We Own This City (2022 Reinaldo Marcus Green)

Y'know - King Richard. Before that, three episodes of Top Boy.

David Simon and George Pelecanos were showrunners on The Wire, but this is based on a non-fiction account of police corruption from Baltimore Sun journalist Justin Fenton (Simon introduced him to his publisher for a book deal, not thinking about making a TV version of it), so it feels like familiar Simon territory. Yes, I can't read any more of that interview as I've inadvertently read about the death of a character. But they definitely feel police corruption is now worse than it was in The Wire days. (Jimmy McNulty may have been unorthodox, to say the least, but at least he got results. These guys get results actually - they're just pocketing most of the cash and drugs they seize.)

It's quite complex, jumping between time zones, but very absorbing. And ultimately shattering, that the corruption extended way up as well. And that the war on drugs is lost. And that under Trump, civil rights went right on the back burner.

Jon Bernthal, Wunmi Mosaku (Temple, Luther, Capital, Dancing on the Edge), Jamie Hector (homicide cop), Josh Charles (The Good Wife), McKinley Belcher III (the least bad of the corrupt unit), Darrell Britt-Gibson, David Corenswet, Don Harvey, Delaney Williams (police commissioner), Larry Mitchell.

A six part series for Sky, edited by Matthew Booras and Joshua Raymond Lee, photographed by Yaron Orbach (Modern Love, Sing Street).

Back to School (1986 Alan Metter)

Cheerful rubbish, as successful businessman bug-eyed Rodney Dangerfield enrols at his son's high school, becomes extremely popular.

Here's a clue: story by Dangerfield, Greg Fields & Dennis Snee, screenplay by Steven Kampmann & Will Porter and Peter Torokvei & Harold Ramis.

One or two laughs.

Interesting cast: Keith Gordon, Sally Kellerman, Burt Young, Ned Beatty, Robert Downey Jr., Paxton Whitehead, Terry Farrell, M Emmet Walsh, Adrienne Barbeau, William Zabka, Severn Darden.

Comedian Dangerfield is an acquired taste.

Breeders - Season 3 (Simon Blackwell, Chris Addison)

Certainly not a comedy as the Martin Freeman character continues to blow a fuse about everything - worse, starts neglecting his wife Daisy Haggard who's suffering menopause problems. Best moment - she really doesn't want to talk to chatty neighbour, but he has sage pills for her, for the night sweats, and he's the only person to be thinking about her. The child problems are now with the ten year old daughter, who has the weight of the world on her shoulders - gets help from local vicar at least.

Then it transpires Freeman's dad Alun Armstrong has had an affair with a woman in the past and his mum Joanna Bacon isn't going to forgive him.

Alex Eastwood and Eve Prenelle are the kids.

10 episodes for Sky.

Barry - Season 3 (2022 Alec Berg, Bill Hader)

We didn't realise Now TV had left us only hours to complete the entire eight episode series - we didn't quite make it, unfortunately. It was all my fault, apparently... It wasn't annoying at all.

Highlights are - a scooter chase; and the scene where Barry has to detonate a bomb in the Bolivians' house - his detonation app doesn't work and he has to call tech support...

Meanwhile acting coach Henry Winkler thinks Barry has killed his wife, and is faced with his past by former colleagues he's been a shit to; and Barry's GF Sarah Goldberg is finding working in television difficult, with producers who believe in algorithms more than ratings.

"Vengeance is like drinking poison and expecting the other person to die."

Stephen Root is the psychotic 'uncle', Anthony Carrigan the gay Chechen, With Elizabeth Perkins, Fred Melamed, Michael Irby, D'Arcy Carden, Joe Mantegna, Annabeth Gish.

Assassin for Hire (1951 Michael McCarthy)

Poor, set-bound independent British film, in which it is revealed far too early that Sydney Tafler is a hit man, thus zero suspense. The twist is easily guessable, and the whole story could have been told in 30 minutes. If only we had been watching Barry Season 3, not knowing we had only hours to complete it - the real tension...

With Ronald Howard (Trevor's son), Katharine Blake, John Hewer, Jane Rodney.

