“Luther.” “High Desert.” “Tiny Beautiful Things.”

“Luther.” (Amazon Prime) British psychological crime thriller. Five Seasons/Series. For his performance as DCI John Luther, Idris Elba has been awarded a Critics' Choice Television Award, Golden Globe Award, and Screen Actors Guild Award. Cool restraint, intense grip. More than all, African American John Luther isn’t explored per current color-coded correctness here. You wouldn’t notice that he is black; he simply is a dedicated copper, that’s all. No understated, suggested, or pushed racial politics and that’s what I love about this series. 

       Some of the violence and gore may turn off the squeamish but you can forgive those. Writing is tight, pace is contained, and the action isn’t bombastic a-la Hollywood banger. Side story is Alice Morgan, portrayed with flirtatiously deadly gusto by Ruth Lewis though her presence could be implausible or “unbelievable” at times. Yet Alice shatters Luther’s vulnerable persona and sends him emotionally reeling, which no bad guy could ever do. 

       “Luther” is a fine respite from the swashbuckling police procedurals that we often see. And Mr Elba is fine actor. 🎥📺📹

“High Desert” (Apple TV+) drama/comedy, follows an addict who decides to make a fresh start after the death of her beloved mother with whom she lived in the small desert town of Yucca Valley, California. She makes a life-changing decision to become a private investigator. If not for Patricia Arquette in the title role of Peggy, I wouldn’t have labored through this experience. 

       Usually bankable actors Rupert Friend (as Guru Bob, silly) and Matt Dillon (as Denny, stereotypical) embarrass themselves, and you almost didn’t notice the usually noticeable Bernadette Peters. I guess, they are just trying to work to pay bills? But I love Patricia Arquette though she’s better in dramatic roles, such as in 2014’s “Boyhood” and 2018’s “Escape at Dannemora.” Meantime, I’ll just probably content myself with silly comedies by Nicolas Cage. 🎥📺📹

“Tiny Beautiful Things.” (Hulu) comedy drama, based on the Cheryl Strayed book of the same name, centers on a writer who reluctantly becomes a popular advice columnist during a period of turmoil in her life. I must say Kathryn Hahn is an overly underrated actress. Whether she delivers comedy or drama, Ms Hahn is always amazing, I think. Her fast mouth is never overdrawn, her sarcasm never acerbic, and her eroticism always subtle. 

       The last time I saw Kathryn (before “Tiny…”) was in 2021’s “The Shrink Next Door.” Although she was basically support to leads Will Ferrell and Paul Rudd, she was amazing here. She can easily slide from hilariousness to dramatics and slide back, and you wouldn’t notice it.

       In “Tiny Beautiful Things,” it was all Kathryn Hahn although the series overall, despite presence of the usually remarkable Merritt Wever, was a bit painstakingly maudlin or achingly mawkish to me. With Ms Hahn on the driver’s seat, it was hard to give up, I just had to finish the show. Can’t wait for her next. By the way, she received an Emmy nomination for this one. 🎥📺📹