A scene from “Les Miserables”
By Jessica Gosse
TV Media
“Les Miserables”
This isn’t the same “Les Mis”
Victor Hugo wrote in 1862, and
it certainly isn’t the 2012 film
filled with songs and dances
performed by Hollywood stars.
French director Ladj Ly’s film
does, however, call back to the
themes of Hugo’s novel, and
takes place in the same Paris
suburb where Jean Valjean meets
Cosette (Montfermeil, which
is also where the directer grew
up). The film paints an image of
French authority’s treatment of
the poor, and subtly says, “Look!
Things haven’t changed!” Police
officer Stephane Ruiz (Damien
Bonnard, “Dunkirk” 2017)
takes a new job in Paris, and is
assigned to a Montfermeil anti-
crime team alongside fellow
officer Gwada and team leader
Chris, played by newcomers
Djebril Zonga and Alexis Ma-
nenti. Stephane watches as Chris
abuses his position of power until
a brutal confrontation involving
a young slum kid, teargas, a flash
Kristin Davis, Sarah Jessica Parker, Cynthia Nixon and Kim Cattrall star in “Sex and the
City”
ball and lions, is caught on tape.
Stephane urges Gwada to do
the right thing with the tape of
Chris’s actions. The film is mod-
ern and enlightening and, with
a feather-light touch, it issues
callbacks to the famous 1800s
story it’s named after, creating
a poignant call for justice that is
empowered by its similarities to
the story first told more than 150
years ago. The Oscar-nominated
feature will be available on Prime
as of Friday, April 10.
“Rambo: Last Blood” (2019)
Sylvester Stallone stars in “Rambo: Last Blood”
Vietnam War veteran John Rambo
(Sylvester Stallone, “Rocky,” 1976)
returns in the fifth installment of
this famous franchise, and this time
he heads to Mexico to take on a
cartel. Amazon is making the film
available to stream starting Friday,
April 10. Rambo lives on a Ranch
in Arizona with Maria (Adriana
Barraza, “Babel” 2006), an old
friend, and her granddaughter,
Gabriela (Yvette Monreal, “Faking
It”). When Gabriela sneaks away to
Mexico to confront her biological
father, she is kidnapped and beaten
by the cartel. Rambo finds out, and
is having literally none of that — he
rushes across the border to get
her back. What ensues is a vicious,
bloody battle for revenge on the
cartel and its leaders Hugo (Sergio
Peris-Mencheta, “Life Itself” 2018)
and Victor Martinez (Oscar Jae-
nada, “The Losers” 2010). The film
wasn’t exactly a hit with critics, but
if you’re looking for intense action
and Sly’s return to one of his most
iconic roles, you won’t be disap-
pointed.
BINGE THIS:
“Sex and the City”
Relive the hilarious antics of
Carrie (Sarah Jessica Parker,
“Divorce”), Samantha (Kim Cat-
trall, “Tell Me a Story”), Charlotte
(Kristin Davis, “Bad Teacher”)
and Miranda (Cynthia Nixon,
“Stray Dolls,” 2019) with all six
seasons of this award-winning
comedy series available now on
Prime. Based on the novel of the
same name by Candace Bushnell,
the series follows Carrie Brad-
shaw, a thirty-something-year-
old columnist trying to navigate
the ups and downs of life in
New York City with her friends.
While each of the women are
very different — Carrie is the
fun-loving party girl, Miranda’s
a determined lawyer, Charlotte
the optimist and perfectionist,
and Samantha the sexually con-
fident business woman — they
come together to help each other
through difficult times. Whether
they are facing Miranda’s rocky
relationship with Steve (David
Eigenberg, “Chicago Fire”) and
his health problems, Samantha’s
commitment issues, Charlotte’s
hopelessly romantic outlook or
Carrie’s on-again, off-again rela-
tionship with Mr. Big (Chris Noth,
“The Good Wife”), everything
is manageable when discussed
together over Cosmos. Despite
a strong focus on romantic rela-
tionships, this series truly shows
the importance of good friends.
Pour yourself a Cosmo, call up
your friends and start binging
“Sex and the City” for the perfect
girls night in.
“Friday Night Lights”
One of the most beloved dramas
in network television history is
available on Prime, and you can
stream all five seasons now. The
series takes place in a small town
in Texas, and revolves around the
local high school football team,
the Dillon Panthers. Integral to
the ensemble cast of characters is
the team’s head coach, Eric Taylor
(Kyle Chandler, “Argo” 2012),
and his wife, Tami (Connie Brit-
ton, “Nashville”), who is also the
school’s guidance counselor. Many
young stars got a start in this 2006
series, including Aimee Teegarden
(“Notorious”), Taylor Kitch (“Only
the Brave,” 2017), Jesse Plemons
(“The Irishman,” 2019) and Minka
Kelly (“Titans”). Fans and critics
alike praise the show for its real-
ism, and for tackling contemporary
issues that remain relevant to this
day. Despite the sizable cast, each
character is explored deeply, with
purpose and intent, allowing them
to grow throughout the series.
Much of this is due to the story be-
ing based on real life, specifically
H.G. Bissinger’s non-fiction novel
of the same name. Whether you’re
re-watching or tuning in for the
first time, this binge-worthy drama
should be checked off of everyone’s
“must-see” list.
East Oregonian and Hermiston Herald | April 8, 2020
Screentime | 11