Rosy the Reviewer's Favorite TV Series of 2022

It's been a good year for some really interesting, challenging and fun TV series.  I wish I could say the same thing for this year at the movies.

Here is what I watched and loved!

The White Lotus - Season 2

Once again a disparate group of people come together at the White Lotus resort and once again there is a dead body but this time the White Lotus is in Sicily.

The ending of Season 2 of this series has sparked more controversy than any other series this season (and no, I won't give it away).  If you were expecting Season 2 to be a continuation of Season 1 with the same setting and the same characters, you would be wrong. 

This series has turned out to be more of an anthology series starring various characters vacationing at a White Lotus resort in various locations.  Last season, the series was set in Hawaii.  This time it's Sicily and the only returning characters from Season 1 are Tanya (Jennifer Coolidge) and Greg (Jon Gries).  However, Season 2 is just as good as Season 1, if not better, and many of the themes from Season 1 remain - class dynamics, wealthy people with issues and... murder. 

Season 2 begins with a flash forward. A dead body is discovered in the water and there are rumors of other people found dead.

Then in a flashback, we meet the new cast of characters. Like I said, Tanya is back and is now married to Greg, though their relationship is rocky.  Tanya has brought her young assistant, Portia (Haley Lu Richardson), along and Greg is not happy about that so Tanya orders Portia to stay out of sight.  Portia meets young Albie (Adam DiMarco) who is at the resort with his father, Dominic (Michael Imperioli) and his grandfather Bert (F. Murray Abraham), who are in Sicily to get in touch with their roots and find some long lost relatives.  Dominic's marriage is also on the rocks due to his many affairs and Bert is just a dirty old man.  Other guests include married couple Ethan (Will Sharpe) and Harper (Aubrey Plaza), who have joined Ethan's old college roommate, Cameron and his wife, Daphne. Harper doesn't like Cameron (Theo James) and Daphne (Meghann Fahy), finding them fake. This time the hotel manager is Valentina (Sabrina Impacciatore), a seemingly unhappy woman, and it doesn't help that she is constantly having to keep tabs on sex workers, Lucia (Simona Tabasco) and Mia (Beatrice Granno), who keep insinuating themselves into the lives of the hotel guests. 

It all makes for a delicious mix of drama and dark comedy. 

Everyone has a storyline, but the heart of the series is Tanya, a dippy but very wealthy woman. Her husband,Greg, tells her he has to go back to the States for work, but Tanya is suspicious, thinking he is having an affair. Bored and adrift at the resort, Tanya meets Quentin (Tom Hollander) and his friends, a group of gay men who "adopt" her.  The handsome and mysterious, Jack (Leo Woodall), Quentin's "nephew," befriends Portia who in turn dumps Albie and Albie ends up with Mia. More drama ensues. And then there is the mystery about that dead body.  Who is going to die?

Created by Mike White, this is social satire at its most brilliant.

The story moves at a fast pace, the characters are interesting, the dialogue is snappy and the Sicilian landscapes are breathtaking. The San Domenican Palace stands in for the White Lotus, and it's beautiful, but if you are hoping to plan a vacation to Sicily so you can stay there, forget it.  For one thing, the suites with views are $3000 a night and the place is already totally booked. The power of TV!

Rosy the Reviewer says...can't wait for Season 3! What character(s) will return?

Welcome to Chippendales

This docudrama series tells the story of Somen "Steve" Banerjee, the guy who came up with the idea for Chippendales, and the evil deeds that took place.

Kumail Nanjiani plays Somen "Steve" Banerjee, an Indian immigrant who in the 1980's worked his way up from gas station owner to become the owner of the most famous and successful male strip club in Los Angeles - Chippendales. But Banerjee wasn't happy with that. Banerjee was an immigrant seeking the American Dream and that dream was to be the next Hugh Hefner, the top dog. He couldn't stomach competition so perhaps a little fire might start at a bar that also had male dancers? And then there was his partner and choreographer, Nick di Noia (Murray Bartlett), who was handsome and charismatic, appearing on talk shows to promote the club and being called "Mr. Chippendales." And when he opened a very successful club in New York City and then took the Chippendales dancers on tour with even more success, Banerjee was livid, so livid that murder came to mind.

