The Unfettered Critic – February 2022

Sinking into a comfy seat in a crowded auditorium ain’t gonna happen for us—yet. The good news, however, is that we all can be entertained at home (for just a little longer).

May we recommend Director Peter Jackson’s perfect (we mean it) documentary, The Beatles: Get Back, streaming on Disney+. The Beatles’ musical/cultural/sociological influence remains the greatest of our (Boomer) generation. Jackson clearly agrees. He spent four years plowing through sixty hours of never-before-seen film footage and over a hundred hours of unheard audio recordings from the dour 1970 concert film Let It Be to prove it.

You’ve heard the rumors: “Yoko broke up the Beatles.” “John and Paul hated each other.” Etcetera. Now witness the truth—and discover that those rumors are folderol. The added footage spotlights the truth: that the mates were maturing as musicians as well as individuals. During their years as a touring band, they lived together, ate together, huddled in hotel rooms together. But by this period, they were sharing more time with their wives/future wives than with one another. Each began creating art that uniquely fit his unique talents—which often meant ignoring that same evolution in the others. The salvaged conversations provide surprising insight into their individual strengths and vulnerabilities. You’ll come away with an awareness of who these guys really were: four complex men who made magic. It’s a can’t-miss, three-part documentary. Eight hours that we think you’re likely to re-watch many times.

Which leads us next to a brilliant, realistic, spectacular-to-look-at Western that we loved and will never re-watch—and predict that you’ll love and never re-watch, too.

The title, The Power of the Dog (Netflix), comes from Psalms, a prayer for protection of the human soul from evil. The prayer is read at the end of the movie, bookending a bit of mysterious narration from the beginning: “What kind of man would I be if I did not help my mother?”

The production values are stunning: lighting, costumes, sets, editing, etc. Few directors are more confident in their choices than Jane Campion. And her cast is excellent, particularly Benedict Cumberbatch, as Phil, a rude, ill-tempered (better described with words that can’t be printed here) cattle rancher. When his brother brings home a bride and her teenaged son, Phil is beyond displeased. He takes out his seemingly unwarranted hostility on the bride, engaging in psychological warfare that drives her, literally, to drink. Cumberbatch commits to a full-throttle performance as this single-mindedly cruel man—yet we never quite understand what motivates his behavior. We receive hints, particularly in the last thirty minutes, as Phil forms a tentative friendship with Peter, the son. This is an intriguing, yet tough watch, certainly worthy of the critical acclaim it has received. Are we sorry we watched it? Certainly not. Will we watch it again? See previous answer.

And now for a movie we’re likely to watch multiple times. CODA, on Apple+, features Ruby (Emilia Jones), a musical teen who’s the only hearing member of an all-deaf family. (In addition to being a music term, CODA is an anagram for the international organization, “Child of Deaf Adults.”) When Ruby joins the high school choir, an act that disrupts their bare-bones survival as a fishing family, turmoil erupts. But what beautiful turmoil it is. The parents (mom played by Academy Award-winner Marlee Matlin) learn about the unfamiliar world that their daughter hopes to occupy—while Ruby realizes how important her position in the family is, and the value that her future promises for all. Bring tissues. Repeat viewings as necessary to warm your soul.