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India Today
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- India Today
There is too much trauma on TV and it is killing all the joy
A few weeks ago, a friend suggested that I watch Dope Thief on Apple TV+. Like everyone else, I too enjoy a good movie or TV series that can be classified as a thriller. It is usually good entertainment in the evening, and more so when, after a day in the office, you are not in the mood to ponder over love and life in a Woody Allen movie. So, last week I fired up Dope Thief. The first episode went well enough. The second one wilted a little. The third was down in the dumps. And by the fourth one, I found the Dope Thief crashing and shattering into thousands of little pieces all over my TV this was a well-received show among critics. Usually, I tend to vibe well with stuff that has lots of red on Rotten Tomatoes. But of late, I am also finding many of these highly-rated shows unwatchable. Dope Thief is one. Wheel of Time season 3 is another recent one. I loved Bad Sisters season 1 but couldn't watch season 2 beyond three episodes. Zero Day, despite Robert De Niro, was terrible. Adolescence, a darling of critics and a topic of conversation on a dinner table, was barely tolerable for me. Even superhero and gaming stuff — The Penguin, The Daredevil Returns, and The Last of Us — was missing a verve and felt sluggish in the thrills it Penguin Lessons and The Friend, two movies with a big tender heart in their centre, too turned out to be somewhat less wholesome for me. There are many examples. This made me ponder: either there is something wrong with how I am approaching these movies and TV shows, or there is something subtly broken with the entertainment we are getting nowadays on our I don't have an answer yet as to which is which and what is what. But I have a hunch. I am finding this stuff on TV unbearable because there is too much trauma in it. By that, I don't mean to say that watching them is traumatic — although something like The Eternaut can give most people a chill. I mean, there is too much trauma in the plot, and often this trauma comes to the screen in flashbacks that not only break the narrative flow but also try to explain the world and everything else in a therapy-speak that is heavy-handed. Actually, it is as if they are shoving the narrative down our Thief, for example, does it with these quick and very short — less than a minute — trauma bursts that take over the vision and thoughts of Ray Driscoll, its lead character. It is the same in almost everything that is coming to screens nowadays. The plot is driven by some trauma or other, the characters act or don't act in rational or irrational manner because — you guessed it — this trauma or that. What happened 15 years ago to a character is the thread that runs through their life-story now. What happened to them yesterday takes over the thoughts of the lead characters today. They move through the plot dazed and compelled, without any human agency that can make them accountable for their own is explained. And trauma is used to explain it all. Increasingly, watching a TV series or a movie is akin to tuning into a psychoanalysis lecture. It is like watching Sigmund Freud unravel each character in all their ugliness. It gives no joy. If the character gulped a glass full of whisky, it is probably because they are nursing a trauma from yesterday. If they are mean to their neighbour's cat, they are mean because of some childhood trauma, and this trauma is laid bare by the show for its movies and TV series nowadays, in one way or another, have plots driven by the past. It is as if the world has stopped living in the present collectively. That is infuriating because it means we are always watching things 'explained' instead of things 'unfolding.' At least, that is the impression I get. Explanation makes things banal, it strips the moments and acts of their mystery. This is the reason why Samuel Beckett, in a thinly veiled attack at viewers, wrote in his play Endgame: 'Ah, the creatures, the creatures, everything has to be explained to them.'advertisementExplanations make the narrative flat, which is what I find in most popular TV shows and movies. They are flat without layers, and the overuse of trauma strips them of irony, absurdity and satire. The effect, I believe, is the opposite of what they want to achieve. With all the explaining and use of trauma as a torch, they hope to reveal reality. Instead, by robbing plots and their characters of mystery, absurdity and irony, the TV shows and movies nowadays make them unreal and was different earlier. Why can't a character be evil because that is the way they are? Or why can't they be supremely kind because that is how they are? Why does it have to be explained? Some of the great characters I remember from movies and TV shows leave an impression because they exist without any explanations. Chigurh from No Country For Old Man is a great villain, and brilliantly psychotic, because he is what he is. No trauma required. Just a toss of a coin is sufficient for him. Amelie, yes that French girl, is made of light because she is what she is. Again, no trauma TV shows and movies of late have become unnecessarily heavy and weighty. They have become too ponderous, even in genres where they don't need to be. That is probably the reason why even Marvel stuff has lost its floaty and fun aspect. That is a pity. Because weight is an ingredient that spoils anything that is Calvino warned against this weight in his essays for the future. In his essays in 1985 - later published as Six Memos For The Next Millennium - he talked about weight. In an essay titled Lightness, Calvino argued against making art heavy. His idea was that the best art is light and has a quality that makes it effervescent. He wrote that after accumulating all the experience as a writer, his 'method has (now) entailed, more often than not, the subtraction of weight.' He gave a lot of credence to weight in the beginning, he wrote. But now he had realised that it was the lightness that we all should chase. I feel that somewhere in the last ten years, movies and TV shows have increasingly lost this quality of being light. They have become too heavy and that is because of all the trauma they pack nowadays.(Javed Anwer is Technology Editor, India Today Group Digital. Latent Space is a weekly column on tech, world, and everything in between. The name comes from the science of AI and to reflect it, Latent Space functions in the same way: by simplifying the world of tech and giving it a context)(Views expressed in this opinion piece are those of the author)Must Watch
The Guardian
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
Oscars, eyebrows and accents: Anjelica Huston's best roles - ranked!