Suspect (2022 Matt Baker)

Another one that's clearly compromised by Covid as it takes the form of a succession of eight, short two-hander plays, as Jimmy Nesbitt confronts several people associated with the death of his estranged daughter. They are Joely Richardson, Ben Miller, Niamh Algar (good),  Antonia Thomas (good), Sacha Dhawan [more later]

An adaptation of a Danish series, Forhøret, which itself had mixed reviews. 

Gave up after four episodes.

The Outlaws, Season 2 (2022 Stephen Merchant)

Nice to have them back. It was filmed back-to-back with season one and so both must have been commissioned together.

Christian and Rani (Gamba Cole and Rhianne Barreto) finally get together. Is Frank (Chrsitopher Walken) reforming? Lady Gabriella (Eleanor Tomlinson) realises she has no real friends - except the faithful Gregory (Merchant). You sense the initially antagonistic John and Myrna (Darren Boyd and Clare Perkins) might be forming a mutual respect.

Yes, it's rather good as the gang have to start selling drugs to repay crime boss Claes Bang. Charles Babalola is good as the imprisoned dealer. But Barreto is fun as she gradually takes command, relishing her new crime role. Wraps things up nicely in double-bluff final episode.

Comissario Montalbano: Il Metodo Catalanotti (2021)

Interestingly, there's no director credited, through IMDB lists them as Alberto Sironi and Luca Zingaretti.  Screenplay (Sceneggiatura) by Francesco Bruni, Andrea Camillieri, Salvatore de Mola & Leonardo Marini, with additional dialogue by Valentina Alteri, from Camillieri's final Montalbano novel. DP Franco Lecca.

Greta Scarano is the new forensics expert with whom Montalbano is immediately smitten. Well not so much smitten as falls head over heels in love with, prompting the ending of his seemingly endless relationship with Livia.

I have to say that Franco Piersanti's score (which I think is all new) is stunning, sometimes making you think you're listening to Puccini. His love theme is exquisite.

It's a typically quirky number this one with only one plot, for a change, revolving around a dead body that Mimi has (literally) stumbled over whilst leaving his girlfriend's by the window - he then feels he can't reveal it - and an identical corpse found elsewhere. It all turns around the victim, who has unusual acting methods (thus the title).

Mimi posits that Montalbano's housekeeper should be made a Saint for her cooking.

With Zingaretti, the usual suspects - Cesare Bocci, Peppino Mazzotta, Antonia Truppo, Angelo Russo. And as this was Camillieri's last novel, probably the last time we'll see them all together.

The Time Travelers (1964 Ib Melchior)

Woeful rubbish, terribly directed and acted, awful music. Scientists find themselves in a devastated future. Po-faced in the extreme with unwise shots of humour. Watched a good portion in fast forward. Of interest as an early film by 'William' Zsigmond, with 'Leslie' Kovacs operating.

A New Kind of Love (1963 Melville Shavelson & scr)

Womanising journalist Paul Newman encounters repressed fashion designer Joanne Woodward in Paris - she makes out she's a prostitute and he buys it. Shavelson (Houseboat, The War Between Men and Women) certainly does have many quirky ideas (split screen fashion show - straight vs. sexy), and the couple are enticing, but the film fails to click entirely.

With the always wonderful Thelma Ritter, and Eva Gabor, George Tobias, Marvin Kaplan, Maurice Chevalier.

Shot colourfully by Daniel L Fapp, Loyal Griggs second unit, edited by Frank Bracht.

It received approval from neither the critics nor the public.

Wagon Master (1950 John Ford)

A cheery couple of horse traders, played by Ben Johnson and Harry Carey Jr, accompany a wagon train of Mormons to their Promised Land. En route they encounter romance, a trio of drunken n'er do wells, a Navajo tribe and the unwelcome attention of a gang of wanted criminals. Short Ford film is entertaining and engaging from the off.

You get the feeling watching his films that you're seeing the true west. Instead of heroes and villains you feel you're meeting real people. And the scenes with horses and wagons - i.e. 90% of the picture - also seem tough and realistic. It was photographed by Bert Glennon, with Archie Stout on second unit.

With Joanne Dru, Ward Bond, Charles Kemper (injured criminal), Alan Mowbray, Jane Darwell, Ruth Clifford, Russell Simpson (stern Elder), Hank Worden.

Ford wrote the original story, which is credited to Frank Nugent and Patrick Ford.  'Along with The Fugitive and The Sun Shines Bright, Wagon Master came closest to being what I had wanted to achieve.'

