Reviewing Movies

The Prodigal 1983

John Hammond as Greg Stuart

Hope Lange as Anne Stuart

John Cullum as Elton Stuart

Morgan Brittany as Sheila Holt-Browning

Ian Bannen as Riley Wyndham

Joey Travolta as Tony

Arliss Howard as Scott Stuart

Sarah Rush as Laura

Gerry Gibson as Reverend Wharton

Missing from this list is Billy Graham.

I was attracted to this show by the presence of 29-year-old Arlis Howard in his first movie role seen here as the "good" son enrolled in seminary. I was not immediately aware of the Billy Graham connection or that it's a retelling of the Biblical parable of the same name. It is interesting to see all these actors over 40 years younger.

Alas I've always said that Graham was the best of a bad lot. I lacked the stomach to complete the movie.

Little Women 2019

Saoirse Ronan

Jo March



Emma Watson

Meg March



Florence Pugh

Amy March



Eliza Scanlen

Beth March



Laura Dern

Marmee March



Timothée Chalamet

Laurie

This is not a period piece. Marmee seems barely older than her daughters. The current "it" boy is Laurie.

The location jumps back and forward in time and place. The movie begins with Jo receiving her first payment for her much edited work, then jumps to Amy's art classes in Paris. What is adeptly captured is the chatter and squabbles of a house overflowing with 5 women with Laurie often the foil.

Friedrich Bhear looks grizzled but certainly not the aging professor.

I will say that Teddy looks dowdy in period costuming.

And the movie ends with Papa March's return so it gets the Hollywood treatment.

Chicago PD

Redefines police corruption. If there was a teflon don Voight is the teflon sargeant. To catch the bad guys you have to be as devious as the villains. Using CI's who are protected criminals to catch even worse offenders seems distasteful. The lines between the law and crooks is bent and blurred. A dead perp doesn't need a lawyer, a trial, or proof of his offence. Officers rise through the ranks because they know how to work the system, not because they're good cops. Keep your friends close and your enemies even closer. Collecting dirt on your enemies is essential security. Horse trading is how it's done. Justice has nothing to do with truth but what can be proven in a court of law. Officer discretion is often influenced by public perception.

The character at the centre of this series is a Psychopath, devoid of any moral compunction or conscience for his actions. Those who work with and under him get drawn into his actions and suffer the PTS involved in witnessing and dealing with the moral ambiguity involved.

I have now watched the 11 seasons available to me on prime without paying extra subscription fees. Growing up in a tough neighbourhood exposed one of the recent additions to the squad to early employment as a mob enforcer. A rather tough man of few words he still lives at home in that same neighbourhood with his Mama. A multi-episode story of a squad member who goes undercover to shadow a crime family discovers how the man's daughter is roped into her father's criminal activities and how her ten year old son idolizes his grampa. Another such child shoots and kills his best friend while they play with his father's weapons and is found with a sizable stash of heroin under his bed he claims is his rather than expose pops.

Episode 22 of season 11 has a major cliffhanger ending.