THE CHAIR: Season 1
Sandra Oh is excellent as Ji-Yoon Kim, the first woman of color to become chair of the English department at a fancy-schmancy university. In six quick half-hour episodes, she puts on one hell of a juggling act in being a single mother to her daughter Ju-Hee (Everly Carganilla) and taking on the problems of the other professors in her department that’s hanging on by a thread. Her biggest headache is Professor Dobson (Jay Duplass). His wife just died and instantly finds himself caught up in a shit storm of controversy. And the attraction between him and Ji-Yoon only adds to the difficulty of the situation they find themselves in.
The season could definitely benefit from being longer in order to have its themes of inclusion, diversity, and cancel culture in academia be more explored. But perhaps it’s been left for future seasons that I totally hope the show receives. The entire cast is sensational, and the show itself pulls off a nice mix of smarts, empathy, and satirical and sophisticated humor. This passes with flying colors.
BECKETT
As the titled character, John David Washington is a man on the run after his Greek vacation with his girlfriend (Alicia Vikander) comes to a screeching halt. A car crash involving the two attracts the attention of some bad people who want the American tourist dead. Though, the reason why is a guessing game in director Ferdinando Cito Filomarino’s sophomore feature, a thinly written paranoid thriller that loses interest the longer it goes. The pacing is fine, the violence is grounded, and Washington puts in a dedicated, physical performance. Even so, all the fleeing going on gets exhausting and, by the third act, what we’ve seen doesn’t add up to a whole lot.
BOB ROSS: Happy Accidents, Betrayal and Greed
Director Joshua Rofé paints a moderately illuminating portrait of Bob Ross, a beloved landscape artist who became a cultural phenomenon. And while no one is perfect, he was positively too good for this world. There’s a lot in this that is already known about Ross as far as his art, The Joy of Painting, and his love for teaching others. Rofé could’ve done more than scrape the surface, and what he throws together at the end is what this story needed more of throughout. Without a doubt, the most fascinating stuff comes from Ross’ son, Steve. It’s his remembrances that let us feel we’re getting to know his father a little more than before.
Truthfully, this documentary is more interested in the “mystery” of jealousy and greed ruining the relationship between Ross and the Kowalskis. In what started out as a friendship, became a successful business partnership – creating Bob Ross, Inc. But, while Ross is dying of cancer, the battle begins on who will own his name. I’ll leave it there, but I guarantee you’ll think twice before buying Bob Ross merchandise after seeing what transpires. It’s sadly the exact opposite of what Ross would have wanted.
PRAY AWAY
This enlightening and benevolent documentary focuses on the origins of anti-gay conversion therapy and the irreparable damage it causes to young people desperate to be obedient for their church. Director Kristine Stolakis compiles footage and testimony of those who were in the thick of it all, living a lie that finally became too much. Their intimate confessions open the gate for remorse, guilt, shame, tears, and happiness to come pouring out. Embracing rather than rejecting their community is the healing power they needed. Exodus International was the beginning, but this kind of thinking isn’t going anywhere. Stolakis opening and closing her film with Jefferey McCall, founder of the Freedom March, is telling us precisely that.
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.
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