Trust (TV Seris, FX 2018)

Trust is based on actual events of one the wealthiest families, the Gettys. Donald Sutherland plays the patriarch of the family, J. Paul Getty who founded Getty Oil Company. It starts out in the year 1973 playing Pink Floyd's Money which sums it up. Money made the family and money destroys the family. We see the material goods. The large, beautiful house and pool. Old man Getty can basically buy people. He has a harem of women in his house. But there is no love. His children really have no desire to follow in his footsteps and become businessmen. Some get caught up in drugs. He has already lost one son and we come into the story as another son has killed himself. He gets the glimmer of hope when a grandson shows up for the funeral and they seem to connect. However, he soon turns into a disappoint too. Getty is a cold man and behaves like he is a king in his home. He has someone dress him and brush his teeth. The irony is with all the money he can be so cheap. Like keeping track of the cost of the newspaper or having a pay phone in the house. There is so much eccentricity here. Like buying a lioness and having it in the house. It makes one think is this what too much money does to a person. Think of Michael Jackson when he had a zoo in his backyard and went around carrying his chimpanzee, Bubbles. As the series continues it will get into the kidnapping of the grandson. It's turning into a fascinating look of this famous family. Brendan Fraser (The Mummy) and Hilary Swank (Boys Don't Cry) also star.

The Crossing (TV Series, ABC 2018)

A new sci-fi thriller is starting on ABC April 2nd called The Crossing. I'm nervous because I watched it and liked it. Why should that be a problem? Because it's ABC and this kind of genre has a 50/50 shot of surviving on this network. Sure Lost made it but it's the graveyard of Time After Time, Zero Time and 666 Park Avenue. The Crossing starts out with people some alive and others dead that begin to wash ashore onto a coastal town in the state of Washington. We learn that they are not from a sinking ship or downed plane. They are refugees from a dystopian world over 150 years in the future. The story they tell is as science moved along with DNA and gene manipulation there are some who are much more advanced. The advanced are moving forward with genocide of the ordinary. One of the refugees says that they are not the first group to come back. The first group was smaller and their purpose was to change things. And that always brings up that old time travel quandary-will going back to the past to change the future actually create the future you are trying to change? I know, it twists the brain. Steve Zahn (That Thing You Do!) stars as the sheriff of the town and Sandrine Holt (House Of Cards) is a Homeland Security agent. This did remind me of The 4400 which was on USA 2004-2007. It will be nice if this makes it just to have something other than a doctor, lawyer or cop show.

For The People (TV Series, ABC 2018)

The pilot episode of For The People takes you into the Southern District of New York Federal Court (also known as "The Mother Court") as a group of young lawyers are sworn in to serve. Half of them are for the prosecution and the other half are for the defense. The characters run the gamut of arrogance, ambition, eagerness, and gullibility. Some cases are high profile like terrorism or basic like fraud.I found at times when they presented their arguments it was hard to say who truly was right because I could agree with both. They learn fighting isn't always the best thing and to be successful you might have to sacrifice your personal life. I like watching these people go head to head with each other. I hope that as it goes along we get to learn what has brought them to this place and we can become emotionally invested in these characters. Nice to see Anna Deavere Smith playing a part here as the clerk of the court. One of the executive producers behind the series is Shonda Rhimes known for bringing us Grey's Anatomy, Scandal and How To Get Away With Murder.

Deception (TV Series, ABC 2018)

Deception is the new drama series from ABC that is about a famous magician who gets involved with working with the FBI with the hopes of helping his brother who has been framed for murder. Jack Cutmore-Scott plays the part well of the cocky illusionist. He is likeable. We do have an arch enemy who is the one responsible for framing his brother that if the series survives we know he will be chasing and dueling. I have glanced at some reviews and there seems to be this aww come on sense or that it's silly. But sometimes it's nice to just to suspend disbelief, go along for the ride and enjoy. Is it the best? No. But it's good fluff. It's fun to see the different kind of schemes and hoodwinks they come up with. It brings to mind some of the old crime/drama series like The Magician, Banacek, or Mission Impossible. So for some fun and adventure this show is not a bad pick.

Darkest Hour (Movie 2017)

Finally watched the historical pic Darkest Hour. The movie Dunkirk had the point of view of the soldiers waiting to be rescued and their rescuers. Darkest Hour takes you into that same time frame but from the point of view of the man who would orchestrate the rescue-Prime Minister Winston Churchill. It takes you into those few weeks in May 1940 when Churchill first becomes Prime Minister up until the Dunkirk rescue and the "Never surrender" speech. The lighting is superb with many scenes especially in parliament with shards of light and shadowing. But it alludes to what is happening. The forces of darkness are closing in on England and the world. The man standing in the way of it is Winston Churchill. Before he can even begin to contemplate how to fight back he must convince those around him it is the only course of action. The irony is though his war cabinet wants to have Italy help England negotiate a peace settlement with Hitler. Gary Oldman has won the Best Actor Oscar for his performance in this film. Rightfully so! Oldman disappears and is no where to be found. In his place the spirit of Winston Churchill comes on screen. We see this man of history had a temper, was irreverent, and had made mistakes during his career. But he was intelligent, a great orator, and knew that Hitler wouldn't stop until he had complete domination. He was the right man at the right the time. He was who was needed at the darkest hour.