🎬 The world is changed.
I feel it in the water. It's the fourth edition of The Reel!
Estimated reading time: 6 mins 24 seconds.
Welcome back to The Reel!
The biggest film & TV news of the last few weeks, if you are in any way human and/or sane, is this:
Yes that’s right, the day many of us have dreamed of, nay lusted for, has finally arrived. A Friends reunion is happening, and the whole gang is back together. I still remember when the last episode aired on live TV. At 10 years old, I was more into Spiderman than sitcoms, but I told people in my class that I watched it and that Joey died 🤔 (true story).
Ah, Friends. Lovable Rachel. Simple Joey. Neurotic Monica. Sarcastic Chandler. Quirky Phoebe. Powerful, magnetic, sexual Ross, with his devil-may-care attitude and a look that says “I can give you everything you’ve ever dreamed of, you just need to ask.”
They’re all back.
Will it be any good? Only time will tell, but needless to say, it will make HBO a lot of money. Will Gunther make an appearance? If they know what’s bloody good for them. Is it time for some reviews? I certainly think so.
This week: True crime, Catholicism, and our hero finds an ally in an unlikely place.
🐈 Making a purrr-derer.
Don’t F**k With Cats (2019), series, directed by Mark Lewis.
It started, in my eyes, with Making A Murderer. It was a phenomenon the likes of which Netflix had not yet seen. People were obsessed with that series, changing their profile pictures on Facebook to mugshots of the Avery family and signing petitions for retrials by the tens of thousands.
True crime became an addiction, and documentary after podcast after series has been banged out since then to feed the cravings of a thrillingly revolted and engrossed public. One of the latest to scratch this itch is Don’t F**k With Cats, a three-part series detailing the work of an online community in tracking down a cat killer who broadcasts grim videos online.
It’s an engrossing watch, but it falls prey to the same issue of so many of its peers. It’s a true story, so the denouement and finish can only go a certain way. Does it have the satisfactory payoff that is crucial to the true crime experience? If you ask me, mista Jones, it’s a no.
ABOVE: This reminds me of trying to escape my cot as a toddler, is that weird/am I potentially a cat.
I was reminded of the podcast S Town, which starts captivatingly well and then devolves into a “what even is this that I’m listening to”. The most interesting element in Don’t F**k With Cats, the online introverts who banded together to find the webby weirdo in question, are given much too little airtime as the narrative develops.
That said, I don’t regret watching it, and it’d be a good way to spend a few hours if you’ve been quarantined due to the heinovirus.
Look out for: A short appearance from these badass bikers who hunt down animal abusers, and the cat-and-mouse game between the cat killer and the Facebook friends is genuinely riveting.
If you liked this: American Psycho is mentioned several times throughout - a freaky and excellent film. A great documentary on marginalised people in US society is The Wolfpack (in this case, seven children who were raised in and not allowed to leave a NYC apartment).
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐
📚 Girls just wanna have fun.
Booksmart (2019), film, directed by Johnathan Levine.
Superbad is the comedy of a generation. Am I being a SWM (Straight White Male©) in saying that, or is it true for others as well? Well Superbad is the comedy of MY generation, and by MY generation I mean my opinion of what I deem important for my generation, which simply must be true.
But it is.
So, saying Booksmart is “Superbad with girls” is not a criticism. This film is, quite simply, Superbad with two girls as the leads, and it is absolutely hilarious. I haven’t laughed so much watching something on my own since I watched you sleeping last night. Yes, you, the one who sleeps in a bed.
ABOVE: The new Seth and Evan, but infinitely smarter and more mature. And with matching jumpsuits.
On the last day of high school, two best friends (self-confessed, devoted nerds) set out for a night of partying to rectify years of seclusion. Usually with these films, the teenagers are played by actors in their mid-to-late 60s, but Beanie Feldstein and Kaitlyn Dever are somewhat young-looking, and immensely funny as the millennial pair of Molly and Amy.
