After 20 film festivals, there are many times when time seems to bend back on itself – stars you’ve seen before, directors whose earlier films you’ve seen. Monday started this trend. Oscar winner Jessica Chastain who I’d seen in person at TIFF for the film “Molly’s Game” attended her latest movie, a well-acted but fairly by the numbers drama called “The Good Nurse.” In it she plays a real-life single mother with a very dangerous heart condition and not enough time on her job to get health insurance. Into the medium size town where she lives, comes a new male nurse, played by Oscar winner Eddie Redmayne. The man has been bouncing from hospital to hospital, which is unusual because he appears to be quite a capable nurse.
People start dying and the hospital covers-up any possible wrongdoing by forcing the nurses to silence and playing the police for fools, but Chastain’s character Amy knows what’s happening but how to prove it without losing her job and children and life, is very good. I haven’t read the book on which this film is based (but the real-life protagonist did attend the screening – another World Premiere), but I found myself very happy that the film didn’t take an easy way out and turn the third act into another slasher/kids in danger film. Again, it was a déjà vu screening for me. The film was the director’s (Tobias Lindholm) first film in English. As it turned out, I had seen one of his earlier films, “A Hijacking” which I saw in 2012. I liked that film, and I like this one also. It will be on Netflix.
Another Netflix film was my second of the day, but boy am I glad that I saw it on the big screen. Director Edward Berger brought the German anti-war book “All Quiet on the Western Front” to the screen. In German, it was a vivid and memorable view of World War I but from the eventual losers’ view. Of course, the defeat would have ramifications for the entire world in the years to come, but all of that death and destruction over just a small amount of land showed the horrors and wastefulness of war. Well worth seeing.
The third film of the day was called “The Menu.” Imagine a mix of The Food Network and the Addams Family. Ralph Fiennes is Chef, whose restaurant is the most expensive, most secluded food experience in the world. Of course, the restaurant workers are all cult-like members and like slaves to the demented and dangerous Chef. Directed by Mark Mylod (Succession) and starring Anya Taylor-Joy (The Witch), John Leguizamo, a restaurant critic played by Janet McTeer, three tech guys, and Judith Light who all are not there by accident. Ms. Taylor-Joy’s character has been brought by a man to eat for free.
VERY dark humor, with a great deal of panache and daring, this film is not for everyone, but if you like your satire sharp, this is a very entertaining film.

The final day of films featured two films that I most wanted to see at the festival. First, Martin McDonagh’s “The Banshees of Inisherin.” Mr. McDonagh is known best for “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri” and “Seven Psychopaths” which I saw at TIFF in 2012. My favorite film he directed was “In Bruges,” the tremendously funny film starring Colin Farrell and Brendon Gleeson (Gleeson was not at TIFF this year, but I saw him live at my very first TIFF Film “The General” in 1998). This film reunites Farrell and Gleeson, this time as friends on an island in Ireland in 1922. Life went along in the town until one day Colm (Gleeson) tells Padraic (Ferrell) that he doesn’t want to be friends with him anymore; in fact, he doesn’t want him to speak with him anymore. Of course, the situation grows and grows more out of control with disastrous consequences. Again, very dark, but extremely funny.
When one is picking films, often you pick movies that fit into your schedule and look interesting. You’re giving it a shot, as it were. Well, “The Gravity” by Cedric Ido is the story of people of color living in project-type buildings just outside of Paris. We meet a number of characters surrounding the protagonist Daniel (Max Gomis) who is planning to eave town with his girlfriend and child. E is also a top track and field runner, which is how he spends much of his day, along with dealing a but of drugs for his brother who was paralyzed in a fall as a kid.
This is happening as the planets in the Solar System are about to line up perfectly for the first time in millennia. Most of the characters in the film are oblivious to this fact except for a street gang who looked like they just stepped out of Batman – The Dark Knight comic, Black kids with red hair who believe that the alignment will change the word, and they are looking for that change and more than willing to help bring it about including human sacrifice. This was an interesting idea, even though the ending doesn’t make sense, but there is lots of violence which was well done, and characters you cared for (and a homage to (”Iron Man”).
Over the years, I have tried to catch Asian action films at TIFF; movies in the spirit of John Woo’s greats “The Killer” and “Hard Boiled.” There were 2-3 Asian films of this type this year, but one fit the schedule – a South Korean film called “A Man of Reason” directed by South Korean superstar Jung Woo-sung, in his first directorial job, playing a man who was in the rackets but got caught and sent to prison for 10 years. The girlfriend he had surprised him with a 9-year old daughter. Like many films in the genre, the ”Boss” who was Jung’s ‘s friend before prison now wants him to come back to work for him, but he wants a normal life. The Boss doesn’t see it that way and sends people to kill him, especially a couple of characters who reminded me of the Joker and Harley Quinn – homicidal psychos who kill while they’re joking around. One of the assassins are captured, the kid gets kidnapped, and there’s chases and a botched swap. All the while, lots of people get shot, and there are some wonderful explosions. The kind of mindless action one expects from this.

