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The Reel: 'Downton Abbey’ and ‘Ad Astra’ offer grown-up entertainment Sep 20, 2019

Show notes

Two films designed for grown-ups hit theaters this weekend.

“Ad Astra,” a space thriller starring Brad Pitt, takes a moody, meditative approach to science fiction.

Director James Gray invests in character development and emotion, and the film is that rare fusion of blockbuster spectacle and thoughtful sensibility, says the Times’ Justin Chang (@JustinCChang).

Chang also tells host Mark Olsen (@IndieFocus) that the plot of “Ad Astra” is “kind of preposterous,” but that’s why he likes it.

Pitt delivers a memorable performance, holding long close-ups as the camera gazes deeply into his eyes — the kind of scrutiny not many actors can pull off.

“Downton Abbey” picks up where the beloved television series left off, with 20 of the regular characters showing up in the theatrical release.

There’s an optimistic, uplifting spirit to the film, and the Times’ Kenneth Turan (@KennethTuran) tells Olsen that “Downton Abbey” offers an escape from the unrelenting news days of 2019. It’s a comforting, far-away world in which problems are solved and everything works out.

The Reel: Bonus Episode: Highlights of the Toronto International Film Festival Sep 13, 2019

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In this special bonus episode, a team of Times reporters at the Toronto International Film Festival give the low-down on this year’s crop of films at the festival — both the hits and the misses.

Among the films premiering at this year's festival are “A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood," starring Tom Hanks as Mister Rogers and Matthew Rhys as a cynical journalist who interviews him; "Knives Out," a whodunit with an all-star cast, including Jamie Lee Curtis, Daniel Craig, Chris Evans and LaKeith Stanfield; and Taika Waititi's "Jojo Rabbit," a satire about a young German boy and his imaginary friend, Adolph Hitler.

Mark Olsen (@IndieFocus), Justin Chang (@JustinCChang), Jen Yamato (@jenyamato), Glenn Whipp (@GlennWhipp) and Amy Kaufman (@AmyKinLA) also discuss films that premiered at the Venice and Telluride Film Festivals, including Noah Baumbach's “Marriage Story,” starring Adam Driver and Scarlett Johansson, and "Uncut Gems," starring Adam Sandler.

The Reel: 'Hustlers' draws inspiration from all women fighting to get by Sep 13, 2019

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Only eight months passed between the green light for “Hustlers” and its release date, but writer-director Lorene Scafaria fought for years to get the project off the ground.

Scafaria said films about women doing “bad things” are always hard to get made, but she found that the stigma associated with sex workers was also being attached to her telling of the real-life story of strippers who turned the tables on their Wall Street clients.

Speaking from the Toronto International Film Festival — where “Hustlers” had its world premiere — she told Mark Olsen that the movie explores what she calls “a broken value system,” where a woman’s worth comes from her beauty and body, and a man is judged for his wealth, power and success.

Starring Jennifer Lopez and Constance Wu, the filmmaker said she drew inspiration from all women who hustle to get by, as well sports-themed films and gangster movies like “Goodfellas.”

The Reel: Fall film festivals dominate awards season as the Oscars race begins Sep 06, 2019

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Awards season is around the corner and highly anticipated movies are on full blast at film festivals across the world. Mark Olsen (@IndieFocus) talks with Amy Kaufman (@AmyKinLA), Glenn Whipp (@GlennWhipp) and Jen Yamato (@jenyamato) about what to expect from the onslaught of movies premiering across festivals as we head into awards season.

The Venice and Telluride Film Festivals kicked off this fall season, screening major titles like James Gray's “Ad Astra,” Todd Phillips' “Joker,” Steven Soderbergh's “The Laundromat,” and Noah Baumbach's “Marriage Story.” Next, filmmakers turn to Toronto, New York and London, ending the wave of key festivals sure to shape the fate of awards season.It’s the moment of truth for filmmakers who eagerly await reactions from critics and audiences. The post-festival rhetoric often forecasts which movies may receive awards season love, or which films leave audiences wanting more.

The Jennifer Lopez and Constance Wu stripper drama, “Hustlers,” has audiences talking. There’s also Martin Scorsese’s “Irishman,” a three-and-a-half-hour-long crime drama starring Robert De Niro, Joe Pesci and Al Pacino.Last year, movies like “Roma,” “A Star is Born” and “Green Book” left festivals feeling like top Academy Award candidates. We’ll see if the same proves true after this year’s fall festival season wraps up.

The Reel: 'The Terror: Infamy' Revisits a True American Horror Story Aug 30, 2019

Show notes

Set during World War II and the internment of Japanese Americans, AMC’s “The Terror” weds that real-life horror story with a tale of the supernatural.

But showrunner Alex Woo says the second season of the anthology series, titled “Infamy,” is not just a period piece. Instead, it uses the horror genre to bring a story from the past into the present to represent the fear and terror of American citizens betrayed by their own government.

“Infamy” was intentionally cast with actors of Japanese descent, so the show is very personal for many of the people working on it, including star Derek Mio, who plays Chester Nakayama, a second-generation Nisei, or American-born Japanese. Mio’s grandfather’s family lived in the same Japanese American community portrayed in the show, the one that once existed on Terminal Island in San Pedro. Its residents were forced into internment camps after the attack on Pearl Harbor.

The show also features George Takei, who was interned along with his family when he was 5 years old. Writers, directors and crew members also bring their personal and family experiences with the incarceration.

Mark Olsen (@IndieFocus) talks with Mio ( @derekzmio) Woo (@thealexwoo) and Times film writer Jen Yamato (@jenyamato).

