Wednesday, July 31, 2019

"Big Little Lies" season 3?

From the moment they announced there was going to be a second season of Big Little Lies, my assumption has been that this was it. The first season was to be a limited series, as the story was based on Liane Moriarty's novel of the same name. But after the enormous success of that project, there was a call for more--from fans, and likely the actors involved as well.

I'm thrilled that (for the most part) the second season was very well-received, considering Meryl was a big part of it. But the season was an afterthought, really. Moriarty wrote a 100-page novella as the template for the second season. That was then drafted into a script which gave us the seven-episode second iteration of the series. And now we have a drama series, rather than a limited series.

HBO executives have stated that the likelihood is very low that a third season will happen, which I totally expected. There have, however, been a few blurbs recently from producers/stars Nicole Kidman and Reese Witherspoon, stating that the they don't want to answer every question about what the cliffhanger from the season two finale means. "A little mystery," as Kidman suggests, is good, especially if they cook up that third season to answer those pesky curiosities.

I still think it's less than a 10% chance that it'll happen. Even if they have more to tell in the story and it gets green-lit (which shouldn't be a problem considering how popular the show is), the bigger obstacle would be getting all the starts on board again. And of course, we don't even know if Meryl's character would be a part of that third season story.

But you never know...


Friday, July 26, 2019

Streep to receive Tribute Actor Award at TIFF

Meryl is just always in the news these days. Several sources are reporting that she will be the recipient of Toronto International Film Festival's Tribute Actor Award.

From TIFF:

Meryl Streep is undoubtedly one of the most talented and versatile actors of her generation,” TIFF co-head Joana Vicente said in a statement. “Her tremendous contribution to cinema, television, and the stage spans five decades; from her early roles in “The Deer Hunter,” “Kramer vs. Kramer,” and “Sophie’s Choice” to later films including “The Devil Wears Prada,” “The Iron Lady,” and “The Post,” she has portrayed characters that are as compelling as they are timeless. TIFF could not be more thrilled to honor such a skilled and exemplary artist.

The award will be given during a gala event on September 9. I'm guessing that she will be in attendance for it. The Laundromat is set for its North American premiere at the festival, which runs September 5-15. 

It seems the campaign is already on. 

Thursday, July 25, 2019

"The Laundromat" also heading to Venice

Just a couple days after the announcement that The Laundromat will be shown at the Toronto International Film Festival in September, multiple sources are reporting today that the film will also be shown in competition at the Venice Film Festival. Venice runs from August 28-September 7, so technically, the world premiere might actually be there? No word yet on which day the film will be shown for each festival. 

Also, and to my great surprise, the sources reporting this morning's news are describing The Laundromat as a "dark comedy." I was not expecting that at all. Apparently Meryl's character sort of unearths the tax-avoidance scheme of Mossack-Fonseca. The fact that it apparently will have some light-heartedness to it is actually kind of refreshing, considering how dry the tagline sort of reads.

Are we not going to get at least a teaser trailer beforehand?!

Tuesday, July 23, 2019

"The Laundromat" to premiere in Toronto

Multiple sources are reporting today that Steven Soderbergh's Netflix drama The Laundromat will premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival, as one of its "Special Presentations." We also got our first official still from the movie, with Meryl in a solo pic:


We still don't really know how big Meryl's role is going to be in this film. It seems likely that it's more than a glorified cameo, considering she's always listed first when the film is discussed in print. The fact that she's also the one shown in the first official still, maybe she's actually going to be closer to lead?  That would be amazing and exciting. Regardless, it's fun to know we'll have reactions and/or reviews from the film in just about six weeks. 

TIFF runs from September 5-15, and The Laundromat is set for release in theaters and on Netflix on November 1. 

Sunday, July 21, 2019

Episode 7 of "Big Little Lies"

That's it, folks. Seven weeks never went so fast, and with it, the second season of Big Little Lies is in the history books.

They didn't waste any time getting to the scene we were all waiting for. Celeste went at Mary Louise hard on the witness stand, painting her as the genesis for why her son Perry turned into the monster he was. It was probably predictable that Celeste would get custody, but I found it nerve-wracking regardless. I have to admit that I started to feel an ounce of sympathy for Mary Louise--a credit to Meryl of course, when she started to feel the guilt of her responsibility in how she raised her son. The part where Max and Josh were sent over to give her a hug after the judgement put a little knot in my throat.

Thank God Ed and Madeline just buried the hatchet already. Glad to see that Renata dumped Gordon, and Jane looks like she might be happy to pursue things with Corey. I was totally ready to see a scene at the end where Bonnie drives herself off the road, or Mary Louise sees her in the car and runs her off the road or tries to crash into her, killing herself and Bonnie in the process. Instead, we see the Monterey Five respond to Bonnie's text and join her in walking into the police department, no doubt to confess and bring some closure to all.

