lisa_ramtzen

I watched the film 3 times during a weekend. Glad I did! These days we rarely pay close attention to a film, or bother to re-watch something that seems all over the place at first glance. The central plot is Malkovich as "THE biggest 90's pop star", re-emerging after 30 years of silence. Malkovich completely steals the screen with a compelling rendition of an enigmatic but aged pop-diva. In the "listening session" scene he's dressed in Issey Miake and dances like an actual 70 yo, cringe & amusement. Malkovich actually sings, although heavily edited, 3 of the main tracks as the fictional star Moretti.

The film has some good actors & characters, but it seems loosely tied together. However, the unexpectedly epic scenes of horror and flamboyance, as well as the final twists make this a film I will actually watch a fourth time. Thank You John Malkovich for pulling off another epic character that will live on forever in our collective imagination.

I haven't seen any of the many films made about Cleopatra, but I assumed a documentary would take less liberties with the few known facts about her life. The actress playing Cleopatra gives a compelling portrayal of the legendary Pharao. However, the documentary claims that Cleopatra was black, which has no basis in history. The Hellenistic Ptolemaian dynasty was known for its inbreeding and refusal to intermarry with the Egyptians over whom they ruled. You can't rewrite history and call it a documentary. "Black Cleopatra " is an interesting thought experiment at best, or just another conspiracy theory that Netflix viewers will gobble up without questions. Netflix should stop falsely calling their speculative enertainment "documentaries". It is an entertaining and well acted mini-series about Cleopatra that's not entirely ficticious.

I rarely write reviews but this series was a very pleasant surprise. The show hasn't gotten a lot of buzz, but it's great comedy with a lot of heart. Merchant, Walker and Gunning are priceless. Eagerly awaiting a third season!