Well, that’s it for TIFF 2022. I am not surprised that the overall People’s Choice Award winner was Steven Spielberg’s “The Fabermans.” This was Spielberg’s first film at a Festival but I did not wish to see it. The current trend of directors making films based on their childhoods ( ‘s “Roma,” Kenneth Branugh’s “Belfast”) but I’m not really interested in their childhood stories, especially Spielberg’s – the story of a nerdy Jewish kid growing up in Arizona. I have long said that Spielberg is not a great artist like Scorsese or Wells or Hitchcock – he is Walt Disney for the 21st Century.
Anyway, continuing the tradition of ranking the films I saw from worst to first:

13. “De Humani Corporis Fabrea”
12. “Runner”
11. “The Gravity”
10. “Sanctuary”
9. “The Good Nurse”
8. “The End of Sex”
7. “A Man of Reason”
6. “The Menu”
5. “Black Ice”
4. “Chevalier”
3. “All Quiet on the Western Front”
1. (tie) “The Banshees of Inisherin” and “Sidney”

I almost didn’t include the documentaries – “Sidney” and “Black Ice” because documentaries are very different from “regular” films, but I compromised. (Because I love hockey so much, I could have had “Black Ice,” and “Chevalier” tie also, but I loved the top 5 films and found it hard to rank them.)
In the end, I certainly recommend the first nine films, and suggest trying out the final four if you’re adventurous and looking for something different.

I’ve been extremely busy lately, and so I’ve missed the opportunity to discuss so many things: the White Sox – the most underachieving team perhaps in history; LIV versus the PGA; Northwestern traveling to Ireland and returning with a Big Ten victory. So many stories…
I had to find time for the amazing feats of Albert Pujols and Serena Williams. Pujols, who has been a shadow of his former self with the Angels and Dodgers, returned to the site of his greatest success, St. Louis, to help where he could and quietly retire. That’s what many of us thought; he’s done, time to celebrate his Hall of Fame accomplishments and begin the 5 year wait before his inevitable enshrinement in Cooperstown. The Cardinals, as usual are in the hunt for the ultimate prize, leading the Brewers by 6 games in the NL Central as of this writing, but Pujols has turned on a switch. On July 5th, Pujols was hitting .189 with 4 homers and was about to take a ceremonial appearance in the All-Star Game on previous achievement. Since then, Pujols is hitting .388 with 11 home runs in 98 at bats and has his 694 home runs, just 6 homers to reach the magic 700 plateau which has only been reached by Aaron, Ruth, and Bonds.
Of course, there are naysayers who think this is a chemically assisted surge, rumors of CEDs have swirled around Pujols his entire career, but the same can be said of every top athlete is almost every sport, especially baseball. That argument falls apart when you ask why didn’t he do so when he was in Anaheim or Los Angeles? Why wait until half way through the season if all you have to do is take some drugs and turn back the clock? Regardless, I think that most of the sports world is rooting for Pujols to hit 700. Rooting more than for Aaron Judge to hit 62 homers, or any other baseball milestone. Even I, an avowed Cardinal hater is rooting for Pujols, who has publicly been nothing but a class ambassador for the sport.
Then, there’s the U.S. Open Tennis Tournament. Despite compelling stories like that of Rafael Nadal playing through terrible pain to keep playing, and the selfish ass Novak Djokovic who was not permitted to enter the U.S. or play in the tournament, the story has focused more than usual on Serena Williams. In an interview published just before the start of the tournament, the 40-year-old future Hall of Famer announced that she is “pulling away from tennis” making it possible that this U.S. Open would be her last. She’s entitled – she’s older, has numerous business interests, a marriage, a 5-year-old daughter and hopes to perhaps have more children.
Serena’s record in her four matches this year is 1-3 but she was granted a well-deserved at-large spot in the tournament. Her first round opponent, Danka Kovinic is hardly a household name, but she is ranked 80th in the world. The tennis world came out, celebrities got tickets and appeared; the largest crowd in Arthur Ashe Stadium was in attendance; the television ratings were very good. The Open had a ceremony set up for the end of the match in case Serena lost and that was the end. Hall of Famer and historic activist Billie Jean King led the ceremony, but no one told Serena.
With expected rust, Serena staggered out of the gate, but ended up gutting out a 6-3, 6-3 win that was closer than the score indicated. However, a new factor was in play – the crowd was almost completely on Serena’s side. All players now will be facing not just Serena Williams, but the crowd. This was evident for the next, bigger test – her second round opponent was the number 2 ranked player in the world, Anett Kontaveit of Estonia. Both players held serve in the first set, until Ms. Williams broke serve to take a 5-4 lead. But Ms. Kontaveit broke back to 5-5 leading to a tiebreaker that Serena won. The second set was all Ms. Kontaveit, who broke Ms. Williams on her first two opportunities. Serena put on a masterclass in the third set, breaking Ms. Kontaveit three times to win the set 6-2.
So put away the rocking chairs; hold on to those farewell ceremonies. Ms. Williams will play unseeded Ajia Tomijanovic in the 3rd round. They have never played one another. In addition, the Open gave an at-large berth to Serena and her sister Venus to play women’s doubles. The 14-time Grand Slam doubles champions will play Linda Noskova and Lucie Hradecka Thursday. With many of the top seeds now defeated, Serena could have a clear path to the semi-finals, and maybe even win.
It can be said, without question that Serena Williams is truly the GOAT among tennis players, both women and men. If she wins the U.S. Open, it would be a historic cherry on the top of her career (almost as amazing as winning the Australian Open while in the early sates of her pregnancy). Meanwhile, the Cardinals have one month of games left to get Albert Pujols his 700 homers. Both have been class acts; both have opened doors and been inspirational to many. Most of the sports world are with you.

