A new take on King Arthur
“You don’t need a weatherman to know which way the wind blows,” but these days, a guide through the seemingly endless flurry of pop culture offerings is just what we need. With that in mind, here is what’s on the radar screen in TV, music and film for the coming week.
MOVIES
Big release on May 12: King Arthur: Legend of the Sword
Big picture: We all know Charlie Hunnam’s weapon of choice; the actor laid down his riding crop when he famously quit 50 Shades of Grey; now, he’s wielding Excalibur. It was the right call. Christian Grey may be a legend among the bored and romantically starved, but King Arthur is a true legend. Director Guy Ritchie re-imagines Arthur as a street-fighting, streetwise orphan raised in a brothel — a boy robbed of his birthright (and father) at the hands of his uncle Vortigern (Jude Law). This re-born Arthur is like Hamlet meets Tyrion Lannister meets Oliver Twist. When he pulls the famous sword from the stone, he begins a slow, violent journey to retaking his father’s crown. Swords are drawn; drawbridges fall; courtyards are bloodied; walls are scaled; maidens are kissed; heads are furrowed (mainly Law’s). It is a Ritchie film, so there are a lot more explosions and slow-motion sequences than you’ll recall from Medieval history. The jury is out on whether Ritchie has nearly ruined another iconic character (see Sherlock Holmes ... and Madonna). Like any great villain, Law poaches all the best lines, such as, “When people fear you, it’s the most intoxicating sensation a man can possess”? (This begs the question: Is Donald Trump ghostwriting Hollywood scripts in between all that tweeting, golfing and Fox News binging)?
Forecast: Camelot doesn’t come easy, but it’s worth fighting for. Hunnam certainly did his part, recently declaring he threw “1,000 punches a day” while on set. (But enough Arthur remakes already; I can’t be the only one who’d rather see the coming-of-age story of Merlin.)
Honourable mention:
Snatched. No, this is not a sequel to Ritchie film Snatch; it’s a rare mother-daughter comedy in which there’s no magical body swapping. Amy Schumer plays the spontaneous Emily, who lures her ultracautious mother (Goldie Hawn) on an exotic jungle vacation. Much fishout-of-water, odd-couple comedy ensues. This one will appeal to fans of Schumer’s debut film Trainwreck (small word of caution: The comedy queen didn’t write this flick). Hawn’s big-screen return is a sight for sore eyes after a nearly 15-year absence.
TV
Big events: I Love Dick (May 12, Amazon Prime); Miss USA Special (May 14, Fox)
Big picture: Get your mind out of the gutter. Dick is a steely-eyed, cowboy heartthrob played by Kevin Bacon, who becomes the unhealthy focus of an eccentric middle-aged couple (Kathryn Hahn and Griffin Dunne). This genre-bending dramedy comes from Transparent creator Jill Soloway, who has adapted Chris Kraus’s groundbreaking 1997 novel-memoir. You want surprises? How about daydream sequences in which a shirtless, chain-smoking Bacon carries a baby lamb over his shoulders in the hot, dusty, Texan sun? Meanwhile, Miss USA returns to remind us how far we haven’t come. Sample line from last year’s announcer: “Your fates have been determined and there is no turning back now.” Sounds ominous, right? I know at least one guy angling for work in Trump’s first inaugural Hunger Games. Emmy for her Bacon obsession (her character wants zero degrees of separation)
Honourable mention: Hitler’s Dog, Gossip & Trickery (Netflix, May 9) After just hearing the title, I was hoping this was a time-travel comedy. Turns out it’s a Norm Macdonald comedy special.
MUSIC Big release on May 12:
Harry Styles (self-titled)
Big Picture: The one-time, shaggy-haired weather vane of One Direction is going solo. His latest single, Sweet Creature, is swoon-inducing acoustic folk-pop designed to sell Kleenex, and provide a tear-jerking, lighter-charged live concert closer. Imagine a thousand tiny lights brightening Style’s elfin features as he sings, “Sweet creature, sweet creature. When I run out of rope, you bring me home.” When paired with debut single, the piano ballad Sign of the Times, we know Styles is pulling for heartstrings. Further proof? His Tweet that accompanied the single’s release: “Sweet Creature is available now. Album is available in ten days. I am available always. Love you.” Fan reactions ranged from, “deserves all the Grammys” to “I started crying at 0:00.” You were warned.
Forecast: Harry will be a hit; with an upcoming role in Christopher Nolan’s film Dunkirk, he may even be the next Justin Timberlake. Meanwhile, Sweet Creature will appear on the soundtrack to a future Nicolas Sparks novelturned-movie.