Man in Full-A festival of Americanisms

I have so much respect for scripture writers as well as those who are in charge of selecting the cast. This is the first time I have watched a series twice and I can tell you i have no regrets. 

The aging and stubborn protagonist shrewd in business and devoid of any sought if emotion. Bent on letting the whole world know that it depends on him…but sensitive enough not to spare any resources in rescuing one of his subordinates. In his orbit are a few African Americans…yes the story does not stop short of letting you know that you are in the southern states. There is the lawyer who is at the top of the so called food chain. He is relatively set in life but dying to stretch his wings and fly. Then there is the professional driver. He does his job well and knows his boss. He is respectful and knows the ins and outs of the business. His job is simple get him to and fro and fill in the blanks where necessary. Then there is his secretary’s husband faithful, loyal and hardworking but also stuck in that dreary nine to five. As fate will have it he will meet the law in the south in quite a confrontational way and the same forces he does not trust will clash. Then there is peepgrass…what a name (Tom Pelphrey) ! He comes complete with large spectacles, Wig-like hairdo and a frustrated face that just wants a break. While the boss seems to like him and has even adopted an affectionate name for him, he is discontent and keen to rise from his position of eternal servitude.

Then there is the wife…used to be bride (played by Diane Lane who looks so much like Jennifer Lopez) who has parted ways with the protagonist but who may end up being his salvation. Lucy Lui plays the role of faithful friend (Joyce) whose life seems to have taken her to the heights of the fashion and modeling world face plastered across a few posters in the city urging the masses to buy buy buy. Her role is simple to keep encouraging the former wife to keep her head high and to realize that her former beau is nothing without her. All this while she negotiates the rough journey of aging and keeping up with the young ones slim and trim and ready to please. She is introduced to us in a gym taking instructions from a typical instructor attitude rich barking commands to a host of young ladies Mrs. former somebody in tow. 

Peepgrass the disgruntled employee will prove invaluable in this tale as he interacts with the enemy feeding them morsels of truth about their foe. Then there is the accountant who comes with an agenda. Pants held high by struggling suspenders yet needing nothing to support his ambition and determination to bring the protagonist down. 

The rich cast of lawyers, board members and side kicks (one of whom in an act of desperation forgets his place in the totem pole) make for a rich tapestry of characters that will keep you longing for more. The dialogue between peepgrass and his Finnish lady is rich in rolling on the ground humor and the choice of actress is beyond amazing. 

The Glass Dome

There is a series that I have covered before about a mysterious dome that engulfs a city trapping all the inhabitants inside. I really thought this was going to be the same thing…but boy was I wrong. Shot in the Nordic countries, this show does well what I have come to enjoy in many of these productions. They turn the setting into a character. The merciless and plain cold landscapes of the Northern countries do not disappoint in this regard. 

The protagonist returns after living in the Us for a while and is really reliving past trauma. Sometimes when you leave and place for good or for bad, you often hope that just as you have grown and adapted, that it too changes. It is not the case with this young lady. She is now older and an expert in her field but she is still having to face the demons of her past and a kidnapper and killer who seems to be making a comeback. 

Doing all this, the show also explores the idea of immigration and racism, it attempts to also tackle the challenges of environmental degradation and well as family and death. 

While you are busy trying to catch a killer, you are reminded of the punishingly cruel setting and the inhabitants who seems to be cursed into living there. 

The place itself becomes a suspect within the show guilty in a sense for at least killing the dreams and hopes of the residents. 

You feel sorry for the her as forensic psychologist as she tries to get into the mind of this kidnapper while at the same time seeing if there is room for her full return to her home. There is so much history though and too many unanswered questions for us to tolerate this idea. At one point she softens and seems to embrace the idea of love and masculine affection but she is much too bruised to see this through. Does the show have twists? Oh yes it does and quite a number for that matter. Worth it? I think so. 

Liaison and Black Doves

Part of the struggle that we face in the present day is the proliferation of information and the ability to extract data from that information. It affects us in many ways, but in a sense a little more for those who are in the entertainment business. The ability to draw your usage and viewer stats from a show means that you can now predict the success of a sequel or another season based on the viewership of the first installment. This seems to be the case with Liaison (Apple TV) and Black Doves (Netflix). Both a British shows and some argue that those who are behind them are trying to capitalize on the massive attention that has come from Slow Horses. This show now in its third season is very difficult to replicate but you cannot blame these others for trying. 

