All Forms of Art

  When I sat down to watch Bombshell , I knew it wasn’t going to be an easy film. Not because it’s shocking or disturbing in a graphic way, but because it tackles a real-life story that’s deeply uncomfortable: the sexual harassment scandal at Fox News that brought down powerful CEO Roger Ailes. An Amazing Cast Directed by Jay Roach and written by Charles Randolph, Bombshell stars Charlize Theron (executive producer of Mindhunter ) as Megyn Kelly , Nicole Kidman as Gretchen Carlson , and Margot Robbie as Kayla Pospisil (a fictional composite character meant to represent the experiences of many women at Fox). John Lithgow  (Churchill in The Crown ) plays Roger Ailes with unsettling conviction. The cast is stacked with talent, and the performances—especially Theron’s near-transformation into Kelly—are what keep the movie engaging. That said, I personally found the film kind of boring . It’s not a thriller, it’s not flashy, and it doesn’t always dig as deeply into the tox...

When I finish watching a show, I always try to think of the first couple of words that come to my mind about it. Those are usually a perfect sample of what the show meant to me. In this case, this was extremely easy: revolting.  The show is about a girl, Marie (Kaitlyn Dever), with a foster care system past, who claims to have been raped. It all begins with her describing to the police, and later to hospital staff, what happened to her. I’m not sure of how many times, but I would say around 5. Five times, remembering all the details of her traumatizing experience. The cold environment, the repetition, the constant amount of tests without a kind word to Marie, it's so cruel. While you see Marie being interrogated, examined, and photographed, you understand why most victims do not report. What came to my mind was: the criminal has rights, but how about the victim’s rights? Is it true? The investigation starts, and the feeling of discomfort grows. The polic...

Biopics are in a high place right now, as well as the criticisms about all the details they couldn't fill.  I was never close to Elton John 's work, although, like many people, I knew his most famous songs. Still, I was quite curious about the movie. Not Just Music, But a Musical I had no idea it was a musical, which was a bit of a shock. Not being a big fan of musicals, I must admit that I loved this one. The movie starts with a big, dramatic entrance, totally Elton material, that immediately glues you to your seat. Those outfits were something special, by the way.  The timeline, as usual, was altered for entertainment purposes - you see an infant Elton John singing a song he would write as an adult - and that bothered many people. It didn't bother me at all. I see it as an interesting creative choice.  The main goal of this biopic was for us to see the performer without forgetting the human being behind it, and they reached it.  Sex...

I hadn’t watched the first season of American Crime Story . Never felt very interested in the show, and the only reason I watched this most recent season was that it was about Versace .   I was very intrigued by the show because I remember the case, which was thoroughly covered by the media at the time. So I decided I’d give the show a try. Who's the True Protagonist? I didn’t know a lot about Versace’s life. Almost nothing, really, so I can’t truly criticize the choices by the production when it came to the story. However, I have a problem with the title.  It may have been better not to call it “the assassination of Versace”, but rather “Versace’s killer” as the protagonist is not the designer but rather his killer, and this wasn’t exactly what most people seemed to expect going in. This was also the case for me, and I must admit I got a bit disappointed. Slow Pace The show is good enough to make you curious and keep you watching it, but it isn’t all...