Who knew that handsome men taking off their clothes and wiggling their butts could cause such havoc?

This is a departure for Nanjiana who is more known for comedies but he carries the role brilliantly. Other standouts are Annaleigh Ashford as Irene, Banerjee's very sweet and supportive wife, Irene, who finally lets Steve have it when she finds out what he is really up to, and Bartlett, who fans of "White Lotus" will recognize as Armand, the White Lotus manager from Season 1. Well, maybe you won't recognize him. I didn't at first, probably because he is one of those really good actors - a chameleon. And the rest of the ensemble cast is first rate, including Juliette Lewis, playing her usual kooky self.

Rosy the Reviewer says....created for television by Robert Siegel, this dramatization of how the male stripper franchise "Chippendales" came to be and the criminal activity that ensued is riveting. Nanjiani is a revelation as Banerjee and you won't be able to take your eyes off of him...or this exceptional series.

Firefly Lane - Season 2

A dramatic series that follows the friendship of two women from their teens to their forties.

This is decidedly a bit of a soap opera, but there is a reason soap operas are so popular. There is lots of drama! Taken from the novels by Kristin Hannah, and adapted by Maggie Friedman, Season 2 continues where Season 1 left off and continues the story of the friendship of Tully Hart (Katherine Heigl) and Kate Malarkey (Sarah Chalke), two besties, who met each other in the 1970's as middle-schoolers when Tully moved across the street from Kate on Firefly Lane.

Tully was the beautiful, popular and strong one, Kate, nerdy and smart and the series follows the ups and downs of their friendship over three decades, hopping around in time. Tully becomes a celebrated television anchor, Kate works along with her but also marries, Johnny (Ben Lawson), and has a child. As Season 1 wraps up, Tully and Kate are at a funeral and Kate tells Tully she is not welcome! What could have caused the rift between these two long-time friends?

So, Season 2.

Season 2 focuses more on Tully and her relationship with her hippie mother, Cloud (Beau Garrett), and Tully's search for her father, who she never knew. As for Kate, the series explores her relationship with Johnny - they got married, they broke up, they got back together. Tully and Kate work together to film a documentary about finding Tully's father but the two eventually have a falling out. Then Kate has a health scare and realizes she needs her friend but when she goes to Tully's apartment to rekindle their relationship, Tully is gone.

To be continued. This is the last season of "Firefly Lane," but the season's 16 episodes have been divided into two different "seasons," so the final eight episodes will come out in 2023.  So we are still on that cliff, hanging.

Katherine Heigl and Sarah Chalke play the adult Tully and Kate and do a good job of portraying the yin and yang of Tully’s and Kate’s friendship, but Ali Skovbye and Roan Curtis are just as good as the young Tully and Kate.

Like I said, this is a bit of a soap opera but there is a reason why soap operas are so successful. They engage us with characters we root for and intriguing plots and that describes this series.

Rosy the Reviewer says….despite my comment about the soap opera aspect of this series, it’s a coming of age tale that not only celebrates female friendship, but explores what it was like for women coming of age in a time when they suddenly had more choices and how difficult it can be to make the right ones. If you loved “Beaches," you will love this.

From Scratch

While studying in Sicily, an American woman falls in love with a local chef.

When American student, Amy (Zoe Saldana), meets Lino (Eugenio Mastrandrea), a handsome Sicilian chef, and falls in love, she doesn't realize the cultural shock she will go through.  It's a clash of cultures and just as a chef starts dishes from scratch, so too must these two lovebirds "start from scratch" to make their relationship work. 

Based on Tembi Locke's memoir of the same name, Lino's traditional Sicilian family does not approve of Amy, especially when he moves with her to Los Angeles. Amy has a loving but boisterous, opinionated family and Lino must also get used to Amy's life in America but time passes.  Lino and Amy adopt a child and things look like they will work out.  But then tragedy strikes and everyone must "start from scratch" again.

Zoe Saldana is a very sincere actress.  She is one of those actresses you believe whether she is painted blue in "Avatar" or here as a young mother coping with tragedy. Eugenio Mastrandrea is also believable, and might I add, handsome?  He is someone to watch.