The spy genre is quickly becoming one of my favorite and these shows both fall under that category. They both have borrowed heavily from each other (making use of love interests one from a previous younger life and the other from an out of marriage romance). Black Doves is a little more cheeky and possibly enjoyable with quirky characters that are funny as well as brutal. It is a rarity to see female assassins although this show makes full use of them. I love the performance of Kathryn Hunter who plays the character of Lenny. A leader in the underworld who meets her clients in a busy restaurant and is charge of maintaining order in a chaotic violence filled city. She looks frighteningly similar to the late Judge Ruth Bader Ginsberg. 

Liaison on the other hand was quite frighteningly accurate or shall I say timely in  terms of how relevant its material was to the present day. I stumbled accross it and downloaded it on the same day that rebels made inroads in Syria and this country did feature a lot in this series. It is really a game between Syria, the US, the UK and France and their attempt to get their hands on a very skilled Syrian Hacker who is seeking to sell his information. 

All this takes place in the midst of some controversial arms deals between the British and the French (at least a French owned Arms Trading Company) high is bent on sealing this deal with or without the approval of its government. 

All this takes place in the midst of what Die Hard Called a Fire Sale a multi pronged Cyber Attack that focuses on Infrastructure by taking advantage of the dependence on the Internet. The conversation about these types of attacks sprung from an article called Farewell to Arms by John Carlin which was written in the late nineties. In Liaison the cyber security center is attacked first, then the rail system followed by a flood control system on the Thames after which the terrorists take control of a plane. 

House of Cards

The U.S. flag code states: “The flag should never be displayed with the union down, except as a signal of dire distress in instances of extreme danger to life or property.” But Americans have long had their own interpretation of “dire distress.” An inverted flag was used to protest slavery at a July 4, 1854, rally held ...6 Jun 2024

Of names and history 

In my world names mean everything. I am told that the majority of historians have a basis upon which their relationship to the past interpretation of it falls. Mine is names. Not civilizations, not cycles, not religions, not instruments of warfare just names. 

Reinveting ourselves

In this you might come to appreciate the quick transition that many make from acting to getting into producer roles a thing that came to my attention through the 24 Series as well as Prison Break. I mean you can only be an actor for a few episodes before you tire from being told what to do and maybe even chosing to play the role of director.

Give credit where credit is due

With this in mind therefore watch House of Cards not so much the content as much as the credits and see if you can identify some of the names that make up the line up and that feature in the show. 

I find it hard to idenify an episode that stands out, but i think i really like Episode 4. 

On Transitions

This is a transitory episode and one amplified with quite a lot of decision making. A wife having to chose between a former lover and a boring but calculating husband. A father having to select between more manipulation and the loss of a constituency he loves. A story juxtaposing one NGO building wells and marking them out in colors verses a two man team of strategists making choices for democratic votes and republican votes as it seeks to change the top four positions in the country, a son and daughter chosing between mother and girl friend in light of the need for pop tarts or better looking breakfast meals cooked by dad, an office romance who must chose between her seemingly negligent husband and his family in a decision she might end up regreting for being to harsh or a young lady drawn to the mystery of an older man who has made her career and an old firm whose toxic office politics threatens to ruin her.

Can this type of dialogue be matched by A.I? 

It is difficult to see this type of masterly work with dialoge and narration being replicated by a non human. Large Language Models (LLM) build off of systems that already exist. The generative AI tool writes based on a library that you and i have created of our works whose knowldege it then utioizes to create something similar in style to your work. So no. If i can rent some of powerful resources that are available with these supercomputers and use those services to store my works and maybe fish out ideas for future projects then i might succeed but at this point, most of the works thst writers have published exist in some form or another in digitized form. 

Tragedy Strikes 

The style utilized by the show of narrative and direct conversations with the soon to be VP makes it almost feel like a documentary or a journey into the life of a heroic man who is keen to teach us his trade. But this quickly changes when we watch him pounce on his enemies in later episodes with utmost ruthlessness. He is calculating, funny, witty but also quite cruel. After costing up to him as your guide into the complex world of American politics, you are drawn away in disgust that your leader and mentor is after all a man whose ambitions will drive him to a path where no obstacle will survive his rage. But it’s too late you have already taken notes and laughed at his jokes and taken a front row seat in his life and are now an accessory to his acts. While his more laid back wife shows more restraint, she too will stop at nothing to make a point to an appointee who decides to go back on a promise and sue her. Her calculating moves to corner her foe are legendary. But she is quick to calm down unlike her husband. That they make a great team is a fact we are left appreciating and the tolerance for each other’s infidelity is noteworthy. 

 

Fifteen Million Merits

Netflix is experimenting with a trend that seems to have began in the entertainemtn world quite a while back. There is a ‘series’ running for about 6 seasons featuring several major actors and actresses. We say series in quotes because the shows are not necessarily related at all. They are independent running for about an hour each with a star studded cast and acomplex story. 

