Michael Musi as Farid and Madison Walsh as Jo, in the Canadian crime drama TV series “Something Undone.” Courtesy of MHz Choice.
The crime drama from Canadian TV, “Something Undone” starts with an unusual premise. Farid and Jo (Michael Musi, Madison Walsh, who were also co-writers of the series), a pair of true-crime pod-casters come across a 30-year-old sensational murder in a small Newfoundland town in the house of a family of five, with Satanic-type symbols scrawled on its walls.
The case was closed on the decision that the father killed his wife, kids and self. But Farid and Jo suspect that’s not the whole story. Farid goes to the town and is met with hostility (and more) at every turn. Few are willing to answer his questions. The police chief takes a “nothing to see here” approach, claiming the old file can’t even be found.
Meanwhile, Jo is obsessing over her own personal history and issues. She’s on medications for mental health problems including alcohol abuse, and digs deeply into the suicides of her mother and granny for answers to her own fragile psychological state. She and Farid are at odds over the value of her treatment and the dangers of her drinking, further complicating both of their efforts. The action alternates between the two, linked by their erratic attempts at communication.
Farid concludes the heinous crime had been whitewashed, unfairly pinning the blame on the father. He learns there were similar killings in the area around the same time that were never solved. The town depended heavily on tourism, and didn’t want visitors to be deterred by any perceived dangers. Dredging up the old story is seen as a new threat to that part of its economic base by most of the locals. An unseen hand appears to be keeping a lid on the facts, and punishing anyone who provides information to the journalist.
The story stays suspenseful throughout its 10 hour-long episodes, but empathy for the protagonists is hard to maintain. As Farid and Jo clash and fail to support each other’s burdens, they grow more annoying than sympathetic. One saving grace is the excellent performance by Billy Campbell as a local religious do-gooder with a questionable past.
Those of us who crave closure should consider this caveat. The series aired in 2023. Though there aren’t big cliffhangers, it leaves dangling plot points most would want resolved. As of this writing, it’s unknown if a second season or follow-up tele-film are in the works. I hope either will come to pass.
“Something Undone” Season One begins streaming MHz Choice on Tuesday, July 8, 2025.
RATING: 2 out of 4 stars
Madison Walsh as Jo in the Canadian crime drama series “Something Undone.” Courtesy of MHzChoice
While the halls of the multiplex are filled with the sounds of battling superheroes and video game icons and even some 1930s bloodsuckers, here comes a film that “identifies” as a thriller, though it’s really an insightful character study set during a family crisis. Plus, it’s a compelling showcase for one of our most gifted actors, who often brings “more to the plate’ in many recent action flicks. Oh, and he’s paired with an actress who’s best known for her work in a long-running TV sitcom. But she’s not eliciting laughs here as a young mother dealing with the slowly eroding sanity of her spouse, triggered by the purchase of their dream house that borders a road’s very dangerous SHARP CORNER.
In the story’s opening moments, the McCall family, Papa Josh (Ben Foster), Mama Rachel (Cobie Smulders), and their adorable “moppet”, seven-year-old Max (William Kosovic) arrive at their new home. It’s a sprawling track-house just off the curve of a two-lane road. After the unpacking, dinner, and putting Max to bed, the adults decide to officially “christen” the place with some quiet lovemaking in the living room. But the erotic calm ends abruptly when an automobile tire comes smashing through the huge bay front window. A drunken teen lost control of his car on the curve and crashed head-on into the big tree in the front yard. The authorities arrive too late, which unlocks an idea in Josh, which distracts him at his online tech job the next day (he needs to be on the ball since his old trainee is now his boss). And then another accident occurs. Josh rushes to the scene but doesn’t know what to do during the seemingly endless wait for the EMTs. His sensitive son is having nightmares, which prompts Rachel to insist that they move from this “death trap”. Josh reacts much differently. He begins taking a course in life-saving skills, and even orders a deluxe CPR manikin, all while keeping this a secret from his wife. Soon, Josh is “working from home” to be with Max, while really hoping another crash happens in order to use his new “talents”. When Rachel learns of his obsession, can they hold the family together as Josh assumes the role of “roadside protector”?
