#MiddleburyCT #Movies
“Napoleon” (R) – Director Ridley Scott (“House of Gucci”) recruited Joaquin Phoenix (“Beau Is Afraid”) to star as the titular character in his historical drama centered on French emperor Napoleon Bonaparte. Phoenix gives a very stony but comical performance as Bonaparte, opposite an alluring Vanessa Kirby (“Mission: Impossible”) as Josephine, Bonaparte’s first wife. The film spans from 1793 up until the Battle of Waterloo in 1815, jumping between chilling battle sequences and intimate moments of Bonaparte’s personal life. Many critics have sounded off about the film, highlighting its historical inaccuracy and anti-French sentiments, but Scott had this to say to his critics: “Excuse me, mate, were you there?” The film’s available now to rent. (Amazon Prime Video)
“75th Primetime Emmy Awards” (NR) – Due to the writers’ and actors’ strikes of 2023, the annual Primetime Emmy Awards were pushed back from their usual September date, and award-season fanatics couldn’t be happier that it’s finally arrived! Leading the pack with 27 nominations, including 14 acting nominations, is the incredible comedy-drama series “Succession,” which reached its culmination this past May. Other Max series that received nods included “House of the Dragon,” “The Last of Us” and “The White Lotus,” while actors like Jeremy Allen White (“The Bear”), Jenna Ortega (“Wednesday”) and Bob Odenkirk (“Better Call Saul”) snagged Lead Actor nominations for their respective series. The show is available to watch in its entirety on Jan. 16. (Hulu)
“Leave the World Behind” (R) – After winning a bidding war to get the rights to the apocalyptic novel written by Rumaan Alam, Netflix released its film adaptation starring Julia Roberts and Mahershala Ali. Roberts plays Amanda Sandford, a mother and wife who books a beach vacation rental for her family, when sudden mysterious and concerning occurrences ensue. One of these occurrences, a blackout, brings the owner of the rental, G.H. Scott (Ali), and his daughter back to their home. With no choice but to stay together in this rarest of circumstances, the Sandfords and Scotts bunker down and try to find answers to the terrifying events that show no signs of stopping. Ethan Hawke and Kevin Bacon also play supporting roles in the film, out now. (Netflix)
Sebastian Maniscalco, left, and Omar J. Dorsey star in “Bookie.” (Max photo)
“Bookie” (TV-MA) – Italian-American comedian Sebastian Maniscalco leads this comedy series about the day-to-day of a sports bookie named Danny. With his clients often fleeing to avoid paying up, along with a rocky relationship with his partner, Sandra, Danny is often at his wit’s end trying to keep the wheels running in his life. Similar to Pete Davidson, Maniscalco doesn’t seem to like playing a character other than some variation of himself. But the half-hour episodes do provide good comic relief for those who just want to laugh, especially with Ray (Omar Dorsey), Danny’s sidekick, and other characters like Hector (Jorge Garcia) and Lorraine (Vanessa Ferlito). All eight episodes are out now. The jury is still out on whether it’ll be picked up for a second season. (Max)
© 2024 King Features Synd., Inc.
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