Skip or stream? ‘Truffle Hunters,’ ‘Tom & Jerry,’ ‘Billie Holiday’
Need something to do while repeatedly hitting refresh on the Covidvaccination website?
Try taking one of these new streaming flicks for a spin. They include a quirky documentary, a music biopic, a modern update to a beloved cartoon and a teen time-loop movie. Skip or stream? Read on and find out.
“The United States vs. Billie Holiday”
Andra Day’s Golden Globe-winning performance is the lone reason to check out director Lee Daniel’s chronicling of the FBI’S harassment of the legendary singer as she repeatedly battles her dependence on heroin. Day dazzles, oscillating between blues diva crooning standards like “All of Me” to smack junkie to civil rights activist. It’s a big ask and Day answers, but her great performance is stuck in a middling movie born of a muddled script by playwright Suzan-lori Park culled from Johann Hari’s 2015 book, “Chasing the Scream: The First and Last Days of the War on Drugs.” Butler (“Precious,” “The Butler”) certainly makes a provocative case against the feds (portrayed by Trevante Rhodes and Garrett Hedlund), but his film is all over the place. Lady Day is simply too complex for one movie to handle as she battles addiction, domestic abuse and racism. It all revolves around those G-men believing her music is “the devil’s work,” particularly her insistence on performing her anti-lynching tune “Strange Fruit.” If she continues to sing it, the FBI vows to nail her on drug charges and revoke her cabaret license. Da’vine Joy Randolph (“Dolemite Is My Name”) stands out in support as Holiday’s loyal friend. But it’s Day, in her first major acting role, you can’t take your eyes off. Rated: R for nudity, drug use, violent images and strong language. Streaming on Hulu. Grade: B
“The Truffle Hunters”
From butters to oils to fries, even just a dusting of truffle can considerably hike the price on any dish, turning it from mundane to mouthwatering. The growing demand for truffles has turned searching for the elusive delicacy into an increasingly lucrative trade. That’s the subject of Michael Dweck and Gregory Kershaw’s documentary, which has earned a spot on the Oscar shortlist. The filmmakers turn their camera on four eccentric elders – Carlo, Aurelio, Sergio and Angelo – who have spent their lives searching for valuable white Alba truffles in Northern Italy. In shooting the hunters and their trusted canines, the directors capture a subculture that’s a throwback to a simpler existence. These harvesters live an agrarian way of life without cell phones and Internet. Instead, they value in-person connections and community. But hold onto your trowel, there’s also an ugly side to the truffle business. The contrast between the poor hunters and the rich truffle-seeking snobs is real. Rival truffle hunters poison the hunters’ beloved dogs and there’s seemingly no next generation to receive the torch. That’s no trifling matter. Rated: PG-13 for some strong language. In Italian with English subtitles. In theaters March 5 and available to rent via video on demand. Grade: B+
“Tom and Jerry”:
Hanna-barbera’s beloved cartoon characters, Tom, the scampy cat, and Jerry, the quick-thinking mouse, co-star in director Tim Story’s blend of liveaction and animation that stays true to the classic show’s cat-and-mouse slapstick. The script dispatches Tom and Jerry to a posh Manhattan hotel to wreak havoc, including tormenting each other with mouse traps, mallets and other weapons of rodent-and-feline destruction. Although neither ever truly gets hurt, Tom and Jerry engage in signature old-school cartoon violence – Jerry rigs a piano to fall on Tom’s head; Tom hits a rival dog with a baseball bat; Jerry electrocutes Tom, and so on. The film’s cast is way better than the material: Chloe Grace Moretz, Michael Pena, Colin Jost, Rob Delaney, Bobby Cannavale, Lil Rel Howery and Ken Jeong. But, surprisingly, there are a lot of laughs and the movie is better than expected. Rated: PG for cartoon violence, rude humor and brief language. In theaters and streaming on HBO Max through March 28. Grade B-.
“The Map of Tiny Perfect Things”
The boy-meets-girl story of Mark (Kyle Allen) and Margaret (Kathryn Newton), teens reliving the same 24 hours, is an adorable reminder to take in all the small astonishments on any given day – like nailing the perfect skateboard trick or stopping to watch a janitor tickle the ivories when he thinks no one is watching. Writer Lev Grossman (“The Magicians”) and director Ian Samuels (“Sierra Burgess is a Loser”) put an adolescent spin on the stuck-in-a-time-loop genre most recently represented in the terrific “Palm Springs.” This one isn’t quite on the level of that Andy Samberg comedy, but it has enough charm and humor to hook its teen audience. The cuteness and chemistry between Allen and Newton – smitten boy and aloof girl – anchors the movie, which almost collapses under the weight of a jarring tonal shift early in the third act. It recovers and the movie ends up being a delightful reminder that goodness abounds if you pause to look. Also, kudos to the “Groundhog Day” “Edge of Tomorrow” and “Time Bandits” references. Rated: PG-13 for brief strong language, some teen drinking and sexual references. Streaming on Amazon Prime. Grade B