As I mentioned earlier, this story gives an opportunity for two talented actors to really “stretch’ and work outside their “comfort zones”. In that aspect, this is an excellent showcase for Foster, who, in a string of action/suspense flicks, has been the quiet, calculating, cold-blooded menace, always coiled to strike at any second. But Josh is a real “piece of work”, a repressed, awkward enigma who only seems to spark when playing with his kid. Foster plays him as a modern day “milquetoast” (I sound ancient), a nondescript passive-aggressive “blip” who has no desire for advancement at his hated job, killing time until he can shuffle about from room to room until he stops at that front window to gaze…and hope for disaster. There’s also a “sing song” 50’s sitcom dad cadence that Foster adopts while trying to “blend into the scenery”. This makes us wonder how in the world Josh landed the sparkling Rachel. Smulders did some dramatic ‘lifting” during her tenure in the MCU, but here she’s a bubbly, strong-willed mother who is fighting to keep the family together after the constant auto carnage just feet from her doorstep. Her Rachel is seeing a side of her hubby that baffles her, until his barrage of silly lies finally breaks her spirit. Both of them shine in the scenes they share with the very unmannered, sensitive Kosovic as the sweet, confused young Max.
In his sophomore feature effort, director Jason Buxton, who also wrote the screenplay adaptation of Russell Wangersky’s short story, imbues the everyday quiet suburban Canadian settings with an undercurrent of dread and depression. This adds considerable dramatic heft to the “demolition derby” in the front yard of Casa McCall. The sudden savagery jars the viewer as we see it slowly erode the family dynamic (though it doesn’t reach the “horror heights of Cronenberg’s CRASH, nor those old 16mm safety shiorts shown in schools for decades). There’s even some echoes of a superhero “origin” story with “mild-mannerd” Josh training to be “CPR-Man”, though that may trivialize the character’s mental “unraveling”.Ultimately, he frustrates us as he squanders an idyllic homestead, spiraling into self-destruction. It’s surprisingly powerful, weakened a bit by a convoluted and morally conflicted finale. Still, the stellar work of Foster and Smulders makes SHARP CORNER quite a ride. I wonder if they considered using Jan and Dean’s “Dead Man’s Curve” for the end credits…
RED ROOMS, a suspenseful character study from Canada, is hard to rate. Some will love it; others will hate it; some will be scratching their heads trying to understand it.
Juliette Gariepy stars as Kelly-Anne, a svelte woman who is the unlikely combination of fashion model and computer genius, using the latter attribute mostly to make big bucks from on-line gambling. Both endeavors give her a lot of discretionary time.
Montreal is mesmerized by the trial of a suspect for the abduction, killing, maiming and snuff-film selling done to three girls in their early teens. There’s ample evidence pointing to him but none to definitively prove he’s the masked monster in the footage that was dealt on the dark web. The title is what the pervs of that ilk call settings for such illegally gruesome displays.
Kelly-Anne is inexplicably obsessed with the lengthy trial, lining up early to get one of the limited gallery seats each day. She starts talking to a fellow follower, Clementine (Laurie Babin). They form a bond based in this mutual interest that seems as unlikely as the horrid crimes that put them in that room.
Kelly-Anne is rich and glamorous, speaking little and more poker-faced about any emotions than an on-line gambler needs to be. Clem is a short, non-stop chatterbox from a small town, with no money to support her intended stay in the city. She’s also firmly and stridently convinced that the defendant isn’t the perp. One is a blank slate; the other is the polar opposite. Even so, Kelly-Anne invites Clem to stay with her for the duration.
The plot from there could go in many directions but winds up doing very little. Neither character has much of an arc. Though there are plenty of references to the content of the films, we never see them and only hear brief snippets. We learn something about why Clem became so obsessed but if that was revealed about Kelly-Anne, I missed it.
The courtroom design is unique. It’s small and all white. That starkness creates a surreal, Kafkaesque atmosphere for all the scenes therein, providing counterpoint to the grisly testimony being presented. There are many moving moments – mostly from the parents of the victims, rather than the two leads. The story also explores media frenzy and societal reactions to such lurid events. Writer/director Pascal Plante holds a mirror up to Western culture but the reflection is open to a wide range of interpretations. The experience is a challenge worth considering.