Rosy the Reviewer says...a well-acted and touching love story.

Only Murders in the Building - Season 2

There has been another murder in the building!

This time in Season 2 of this hilarious series, it's the Anconia's HOA President, Bunny Folger (Jayne Houdyshell) who is murdered, and neighbors and amateur detectives Charles-Haden Savage (Steve Martin), Oliver Putnam (Martin Short), and Mabel Mora (Selena Gomez) are once again putting together a podcast about the murder and trying to discover who the murderer is.  

But because Bunny was murdered in Mabel's apartment and Mabel is found covered in blood and not remembering what happened, Mabel comes under suspicion, and it doesn't help that someone is trying to frame all three of them. But there are other suspicious neighbors and friends about, like Alice (Cara Delevingne), Mabel's artist friend; rival podcaster, Cinda Canning (Tina Fey); Leonora, Bunny's mother (Shirley MacLaine), and even Detective Krebs (Michael Rapaport).  Amy Schumer makes an appearance as herself along with a foul-mouthed parrot who knows more than he is letting on.

The usual hilarious Martin Short and Steve Martin hijinks ensue with Selena Gomez holding her own which is not an easy task considering Martin and Short will do anything for a laugh, especially Short.  There are also many red herrings and twists and turns. But no matter what is happening, it's always fast and funny.

This season, the series, created by Steve Martin and John Hoffman, gets into more character development and we learn more about our main characters, and there is some poignancy mixed in with the comedy.  And yes, there will be a Season 3.  No mystery there.

Rosy the Reviewer says...watching Martin Short and Steve Martin run around is funny enough but the plot is also always fun.  The series is nominated for a Golden Globe for Best Comedy as are all three of the stars.

Hacks - Season 2

Legendary Las Vegas stand-up comedian, Deborah Vance (Jean Smart), is back for Season 2.

Deborah is worried about her career.  She decides she needs to be more honest on stage but how to do that when she isn't really sure of the meaning of her life off stage?

Season 1 ended with Deborah finally accepting her young assistant, Ava (Hannah Einbinder), as her co-writer, but that's before Deborah finds out that Ava has dished about what a bad boss Deborah is to some TV writers. Subsequenly, Ava is tortured, worried that about Deborah will find out. To make matters worse, they are stuck together as Deborah takes her show out of Las Vegas and on the road. The two are an odd couple, an aging comedian and a young Zoomer, who are both trying to figure out their lives, and who, despite some ups and downs, can't seem to quit each other. It's a comedic road trip but also an interesting story of female friendship spanning a couple of generations. 

Jean Smart has come into her own and is finally being recognized for the wonderful actress she is.  She won a Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Comedy series last year and is up for it again this year, as is the series itself.  But the entire ensemble is first rate as well as the smart writing, no pun intended.

Rosy the Reviewer says...created by Lucia Aniello, Paul W. Downs, and Jen Statsky, this is about as perfect as a series can get and Jean Smart is perfect in it!

And in case you missed these other TV series (and my reviews) the first time around, here is my wrap-up of more of the best series of 2022 (if you want to see the original full review, click on the title).

The Crown - Season 5

The story of the Royal Family continues.

Rosy the Reviewer says...the best season yet and I proclaim that Imelda Staunton is the best Queen Elizabeth yet!

Pam & Tommy

It's all about Pamela Anderson and Tommy Lee, their love story and that infamous sex tape.

Rosy the Reviewer says…a really good, engrossing story, stylish, and a lot of fun, and, even if you aren’t interested in Tommy Lee and Pamela and their sex tape, this is just a really well-done series, one of the best of the year! And no, I never saw the tape.

Julia

The story of Julia Child and the beginning of TV cooking shows.

Rosy the Reviewer says…this series is a confection, the best meal you will ever have. It’s bingeable, delicious and satisfying. You won’t be able to put down your fork, er, the remote! Bon Appetit!

Bad Sisters

What do you do when you discover that your sister's husband is abusing her?  Why, you decide to kill him, of course!

