PCT1970

COOL! That is the best adjective to describe this series. Conrad has created one of the coolest dramedy series in recent memory. He also pens and directs some episodes. This series has superlative direction, writing, cinematography and settings. However the soundtrack and acting are outstanding. This series gave me a new appreciation for folk music and had me dusting off my Dylan and Simon & Garfunkel vinyl. I also dusted off my Beasties, "Paul's Boutique" and "Ill Communication". If the soundtrack was available on vinyl, I would have purchased it immediately. All of the actors such as O'Quinn, Chernus, Opheim, McClaren, Junior, Winger and Fitzpatrick just to name a few are superb. I found Dorman and Smith to be commanding. John is described as a sad man in a suit and Dorman absolutely nails it! He is also a folk music artist in real life. The plot is pretty simple. Or is it? John Tavner is a worn down non-official cover operative. His latest mission which is assigned to him by his father Tom is to deliver a bag of cash from point A to point B. Point B is Luxembourg and the drop will prevent Iran from having nuclear capabilities. John knows it is never as simple as it seems and never has been. His cover is to become an engineer at the Milwaukee based industrial piping company McMillan because the company does business in Luxembourg which does business with Iran. McMillan moves sources from point A to point B via the Structural Dynamics of Flow. An example is Donnely nut spacing and cracked system rim-riding grip configuration, using a field of half seized sprats and brass-fitted nickel slits, bracketed caps and splay-flexed brace columns vent dampers to dampering depths of 1/2 meter from the damper crown to the spurv plinth and so on. Not so simple. In fact it's apparent the process is complex and it is symbolic of John's bag drop and the plot. Right from the get when John has to push his competitor for the McMillan job in front of a bus his mission gets compounded and continues to do so throughout the series. John attracts the attention of Dt. Agathe in Luxembourg when he has to kill one of five Brazilian jiu-jitsu brothers. Most importantly he catches the attention of his supervisor at McMillan Leslie who could blow his entire cover. The bottom line is John's mission turns into a beguiling and zany adventure. The events unfold during a time period from 2012 to 2017. We learn of the events through deposition tapes of Tom. The series also jumps back and forth in periods of time. We are introduced to a slew of vivacious characters; his brother Cool Rick, wannabe spy Dennis, security guard Birdbath, Icabod who has an uncanny resemblance, Gregory who wonders why John has an extra number in his social security card, Rob Saperstein who is his former folk singing partner and many more. I could examine themes and scrutinize this series, but it is just so lighthearted I don't feel like getting into it. I felt like I was watching a Wes Anderson film in a few episodes. It's very amusing. I enjoyed it for the entertainment and it made me feel chilled and relaxed, although it is thrilling at times. The premise is extremely intriguing. My inherent curiosity did ignite a desire to do a bit of research. In 2014 a Wisconsin project on nuclear arms control report by Lincy & Milholin based on international atomic energy agency data concluded Iran could produce weapons grade uranium. Just an interesting fact and by no means is it meant to take away from this delightful series. My favorite episode was season 2, ep. 6 when we see John smiling and enjoying time with friends and family. This series is cathartic, quirky, insightful and hysterical. It is ingenious and at the very top in it's genre. It's so cool!

I was reluctant to write a review on this series for one major reason. The reason is that I would have to step outside my normal format as this series deserves more. I've only done this once before. So I'm just going to let it flow as far as this series because I do not believe a format would show the respect this series deserves. This series had my mind thinking on so many different levels. I'm not going to go into detail regarding the plot or storylines as this series transcends that. There is a bigger picture. I was 19 years old when this horrific incident and trial took place. I remember seeing it on the news and having it capture my attention. I am embarrassed to say, but it was brief as I was more concerned with Nintendo and street hockey as opposed to social injustice. That is the truth however and I admit it. That is what this series exposes, TRUTH. Taking into consideration dramatization this series probes the truth about racism, the justice system, corruption, politics, media and the general state of this country in 1989. The same types of injustice were exposed in the riveting and controversial, "Paradise Lost" documentary series. In that instance three innocent boys, the West Memphis 3, had to plead guilty via an Alford plea after serving over 18 years in prison. Millions, including the state of AR, believed a new trial would have completely exonerated the WM3 based on new exculpatory evidence. This occurred in 1993. Sadly enough these conditions still exist today. I do want to say that Ava DuVernay has created a bravura series. Everyone involved in this series should be applauded for their bravery. This series has ingenious direction, writing, cinematography, soundtrack, settings, props, costume and acting. The veteran actors such as Farmiga, Leguizamo, Williams, Huffman and Sadler to name just a few are superb. As far as the younger actors, I can not recall any film or series where I have been more impressed than with Harris, Blackk, Herisse, Jerome and Rodriguez in this series. Their portrayals are emotive powerhouse performances. This series evoked every emotion I can think of from this viewer including sadness, shame, joy, hope, disgrace and so on. I can't even list the entire envelope of emotions. As I've grown my beliefs have held fast, however my overall worldview has evolved. I believe the majority of this country is comprised of decent human beings. When they refer to the Central Park 5 as animals, that is the minority in this country. I don't mean minority as in race, I mean it in the sense of few. In this viewer's opinion it does not matter if your African American, White, Asian, Latino or any ethnicity when it comes to hatred. Hatred is something hidden deep inside. Whether it be the brain, heart or soul is arbitrary. It can be inherent or taught. One thing is for sure, if hatred is practiced by an individual then the individual lacks human cognition to decipher between right and wrong. Spike Lee showed us this in, "Do The Right Thing". This series ranks right up there with Lee's best joints. This series brilliantly examines racism, discrimination and the destruction that follows. It scrutinizes the affects on the individuals, their families, their friends and their futures. There is symbolism such as when Kevin blows on his trumpet after the verdict. It's symbolic of a bugle reveille, as in wake up America! This series tackles monumental subject matter with such boldness that if the message is not clear then something is not firing properly. With that being said, I thought my eyes were wide open. This series has me thinking perhaps my eyes are still half closed. I know it is a wake up call for me. The fight for social justice continues to this day which is what makes this series resonate and makes it so relevant. I wonder if the word Us is a sort of subtle homograph meant to represent the 5 as well as the U.S. as a whole? This is a nearly flawless masterful dramatic series.

Finley helms a substantial debut dark dramedy / thriller. The film has ambitious direction, screenplay, setting, costume and acting. Taylor-Joy, Cooke and the late Yelchin deliver superlative performances. Their characters compliment eachother perfectly mostly because they each have different skill sets. The plot revolves around two friends who are reunited after several years apart. Lily is an affluent rich girl with too much time on her hands and Amanda has become a social outcast surviving on her intellect and guile. Lilly needs to get rid of her stepfather who is going to cut her off and ship her away to boarding school. Amanda is the girl with the plan and will benefit financially and socially by assisting. Neither wants to get their hands dirty so they enlist the naive Tim who is enamoured with the girls. Tim proves to be somewhat inept and this is where where the thrilling joy ride begins. The plot is crisp, clever, witty, unique, duplicitous, blazing and has a cathartic ending. There's something about two sociopaths plotting the demise of a despicable narcissist that seems so right in this movie. The film definitely examines the definition of friendship. There are many memorable scenes and quotes in this film. This viewer's favorite quote is when Tim says to Lily, " You got a creepy friend". It's uproarious to believe Amanda is the only one looked at as being creepy. This is a daft and penetrating film in it's genre.