IRISH WISH – Lindsay Lohan stars in this romantic comedy set in Ireland, of course. RomCom’s are not my thing. I only watched because of the Irish locale and co-stars Ed Speleers and Alexander Vlahos…all three lovely to look at. As usual, this one was predictable and not very good. A few laughs. I did like the magical bit with the wish chair….”Saint Bridget will grant you what you need, not necessarily what you want!” Sláinte! Boyfriends – 2; Girlfriends – 0.

AMERICAN FICTION – Entertaining film providing insight into Black culture and “woke” syndrome. Jeffrey Wright portrays Monk, a frustrated writer, and Sterling K. Brown portrays his gay brother, Cliff. Both men are wonderful. Wright delivers a poignant performance and Brown exudes rebellious charm as their bond is tested and remains strong in spite of themselves. Based on the book Erasure by Percival Everett, the movie tells the story with honesty, humor and heartbreak. Mike and I both enjoyed the picture, despite the arbitrary ending. We are left to decide for ourselves how the circumstances resolve. Mike loves that. Me….not so much. Cheers! Boyfriends/Girlfriends – 0.

THE DIPLOMAT – Smart, sassy and fun! Keri Russell (The Americans) shines along with the diverse cast in this new NetFlix series. A few recognizable faces, but mostly unknown actors, turn in great performances in this fast-paced satire of political and personal angst, and the intersection of the two, with much of the story rooted in our current politics. Exceptional entertainment! Cheers!! Boyfriends – 0; Girlfriends – 1.

LIZZIE – Another version of the Lizzie Borden story, and not a very good one. I have seen many documentaries and films about Lizzie, and none have portrayed Lizzie as a lesbian who is in love with her maid, her maid being sexually abused by Lizzie’s father or the maid being complicit in the murder. (I guess they needed some juicy scenes for Kristen Stewart who plays the maid). It’s long been suspected Lizzie committed the crimes in the nude. In this version, she murders her step-mother this way and then enlists the maid to murder her father in the nude as well. When the maid is unable to complete the task, Lizzie steps in (fully clothed) and finishes the job. Preposterous. In addition to these ludicrous liberties, the piece is slow and doesn’t answer any pertinent questions. You guessed it….skip it! Cheers! Boyfriends/Girlfriends – 0.

FEUD: CAPOTE & THE SWANS – Mini series chronicling Truman Capote’s peak accomplishment as the central character in the lives of New York’s high society women (his swans) and his brutal downfall when he betrays their confidences and spills all their dirty secrets in a book. He is quickly and viciously ostracized. He spent the rest of his life trying to claw his way back in, drinking himself to death in the process, but never again granted favor with the “in” crowd. I was just a kid, but I vaguely remember hearing about his black & white ball, his antics and his swift ousting from his coveted social circle of high profile friends. This series is like a story out of the Enquirer in the 1960s and 1970s (which my mother read religiously). The work is great! Tom Hollander is extraordinary as Capote. It was a delight to see Calista Flockhart playing Jackie Kennedy’s sister, Lee Radziwill. She was marvelous and she looked great (haven’t seen her since Ally McBeal). Other well-known cast members like Demi Moore (who I also haven’t seen in awhile), Diane Lane, Naomi Watts and Chloë Sevigny complete the swans. Rounding out the ensemble is Jessica Lange as Capote’s mother and Molly Ringwald as Johnny Carson’s wife, Joanne. Treat Williams plays Bill Paley, Head of CBS and husband of one of the swans, in what was to be his last role. Sadly, he died last year. Watching this show is like spending eight hours in a gossip session. Mika thought so, too. She couldn’t wait for the finale. So grab a martini and settle in for the drama. Cheers!! Boyfriends – 0; Girlfriends – 1.

McCARTNEY321 – Die-hard Beatles fans like Mike and me will probably find this six-episode documentary fascinating. We did. Paul, accompanied by music producer Rick Rubin, delves into little known facts about how certain songs came into being. Along the way he shares interesting anecdotes from the time. As Rick plays specific tracks, Paul seems transported back to the studio once again with his mates, discussing the work with us and explaining the birth of unique sounds. His delight and fondness for the music is still evident sixty years later. It’s clear the Beatles’ embrace of spontaneity and serendipity in the studio enabled them to produce magical results unmatched by other bands at the time. Love them or hate them, they still reign supreme as a musical beacon inspiring others. Cheers! Boyfriends/Girlfriends – 0.

DEATH AND OTHER DETAILS – Fun murder mystery on board a yacht starring Mandy Patinkin and a host of ethnically diverse characters. The use of cinematography to insert flashback scenes into current scenes allowing the overlap to play simultaneously is my favorite bit. Clever and interesting. Pacing is great, too, as we endeavor to discover who the culprit is in not one murder, but two, before all is revealed at season’s end. Cheers! Boyfriends – 1; Girlfriends – 0.