

Perfect DC movie - darkly comedic, comedically dark ... it all worked - great acting, music, fight-scene choreography nothing less than fantastic, IMAX sound worth it. At the very end, after all the credits, a bit of joke ... not exactly a post-credit trailer, but fun.

"Bad Boys for Life"

the story was better than I anticipated ... more than just fast cars and mayhem ... a real story of family, loyalty, religion. Martin Lawrence was terrific.

"1917"

A remarkable story - common soldiers, stuffy brass, and a whole lot of folks caught up in a story none of them wanted, but for which they suffered and died. As a war movie, it's an anti-war movie - and from the perspective of the trenches, with all of their blood, gore, filth and disease ... when killing the "enemy" is the only thing that counts. The cinematography is, of course, fantastic - long, long, shots without cutting ... some of the most elaborate sets ever, the trenches. And lighting - flames at night, flares ... and in it all, what soldiers seem always to say: they end up fighting, not for a cause, but for one another.

"Ford v. Ferrari"

This is a very fine film ... perhaps the best when it comes to racing, and, oh yes, the sounds - I'm a racing buff, and if there's anything that thrills me to the core of my being, it's the sound of fine engine at high RPM ... or just sitting somewhere on the tarmac, rumbling away, waiting, waiting, for someone to get behind the wheel and make it perform.

And, a story - it's a terrific story - superb acting, full of suspense and tension. Bale and Damon are terrific together, and display all the wonder and craziness of two guys who love one another, but see the world often in very different ways, and often caught up in the craziness of the industry - Bale the driver, Shelby the manager, but also a real car-man.

Ford Motor Company is portrayed as I know it from 16 years in Detroit - all the companies were bogged down with layers of administration and engineering, with everyone looking out for their own well-being, never daring to step out of line with an idea. Mediocrity became the safest route to follow, and that's exactly what they did, and that really comes through in the story.

There are so many wonderful, powerful, moments in this film, I'd be guilty of giving away too much if I were to note any of them. I laughed and I cried.

As a long-time racing buff, it was pure pleasure for me hear the names of Dan Gurney, Phil Hill, Lance Reventlow, Walt Hangsen ... as a kid, I saw them all race at famed Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin.

If you love racing, as I do, you'll love this one ... and if you love a good story, as I do, you'll love it for that reason, as well.

Cinematography, music, sound, all terrific.

This gets a 20 from me, the top of the heap - vroom vroom and zoom.

"Terminator: Dark Fate"

Sure, of course, no academy awards, but as a movie, it did what it needed to do to review the franchise story, offer new elements, maybe even more movies. All-in-all, I was satisfied, and thoroughly enjoyed myself. Linda Hamilton was awesome, so was Arnold, MacKenzie Davis, Natalie Reyes, and of course, the Terminator, Gabriel Luna.