RED ROOMS opens Friday, Sept 6, at the IFC Center in New York City, with a national roll-out to follow.
(L-R) Adrienne C. Moore and Meredith MacNeill, in Canadian crime TV series “Pretty Hard Cases: Season 3.” Courtesy of FreeVee
I must open with the disclaimer that I hadn’t seen the first two seasons of this Canadian cop/buddy comedy, “Pretty Hard Cases: Season 3” though I did watch several episodes to have some sense of ongoing character and plot backgrounds in these 10 hour-long episodes. I got much of it but would have understood everyone and everything better had I seen more from before. I recommend starting from the beginning for that reason. This show is right in the wheelhouse of those who enjoyed series like “Frankie Drake” or “Miss Fischer’s Murder Mysteries.” This one emphasizes the comic side even more than those others.
Meredith MacNeill and Adrienne C. Moore star as Toronto police detectives who follow genre tradition by hating each other at first, before bonding over time as partners and then becoming besties. MacNeill’s Sam is uptight and by-the-book; Moore’s Kelly is more street-savvy and less constricted by “the rules.” A distaff Murtaugh and Riggs, respectively. Their cases run mostly in the drugs arena but a number of other felonies – including murders – pop up along the way.
I suspended my usual policy of not reviewing a series I haven’t seen from the get-go specifically because of MacNeill, who was so brilliant as co-creator and co-star of another favored series from our northern neighbor, the “Baroness von Sketch Show.” She brings the neurotic energy that defined many of her roles in those skits, but doesn’t get to deploy as much of her considerable gifts for physical comedy that shone so brightly in the other. Sam’s nervous chattering goes a bit over-the-top at times but mostly imbues her character with a solidly comedic quirkiness. Some scenes get rather frenetic but the comedy never seems forced into the plot lines.
The scripts include more romantic and familial sidebars than many, some of which overlap organically with their cases. They also flesh out a large supporting cast with distinct personalities among the cops, lovers, friends and perps to bring comedy and suspense from many sources in addition to the two stars. Much of the dialog and plot progressions are fast-paced. The on-screen gory stuff is fairly mild, but there’s a healthy amount of action and suspense to keep the pot stirred. The faint of heart need not fear gross-outs.
This is, apparently, the finale for the series. Unlike “Frankie Drake,” which ended on a sour note of betrayal with several major cliffhangers (producers presumably shocked by non-renewal after wrapping the season), this one leaves the characters in a good enough place for closure, while teasing a basis for further outings if the “Gods of Financing” smile upon them. If they do, I would join in the smiling.
“Pretty Hard Cases: Season 3,” starts streaming on Wednesday, Nov. 29 on FreeVee.
The new documentary HALLELUJAH: LEONARD COHEN, A JOURNEY, A SONG is a double biography of sorts, of beloved Canadian-Jewish songwriter/singer Leonard Cohen, who has had a cult-like following, particularly among musicians, and his most famous song “Hallelujah,” a song that seems to be everywhere and has taken on a life of its own, transforming from a more sacred form about King David to more secular form that appears in countless movie soundtracks and has become a favorite at weddings, funerals and singing contest. This excellent documentary, from co-directors Daniel Geller and Dayna Goldfine, has plenty for both long-time fans and those new to the musician’s work.
Unlike some previous documentaries about Leonard Cohen, who passed away in 2016, this one focuses more on his career and its evolution than on his personal or romantic life. The admiring, insightful documentary also incorporates a look at how the musician’s Jewish background, and his explorations of Judaism and Buddhism, impacted his work.
The well-researched HALLELUJAH: LEONARD COHEN, A JOURNEY, A SONG has a wealth of material, including plenty of concert footage, archival photos and interview footage with the late musician. Inspired by Alan Light’s non-fiction book “The Holy or the Broken: Leonard Cohen, Jeff Buckley & the Unlikely Ascent of Hallelujah,” the documentary features interviews with fellow musicians and admirers Judy Collins, Rufus Wainwright, and Glen Hazard, along with former Rolling Stone music journalist Larry “Ratso” Sloman, Cohen’s producer/co-composer/collaborator John Lissauer as well as long-time friends and even his rabbi. Directors Daniel Geller and Dayna Goldfine structure the documentary in a different way, bracketing their tracing the journey of that song, with the story of Cohen’s career and his personal and often spiritual journey as a songwriter.
