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Poor timing made for this decent political comedy drama to flop at the box office. Why not a release date before election day 2025 before November and instead deciding to release this movie in December??? This comedy drama about a young Lieutenant Governor learns about a shocking piece of news that will place her in the media spotlight while having to cope with a dysfunctional childhood, a husband who has his own opinion about politics, and handling idealism over politics, something rare in today's governmental breakdown. The plot incorporates biting and edgy topics simultaneously making one of the best raw, and riveting portrayals of a woman trying to overcome her past trauma while attempting to mollify her husband and dealing with realistic governmental politics and her own strong, stubborn beliefs about the role of government. Ella McKay is the female state government version between the American Presidents as portrayed by Michael Douglas's mainstream drama The American President (1995) and Kevin Kline's more goofy comedy Dave (1993). Very underrated, this movie is a sensitive look at humans in realistic situations, valuable insights about human relationships and psychological resolution, and a well crafted comedy drama rarely offered in the contemporary American film industry scene. Highly recommended.

My Secret Santa (2025, Netflix). Netflix has released a rom-com that finally breaks from the traditional mold of American romance comedies of the last decade or so and includes a refreshing mindful dash of substance that K-Dramas (Korean Dramas) have been evolving towards and often surpassing that of their American counterparts. A desperate mother laid off from her job during the Christmas season, late on her rent for the past four months, struggles to find a new job to pay for rent and so that her daughter can take advantage of her admission to an elite snow boarding school with a high tuition fee. A job opening suddenly comes up for a Santa Claus at a ski resort that she applies for as a man. The son of the owner of this resort accidentally comes across the mother in her womanly state and the rest is the usual mix up of comedic identity deception but with a sprinkle of cinnamon laced deeper sweet thoughts and emotional comfort.

This entertaining script includes a sprinkling of more than mindless empty comedy substituting a mixture of heart and soul into the holiday movie spirit. Amazingly, all the separate parts, principal characters get wrapped up in a beautiful packet wrapped in a non-stereotypical, multi-dimensional character display. This display is a formulaic plot that then deviates from most American holiday films and ultimately presents each character ultimately as everyday humans that all have in their hearts a universal message of Christmas waiting to be opened. With only a slight oversight and editing breach in the last scene, My Secret Santa shines brightly and avoids excessive tangents of fluff and avoids attempting to unnecessarily cover all the bases found in serious dramas. Instead this delightful holiday treat presents an entertaining holiday romance sticking to the important themes and character connections that make this Christmas special a delicious treat like sipping your best memorable hot chocolate.

This potential cult classic offers up one of the most stunning and realistic possible futures of artificial intelligence In the form of biological cloning. Reminiscent of strong themes from George Lucas's sci fi classic THX-1138 (1971), LX2048 has Adam Bird, a broker consultant of an outdated virtual reality company who remains insistent that he is special and defies communal norms and instead physically goes to work in a near empty office building, gets out in the deadly toxic sunlight, and meets people in person instead of through the newest artificial cloud scape using advanced chips. He insists on visiting in person with a therapist. Living separated from his wife, Adam seeks solace in an AI companion that even today is a real growing phenomenon. A restraining order prevents him from seeing his three sons except by virtual means. Disconnected, Bird is on a desperate search to leave something of value behind for his wife and children from what he believes is a failing company after receiving word that he is dying from a weak heart (whether literally or figuratively is never fully resolved). The production quality is solid, the pacing well captures the active events of the strong storyline. James D'Arcy (a Benedict Cumberbatch look a like) as Adam Bird has a specular performance as a distraught husband with immersive, compelling acting and dialogue from a script that captures the intensity and mind-twisting essence of the future. This movie is a must see for those concerned about the future societal impact of cloning and artificial intelligence along with drastic climate change. Together with The Machine (2013), LX2048 has little in the way of flaws or drawbacks for those fascinated in the possible future of mankind. Strangely for mankind, it may all come down to cells with cells or God or accidental fate.