The Reel: ‘Mindhunter’ Season 2: True crime with a social conscience Aug 23, 2019

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While Netflix’s “Mindhunter” is based in a time when serial killers were shocking and terrifying Americans, the second season of David Fincher’s true-crime drama feels especially topical and relevant for our time.

With a primary focus on the Atlanta child murders — a series of killings, mostly of black children in and around the city between 1979 and 1981 — the show examines disturbingly contemporary topics like distrust of police, embedded racism and white supremacist violence.

It also addresses questions of which crimes get investigated and which victims garner wide public sympathy.

The real-life Atlanta case was recently reopened because of continuing questions over whether the crimes were ever truly solved. While Wayne Williams was convicted of killing two adults —and is serving life in prison — he was never tried in the child homicides because of a lack of evidence.

“Mindhunter” also features portrayals of some of the most infamous serial killers in American history, including Charles Manson and David “Son of Sam” Berkowitz.

Mark Olsen (@IndieFocus) talks with Lorraine Ali (@LorraineAli) and Matt Brennan (@thefilmgoer).

The Reel: Craig Mazin on 'Chernobyl' and the 'Cost of Lies' Aug 16, 2019

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From the very first line of dialogue, Craig Mazin makes clear that “Chernobyl” is far more than a dramatization of the 1986 nuclear meltdown in the USSR.

Mazin, the creator and writer of the HBO miniseries, tells a story of the “cost of lies” and the real-life dangers that result from a culture disconnected from the truth. The Soviet system was built on propaganda and misinformation, and the heroes of the nuclear disaster are the people who sought the truth and stuck to the facts — even at great personal cost.

As he developed the story in 2016, Mazin saw parallels in American politics, with whole segments of the public growing untethered from the truth.

The five-part series resonated with viewers, and has drawn the largest audience for an HBO miniseries since “Band of Brothers.” It’s been nominated for 19 Emmys.

Mark Olsen (@IndieFocus) talks with Mazin (@clmazin) about how the medium of episodic television gave him the space to tell a mystery — as well as a story of a culture, a system of government, and the nature of love.

The Reel: 'Succession’ on HBO Captures America’s New Gilded Age Aug 09, 2019

Show notes

HBO’s “Succession” wears its contempt for the billionaire class on its sleeve.

Back for its second season, heroes are in short supply while an ensemble of entertainingly loathsome and amoral characters backstab and sabotage each other as they battle for power and control within a global media empire.

The scheming family serve as stand-ins for the Murdochs or the Redstones. But the siblings’ angling for affection and love of their father has distinct echoes of President Trump’s adult offspring.

“Succession” takes you inside the privileged bubble of the .1 percent without glorifying that lifestyle.

The critically acclaimed series was nominated for five Emmys, including best drama, and Times TV editor Matthew Brennan (@thefilmgoer) says it’s the show you need to watch this summer.

Mark Olsen (@IndieFocus) talks with Brennan and Meredith Blake (@MeredithBlake) about the show that’s hitting the political and cultural zeitgeist right on the nose.

The Reel: 'Can 'Hobbs & Shaw' expand the 'Fast and Furious' family business?' Aug 02, 2019

Show notes

"The Fast and the Furious" franchise had a humble beginning with muscle cars and sweat, and two guys in Los Angeles who found common ground. But the series long ago added an espionage element that took it to another level of wild storytelling and even wilder action.

Now in its first spin-off, “Hobbs and Shaw,” the multi-billion dollar franchise has also added science fiction and a heavy dose of comedy, mainly the lead characters — Luke Hobbs and Deckard Shaw, played by Dwayne Johnson and Jason Statham, respectively — slinging insults at each other.

Vanessa Kirby, best known for "The Crown," plays Hattie Shaw, one of the more complexly written female characters in the franchise.

Johnson, who is also one of the producers, uses the film to showcase his Samoan heritage.

Mark Olsen (@IndieFocus) talks with Times film critic Justin Chang (@JustinCChang) and Fast and Furious superfans Jen Yamato (@jenyamato), film reporter for The Times, and BenDavid Grabinski (@bdgrabinski), a filmmaker and showrunner.

The Reel: Tarantino Gets Personal with 'Once Upon a Time ... in Hollywood' Jul 26, 2019

Show notes

*** SPOILER ALERT*** Spoilers start at 15:08.

With a title that suggests the opening of a child’s storybook, Quentin Tarantino revisits the Hollywood of 1969 and that summer night 50 years ago when members of the Manson family set out for Benedict Canyon with murder in their hearts.

The grisly slayings on Cielo Drive — including that of a very pregnant Sharon Tate — cast a long shadow over the romance of the ‘60s counterculture. Tarantino has said that Charles Manson’s ability to manipulate and control his followers still seems "unfathomable" to this day.

In "Once Upon a Time … in Hollywood," the writer and director takes the occasion to revel in the details of the era, complete with commercials, TV shows, songs, radio news and famous locations and restaurants around Los Angeles. But Tarantino also offers up a study of actors — their anxieties, insecurities and the pride they take in their performances.

Starring Leonardo DiCaprio as the fictional actor Rick Dalton, and Brad Pitt as his stunt double, along with Margot Robbie as the very real Sharon Tate, the film is more emotional and personal than other Tarantino movies.

In fact, Tarantino — who grew up in Los Angeles — has called "Once Upon a Time" his "Roma."

Mark Olsen (@IndieFocus) talks with Times film critics @KennethTuran and @JustinCChang, as well as film reporter @jenyamato and special guest Julia Turner (@JuliaTurner), Deputy Managing Editor of Entertainment and Arts.

Deep spoilers involving the end of the film start at 15:08. Come back and listen to our writers’ analysis once you’ve seen "Once Upon a Time."