Dramedy – We Are Movie Geeks

IS THIS THING ON? – Review

*Will Arnett in IS THIS THING ON? Photo by Searchlight Pictures/Jason McDonald, Courtesy of Searchlight Pictures. © 2025 Searchlight Pictures All Rights Reserved.*

Will Arnett stars as Alex, a middle-aged man grappling with the news that his wife is leaving him, who happens into a bar on open-mic night for stand-up comedy. Mistaking him for one of the would-be comedians, Alex suddenly finds himself in front of a mic, and suddenly, the guy who works in finance and has no performance experience, finds a new door opening for him.

Bradley Cooper directs IS THIS THING ON?, a dramedy in which he plays a supporting part as well. The plot is built around a divorce story but it is the comedy club and the amateur comedians who are the real heart of the film.

Will Arnett’s Alex is married to Tess (Laura Dern), a former elite athlete, and they have three kids together. Alex is blindsided when Tess announces she is leaving, to launch a career as a coach, and he seems at a loss what to do with himself. He seems to accept the coming divorce rather than fight it but has no idea how to move forward. Stand-up comedy isn’t even on his radar.

Yet when doing a favor for someone takes him to this bar, he seems to just as passively accept when they call his name and say “you’re next” at the mic. Clearly not a shy person or someone afraid to talk in front of strangers, he tries to be funny but mostly just talks about his crumbling marriage, in a dry, slightly ironic way. It isn’t exactly funny and the audience gives polite applause at most, but suddenly, he’s hooked.

Several films have tried to delve into stand-up comedy, but IS THIS THING ON? takes a kind of backdoor approach by focusing on someone going through a divorce who falls into stand-up. Alex has no prior ambitions to do comedy, and just kind of stumbles in, finds himself front of a mic and a crowd, and decides he likes it there. Not a bad start.

The divorce plot forms the framework for the film, and that story follows a familiar path. It hits all the expected marks:: dad Alex having to figure out cooking and manage household chores, both of them figuring out how to co-parent and co-ordinate schedules, and so forth. While the split takes Alex by surprise, and it is not something he wants, but they are both pretty civil about it, thankfully.

With a familiar framing story, that puts the burden on the comedy, and the denizens of the comedy club world to carry the film. The problem with IS THIS THING ON? is that the comedy routines are not very funny. Bradley Cooper throws a spotlight more on the community these would-be comics form, which is fine. Cooper seems to want to populate that community with colorful characters – including one he plays himself – but instead fills it more with two-dimensional characters, who come across as as odd and cartoonish rather than convincing – or funny.

Director Bradley Cooper showcases some comedy bits, mostly with Will Arnett at the mic. Cooper plays one of Arnett’s character Alex’s friends, an weird actor named Balls (no joke). Why a guy “in finance” has an off-beat actor friend is not clear. Beside Laura Dern as Alex’s soon-to-be ex, Tess. we get Ciaran Hinds as Alex’s soft-spoken dad and Christine Ebersole as his plain-speaking mom. The cast also includes Andra Day as Christine, Tess’ best friend.

The cast do well, especially Arnett, but not everything, or everyone, makes much sense. That would be fine if it were funny, but unfortunately, the humor is tepid at best, including the stand-up. The characters are likable enough but the whole story is just not that engaging.

Still, all that would have worked if more of those comedy routines had been funnier. Instead, we spend more time emphasizing the quirkiness of members of this accidental community, and with Alex’s and Tess’s unlikely best friends, relationships that just doesn’t feel real. In particular, Bradley Cooper’s character Balls is bizarre more than funny, and at times, just irritating.

The best moments are the ones that highlight the camaraderie among the comics, all these souls are trying to find the way to get a laugh, working on their routines or hunting for the right angle. Although most of them are unlikely to make a living at it, they do form a social circle of mutual support, with a bit of competition too.

It just not enough to lift this dramedy above mildly entertaining. IS THIS THING ON? is not a bad film as much as just a marginally interesting one, although with a really good cast. It could have been more. Without some really good comedy to give it energy and the audiences some laughs, IS THIS THING ON? just limps along, gradually lulling us in a stupor. There are moments of mild interest, brief drama and there is a little commentary on how this divorce is best for both Alex and Tess.

Will Arnett and Laura Dern turn in nice performances, and there are a few bright moments from the supporting cast that includes Ciaran Hinds, Christine Ebersole and Andra Day. Bradley Cooper plays the oddball character, Balls, who is more just odd than amusing.

IS THIS THING ON? opens in theaters on Friday, Jan. 9, 2026.