Wielding a Belarusian accent like a weapon, Huston joins the Wickiverse as The Director, head of the Ruska Roma syndicate, who is forced to help Wick when every assassin in Manhattan is trying to kill him. She can also be seen bullying a dancer, a taste of things to come since The Director will be back very soon, in Ballerina, the new Wick spin-off starring Ana de Armas (out on 6 June). In 1949 New York, a Polish refugee finds himself married to three women. Paul Mazursky's adaptation of Isaac Bashevis Singer's tragicomedy is like straight-faced Woody Allen, and Huston nabbed her second Academy Award nomination for playing Tamara, a cynical yet sensitive concentration camp survivor. A pity the film doesn't revolve around her instead of her less compelling husband. Drew Barrymore makes an adorable proto-feminist heroine in this daft but charming revisionist Cinderella. Meanwhile, Huston's eyebrows are working overtime, but she still imbues her wicked stepmother with more nuance than we usually see in a panto villain. If only Disney had taken this as the model for their live-action fairytale remakes. In Woody Allen's darkest film, Huston plays Dolores, a flight attendant whose lover (Martin Landau) takes drastic action when she threatens to ruin his marriage. Allen himself stars in a lighter parallel thread, but it's the Dostoevskian half that packs the punch here, helped by Huston's fearlessly uningratiating performance as a woman at the end of her tether. Stephen Frears' film of Jim Thompson's novel about a trio of small-time scammers in Los Angeles is powered by Huston's Oscar-nominated performance as a bleached-blond con artist whose feelings towards her adult son (John Cusack) may be more than just maternal. It's scrappy, lowlife Greek tragedy, capped by Huston's gut-wrenching howl of despair. In the first of her five films for Wes Anderson, Huston plays Etheline, wife of a neglectful patriarch (Gene Hackman), and holds her own amid the wacky characters and directorial quirks by playing it low-key, almost naturalistic. No wonder her accountant (Danny Glover) is smitten. Was there ever such a delightfully romantic couple as Huston and Raul Julia as Morticia and Gomez Addams? Barry Sonnenfeld's directing debut is little more than a procession of deliciously morbid sight gags and punchlines ripped straight from the original New Yorker cartoons, but who cares when Huston is giving a masterclass in deadpan delivery, and looking fabulous with it? 'Don't torture yourself, Gomez. That's my job.' On the set of John Huston's black comedy, Anjelica overheard someone saying, 'Her father is the director, her boyfriend's the star, and she has no talent.' She duly silenced any whispers of nepotism by stealing every scene she was in, as Maerose, a scheming mafia princess trying to win back her ex (Jack Nicholson, with whom she had a long-term relationship). She was the third generation of Hustons to bag an Academy Award. In a perfect world, Huston would have won another Oscar for her formidable German-accented turn as the Grand High Witch in Nicolas Roeg's film of Roald Dahl's kiddie horror-comedy. Roeg insisted she wear a 'sexy' dress, and before she removes her wig to reveal her true witchy self in all its Jim Henson Creature Shop hideousness, she does indeed look splendid, as well as terrifying. Huston, who grew up in her father's house in Galway, fits right in with the Irish ensemble cast of the director's small but perfectly formed final film, adapted (by her brother Tony) from a story by James Joyce, set during and after a party in snowy Dublin, 1904. She is deeply affecting as a woman whose melancholy reminiscence of a long-lost love triggers a bittersweet epiphany in her husband. 'One by one, we are all becoming shades,' he reflects. Sublime.