Rosy the Reviewer says...this is a celebration of sisterhood.  These "bad sisters" are really good sisters who are loyal and love each other very much and it is a joy to watch...Brilliant writing, brilliant actresses and a brilliant villain. (Apple+)

The Patient

A therapist takes on a new patient only to discover his new patient is a serial killer...and then the serial killer decides he needs his therapist all to himself and kidnaps him!

Rosy the Reviewer says…this brings a whole new meaning to the guy living in his mother's basement. From the start, you will be hooked and want to know what is going to happen to Alan (Steve Carell) and Sam (Domhnall Gleeson). A tense, sometimes humorous but always fascinating look at empathy, isolation and the world of therapy and one of the best series of the year. Not be missed. Trust me. I'm a criticologist! (Hulu)

WeCrashed

The story of Adam and Rebekah Neumann and their start-up, We Work, one of the world's most valuable start-ups, and how it all went wrong.

Rosy the Reviewer says...at times this show was above my mental pay grade when it came to the ins and outs of the business financial world e.g. IPO's, S-1's, etc. but that doesn't mean I didn't enjoy it.  I did.  The story is engrossing and the acting is phenomenal. (Apple+)

The Tourist

A man wakes up in the Australian Outback with no memory of how he got there or even who he is.

Rosy the Reviewer says…if you like thrillers with a Coen Brothers vibe, this is a must see. Another great series that you won’t be able to stop watching. (HBO Max)

 

Thanks for reading!

See you again soon!

If you enjoyed this post, feel free to like it and share it on Facebook, Twitter, or other sites; email it to your friends and/or follow me on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/rosythereviewer 

And next time you are wondering whether or not to watch a particular film, check out my reviews on IMDB (The International Movie Database). Go to IMDB.com, find the movie you are interested in.  Scroll over to the right of the synopsis to where it says "Critic Reviews" - Click on that and if I have reviewed that film, you will find Rosy the Reviewer alphabetically on the list (NOTE:  IMDB keeps moving stuff around so if you don't find "Critics Reviews" where I am sending you, look around.  It's worth it)!

(NOTE:  If you are looking for a particular movie or series, check out this cool site: JustWatch.  It tells you where you can access all TV series and movies)

Movies Rosy the Reviewer Enjoyed in 2022 (and a Few She Hated)!

Rosy the Reviewer has given up on Top Ten movie lists and predicting which movies will be nominated for Oscars.  For one thing, the pandemic screwed up movie-making big time, so in my opinion there haven't been very many good movies to choose from, but more than that, I live in a small movie market, so many of the films that end up getting nominated don't make it here, if at all, until it's too late to weigh in. So I don't feel like I've seen everything I need to see to come up with a Top Ten (e.g. can't wait to see "Babylon" and "The Whale").

So instead of a Top Ten list, I have decided to share a list of movies that I have seen, enjoyed and reviewed in 2022 along with a few that I hated.  

I know I am not supposed to say "hate (sorry, Mom)," but I'm going to. Remember that I say "I see the bad ones so you don't have to?"  Well, I did - I sat through some crap that inspired "hate" - so you are forewarned. But let's start with the good stuff first! (I am recapping my summing-up blurbs from my original reviews.  If you want to read the full reviews, click on the movie titles).

So here goes...Enjoyed vs. Hated!

 

***Enjoyed!***

1.  Nightmare Alley

Rosy the Reviewer says...film noir at its finest...(Hulu) 

2.  The Menu

Rosy the Reviewer says...an absolutely delicious but very, very dark satiric comedy that skewers pompous, pretentious foodies and those who slavishly follow what's in vogue.  You know who you are.  If you are one of those, you will probably not find this funny.  However, if you are a foodie with a sense of humor about yourself, you will find this hilarious.  And by the way, remember this. In the end, there really is nothing better than a good, old-fashioned cheeseburger! (In theatres)

3.  Good Luck to You, Leo Grande

Rosy the Reviewer says...no matter how you feel about a movie about sex, this one will make you smile. (Hulu)

4.  Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris

Rosy the Reviewer says...a feel good film that was utterly delightful. (Apple+)

5.  Nope

Rosy the Reviewer says...should you see "Nope?"  Yep! (Apple+)

6.  Three Thousand Years of Longing

Rosy the Reviewer says...if you have been craving a smart movie, one that requires you to think, then this is for you. (Apple+)

7.  The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent

Rosy the Reviewer says...I was once one of those Nick Cage critics but after seeing him in "Pig" and this one, I'm a fan.  Love him or hate him, you will enjoy this very self-deprecating and fun film. (Apple+)

***Hated!***

1.  Blonde

Rosy the Reviewer says...according to this film, Marilyn had an extremely unpleasant life, and for me, this was an extremely unpleasant film experience.