RATING: 2 out of 4 stars

“Good People” – TV Miniseries Review

A scene from the French/Belgian TV miniseries “Good People.” Courtesy of MHz Choice

“Good People” (“Des Gens Bien”) is a French/Belgian miniseries that plays out as a droll dramedy arising from a scam. The title denotes the fact that good people can do uncharacteristically bad things with what seem like good intentions. They can also rope in other good people who mean well.

We start with watching Tom (Lucas Meister) stage an auto accident in which he barely survives, though his wife, Linda (Berangere McNeese), is burned to death. We soon learn why he did it – extreme financial hardship. Then about halfway through the six episodes, we learn how. The motive is to cash in on a big life insurance policy but events, as they must, soon spin out of control.

One cop, Philippe (Michael Abiteboul), smells a rat, suspecting the accident wasn’t what it seemed. But his boss, Roger (veteran character actor Dominique Pinon), who knows Tom very well, refuses to let him investigate. Roger had lost his wife in a similar crash around that same stretch of roadway, and is completely closed to any other explanation. There’s also an obstacle of cross-border jurisdiction limiting Philippe’s efforts.

Linda and Tom owned a tanning parlor that was failing. They were on the verge of losing that, plus their home and cars, having exhausted the limits of their credit. The members of a local church kicked in a lot of money its members could little afford to help them stay afloat by updating the equipment but it wasn’t going to be enough. Thus was the plot hatched… with the best of intentions.

Among the things that go wrong, Philippe won’t give up his probing. Linda’s cousin Serge (Peter Van den Begin), a hulking thug recently paroled from prison, tumbles onto the plan and forces his way in for the payoff. Tom’s highly devout sister (Gwen Berrou), who’d convinced the churchgoers to help him and Linda, sees something she shouldn’t, and a high-profile person accidentally involved in the intrigue brings far more attention to the case than anyone could have expected.

The tenor set by the series’ trio of writers can best be described as a darkly comic, slowly unfolding farce. The cast is excellent all around, especially shining as the plan unravels and actions become more desperate. The plot includes a few surprises in what happens to whom. Van den Begin really dominates in his scenes presenting Serge’s stupidity and conscience-free brutality. Pinon, who has been such an asset as a regular in the recently-reviewed cop series “Cassandre, gets too little screen time in this one. There’s also a brief role for Corinne Masiero, who headlined one of my favorite light crime series from ANY country, “Captain Marleau.”

My frequent complaint about series that run longer than needed is mercifully NOT applicable to this one. The half-dozen 50-minute episodes befit the material. The series ends without major cliffhangers but does leave a few open questions. One source indicates they meant it to run three seasons, which may not occur, since this one aired in 2022. I’d welcome more if that happens, but am quite satisfied with where they ended this production.

“Good People” (originally “Des Gens Bien”), in French with English subtitles, begins streaming MHz Choice on Tuesday, Dec. 23, 2025.

JAY KELLY – Review

With all the manic activity, preparations, shopping, and general “hub-bub” that fills the holiday season, most of us have precious little “downtime” to reflect. If you do get a “breather” you might pause to mull over your relationships with family and friends. And perhaps not all those memories are seen through “rose colored glasses”. Yup, regret can be an unexpected source for the end-of-the-year blues. This new film proclaims that those “pangs” can even affect the very-rich and famous. That includes iconic Hollywood “A-listers”, like the title character of this movie. And the “m-word” certainly applies to him because there are few movie stars that have been at the top of the box office longer than that “leading man” with the “matinée idol looks”, Mr. JAY KELLY.

Naturally, when we first meet Jay Kelly (George Clooney) he’s on a movie set, wrapping up his final scene. Right at his side is his devoted longtime manager Ron Sukenick (Adam Sandler), as they hear “Cut!”. Back at his lush estate, Jay meets with his youngest daughter Daisy (Grace Edwards), who’s preparing to join some school friends on a train trip through Europe. Jay tries to convince her to cancel and hang out with him between acting gigs. She declines just as Ron delivers a big bombshell: the director that gave Jay his “big break”, Peter Schnieder (Jim Broadbent), has died. Jay then recalls their last get together when he passed on Peter’s last film project. After attending the funeral, Jay runs into his old acting-school buddy, Tim (Billy Crudup), who suggests that the two get a drink at their old dive bar hangout. Things turn sour when Tim recalls how Jay got a role he had wanted, Their reunion ends in a fistfight on the sidewalk. The next day, Ron does damage control as Jay hits him with a bombshell. Rather than work on a new project with a hot directing duo, he’ll go to a Tuscany film festival that wants to honor him with a career award. But Jay doesn’t want another piece for his mantel. He makes a few clandestine calls, and finds out Daisy’s travel itinerary by following her BFF’s credit card trail. With Ron in tow, along with his long-time publicist Liz (Laura Dern), the “Kelly crew” flies to France where they board Daisy’s train. Along the way, Jay reconnects with the “common folk” while drifting in and out of memories before the big event in Italy, where he’ll encounter more folks from his troubled past.