Yahoo
7 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
5 new Hulu movies with over 90% on Rotten Tomatoes to stream in June 2025
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. If you've yet to start compiling your summer watchlist, look no further than Hulu's latest movie library refresh, which is set to arrive in the coming weeks. As always, it's the movies with over 90% on Rotten Tomatoes that we keep an eye out for, and once again, Hulu is delivering – we'd expect nothing less from one of the best streaming services. The sci-fi classic Aliens (1986) will be coming to the platform along with six other installments from the Alien franchise which, along with Doug Liman's Edge of Tomorrow (2014), makes it a great month for sci-fi and action fans. But it's not just sci-fi that's making waves on Hulu this month There are highly-rated dramas, including a Woody Allen comedy-drama and a Richard Linklater romance, both from the early 2010s, plus a 2023 western. RT score: 94%Runtime: 137 minutesDirector: James CameronArriving on: June 1 Aliens debunks the myth that the original is better than the sequel; it was one of the highest grossing movies of 1986, it earned Sigourney Weaver an Oscar nomination, and is still highly favored over the prequel Alien (1979) by critics and sci-fi buffs alike. In the years following the alien attack on a spaceship, sole survivor Lt. Ripley (Weaver) has been floating through space for the past 57 years when she's rescued by the Weyland-Yutani Corporation. After losing communications with the human colony where the original alien eggs were found, Ripley returns to the site to find it completely destroyed along with a terrified young girl named Newt (Carrie Henn). RT score: 98%Runtime: 109 minutesDirector: Richard LinklaterArriving on: June 1 In 1995 Richard Linklater directed Before Sunrise, the first movie in his romantic drama trilogy and where the love story between Jesse (Ethan Hawke) and Celine (Julie Delpy) all began. The third installment sees the return of Linklater's characters almost 10 years after the release of Before Sunset (2004), the second chapter in their love story. Now a couple, the final movie follows Jesse and Celine on a Greek vacation with their children. Reflecting on the ups and downs on their relationship history the two reminisce in their love story, remembering the very first time they met 20 years prior on a train to Vienna. RT score: 90%Age rating: Runtime: 98 minutesDirector: Woody AllenArriving on: June 1 Give me anything with Cate Blanchett, and I shall be sat. As well as Blanchett, this Woody Allen comedy-drama stars more familiar faces from Alec Baldwin, to Sally Hawkins, and Bobby Cannavale - earning Blanchett the Best Actress Oscar. New York socialite Jasmine (Blanchett) is going through a rough patch and her marriage to her rich businessman husband Hal (Baldwin) is failing miserably. With no where else to go she moves to San Francisco to live with her sister Ginger (Hawkins), a working-class woman and the total opposite to Jasmine. Though she has limited life and job skills, she is forced to take up a regular job with which is reluctant, and start a new life away from the high society culture she's used to. RT score: 91%Age rating: PG-13Runtime: 113 minutesDirector: Doug Liman Arriving on: June 1 Before directing Edge of Tomorrow, Doug Liman had previous experience working on action movies, most notably The Bourne Identity (2002) and Mr & Mrs. Smith (2005), all of which laid the groundwork for his approach to taking on a high-value production with Tom Cruise and Emily Blunt at the forefront. In this sci-fi action epic, Europe has succumbed to an invasion of an invincible alien race. Public relations officer with no combat experience William Cage (Cruise) is tasked with a suicide mission, and is killed instantly. He learns that he's caught in a time loop, and after reliving the same fights and death over again his skills and strength grow stronger bringing him and comrade Rita (Blunt) closer to victory. RT score: 91%Age rating: RRuntime: 99 minutesDirector: Luke GilfordArriving on: June 5 The newest release in my list comes from 2023, and is a western drama flick by Luke Gilford in his feature directorial debut. After premiering at South by Southwest in 2023 Film and TV festival, it had a theatrical release in summer 2024. This is western like you've never seen it done before. Dylan (Charlie Plummer) is a 21-year-old construction worker with a soft nature, taking jobs wherever he can to support his family. He comes across a new job at a New Mexico ranch ran by queer rodeo performers, and is immediately welcomed into their family. When Dylan meets Sky (Eve Lindley), he uncovers an emotional connection with her and, much like the others, starts putting the pieces of his own identity together. FX confirms Shōgun season 2 is still far-off returning to Disney+ and Hulu, but two of the best characters will be back 5 of the biggest streaming announcements from Warner Bros. Discovery Upfront 2025, from HBO Max shows to the new Superman trailer Alien: Earth – everything we know so far about FX's Alien TV show coming to Hulu and Disney+
Evening Standard
14-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Evening Standard
Cannes controversies: now critics protest about lack of access to stars
Cannes has never been overly keen on commenting on the behaviour of filmmakers or stars, with the likes of Woody Allen and Roman Polanski welcomed with open arms on the red carpet in previous years. This year, the festival could not avoid questions about Depardieu during the opening press conference. Festival jury president Juliette Binoche, who starred with Depardieu in Let the Sunshine In, stated: 'He's a man who lost his aura owing to facts that occurred and were looked at by a court'. She went on to say that it was a landmark #MeToo moment in France and that the festival was in synch with the times.