“He was a man, take him for all in all. I shall not look upon his like again.” – Hamlet, Act I, Scene II

Everyone should have heard by now that broadcasting legend Vic Scully died yesterday at the age of 94. You do not need me to rehash all of the stories: broadcasting 67 years from Brooklyn to L.A.; Jackie Robinson to Clayton Kershaw. Every story will tell you that Mr. Scully was the same kind, gentleman that he was on the air. I have a story to add to the millions.
Being an Andy Frain back in the 1970s and 1980s gave you access to all kinds of famous people: entertainers, rock musicians, athletes and broadcasters. It was a tremendous added perk to the job. In the early 1980s, I was in charge of the Club Boxes at Wrigley Field, which in those days, before the added seats on the field, were the first ten rows by the field – the best seats. Working there everyday, I met many season ticket holders, players, players wives, and broadcasters. At the time, pre-cable, the big game on Saturday was the NBC Game of the Week and the broadcast team was Joe Garagiola and Mr. Scully. In those days, pre-lights, all Cub games were daytime games which made them a staple of the weekly broadcast.
Also like his on-air persona, Mr. Garagiola was a funny, outgoing person. I also like to joke around, so we started some good-natured barbs at one another when they were walking between the field and the press box. To be honest, I don’t remember how it started or what we joked about (I think it was my large size and Joe’s baseball career), but the part I do remember was how Mr. Scully would prime the pump, making little comments to Mr. Garagiola and I to start us going at one another. These were the 1980s, so this was pretty much G-rated material, but it was fun and we often got good zingers off each other, and in the background, smiling slyly and laughing, was Vin Scully.
Mr. Scully always remembered my name and was very gracious to all, especially fans who would say hello and ask for an autograph (so did Mr. Garagiola for that matter). It was a nice little personal touch when I watched them doing other games.
When it rains, it pours. We all must die, and despite medical advances, the great and famous live longer, but their time comes also. That is why over the past two weeks we lost: actor Mary Alice; the great basketball center and activist Bill Russell; actor and activist Nichelle Nichols; and now Mr. Scully who always stood up for Jackie Robinson and other Black and Latino players. We will never see their ilk again.

