With the pandemic confining most people in their homes, technology has taken over our lives. Zoom meetings, Facebook Live performances and binge-viewing like never before. During the Christmas break, most people had virtual reunions with family members, close friends and school batchmates. Musicians shared their songs in virtual gigs. And the streaming platforms like Disney+, Netflix and HBO Max had more than enough features to last until next Christmas.
Theaters were one of the biggest losers in 2020 and with the resurgence of Covid-19, many will remain closed in 2021. With their investments stuck in completed films, studios have released some of their potential blockbusters directly in streaming platforms. With subscriptions to Netflix and Disney+, I had a volume of features to choose from during the Christmas break. There were a number of so-so items I viewed, but three had me engaged, namely “The Midnight Sky,” “Soul” and “Start-up.”
George Clooney is destined to succeed Clint Eastwood as the most successful director-actor of his time. He plays the role of Augustine Lofthouse in “The Midnight Sky” that he directed. Lofthouse is a scientist who is left alone in the Arctic Circle as the world’s population succumbs to a global catastrophe. Sickly and dying, he is the only person who can warn a returning spaceship not to land on Earth and direct them to Jupiter’s habitable moon K-23. Can one make a difference in the dying days of a dying world? What a dark subject to tackle, yet Clooney’s direction and acting lead us to an inspiring end, with a twist.
Pixar’s “Soul” is even more complex and it is meant for a young audience. Director Peter Hans Docter, whose previous works include “Up” and “Inside Out,” is a genius. He deals on serious issues, yet makes charming and human-interest flicks that cater to both young and old. My granddaughter Kayla and I viewed “Soul” twice, as we couldn’t get enough of the main character, Joe Gardner, who dies in an accident just as he was about to have his biggest break as a jazz pianist. Death and jazz are not easy to tackle, but the tale of Gardner’s soul wanting to get back to living is funny as it is thought-provoking.
The Korean wave continues to draw audiences in Netflix, and much as my wife and I try to skip K-dramas as these demand time and sleeping late, we could not sit out on “Start-Up.” It follows the lives of the main characters plunging into the world of business through an institution called Sandbox whose aim is to assist start-up companies by finding for them would-be investors. A love triangle adds to the thrill of competition, IT, self-discovery, sibling rivalry and friendship. It also asks the question, “Why do you want to be in business?” Simply irresistible K-drama.