So Clooney as a long-time, decades-spanning screen icon…not much of a stretch, sure. The guy has enough charm to spare, or at least for a couple more years. But here he peels back the sparkle to show the melancholy at Jay’s core. We see the sadness edging out that boyish twinkle in his eye as Clooney projects an unexpected vulnerability when Kelly realizes that time may not heal all wounds. His pairing with Sandler as the put-upon “wrangler” Ron is most inspired. Yes, Ron’s devoted to Jay, but Sandler shows us how the countless frustrations are boiling to the surface, ready to dour some hot steam into that suave mug. And he shows how his own family is losing the “tug-of-war” with Kelly. Dern’s great as another senior member of the “crew” who has his own regrets concerning her past with Ron. As Liz, Dern channels the staccato line delivery of those classic movie workin’ gals.The supporting cast is very impressive, including Patrick Wilson as another star in Ron’s “stable” (their Dinner “confab” is a highlight), Stacy Keach as the “rough around the edges” reminder of Jay’s boyhood, and Riley Keough as the elder Kelly daughter who is immune to papa’s “too late” attempts to reconnect. But the big standout may be the superb early-in-the-story turn by Crudup as the affable at first, old method acting buddy who suddenly bares his fangs on the startled “old pal”.

This is the latest work of one of the medium’s most interesting filmmakers, Noah Baumbach, who crafted the script with actress Emily Mortimer, who also plays Jay’s hairstylist Candy. This is a more grounded story than many of his more fanciful flicks like his WHITE NOISE, but not nearly as emotionally raw as MARRIAGE STORY. He gives us an interesting “insider’s view” of the industry, with riffs on several current stars and their scandals (now, who might those directing brothers be). Plus, Noah does dip his toe into fantasy with his unique flashback “transitions”. Suddenly, Jay will work through a day and be plunged into a major mistake from his past (he’s on his first movie set, he’s at a therapy session with one of his kids). We get some nice comic bits with the cute train passengers who adjust to the big star quickly. Oh, and that location works, especially in Tuscany, is quite dazzling. Though this can get a bit too fluffy and “navel-gazing”, the story does make its point concerning the consequences of putting your career first since in the non-soundstage world, we don’t get a second “take” to make things right. That’s a good lesson for moviegoers and movie stars like JAY KELLY.

3 out of 4

JAY KELLY is now steaming exclusively on Netflix

ELEANOR THE GREAT – Review

This weekend, moviegoers will get to savor another wonderful performance from a veteran actor who has been enjoying a remarkable “second act”. That curtain rose almost a dozen years ago when director Alexander Payne realized, to the delight of her new fans, that she was his “secret weapon” in the character “dramedy” NEBRASKA. In it, she earned raves and was frequently referred to as a “scene-stealer”. If that’s a crime, well, she was so “guilty” that she was “sentenced” to. her first Oscar nomination for Supporting Actress (note that I said “first”). Last year, she garnered more accolades in her first lead performance in the “sleeper hit” THELMA (and she even did some stunt work). Pretty nice for somebody who’s been in small TV and movie roles for the last 40 years (while still working on the stage, going all the way back to the original touring company of “Gypsy” with Ethel Merman). Now, she returns as another title character. And this time she’s guided by a current screen star who makes her feature directing debut with ELEANOR THE GREAT.

The royal “moniker” is given to the story’s main focus, the irascible 94-year-old widow Eleanor Morganstern (June Squibb), who is living a quiet life in a retirement apartment complex, sharing a unit with another widow, her BFF Bessie (Rita Zohar). Aside from her recurring nightmares about her time in a WWII concentration camp (Eleanor has always lived in the States), the two enjoy a quiet life in Florida. But the clouds form over the Sunshine State when Bessie unexpectedly passes. Rathing than wallowing in her grief, Eleanor decides to make a bold move. She’s relocating to NYC, and spending her last years with her divorced daughter Lisa (Jessica Hecht) and her college-aged son Max (Will Price). It’s a significant change for Eleanor, as she occupies a spare bedroom in Lisa’s place while contemplating another move, possibly to a retirement community. Lisa nudges her to go out and meet folks her own age. Initially resistant, Eleanor finally heads down to the nearby Jewish adult education facility to look into their “senior singing” classes. After a quick peek, she decides this isn’t for her and is headed back home until a friendly lady leads her into another room where her “group” is about to begin. After it starts, Eleanor realizes that this is a “support” meeting for Holocaust survivors. Though embarrassed at first, she decides to stay, perhaps getting some comfort after the loss of her old friend. But things soon take an “odd” turn when Eleanor is asked to “share”, and haltingly repeats a memory from the late Bessie. The heartbreaking tale captures the attention of a young journalism student who is “sitting in”, Nina (Erin Kellyman). She and Eleanor strike up a friendship as the “little white lie” grows and grows, with Nina sharing her story with her newscaster father, Roger (Chiwetel Ejiofor), who wants to do a feature piece on Eleanor’s desire to finally have her own bat mitzvah. Can Eleanor keep this all from her family before her “fib” is broadcast and she is “found out”?

