Film offers 'Hard Truths' about why some people are happy — and others are miserable
Marianne Jean-Baptiste gives a phenomenal performance as a profoundly unhappy woman. There isn't a lot of plot, but director Mike Leigh builds his stories from the details and detritus of daily life.
'On Juneteenth' Historian Examines The 'Hope' And 'Hostility' Toward Emancipation
Juneteenth celebrates the day slavery ended in Texas, June 19, 1865. Pulitzer Prize-winning historian Annette Gordon-Reed studies the early American republic and the legacy of slavery.
A Small Town Becomes A Hotbed Of Festering Secrets In 'Whitstable Pearl'
Acorn TV's engaging new crime drama takes place in a touristy seaside town with an oversized murder rate. Pearl, the single mom who runs the seafood restaurant, also has a small detective agency.
Remembering Charles Grodin, Of 'Heartbreak Kid' And 'Midnight Run' Fame
Grodin, who died May 18, was known for his deadpan humor and his ability to make even the most unpleasant characters likable and funny. Originally broadcast in 1989.
'Solos' And 'The Bite' Showcase How To Create New TV During A Pandemic
The Amazon anthology series Solos features a different actor in each installment. The Bite, on Spectrum On Demand, is comedy-drama that combines COVID lockdown with an outbreak of a zombie contagion.
Remembering Record Store Owner Bob Koester
Koester, who died May 12, was the founder of Delmark Records, which released records by blues and jazz artists. He also operated the Jazz Record Mart in Chicago. Originally broadcast in 2003.
COVID Is The 'Nightmare We Really Wanted To Avoid,' India-Based Journalist Says
Jeffrey Gettleman of the N.Y. Times says the air has been filled with smoke from crematories. Meanwhile, the health care system is collapsing and the black market for oxygen and medicine is thriving.
Rachel Cusk's 'Second Place' Offers Sharp Perceptions About Love And Creativity
A writer offers up her guest house to a famous painter in hope that something transcendent will happen. But he's selfish, amoral and flagrantly misogynistic — and monstrously at ease with all this.
Actor John Boyega On 'Star Wars', 'Small Axe' And Telling 'Stories Of The Untold'
Boyega has been outspoken about systemic racism in Hollywood. Last year, he talked about how his character in Star Wars was sidelined, along with the other characters played by actors of color.