“Lee.” / “Juror #2.”

“Lee” (2023, Hulu) British biographical war drama film directed by Ellen Kuras in her feature directorial debut, adapted from the 1985 biography “The Lives of Lee Miller” by Antony Penrose, Ms Miller's son. 

       Kate Winslet is legendary WWII journalist Lee Miller. In a totally off his usual (comedic) assignment, Andy Samberg is David Scherman, LIFE photographer and Lee's close friend. 

     Meticulously shot yet without the howling bombast of war or hysterical drama of most bio-flicks, “Lee” easily qualifies as a veteran work though it is Ms Kuras’ first full-length feature film. 

       Ellen Kuras holds a huge portfolio of cinematic work as cinematographers. She has collaborated with directors such as Michel Gondry, Spike Lee, Sam Mendes, Jim Jarmusch, Rebecca Miller, Martin Scorsese and more. She is the three-time winner of the Award for Excellence in Dramatic Cinematography at the Sundance Film Festival.

       The cinematography for “Lee,” however, was done by Paweł Edelman. But under Ms Kuras’ direction, we see a bigger polaroid spectacle in the background of a remarkable woman of gritty independence, courageous creativity, and resilient defiance. 🎥💻📽

“Juror #2” (2024, Amazon Prime) legal thriller directed by Clint Eastwood, and written by Jonathan Abrams. 

       Plot: In Savannah, Georgia, journalist and recovering alcoholic Justin Kemp is called up for jury duty on a case concerning a young woman's death. A year prior, the victim had a fight with her boyfriend at a local bar, and was later found dead under a bridge. Boyfriend is charged with her murder. But Justin also hit “something,” on the same road that night.

       “Juror #2” is typical Clint Eastwood intrigue. He usually presents a disturbing case in front of us and lets us write how a denouement could unfold. The story is not in the conclusion but in the body of work. 🎥💻📽