I read somewhere that the BBC acquired the rights to the entire RKO library, but some of them aren't in broadcastable quality. (This was an independent production but distributed by RKO.)

Irresistible (2020 Jon Stewart & scr)

Yes, the TV presenter ('The Daily Show'). Biting satire of the way the electoral process works in the hands of moneyed PR manipulators, represented here by Steve Carrell on the Democrats side and Rose Bryne for the Republicans. Small-town rural America (Wisconsin) is their battle ground, Chris Cooper the contestant for Mayor. Carrell falls for his daughter Mackenzie Davis (Tully), who's the smartest person in town, which shows in the twist ending (actually there are a few alternate endings).

Yes - we thought it was good. Though rather over-edited in places.

This Is Us - Season 6 (2022 Dan Fogelman)

The burglar who broke into Randall's home is caught - then Randall realises he is in need of help - some kind of dementia - a nice touch - and bails him into shelter. He doesn't turn up. Whether he comes back into the story or not, it's good writing.

'Our little island girl, who danced before she could walk.' Rachel Hilson is perfect as young Beth, who's maybe my favourite character. And William. And Deja. And Nicky. And...

The building of the new house above the cabin begins - Nicky and Cassidy oversee the construction, managed by vets. Cassidy (Jennifer Morrison) has a breakdown moment - experience of veterans nicely written - Kevin decides he wants a veterans building company, to which Nicky asks 'How much money do you have?'

Episode 16 seems particularly well written, self-referential. Great scene where Beth and Madison anticipate how the conversation between the Big Three is going - "Do you think Randall's stormed out yet?" The comment about their emotions and long dramatic speeches seemed to me almost a gentle send-up of the show itself. Isaac Aptaker and Elizabeth Berger are the writers.

Good wedding episode - what happened to Kevin last night? You know it's not going to be as straightforward as you think. Rebecca's song ends up including the This Is Us theme music. Beth to Randall: "I loved your speech. It was equal parts sexy and depressing."

Ending, with Rebecca seeming to meet everyone in a classy train before dying, guided by William, is well handled. Adult Deja - a well cast La Trice Harper - steals much of the end of the story.

Should mention that amongst the directors are Milo Ventimiglia, Mandy Moore and Yasu Tanida, who photographed every one of the 106 episodes - IMDB says 103. Oh well. Editors are the usual suspects: Lai-San Ho 6, Erin Nicole Wyatt 4, Howard Leder 5, Julia Grove 3, (with Joanna Phillips, Romina Rey).

Bachelor of Hearts (1958 Wolf Rilla)

Written by Leslie Bricusse, better known as a lyricist, and Frederic Raphael.

Cheerful German Hardy Krüger finds it hard getting on at Cambridge university, though meeting gorgeous Sylvia Syms helps. Includes clearly real footage of a raucous rag week. Some of plot not executed particularly well, e.g. Kruger keeps bumping into professor, so when they realise who each other are, shouldn't that have created some tension?

Eric Barker is the jazz loving professor, Miles Malleson. Students include Ronald Lewis, Jeremy Burnham, Peter Myers (the creep in The Reluctant Debutante); girlfriends include Barbara Steele. It's quite a time capsule, with its jazz, skiffle and calypso, posh waistcoats vs. bearded Beat types.

Photographed in Eastmancolor by Geoffrey Unsworth.

Operation Mincemeat (2021 John Madden)

We first met (via Zoom) Victoria Boydell in January 2021 and she had just spent 10 months editing this film in Lockdown on Avid in her home, next to the washing machine. And with a sixty inch screen at the end of her bed to view the assemblies. Whilst John Madden was in the luxury of his home in Norfolk in a large barn on a leather sofa - he said this is the way forward! Meanwhile Vic's kids were subjected to the edit process at full volume all the while. Despite these circumstances, she did a great job - it's altogether a masterful piece of work, with a great momentum throughout, suspenseful, even if you know the outcome. (And let's face it, the original version, The Man Who Wasn't There, isn't probably a particularly well known film.)

