Brain Dump: The Americans, Coco, The Split

Nicola Walker in The Split

A few brief comments on television and movies coming at you in this edition of a brain dump. I’ll talk about The Americans, Coco, and The Split.

The Americans

Matthew Rhys and Keri Russell in 'The Americans'

I thought The Americans came to a brilliant ending. The episode was almost wordless. The story was etched in the silent, pained faces of the Jennings parents (Matthew Rhys and Keri Russell) as they fled to Russia. They deliberately left behind their son Henry (Keidrich Sellati). Their daughter Paige (Holly Taylor) decided on her own to remain in America. It was quietly and ultimately about family and love. Even for their neighbor FBI Agent Stan (Noah Emmerich), who uncovered the secret of who they were, it was about love and friendship when it came down to the crunch.

Coco

Miguel and Hector in a fantasy scene from Coco

Coco is a delightful film everyone of every age should see. It’s the story of young Miguel, who longed to be a musician like his great great grandfather. His family had forbidden music completely from their lives. On Dia de los Muertos, Miguel goes to the Land of the Dead to seek out his ancestor. His adventure is full of color, excitement, music, danger, surprise, and love.

Just watch it, please. You can thank me later.

The Split

Deborah Findlay, Annabel Scholey, Nicola Walker, and Fiona Button in The Split

The Split is a British series. You can see it on the Sundance channel currently in the US. It was renewed for a second series.

Built around a family of divorce lawyers with Nicola Walker in the lead role, the series was more about the family relationships of the lawyers than it was about the divorce cases in each episode.

Deborah Findlay was the family matriarch while Annabel Scholey, Nicola Walker, and Fiona Button played three sisters. They were wonderfully believable as sisters. Anthony Head was their long lost father. There are also co-workers, husbands, children, boyfriends, and many guests in need of divorce lawyers in the cast. It is a stylish drama full of family secrets and betrayals.

I loved seeing Nicola Walker looking très chic and beautiful. She got to be smart, sexy and powerful – a heady combination. Bless the British for letting 40+ women be smart, sexy and powerful lead characters in well-written TV series. The series was created by Abi Morgan and directed by Jessica Hobbs.

1 thought on “Brain Dump: The Americans, Coco, The Split”

  1. Pingback: Review: Over the Moon - Old Ain't Dead

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