Entertainment Update – 2022

Buckle up, it’s time for another entertainment update! This year we bring you the benefit of our indulgence and good taste just in time for the holidays. We capriciously rate each item on a scale of 1 to 3 sheets to the wind, with 3 being a favourite.

Telly

Pennyworth – This origin story of Alfred Pennyworth, Batman’s loyal butler, is also beginner’s guide to speaking 1960s East End English. The bad guys dress like fascists and sound like toffs. The good guys dress like Terrence Stamp and sound like Maurice Micklewhite – CK/MN [3]

The Bear – The world’s most talented chef now runs a Chicago Italian beef restaurant. Everyone ups their game. Binge it! – CK/MN [3]

She-Hulk: Attorney at Law – The excessively talented Tatiana Maslany, who played all of the leading roles in the wildly popular Canadian series Orphan Black, returns to the small screen in the title role of this Disney/Marvel series. Marvel’s capacity for self-parody has grown significantly in the past five years and bills this as a comedy. Maslany is wonderful and her supporting cast includes fan favourites Mark Ruffalo and Tim Roth. Ginger Gonzaga stands out as She Hulk’s wingwoman. – MN/CK [3]

Welcome to Wrexham – If you’re not a Ted Lasso fan shame on you! If you are, this documentary of Rob McElhenny and Ryan Reynold’s purchase of Wrexham AFC, the venerable Welsh football club, is thoroughly engaging. – CK/MN [3]

Books

The Lincoln Highway – Amor Towles leaves Moscow and takes us across mid-50s-era America by car and train. – CK/MN [3]

Inside Story / Hitch 22 – Martin Amis explores his long, profound relationship with Christopher Hitchens in his semi-fictionalized novel. Hitchens’ memoir was published a year before his death and serves as a factual counterpoint. Given their respective passions for writing, language, and each other, their choice of approach makes perfect sense. – MN [3]

TransAtlantic – Colum McCann’s story of three Atlantic crossings connected by a series of personal stories is highly recommended. – LT [3]

Remember – Don’t forget to read this book on the science of memory! – LT [3]

Music

Better Oblivion Community Center – Two of the best alt rock musicians playing today, Connor Oberst and Phoebe Bridgers, put their heads together and produced one of the most lyrically gifted albums in ages. As a duo their collaboration is seamlessly engaging. – MN [3]

Delta Kream – The Black Keys give us a rough and ready sampling of Delta Blues with covers of songs by Junior Kimbrough, R.L. Burnside, and John Lee Hooker. – MN [3]

folklore / evermore – Taylor Swift matures with a pared back, acoustic sound. It suits her. – CL/MN [3]

Film

Atlantis – Spare, stark and raw, this Ukrainian film completed in 2019 explores the impact of the Russian incursion into the Ukrainian province of Donbas. It is simultaneously reflective and prescient – and fantastic film-making. – MN [3]

Top Gun: Maverick – Jerry Bruckheimer cashes in. Tom Cruise shoots womp rats while warming up for a run at the Death Star. – CK/MN [1.75]

Bullet Train – We last saw Brad Pitt in the sci-fi stinker (b)Ad Astra. Back on Earth, he takes on the taxing role of, “John Wick on a train.” Camp, gory, and all the better for Zazie Beetz’ extended cameo – MN [2.25]

Nope – Nope! – MN/CK [0.25]