Colin Firth and Matthew Macfadyen are on low wattage, what their characters need, Kelly MacDonald is feisty, Penelope Wilton usefully supportive. It's a great cast, including Johnny Flynn (Fleming, The Dig, Emma., Vanity Fair), Mark Gatiss, Hattie Morahan, Simon Russell Beale (Churchill), Alex Jennings, Ellie Haddington, Paul Ritter (his swan song), James Fleet, Mark Bonnar (hilarious as drunken Scottish driver), Ruby Bentall.

It's also very well written by Michelle Ashford (with, we know, the director's involvement), photographed by Sebastian Blenkov (catching the London dark blackout as well as Powell & Pressburger did in Contraband) and scored by Tom Newman (who is, we're told, a lovely guy as well as being a brilliant and multi-talented composer).

Nice shots of humour too - corpse that won't sit up, Spanish diplomat using sex to expedite the deception; and the in-joke of Macfadyen being the first to use the word 'Spooks'.

Rio Grande (1950 John Ford)

The third of John Ford's cavalry trilogy is as sensational as the first two. And, believe it or not, it's a musical. The film begins with two great bits of conflict: Lt Col Yorke (John Wayne) finds out the son he hasn't seen for 15 years (Claude Jarman Jr) has enlisted and is a new recruit to his regiment; and his estranged wife Maureen O'Sullivan, who has some dark trouble in their history, also comes to visit. Plus we have troublesome Apaches.

But the Ford magic is ever-present. When being serenaded, there's a very simple sequence of Wayne and O'Hara in two shot, and it's their looks at the singers and to each other which are so moving.

There are also some amazing horse sequences. And Ford sets his action in a majestic background - he really uses the terrain well. And there's a great sub-story involving Ben Johnson, who's wanted on a manslaughter charge but escapes, stealing Wayne's horse, then becomes extremely useful in saving the son's life from pursuing Apache, then in helping in the rescue of children from the Indians.

And humour of course throughout. In that latter sequence there are four great jokes. 1. The girl hits Jarman over the head when he enters the church. 2. She is then very loud when they're trying to shh her. 3. Jarman accidentally fires a rifle close to Johnson's buttocks. 4. When Victor McLaglen enters the church to retrieve his beloved child (who may be a relative - we're not sure), he briefly kneels at the altar before they speed out. And that moment where McLaglen is cursing his right hand and the doctor strikes it with his stick (which breaks) is so funny and unexpected.

It's beautifully shot by Bert Glennon (and Archie Stout second unit), and scored by Victor Young.

A fight which ends honorably. New recruits who prove how good horsemen they are. Disappointing coffee. He's so good.

With Harry Carey Jr. ('Yo'), Chill Wills (surgeon), J Carroll Naish, Grant Withers.

Licorice Pizza (2021 Paul Thomas Anderson & scr)

Quite the showcase for newbies Alana Haim and Cooper Hoffman, a charismatic couple who can't quite get together, perhaps because they run around a lot (which in itself feels referential to something - the end of The Apartment? Truffaut? Frances Ha?) Also he's younger then her, and keeps getting involved in madcap entrepreneurial activities, with which she is initially caught up before working for a politician. Its time and place, LA early seventies, are nicely caught, and the film has an episodic, eccentric feel, though never really warms the heart.

The cinematography (on celluloid) is credited to Michael Bauman and PTA. Editor Andy Jurgensen (associate editor on Phantom Thread, Trumbo and Inherent Vice). The score's a good assembly of period classics. There's quite a lot of clever lateral tracking shots in which actors come in and out of the frame. And long takes. Whole episode with crazy Jon Peters (Cooper) and backwards truck driving is a highlight. It had me thinking of Almost Famous in its coming-of-age seventies theme. I've a feeling it'll be a bit of a slow burner which we'll enjoy more each time. Won BAFTA for screenplay.

Good, not well-known cast: Skyler Gisondo, Mary Elizabeth Ellis (Cooper's mom), John Michael Higgins (Japanese restaurant owner), Christine Ebersole (TV star), Harriet Sansom Harris (scary talent agent), Sean Penn, Tom Waits, Bradley Cooper, Ryan Heffington (his aide), Nate Mann (politician), Benny Safdie (his boss), Joseph Cross, various members of the Haim family, Isabelle Kusman, Destry Allyn Spielberg (daughter of), Maya Rudolph, Griff Giacchino, Will Angarola.

