Author: Diana Paul

The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey–The Rise and Fall of Memory

Written by Diana Paul on April 18, 2022. Posted in movie reviews. No Comments on The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey–The Rise and Fall of Memory

Based on the short story by masterful writer Walter Mosley, The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey opens with a 91-year-old man, Ptolemy Grey (the remarkable Samuel L. Jackson) sinking deeper into isolation from dementia. The caregiving of his favorite nephew, Reggie, is one exception to his isolation. Vowing to give Reggie justice, we know three things about Ptolemy: he has a gun, he has a plan, and he has nothing left to lose. That is the triple-threat of a hook. Similar to the 1990 film, “Awakenings”, there is an ephemeral medical treatment for Ptolemy’s...

The Eyes of Tammy Faye–A New Perspective

Written by Diana Paul on April 12, 2022. Posted in movie reviews.

In the biopic The Eyes of Tammy Faye, we see Tammy Faye (Jessica Chastain in her Academy Award winning role) and her husband Jim Bakker (Andrew Garfield) as pioneers of televangelism,”sermons on the screen”. Opening in the 1950’s with two young, fervent small-town Christians believing in the mission of spreading the gospel, Tammy Faye and her soon-to-be-husband become traveling preachers. They gain a following with their appeal both to children and their parents by entertaining through stories and music. Tammy Faye is pivotal in designing...

Flee–A Flight to Hell and Back

Written by Diana Paul on April 4, 2022. Posted in movie reviews. 2 Comments on Flee–A Flight to Hell and Back

Flee (2021), a Danish adult animated/documentary film, is a highly original amalgam of the flat-graphic style of animation and archival footage of the conflict in Afghanistan from the mid-80’s until the present. Riz Ahmed (“Sound of Metal” and “The Night Of”) and Nikolaj Coster-Waldau (“Headhunters” and Jamie Lannister of “Game of Thrones”) are the executive producers. The true story of Amin Nawabi (an alias), follows his journey from a nine-year old boy through his adulthood. The story is a conversation...

“The Gilded Age”—Greed and Betrayal

Written by Diana Paul on March 29, 2022. Posted in Television reviews. 1 Comment on “The Gilded Age”—Greed and Betrayal

The Gilded Age (2022), created and produced by Julian Fellowes (of Downton Abbey fame) opens in 1882 in a small town in Pennsylvania. The penniless but “pedigreed” young Marian Brook (newcomer Louisa Jacobson has little recourse but to move to New York to live with her wealthy Aunt Agnes van Rhijn (Christine Baranski) and her Aunt Ada (Cynthia Nixon). A young aspiring Black writer, Peggy Scott (Denée Benton), lends money to Marian for a train ticket to New York and their unlikely friendship begins. Across the street lives a spectacularly wealthier family,...

Line of Duty—A Killer of a Murder Mystery

Written by Diana Paul on March 21, 2022. Posted in Television reviews. 1 Comment on Line of Duty—A Killer of a Murder Mystery

Line of Duty (2012-2021), a multiple-award winning BBC police procedural, is a gripping crime drama like no other, with a shocking death in episode one, series one (2012), the catalyst for all six seasons which build upon it. This is a killer of a murder mystery. Line of Duty is BBC’s most popular series outperforming both “Dr. Who” and “Downton Abbey.” Detective Sergeant Steve Arnott (Martin Compston) is transferred from the anti-terrorism unit to the internal affairs unit charged with uncovering police corruption—AC(=Anti-Corruption)-12. ...

“The Last Kingdom”—The Final Battle?

Written by Diana Paul on March 15, 2022. Posted in Television reviews. 1 Comment on “The Last Kingdom”—The Final Battle?

This Netlix-distributed series (see my December 27, 2021 review of the first four seasons), ends with the fifth and final season, just released on March 9, 2022. The series is based on Bernard Cornwell’s first ten novels of the thirteen novels in the Saxon Stories series , There is no question of its popularity. The Last Kingdom almost crashed the servers streaming the fifth season. The last season finds Uhtred prepared to retake his homeland fortress and lands, Bebbanburg, Uhtred has dedicated twenty years of his life to leading...