ASTEROID CITY - a Review by Guy S. Malone, Researcher 

"I want to know what the f**k Wes Anderson is on." -- Captain HE's first comment as the credits rolled after we saw Asteroid City, the newest addition to the wild, wild world of Wes Anderson.

With a cast second to none, it's evident that Wes is an actor's auteur. The question remains: is he a moviegoer's auteur? We used to think his films were an acquired taste, but we aren't so convinced anymore. The Czarina, for example, loves Fantastic Mr. Fox and thinks the rest of his films are "weird for weird's sake," and she has seen his most accessible films, Moonrise Kingdom and Grand Budapest Hotel.  And I know two people who went to Wes's movies on the recommendation of friends and were so incensed afterward that they broadcast across social media that it was the worst drivel they had ever seen.  

Our conclusion: you either like Wes Anderson films or you don't. If you like his movies (we do) your affection from film to film is a matter of degree. If you don't like his films, the matter of degree ranges from thinking he's "just weird" to a hatred that burns like a thousand suns. For the record, Captain HE liked Asteroid City, calling it "a masterful understatement of 50's America. A nation concentrating on the wonders of terrestrial science while living placidly with the destructive power of atomic fission."

Wes takes us back to 1955 in the titular small southwestern town with a grand painted desert vista. The camera does a 360-degree pan, revealing a more colorful version of the town in Bad Day at Black Rock, except for an on-ramp to nowhere (of course.) But the town is deserted--our cue that this is a set. And here is where a newbie to a Wes Anderson film either buys in or cashes out. Our film goes black-and-white and the aspect ratio becomes that of an old Sylvania TV set. We become witnesses to a 1950s-era teleplay-in-the-making, as explained by a Rod Serling/Edward R. Murrow-type host (Bryan Cranston). He introduces us to a stuffy playwright (Edward Norton) and an angsty director (Adrien Brody). The idea of showcasing a play-within-a-TV-show-within-a-movie is difficult to describe, but those three set the stage, as it were.

This is the transition that takes us back to the colorized movie set, where Midge Campbell (Scarlett Johansson), a Marilyn Monroe-esque celebrity arrives with her daughter Dinah (Grace Edwards), an award winner in Asteroid City's Annual Junior Stargazers and Space Cadets convention. Augie Steenbeck (Jason Schwartzman), a recently widowed war photographer, shows up with his daughters, who think they are witches (Ella, Gracie, and Willan Faris), and his teenage son, Woodrow (Jake Ryan), another award-winner.  Augie's children have recently lost their mother, but Augie has not found the right time to tell them. His wife's ashes are in a Tupperware container, which Augie intends to present to his cranky and disapproving father-in-law Stanley (Tom Hanks) when he arrives. Woodrow falls for Dinah, which brings the laconic Augie and the aloof Midge together. They share their tales of woe and ennui through the windows of their side-by-side cabins in a rental park. Their confessions evolve into a kind of seduction. But it's difficult for romance to blossom when cars zip through the streets shooting at each other for no apparent reason, mushroom clouds from atomic bomb tests blossom on the horizon, and a close encounter of the second kind brings chaos and a military quarantine to Asteroid City.

Just when we're becoming accustomed to what is happening in the colorful movie, we're returned to the black-and-white world behind the scenes. 

As usual, a lot is going on--too much, really to take in with one viewing, and the detail and minutiae are big parts of what makes Wes Anderson movies special. They are the baubles that decorate the plot and provide the backdrop for the wide array of characters, many, little more than cameos. In addition to Johansson, Schwartzman, Norton, and Brody, many other Anderson regulars show up: Jeffrey Wright as an Army General, Tilda Swinton as an astronomer, along with Willem Dafoe, Tony Revolori, Liev Schreiber, and Jeff Goldblum as the Alien (of course). We also welcome newcomers to WesWorld: Tom Hanks, as mentioned; Hope Davis and Stephen Park as parents; Rupert Friend as a cowboy smitten with science teacher Maya Hawke; Steve Carell as the happy-go-lucky motel manager; Matt Dillon as an auto mechanic; Margot Robbie, in a walk-on, and many others.