At the “forefront” of this engaging character study is that “force of nature”, Ms. Squibb. As with her other recent work, she captures our hearts with her incredible “can-do” spirit and deft comic timing (not since the much-missed Betty White has a nonagenarian launched scalding insults with such precise accuracy). But her Eleanor is more than a sharp-tongued white-haired sprite. She’s had to put up a tough-as-nails exterior to cope with the loss of loved ones, especially Bessie, along with her own impending mortality. Plus, there’s also her panic as she scrambles to try and charm her way out of her own web of well-intentioned deceit. Happily, though, this isn’t a one-woman “showcase” (which would still be very entertaining), as Squibb proves to be an excellent screen “partner” to the talented Ms. Kellyman (I recall her interesting villainess in “The Falcon and the Winter Soldier”) as the much-younger woman also dealing with a major loss. Nina, despite her own tough outer “shell”, still mourns her own deceased mom, so her connection to Eleanor seems to fulfill her yearning for a matronly connection (though Eleanor may be more of a surrogate grandmother). Kellyman shows how she beams under the elder lady’s lifeforce, while her homelife is far less nurturing due to her now-strained interaction with her father. Ejiofor as Roger, also seems to be wearing a mask of strength, as he seems to be denying and “pushing down” his own grief while trying to find a way to reach out and connect to his drifting child. Hecht balances the delicate balance of an adult daughter who must also act as parent to her “prodigal” mama as she strains to retain her own freedom. In the pivotal role of beloved Bessie, Zohar is a most resilient survivor, a woman who has lost so much but pushes on, despite those demons of a distant past.

Oh, the big screen star that’s now behind the camera for this? None other than Scarlett Johansson, fresh off helming a couple of short films. And it appears she’s got another talent in her considerable “arsenal” (she’s been acting for over thirty years now). Ms. J brings a quiet sensitivity to this modern morality tale, gently pacing the plot points and set pieces, eschewing any flashy narrative tricks, though she smartly dissolves to Bessie telling her past horrors during Eleanor’s support group sequences. Johansson also shows us how the new friendship between E and Nina really helps them move forward while attempting to manage their shared grief. Much of the film’s power derives from the script by another feature film newcomer, Tory Kamen. She has a keen ear for family conversation, while still squeezing in humor to balance the pathos. And it all looks and sounds great courtesy of cinematographer Helene Louvart (the NYC neighborhoods look most inviting) and the score by Dustin O’ Halloran. as the summer of loud action blockbusters begins to recede, it’s great to have a sweet, funny, and compassionate visit from Ms. Squibb who has us worried and rooting, and a bit smitten, as ELEANOR THE GREAT.

3.5 Out of 4

ELEANOR THE GREAT opens in select theatres on Friday, September 26, 2025

SWIPED (2025) – Review

Feels like it’s been a while since moviegoers have gotten a feature about a real-life invention that had a pretty big impact on the world, or society in general. Sure, they briefly touched on the origins of the kids’ toy superstar BARBIE in that recent blockbuster. Plus, we’ve gotten films about shoes (AIR), tech devices (BLACKBERRY), other toys (THE BEANIE BUBBLE), and a computer game (TETRIS). Predating all of them (can it be 15 years old?) is the Oscar-winning story of a website, THE SOCIAL NETWORK. So, when do we get another movie about an online “game changer”? And that leads into this new flick about another website that’s perhaps best known as a phone “app”. I’d tell you its name, but you can probably guess it from this movie’s title, SWIPED.

