DRAMA. “Palmer.” / “Blush.” / “Duke.” / “Little Woods.” / “Frank vs God.”

“Palmer” (2021, Apple TV+) drama film. Plot: Eddie Palmer is a former high school football star and ex-felon who has been released from prison after serving 12 years for attempted murder and armed robbery. He moves in with his grandmother Vivian, who occasionally watches over a young feminine boy named Sam, the son of her neighbor Shelly, a drug addict. When Vivian died as Shelly stayed a mess, Palmer and Sam got closer.

 

       This exemplary movie by full-time actor Fisher Stevens tackles several issues that warrant a sensitively critical understanding. Reinforced by an award-deserving performance by Justin Timberlake as Eddie Palmer, this feature could squeeze your heart to tears. Not moralizing or castigating yet “Palmer” coaxes us to look within. Never mind that the theme or plot is familiar; the urgency of the message should not stray away from public attention.

       And look out for child actor Ryder Allen as Sam, Palmer's surrogate son. BTW, check out Ryder in the TV series “Penguin” as the child Oz a.k.a. The Penguin. This kid knows how to act. 🎥💻📽

“Blush” (2019, Tubi) comedy-drama. Wendi McLendon-Covey plays Cathy, an obsessive-compulsive, middle-aged woman who wrongly suspects that her husband is having an affair. This belief serves as the catalyst for a series of bad choices on her part. Her entire life threatens to become unraveled after she is targeted by an obsessive teen boy.

       Mainly attributing to Wendi's performance, edgy allure and dramatic restraint, I held on to this subtly comical joust to end credits. Handed to other actresses, this project by Debra Eisenstaft would have fallen or slipped into a puddle of mushy stereotypes. 🎥💻📽

“Duke” (2019, Sling) crime drama. Two siblings are driven to heroic extremes by childhood trauma. The bros Dare and Roost are portrayed by Carmine Giovinazzo and Hank Harris. Do you know them? I didn't until this indie gem, directed by Anthony and James Gaudioso (Anthony wrote the script).

       Basically, “Duke” deals with childhood trauma, an oft-tackled theme but the Gaudiosos managed to avoid the tired cliches and overwrought sentimentalism that usually punctuate the premise. Their minimalist navigation and restraint grip of a familiar crime terrain is arresting enough.

       Anchored on Carmine's intense performance, the movie is interesting enough to keep us glued. I'd like to see this guy again in other movies. 🎥💻📽

“Little Woods” (2018, Tubi) crime drama about two estranged sisters, Ollie and Deb, in a North Dakota oil boomtown who must turn to illegal activities to pay for Deb's overdue abortion and save their late mother's house from foreclosure. 

       The courageous light in this sad feature is Tessa Thompson as Ellie. An absorbing performance delivered in restraint and depth. Most especially, this is a commendable debut work by writer-director Nia DaCosta. Although the pace is slow, the drama is alive and forceful. 🎥💻📽

“Frank vs God” (2014, Plex) drama film. A man decides to sue God after his insurance company denies his claim for tornado damage, citing an "Act of God" exclusion. 

       This movie started out as a comedy, I reckon? Then it evolved into a kind of dramatic discourse on the obvious subject. After his house is destroyed by a natural calamity, defined as an "act of God" by an insurance company, former hotshot lawyer David Frank is determined that God must pay. (Tornado isn't categorized as a natural calamity, uh huh.) So leaders of all religious denominations are summoned by court to state their case. Blah blah blah. 

       Writer/director Stewart Schill presented a compelling premise but his navigation is inept, showy, and not so entertaining. As did Henry Ian Cusick as David. 

       You may be entertained better by Mark Joffe's 2001 Australian comedy “The Man Who Sued God,” starring Billy Connolly and Judy Davis. The subject would be more effectively tackled as a comedy, rather than drama, I mean. 🎥💻📽