RUSSIAN DOLL: SEASON 1
A quirky, demented Groundhog’s Day show that is on a loop while never approaching the narrative the same way twice. As bonkers as it may all be, the brilliance in each episode remains intact as do the little clues to set things right. Natasha Lyonne is primo as Nadia, her seamless portrayal makes it look and feel as if Natasha and Nadia are one in the same. Once you get past the first episode, it gets more and more trippy and complex, but how could you not go down that rabbit hole with such an original story full of funny and rough-hewn scenarios?! Finding meaning in a death you can’t escape sounds tragic because it is. Though there’s comedy to be found in everything and the possibilities are endless for these lost souls dependent on each other in this expressive series.
CLOSE
Noomi Rapace has proven she’s a bonafide ass-kicker, and her intense and physically demanding performance here backs that up. But this action thriller can’t bring it like she can – being about as typical as humanly possible. Nothing seems legitimate while straining itself to be exciting. Director Vicky Jewson is working with weak, monotonous material. No matter how hard the movie tries, there’s no hiding it.
HIGH FLYING BIRD
Steven Soderbergh seems to never stop testing the limits of filmmaking, and his latest is a true testament to that. Shot on an iPhone once again, his game-changer of a film is smart and slick with razor sharp dialogue. Inside this high stakes plot, there’s a sense of urgency that runs from scene to scene about not just behind-the scenes basketball drama – but the deep division in modern sports between the owners who sit in the luxury box and the players who are playing the game.
André Holland is sensational as Ray Burke, an agent who talks the talk and walks the walk. He’s a smooth operator outmaneuvering the almighty powerful during a NBA lockout. And with the assistance of the divine Zazie Beets as his former assistant – Burke has one gutsy idea that could change everything. Soderbergh does well with disruption and this revolutionary take extends way beyond pro sports. But it’s a fine place to start.
VELVET BUZZSAW
A satirical horror/thriller where art and greed are a killer combo. Jake Gyllenhaal is primo as an art critic whose sole opinion is worshipped. And he’s followed by Rene Russo and Zawe Ashton whose performances are ferocious as dealers profiting from a dead man’s paintings. As director Dan Gilroy scorches the ego, superficiality, and pretentiousness of the snobby art scene, this bizarro movie certainly isn’t the follow-up to Nightcrawler we saw coming. There’s splashes of cleverness and intrigue, and the unusualness of it all is exciting to an extent. But the scares get stupid with no soul to show as its beauteous bubble of potential is popped.
OZARK: SEASON 2
The Byrde family returns and they’re in even darker waters this time around. How’s that even possible?! There’s a lot going down in this season, while some story lines from Season 1 come to a tragic end. With the business the Byrdes are in, there are always consequences to every action. Always. The most noticeable thing of this season is the growth of the characters – mainly the women firing on all cylinders.
Once again, Jason Bateman is incredible as Marty. But, Laura Linney as Wendy really ups the ante in her portrayal by putting her political background to effective use. It feels as though they are starting to switch roles almost. It’ll be exciting to see where that goes in the next season (Netflix has renewed it for a third season). Meanwhile, as parents, their family dynamic is on the verge of being destroyed as Jonah (Skylar Gaertner) and Charlotte (Sofia Hublitz) get even more twisted in their web of lies.
Julia Garner as Ruth remains a scene-stealer with her very complicated relationship with her daddy Cade (Trevor Long) becoming a fascinating subplot to say the least. Also, arriving as the cartel’s lawyer, Janet McTeer plays Helen Price – a woman not to be fucked with. As one of the new characters introduced this season, she’s cutthroat and doesn’t blink twice at what must be done in order to keep her client happy.
The unpredictable Snells, the cartel, the Kansas City mob – there are so many moving parts that are critical to the Byrde’s survival. And, that’s the fun of it. How they manage to keep afloat is crazy, scary, and entertaining. This is a show that could very well end by season three, and that’s perfectly fine. Just as long as it stays gritty, merciful, and smart as hell.
“Nature Boy” Brandon Vick is the resident film critic of the SoBros Network, and star of Brandon’s Box Office In Your Mouth. Follow him on Twitter @SirBrandonV and be sure to search #VicksFlicks for all of his latest movie reviews.
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