Daily Democrat (Woodland)

Stormy Daniels pleads her case in documentar­y

- By Neal Justin Star Tribune

`Stormy'

When asked to describe herself near the top of this documentar­y, adult film star Stormy Daniels is blunt. “I'm the idiot who can't keep her mouth shut,” she says. Daniels never comes across as an idiot. But the film, produced by Erin Lee Carr and directed by Sarah Gibson, does paint her as a naive victim of politician­s, lawyers and journalist­s. Daniels doesn't get a free pass; it's easy to infer from the film that she only fooled around with Donald Trump in hopes of securing a spot on “The Celebrity Apprentice.” And she's less than charitable toward her third husband. But this is mainly a sympatheti­c portrayal of a figure who won't be going away anytime soon. Monday, Peacock

`Photograph­er'

Filmmaker Jimmy Chin and his wife, E. Chai Vasarhelyi, the team behind “Nyad” and “Free Solo,” kick off this docuseries about top-notch photograph­ers with a tribute to Paul Nicklen and Cristina Mittermeie­r, a couple following in the footsteps of Jacques Cousteau. Even those not interested in their climate change mission will be dazzled by up-closeand-personal shots of sharks and stingrays. Future episodes shine spotlights on the fashion world's Campbell Addy and science enthusiast Anand Varma. 8 p.m. ET Monday, National Geographic.; Tuesday on Disney+ and Hulu `In Restless Dreams: The Music of Paul Simon'

Those who already idolize Simon won't learn much about his past in this two-part documentar­y, although it's always fun to see clips from his “Graceland” tour and revisit his bickering with Art Garfunkel. There are so many moments from “Saturday Night Live” that you'd swear he was once a cast member. The only fresh twist is footage that director Alex Gibney gathered from the recording sessions for “Seven Psalms,” in which Simon sweats the smallest details while struggling with hearing loss. 9 p.m. Sunday, MGM+

`Top Chef'

Wisconsin finally gets a “Chef” season, and the state makes the best of it with a tantalizin­g opening course. In the first episode, competitor­s take over Milwaukee's Lupi Iris restaurant to see who can whip up the best soup and chicken dishes. Future episodes will take place in Madison. Despite the setting, there is only one Wisconsin chef in the mix. 9 p.m. Wednesday, Bravo; Thursday on Peacock

`Frida'

This is yet another Frida Kahlo biography that's more fascinated by her personalit­y than her paintings. You can sort of see why. Kahlo's story, which includes a near-death bus accident and numerous affairs with celebritie­s, is engrossing. But you never get to fully appreciate her artworks, often jazzed up here with animation reminiscen­t of Terry Gilliam's work for Monty Python. Prime Video

 ?? PHILLIP FARAONE — GETTY IMAGES ?? Stormy Daniels attends a movie premiere at Linwood Dunn Theater on May 11, 2022, in Los Angeles.
PHILLIP FARAONE — GETTY IMAGES Stormy Daniels attends a movie premiere at Linwood Dunn Theater on May 11, 2022, in Los Angeles.

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