AMERICAN NIGHT – Violent film (think Quentin Tarantino) starring Jonathan Rhys-Meyers, Emile Hirsch and Paz Vega. It’s not my kind of film, but I am a Jonathan fan, so when the screener arrived, I watched it. Jonathan delivers his usual intense, stellar performance. The rest of the cast is also quite good. But, alas, not a fan of the movie. For starters, it’s poorly lit. True, 95% of it takes place at night, but I often couldn’t see the actors’ faces, the action or even the sets very well. Sometimes the audio was also sub-par and I would have to rewind to catch the dialogue. The plot was convoluted so I’m still unclear exactly what was happening. I didn’t even get that Jeremy Piven’s character is a stuntman afraid of heights until I heard him say so in an interview. That made his bit funny which was totally lost on me at the time. As for the women, they all looked so much alike (exotic, long dark hair) that with the inadequate lighting, I couldn’t tell them apart. And they spoke with accents which didn’t help me distinguish who was who. Lastly, as I already mentioned, way too much violence for me. But I’m guessing Tarantino fans will love it. No toasts. Boyfriends – 1; Girlfriends – 0.

THIS CHANGES EVERYTHING – Geena Davis produced this documentary revealing the long-standing gender bias in Hollywood. It’s probably only of interest to those of us in the entertainment industry, but it was quite informative. I was surprised at the meager number of women, especially women of color, studios employ both in front of and behind the camera. With specific focus on women directors and women role models, even women who produced a successful film (profit in studio lingo) often never worked again. Some even won coveted awards. Some have created their own production companies where they can control content and hiring. What progress has been made is due to years of arduous commitment among a select group of daring women who weren’t going to take it anymore and culminated with the #MeToo movement. Despite these positive steps forward, it seems there is still a long way to go. I found one comment especially true, and I’m paraphrasing…..”in order for there to be real change in Hollywood, it will require men to step up and support hiring women.” Indeed. Cheers to our heroines and the men who will answer the call! Girlfriends – lots; boyfriends – maybe.

A LITTLE CHAOS – A piece of historical fiction from 2014 directed by Alan Rickman (who also plays King Louis) and starring Kate Winslet and a dreamy leading man, Matthias Schoenaerts. It also features Helen McCrory, one of my favorites as most of you know. Stanley Tucci sparkles in a delightful turn as the king’s brother, Philippe. Set in Versailles during the reign of Louis XIV, Kate’s character, Sabine, is tasked with building a garden for the king…a bit improbable for 1600s France, but whatever. The only real flaw is my pet peeve – the actors are not speaking in French or using French accents. This removes a vital element of authenticity for me (particularly in period pieces). It never bothers Sandi though. Regardless, we both thoroughly enjoyed the film and will be on the lookout for more Matthias in the future. Wine glasses high! Santé! Boyfriends – 1; Girlfriends – 1.

A GHOST STORY – aptly named and misleading at the same time, this piece is not what the title suggests. It’s not a ghost story, it’s a ghost’s story. One which poignantly asks us to consider the meaning of life and death. At times achingly slow, and yet somehow appropriately paced, I was often thinking, “I get it, let’s get on with it,” especially in the beginning scenes that seemed to be dealing honestly with issues in real time. I was tempted to turn it off, but resisted because I wanted to understand the message of the film. The longer I watched it, the more I wanted the meaning revealed and the more it eluded me. That is until the group scene where many of the questions we all have about life and death where pondered. I began to see the bigger picture (and actually agree with much of it) as the story delved into the heartbreaking emotions of grief and loneliness. I still don’t completely understand some of what transpired, including the ending, although I have a general idea. But the film has stuck with me for several days now as I’ve mulled it over. That in itself speaks volumes. I’ve also learned in the time since that it won critical acclaim in 2017 and an award at Sundance. That doesn’t necessarily count for anything, but I think in this case it might. I’m glad I watched it, even if I’m left confused about some details within it. A toast! Boyfriends/Girlfriends – 0.

DEATH TO 2021 – Some funny bits in this parody of the past year in the same format as its predecessor, Death to 2020. Actual footage of news events and actors portraying journalists or interviewees are woven together in an entertaining retrospective of the year we just endured….and don’t want to endure again. Of course, that’s what we said about 2020, but I digress. I thoroughly enjoyed Stockard Channing, Tracy Ullman and Hugh Grant ruthlessly spoofing journalists and commentators we all recognize. So did Perry, and he enjoyed the whack job interviewees, whom you’ll also recognize. All the actors play their roles with glee and for an hour we are happily distracted from the misery of the old year and look forward with hope to the new one! Cheers to 2022!!

