Seen in November and December

Explaining the 3-body problem, is much harder than explaining 3 Body Problem.

With all the goings on in November and the holidays, I've combined these two months in an effort to catch up. Let's get real for a second and admit there is so many movies and shows to watch that, "getting caught up" is genuinely impossible and beyond the concept of time and space but maybe you'll note something here you'd like to see.

Tom Papa: Home Free
Netflix
You may not be familiar with Tom Papa. Though he has hosted at least a couple of game shows and 4 standup specials on Netflix, a raft of producing credits, a boatload of writing credits, and a veritable barge full of film appearances, you should, right? Yet, one Instagram clip led me to this special. I know him as a "comedian's comedian," meaning that while we might not recognize him, other comedians regard him highly. So should you. He is very funny.

The Draughtsman's Contracts
Kanopy
This 1982 film was Peter Greenaway's first narrative film. Produced for Britain's Channel 4, it's a sort of sex comedy/drama set in late 17th century England with a murder mystery served as a side. The draughtsman of the title is Mr. Neville, a handsome, young, and talented artist who's commissioned to make a series of drawings of a grand country house by Mrs. Herbert, who intends the drawings as a gift for her overbearing husband. A caveat of the contract for the drawings not only includes a sum of money but also that Mr. Neville shall meet with Mrs. Herbert alone for his pleasure. This odd arrangement begins with Neville making many demands about how the house should appear as he draws it and with his aggressive and insensitive behaviour during his sexual congress with the lady of the house. Unknown to Neville is that Mrs. Herbert tolerates his treatment of her to meet some other agenda. She is unhappy in her marriage and has perhaps made plans for her husband to meet with an accident on his travels from the estate. Furthermore, Mrs. Herbert's daughter, Mrs. Talmann, is unlikely to inherit any fortune from her mother's husband until she has an heir. Because her husband is a bit of a sop, Mrs. Herbert makes other plans to get pregnant. Those plans include a second contract with Mr. Neville. It becomes clear (sort of… after my second viewing of this film) that while the low-birth artist, Neville, revelled in what he assumed was his abuse of the two high-born ladies, he is, in fact, only a cog in their greater schemes to sideline their husbands and secure a family fortune. There are many comedic yet obtuse conversations and innuendo that make this film difficult but entertaining. For me, the draw is certainly the starring role of the pictures Neville creates (actually the drawings by the director Greenaway), the sumptuous costumes, and the fantastic score by Michael Nyman. It is an odd film full of curiosities and eccentric choices, but that's what makes it so fascinating.



It's a little creepy how accurately a show about super-heroes depicts our current politics.

The Boys, S04
Prime Video
This series about what a world might really be like with nearly indestructible superheroes is growing more and more frightening. The way the story baldly steals from real life is one of the scariest depictions of our current socio-economic, political, and pop culture climate I've seen. Chomsky has fretted that his worry about AI is that it will increase income disparity to such a point that it creates a ripe and fertile climate for fascism. Yet, do you need AI to create a populist splintering of society? It doesn't appear necessary. Far-right, authoritarian, ultranationalistic, and hyper-capitalistic thinking can happen just about anywhere, anytime. The corporation that created "Supes" in The Boys is akin to a company like Disney that has merged with Walmart and BlackRock financial and has its hands in everything from the Internet, entertainment, retail, travel, government, and the military, and this show paints a pretty bleak picture of what a world like that looks like. Let's hope The Boys come out on top.



Our nameless hero.

Flow
This remarkable, beautiful, and wordless adventure follows a small black cat living alone on what appears to be an island once inhabited by people and now abandoned due to the threat of flooding from climate change. This unnamed cat takes a perilous trip with a very calm capybara, an excitable lemur, a golden retriever, and a large heron-like bird. Where are they going? We don't know, but we do know they have to find a way to work together if they're going to get wherever they are going safely.

Family Switch
Netflix
Um, sort of like Freaky Friday except instead of a mom and daughter switching bodies, it's a mom and daughter, father and son, and a dog and a baby all switching bodies. Oh, and it happens at Christmas. This is a silly and over-the-top kind of goofy comedy that hopes to teach us that we all need to walk a mile in someone else's shoes to really know what their life is like.

Hot Frosty
Netflix
Netflix has been trying to take advantage of the Hallmark Holiday formula by making an even more extreme version, which includes some Christmas magic. A lonely, recently widowed woman, Kathy, played by the Hallmark veteran Lacy Chabert, befriends (and more) a nearly naked but very fit and handsome guy who is actually a snowman come to life. This movie is pretty stupid but made sufferable by some great cameos like Craig Robinson and Joe Lo Truglio and by playing along with a game like Hallmark Holiday Bingo or a similar drinking game of your own invention.

Neal Brennan: Crazy Good
Netflix
A thoughtful and funny standup from veteran comedian Neal Brennan.



Two wayward kids on Christmas.

An Almost Christmas Story (short)
Disney+
Who doesn't love stop-motion animated short films about a young injured owl trying to find his way home at Christmas?