Now, the story’s real focus is actually a fast-talking (and fast-thinking) tech innovator with the “superhero alias” sounding moniker, Whitney Wolfe (Lily James). We first encountered her about a dozen years ago as she crashed a big “tech bro” bash on the Santa Monica pier. She’s trying to raise interest (and funds) for her website that matches volunteers with charities. After several “strike outs”, she makes a connection with Sean (another cartoony-but-real name) Rad (Ben Schnetzer), who tells her to drop by his development firm, Hatch Labs IAC Incubator. Naturally, she’s there a few hours later before Sean arrives. But he’s got a big meeting with a potential client for his restaurant rewards app Cardify. Sean figures she can pose as his “gal Friday”, but Whitney surprises him by helping “seal the deal”. She becomes part of his team, proving invaluable once again when Cardify “flatlines”. At a big pitch meeting, several staffers bounce around ideas for a dating site/app, but it’s Whitney who comes up with the perfect name for it: Tinder. But they need to spread the word, so she travels to her old college sorority at SMU with work pal Tisha (Myha’la) and due to her people skills, hustle, and quick thinking, the app sweeps the school. Back in LA, the company’s celebrations get a boost from Sean’s new hire, his old pal Justin (Jackson White). Despite her better judgement, Whitney begins seeing him socially. But her rising profile threatens Justin, as he and Sean squeeze her out of the publicity swirl around the company and the increasingly popular app. Things take a dark turn when the board ignores complaints about graphic photos posted, and when Justin becomes possessive after Whitney breaks off their relationship. Soon, she must make a stand and a decision: stay and fight for what she’s due, or leave and start over.

Ms. James is establishing herself as one of the busiest actresses working today. It was only a few weeks ago that I was enjoying her work in the little-seen gem of a thriller RELAY (really, catch it when it starts streaming). Here she gets a chance to really flex her skills in comedy, romance, and some heavy drama (with a few thriller elements this time, too). James has us rooting for Whitney from beginning to end, making us invested in very tough choices. She gets great support from Myha’la who encourages, but speaks up when “her girl” fumbles the ball in not helping her “sisters’ climb the corporate “ladder”. As for the fellas’, Schetzner is a cool, affable partner/boss until fame makes him “flip a switch”, surprisng us with his cool, aloof ‘tude. Ditto for his “bro” Justin, played with easy-going “puppy dog” charm by White until he’s threatened by Whitney and goes right into the “ex from Hell” mode. But Wolfe does encounter a nice “dude” outisde the office in Andrey Andreev played by Lily’s former “Downton Abbey” TV series co-star Dan Stevens. He’s a somewhat daffy ultra-rich tech mogul out of Eastern Europe who tries to “poach” Whitney for his dating site Badoo. not for her looks but for her keen creative input and expertise. A few other familiar faces pop up in brief supporting roles, including Joely Fisher, Clea DuVall, and that “silver fox” Dermot Mulroney.

Director/co-screenwriter Rachel Lee Goldenberg has crafted a mostly inspiring true tale for young women trying to break into the male-dominated tech industry. But it’s also a cautionary tale, which shifts so abruptly in tone in its second act, that some viewers may get a touch of cinematic “whiplash”. The lead-up and launch of Tinder plays much like a light-hearted romp, as Wolfe works the college kids and charms her open-minded boss in a frothy modern workplace comedy. This even extends to the sweet at first) flirtation with Justin. Then the d#*k pics flood the servers, and the darkness begins. Almost all the fellas seem to have drunk from a water cooler filled with Dr.Jekyll’s old “Mr. Hyde mix”. This leads to the big nosedive as we wait for Wolfe to “pull up” and stick the landing. Really, the soured office romance often plays like a made-for-cable-TV Lifetime flick. Of course, we do get a token “good guy” to not paint every male as a leering, abusive goon (and yes, I know that women in past office-set films were either bubble-headed bimbos or shrews, but this still stings a bit). These tonal shifts and pacing problems ultimately take the needed zip and good intentions away from the true life story of SWIPED.

2 Out of 4

SWIPED streams exclusively on Hulu beginning on Friday, September 19, 2025

GHOST KILLER – Review

The Japanese action dramedy GHOST KILLER blends an element of the supernatural with its underworld (the criminal kind, not the realm of the damned) format. Kudo (Masanori Mimoto) is an assassin who is betrayed and killed as the movie opens. Fumika (Akari Takaishi) is a timid college girl who happens to pick up the shell casing from the bullet what offed him when she trips on the street where he involuntarily shuffled off his mortal coil. That magically connects the two (don’t ask how), allowing Kudo to take over her body whenever she touches his hand to trigger the switcheroo in moments when his skills are needed for mutual survival. She is understandably freaked out, but reluctantly agrees on the belief that the only way for his ghost to move on and leave her alone is to avenge his death via her body.