There are many micro-moments that deserve shoutouts, of which this clip is among my favourites - supportive best friends’ reactions to each other’s clothes for a night out:
Like the best teen comedies, this is relevant and believable, with politics, sexuality and the American education system all making their way in as themes. However, they’re barely noticeable - except for one particular scene that takes place after the characters unknowingly take drugs, and kind of serves as a woke commentary on body image. You’ll know it when you see it.
Interestingly, this is directed by Olivia Wilde, in her first time behind the camera. After writing the opening to this review, I found this article, which mentions her wanting to create a “generational anthem” with Booksmart. I don’t think it reaches the lofty heights of McLovin et al., but it does very well.
Look out for: The aforementioned drug trip scene (included at Wilde’s behest) is a peak. Skyler Gisondo plays a uniquely weird and hilarious supporting role - he might be one to watch for the future.
If you liked this: Bernie Feldstein is excellent in Lady Bird, directed by Little Women’s Greta Gerwig. If we’re talking movie drug trips, who can forget 21 Jump Street - and if we’re talking 21 Jump Street, we simply have to talk 22 Jump Street 🔥
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
⏩ Quickies
Short and snappy reviews for a short and snappy time:
The Two Popes (2019, film, dir. Fernando Meirelles): ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Have you ever been so utterly captivated by two old white men? Actually, don’t answer that. I was surprisingly mesmerised by this film, which amounts to little more than Anthony Hopkins and Johnathan Pryce having an extended conversation. Very good.
ABOVE (The Two Popes): “Jesus was a good lad, wasn’t he.” “I was literally just thinking that.”
Fighting With My Family (2019, film, dir. Stephen Merchant): ⭐⭐
Am I surprised that I didn’t enjoy a film that amounts to a 2-hour propaganda session for WWE? No. Did I learn from it and find myself pleased to have watched it all the same? Also no.
ABOVE (WWE): I will never understand the appeal to wrestling - what is even going on here?
Manchester by the Sea (2016, film, dir. Kenneth Lonergan): ⭐⭐⭐⭐
He courted controversy for his Oscar win due to #MeToo allegations, but Casey Affleck delivers an intensely emotional performance here. It’s a depressing film, it’s true, but I didn’t feel as bad after this as I did with Fighting With My Family.
📃 Quote of the Week(s)
Prepare to get bashed! In a fun way, like consensually bashed, I mean. Consensually bashed, it should say. Prepare to get consensually bashed.
Weird, rich and PC-aware Jared, as played by Skyler Gisondo in Booksmart.
📅 Previously, in pop culture…
Landmark events from the last few weeks in film & TV histoire:
Feb 15 - YouTube is launched in 2005.
Feb 16 - In 2013 Angelina Jolie undergoes a preventive double mastectomy after learning she had an 87% risk of developing breast cancer.
Feb 22 - Andy Warhol, artist and film producer, dies of a heart attack aged 58 in 1987.
ABOVE (Andy Warhol): I get these are supposed to be modern art or whatever, but why is this cool.
Feb 24 - At the 80th Academy Awards in 2008, Daniel Day-Lewis wins Best Actor for There Will Be Blood but No Country for Old Men wins Best Picture.
Mar 2 - The Sound of Music starring Julie Andrews is released in 1965.
✅ Th-th-that’s all, folks.
Thank you very much for reading another edition of The Reel!
People often argue about the best character of the main six in Friends. While I’m not actually sexually attracted to Ross, he is clearly the funniest:
Do you disagree? Are you more of a Big Bang Theory kind of person? If you are, would you care to explain why?
Would you like to discuss any of the opinions in this blog? I’d love to hear from you!
You can find me on Instagram, LinkedIn and you can reply directly to this email 🤙
Also, sharing on social media or telling your friends and co-workers is the only way somethin’ like this grows. If you enjoy it and think you know other people who might too, I would really appreciate it if you could share!
You can do so by clicking the button here (I think):
Thank you again, and I’ll see you in two weeks!
xxx
Previous Reels:
🎬 Feb 13 - Friends With Benefits, No Strings Attached.