Jerald Brewer (JAB)

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Connelly rarely ceases to amaze me. Only once has a book by him fell below an "8" on 1 to 10 scale. This new one has all of the pleasures & twist & turns & surprises of his previous Lincoln Lawyers. I think it's one Connelly's better novels (I've read ALL of them except one & seen the The Lincoln Lawyer movie & both seasons of the Netflix series as well as every single episode of the Bosch series on Amazon in it's 2 forms). He ALWAYS stick the landing & he does it here --AGAIN-- brilliantly. It's great seeing Mickey & Harry work together again (there's that word again). If I were Connelly I'd be wary of L.A. County Sheriff officers. I like to savor my books, but I read this in 4 days beating my previous record of 5 with "The Martian".

This is one of most daring performance art pieces I have ever seen. It shocks without trying to shock or relying on extreme stunts & gross outs. 67 of its 87 minute run time is damn near perfect & provocative & rude. Burnham wrote & directed the surprisingly soulful & touching "Eighth Grade" (which is rightfully R-rated) & was great in a supporting/main role in the excellent "Compromising Young Woman" (another very provocative piece that won Emerald Fennell an Oscar & should gotten an Oscar to Carey Mulligan). Burnham's star continues to brighten with very enjoyable show. BTW: Many of the tunes are catchy.

Last year 2 identically titled & excellent documentaries about the Paradise fire arrived almost simultaneously ("Fire in Paradise" on Netflix & PBS's Frontline). You might think that 3rd doc on the same subject would appeal only to the most avid pyrologist. But then you see that this 3rd doc is directed by Ron Howard. "Rebuilding Paradise" is gripping, horrifying & bittersweet. It is also one this century's best docs. This has the hallmarks of a "Ron Howard film". It expertly put together & focuses on the humanity of people struggling to hold themselves & their beloved community together after an almost unimaginable ("almost" because anybody who knows anything about climate change knows that this of event has been thought about for years) catastrophe. It's broad based addressing a number of issues & emotions. Howard & his team are invisible throughout the film. Even Hans Zimmer's co-written score doesn't have his characteristic dramatic flair. It's well worth the $6 rental fee.