This is somewhat reminiscent of the Steve Martin/Lily Tomlin comedy of yore, ALL OF ME, in which the odd couple of comic legends clash over control of one body. Fumika is the wimpiest of women, containing no instincts, skills or predilection for the violence that must ensue. The comedic side comes mostly from her resistance to the necessary actions, yielding to dependence on Kudo in various crises. Neither of them were at all prepared for this linkage or understand quite how it works.

The tone is mostly silliness with spurts of fighting and shooting until reaching a rousing climactic battle. Takaishi’s looks and timidity are adorable. This is particularly interesting for those who’ve seen her in the series of BABY ASSASSIN flicks, in which she paired with Saori Izawa as teenage non-mutant ninja hit persons for variably amusing rounds of comic mayhem, easily flaunting the essential skills and dedication to their jobs.

There’s nothing special or memorable about most of this, though the climactic battle is worth whatever impatience one may feel during the run-up. Akari’s charm can probably carry just about any load she chooses, and the fight choreography is well above average. Mimoto comes through as a fine co-protagonist, and Mario Kuroba’s Kagehara plays off them well in a key supporting role.

GHOST KILLER, in Japanese with English subtitles, is available on digital formats from Well Go USA starting on Tuesday, July 22, 2025.

RATING: 2 out of 4 stars

“Chantal” Season 2 – TV Series Review

*A scene from the Belgian TV series “Chantal” Season 2. Courtesy of MHz Choice*

Season 2 of the charming Belgian crime dramedy “Chantal” picks up where the first season left off. The way lead detective Chantal (Maaike Cafmeyer) handled that concluding hostage situation landed her in hot water with the brass and – even worse – the rich asshole who runs the town as his own fiefdom, Schiettekatte (Wim Opbrouck), who is the driving force behind her suspension. That puts “The Sheriff” reluctantly in charge of the department, to absolutely no one else’s satisfaction – especially his. Here’s the review of Season One to bring you up to speed or refresh your memory. The season also starts with a brief recap of prior events: https://www.wearemoviegeeks.com/2025/02/chantel-tv-series-review.

This round gives us six episodes, opening and closing with two-parters and a pair of stand-alones in between. Chantal’s look and life remain quite disheveled, as she has yet to be accepted by the feds and higher-ups who view her initiative and opinions skeptically, despite the success she continues to deliver. The sexism is rather amusing, albeit frustrating for her to slog through, making it all the more gratifying when she outshines them. The tone remains largely playful, apart from a couple of serious developments for balance.

This season brings more of the same type of lightly-presented crimes, ranging from missing cremation ashes to major theft to killings, with a very low cumulative body count. The season’s running subplot is that Schiettekatte has decided to challenge the feckless mayor in the next election, which would spell disaster for the department and community. He’s itching to get even with the cops for how he was treated in Season One. Compared to before, there’s more script time for a number of supporting characters and their story arcs, letting the cast of (mostly) oddballs and eccentrics develop more than in their debut season. Chantal’s daughter Emma (Anna-Marie Missoul) and bar owner Muze (Zouzou Ben Chikha) make particularly good use of their increased presence.

Season 3 has just aired abroad, so it’s quite likely to cross the pond to our streaming shores. I hope it won’t be as long a wait for its US release as this was. Too much fun to defer.

“Chantel” Season Two, mostly in Dutch with English subtitles, begins streaming on MHz Choice starting Tuesday, July 15, 2025, with two episodes debuting weekly through July 29, 2025.

RATING: 2.5 out of 4 stars

“Chaos” – TV Series Review

A scene from Danish TV series CHAOS. Courtesy of Viaplay

The Danish dramedy ”Chaos” (originally “Kaos”) offers a change of pace from the murder and crime fare I’ve been mainly covering. The title refers to a few elements of upheaval in the lives of spouses Lise (Katrine Greis-Rosenthal) and Martin (Hadi Ka-Koush). They’ve been hosting a popular morning TV talk show for a decade. But new management wants a younger demographic and gives their show the axe. Lise wheedles the incoming boss into granting them a month to generate a big upswing in total viewers, with emphasis on a high percentage of those treasured 18 – 24 year-old eyeballs.

The setup seems perfect for a satire on the TV industry, how decisions are made and how they affect everyone involved on both sides of the screen. But they don’t keep primary focus there. Lise’s desperate scramble for new ideas to reach those market-share goals is enmeshed with parental issues and marital discord, including the temptation of a potential new lover. The dark humor of the lengths they go to in trying to meet the deadline is unfortunately diluted by melodrama – some of which makes little sense, in context.

