Hello, friends! We just got a huge snowstorm here in Boston, so if you're anything like me, you're relishing in the opportunity to stay inside, cozy up on the couch, and check out some of the shows and movies you've had on your list.
Before I share this week's top picks, here's a look at a few things coming up:
- Thursday, March 3 - Top Chef returns! I am elated. This time, the chefs will be stationed in Houston, TX. This is also the day that Hulu releases its take on the Elizabeth Homes / Theranos story, with Amanda Seyfried playing Holmes.
- Sunday, March 6 - Adam McKay is the brain behind Winning Time, a new series coming to HBO about the golden years of the Los Angeles Lakers in the 1970s and 1980s. The cast is incredible, including John C. Reilly, Adrien Brody, Jason Segal, Michael Chiklis, and Sally Field. Quincy Isaiah is cast as Magic Johnson.
- Friday, March 11 - Season four of Formula 1: Drive to Survive hits Netflix. I can't believe I'm addicted to a show about racing, but I am.
- Wednesday, March 16 - Bad Vegan, the story of vegan restaurateur Sarma Melngailis, hits Netflix. This documentary series follows the rise of her vegan restaurant in New York City, and its dramatic downfall once she started dating a man who derailed everything.
- Friday, March 25 - I was already excited because this is the day season two of Bridgerton drops on Netflix, but now it is also the day that Lizzo's dance competition show premieres on Amazon Prime. It's called Watch Out for the Big Grrrls. You can watch the trailer here.
With the Oscars coming up on Sunday, March 27, I have been trying to catch up on the nominated films. I also made an amazing TV show discovery on Amazon. Let's get right into it.
1. CODA (Apple TV+) - A few people had recommended I check out this movie and I'm so happy I finally did. CODA stands for "Child of Deaf Adults," The main character in this story, Ruby, is the only hearing member of her family. Her parents and her older brother are deaf.
Ruby is a senior in high school and in addition to school, she works with her dad and brother on their fishing boat in Gloucester, MA. They rely on her to interpret for them. When Ruby's high school choir teacher discovers her raw talent for singing, he encourages her to prepare an audition for the prestigious Berklee College of Music in Boston.
As Ruby's family begins to realize that she may leave home to pursue this dream, they have to come to terms with losing the person who has helped them connect with the hearing world.
I am so glad I did not see this in a movie theater, because I ugly cried four times. There is something very emotional about the fact that Ruby's greatest passion (singing), is something her family cannot hear. In one particular scene, Ruby's dad asks her to sing her choir solo for him. He moves very close to her and puts his hands gently on her neck so he can feel the vibrations while she sings.
CODA is nominated for Best Picture, Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Supporting Actor (Troy Kotsur as Ruby's father, Frank). If you haven't had a chance to see this yet, bump it to the top of your list.
2. Being The Ricardos (Amazon) - Continuing on the Oscar train, I also watched Being the Ricardos, co-starring Nicole Kidman and Javier Bardem as Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz. I remember when it was first announced that Kidman would play Lucy there was quite an uproar. Many people thought the role should have gone to someone like Debra Messing (and not just because she has red hair).
I actually thought Kidman was great in this part. The movie centers around one particular week in the production of I Love Lucy when Lucille Ball was being called a communist in the news. The entire show was in jeopardy and she became obsessed with that episode turning out perfectly.
The story focuses on that crisis in the present day and then flashes back to earlier moments in Ball's career, as well as her romantic relationship with Arnaz.
Bardem is fantastic as Arnaz. I cannot explain it, but in every role he just has intense sex appeal and charisma. The cast is rounded out with J.K. Simmons as the actor who plays Fred Mertz, Tony Hale as the show's executive producer and Jake Lacy (The White Lotus) as one of the writers.
The movie is written and directed by Aaron Sorkin, the king of the workplace drama.
On Oscar night they will be celebrated with nominations for Best Actor (Bardem) and Best Actress (Kidman).
3. Funny Girl (Amazon) - One of my 2022 New Year's resolutions is to watch 10 movies from before I was born. This week I watched Funny Girl starring Barbara Streisand. The movie premiered in 1968. It was Streisand's first film role and she won an Oscar for this part.
Streisand plays Fanny Brice, a young woman with a love for performing on stage, but doesn't have the "traditional look." She carves out a niche for herself by adding humor to all her on-stage numbers. Her star quickly rises and soon she's on tour all over the country.
The best part of this movie is the costumes. The clothes, hair and makeup is magnificent. I couldn't get over the opulence! Also, many of the looks featured have now come back in style, like Fanny's black, wing-tipped eyeliner and her long, nude-colored manicures. She has Kardashian nails!
I never knew that the song "Don't Rain on My Parade" was from this movie. My memory of that song is Lea Michelle singing it on Glee. I also didn't know the phrase, "Sadie, Sadie, married lady," was from this too! That's actually the title of the Gilmore Girls episode where Lorelai and Max get engaged.
This movie is a ton of fun, but it's very long. Two hours and twenty-nine minutes to be exact. I definitely couldn't sit that long in a theater. If you're a musical theater fan, chances are you've already seen this, but if you haven't, take advantage of the fact that it's on Amazon!
4. Four More Shots Please (Amazon) - The most fun discovery I made this week was a TV show called Four More Shots Please. It was recommended to me while I was scrolling through Amazon's romance category. It's basically Sex and the City, but set in Mumbai, India.
Just like Sex and the City, the ladies of this show also meet up every week at the same spot, a place called Truck Bar. There's Damini, the writer. Anjana, the lawyer who is also a single mother. Umang, a celebrity personal trainer. And Siddhi, who is under extreme pressure from her parents to get married.
The show covers their professional lives, the drama with their families, and of course, their romantic relationships. There's a lot of humor, like Damini lusting after her silver fox gynecologist.
The show has a great pace, including amazing music. I found myself wanting to use Shazam to find out the name of every single song. The women also have killer style. There are two episodes focused around a wedding and all of their outfits for the entire weekend of celebrations were jaw-droppingly gorgeous.
There are two seasons available on Amazon, each with 10 episodes. They are about 28 minutes each. I think my favorite episode is number six during season one. It flashes back to the very first night all the girls met and you learn the origin of the show's name.
If you need a break from the heavy news cycle this week, this will provide a jolt of happiness.
There you have it! This week's suggestions.
I'm also watching season four of The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel and Jeen-Yuhs: The Kanye West Trilogy, but I am waiting to review those until I've seen all the episodes. More to come on those two!
*Images courtesy of Unplash, TODAY Show, NPR, Tribeca News and Amazon Prime Video.