2.  Tar

Rosy the Reviewer says...if you are a huge Cate Blanchett fan and want to watch her performance for 158 minutes, you might like this but as for the film itself, I often say, "I see the bad ones so you don't have to."  And you are welcome.

3. Bullet Train

Rosy the Reviewer says...despite Brad's presence, a very weird and not very enjoyable film experience. Brad, can't you make this old girl happy and do a romantic movie once in awhile?

Thanks for reading!

See you again soon!

If you enjoyed this post, feel free to like it and share it on Facebook, Twitter, or other sites; email it to your friends and/or follow me on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/rosythereviewer 

And next time you are wondering whether or not to watch a particular film, check out my reviews on IMDB (The International Movie Database). Go to IMDB.com, find the movie you are interested in.  Scroll over to the right of the synopsis to where it says "Critic Reviews" - Click on that and if I have reviewed that film, you will find Rosy the Reviewer alphabetically on the list (NOTE:  IMDB keeps moving stuff around so if you don't find "Critics Reviews" where I am sending you, look around.  It's worth it)!

(NOTE:  If you are looking for a particular movie or series, check out this cool site: JustWatch.  It tells you where you can access all TV series and movies)

"Spoiler Alert" and The Week in Reviews

[I review the new movie "Spoiler Alert" as well as the Brad Pitt action film "Bullet Train" and the romantic rom-com "Look Both Ways."  The Book of the Week is "Elizabeth Taylor: The Grit and Glamour of an Icon" by Kate Andersen Brower]

Spoiler Alert (2022)

The film version of Michael Ausiello's memoir "Spoiler Alert: The Hero Dies."

We all know what a spoiler is, right?  It's when someone in an earlier time zone posts the winner of "Dancing with the Stars" before you've seen it or when you tell someone you are going to see a certain movie and she says "You know she dies at the end, right?" 

But spoiler alert?  Do you know what that is?  As someone who writes about the movies, I am acutely aware of that term because I sometimes get accused of telling too much.  And when I am aware that I am doing that, I am supposed to display "Spoiler Alert" prominently so my readers will know to stop reading in case I reveal a twist or ruin the ending of the film for them. 

That said, I think there are two different camps when it comes to spoilers.  There are those who will bite your head off if you give away too much about a film and then there are those who don't care, who just enjoy the journey.  I am part of that latter camp.  I don't really care if I know how it ends because I am much more into the journey that takes me to the end.

And speaking of the journey...the title of this film warns you about a spoiler and in and of itself is a spoiler.  First of all, Michael Ausiello's memoir upon which this film is based was titled "Spoiler Alert: The Hero Dies" and if you didn't already figure out what was going to happen, the film begins with one of the main characters dying in the hospital and then the film proceeds in a series of flashbacks.  So I don't need to warn you with a "Spoiler Alert" at the beginning of this because it's already been spoiled...and not by me.  

But no worries.  Even though you know how it's going to end, like I said, it's all about the journey and there are many surprises along the way.

Jim Parsons ("Big Bang Theory") plays Michael, a young rather uptight gay man working as a journalist at TV Guide in New York City. He doesn't drink or do drugs and is timid emotionally since being traumatized by the loss of his parents at an early age.  His passions are Christmas and TV, so making a living writing about TV is a lifelong dream. Growing up watching soap operas with his mother, he imagined his life as a TV sitcom (a device which the movie recreates and it doesn't really work).  

