Disc Reviews

“Life is a collection of moments. The idea is to have as many good ones as you can.”

Anton Yelchin’s reaction to the discovery of the existence of an actual block of time carved out for illicit affairs is probably one of the most comical moments of the film. To further explain, Yelchin’s character has a chance meeting with a beautiful older woman and after a few more scheduled meetings discovers that she is in fact married. The funny thing is the nonchalant way in which she reacts to the revelation, commenting that she told him that she was only available during the hours of 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM. I now find myself wondering if this a real thing in European cultures. Have other societies set a time block for having affairs? If so, I suppose that‘s efficient.

In 1887, readers of the popular periodical Beeton's Christmas Annual were to receive quite a special treat. There wasn't much fanfare or hype to the event. Inside the pages of the magazine was a story called A Study In Scarlet. It was a detective story, perhaps like many published before, except for the detective himself, a certain Mr. Sherlock Holmes. Together with his faithful companion and chronicler Dr. Watson, Holmes would win the hearts of those holiday readers. It might have been an ordinary day, but the world was about to change. Sherlock Holmes would become the most famous detective in the world. His stories would remain in print nearly 130 years later. Over 100 films would be made featuring the character. There would be television shows and cartoon spoofs. No other character has appeared in more productions. When his creator dared to kill the beloved detective in order to move on to newer stories, his very life was threatened. It would seem that Doyle was on the verge of becoming a victim much like those in his stories. There was only one man who could save him from such a grim fate, and he did just that. It was Sherlock Holmes himself.

Modernizing Sherlock Holmes has been a popular trend in film and television lately. We have seen two slick action film adaptations courtesy of Guy Ritchie, a contemporary BBC adaptation (Sherlock), and now there is Elementary, which transplants Sherlock Holmes and his loyal companion Watson from Victorian Era England to modern New York.

What can I say about Criminal Minds that hasn't been said in the last 10 years? It's the little show that could. I've been a fan since the first episode when Mandy Patinkin was the show's leader. His departure left the show with a hole it was swift to fill, and I have to say it hasn't missed a beat since. The rest of the cast has been solid for most of that decade, and they've evolved into one of the best teams on television. Because of this show we all learned what an unsub was and have become pretty aware of the things that go on in a killer's mind. It was the perfect sister show to CSI for years on Thursday nights. CSI dealt with the physical evidence, while Criminal Minds dealt with the mind. What a combination.

Let’s not take anything away from the show’s true force here. This is an excellent cast being fed brilliant scripts playing to an awesome crew. Everything just clicks on this series, and it only got better in the second year. I am truly impressed with how much these characters are fleshed out and how much we learn about them without the need of office romance. No precious show time is squandered on excessive personal life stories. We’re given just enough to bring the characters alive beyond their team dynamic, which is quite strong. Each character is constructed through the subtle nuances the actors infuse their performance with. From the moment you watch your first episode, you will find this team believable enough to care about them and their work. Surprisingly, the show often gets muddled in a ton of exposition, but somehow it’s carried off by the cast so that you never find yourself going numb with clinical information overload. Granted, the material itself is attention-worthy, but these guys pull it off no matter how interesting the information might be. Add to the stellar portrayals a writing team second to none in the industry. The support teams do everything they need to make sure these talents are never wasted.

Perhaps if I knew a little bit more about Amadeo I prior to going into this film, I would have enjoyed it a little bit more. Luis Miñarro’s Stella Cadente, or Falling Star, focuses on the short-lived reign of Amedeo I as the King of Spain. Originally hailing from Italy, Amadeo was elected King of Spain in 1871. Upon his election, his primary backer was assassinated, leaving the foreign king alone to deal with the restlessness of Spain’s government. Falling Star sets up this sequence of events well enough to follow, but soon thereafter dwindles into a slow-paced fictionalization of the difficulties that faced Amadeo I.

No matter how accurate or inaccurate a foreign period drama is, I typically enjoy myself while watching. Falling Star gave me no such pleasure, but I have a really hard time pinpointing why. Everything that bothers me about this film never bothers me in any other film I have seen. Perhaps it is the culmination of multiple faults into a single film that really made this film less enjoyable than it could have been. As with many period dramas, the pacing of the film is rather slow. I expected this, considering that the DVD case advertises the look of an Art House film. While many art films move at a snail’s pace, I am always able to enjoy one aspect of the film, normally the acting or the cinematography.

"Trauma is messy."

So begins life at Grey-Slone Memorial Hospital without Dr. Wang, and for the show Grey's Anatomy, the loss of Sandra Oh. But there won't be time to dwell on that loss as the story shifts to the departure of another of the show's most popular characters and actors. Patrick Dempsey spent more than a decade as the show's McDreamy, one of the more compelling talents in the cast. It's another season, and mixed amid the medical emergencies, struggling relationships, and tragic events, it's time to say goodbye once again.