Thumbnails Dec 22

by Tony Medley

War on the Diamond (9/10): 90 minutes. NR. Prime. This fascinating documentary tells the story of Cleveland Indians shortstop Ray Chapman, the only MLB player ever to die playing baseball, combined with a history of the rivalry between the Indians and the New York Yankees over the years. But the rivalry takes second place to the story of Chapman, who was a lovable, handsome, extremely popular player who had a storybook marriage with a beautiful woman from a wealthy family. At the time he was hit in the head with a pitch from Yankee pitcher Carl Mays in 1920 he was batting .303 and in the midst of his best year, a pennant-winning and World Series-winning (over the Dodgers) one for the Indians.

Low Country: The Murdaugh Dynasty (9/10): 3-part series of 50-minute segments. TV-MA. HBO Max. On June 7, 2021, South Carolina attorney Alex Murdaugh called 911 to report the murders of his wife and son, Paul in Islandton. Thus opened the scandalous story of the Murdaugh (pronounced Mur-dock) legal clan, exposing the unfettered criminal activity that the powerful and arrogant Murdaughs had conducted for decades over three generations, running roughshod over the small community. It is not a failing of the legal profession that is limited to this situation, however; witness the kid gloves with which the California Bar Association dealt with the apparently thoroughly corrupt Tom Girardi, who was held as a paragon in the Los Angeles legal profession for decades, despite continuing complaints filed against him. We need more of these exposés, and this is one not to be missed.

She Said (8/10): 129 minutes. R. Another All the President’s Men-­type journalism story, this time about two reporters’ investigation into the disgraced Harvey Weinstein. Excellent performances are by Carey Mulligan and Zoe Kazan as the intrepid journalists that continue to dig deep into the scandal despite the victims being bound by secrecy agreements, and both give outstanding performances. The pace keeps up throughout the more than two hours runtime. It’s marred by an unnecessary anti-Trump opening and the representation of the nonsense that the politically biased New York Times is the apotheosis of journalistic integrity.

The Vatican Girl (8/10): 4-part Series. Netflix. On June 22, 1983, 15-year-old Emanuela Orlandi disappeared on her way to a flute lesson. The Orlandis was among the few families who worked and lived within The Vatican. This is a byzantine tale of puzzling intrigue with twists and turns involving the Vatican itself, a shocking implication of moral corruption in an institution that holds itself as the arbiter of morality.

I Am DB Cooper (7/10): 100 Minutes. NR. DB Cooper became one of the most famous fugitives in history after hijacking a plane and bailing out in the middle of Oregon. This is the story of two bounty hunters who find an old man, Rodney Bonnifield (played by himself), who claims to be DB Cooper, so they investigate the man’s story. Told in flashbacks, the young Rodney (Ryan Cory, in an impressive performance) is shown as a troubled man with a lot of energy, but the old man’s claim is told with notable certitude. It’s an interesting tale.

The Menu (7/10): 117 minutes. R. This is a clever satire of celebrity chefs and cuisine snobs combined in a macabre tale about a young couple who goes to a remote island to dine at an exclusive restaurant when things gradually take a terrible wrong turn. Highlighted by fine performances by Anya Taylor-Joy as a guest and Ralph Fiennes as the chef, it’s a tense tale of claustrophobic dread.

Rivals (6/10): Quarterly TV series of 2-hour segments. Bally Sports. I’ve only seen the first of this series, Michigan v. Ohio State. I was expecting to see some of the great plays and great games from this rivalry with prominent participants commenting. Guess again. This is an intellectual examination of what constitutes a “rivalry,” setting specific parameters that a contest must satisfy before it can qualify. So, if you are hoping to see a lot of football, forget it. This is an action-challenged lot of talk but with some prominent participants commenting about the competition, not the games themselves, rather on the not-so-burning question of “is this a rivalry?”

The Crown: I have only seen one episode of the new season of this heretofore exceptional series, but it is deeply marred by atrocious casting. Matt Smith and Tobias Menzies were remarkable in their similarities to the dashing Prince Philip, but Jonathan Pryce completely misses the mark, playing him as an unattractive old man.

In the last two seasons Josh O’Connor was spot on as Prince Charles. Dominic West replaces him, and his movie star-handsome, manly appearance is jarring and not even close. But worst of all are the players for Diana. Emma Corrin was, well, spectacular as the Princess, capturing her beauty and charisma; it was hard to believe she wasn’t the real Diana. Her replacement, Elizabeth Debicki, can’t even qualify as a pale imitation. I don’t understand why Corrin needed to be replaced. From what I’ve seen from this episode, it’s a good thing this series is winding down, after such impressive first four seasons.