George Clooney's "The Boys in the Boat" is a conventional sports saga based on a true story, following the University of Washington rowing team's journey to win the gold medal at the 1936 Olympics. While the film hits some feel-good notes, it also falls into clichés and ham-fisted pronouncements, detracting from its intended lyricism. The characters are mostly one-dimensional, and the film's attempts at mythologizing often come across as cloying. Despite its flaws, the movie celebrates meritocracy and the American Dream, presenting hard work and persistence as the keys to overcoming adversity.
This week's new TV shows include Netflix's "The Fall of the House of Usher," a spooky adaptation of Edgar Allan Poe's short story; John Carpenter's "Suburban Screams," a true horror series about real-life supernatural occurrences in the suburbs; Crunchyroll's "Stardust Telepath," a charming anime about a shy high school student and an alien with telepathic powers; Hulu's "Goosebumps," a reboot of the classic spooky anthology based on R.L. Stine's books; and Apple TV Plus' "Lessons in Chemistry," a period piece about a pregnant woman who becomes a TV cooking show host in the 1950s.
Cillian Murphy discusses his weight loss for the role of J. Robert Oppenheimer in Christopher Nolan's upcoming period piece. Murphy revealed that he sometimes forgot to eat while filming and aimed to resemble the real-life Oppenheimer, who survived on cigarettes and pipes. He emphasized the importance of capturing Oppenheimer's physicality and silhouette, including his wide-eyed look. Murphy did not disclose the amount of weight he lost but expressed his desire to avoid the focus being solely on his weight loss.
The upcoming four-part miniseries "Tom Jones: Masterpiece" transforms Henry Fielding's novel into a romcom in which the female lead often outshines the male protagonist. The series focuses on the lighter, comedic moments and the sweeping love story, with memorable scenes featuring Lady Bellaston and Blifil. While the show contains themes of identity, class, and what it means to be a woman of the time, it is ultimately just another situational romcom in britches. "Tom Jones: Masterpiece" airs on PBS from April 30 to May 31.