Cinematographer Robert Yeoman perfectly visualizes Anderson's co-writer Roman Coppola's screenplay, as does Adam Stockhausen through his delightfully detailed production design. They frame both the order and the chaos of the film, with its inspired toggling back and forth between the paranoid 1950s-era Grade-B Sci-Fi flicks and the gravitas of anthology TV series, like the much-feted Playhouse 90.  Even as we write this review and reflect, the inventiveness and soul of Asteroid City grow in our estimation.  

A second viewing will likely push the score higher, but for now: 8.0 out of 10

No Hard Feelings

NO HARD FEELINGS - a Review by Guy S. Malone, Researcher (with input from Serfing Dude, Captain HE, and FilmZ).

A lot of fans who have seen Jennifer Lawrence's talk show riffs and red-carpet improvs will wonder why she hasn't done a comedy film before this. Her off-the-wall goofiness, quick wit, charm, and beauty seem to make her a natural for the genre.  Many of those same fans will see No Hard Feelings and wonder why an Academy Award-winning actor would do an R-rated teen comedy.  A girl can't win.  It's a mark of her star power that people are lining up at theaters asking for tickets to "the Jennifer Lawrence movie" as if the film takes a backseat to her presence in it.  And the J-Law phenomenon is what has given No Hard Feelings a successful launch, but word-of-mouth has given it legs. 

J-Law plays Maddie Barker, a 32-year-old Uber driver in her native Montauk. Maddie's life is a mess; she can't commit to anything, including financial management which has resulted in her car being repossessed. Forced to rollerblade to her second job as a bartender and in danger of losing the house she grew up in, she commiserates with her married friends, Sara (Natalie Morales), a compassionate sounding board, and Jim (Scott MacArthur) a model of comic ineptitude. After only cursory consideration, Maddie replies to an ad placed by wealthy helicopter parents (Matthew Broderick, Laura Benanti) that promises a Buick Regal to a woman in her early-20s who is willing to "date" their son, Percy (Andrew Barth Feldman), a timid 19-year-old recluse, before he heads off to Princeton. Despite her age, Maddie is hired and conspires with Percy's parents to set up a "happenstance" meeting at the animal shelter where he volunteers. 

The meet-cute turns ugly fast--Percy thinks he is being kidnapped and maces Maddie.  Still, as awkward and fearful as he is, he does see the upside of a possible affair with a beautiful older woman, and despite numerous pitfalls ranging from the cringy to the hilarious, he finally promises to “put out." As events unfold, the humor becomes more subdued and the story evolves into a sweet coming-of-age story for Percy and, surprisingly, for Maddie, whose own father issues have left her emotionally stunted and fearful of commitment. To this end, the film works better than it should. Growth can come at any age and inspiration from the strangest of circumstances. 

The film's trailer promises a raunchy sex comedy, and it has its moments, like the scene where a skinny-dipping seduction turns into a brawl in which a nude J-Law takes on three drunken kids who have stolen their clothing. Some may say the scene is beneath an Academy Award winner. A fellow filmgoer, Captain HE, saw this as "an opportunity missed. The poignancy of the relationship was wasted on sophomoric humor.  There were layers of real human angst and growth ... sacrificed for a gratuitous naked beach fight." In his opinion piece for Vulture, Nate Jones asks if similar gripes were lodged after Viggo Mortensen's full frontal fight in Eastern Promises? No. In fact, J-Law's assault could be seen as a major leveler for women in film. She definitely tweaks the idea, and the ideal, of the traditional Hollywood bombshell.  As Serfing Dude, another friend put it: "J-Law was great as always! Her comedic timing and sense of humor are only surpassed by her beauty!"

As a perk, we have the unexpected onscreen chemistry between Lawrence and Feldman, a star in the making. Reportedly, the film's director Gene Stupnitsky had Lawrence in mind for the script he collaborated on with John Phillips, and Lawrence loved it so much that she committed her production company to it.  No Hard Feelings does capture the vast culture gap between teens and even someone in their early-30s: the younger set's reliance on technology and the resulting social ineptitude that cuts them off from real intimacy.  

In reflection, our major criticism is that No Hard Feelings tries to do too much, touching on many points while truly addressing a few. This was true of both set pieces and characters. We would have been happy--maybe happier--had the story focused solely on the Maddie Barker character. And we were flummoxed by the presence of the excellent and charismatic actor, Zahn McClarnon, as the surfing lawyer. In NHF, he seems to exist as a character for one throwaway line that capitalizes on his Native American heritage, and then he is jammed into another scene to make his presence worth his time. As the genre goes, few expect great art, but Stupnitsky's scattershot ambition should have been reined in to flesh out a few good ideas and set pieces into a tighter plot.  Luckily, Jennifer Lawrence and the rest of the excellent cast save his bacon.