The ending leaves things open for a third season, and there are reports recently of Nicole Kidman saying she'd be up for it, but I don't see it happening. HBO bosses have already gone on record saying it's unlikely. Honestly, I wouldn't mind seeing this show continue, but the cast probably just won't be able to all get together to make it happen, even if they all had interest. And Meryl likely wouldn't really be involved regardless.

Wild to think that it will be a year before we know how it fares for Emmy nominations. But there are of course the Golden Globe and SAG award noms coming up in just over four months!

I'll leave everyone with this little gem of an exchange between Meryl and the great Laura Dern:

Monday, July 15, 2019

Episode 6 of "Big Little Lies"

Only one left. The latest episode essentially revolved around the unfolding custody battle between Celeste and Mary Louise. I have to admit, I was pretty uncomfortable for much of the episode. The entire time Celeste was on the stand was a wrenching display of victim and slut-shaming, and Nicole Kidman's negotiation of those emotions and her reactions to the dick lawyer were painfully wonderful. I suspect that I'm not alone in the ever-increasing contempt I have for Meryl's character. Her smug looks and shameless exploitation of an abused woman (the mother of her grandchildren, by the way) just make me want to walk up to her and say something nasty. Jane had the same feeling, apparently, as she showed up at Mary Louise's door and basically hollered, "Call this off you crazy bitch."



I thought Zoƫ Kravitz did a nice job in the scene where she tells her presumably sleeping mother that she killed Perry. I'm not a big fan of the storyline with her mom, but it helps give some background on why she pushed him and why she's struggled so much with the aftermath. I'm totally bored with Madeline and Ed's marital woes. They're having the same conversation nine different ways and they're both just getting annoying. Either break up or have a crazy makeup fuck, already. And poor Renata takes another hit from her slimeball husband, who evidently forgot to mention that in addition to squandering their fortune, he was sleeping with the nanny.

Next week of course is the season (and likely series) finale, and we'll get to see Celeste scrutinize Mary Louise's fitness for custody, as she interrogates her mother-in-law on the stand. It's going to be TV gold, and hopefully it gives Meryl an opportunity to shine, as well as provide the viewers with a few more answers as to why she is the way that she is.

Six weeks has flown by!

Wednesday, July 10, 2019

Positive reactions to test screenings of "Little Women"

My go-to for film news, Awards Watch, has been buzzing today with news that there have a been a couple of screenings of Greta Gerwig's upcoming adaptation of Little Women. Meryl of course has a small role in the film as Aunt March. Most recently on Monday, the film was screened in Los Angeles to favorable reactions. I found a blog called World of Reel that evidently has access to those reactions (whether they're from Twitter users or whatever, but we'll assume the people actually saw the movie).

Big takeaways for me were that Saoirse Ronan is great (shocking), Florence Pugh is best in show at Amy, and TimothƩe Chalamet is good, but possibly a little too modern-seeming. No word on Meryl, but again, she's got a bit part. Gerwig's direction is praised, as well as the score by frequent Oscar contender Alexandre Desplat. There are rumors that Emma Watson is the weak link, with some even going so far as to say that some of Laura Dern's scenes were cut because they were mostly with Watson. That could be hyperbole, however, and time will tell as always.

Little Women opens Christmas Day.

Emma Watson, Florence Pugh, Saoirse Ronan, and Eliza Scanlen

Sunday, July 7, 2019

Episode 5 of "Big Little Lies"

Ugh, I hate cliffhangers. Let's just start with that last scene. Bonnie's really struggling and we see her at the end approaching the police station. Then out comes Corey, the guy Jane is seeing, and they lock eyes. The way Corey was leaving the station, I got the impression that he was being interrogated, but he could also be undercover?

It didn't really seem like all that much happened in this episode, but it was more of a setting up week for the big drama to finally unfold. Celeste and Mary Louise are in the thick of the custody battle now, and it's looking more like grandma might have a chance at partial custody. This was probably the least screen time Meryl had in any of the episodes. I was wishing to have a better back and forth in her scene with Laura Dern (Renata), but it just turned out being Mary Louise interrupting with snide comments about Renata's lack of furniture. I hope there's another layer that Meryl is yet to show in the last two episodes.

Shailene Woodley continues to impress. Her scene with Corey where she breaks down was pretty touching, and it will make it all the more powerful if it turns out the Corey is somehow a plant for the police. And what the hell was with the scene at the bar with Ed and Tori? Are she and Joseph trying to have a threeway? Or is it just some weird revenge thing that Tori wants because Madeline slept with her husband? 

Several unanswered questions in this episode, and although I think it was my least favorite, it's the most excited I've been to see the next one, because I want some answers!