Exceptionally, we’re sharing today’s full issue with both free and paid subscribers. If you haven’t yet, please consider subscribing to support the newsletter and never miss a recommendation.
Merry Christmas to those of you who celebrate!
OUR TOP MOVIE OF THE WEEK
2046
On Amazon Prime U.S. In Japanese, Cantonese, and Mandarin.
Director Wong Kar-Wai made this loose sequel to one of the best films ever made, his 2000 classic In the Mood for Love. Much of the story is set around Christmas eve.
In the far future, people take a train to the world of 2046, where no sadness or sorrow can be experienced. No one has ever returned from that world except for a lonely Japanese writer, who narrates the first part of the film.
There are four acts to the story and as is common to Wong Kar-Wai, they are listed in non-chronological order. Not that you will care but 2046 is far from confusing. Instead, it functions as a dazzling visual poem on unreciprocated love.
📰 A.V. Club: “As memorable and emotionally intense as any of Wong's films. It's a mood as much as a movie.”
📺 on Amazon Prime U.S.; 🍅 86%
OUR TOP TV SHOW OF THE WEEK
James May: Oh Cook
On Amazon Prime U.S.
If you feel overwhelmed by the predictable perfection of cooking shows, you will love this new one by British TV personality James May. The starts it with something like “I’m James May and I can’t cook, welcome to my cookery show”.
This premise is a little deceitful because Oh Cook is actually very well thought out. There are fascinating background tidbits such as how Pad Thai was an invention of the Thai government, and how instant noodles came from the U.S. flooding Japan with wheat in fear of them becoming communist.
But also a lot of shouting “horse’s ass!”, backstage shots of the crew who can’t contain their laughter, and long interruptions to drink wine.
📰 TV Critic James Croot: “I haven't enjoyed a cooking show this much since spending a late 1980s summer as a teenager watching old episodes of Julia Child mastering the art of French cuisine.”
📺 On Amazon Prime U.S.; 🍅 rating: 100%
Top picks outside of Netflix and Amazon
The HBO/BBC fantasy series His Dark Materials is back for season two this week. It’s about a parallel world where humans have “daemons”, animal companions that represent human souls. With James McAvoy and Ruth Wilson.
Sam Mendes’ 1917 has been added to Showtime. Nominated for ten Oscars last year, it’s about two soldiers during WWI who embark on an impossible mission to get information to a division that will save them.
That’s it for this week, I hope there is something in there for you.
The next edition will be in your inbox on Friday, January 1st.
If you are a subscriber, you’ll hear from me earlier with the New and Expiring summary on Wednesday, December 30th.
Until then,
Bilal