Daily Mail
14-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Fans are horrified by Hollywood star Sean Penn's appearance during bombshell interview
Sean Penn's fans were shocked by the actor's 'rough' appearance on the Louis Theroux Podcast on Monday. During the interview, the star, 64, made several explosive claims, notably expressing doubt about director Woody Allen's alleged 1992 molestation of his daughter Dylan Farrow. However, it was his weathered look and a bright red bruise on his nose that had fans talking in the comments. Penn appeared tired, with noticeable bags under his eyes, and sported disheveled grey hair and a beard. 'He looks rough,' one person wrote underneath a clip from the interview shared on X, while another surprised commentator asked: 'He's only 64?!?' 'I'm his age. My 95 year old father looks younger than him,' someone else added. A fourth added: 'Dang he aged like a worn leather handbag,' while another commented: 'He looks okay for a man in his 80s.' During the interview, Penn made a number of eyebrow raising statements, including his support of Allen. It's been 26 years since Penn worked with Allen on his film Sweet And Lowdown, and he would 'do it again in a heartbeat' despite the disgraced director's 2019 #MeToo reckoning. 'If it was the right [project],' the humanitarian cautioned on the podcast. Penn previously portrayed guitarist Emmet Ray opposite Samantha Morton's mute Hattie in the 89-year-old filmmaker's 1930s-set comedy, which earned them both Academy Award nominations. Now and then: Sean was a far cry from his usual chiseled good looks, seen right in 2011 Penn does not believe Mia Farrow 's 1992 allegation that her ex-partner Woody (born Allan Konigsberg) molested her seven-year-old adopted daughter Dylan. The two-time Oscar winner scoffed: 'I am not aware of any clinical psychologist or psychiatrist or anyone I've ever heard talk or spoken to around the subject of pedophilia that in 80 years of life, there's accusations of it happening only once. 'And when people try to associate what were his, let's say, much younger girlfriends, right or wrong is not the conversation here, but post-puberty, consensual stuff is to me a different conversation. 'So, I just think that whatever is the worst of people's suspicions about him, just check him with the facts separate from the moment and the movement and all. Who benefited from that. Let's just take a second. That's all I'm saying. I see he's not proven guilty, so I take him as innocent, and I would work with him in a heartbeat.' Farrow publicly accused Allen of the crime seven months after discovering his secret affair with her 21-year-old adopted daughter Soon-Yi Previn. The four-time Oscar winner - who was never charged or prosecuted and has vehemently denied the allegation - quickly sued Mia for full custody of their son Satchel (now Ronan) and her adopted children Dylan and Moses. In his 33-page decision in 1993, Justice Elliott Wilk rejected Woody's bid for full custody of all three of their children and called his behavior toward Dylan 'grossly inappropriate' while also rejecting the sexual abuse allegations. In 1997, Allen married Soon-Yi and they adopted two daughters - now 26-year-old Bechet Allen and 25-year-old Manzie Tio Allen. And while 39-year-old Dylan stands by the allegations, her 47-year-old brother Moses publicly denied she was ever abused and alleged Mia had abused him in a 2018 WordPress post. Mia has denied that allegation. 'With these things, I don't know anyone well enough to say, "100 percent, this didn't happen, that didn't happen,"' Sean noted. 'The stories are mostly told by people that I wouldn't trust with a dime. It just seems so heavily weighted in that way.' Woody's last American movie - A Rainy Day in New York - coincided with the #MeToo movement in 2019 and cast members Elle Fanning, Selena Gomez, Timothee Chalamet, Rebecca Hall, and Griffin Newman donated their salaries to support sexual assault organizations.