GREATEST EVENTS OF WWII IN COLOR – I’m a history buff, and this is a decent documentary using actual footage and revealing little known facts about the war and our involvement in it. I was shocked to learn how many American soldiers lost their lives fighting the Nazis and the Japanese. The numbers are staggering. Mike says he found the allies’ ability to “think outside the box” in impossible situations, thereby saving hundreds of lives, an incredible accomplishment. Indeed – beginning with the battle at Dunkirk and continuing to the end of the conflict. Comprised of ten episodes which include some spectacular footage of battles in the sky, it’s well worth your time. Cheers to the boys who fought so valiantly to protect America and stop Hitler and the women who made significant contributions off the battlefield. We toast you all in gratitude! Boyfriends & Girlfriends – 100s.

BEING THE RICARDOS – Having read several books and seen as many documentaries about Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz, I already knew their personal story. What was a complete surprise was Lucy’s curt interactions with everyone, even those closest to her. I’d always heard she was one tough broad, but I was taken aback at her behavior and wondered if it was an accurate depiction. Since her two children, Lucie & Desi Jr., are the exec-producers on this project I suppose it is. Nicole Kidman captures Lucy’s cadence well, but I still didn’t really see Lucy, at least not consistently. I didn’t believe Javier Bardem as Desi at all. Perhaps he was just miscast. His performance felt like he was always trying to be Desi, but never really becoming Desi. On the positive side, Nina Arianda and JK Simmons as Vivian Vance and William Frawley respectively were excellent. I saw the real folks in their portrayals. And I enjoyed the behind-the-scenes peek at the writers’ room of I Love Lucy in the 1950s. The film itself feels like some lesser-known facts of who these icons were individually, and to each other, were jammed into the story at random points which gave it a disjointed feel. Many of these scenes could have been eliminated. Perhaps Lucie and Desi Jr. felt it was important for us to know these things about their parents, but it wasn’t important to the script which depicts only one week in time – the week news broke of Lucy’s alleged ties to the Communist party. To that end, the final big scene of Desi telling the studio audience Lucy has been accused of being a Communist is riveting. Too bad the same can’t be said for the entire picture, although die-hard Lucy fans may enjoy it. Toasts, boyfriends/girlfriends – zero.

DON’T LOOK UP – More like don’t bother watching. The director, Adam Mackay, claims this film is a comedy. It’s not. It’s loaded with big names like Leonardo DiCaprio, Jennifer Lawrence and Meryl Streep so I expected a big delivery of quality entertainment. It delivered only big boredom and annoying performances. And it’s a never-ending saga…almost two and a half hours. I had to watch it in segments to get through it. I think it took me five viewings. It’s a good thing it was dropped exclusively on NetFlix. It would never have survived a traditional theatrical release. Skip it! Zero toasts, zero boyfriends/girlfriends.

DECOUPLED – Think Curb Your Enthusiasm meets Bombay. Produced in India with an Indian cast and crew, this new irreverent comedy series on NetFlix offers a quirky take on marriage, including ending one. Dialogue is the biggest issue for this show. Half the dialogue is in English and half is in Hindi. Even when the actors speak in English, their accents are so thick that subtitles are required to understand everything that’s going on. Some of the situations are over-the-top, but there are funny bits throughout the episodes. I like all the characters….even the less savory ones, and found myself interested in how everything would play out for the main couple. I especially like the actress playing the wife. She’s beautiful and delivers a great, low-key performance which is a perfect contrast to her boorish, loud husband. There are only eight half-hour episodes and I look forward to season two. Cheers!! Boyfriends – 0; Girlfriends -1.

RBG – What can I say about the Notorious Ruth Bader Ginsburg? She’s a rock star, an icon and women everywhere owe her a debt! Hers is an intriguing tale of overcoming prejudice against the female sex and kicking the door open so the rest of us would have an easier time of it. And she wasn’t only about justice for women. She was equally engaged in ensuring fair, equitable rights for men when the Court was inclined to favor mothers over fathers without any justification other than they were mothers. This tiny pistol of a woman was soft-spoken, enjoyed opera and worked tirelessly seeking justice for all. Great piece documenting her life story. Thanks, RBG – we toast you. Cheers! Boyfriends/Girlfriends – 0.