7.0 out of 10

No Hard Feelings is rated R by the Motion Picture Association for sexual content, language, some graphic nudity, and brief drug use. Run time: 103 minutes. 

SPECIAL OSCAR EDITION: LAST-MINUTE NOTICE by Guy Malone, Researcher

Well here we Serfers; it's the day of the Oscars, and never have we been so poorly informed about the nominated films and performances. Still, we marshal on, ignoring our ignorance we will predict the winners, based on the films we saw and the research we did on all of the precursor awards: the Screen Actors Guild, the Directors Guild, BAFTA, etc. 

Note: These are not our personal favorites; they are predictions of who we think will win. We submitted our predictions to the Gold Derby contest, as we do every year, in hopes of winning $1,000. The best we ever did was 21 out of 24, and we generally get somewhere between 17 and 20 correct, so take it for what it's worth.

With that in mind. here we go.  Below, we give you our opinions and prejudices, followed by our predictions, and then offer all of the nominees in alphabetical order:

BEST PICTURE:

First of all, this is a terrific roster of nominees, IMO, and equally IMO, Tár was the best film.  Banshees  was its near equal, Maverick was great fun, and Avatar in IMAX 3D is not to be missed, 

But the winner will be the most original film and the one that took the Academy by storm, and underneath all of the insanity, it is the warm story of healing: the healing of a marriage, of a family, and of a woman coming to terms with who she is:                                                                                                    Everything Everywhere All at Once

All Quiet on the Western Front

Avatar: The Way of Water

The Banshees of Inisherin

Elvis

Everything Everywhere All at Once

The Fabelmans

Tár

Top Gun: Maverick

Triangle of Sadness

Women Talking

DIRECTOR:

Again, a nice roster, but where are the women?  I'm sorry, but Sarah Polley's statement direction of Women Talking deserves note here.  Martin McDonagh has the Coen brothers' gift of juxtaposing comedy, warmth, and shock/violence, and Todd Field brings the politics and human toll of power to classical music.  There could be a sentimental vote bringing a Stephen Spielberg upset                                                                 But the winners will be Kwan and Scheinert

Martin McDonagh, The Banshees of Inisherin

Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert, Everything Everywhere All at Once

Steven Spielberg, The Fabelmans

Todd Field, Tár

Ruben Östlund, Triangle of Sadness

LEAD ACTRESS:

Any time Cate Blanchett is nominated she is the best actress, and in our opinion, her interpretation revealing the corruption of power in Tár is perhaps her best ever. but we have no problem with the Academy awarding the amazing:
Michelle Yeoh in Everything Everywhere All at Once 

Cate Blanchett, Tár

Ana de Armas, Blonde

Andrea Riseborough, To Leslie

Michelle Williams, The Fabelmans

Michelle Yeoh, Everything Everywhere All at Once

LEAD ACTOR:

Colin Farrell was the early leader here, and he is our favorite. The widespread favorite is Austin Butler, but we are prejudiced against celebrity imitations, no matter how good they may be, and perhaps that has influenced our gut feeling that, despite the reputedly awful movie that is The Whale, the winner will be the beloved:  Brendan Fraser 

Austin Butler, Elvis

Colin Farrell, The Banshees of Inisherin

Brendan Fraser, The Whale

Paul Mescal, Aftersun

Bill Nighy, Living

SUPPORTING ACTRESS:

Reasoning this category is really difficult because any one of the nominees could win.  Angela Bassett has a tremendous following.  Jamie Lee Curtis is a sentimental favorite, but she is one of two nominated for the same film, which could split votes.  Both are excellent, either could easily win, but we're going to vote with our heart here. Our favorite is the tough but sentimental performance of:
Kerry Condon 

Angela Bassett, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever

Hong Chau, The Whale

Kerry Condon, The Banshees of Inisherin

Jamie Lee Curtis, Everything Everywhere All at Once

Stephanie Hsu, Everything Everywhere All at Once

SUPPORTING ACTOR:

Another tough one.  Brian Tyree Henry very well might have given the best performance, but, like seven people have seen Causeway because of Apple TV's proprietary arrogance. Brendan Gleeson was terrific as was Barry Keoghan, but, again they could split votes, so the winner will be:
Ke Huy Quan

Brendan Gleeson, The Banshees of Inisherin

Brian Tyree Henry, Causeway

Judd Hirsch, The Fabelmans

Barry Keoghan, The Banshees of Inisherin

Ke Huy Quan, Everything Everywhere All at Once

ADAPTED SCREENPLAY:

Rian Johnson's playful, witty, and twisty story is a personal favorite. Women Talking though, the adaptation of Miriam Toews’ 2018 novel about sexual assault, won the Writer's Guild award and will bring the Oscar to a person who also should have been nominated for Best Director:
Sarah Polley

All Quiet on the Western Front, Edward Berger, Lesley Paterson & Ian Stokell

Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery, Rian Johnson

Living, Kazuo Ishiguro

Top Gun: Maverick, Ehren Kruger and Eric Warren Singer and Christopher McQuarrie; story by Peter Craig and Justin Marks

Women Talking, Sarah Polley

ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY:

We really respect Todd Field's research into classical music and already mentioned Martin McDonagh's gifts--and he could win as a consolation prize for Banshees. The Academy loves Stephen Spielberg, so his autobiographical work could hold sway, but in the end, we believe that this is the year of the Daniels: 
Daniel Kwan & Daniel Scheinert

The Banshees of Inisherin, Martin McDonagh

Everything Everywhere All at Once, Daniel Kwan & Daniel Scheinert

The Fabelmans, Steven Spielberg & Tony Kushner

Tár, Todd Field

Triangle of Sadness, Ruben Östlund

CINEMATOGRAPHY:

Florian Hoffmeister portrayed the stark beauty that matched the existential chill of Tár. The American Society of Cinematographers gave its top award to Mandy Walker, but who will listen to them?  And one should never underestimate Roger Deakins, but the winner here for the WWI drama is:
James Friend

All Quiet on the Western Front, James Friend

Bardo, False Chronicle of a Handful of Truths, Darius Khondji

Elvis, Mandy Walker

Empire of Light, Roger Deakins

Tár, Florian Hoffmeister

ANIMATED FEATURE:

Is it any contest? 
Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio

Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio

Marcel the Shell with Shoes On

Puss in Boots: The Last Wish

The Sea Beast

Turning Red

DOCUMENTARY FEATURE:

I mean, really, who knows? So we'll say it's the story of the Russian opposition leader poisoned by Putin henchpeople,  Alexander Navalny.
Navalny

All That Breathes

All the Beauty and the Bloodshed

Fire of Love

A House Made of Splinters

Navalny

INTERNATIONAL FEATURE:

If it's the only film in this category also nominated for Best Picture overall, it's a no-brainer.  
All Quiet on the Western Front

Argentina, 1985

Close

EO

The Quiet Girl

PLEASE NOTE: From here on, no commentary, we'll just predict the winner, putting it in Bold and above the other nominees.

COSTUME DESIGN:

Black Panther, Wakanda Forever, Ruth E. Carter

Babylon, Mary Zophres

Elvis, Catherine Martin

Everything Everywhere All at Once, Shirley Kurata

Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris, Jenny Beavan

FILM EDITING:

Everything Everywhere All at Once, Paul Rogers

The Banshees of Inisherin, Mikkel E.G. Nielsen

Elvis, Matt Villa and Jonathan Redmond

Tár, Monika Willi

Top Gun: Maverick, Eddie Hamilton

MAKEUP AND HAIRSTYLING:

The Whale, Adrien Morot, Judy Chin and Anne Marie Bradley

All Quiet on the Western Front, Heike Merker and Linda Eisenhamerová

The Batman, Naomi Donne, Mike Marino and Mike Fontaine

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, Camille Friend and Joel Harlow

Elvis, Mark Coulier, Jason Baird and Aldo Signoretti

PRODUCTION DESIGN:

Elvis,  Catherine Martin and Karen Murphy; set decoration: Bev Dunn

All Quiet on the Western Front, production design: Christian M. Goldbeck; set decoration: Ernestine Hipper

Avatar: The Way of Water, production design: Dylan Cole and Ben Procter; set decoration: Vanessa Cole

Babylon, production design: Florencia Martin; set decoration: Anthony Carlino

The Fabelmans,  Rick Carter; set decoration: Karen O’Hara

SCORE:

The Banshees of Inisherin, Carter Burwell

All Quiet on the Western Front, Volker Bertelmann

Babylon, Justin Hurwitz

Everything Everywhere All at Once, Son Lux

The Fabelmans, John Williams

SONG:

“Hold My Hand” from Top Gun: Maverick -- music and lyric by Lady Gaga and BloodPop

“Applause” from Tell It Like a Woman -- music and lyric by Diane Warren

“Lift Me Up” from Black Panther: Wakanda Forever -- music by Tems, Rihanna, Ryan Coogler, and Ludwig Goransson; lyrics by Tems and Ryan Coogler

“Naatu Naatu” from RRR -- music by M.M. Keeravaaani; lyric by Chandrabose

“This Is a Life” from Everything Everywhere All at Once -- music by Ryan Lott, David Byrne, and Mitski; lyrics by Ryan Lott and David Byrne

SOUND:

Top Gun: Maverick, Mark Weingarten, James H. Mather, Al Nelson, Chris Burdon and Mark Taylor

All Quiet on the Western Front, Viktor Prásil, Frank Kruse, Markus Stemler, Lars Ginzel and Stefan Korte

Avatar: The Way of Water, Julian Howarth, Gwendolyn Yates Whittle, Dick Bernstein, Christopher Boyes, Gary Summers, and Michael Hedges

The Batman, Stuart Wilson, William Files, Douglas Murray, and Andy Nelson

Elvis, David Lee, Wayne Pashley, Andy Nelson, and Michael Keller

VISUAL EFFECTS:

Avatar: The Way of Water, Joe Letteri, Richard Baneham, Eric Saindon, and Daniel Barrett

All Quiet on the Western Front, Frank Petzold, Viktor Müller, Markus Frank, and Kamil Jafar

The Batman, Dan Lemmon, Russell Earl, Anders Langlands, and Dominic Tuohy

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, Geoffrey Baumann, Craig Hammack, R. Christopher White, and Dan Sudick

Top Gun: Maverick, Ryan Tudhope, Seth Hill, Bryan Litson, and Scott R. Fisher

ANIMATED SHORT:

The Boy, the Mole, the Fox, and the Horse

The Flying Sailor

Ice Merchants

My Year of Dicks

An Ostrich Told Me the World Is Fake and I Think I Believe It

DOCUMENTARY SHORT:

The Elephant Whisperers

Haulout

How Do You Measure a Year?

The Martha Mitchell Effect

Stranger at the Gate

LIVE-ACTION SHORT:

Le Pupille

An Irish Goodbye

Ivalu

Night Ride

The Red Suitcase

 Tár - A review by Guy Malone, Researcher reined in by FilmZ

Full disclosure, this is the 27th movie in which we've seen Cate Blanchett, and though that should make us more objective about her performances, it also has made us huge fans.  Director Todd Field wrote the movie for her, and after experiencing it, it's hard to imagine any other actor portraying the coolly haughty, charming, cold-blooded, brilliant musician.  It also should be noted that this is an art film. Fields' research and the name-dropping of real-life conductors and events in the world of classical music elicit an almost a feel of cinéma vérité, at times.

The story of Lydia Tár rolls out biographically in an on-stage interview with real-life New Yorker writer Adam Gopnik. In introducing her at a cultural festival, he cites a resume of almost unfathomable achievement: a protege of Leonard Bernstein who studied Peruvian Indigenous music for five years, member of the EGOT club, and at present, conducts the Berlin Philharmonic. She is the most accomplished female conductor ever.  The gender differentiation is important because it might be both the wellspring of her uncanny drive and an insight into her narcissistic, masculine wielding of power and control that is, at times, abusive and predatory. All of this under the guise of creating the quintessential performance of Mahler's 5th Symphony.