The documentary follows Cohen’s early career and his transition from poet and literary light to musician and songwriter, up to his release of his famous song, then switching to tracing the journey of that song as others recorded it and altered it, and then returning to the tale of its creator, including how the growing fame of the song altered his life and career.
Born to a wealthy Orthodox Jewish Canadian family in Quebec, Leonard Cohen came to music a bit late, at age 30 when he was already a novelist and a poet acclaimed in literary circles. First a poet and later a songwriter, his lyrics were honest and open rather than comforting, with a knowing, dark humor. His Lithuanian-born mother was the daughter of a rabbi and Talmudic writer and there were prominent figures of Jewish life on his father’s side as well.
When Cohen turned to music in the late ’60s, he was embraced by Judy Collins, Bob Dylan and other folk rock greats and developed a cult following, but wide fame eluded him. Other musicians loved Cohen’s songs, with their poetic, deeply-thoughtful lyrics that didn’t always fit into neat categories. His song “Suzanne” became a hit for Judy Collins, but wider popular fame like Judy Collins and Bob Dylan achieved, remained elusive for Cohen. A partnering with famed producer Phil Spector proved unsatisfying and Cohen found a better producing partner in John Lissauer
Cohen’s most famous song is thought to have as as many as 150 verses, which allows for its many versions. Cohen worked on the song for about seven years, a time that overlapped with his exploration of kabbalah and the Torah. He first performed it it was as a more sacred song, about King David, He recorded that version with producer John Lissauer in 1983 for his album “Various Positions,” an album that his label Columbia Records disliked and declined to release in the U.S. (although another label later did release it).
The label later dropped him, but Cohen kept working on the song. As he toured, the song lyrics evolved from sacred to secular, with some verses frankly sexual. Meanwhile, other musicians took note of the song. John Cale recorded a cover of it, combining verses from the sacred and secular versions, which was followed by Jeff Buckley’s recording of that version. A music producer working on the animated movie “Shrek,” took the Buckley version, sanitized the lyrics, and included it in the soundtrack. A phenomenon was born.
The documentary follows the song’s long and winding road, which took some very unusual turns. It might be true that at one point Leonard Cohen’s song was famous than he was, and certainly there are people who know the song and have no idea he wrote it. Many people who may never have heard of Leonard Cohen first became familiar with the song as part the sound track for the animated movie SHREK. The song has been included on countless other movie soundtracks, has been used for singing contests and has become a favorite at both weddings and funerals, often with singers or listeners unaware of its strange history.
It is a strange situation for such a revered songwriter but the success of the song enabled a wider audience for the musician later in his career, a satisfying outcome. Cohen himself was pleased with the success of the song, as he says in one of the many interviews in this fine documentary. We hear Cohen reflect on his song, the impact it had on his later life, with a kind of paternal pride that it has gone so far, a satisfying insight.
One intriguing aspect of the film are excerpts from Cohen’s song-writing journals, giving a rare glimpse into his process. Interviews also support this focus, delving deep into Cohen as a poet/songwriter and Jewish spiritual explorer. A long period of living at Zen monastery is followed by a return to Judaism and life as a musician. In featured interview clips, Cohen seemed at peace with his moderate career, as he returned to touring, enjoying an extra level of late-life fame that came with the popularity of “Hallelujah,” until his death at age 82 in 2016.
There is so much that is surprising, intriguing, and deeply insightful about Leonard Cohen’s life in this film, and co-directors Daniel Geller and Dayna Goldfine do a marvelous job of bringing all that out and weaving it all into an very enjoyable and informative experience.
HALLELUJAH: LEONARD COHEN, A JOURNEY, A SONG opens Friday, July 29, in theaters.
