Q’s Reviews – December 14, 2020

Let Them All Talk.  The title tells it all about this overly chatty flick.  Three women who were best buddies in college get together years later on the Queen Mary 2 for a transatlantic crossing.  Alice (Meryl Streep) is a successful author who is secretive and demanding.  Susan (Diane Wiest) is analytical and nurturing.  Roberta (Candace Bergen) is needy and desperate for a man in her life.  The three of them are loquacious with self-pity and recriminations.  It is fun to see these three great actresses perform, but the story just does not connect.  They come across as a bunch of spoiled brats.  Fortunately, the crossing is only five days, so the disappointment is brief.  Rated R for language.  Streaming on HBOMAX.

The Prom.  The Broadway Musical is brought to the big screen and into our homes with splashy song and dance numbers.  An all-star cast of Meryl Streep, Nicole Kidman, James Corden, Kerry Washington and Keegan-Michael Key bring a foot stomping energy into this tribute to Broadway and to tolerance.  Jo Ellen Pellman is Emma, who as the ingenue lights up the screen with her voice and deft dancing.  She lives in a traditionalist Indiana town and isn’t being allowed to attend Prom with her girlfriend.  A group of Broadway stars decide to invade her high school and make a lot of publicity by setting the town straight.  They are flamboyant and hilarious as they take on the PTA.  They stage elaborate performances in The Mall and The Gym to make their point.  The film is just a lot of fun with non-stop hijinks.  The director, Ryan Murphy, does an amazing job as it all fits together just right.  Rated PG-13 for thematic elements, some suggestive/sexual references and language.  It is a Peggy’s Pick and streaming on Netflix.

The Christmas Chronicles:  Part Two.  Kurt Russell and Goldie Hawn star in this film as a follow-up to their 2018, The Christmas Chronicles.  The story is pretty thin as the villain is a displaced elf (Belsnickel) who has become human and bitter.  He plots to put Santa out of business and move the operation to the South Pole.  The one part that was interesting is how Santa’s operation at the North Pole has been kept secret.  The kids, the elves and the reindeer are adorable, but the story is just too predictable to keep an adult’s attention.  Be that as it may, our nine-year granddaughter says it’s a Penny’s Pick.  This is one for the kids to enjoy.  Rated PG for mild action, violence and brief language.  Streaming on Netflix.

Wild Mountain Thyme.  This is an Irish love story, so it is excruciatingly slow paced and filled with lengthy, soul searching exposés of one’s soul.  The green hills of Ireland and its sweeping vistas are the backdrop for this Romantic tale of two star crossed lovers.  Rosemary (Emily Blunt) has her heart set on winning her neighbor Anthony’s (Jamie Dornan) love.  Emily is running her farm on her own with a singular determination.  Anthony is so tongue tied and shy that he is oblivious to Rosemary’s admiration.  Anthony’s father (Christopher Walken) plans to sell the family farm to his American nephew (Jon Hamm) because Anthony refuses to take a bride.  Anthony finally wakes up and begins to sense Rosemary is the answer.  Rosemary decides not to be so subtle, and Anthony finally gets the message.  Their romance spills out in a wild ride in an Irish downpour.  The drama is agonizingly slow, but the Irish lilt is music to the ears.  (Note none of the main actors are actually Irish).  Rated PG-13 for some thematic elements and suggestive comments.  Available on Amazon Prime Video. The Repair Shop.  This is a British TV show.  Its latest season is now available on Netflix.  If you have not seen these charming and informative shows, now is the time to find it and enjoy.  Britain’s top restoration experts fix worn out, old heirlooms to bring them back to life.  Various members of the public entrust their precious family valuables to the experts.  Watches, toys, art, ceramics, gadgets and much more are fixed with loving care.  The show presents these objects and the stories behind with British charm.  It is a Peggy’s Pick.