Category: Five Star

Russian Doll ☆☆☆☆☆ (5/5) 4/1/19

I feel like Natasha Lyonne really Gets Me, ya know?

Sweet jumping Jesus, I loved this show.

Literally anything I could say about the clever plot would be a spoiler of some sort, so I’ll just say the acting and writing are terrific. Lyonne’s performance is spellbinding – rough, raw, and hilarious, but Charlie Barnett and Elizabeth Ashley also shine. Ritesh Rajan is gorgeous. Brendan Sexton iii (Hey, remember the “I’m gonna rape you at 3 o’ clock” bully from Welcome to the Dollhouse? That’s him!) kills his role in a really special way that I predict is about to give him a solid career boost.

Check out the definition-of-cool playlist of the show’s songs, too.

One of my all time favorite TV shows.

Watch it.

The Rider ☆☆☆☆☆ (5/5) 1/17/19

One of the year’s best, and most unusual, films.

The Rider’s pace is what critics often, charitably, call deliberate, and my father calls slow. It entranced me, but individual mileage is going to vary. I think that’s important to note up front.

Chloé Zhao casts non-professional actors to play versions of themselves to heartbreaking effect. Brady Jandreau may be essentially playing himself, but that doesn’t negate the honest sensitivity he projects. He’s stunning, with an introspective charisma male actors can rarely convey effectively, and Zhao casually showcases his youthful physical beauty in the same vivid way she films mountains and sunsets. Everyone seems completely authentic and unrehearsed; Jandreau’s sister, Lilly, is particularly lovely and is, herself, a reason I already plan to revisit this film soon.

The Rider has no shortage of heavy themes, hardship, identity, masculinity, recovery, and sport are all examined in surprisingly complex ways, but the film never feels bogged down or preachy.

I think The Rider is going to stick with me for a long time.