Throughout Hollywood’s golden age rarely did character actors graduate into leading roles. Frank McHugh and Mary Wickes were almost always the buddy or the maid in studio features. That really started to change in the 1960’s. For instance, Gene Hackman went from a supporting role in BONNIE AND CLYDE to the lead in THE FRENCH CONNECTION within a couple of years. Such is now the case of the gifted character actor, Paul Giamatti. After memorable supporting turns in films like PRIVATE PARTS ( as Howard Stern’s arch-nemesis ) and BIG FAT LIAR ( the poor guy’s covered in blue paint! ) , Giamatti graduated to leading roles with AMERICAN SPLENDOR and SIDEWAYS. He’s been given another opportunity to headline a film as the title role in Richard J. Lewis film of Mordecai Richler’s BARNEY’S VERSION. This time he gets to show some of his romantic side along with his considerable comedic talents. And Mr. G does not disappoint.
Over the opening titles we meet Barney Panofsky as he stumbles into his home in the wee hours of morning, lights up a cigar, knocks back a bottle of booze, and drunk-dials his ex-wife’s current husband. The next day, he meets with his twenty-something daughter Kate who chastises him for tormenting her step dad. Later after working as the producer of a long running TV show, Barney settles in for a drink at his favorite pub and is accosted by a retired cop, O’Hearne ( Mark Addy ). Seems a new book has come out concerning the disappearance of one of Barney’s old pals. The book reiterates O”Hearne’s belief that Barney murdered “Boogie” ( Scott Speedman ). The film flashes back several decades as Barney and several buddies ( including Boogie ) party in Rome prior to his marriage to the free-spirited-and very pregnant- Clara ( Rachel Lafevre ). After finding out that he is not the father of their still-born child, the marriage ends in tragedy. Soon Barney meets and marries again even though the parents of the bride ( Minnie Driver ) look down upon Barney’s widowed ex- detective father, Izzy ( Dustin Hoffman ). At the wedding reception Barney becomes smitten with one of his wife’s old college pals, Miriam ( Rosamund Pike ). Following her to the train station, she rebuffs the new groom’s advances. But Barney is certain that she’s the one and continues to send flowers to her in NYC while setting up a new home with his wife. Suddenly Boogie re-enters Barney’s life. He’s on a drug-fueled bender and decides to hit up his old pal for some dough. Barney takes Boogie to the family lake house to dry out. Upon his return from an errand Barney finds Boogie bedding down his wife. After she storms off the two men get into an argument over Boogie testifying in the divorce proceedings. They get drunk, scuffle over a loaded pistol, Barney passes out and Boogie is nowhere to be found. After he’s cleared of any foul play, Barney divorces and begins his pursuit of Miriam with new vigor. Is she the love of is life? If so, how’s he gonna’ muck it up? Can it be fixed?.
There’s plenty here for Giamatti fans to enjoy. You may wonder at first how these beautiful women are swayed by him, but you soon come to appreciate his considerable charms. He’s sweet and funny but also frustratingly self-destructive. You want to grab him by the shoulders and implore him not to screw things up! Giamatti has great chemistry with all the Petrofsky wives. Rachelle Lefevre has little screen time as the first Mrs. P, Clara, but really embodies this swingin’ seventies free-spirited gal. The second Mrs. P is almost a cartoon of the spoiled, shrewish Jewish princess, but Minnie Driver plays her with great gusto and comic timing. As the final wife Miriam, Rosamund Pike, is quite charming as the ethereal, endlessly patient angel of Barney’s dreams. Bruce Greenwood is very funny as the annoying, too-good-to-be-true Blair, Barney’s nemisis. The funniest actor in the cast has to be Dustin Hoffman who brings so much joy to his role as the happily vulgar Izzy. The screen practically sparkles when he enters a scene. Director Lewis does a good job of moving this film along as it goes from slapstick comedy to romantic longing, then to murder mystery and finally domestic drama. The last half hour almost becomes a cable TV disease of the week docu drama. But I shouldn’t fault the final scenes too much. There’s plenty of entertainment to be had as you go on the journey of Barney’s life. And we get to enjoy the talents of Paul Giamatti as he adds this unlikely ladies man to his impressive roster of screen characters.
Overall Rating: Three and a Half Out of Five Stars
