Nerdy Squirrel Reviews by Pasckie Pascua

"Fargo." Hulu. First 4 Seasons. Crime, drama, dark comedy. Of the entire project inspired by the 1996 Coen brothers film of the same name, Season 4 is my least liked. But I wanna talk about Season 4 briefly. Set in Kansas City, Missouri in 1950, it is about an all-black crime syndicate that flees the Jim Crow South, and then figures in contentious relationship with the Kansas City mafia. Despite a winnable cast: Chris Rock, Jessie Buckley, Jason Schwartzman, Ben Whishaw, Jack Huston with few episodes appearance by Timothy Olyphant, 4th Season doesn’t have the addictive weirdness of the first three. But hey Ms Buckley’s Oraetta Mayflower and Salvatore Esposito’s Gaetano Fadda are worth the while. 🎥📺📽 “Ozark.” Netflix. Crime/Narcos & Family. 4 Seasons, 4th/final Season coming. Reeling from a messed-up marriage, couple Marty and Wendy Byrde (Jason Bateman and Laura Linney) relocate their family to the Ozarks for money laundering. Their boss, who else, a Mexican cartel. O

“Expats.” (Amazon Prime) drama series based on the 2016 novel “The Expatriates” by Janice Y. K. Lee , follows "the vibrant lives of a close-knit expatriate community: where affluence is celebrated, friendships are intense but knowingly temporary, and personal lives, deaths and marriages are played out publicly—then retold with glee.” Didn’t feel it though. I watched it because Ruby Ruiz (as Essie) is a friend.         But, as expected, Pinays Essie and another househelp Puri (Amelyn Pardenilla) are stereotyped as maids in Hollywood cinema, regardless that this series is supposedly “crafted” by mostly Asians. And Essie and Puri’s speaking lines are all about a domestic helper’s dialogues, that’s all. Fact is, there are many Filipinos in Hong Kong who are doctors, teachers, engineers, and journalists.         Set in Hong Kong , the plot orbits the abrupt disappearance of American expat Margaret Woo's youngest son during a nighttime market escapade. The convergence of three Ame

“Gunpowder” (HBO Max/Amazon Prime) British historical drama , based on the “ Gunpowder Plot ” in London in 1605. It stars Kit Harington, who is a direct descendant of his character Robert Catesby . This series is only told in three parts, which should have sufficed. But I feel I sort of needed to see more exploration. Understandably, the focus is on Robert Catesby though I wanted more about Guy Fawkes as essayed by Tom Cullen, with lots of brawn but less soul.         The Gunpowder Plot of 1605, in earlier centuries often called the Gunpowder Treason Plot or the Jesuit Treason, was an unsuccessful attempted regicide against King James I by a group of English Catholics led by Robert Catesby who considered their actions attempted tyrannicide and who sought regime change in England after decades of religious persecution .        The short series offers a deeper dig-up. Which is the major kick in watching historical movies/series. 📺🎥📺 “Archie” (Amazon Prime) British biographical

“Napoleon” (2023, Apple TV+) epic historical drama , based on the story of Napoleon Bonaparte and primarily depicting his rise to power as well as his relationship with his wife, Joséphine Bonaparte , it stars Joaquin Phoenix as Napoleon and Vanessa Kirby as Joséphine. Directed by Ridley Scott, who is at ease with grand historical epics or futuristic panoramas. Recommended: “The Duellists” (1977), “Blade Runner” (1982), “Gladiator” (2000), and “ Alien: Covenant ” (2017). Not recommended because it is his worst: “Black Hawk Down” (2001). Recommended for discussion sake: “ Exodus: Gods and Kings ”(2014).        I am a sucker for anything “historical” so waited for Apple TV+ to finally stream “Napoleon.” Although I still have hangovers of Mr Scott’s flawed facts or distorted facts in his incursion into the Battle of Mogadishu of 1993 via “Black Hawk Down,” so be it. I don’t care. Napoleon is Napoleon.         The journey started in 1793, amid the French Revolution , as young army offi

“Griselda” (Netflix) biographical crime drama about G riselda Blanco , a notorious Colombian drug lord . The series is co-written by Doug Miro, whose other notable work (as well as creator) is “Narcos” and “Narcos: Mexico.” Mr Miro is no novice, he also penned “The Great Raid” (2005), “The Uninvited” (2009), “Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time” (2010), among others. I was satisfied with both “Narcos” efforts.         Definitely, there’s so much to tell in/around the life story of Griselda Blanco, a powerful crime boss, and her rise in the Miami drug scene and pursuit of power and wealth. Years: 1990s. Critics were looking for more backstories, especially Senora Blanco’s relations with Pablo Escobar and the Rodriguez-Orejuela brothers and Carlos Lehder. More on cartels Medellin and Cali, of course. Maybe some encounters with El Chapo? What we get is Griselda war with the Fabio Ochoa cartel and its underlings, especially in Miami. And perhaps another episode to expound more on Griseld

“Killers of the Flower Moon” (2023, Apple TV+) epic /historical western crime drama film directed by Martin Scorsese . Eric Roth and Mr Scorsese based their screenplay on the 2017 non-fiction book by David Grann . Set in 1920s Oklahoma, it focuses on a series of murders of Osage members and relations in the Osage Nation after oil was discovered on tribal land. The tribal members had retained mineral rights on their reservation, but a corrupt local political boss sought to steal the wealth.        Elaboration of the backstory: The Osage Indian murders were a series of murders of Osage in Osage County, Oklahoma during the 1910s–1930s. Newspapers described the increasing number of unsolved murders and deaths among young adults as the "Reign of Terror.” Some 60 or more wealthy, full-blood Osage persons were reported killed from 1918 to 1931. Newer investigations indicate that other suspicious deaths during this time could have been misreported or covered-up murders, includin