#seeit

I recently discussed Bill Lawrence's (Shrinking) collaborations with Brett Goldstein and how much heart they have, which is key to their success. Much like a good science experiment, this series with Lawrence at the helm, without Goldstein, gives us a look at what each brings to their collaborations... and it seems pretty dramatic. Despite Steve Carrell's (Four Seasons) solid (if standard) comedy and some very nice turns by Charly Clive, Danielle Deadwyler (The Woman in the Yard), and Phil Dunster (The Devil's Hour, Ted Lasso) it's an empty comedy. The heart is forced and the comedy, well, juvenile. This is a show about older people for younger people. It makes fun of rather than embracing the characters. It isn't that older adults won't see themselves in there, but it's a particular brand of humor that barely makes the funny bar for me. It's the rare moments of self-awareness and maturity that kept me coming back rather than the majority of the show that bordered on the Animal House level of absurd (a movie I loved when it came out, but that I can't imagine would have entertained me as much if I had just discovered it now). Given Goldstein's non-Lawrence work, such as All of You, and other work over the last few years, it seems clear what's missing due to his absence. Admittedly, I may be over-analyzing the root cause, but for me the show is just missing something. And that something is maturity and heart. OK, it's missing two somethings, but you get the idea. It's still a reasonable and short distraction. It may also evolve in the next season. They've certainly set that up in the story. Whether it can sustain interest with those changes or not we'll have to wait to see. Where to watch

Come for the title, stay for the story. Jonas Åkerlund's latest music documentary is a surprisingly honest (though surely edited) look at the genesis, rise, fall, and rise again of Billy Idol. Idol is one of a handful of voices that defined the late 80s and early 90s pop. In fact, I'd forgotten just how many seminal songs he was behind. It was hit after hit for a long while. Amusingly he started as punk, but with the launch of MTV and a sensibility that merged the brittle drive of his punk roots with the beat and core of pop music he became a star. And then the roller-coaster began, as it does for so many music stars. Even though it may not be a fully transparent look at everything in Idol's life, it is decidedly open and honest about a lot. It is as much an exposé as it is a lesson in what not to do with your life. The story is told through interviews, archival footage, and some inventive recreations via animation. Even at 2 hours, the story pulls you along well, much like a good video album. It is surprisingly engaging and a wonderful nostalgia trip as well, assuming you were around during his era. Where to watch

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I love big concept genre films, especially when they tackle big ideas and big scope. This flick certainly has both of those. Though done with much less complexity, this is very reminiscent of Cloud Atlas, stretching across three time periods that all eventually intersect. Of the cast, Kate McKinnon (DC League of Super-Pets) is probably the biggest surprise. It isn't that McKinnon hasn't shown her less zany side before, but she rarely gets to create honest characters on screen. Her performance is nicely subtle and contained while still managing some significant tension and impact. Rashida Jones (Black Mirror) and Daveed Diggs (Snowpiercer) provide another window on this world in a complicated relationship and world view that ultimately impacts that story. The third segment is more object lesson than complex tale as it takes place in 45000 BCE. It feels very familiar, but still manages to forge some new paths that support the movie as well as the commentary. Director Andrew Stanton applied his range of experience across a wide expanse of material he's tackled over the years, from light kid's films to darker adult. He took Colby Day's script and held it together nicely. The result isn't mind blowing or gut-punching, but it will make you think a little, appreciate the world a little, and consider the future more than a little. I've mentioned before that when you see a movie has, often, outsized impact on your reaction to it. Seeing this the night of another breakout of war on this small globe in the universe certainly flavored some of my thoughts. But even with that, it's worth the modest 90 minutes it requests of your attention. Where to watch

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Ben Stiller (Severance), as with most of his work, violates basic and understood tenants to create something in rarified company. When a reporter or documentarian becomes part of the subject they're presenting, it usually fails completely. But much like Stories We Tell or My Mom Jane, this docu about his parents turns inward on the director and becomes as much about him and his search for understanding as it does shine a light on Stiller and Meara themselves. The young progeny was also blessed by the fact that Jerry Stiller loved to record everything. Boxes and boxes of cassettes and photos and memorabilia discovered while cleaning out the family apartment to ready it for sale provided a mountain of material. And history also provided the comedy duo's miles of film from a long and well received career, and plenty of individual efforts too, for the couple who lasted over 60 years together. Admittedly, you have to be of a certain age to appreciate all the background. I grew up with the two comedians. It was a great look into their beginnings and issues and rebounds. But what makes this docu work more universally is Ben Stiller's (and his sister's) search for understanding about their parents and how it affected themselves and their lives. It never gets overly maudlin, but it doesn't shy away from some tougher assessments and admissions either. What Stiller has created can only be described as a brave look at his life that he was willing to share. What you take from it will likely be very individual. But there is a lot to take in and appreciate, as well as to be rather nostalgic about at points. Where to watch

If you didn't have respect for fire before you saw this movie, you will after. Paul Greengrass (News of the World) turns the Camp Fire blaze of 2018 into a character itself... an angry, hungry, unforgiving character that we watch attack Matthew McConaughey (The Fall Guy) and America Ferrara (Barbie), and the entire countryside. But the real star, despite the Hallmark-style story of the humans is the fire. However true the human story, it just doesn't have much teeth to it till about 2/3 through the movie. By that point it's too late and your there for the ride, not the personal tale. It's a matter of how and if they survive, not how they fix their lives. But any weakness in the story telling aside, the fury of the fire and how palpable Greengrass makes that experience is worth experiencing, even if you only stay for the first half hour or so. Where to watch