Lise is ambitious and zealous in trying new ideas that might preserve her turf, but not the virago of other TV personalities like Nicole Kidman’s deceptively devious character in 1995’s TO DIE FOR.

Katrine’s performance is admirable, considering the multiple facets of a persona she has to portray. The proceedings are boosted by several supporting players – notably Silje Havmoller Schmidt as Sarah, her bright, loyal intern; and Andreas Jebro’s increasingly panicked turn as the show’s producer, Mads. The plot provides a basis for many fine visuals and good use of some lovely exterior settings.

Regular readers know of my distaste for cliffhangers. These eight half-hour episodes end with some degree of closure, but dangle a big question for a possible second season. Since it aired in Denmark only last year, that’s a possibility. I was engaged enough to be curious about if and how the story continues.

CHAOS, in Danish with English subtitles, debuts streaming on Viaplay on Thursday, May 22, 2025.

RATING: 2 out of 4 stars

THE PENGUIN LESSONS – Review

Baba/Richard the penguins as Juan Salvador, and Steve Coogan as Tom Michel in ‘The Penguin Lessons’
Image: Lucia Faraig Ferrando. Courtesy of Sony Pictures Classics

Steve Coogan is terrific in true story-based comedy THE PENGUIN LESSONS which combines a quirky story about an ex-pat English teacher who accidentally acquires a penguin while teaching in 1970s Argentina, just as a dictatorship takes hold. Directed by the FULL MONTY’s Peter Cattaneo, THE PENGUIN LESSONS has some of that same mix of humor and humanity, in a off-beat tale that starts out comedic but ends up being moving, and saying something significant about people in a changing society.

Are penguins and authoritarianism having a moment? Could be. There was MY PENGUIN FRIEND, another true story set in South America, about a grieving man whose life is changed when he is befriended by a lost penguin. And there was the Oscar-winning I’M STILL HERE, about an Argentinian family whose lives are upended by the emergence of authoritarian rule. True, penguins are pretty irresistibly cute but authoritarianism in much on people’s mind right now, although the filmmakers couldn’t know while shooting the film.

Steve Coogan is perfect as a cynical teacher who is disconnected from life and certainly not interested in penguins, who finds a transformative second chance when a penguin joins his classroom, teaching both students and teacher about what is really important in life.

THE PENGUIN LESSONS, based on Tom Michell’s memoir of the same name, centers on an expat British man, Tom Michell (Steve Coogan), who has just accepted a job at a private school in Argentina, just as the political situation is entering a dangerous phase. A bomb goes off in the distance as the new English teach arrives at the stately but rural boarding school, which caters to the children of the wealthy and powerful in Argentina. Michell is greeted by the school’s headmaster, Buckle (Jonathan Pryce), who is nonplussed about the bomb, and quickly leads the new teacher on a tour of the school compound.

As they walk, the headmaster asks the new teacher to recount his resume of teaching positions. Coogan’s Michell describes a list of teaching posts that starts in Britain and prestigious Ivy League schools in the U.S. but then goes through a series of schools of decreasingly impressive schools in Mexico, Central America and South America. “I’m working my way down,” says the new teacher, pauses and adds “Geographically.” Clearly it is more that his location that is going south.

The headmaster points Tom Michell towards the teachers’ residence wing and the new teacher heads for his assigned apartment, which comes with a little balcony and a housekeeper. Michell accidentally surprises the housekeeper, Maria (a delightful Vivian El Jaber), who is partly deaf, who chews him out, establishing herself as a plain spoken person.

Still, the two quickly hit it off, as he does with her out-spoken niece Sofia (Alfonsina Carrocio)who also works at the school. A fellow teacher (Bjorn Gustafsson), who seems never to have heard of boundaries, saunters into Michell’s apartment uninvited, introduces himself, and makes himself right at home, much to Michell’s irritation, although he does not toss the intruder out.

Steve Coogan’s teacher presents a serious face to the headmaster but quickly reveals his true self, as a hard-drinking, cynical, snarky man who is going through the motions of life. His students are spoiled and a bit unruly, but Michell launches into teaching them about the greats of English literature anyway while requiring them to speak only English in class. At one point, he gives the students an assignment to work on, and then leaves the classroom. Outside, we see the real reason for the assignment – to take a break for drinking and lounging in the sun.

When the Argentinian military stage a coup and take over the government, the headmaster decides the students would be safer with their powerful families, and shuts the school for a week, at least. While everyone else is worried, Michell quickly and calmly makes plans to leave the country – for a beach vacation in a neighboring country. Unconcerned, he plans to spend his time drinking in bars, hanging out on the beach, go dancing and picking up women. His clueless colleague invites himself along.

