Netflix Nourishment: 18th Edition

Brandon Vick has all of your Netflix reviews here on the latest edition of Netflix Nourishment.

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THE KING

You don’t need to know the Shakespeare plays to understand what this noble historical drama is fighting for. The stellar Timothée Chalamet is a reluctant king who wants peace not war, but that’s asking for too much. Never underestimate the power of a crown turning you into something you never wanted to be. Joel Edgerton, who co-wrote the script, is a superb addition, and when he speaks – you listen.

And Robert Pattinson steals every scene he’s in as a troublemaking buffoon, a prince who should’ve listened to his daddy. Director David Michôd inserts thoughtfulness behind the action as the impressive battle sequences bring bloodshed, but always at a cost. It’s not quite the epic we want, but rather a coming-of-age story where power, corruption, betrayal, and violence is inescapable. It’s a life long battle with no real victor.

LET IT SNOW

Based on the YA book by John Green, this lighthearted yet lightheaded rom-com involving teenage romance, relationships, and friendships during a Christmas Eve snow storm doesn’t make you feel all warm and toasty inside. Young familiar faces fill up the screen; though, none of their performances are worth mentioning in this hollow holiday movie. If you have your snow-glistening story buildup to a party at a Waffle House rip-off, you should re-think some things, but director Luke Snellin doesn’t seem too bothered by it. He forges through the winter weather so he can complete his miserable millennial Love Actually.

LIVING WITH YOURSELF: SEASON 1

If there were a better you, how would you compete against them? Is it even possible? Well, this new half-hour sci-fi dramedy starring Paul Rudd attempts to answer those questions in a dark and strangely smart way. Creator Timothy Greenberg puts into effect an entertaining cloning story and inserts it into one made up of a dried-up marriage in need of facing its failures. Double the Rudd never gets old, his constant change-up of the two roles is remarkable. His charm and wit doesn’t go anywhere, yet as Miles, his dramatic chops get to come out and play – and we’re all better for it.

Aisling Bea is terrific as Kate, Miles’ wife, who wants to be a mother and her husband’s sudden change is…well…a bit complicated to say the least. The new and improved Miles becomes the man of her dreams. As for the original version, there’s no replacing the real thing. It’s a fight with himself for the life he has been slowly giving up on. This nifty new series is easily watchable, the various perspectives involved are engrossing, and season 2 can get even weirder.

DOLEMITE IS MY NAME

In a role he was destined to play, Eddie Murphy is magnetic as Rudy Ray Moore – a brash and boisterous comedian/performer who wants to be seen on the biggest screen possible. From the very first scene, it’s unmistakable that Murphy’s uncensored performance is going to be one of his very best. Dishing out the alter-ego of Dolemite is dynamite, it’s an attitude that Murphy flawlessly morphs in to. He reminds us of his talented gifts while proving you should never underestimate him or the pioneer he portrays. Like Moore did with his Blaxploitation films, director Craig Brewer delivers the goods in this riotous romp that basks in the outrageous, the vulgar, and the emboldened. He’s constructed an enjoyably affectionate biopic about carrying out dreams by doing it your damn self.

THE LAUNDROMAT

Director Steven Soderbergh’s stylish, scalding film that exposes what the Panama Papers say about the world’s greed is altogether aimless. Meryl Streep, Antonio Banderas, Gary Oldman – their combined talents aren’t enough to make financial corruption engaging or entertaining. Told in several secrets, the plot of the rich remaining rich through shell companies and tax avoidance never stays in one place and never spends enough time on the ones that mean the most. You feel lost all the while losing interest at a rapid rate. What could’ve been a The Big Short ends up being a big disappointment.

TELL ME WHO I AM

As a teenager, Alex Lewis gets into a motorcycle accident and wakes up with no memory of his life. The only person he recognizes is his twin brother Marcus. And it’s him who fills in the pieces of Alex’s life – giving him memories of a childhood that didn’t exist. This incredibly moving story is disguised as a suspenseful mystery with dark secrets to tell. But beyond the lies, its core is two brothers confronting child trauma and how much detriment comes from being silent. No matter how startling, complicated, and intimate this is, director Ed Perkins could’ve gone even further. It’s clear he had the subjects’ unwavering trust, albeit who needs to hear all of the dirty details? Cathartic for the twins and consuming for the audience, this devastating documentary crawls through the horror to stand up and let the healing start happening.

Brandon Vick is a member of The Music City Film Critics’ Association, the resident film critic of the SoBros Network, and the star of The Vick’s Flicks Podcast. Follow him on Twitter @SirBrandonV and be sure to search #VicksFlicks for all of his latest movie reviews.

Klaus

“A simple act of kindness always sparks another” – the animated Klaus dropped on Netflix earlier in the month and is sure to become an instant holiday classic.

Jesper is your run-of-the-mill spoiled, lazy son. When his father decides he’s not taking his postman training seriously enough, he basically banishes him to the town of Smeerensburg to open up a post office. If he doesn’t succeed, he’s cut off. What Jesper finds in Smeerensburg is a town full of people who are flat out nasty to each other, immersed in a blood feud that has lasted for generations. Jesper has his work cut out for him, but when he ventures off the beaten path, he encounters an old toy-maker named Klaus. From there, the two take to spreading holiday cheer throughout a town that needs it.

Call it an origin story for ol’ Saint Nick if you want to, but it’s a fun, heart-warming tale emphasizing the importance of developing friendships and doing good wherever you can. It’s a nice hark back to the days of hand-drawn animation, with color, ambience, and wonder bursting in every scene. If you’re looking for something to get you into the Christmas spirit, look no further.

The Knight Before Christmas

If you’re hoping for some fun, heart-warming Christmas storytelling, this ain’t it, chief.

The Knight Before Christmas is cringeworthy at every turn. The concept of being lost in time is farfetched enough, but when you see how our heroic knight reacts to it, it ruins all ability to suspend disbelief. I mean, this guy was flung hundreds of years into the future, and reacts to it with the befuddlement that I’d react to changing plans on a Friday night with – just a minor inconvenience. It’s absurd, even for a time travel movie.

Don’t even bother – just watch Klaus again…or stare at the wall…anything. I hate this movie.

Stoney Keeley is the Editor in Chief of The SoBros Network. He is a strong supporter of Team GSD and #BeBetter. “Big Natural” covers the Tennessee Titans, Nashville, and a whole wealth of nonsense. Follow on Twitter @StoneyKeeley

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