226. Web-series Reviews – 73

More docu-series and web-series!

Lucy and Desi – Came out in 2022. This film will explore the rise of comedian icon Lucille Ball, her relationship with Desi Arnaz, and how their groundbreaking sitcom I Love Lucy forever changed Hollywood, cementing her legacy long after her death in 1989.

One of the reviews from IMDB...

Greetings again from the darkness. Since it is arriving on the heels of Aaron Sorkin's dramatized BEING THE RICARDOS (2021), it's tempting to view this documentary as if a professor is grading his work ... or at least fact-checking. However, Sorkin's film, which resulted in Oscar nominations for Nicole Kidman, Javier Bardem, and JK Simmons, was based on a snapshot in time (and even took some liberties with that), while this first documentary from Amy Poehler takes a much wider lens to the life and career of Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz.

An elite comedian herself, Ms. Poehler's obvious admiration and respect for Lucy is understandable, and her film plays much like a tribute to her hero. She includes brief interviews with such legends as Carol Burnett, Norman Lear, Bette Midler, and Charo ... each who have had enormous success in the comedy field. These folks all tip their cap to Lucy and Desi and their remarkable groundbreaking achievements with "I Love Lucy" - the most important, the most beloved, and the most long-lived sitcom in TV history.

Ms. Poehler also interviews Lucie Arnaz, daughter of Lucy and Desi. We learn a long-forgotten box of audio tapes was discovered, and that allows us to hear much of their history directly from Lucy and Desi. Lucie adds to the loving and respectful nature of the presentation, although we can't help but notice her brother, Desi Jr, only shows up in one brief clip of a previous interview. Poehler complements the audio tapes with some excellent archival footage, including home movies that add to the personal feel.

The necessary background is provided so that we may better appreciate just what these two accomplished. Lucy's grandfather took her to vaudeville shows, and she worked as a model prior to becoming "Queen of the B's". Desi's family was affiliated with the Bacardi rum empire and lost everything in the 1933 Cuban revolution when he was 14. He worked in Xavier Cugat's band and refined the "Conga line" that is still a party favorite these days. Lucy and Desi met on the set of the RKO movie TOO MANY GIRLS (1940) and after a whirlwind romance, the two were married shortly thereafter.

The marriage difficulties are soft-pedaled, and while it's clear they loved each other very much, we learn that due to Desi's stint in the Army and near-constant touring with his band, that the newlyweds saw very little of each other those first few years. In fact, that's what inspired Lucy to demand that Desi play her husband in the new TV show. We then learn about the extraordinary business decisions that were made - not just for the show, but also in founding their own studio, Desilu, which allowed them to own their show and produce others. It was the selling of all 179 episodes of "I Love Lucy" that kicked off the whole idea of reruns, a staple of today's television programming.

We see some classic clips from the sitcom, as well as footage of Desi performing his signature "Babaloo". Lucy and Desi met, fell in love, worked together in the most popular sitcom of all-time, had kids together, built a revolutionary studio business together, divorced, and loved each other forever. Lucie recalls her mother visiting Desi as he lay in bed, slowly dying from lung cancer. She could hear their laughter as they watched "I Love Lucy" reruns. Is the story truth or legend? Does it matter? The two had a lasting and historic impact on the entertainment world, both from what was on screen and from the business side of running a studio. And even today, everyone still loves Lucy.

My Take - A definitive watch!

Chernobyl – The Lost Tapes – Came out in 2022.  No reviews in IMDB so far😊!  Details of the documentary, below.

The story of Chernobyl told through a newly discovered hoard of dramatic footage filmed at the nuclear plant during the disaster and newly-recorded, deeply personal interviews of those who were there, directed by Emmy Award-winner and Russian-speaker James Jones. This gripping film tells the story of the disaster and its consequences entirely through extraordinary and immersive archive, shot at great risk in the hours, days, weeks and months after the accident by a handful of cameramen given access to the plant. These cameramen lived side by side with the "liquidators" who went to incredible and often fatal lengths to try to prevent another explosion and make the reactor safe. The reality of their bravery and heroism is more harrowing than any drama can portray. The footage, most of it never seen before in the West, has only now come to light after an extensive trawl by director James Jones of the state archives and other sources in Ukraine and Russia. For thirty-five years the story of what happened in April 1986 when the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant melted down has enthralled and horrified. Radio programmes and scripted dramas have all told their version of events. But no-one has made a documentary that reveals the full, shocking reality of this cataclysmic, world changing event - until now. Though many of the rescue workers died, a surprising number who appear prominently in the footage are still alive today. The film features newly recorded audio interviews with people involved in the original key moments of the footage - their memories of that fateful night and the aftermath haunting but also deeply humane. Amongst those interviews is Lyudmila Ihnatenko, whose firefighter husband Vasily died days after the accident, and who was pregnant at the time. She went onto lose her baby hours after she was born. "All the radiation I was inhaling, she absorbed it." From a ten-year-old schoolboy to a Russian general, we see how events at Chernobyl transformed the lives of millions of people. Soviet propaganda plays out as a backdrop, initially saying nothing of the disaster, Gorbachev eventually appearing to downplay what happened, putting his own citizens and the rest of the world at great risk. The film reveals how many people suffering from radiation poisoning, cancer and other illnesses were told that it had no connection to the accident. The state was in denial and was willing to lie to its own citizens to prevent the truth getting out. This film witnesses the incredible physical suffering of men who had sacrificed themselves for the greater good. The film shows how Chernobyl and the cover-up that followed sparked unprecedented distrust in the authorities, giving birth to a protest movement in Ukraine which would eventually lead to the collapse of the Soviet Union. The modern resonance of a disaster which threatened millions of lives but was tragically mishandled by those in authority will have an obvious resonance to the contemporary audience. Chernobyl: The Lost Tapes is the full, unadulterated true story of what happened in one of the most iconic but least understood tragedies of the twentieth century.

