THE NORTHMAN | RUSSIAN DOLL Season 2 | THE UNBEARABLE WEIGHT OF MASSIVE TALENT | THEY CALL ME MAGIC
Pop Culture Weekly Round-Up 22/04/2022
Happy Friday, everyone! Another week is in the books and I’m here to give you guys some recommendations for your weekend. In this week’s newsletter, I have many thoughts on the amazing film, THE NORTHMAN. I also talk about how much I liked the second season of RUSSIAN DOLL and why Natasha Lyonne is one of the few celebrities that I would like to meet someday. I also talk about the super meta-movie THE UNBEARABLE WEIGHT OF MASSIVE TALENT which has Nick Cage just being Nick Cage and I also share some thoughts on the new Apple TV + docuseries, THEY CALL ME MAGIC, about the great Magic Johnson, And as always there is a playlist of five songs I was listening to last week.
QUICK THOUGHTS
RUSSIAN DOLL Season 2 - After a long wait, Netflix finally dropped the second season of this great series. The second season of RUSSIAN DOLL managed to bring an even greater level of mind-bending craziness than Season 1 did. In the first season, Nadia (Natasha Lyonne) was trapped in a time loop on her 36th birthday, forcing her to address her tragic past in a bleak but also funny examination of death. The second season messes with time yet again but uses the New York City subway system as a time travel device. And what a treat for the mind it is; The second season provides solutions to all of the issues that the first season raised, while keeping a few parts up in the air for your own interpretation. It also explores issues like trauma, loss, and predetermination (by fate, or some other force). I understand that Natasha Lyonne is not for everyone. But I really liked her performance and her comedic style in both seasons. She is one of the few celebrities out there that I would love to hang out with. I think she is so smart, funny, and doesn’t take herself seriously at all and I love that. I had a great time watching the second season of RUSSIAN DOLL and I think you will too.
THE UNBEARABLE WEIGHT OF MASSIVE TALENT has Nicolas Cage playing Nick Cage. That’s it. You don’t need any more information. Go watch the movie and thanks for reading! Nah, I’m kidding. This is a super clever, entertaining, and unique movie that only Mr. Cage could have pulled off. The movie plot is super simple though, the fictionalized version of Cage is broke and can’t land new gigs. Because of that, he is forced to accept a $1 million offer to attend the birthday of a dangerous super-fan (Pedro Pascal). But he ends up having to work as an informant for the CIA since the wealthy fan is actually a drug kingpin. Cage and Pascal are super fun together and they definitely keep things interesting. Whether or not you are a fan of the man, you will enjoy this experience. I had a lot of fun watching the movie but I have to say, as the plot becomes overly formulaic, the meta-joke loses a bit of its momentum. But hey, it was a good experience nonetheless.
THEY CALL ME MAGIC is an Apple TV+ 4-part documentary about Earvin “Magic” Johnson, one of the greatest basketball players that ever played in the NBA. It features interviews with Magic’s friends, family, and teammates, including Shaquille O’Neal, Snoop Dogg, Spike Lee, Dr. Anthony Fauci, Arsenio Hall, Barack Obama, and Bill Clinton. The doc covers Johnson’s time with the Lakers and the impact of his HIV diagnosis, community activism, and entrepreneurship. I have to be honest with you guys, I don’t care about sports at all. But there is one sports franchise that I care about and that is the Lakers. And the reason I care about them is Magic. So I was pretty interested in watching this documentary when I heard about it. But unfortunately, it isn’t as good as I was expecting. My main problem with the doc is its length. I think Magic’s story could probably have been told in a 90-minute. The first two episodes have nothing new. Mostly him playing and winning championships for the Lakers. So if you are a Lakers fan, you already have watched that many times. And if you are not a Lakers fan, I don’t think you will care too much about it. But in the last two episodes, things become a lot more interesting. Magic talks candidly about his struggles after his HIV diagnosis and it was inspiring to see how he took advantage of the terrible circumstances to tackle higher causes. He became a driving force in informing the public about a condition that was once thought to be deadly. And as an entrepreneur, he also supported marginalized communities all over America. It was also interesting to see his son, EJ, talking about the pressures of growing up gay as Magic’s son. But besides these topics, there is no really new information about Magic in the doc.
THE NORTHMAN
For me THE NORTHMAN, it's one of the most anticipated films of 2022. Filmmaker Robert Eggers' monumental and fascinating insight into Viking mythology is a dark, brutal, gorgeous, and absolutely insane film. Egger made an impressive debut in 2015 with THE WITCH, followed by the odd but amazingly good THE LIGHTHOUSE in 2019. This time around he gives us a powerful tale of hatred and revenge. The story is a loose adaption of Amleth, a 13th-century tragic story about a father's murder, a killer uncle, and a young boy who has watched it all and seeks vengeance. This is also the story that inspired William Shakespeare's Hamlet. And while Amleth's story has a predictable ending, the overall arc of his journey takes surprising and disturbing twists.
In terms of presenting Viking culture and lifestyle, the film is both enjoyable and quite accurate. The writing is great and the plot moves along at a good pace. The entire cast gives outstanding performances, especially Nicole Kidman and Anya Taylor Joy. But Alexander Skarsgård proves that he has what it takes to be a lead actor. He probably gives his best performance to date as the cast-out revenge-driven son.
Every frame in THE NORTHMAN is packed with amazing creativity. I loved how Eggers captures almost every scene in long shots that are graceful and meticulously orchestrated. Giving the action/battle scenes the precision and intensity of a ritualistic ceremony. The cinematography, the costume design, and the production design of the sets are all amazing. I also always enjoy seeing Eggers’ visual style that emphasizes flickering flames, shadows, and outstanding camera work.
THE NORTHMAN is one of the most striking and ostentatious revenge films I have ever seen. This definitely isn't your typical Viking movie. And I was also pleased to see that Robert Eggers found that sweet spot where art-house film eccentricities meet the Hollywood blockbuster extravaganza. He really has one of the most unique minds of his generation.
TOP 5 SONGS
These were the 5 songs on heavy rotation in my house last week. You can listen to them on Spotify and YouTube.
I’m looking forward to Season 2 of Russian Doll. I’m a huge fan of Natasha Lyonne. She’s always seemed like someone I’d want to take my breaks at work with.
I'm looking forward to the Northman. Thanks for your thoughts!