Lydia Tár's grip is so tight that cracks inevitably appear in both her professional and private worlds. She and her wife Sharon (Nina Hoss), who is also concertmaster, are parents to a sensitive, lonely child Petra (Mila Bogojevic) whom Lydia loves unreservedly.  At one point, Sharon observes, tellingly, that Petra is the only person for whom Lydia's relationship is not transactional.  Along with Eliot Kaplan (Mark Strong), another conductor, Lydia developed a fellowship program for promising female conductors, but even this altruistic endeavor is an exercise in power and control--as it is a hunting ground for her lustful appetites.  Then there is the orchestra itself.  We learn that Lydia, as conductor, leads not only the orchestra itself but also the entire production. The power she wields becomes coldly abusive when she dismisses a longtime colleague, manipulative with her loyal but ambitious assistant Francesca (Noémie Merlant), and predatory with a raw, gifted Russian cellist (Olga Sophie Kauer). It is said that evil holds within it the seeds of its own demise, and we see it in Lydia. The musician with such a sensitive ear is aware of this on some level, though she remains so steeped in the classical tradition she remains unaware of the new world of social media that has the power to expose the flaws in the icon.

The film already has won numerous awards, with more presumably to come. Though its 2:39 runtime could have been a little leaner, Monika Willi’s editing is seamless; production designer Marco Bittner Rosser provides a stark, elegant canvas perfect for the atmosphere fields is going for; and cinematographer Florian Hoffmeister brings together a bleak but dynamic portrait. Of special note is the score by Hildur Guðnadóttir (who Blanchett references in the film). 

But Blanchett elevates the film. In typical fashion, she relearned piano and learned German and how to conduct an orchestra. She developed relaxed but intellectual American speech patterns which she employs in riveting monologues, most notably in a scene where she is teaching a class at Juilliard; in a single long take, she verbally eviscerates an arrogant student with casual ease while at the same time enriching the knowledge of his fellow students.  It seems unfair to single out any performance in a career of brilliant performances, so, we'll just say that Blanchett's Tár stands with her best, and that makes the film can't miss. 

9.0 out of 10

 GLASS ONION: A KNIVES OUT MYSTERY -- a no-spoilers review by FilmZ

It’s the early days of the COVID pandemic and Miles Bron (Edward Norton), a smug and shallow tech billionaire has invited a few friends and business associates to his private Greek island for a murder mystery weekend. The guests welcome the escape from the lockdown and all depend on Miles in one way or another for their fame and continued success: Birdie (Kate Hudson), a fashion influencer, and her publicist/babysitter Meg (Jessica Henwick); Lionel (Leslie Odom Jr.), a scientist; Claire (Kathryn Hahn), a politician; and Duke (Dave Bautista) and Whiskey (Madelyn Kline), YouTube celebrities. Two surprise arrivals: Miles’ ex-business partner, Andi (Janelle Monáe), who quickly bonds with master detective Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig) as outsiders who Miles claims he did not invite. So, who sent their invitations? That's just one intriguing mystery while “Glass Onion” itself—not only a reference to the dome on Miles' palatial estate but also a nod to the Beatles song, which metaphorically describes a mystery, layered like an onion that peels away to a solution hiding in plain sight at its core.

In this case, it is the murder game in which Miles presents himself as the victim and one of his guests is to be the murderer. In reality, each guest, except Blanc has a reason to want Miles dead. In a symbolic sense, each guest also represents ills in modern American society, vanities that are also weaknesses open to exploitation or ruin by Miles. Lionel, whose brilliance is twisted to Miles' ends; Birdie, whose unwittingly racist tweets create public relations nightmares for Meg; Duke, who needs a bailout of sorts--all manipulated by Miles, who is more clever than his friends but is only marginally more intelligent.

In deference to the whodunit, we won't give away any more of the plot. Rian Johnson's second "Knives Out Mystery" is not quite as clever as the original, and the characters are not quite as well-drawn, but it is witty and the excellent cast carries out each role with brilliant gusto. Johnson admires Agatha Christie, and he brings red herrings, misdirection, and clues with the best of them (certainly better than Kenneth Branagh's Christie remakes). Daniel Craig returns from Knives Out as the charming Southern-fried Hercule Poirot, who is the linchpin in auteur Johnson's budding mystery franchise. His presence alone is worth the 2:19 runtime, and Janelle Monáe is particularly impressive. Cameos and Easter eggs abound, making our gang look forward to repeated viewings. Cinematographer Steve Yedlin gets the most out of the elegant locations and captures the subtleties of each actor's immersion into their role. Costume designer Jenny Eagan’s vivid creations includes Blanc's pants, using a custom sewing pattern originally made for Frank Sinatra. We wish all films adhered to such attention to detail and hidden delights.

Glass Onion is available on Netflix; see it once, and you will want to see it again. Now, that's entertainment.

8.5 out of 10