Michael meets the handsome and outgoing Kit (Ben Aldridge), a sexually active fellow that Michael considers completely out of his league.  In fact, in an intimate moment, Michael reveals himself as a FFK - Former Fat Kid.  He's insecure about his looks and body, though he is no longer overweight, but the two connect and embark on a long term relationship despite Michael's obsession with Smurfs and diet Coke. But Kit has his issues, too.  He has not come out to his parents, Marilyn (Sally Field) and Bob (Bill Irwin), but eventually does in a very funny interlude. 

Michael and Kit have a witty and fun rapport and clearly love each other, but as happens in even the closest of relationships, after 13 years, Michael and Kit hit some bumpy patches and they separate, and then the film moves from a funny, witty rom-com to a drama as the film takes a tragic turn. Kit is diagnosed with cancer, something very difficult for Michael to deal with since he had lost his mother to cancer at a young age but despite their estrangement, and despite Michael's difficult past, Michael decides this is love and he is in it for the long haul, no matter what.

Naturally my friend and I were blubbering away at the end - that was the whole point, right? These kinds of movies bring up all kinds of feelings in us - fear of dying, remembrance of loved ones dying, remembering "Love Story," probably the first of the romantic movies with death-at-the-end genre.  There is homage here to "Love Story," when Michael gets up on Kit's hospital bed and lies next to him as he lay dying.  When Ryan O'Neal did that to comfort Ali McGraw in "Love Story," I completely lost it.  

But this time I also lost it as I remembered my Dad dying.  When he was dying, I was able to travel back home to help my mother and say goodbye to my Dad.  As he lay dying and gasping in the last stages and appeared to be out of it, one of the hospice nurses said that it would probably help him to go if I told him it was okay and that we would be fine.  So as I sat next to my Dad I told him that he had been a wonderful father, that it was okay to go and that I loved him. With that he was able to say "I love you too" and he left us. When that same sort of scene happened in this movie - Michael telling Kit what he had meant to him - it brought back that memory.  But it also reinforced in me of how important it is that we gather around our dying loved ones to say goodbye and tell them what they meant to us.  

Jim Parsons and Ben Aldridge are engaging and believable as Michael and Kit, two men devoted to each other, and Bill Irwin and Sally Field provide some comic relief as Kit's parents. Speaking of Sally, she reminded me of what a good actress she is. Her Marilyn was so annoying that I could totally understand why Kit didn't want to tell his mother he was gay!  So Sally did a good job there! 

Watching the film, I was struck by the lack of films where the central theme is a gay love story.  Often when there is a gay love story, it is a tangential feature of a straight rom com.  Gay rom coms should be as mainstream as straight rom coms and every other romantic iteration out there. Hopefully this and the recent "Bros" are signs that more like this will get the green light.

A sweet Christmas movie. Despite the death part, it's all about love and family, and at this time of year, which is rife with emotion, there is nothing like a good cathartic cry and you will get that with this film.  Bring tissues.

Rosy the Reviewer says...a good movie will bring up memories and emotions and this movie written by David Marshall Grant and Dan Savage and directed by Michael Showalter ("The Big Sick") did just that because it is a good movie. (In theatres)

Bullet Train (2022)

A slew of assassins with different agendas all board a bullet train. Mayhem ensues.

Ooh, Brad Pitt.  I have never forgotten his first big splash in "Thelma and Louise" and he has just gotten better and more handsome as he ages. But like many really handsome actors, it seems like he does not want to rely on his looks and play romantic leads. Darn it, Brad. I want you to play romantic leads!  But it seems he wants to be taken more seriously, so he goes for the edgier stuff now and this film is edgy.  But, Brad.  What are you doing in this mess of a movie?

Here Brad plays a former assassin, code name, Ladybug, and he is in Tokyo for a job he doesn't really want. He has had a run of bad luck lately and has wearied of killing people but thinks that retrieving a briefcase should be a piece of cake. Not! Brothers Tangerine (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) and Lemon (Brian Tyree Henry), who happen to be assassins, are also on the train to rescue the son of a Russian-born Yakuza boss called "The White Death." Sadly, the son is poisoned and another assassin, "The Wolf (Bad Bunny)," thinks it was our boy Brad, so attacks him.  Then "The Wolf" dies. A schoolgirl character strangely called "Prince" wanders around the train getting involved leaving destruction in her wake. Then Ladybug gets into it with Lemon and other assassins and the whole thing is a big confusing mess, though it turns out all of the assassins are somehow related. I like action films, and I don't mind some violence now and then, but by the time it was all revealed, I didn't care anymore.

