It’s one step forward and two steps back for Jackie Peyton (Edie Falco), the determined yet deeply flawed titular heroine of Showtime’s Nurse Jackie. Last time viewers saw her, in an attempt to flee New York City following a relapse into pills, a near-death incident at work and growing combative work relationships save for one, she ran into an ambulance.
In the sweltering heat and thick humidity of the Florida Keys, where hard-luck locals dwell not far from well-off property owners and tourists, mistakes have been made. The Rayburn family is at the center of the latest drama by Netflix, and in Bloodline, a mystery (or mysteries) slowly unravels at a pace fit for the setting.
There are a solid two minutes of charm and humour in the pilot of Weird Loners, a generic sitcom stuck in outdated sensibility and lacking in likeability.
While at its core there is a great idea, Bladestorm: Nightmare has too much going on both during battle and off the field. The game tries so hard to juggle story, character levelling up, massive battles, and strategy that in the end, it doesn’t do anything particularly well.
Atelier Shallie is the best yet in the long-running series, but will only appeal to selective gamers. While beautiful in sight and sound, there is no drama or purpose in the narrative, and the careful spirit and repetitive nature of fighting, collecting, and crafting make bore some. Still, for those new to JRPGs or fans of the Atelier, this serves as a worthwhile diversion.
CSI: Cyber tweaks the series for the better, but still occupies realms of the convenient and absurd. It’s a simple, formulaic self-contained series that occasionally offers entertainment, but seems built from a machine that churns out hit series and can do no wrong.
At long last, after nearing a decade in the making with various writers, directors and plots, Selma is completed and now set for a December 25th release. Starring David Oyelowo as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., this dramatic and already award-nominated film follows the 1965 protests in Selma, Alabama for equal voting rights.
Aggressive, desperate, and quick-tongued, Mark Wahlberg’s titular character in Rupert Wyatt’s The Gambler is a captivating figure as he leads a downward spiral. For all its absurd comedy, palpable tension, great music, and fantastic acting from an ensemble cast (John Goodman, Jessica Lange, Brie Larson), the film is still a character study through and through.
A powerful documentary and gripping story, Virunga is a deftly-executed film that follows one of the most biologically diverse regions on Earth as violent militias and greedy companies look to take advantage of an unstable government.
The undeniable heart and endless humour in Disney’s latest animated adventure, Big Hero 6, comes not in flesh and bone, but what appears to be some kind of malleable rubber. Yes, at the center of this family thriller is Baymax, a rotund robotic healthcare giver that offers the most laughs, entertainment, and maybe a couple tears.
