Seen in May

Recreation in Marty Supreme.

Unexpectedly, I had more time on my hands than usual this month. Unhindered by labour as it were, it was also a wonderful time to be outside and enjoy the warmer weather with which we’ve been bestowed. These two competing interests, one enjoyed in a dark interior room, the other under our sweet and warming sun, did not deter me from seeing some of the more enjoyable entertainments on offer.

Still on an Icelandic glacier in Time and Water

Time and Water
Hot Docs
A strangely introspective and personal reflection of the death of an Icelandic glacier based on the writings of Andri Snær Magnason. For Icelanders there was a belief that the glaciers were always there and would always be there, so the announcement that the smallest of the glaciers had shrunk away and disappeared was a shock. The clear evidence of climate change, that seems at times unstoppable, has become not just an existential crisis but also a spiritual one for Icelanders. Near the end of the film, we see a ceremony like a funeral where a plaque is installed with Magnason’s words, asking the question to future generations, “Did we do the right thing? Did we do what was needed?”

The Boys S05
Prime Video
The final season of this very grown-up, violent and purposefully toxic comic book series that throughout took a satirical and critical view on corporations like Disney and Marvel, and the conflation of celebrity, politics and religion currently happening in the US. What would it be like if a large corporation controlled media, politics and the military and could create actual enhanced human super-heroes? Probably terrible. In the end there is some redemption but enough loose ends to continue another series if they desired (and they do; a ‘prequel’ is already being advertised).

Supremely Marty Supreme.

Marty Supreme
Prime Video
I can see why this film garnered so much attention and praise. Excellent performances from Timothée Chamalet and Odessa A’zion, full of surprising cameos, a great script and lively direction and editing all make this an entertaining ride. Marty Mauser (Chamalet) is a table tennis talent and champion and also a classic American hustler based on the real life story of Marty Reisman. It’s postwar 1940’s US and America is riding high on the world stage, but that doesn’t mean life is any easier down in the boroughs of New York. Marty is talented salesman, which is pretty much the same thing as a hustler and he’s determined to make table tennis as big in the US as it is in Asia. I don’t think the story wants a black-and-white hero versus villain but it’s easy to see this is the same America that created Death of a Salesman. In some ways it feels like a companion piece to Death of a Salesman and Glengarry Glenn Ross. Marty is overconfident and aspires to greatness by being number one in the world. The fact that he may only be the second best table tennis player in the world isn’t enough. There’s also a bit of “you can fool some of the people, some of the time, but not all of the people all the time,” lessons in this film. While the movie is great, I found it a little hard to find someone to root for and care about. On one hand you get caught up in Marty’s own self-belief, but on the other hand, he leaves a trail of burned bridges and broken dreams to try to achieve his goals. There’s an equal amount of desperation to go with his aspiration.

A different kind of super-hero show.

Wonderman S01 Disney+
I’m not that familiar with the original Wonder Man comic but I don’t think it matters much. In the Marvel TV-Verse, Simon Williams (the very talented Yahya Abdul-Mateen II), is a struggling actor in LA, trying to keep his super abilities a secret. In this world, Hollywood won’t hire ‘enhanced’ individuals (explained in an episode about the Doorman Clause). Ben Kingsley reprises his comic role as Trevor Slatterly (aka The Mandarin), sprung from prison to assist the Department of Damage Control. It’s a different kind of super-hero show, because much of it is more about the dynamic of Simon and Trevor, both of whom are carrying heavy secrets, but leveraging those personal pressures in their acting. It’s a part of the Marvel Universe you sometimes see, and what really separates Marvel from DC.

Giro d’Italia
FloSports
I’ve explained before how much I love watching this three week long sporting spectacle before but it’s easy to say again. Watching people bike and challenge themselves through some of the most spectacular scenery and beautiful towns and cities in the world is very enjoyable to me. I could almost watch it with the sound off. I should add, rather than watch these cyclists hurl themselves over 200KM a day for over four hours may even be too much for me so I often like checking in with about 25-35 KM to go. The finale that looped through Roman streets, passing the Coliseum, the Pantheon and the Circus Maximus was more tourist video than sporting event and I’m here for it.

Primary Trust
Crow’s Theatre
A Pulitzer Prize winning play about a man, with a complicated childhood, whose life is upended by losing one job and beginning another. It’s about loneliness, connection, friendship and resiliency. Like the song says, “I get by with a little help from my friends.”

This is a Gardening Show
Netflix
Zach Galifianakis (I hope I spelled that right - though, who would know?), is a successful stand-up comedian and star of such films as The Hangover series, the web series Between Two Ferns and Baskets. Now he has a series on Netflix about gardening. As he signs off each brief 15-minute episode, “The future is agrarian.”, he shares his love of gardening and growing your own food, and lets the audience know how easy it is. The laughs come often, particularly when talking to kids about vegetables. Surprisingly Galifianakis is married to a Canadian and has property on Vancouver Island which is where most of the show is shot.

Love on the Spectrum S04
Netflix
Another season based in the USA this season, about mostly young people on the Autism spectrum trying to find love. Not at all manipulative or exploitative, it is the show’s careful handling of the subject and interviewees that brings a smile to your face as you hope the best for these folks just trying to find a companion.

O Brother, Where Art Thou?
Disney+
When asked, “What is your favourite movie soundtrack?”, you can’t do much better than answer O Brother, Where Art Thou?. The Coen brothers’ take on Homer’s Odyssey follows three escaped convicts as they try to retrieve a treasure, elude the law, and return home in the music filled, Depression era Deep South. The only ticks against this film might be the Coen’s continued reliance on the “Magic Negro” trope (though I feel they were and are self-aware enough to be poking fun at it), but otherwise this is vintage Coen brothers. Funny, action-packed, confident filmmaking at its best.