Written by Zak Olkewitz (based on the book by Kotaro Isaka) and directed by David Leitch, the film is part Japanese video game, part cartoon and part Tarantino-esqe dark comedy with some slapstick thrown in, but the violence overshadows what humor there is and it just all became wearying after awhile. 

Rosy the Reviewer says...despite Brad's presence, a very weird and not very enjoyable film experience. Brad, can't you make this old girl happy and do a romantic movie once in awhile? (Netflix)

Look Both Ways (2022)

What if you had taken that other road in life?

In her last year at the University of Texas, Natalie (Lili Reinhart) has sex with her friend Gabe (Danny Ramirez).  It's not about love and the two agree it wasn't a big deal. Natalie has a five year plan for her life after graduation and she means to keep it.  She plans to move to Los Angeles with her friend Cara (Aisha Dee) to become an animator. But a few weeks later, on graduation night, Natalie takes a pregnancy test and her life diverges into two parallel realities.  

In Reality #1, she is pregnant.  Reality #2, she is not pregnant.

Pregnant, Natalie moves back home with her parents who were enjoying the empty nest so they are not that happy to have her back. They are not too happy about Gabe, either, who is an aspiring musician.  But he steps up and the two struggle to coparent their daughter, Rosie.  But Natalie wants Gabe to have his own life and encourages him to date.  When he does meet someone, Natalie is not sure she has made the right decision to discourage Gabe.  But she throws herself into her artwork.

In Reality #2, relieved that she is not pregnant, Natalie moves to Los Angeles with Cara and they start their careers.  Natalie gets her dream job and becomes an assistant animator and she meets Jake (David Corenswet), who aspires to be a movie producer. They embark on a relationship but Jake is sent to Nova Scotia for a job and they struggle with a long-distance relationship.

Which path taken will turn out to be the best one for Natalie?

Written by April Prosser and directed by Wanuri Kahiu, this is one of those "what if?" films reminiscent of "Sliding Doors," the 1998 Gwyneth Paltrow film that explored what would happen if you miss your train.  Here we get to see what would have happened if the road not taken was taken. Will two different paths lead to the same destiny? The film goes back and forth between the two realities which you might think would be confusing but it's handled in a very stylish and understandable way.

The young actors are engaging especially Reinhardt who is the reason this film is so affecting.  Most famous for the TV series "Riverdale," I will enjoy watching her movie career unfold.

How often have we wondered how our lives might have been different if we had taken that other road - if we had moved East, not West; if we had accepted that other marriage proposal or not gotten married at all; or we decided not to have children or given up a career? The film is a reminder that no matter which path we choose, there will always be bumps, regrets and what ifs but it's our path.  It's called life.

Rosy the Reviewer says...a sweet little story that will make you wonder about the path you chose but validate it. (Netflix)

***The Book of the Week***

"Elizabeth Taylor: The Grit and Glamour of an Icon" by Kate Andersen Brower (2022).

The definitive biography.

Elizabeth Taylor was the epitome of the Hollywood movie star and one of the last to come out of the old Hollywood studio system. In her over 70 years in show business, she starred in 56 films, 10 TV movies and was the first actor to negotiate a million dollar contract (“Cleopatra”) and the first to use her fame for Aids activism.  However, her personal life often overshadowed her accomplishments - Eight marriages to seven different men, by 26 she had been divorced twice and widowed once and she struggled with addictions to pills and alcohol. 

Considered one of the most beautiful women in the world, she was kind, creative, empathetic and smart but she was also selfish, greedy, vulnerable, volatile and childlike and Brower uses Elizabeth’s unpublished letters, diary entries, off-the-record interview transcripts and interviews with 250 of her closest friends and family to capture those many sides of Taylor. Taylor never wrote a real memoir (she died in 2011 at the age of 79), but this well-researched biography gets as close to telling her story in her own words as we will ever get.

Rosy the Reviewer says...there have been countless biographies but this will stand as the definitive one about the legend that was Elizabeth Taylor.

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