The two do pick up a couple of women at a beach-side bar, and pair off. Strolling on the beach with his date, the couple come across gooey black evidence of an oil spill – and a penguin covered in oil. The woman insists they help the penguin and, hopeful of getting laid, Michell pitches right in. They smuggle the penguin into his nearby hotel and clean it up. But then the woman goes home, leaving Michell frustrated and in possession of a penguin.

His efforts to return the penguin to the sea goes nowhere, as the bird has become attached to him. In a series of comic scenes and confrontations with authorities, Coogan’s character tries to hand off the penguin to someone else, only to be told it’s his problem.

The result is that when the school reopens, the English teacher now has a penguin. With his classroom still unruly, he brings the bird, now named Juan Salvador, into the classroom. The penguin certainly gets their attention.

Steve Coogan is the perfect mix of smart, cynical and slovenly as this well-educated slacker. The cast is great, especially Steve Coogan, but Jonathan Pryce does well too, playing the sincere-seeming headmaster who shows a lack of courage when faced with pressure from the new regime but later redeems himself. Vivian El Jaber and Alfonsina Carrocio are sassy and touching, as Bjorn Gustaffsson provided a bit of goofy comic relief and serves as straight man for Coogan’s quips.

The penguin has a strange effect on everyone at school, who start pouring out their hearts to the silent, attentive little bird. Everyone grows fond of the little penguin, even if he is very smelly and not housebroken.

As the new authoritarian regime takes hold, and people starts getting snatched off the street, Michell finds his cynicism challenged.

What starts out as quirky comedy with a cynical man at its center, gradually becomes something more human and moving, all without falling into the saccharin or into falseness. When the film ends with footage of the real penguin, swimming in the school’s pool, tears may brim, in this surprisingly wonderful, touching, human dramedy.

THE PENGUIN LESSONS opens Friday, Mar. 28, in theaters.

RATING: 3 out of 4 stars

“The Doc and the Vet” TV Series Review

*A scene from the French TV series “The Doc and the Vet.” Courtesy of MHz Choice*

The charming dramedy series from French TV, “The Doc and the Vet” (originally, “La doc et le veto”), is six 90-minute progressive telefilms about the title characters and the small town in which they practice their respective professions. Most of the cast appear in most of the episodes, with evolving roles and relationships. By the end of #6, viewers will feel like they know a lot of people therefrom, and empathize with most of them.

The majority of the characters are lifelong residents of the village, including the veterinarian, Pierre (Michel Cymes). We begin as the new doctor, Emma (Dounia Coesens), comes to town… reluctantly. She’s a big city gal with big city career aspirations who is obligated to spend three years in the boonies to repay the government grant for the education she’d just received. The accommodations and facilities promised to her weren’t ready, so she has to move into a former school building, sharing office space, living quarters and a receptionist/assistant, Francoise (Valerie Schwarcz), with the vet. The latter is a bit ditzy, but quite secure in her job, largely because she’s married to the town’s feckless mayor, Gilles (Pasquale D’Inca).

The stories, setting and pace are pleasantly pastoral. It’s a farming community with lots of sheep and some cattle. Pierre’s practice embraces all sorts of beasties, including any injured animal of any species, wild or domestic. As is probably typical of any country’s small towns these days, most of the locals are up in years, with the generation after them having moved on to bigger things and brighter lights. Emma is resented at first – too young; an outsider; and only there by time-limited contractual obligation, rather than career choice. The plots have stand-alone main themes which needn’t be binged, but should be seen in order due to carryover story arcs. Emma’s arrival and acclimation dominates the first; others center around a theft, lake pollution, eco-activists vs. ranchers over legally-protected vultures in the region; a few romantic developments; family rifts, old and new; finishing with a plague of anonymous poison-pen letters threatening to tear the village apart.

The series is nice and easy-going compared to most of the imported crime fare I’ve been covering. Most players are likable for a full range of reasons, with a smattering of eccentricities, though without the comic extremes of series like “Doc Martin”. The tone of “Father Brown” comes closer to this one. A couple of a-holes in the mix keep it from being too Mayberry. The scripts never get overly cute, and the protagonists are never too shrewd or tough to be relatable. There’s no condescension as viewers see the best and worst of small-town life, from the spirit of community to the tedium of having few social venues and entertainment options.

The episodes aired from 2021-24. #6 does not end with any cliffhangers, so one will be satisfied if that’s the last. But anyone watching all of them will hope for more to come.

“The Doc and the Vet,” in French with English subtitles, begins streaming on MHz Choice starting Tuesday, Mar. 11, 2025.

RATING: 3 out of 4 stars

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this: