The chemistry between two leads can make or break a movie or series, and both “We Live in Time” and the Hulu boxing-themed series “La Máquina” benefit from its two stars clicking. We review both and check out Anna Kendrick’s chilling Netflix directorial debut, the truth-based “Woman of the Hour.”
“We Live in Time”: The tearjerker playbook that most filmmakers follow goes something like this: Two impossibly attractive people meet, fall intensely in love and then get thrown a horrible obstacle on their way to happily ever after. It could be an illness, familial strife, a nasty buried secret, even war — any intrusion that devastates them and, in turn, audiences. John Crowley’s romantic drama futzes with the formula just a little bit by not telling its love story in a linear way. The changeup is upfront — or pretty close to it — about its key development that Almut (a radiant Florence Pugh) along with her lover Tobias (a heart-melting Andrew Garfield) and their cute-as-a-button daughter will be confronting a fatal illness. The reveal, if you will, becomes even more wrenching as we witness a collage of the duo’s relatable time together: the weird beginning of their relationship; the passionate lovemaking (not overly explicit); the chaotic birth of their child (a hilarious high point). Through it all, Crowley exhibits a keen awareness of how to make us care about his characters without too much manipulation. It’s not a surprise given he directed the equally character-driven “Brooklyn.” But even though the screenplay from Nick Payne offers fine moments, what really makes us fall in love with “Live in Time” are Pugh and Garfield. They’re adorable and endearing and it is how they relay their characters’ vulnerabilities that make this a genuine gift for anyone in need of a good cry. Best of all it won’t render you depleted and hopeless in the end. Details: 3 stars out of 4; opens Oct. 18 in theaters.
“La Máquina”: Hulu’s first Spanish-language series reteams “Y tu Mama Tambien” actors Gael García Bernal and Diego Luna in a fast-paced, boxing-themed dramedy. And their chemistry proves to be a knockout — once again. Bernal (who executive-produced with Luna) is well cast as boxer Esteban “La Máquina” Osuna, a fading sensation staging a comeback. His manager Andy Lujan (Luna, in a performance that screams Emmy nomination) is a vain piece of spray-tanned work who resorts to every cosmetic trick (including Botox) to reinvent his insecure self. He agrees to help and represent Esteban. Problem is, Esteban’s mental stability is shaky due to the head blows he’s taken, and he’s starting to see things that aren’t there. At the same time, Andy’s past misdeeds are roaring back to haunt him. Murder, threats and more mayhem come calling while Esteban’s ex-wife Irasema (Eiza González) investigates and realizes that something dirty is going on in the boxing circuit. Showrunner Marco Ramirez’s setup bites off a lot to chew on in six episodes, but even when “La Máquina” doesn’t connect, it bobs and weaves with style and fire whenever Luna and Bernal take center stage together. Details: 3½ stars, all episodes available on Hulu.
“Woman of the Hour”: Truth-based crime dramas are a high-wire act; a slip or two and the best efforts can come off as skin-crawling sensationalism. In her directorial debut, actor Anna Kendrick keeps it as classy as she can given the lurid and unfathomable true story about 1970s-era serial killer Rodney Alcala, who duped TV viewers and kept his true identity hidden when he boldly went on the cheesy “The Dating Game.” How’d he escape detection? “Woman of the Hour” illustrates how warning signs, even testimonies, went ignored. Kendrick stars as real-life contestant/struggling actor Sheryl Bradshaw, who picked Bachelor No. 3 (Daniel Zovatto, channeling evil) and soon realized that something was seriously wrong with her selection (a chilling scene). Kendrick conveys Alcala’s depraved acts without resorting to graphic bloodshed (a wise choice) while screenwriter Ian McDonald switches back and forth between events that pertain to Cheryl and “The Dating Game” and to Rodney’s acts preying on women. It does make for an uncomfortable watch and also suffers from being structured a little too loosely, but there are many decisions worth respecting, including how equal weight is given to the story of a runaway named Amy (Autumn Best, a standout), Rodney’s resourceful target in 1979. It’s that detail and a focus on how sexism and laziness factored into why Rodney wasn’t stopped that distinguish “Woman of the Hour” and make it better than recent true crime stories. Details: 3 stars; drops Oct. 18 on Netflix.
“Grotesquerie”: Tireless executive producer Ryan Murphy has taken command of this fall’s TV season, from FX’s “American Sports Story: Aaron Hernandez” to Netflix’s controversial hot-potato “Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story.” He’s also behind this gruesome, disturbingly sexy Armageddon-is-coming FX series. Cribbing gory bits from the likes of Bryan Fuller’s ghoulish Grand Guignol series “Hannibal” and David Fincher’s “Se7en,” FX’s 10-episode horror series imagines the U.S. (particularly L.A.) as a cesspool where the seven deadly sins come out to play and slay. Alcoholic homicide investigator Lois Tryon (Niecy Nash, meriting awards consideration) has seen it all, but the latest serial killer carnage is tough to stomach: an assembled murder scene with body parts and victims fashioned into twisted biblical stories messages. Murphy and co-creators Jon Robin Baitz and Joe Baken revel in the dark here, giving us a self-flagellating hot priest (“Monsters’” Nicholas Alexander Chavez) who teaches spin classes at home and dresses in kinky getups; a murder-obsessed nun journalist (Micaela Diamond) who becomes Lois’ sidekick; a Nurse Ratched-like hospital worker (Lesley Manville) who likes to rub Lois’ comatose husband (Courtney B. Vance) in inappropriate ways; and a hunky orderly (Travis Kelce, doing sexy well) who takes a shine to Lois. Throw in grandiose crime scenes with those biblical implications and a bubbling cauldron in the desert and you have another bizarre guilty pleasure that taps into our dark sides and keeps us watching. FX has only made six episodes available, but I am hooked — just not in that same finger-clenching, gotta-watch way of the far more disturbing and better executed “Hannibal.” Details: 2½ stars; two episodes releasing Oct. 16 on FX and Oct. 17 on Hulu, and the final two episodes released Oct. 23 on FX and Oct. 24 on Hulu.
“The Last of the Sea Women”: In this reliably if unremarkably told Apple TV+ documentary, a resilient batch of South Korean female divers known as haenyeo who are struggling to preserve their legacy of gathering food from the bottom of the ocean without the use of any oxygen-supplying apparatus share the spotlight. It’s one worth taking in. Most in their 60s to 80s, the gregarious women lament the tell-tale signs of climate change while also dealing with outside forces that further encroach on a long-held tradition. Director Sue Kim’s documentary might sound like it would be a downer, and sometimes it swims toward that destination, but it steers clear of that as it shifts its focus on the camaraderie of these amazing women and how they bond with a smaller younger generation who are also haenyeo divers. The underwater sequences are captivating. Details: 3 stars; available on Apple TV+.
“Exhibiting Forgiveness”: The fallout from a horrendous childhood and the healing power of art carry the same weight in artist-turned-filmmaker Titus Kaphar’s emotionally charged family drama, a powder keg of a debut that refuses to resort to trite resolutions. André Holland convincingly channels inner turmoil as acclaimed painter Tarrell Rodin, a happily married father whose life grows complicated when his abusive dad (John Earl Jelks) resurfaces after decades away. With strong support from Andra Day as Tarrell’s singer wife and Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor as his ready-to-forgive mom, “Exhibiting Forgiveness” doesn’t flinch from illustrating how dysfunctional familial relationships wound and scar repeatedly. But the film, fresh off screening in the Mill Valley Film Festival, isn’t cynical or bitter as it reveals how art can help us process, recover and transform. Details: 3½ stars; in limited release starting Oct. 18.
“Mountains”: The destructive force of gentrification in a Haitian community near Miami threatens to price out of existence a culture and its way of life. Monica Sorelle’s debut sensitively views the disheartening changes afoot through the eyes of a fictional Haitian family — demolition worker dad (Atibon Nazaire), seamstress mom (Sheila Anozier) and wannabe stand-up comedian son (Chris Renois). Sorelle’s gentle beauty of a film is no downer, reflecting a resilient culture that refuses to be bulldozed over to make way for luxury homes. Details: 3½ stars; available to rent.
Contact Randy Myers at soitsrandy@gmail.com.