paul-allaer

As "Flight Risk" (2025 release; 91 min) opens, we are in a motel in Alaska where a guy (whom we learn it Winston) is hiding. The US Marshalls surprise and arrest him. Deputy Agent Harris is tasked of flying Winston to Anchorage on a small propeller plan piloted by a suspicious looking dude. At this point we are less than 10 minutes into the movie.

Couple of comments: this is directed by none other than Mel Gibson, yes, THAT Mel Gibson. Not that you'd know it easily as Gibson's name doesn't appear anywhere on the marketing materials or in the movie's opening credits. In and of itself this is not an issue. The question is whether the movie is or isn't any good. Well the answer to that is a dissatisfying "not good, but not bad enough to make it a over the top bad and hence camp". I thought for a while that the Mark Wahlberg character might turn out to be reminiscent of the Jack Nicholson character in "The Shining", but alas no. He is just a really annoying character. And as for Michelle Dockery, I couldn't help but feel sorry for her, stuck on a plane for 90% of the movie and seemingly desperate to get away from this mess. This is billed as an "action thriller" but it has hardly any action, and it's certainly not a thriller.

"Flight Risk" showed up in US theaters in early 2025, and it's now streaming on HBO Max, where I caught it just last night. THe movie is currently rated 29% Certified Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes. If you are a fan of Mark Wahlberg or are curious what Mel Gibson is up to these days, I'd suggest you check this out, with lowered expectations, and draw your own conclusion.

As "In Restless Dreams: The Music of Paul Simon" (2023 release; 2 episodes totaling 218 min.) opens, it is "Wimberley, TX, 2021" and Paul Simon stops by a local radio station to talk about a new studio album that he has been working on since 2019. We then go back in time to Paul's upbringing in Queens, NY, 3 blocks away from where Art Garfunkel is growing up. They become pals in grade school. At this point were are 10 minutes into the first episode.

Couple of comments: when the opening credits reveal that this is directed by Oscar-winning documentarian Alex Gibney, I knew right away that this was going to be special. Gibney is the best documentarian of these last 4 decades, period. Here he bring a retrospective on Simon's music and life, while also following his struggles to complete what would become the "Seven Psalms" album (released in 2023). Episode 1 roughly tracks the Simon & Garfunkel years, and Episode 2 covers the solo years (with the occasional S&G reunion). I myself am more a fan of the solo years than of the S&G years and hence I expected going in that I'd enjoy Episode 2 more, but in fact the opposite happened as I learned stuff in Episode 1 I had never heard before (did you know that Paul Simon was attending law school in New York when the first S&G album was released? Me neither). The documentary does not avoid the lows and troubles including of course the split between Simon and Garfunkel, but also the disastrous marriage with Carrie Fisher and the album flops (One Trick Pony among them). The current footage of the making of "Seven Psalms" is quite revealing, not only as to Simon's health struggles, but even more so the strong marriage with Edie Brickell, now more then 30 years ago (Simon was then around 50, Brickell around 25).

"In Restless Dreams: The Music of Paul Simon" premiered at the 2023 Toronto International Film Festival to wide critical acclaim. The documentary is currently rated 95% Certified Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes, and there is good reason for that. It is currently streaming on MGM+ and on Amazon Prime, where I caught it last night. Whether you are a fan of Simon & Garfunkel or of Paul Simon's solo output (or of both), I'd readily suggest you check this out, and draw your own conclusion.

As "The Bitter Pill" (2024 release; 90 min.) opens, we are reminded that more than 400,000 Americans have died (and continue to die) from opioids. We then get introduced to Paul Farrell Jr., a plaintiffs attorney in Huntington, WV, grounds zero of the opioids crisis that is raging in this country. "This is a war", fumes the mayor of Huntington. At this point we are 10 minutes into the documentary.

Couple of comments: this is directed by Oscar-nominated documentarian Clay Tweel ("Gleason"). Here he tracks the years-long legal battle started by Paul Ferrell Jr. Against the manufacturers and wholesale distributors of opioids. Ferrell is determined to get to the bottom of it and expose it all. He is not interested in settling the lawsuit. His dogged determination is admirable, frankly heroic, given against whom he is doing battle. As you are watching this, your blood is sure to boil on more than one occasion. Kudos to the film makers who invested YEARS on this documentary.

"The Bitter Pill" was released and seen in 2024 at various film festivals across the country. I just caught it recently when PBS aired it as part of its POV ongoing series (it's now also showing on the PBS channel on YouTube, where I caught it the other night). If you have any interest in how a plaintiffs lawyer took on the opioid manufacturers and distributors, I'd readily suggest you check this out, and draw your own conclusion.