I can’t believe January is over! why is time running so fast? Does it know something we don’t? I digress. A few things I’ve enjoyed lately, sprinkled with my opinion, of course.
No spoilers ahead.
Griselda
“The only man I was ever afraid of was a woman named Griselda Blanco.” - Pablo Escobar.
Regardless of what you think of her, Sofia Vergara has acting chops up the wazoo. She’s moved from comedy, to this hard-hitting dramatic turn as the “Godmother” of a powerful cocaine cartel. (Why it feels like yesterday that at the tender age of 23 (from 1995 to 1998) she was co-hosting the TV travel show, Fuera de Serie).
Like everyone else, I learned about Griselda Blanco from the fantastic documentary Cocaine Cowboys. Upon further digging I found the real Griselda Blanco to be way more brutal and ruthless than this mini-series portrays her to be.
In my humble opinion the show would have benefit greatly by having 8 episodes as supposed to the 6 we are presented with. For one, they glossed over her childhood, which was traumatic and brutal. I guess the producers didn’t want to assault “American sensibilities” with her insane back story.
-I would have liked to see what happened to her sons in more detail.
-It would’ve been great to see her relationship with her last husband.
-It would’ve been great to see what she was up to when she went back to Colombia.
In other words; the ending seemed rushed.
Overall, a great cautionary tale.
Saltburn
“Struggling to find his place at Oxford University, student Oliver Quick finds himself drawn into the world of the charming and aristocratic Felix Catton, who invites him to Saltburn, his eccentric family's sprawling estate, for an unforgettable summer.” From IMDB.
When I started watching this; I thought I knew where it was going, and for the most part I was right, but then the middle takes a turn, and even though you suspect what’s up, you kind of don’t. Which is the hallmark of a well-made psychological thriller.
Two things:
Why filmed such a beautiful vistas in that aspect ratio? It was filmed in a 4:3 as supposed to the popular 1.85:1 widescreen. The 4:3 gives it a claustrophobic feel. So, I guess that’s what the film maker was going for?
Two scenes stood out:
The bathtub scene and the cemetery scene—wtf?
I’m currently reading Gun Work by David J. Schow.
Synopsis:
“Life isn't always cheap south of the border -- some lives are worth a million dollars. That’s what the Mexican kidnapping cartel was demanding for Carl Ledbetter’s wife. So, Carl reached out to the one person he knew with a chance in hell of saving her, a deadly man whose own life he’d saved in the sands of Iraq. It was time to call in some favors. Because some situations call for negotiation, but some… call for gun work.”
It's a banger.
In other news, I’m slowly reaching the end of the last TWO stories I’m writing for my hitmen short-story collection. It’s been a lot of fun and I don’t want it to end so, I’m taking my sweet time. Then comes the revisions and then, off to a freelance editor, which is when the real work begins.
Hopefully it’ll be done by the summer, if not earlier (fingers cross).
Thank you for reading.
Onward!