See it at the Movies

Posted 11/22/22

WARWICK SHOWCASE

 

MENU * * * ½ (Black Comedy)

Ralph Fiennes stars as Chef Slovic, a pretentious, slightly mad gourmet chef who invites a select group of equally …

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See it at the Movies

Carey Mulligan and Zoe Kazan in ‘She Said.’
Carey Mulligan and Zoe Kazan in ‘She Said.’
(Photo courtesy of JoJo Whilden/Universal Pictures)
Posted

WARWICK SHOWCASE

 

MENU
* * * ½
(Black Comedy)

Ralph Fiennes stars as Chef Slovic, a pretentious, slightly mad gourmet chef who invites a select group of equally pretentious and elite people to his island restaurant for a $1,250 per person extravagant dinner.

Chef Slovic rules his kitchen staff and his guests with an iron hand, controlling every movement through their multi-course dinner.

Starting with caviar and continuing through a lineup of exotic foods, the sous chefs deliver their creations to the individual tables, while Chef Slovic reacts to their reactions.

Murder and mayhem occur.

If a guest gets out of line, he or she is dealt with severely.

They are all food snobs, including a has-been actor, three high-tech execs, a steady customer, a food critic and a gung-ho foodie.

The foodie brings a last-minute date who is not on the official guest list.

As the evening progresses, the chef reveals an uncanny knowledge about each of his guests, and scary, uncomfortable incidents occur.

To reveal more would be to spoil the dark events that accumulate.

The movie is a big poke at elitism, snobbery, pretentiousness and the false fronts of the wealthy, high-living crowd.

This is one of those bizarre films you will ever love or hate.

We loved it.

SHE SAID 
* * * *
(Inside Look at Investigative Reporting)

“She Said,” like “All the President’s Men,” gives us an inside look at investigative reporting.

While not always the most exciting occupation, it also does not make for the most exciting movie.

However, if you want a realistic look at the long, hard hours of probing, investigating, digging deep and losing of sleep that this particular New York Times team spent on the Harvey Weinstein abuse case, “She Said” is required viewing.

Meghan Twohey (Carey Mulligan) and Jodi Kantor (Zoe Kazan), the two young female reporters who dig and probe and ask the right questions, traveling wherever the witnesses and the story takes them, are the epitome of good, honest journalism.

Watching them interview reluctant victims of Weinstein’s power and avarice is a perfect lesson in investigative reporting.

An intense profession has a toll on your personal life, and we feel the strain put on them and the scared women they interview.

Watching them gather information, convince victims to come forward and then share their information with each other, their bosses and their fact checkers is a bit slow going, but fascinating.

How they finally gather enough facts and witnesses to publish the story will make you proud that there are still reliable journalists out there.

NETFLIX

 

THE WONDER

An English nurse and a nun got to Ireland in 1652 to observe a young girl whose family claims she has eaten no food for four months in this fascinating series.

Her survival is credited by her family to her strong faith, but there are the doubters who want her observed around the clock.

Claiming survival because of “Manna From Heaven,” the nurse orders her seclusion from any human being and she begins to deteriorate.

The nurse eventually solves the mystery in this clever story that will keep you guessing until the very end.

THE WATCHER

A family leaves the city to move into a house they can’t afford in the suburbs.

Everybody seems to be watching them: the retired couple next door; the bookish woman and her mentally challenged brother; the alarm system installer and others.

They love the house and don’t want to move, but violent activity and scary moments make living difficult.

And what’s with the dumb waiter?

The series finally solves the mystery.

See if you can.

DEAD TO ME

Season 5 finally wraps up as everyone tries to make amends, Judy moves back in, another murder occurs and a major revelation occurs.

If you haven’t grown tired of this one, you’ll want to see it out until the very end.

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