This one with Daniel Kaluya is no different. 

It is about a time in the future when people are housed in small rooms with virtual screens from where they access entertainment of all forms after which they participate in a life where they generate revenue through various activities such as exercise and games. This revenue is then used to purchase various online virtual tools through an interface. 

The ultimate prize for each of the participants is to get access to an America’s Got Talent like show where they can become famous. 

The protagonist uses his had earned money to make room for a young lady who he likes but later finds out that the judges have nefarious intentions. He springs into action and attempts to save his friend. 

Everything starts off well and at some point there is excitement as one begins to hope for a redemptive moment in the film. 

The man who he is confronting as well as the whole system that he questions is at the verge of collapse when the judge turns things around. 

The hero is then distracted into accepting the moment of fame which then becomes enshrined into a clip he uses regularly with his followers in his new comfortable life. 

This is such a telling moment revealing the curse of social media attention and the problem that may arise when we devote our energies into viral moments.

Also notable in this show is the cruelty that is meted out on those who are slightly overweight and who are tasked with the cleaning of the facilities while the higher ups exercise. 

Atlas

In the Christian faith and specifically what is referred to as the born again spirit filled life, there is a belief in what is called a walk in the spirit. The encounter with the maker through salvation is followed by an embrace of the Sprirt of God who serves as a comforter and whose role it is to guide the new believer and to provide strength as well as access and protection in the supernatural world. 

The person who walks in the faith believes and has a knowledge of power to perform miracles but this is not an end in itself. He is also ‘connected’ through this same Spirit to the Vine (Jesus Christ) who enables him to walk in the Spirit. This is an ability to show forth fruits that reflect his new life. These are summed up in love which exoresses itself in joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfullness and self control. 

This belief in the Triune God is what makes the Christian Faith Unique and forms part of his faith confession. 

So why this discussion in a movie review? 

Well, there are three major movie trends that i will address in the future which are at the heart of the Faith but that those who have had limited exposure will have little or no knowldege of. 

They are reflected or mentioned in about three movie presentations: The Twilight Series, The Dracula Story, The Walking Dead, The Thriller Music Video, The Trend Around Reality Television and the Robotics and Artificial Intelligence Push. 

Today i will mention just one. 

The Robotics and Artificial Intelligence Push

I think Jeniffer Lopez’s character does an amazing job depicting a smart lady in a complex world trying to make her presence felt while being despised by a predominantly male dominated work force. In an age where an interface between men and machines has been created, a bug arises that pushes these super-machines into a rebellion that causes them to launch an attack against their creator (sounds like war in heaven)? Also reminds you of the problem that scripture talks about when man is ‘asked’ to leave the garden. Later on in the book of Daniel, the prophet sees an image of a statue made up of a combination of metals. At its bottom is a mix of clay and metal (my interpretation of this is a combination of man (made of clay) and metal (robots). The end of this prophecy though is told about how rock crushes the mixture and heaven triumphs. There is an interesting story about Joshua (often seen as a reference to Christ-the anointed one) and how he leads his people in s battle against AI! Hmm

Could this historical conversation also have an effect on the future. 

Anyhow, Ms. Lopez’s character finds herself having a conversation with a machine as she attempts to find the rebel chief (now taking refuge on another planet). The thing that makes this Android so powerful is the idea that it has managed to download all the best that men have in terms of information and weaponry as well as intelligence. 

To battle this being she has to make a choice about how to approach the attack. She has a machine assigned to her but has hurts and memories in the past that are hindering her from making the connection. 

She is fine with working alongside the robot but not okay with syncing with it and becoming one with it. 

This feels a lot like what happens when we accept the Son of God as a personal savior. Before that, we fight and engage the world with all sorts of weapons. We game the system, use everything within our power to ward off the adversary until His love overcomes all. My suggestion is that you fight with what you hwve until He overcomes you. 

Like the character in the movie, her connection with the powerful device was impossible until she accepted the pain that she had gone through. Then Creator and Creature become on and ultimately too powerful to defeat.

I imagine those want to see the agenda of Humanoids succeed have funds as do those who do not think it is viable. I notice one thing though, the use of the word ‘neural link’. 

Better than Us

I like the idea that different countires can contribute to the entertainment culture of the world by providing their takes on subjects such as Artificial Intelligence and Robotics. The first film i watched regarding this subject was with Will Smith-I Robot. It was on that fateful flight back from the US of A. In the show, there is a slight glitch in the system of an already well integrated Robot culture where these machines have taken their place in the hierarchy of developing as active assistance and companions. The glitch causes them to rebel and thw character of Will Smith is forced to go on the offensive. 

