As the bustle of the holiday season and the chilly winds start to blow, we all can use a break for a while. On my first idea for this final review my plans were dashed by, unfortunately, release dates. Some of the more hyped features like âSpiderman: No Way Homeâ and âThe Matrix Resurrectionsâ among others arenât out until later. That being said, there is a smattering of good films not in theaters but at a screen for home viewing. Some of which may be just the ticket.
Speaking of which âtick..tick..BOOMâ is over on Netflix. In bring the musical from stage to screen, Lin-Manuel Miranda of âHamiltonâ fame transposes an idolâs work. Andrew Garfield brings impressive verve to Jonathan Larson, the theatre composer behind the Tony and Pulitzer prize winning âRent.â I have to confess that his most famous play isnât my favorite. However, this film gives me greater appreciation for his talent than his more well-known work. The production is a bit uneven, adapting the off-Broadway show of the same name but also working as a biopic of Larsonâs life before his big break.
It is clear that Miranda put in time and care. And his attention to 90s detail is quite striking. But he canât help but insert himself into his own work, which can take away from the flow. Musical numbers arenât a natural part of filmic verisimilitude; neither are constant winks to the camera. In the centerpiece of the musical, a reworking of Stephen Sondheimâs âSunday,â background singers of Broadwayâs finest back Garfield. I know, this is supposed to be a fantasy sequence. However, it feels like a dream made true for Miranda as well, who places himself in the scene much like Hitchcock or Shyamalan. Regardless, it is Garfield that lifts this film out of doldrums and into a must watch.
Maybe a Christmas movie is more your thing to get into the mood. Well, it seems I have a tradition to uphold. Last year I reviewed âHappiest Seasonâ on Hulu; this year I present to you âSingle All The Wayâ on Netflix. This quaint babble of a movie stars Michael Urie as a single gay man who has to go home to his family without a partner. He invites his roommate with him to soften the blow, at first to pretend that they have finally fallen in love after these years in a ruse that backfires. For fans of Hallmark schlock you will be taken by this. But even for someone like me who isnât, its charms werenât lost on myself either. Kathy Najimy and Barry Bostwick are cute as Urieâs parents. And Jennifer Coolidge is up to her old tricks as his crazy aunt. Yes, the script could have used some more bite like âThe Family Stone.â Those nitpicks aside, it is a very enjoyable romantic comedy.
Some of you might be asking if I have seen Disney Plusâs âHawkeyeâ yet. After just a few episodes, it is quite enjoyable. Following the exploits of Clint Barton in NYC, the biggest surprise is Hailee Steinfeld taking the central role here. Her turn as Kate Bishop as the focus which is clearly setting up her inclusion into the MCU. Much of the brandâs rebuilding since âEndgameâ has been about the future. And it seems to be in good hands.
Back over on Netflix, actress Rebecca Hall makes her directorial debut with âPassing.â Starring Tessa Thompson and Ruth Negga as old friends living the 1920âs New York, we see Ruthâs Clare passing as white and married to Alexander Skarsgard. Shot in stunning black and white only more intensifies the themes, the two actresses give commendable performances as conduits for Hallâs amazing direction and screenplay. The pace may be rather slow, but patience will be greatly rewarded in the end. Happy Holidays, and viewing, readers.
