Netflix’s Vivo boasts a big name with few redeeming qualities
★★★ Tamar Lilienthal ★★★ Tamar Lilienthal

Netflix’s Vivo boasts a big name with few redeeming qualities

When I heard about Netflix and Sony Animation’s Vivo, I couldn’t wait to soak up more. The promise of music by Lin-Manuel Miranda added to my excitement. The film centers around adorable kinkajou Vivo (Don’t know what a kinkajou is? Turns out it’s a relative of the raccoon) who has grown up under the care of a kindhearted musician named Andrés. The two walk the streets of Havana, performing their music for all who will listen. When Andrés reveals that he never got to profess his love to his old music partner, Marta Sandoval, Vivo embarks on a journey to Miami with Andrés’ niece, Gabi, to deliver one last love song to Marta before her retirement concert.

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In Praise of EastEnders
★★★★★ Matthew Shadbolt ★★★★★ Matthew Shadbolt

In Praise of EastEnders

Weighing in at over 6,000 episodes so far, the BBC soap opera set in Albert Square, Walford, a fictional neighborhood in East London, is one of the longest-running dramas on British television, with a massive, devoted fan base. I’m proud to count myself as one of the Walford faithful.

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What would losing control feel like? The Father offers a profoundly believable answer
★★★★ ½ Karan Sampath ★★★★ ½ Karan Sampath

What would losing control feel like? The Father offers a profoundly believable answer

Hollywood loves to churn out umpteen thriller flicks, love stories and coming-of-age dramas every year. But every so often, we get a glimpse into the lives of those completely ignored by mainstream culture, whose stories are not only important but entirely cinematic. Florian Zeller explores this in The Father, which tells the story of an aging father suffering from dementia as he slowly begins to lose grip with his surroundings and loved ones.

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