It's surprising how funny thieving can be.

The Sticky
Prime Video
Several years ago, thieves made off with about $10 million worth of maple syrup from a poorly guarded storage facility in Quebec. This isn't that story, but you kind of wish it was. There are moments when this series appears to be trying too hard to be like a Coen Brothers' film, but it doesn't need to be with great performances from Margo Martindale and Chris Diamantopoulos.



If you watched music videos in the 90s, you've seen the work of Michel Gondry.

Michel Gondry: Do It Yourself
Kanopy
A documentary about the innovative and unique filmmaker Michel Gondry. Gondry came to fame by directing some of the most eccentric and memorable music videos you've ever seen with artists like The Chemical Brothers, Daft Punk, Björk, and The White Stripes. He then went on to direct films such as Human Nature, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, and Be Kind Rewind. This documentary complements a DVD box set of Gondry's work and interviews those who know him best. The fun thing about all of Gondry's work is not simply how imaginative it is, but how he creates ingenious effects with everyday materials such as cardboard, plasticine, paper, and Legos.

Shrinking S02
Apple TV+
The title may refer to the withering effects of mental health problems while also highlighting the work of psychologists in a small office featuring Gabby (Jessica Williams), Paul (Harrison Ford), and Jimmy (Jason Segel) and their interactions with their clients. It seems every episode there is a fear or issue to confront and tough talk to be had. The series is primarily a comedy about coming to terms with grief and shares writing staff and tone with Ted Lasso. I would say generally, if you're a Ted Lasso fan, you'd enjoy this show as it has a similarly positive and heart-on-its-sleeve vibe but for me, it felt a little too cozy and sentimental and lacked the sort of sharpness I look for in a comedy.



Olivia Colman and Jessie Buckley bring Wicked Little Letters story to life.

Wicked Little Letters
Kanopy
If sharp comedy is your thing, you will like this story set in 1920 in the seaside British town of Littlehampton. People start receiving nasty, handwritten insults posted through the mail, and one particularly loudmouth, openly bawdy Irish neighbour, Rose (Jessie Buckley), is seen as the perpetrator. The victim of a very sordid letter is Edith (Olivia Colman) and her father Edward (Timothy Spall), which leads to libel charges against Rose, who, as a single mother, risks losing her daughter to the state (or whatever agency acted as child protection services at the time). Remarkably, much of the movie is based on actual events known as the Littlehampton Libels. It's hard to believe now in our time of very low public discourse that sending mean letters full of cursing would lead to charges and a court case, but the film does well to depict the social norms of the time, much of which seemed highly dubious, hypocritical, and misogynistic.

Toni Erdmann
Hoopla
A divorced music teacher, Winfried Conradi (Peter Simonischek), realizes at a family gathering that he's grown quite distant from his adult daughter, Ines. When his longtime pet dog dies, Win takes it upon himself to visit his daughter, who currently works as some kind of corporate consultant in Bucharest. Ines does her best to entertain her father while still trying to work, but it's clear he feels in her way and appears to go home to Germany. What you should know about Ines' father is that he is a serial prankster who can't seem to help himself, so instead of going home, he stays in Bucharest only to show up at Ines' work, wearing a preposterous wig and false teeth, pretending to be an oil executive, Toni Erdmann. What follows is a sort of comedy of manners as Win tries to have fun with his daughter by continuing to show up and ingratiate himself into her working life. This film is overly long, sometimes funny, sometimes awkward, and more than a bit weird, yet in the end, there is an emotional payoff as Win's daughter eventually succumbs to her father's silliness and embraces it in her own way.

Welcome to Wrexham S03
Disney+
This documentary series showcases the Welsh football club that actors Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney purchased and keep pouring money into continues to charm. They've had an amazing run of success moving up from a bottom-tier pro league up the ranks of professional football, which only adds to the "Hollywood story." It's fun to see two guys who know little about British football try their luck at turning one of the oldest football clubs in the country back to its former glory while getting to know the residents of Wrexham and their stories.

3 Body Problem
Netflix
As the world's foremost scientists die in unusual ways, it's revealed why and how it's happening in this sci-fi mystery series. Partway through this season, we discover who is behind the deaths (and other curious events) as defence and scientific communities come together to face what may be an existential threat to the Earth and its inhabitants. If you like sci-fi, you should like this. If you like a mystery, you should also like this. If you like entertainment that makes you question our past, present, and future, you may also like this. There's a little something for everyone.

SuperBob
Tubi
Before finding success as a writer on Shrinking and a character on Ted Lasso, Brett Goldstein made a low-budget superhero movie about a guy who, despite being the world's only superhero, is just a dull bloke from Peckham trying to find love. The film has its moments, like when Bob is shot by armed police, not hurting him but filling his t-shirt with holes, ("What are you doin'? Well, this shirt's ruined now!"), but also suffers from an awkward and limp pace that feels more like a bunch of stuff that happens rather than a cohesive story. The idea of following a superhero on their day off is a funny one, but the conceit that the film is a fake documentary is a bit tired and inconsistent in its execution.