There have been quite a number of writers who have been responsible for the pursuit of these forms of development and good number of them are Russian…but many of you are more equipped to identify them than i am. 

Let me show you a few books from a champion of science education in Uganda and Africa (soon)-Solomon Benge of Fundibots. 

We have the same idea in areas such as space and the pursuit of new territories. For that we have Star Trek and Star Wars to thank. 

Whether those who have developed technologies after watching these shows are guilty of some sort of “theft” is an idea for another day. But the questions they raise and the ideas presented are worth exploring. 

This show is set in Russia in a time when it is profitable to create robots which help humans. Everything does not go as planned when this lucrative industry is overtaken by a new automaton with unexpected abilities. 

On one side you have activists who wish to restore order on another you have a company that wants to keep things as they are. Then you have a family caught in between and the robot they are starting to like (which is also dealing with complex questions of its own). There laws that are supposed to govern all robots-as created by Isaac Asimov (A robot may not injure a human being or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm. A robot must obey orders given it by human beings except where such orders would conflict with the First Law. A robot must protect its own existence as long as such protection does not conflict with the First or Second Law) also come into play as the ‘device’ begins to ask troubling questions about its own reality and being. 

There is an interesting conversation is the show when the lady of the owners of the robot try to convince it to dress in a more appropriate manner. The robot is designed to please those whom it is programed to meet and those with whom it makes first contact (which reminds me of what happens when some animals such as ducks and spiders are hatched and immediately ‘bond’ with humans or whatever creature they come across. The lady is slightly intimidated by the robot because it appears more attractive and has many more skills and abilities than she has. She is not really trying to help the robot but using its willingness to learn as a trap to confuse it. 

The Robot called Arisa then approaches the man (Georgy) and asks a very poignant quesiton What must a woman dress like to be loved? 

Do you know how many people are stuck and struggling with this question? How many so called humans depend on the words and affections of others? Do you know hoe many men are in gyms doing weights and women in Salons having their hair done out of a hope that they can be loved a little more. 

Even if the path towards the creation of humanoids is still fraught with a number of difficulties, how many of us are living in this robotic reality? I think this show explores this and many other subjects. But that’s just me. 

Here is a review of two other interesting shows you might enjoy 

https://intersectionawards.blogspot.com/2024/05/dune-i-and-ii.html

https://intersectionawards.blogspot.com/2024/05/the-peripheral.html

The Gentlemen

Guy Ritchie is a master at his game. If there is anyone who has revived British Cinema, I think he single-handedly has. His choice of characters (at least the casting director’s choice of the same), location, use of language (scriptwriter), score, and the additional touch of notes in yellow comic like font to serve as an explainer for the cockney accent is inspiring. There are a few parts in the limited series that felt like a reference to Peaky Blinders. The use of different class systems to varying kinds of crime families especially the cultural ones. Russians, American, Filipinos, South Americans, Romani and the very captivating God fearing group that see themselves as a sort of representation of the God head! 

This show is an exploration of the inheritance and family dynamics’s history that come into play. It is a look into generational wealth and its management and the complex ethical questions that many face with regards to legacy. It is also about leadership and strategy and respect. It is about honor and transition and the value of a lived life. It demonstrates the challenges that people face when they make decisions out of anger and half truths. 

Here is a selection of Guy Ritchie’s work. 

Dirk Gently’s Holisitic Detective Agency

There is much to appreciate about this series. The character choice is great as is the storyline. Interest was drawn from a post on someone’s timeline on Meta. The scene used was one where an strange looking dishevilled young lady emerges from a car in search of a man who she is out to kill. This an other scenes are used to draw the audience into a complex plot capturing the stories of several unique personalities bound together by fate. You are drawn into their stories and friendship, loyalty, self discovery and more over the next week weeks and they attempt to make sense of their lives. 

There are Sherlock Holmes vibes with the slightly effeminate lead character and his nervous and reluctant side kick played by Elijah Wood. Then there is a group of three ‘special’ young men whose task it is to consume energy. 

There is a group from a government program that is tracking some escapees. 

We have quite a number of theories about programs desinged to create the ultimate warrior…this series is an exploration of this subject taken to an extreme. 

Several historical figures just trying to make their way home. Machines, detectives with troubled pasts, time travellers, scientists and a machine that can swap between humans and animals.

There are mothers, children, faithful husbands, wives, police officers, ancient heroes and a lot more. Viewers might tire at the names used as well as costumes but this in my view is a gem worth watching. 

Hannah Marks reminds me of a slight crush i had on a young lady that was into gothic culture.