My Take - A definitive watch!

 

Anne – Came out in 2022.  Devastated by the loss of her fifteen year old son, Kevin, at the 1989 FA Cup semi-final between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest, Anne Williams fights for the truth about the tragedy. Standing along side other parents who lost children in the match and refusing to believe the official investigation results, Anne seeks her own evidence in a relentless quest for justice

One of the reviews from IMDB...

Some might say that after the Jimmy McGovern drama on the Hillsborough football disaster there would be little more to add about the tragic events of that fateful day in April 1989 but not so. There are hundreds of stories about Hillsborough, from those who were directly impacted by the events of that day, to those who were subsequently effected by it later. The fight for justice and truth far exceeeded the narrative of the 1996 drama and in many ways still continues to this day. One of the key individuals who fought for justice for her son was Anne Williams, who lost her son, Kevin aged 15. Williams co-authoured a book about her experiences (When You Walk Through A Storm) but her campaigning for justice went far beyond that. She took her case to the European Court of Human Rights.

Anne is the story of this incredible woman and I know she was incredible because I was lucky enough to meet her in person. Everything that she was is brilliantly brought to life in this drama by a tour de force performance by Maxine Peake. Her husband Steve (played by the hugely underated Stephen Walters, who also appeared as Ian Glover in the 1996 drama) is the perfect pairing oppositte her and fine casting on the part of the Casting Director. We follow their search for the truth which ultimately pulls their family apart. The production expertly recreates the scenes from that tragic day and all that followed in the wake of one of the worst catastrophes in the history of British football. The bigger horror of course was the way these individuals were treated and the extent to which the cover up permeated every element of the subsequent events. The film conveys these in a visceral way which takes you firmly back to all that those who lost someone experienced. It's raw and brutal and Walters and Maxine relive every moment of it as if they lived it themselves. The number 51 scene alone is Oscar worthy for both of these actors.

Anne Williams and her family are the people whose stories deserve to be told and I am so glad that a project which was no doubt tough to get funding, found a way to get made. People like Williams are the unsung heroes of humanity. Her like are the people who should be on the honours list. Ultimately she came to represent the best of us and this drama has done her justice. When her life became all about that same word - Justice. Producers, director, writers, cast and production team, you have done her proud. I will raise a glass to Anne and you all tonight. First rate superb drama.

My Take – A worthwhile watch!

 

The Spy – Came out in 2019. Israel, 1959. The Mossad are desperate to embed a spy in Syria and select Eli Cohen, an unassuming yet fervently patriotic accountant. After training he assumes the identity of a Syrian national living in Argentina and uses this as a means to gain entry into Syria.

One of the reviews from IMDB...

This series tells the story of Eli Cohen an Egyptian Jew who had emigrated to Israel. Here he was recruited the Mossad, the Israeli intelligence service, in the early 1960s. His task was to infiltrate the Syrian expat community in Buenos Aires before using the connections he made to move to Damascus. His cover is that of a successful businessman named Kamel Amin Thaabet. He is an affable character and once in Syria quickly makes friends with all the right people. Everything he learns is quickly relayed to his handlers in Israel; either by radio or smuggled out via his export business. He knows that any mistake will almost certainly lead to capture, torture and death but he continues to take risks as the information he uncovers could be vital to the survival of Israel.

I found this to be a really gripping series. I didn't know of Eli Cohen before watching so had no idea how things would end. Once Eli is in Syria there is a high level of tension; even when things appear to be going well one knows things could go wrong in a heartbeat. Given the nature of the story it is impossible to know just how close to the truth the events portrayed are; even if not everything is quite as it happened it is a fairly amazing story. Sacha Baron Cohen does a really fine job as Eli; who would have guessed that somebody known for his in-your-face comic creations could be such a fine actor in a serious role. Other cast members also impress. The series has a great look; filmed in slightly washed out colours; especially for the scenes set in Israel which at times look almost black and white. Overall, I'd certainly recommend this to fans of spy dramas.

My Take – A definitive watch, especially for Sacha Baron Cohen😊!!

Cheers till next time😊!

Daffy Definition

Money Trouble – The trouble caused when too much of the month is left over at the end of money😊!