This Is Us - Season 5 (2020 Dan Fogelman)

The Lockdown Season. And George Floyd. Beth to Randall: "You are a brilliant and resilient man. The world is a brilliant and resilient place. We fight on."

In an extraordinary turn of events, Randall travels to New Orleans to hear the life story of his biological mother, beautifully played by Jennifer C Holmes (who of course has played her from the start), and her aunt, LisaGay Hamilton, who always knows when her niece is visiting - she can feel her presence before turning round - "You mind my peppers". Story told by Vien Hong.

"And don't you fix your mouth to tell a lie."

Kevin walks out on a Robert de Niro film to be at the birth; his journey is interrupted by having to save a car crash victim. Madison is Caitlin Thompson. And in flashback, Jack's Dad makes him drive them both home, and pays him a rare compliment - "Not bad". Michael Angarano plays young Nicky. Randall has his moment in court with Kevin.

A Salisbury Steak is a cross between hamburger and meatloaf served with a mushroom and onion gravy

It's littered with cultural references. "I put my foot up in these pancakes" = "I put my heart and soul into them". 'The Weary Blues' by Langston Hughes (1925). Kadir Nelson = painter / illustrator who adorned many cover of The New Yorker etc.

And the computer programmer who helped write the code used to send pictures and video across the Internet, great writing, because you're thinking 'How does this couple fit into the story?' and of course they're nothing to do with it.. only that in lockdown, people were really realising the benefit of video chatting: Nasir Ahmed.

And then that horrible season finale flash forward (only 16 episodes) - Kate's getting remarried to the school music teacher - what the hell's happened to Toby?

Edited in the main by: Howard Leder, Erin Nicole Wyatt, Julia Grove, and Lai-San Ho; with Bjorn T Myrholt and Romina Rey.

Double Confession (1950 Ken Annakin)

A man visits a lonely cottage on the coast of England to visit a women - the next morning she's found murdered. The intense man is Derek Farr, who seems to have a massive grudge against the local bigshot William Hartnell, who has a seemingly psychotic henchman working for him, Peter Lorre. Naunton Wayne is the investigating officer and Joan Hopkins is a lonely woman with a sad decision on her mind.

Weaved throughout is a sort of typical Brits on holiday observation, with The Huggetts' Kathleen Harrison one of a group of holidaymakers who fancies model boat enthusiast Leslie Dwyer. Scenes of fully suited men with their shoes and trousers off look suitably ridiculous.

John Garden's novel was adapted by Ralph Keene and the screenplay's by William Templeton, for Warner Brothers in the UK. Geoffrey Unsworth shot it.

Didn't recognise Farr though our paths have crossed before, e.g. in The Vicious Circle.

With Edward Rigby, Ronald Howard (journalist), George Woodbridge (sergeant), Mona Washbourne, Esma Cannon... and Desert Island Disc's Roy Plomley, of all people.

Sherwood (2022 Writer James Graham)

Populated with so many well known actors, it's actually a bit distracting.

Interesting subject matter. A murder (by crossbow - Sherwood - get it?) occurs in an old Nottinghamshire mining town which in the 1980s was rare in that most of the miners carried on working. Only one, played by Alun Armstrong, held out for the striking NUM. But also had us thinking about Southcliffe, with which is shares certain similarities.

Investigating this is local DCI David Morrissey, joined from the Met by failing but useful detective Robert Glenister (good; played by his son Tom in flashbacks).

Lesley Manville is the victim's wife, her sister is Clare Rushbrook and her husband Kevin Doyle (Downton, Happy Valley). The Sparrow family of drug dealers and archery hire are played by Lorraine Ashbourne (Alma's Not Normal, Bridgerton), Philip Jackson and Perry Fitzpatrick. Clare Holman is Morrissey's wife. Joanne Froggat's just married to Bally Gill, whose Dad, train driver Adeel Akhtar lives next door.

James Graham wrote Brexit: The Uncivil War. Directed (in what seems to be the BBC tradition) by Lewis Arnold and Ben A Williams (three each).

Akhtar going off the rails in the forest is one highlight. But ultimately we felt a bit unfulfilled, having learned nothing really about the behaviour of the killer, but rather we'd had something of a history lesson about the conflicts within mining communities. (We subsequently heard Graham in interview and he certainly is very articulate and passionate about politics and his subject matter.)