It truly saddens me that, as we mourn and celebrate the life of Bill Russell and Nichelle Nichols, I have to write about a decision that is so against what each of these people stood for. It is being reported that Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson will receive a six-game suspension for sexual misconduct against over 25 female massage workers when he played for Texas.
Long time readers know that I am very old fashioned – I hate to see Black men behave badly. Maybe it doesn’t “reflect on the race” like it once did, but in the minds of many, it still does. Here is a young, very talented, photogenic man who is one of the best players in football at an early stage in his career. Realistically, he could have nearly his choice in female partners, consenting female partners. No, Deshaun Watson liked massages, and he thought they meant sex. This isn’t sex, this is power and control over these women.
Worse, that does this say about women and the NFL? The six-game suspension is three times the punishment the league handed out to then-Ravens running back Ray Rice when he punched his fiancée in an elevator, a suspension only given when video tape of the incident became public. Rice ended up never playing again. Now, we have many more women who were violated and he gets six-games? Most people, myself included thought that he would be banished for the entire season, and to my mind, still not an adequate punishment.
This entire incident has been a sad indictment on the NFL and Texas justice. Two Grand Juries in Texas refused to indict Watson on criminal charges. Settlements have been reached with 20 of the 25 or so women who sued Watson. It says that women, especially Asian women have no value; one would think that a Black man would be in a similar position, but the man can play football. Will there be no punishment of the Texan owner and front office people who tried to cover for Watson and looked the other way? It looks like the owners of the Cleveland Browns, Jimmy and Dee Haslam will get their star, despite the ludicrous statement that the pair had conducted their ”own investigation” into Watson, but arranged Watson’s contract so that he would lose approximately only $60,000 per game in the first year of his contract when he could be suspended. Will they be willing to cover up for Watson in the future?
The most important question is – has Watson learned anything in this situation? I’ll bet that he will never see the inside of a massage parlor in Cleveland, but that doesn’t mean that he won’t be hiring women to come to his house or elsewhere. Can he start to treat women with respect or will he continue to disrespect women, consider them like property? One hopes that he finds redemption, but it will take a serious effort. Does Deshaun Watson have that determination?
One thing is certain – the NFL once again shows its true self, and it’s ugly.

For years, I have written here that I am no fan of Eddie Olczyk on hockey broadcasts, especially Blackhawks broadcasts which he has been doing for 16 years. Yes, I am very happy that he overcame cancer, and not as a horse racing enthusiast, I ignored his horse passion. As much as I love Pat Foley, the Hall of Fame Blackhawk announcer, honestly, I did think that he and “Edzo” got away from the game to tell jokes and shout out to people (but maybe that’s because we are no longer Stanley Cup contenders).
In the midst of backing up the truck on the ice (gone are Alex DeBrincat, Dylan Strome, Kirby Dach, and nearly anyone who cost more that $1.50 for the season except Patrick Kane, Jonathan Toews and Seth Jones); reportedly, nearly 1/3 of office staff have been severed, a new Head Coach hired in Luke Richardson, other coaches shuffled around, and of course the “retirement” of Foley, you really can’t tell the Blackhawks without a scorecard. (I write “retire” about Foley because he reportedly wanted to still do home games, but the team suddenly retired him. Pushed?)
At first, the news yesterday that Foley’s longtime broadcast partner Olczyk would not be returning to the booth; at least, not here in Chicago anyway. He is going to join the broadcast team in Seattle for the second year Kraken. The team appeared surprised because there have been reported that the Hawks had a verbal deal with Olczyk weeks ago that just needed to be formalized and signed. They all seemed shocked by Olczyk’s announcement. Once it became public, there were tons of fans unhappy with the move, and at first, it was blamed on the team, but that does not appear to be the case as we know things now.
As always, I was one of the few people who will not miss Olczyk at all. I knew that I was tired of hearing him go on and on about players having an “active stick” (most of the time, I had a good idea where I wanted to place Edzo’s active stick). I also tired of his telestrator replay “for all the young hockey players out there.” While it was sometimes informative, I just didn’t like that. Until last night, when in a conversation with a friend on Facebook, it finally came to me. Besides being a bloviating blowhard, it finally occurred to me that he was always auditioning to be a head coach in the NHL. That was why he drove me crazy.
Then, another thought came to me and it’s kind of depressing for a Blackhawk fan. Perhaps, Olczyk didn’t want to broadcast basically an AHL team that will be getting its asses kicked by most of the teams in the NHL. It is abhorrent to me to “tank” to get a high draft choice, but that appears to be the plan. We have seen it before – the Cubs have done it twice in a decade and so far are batting .500 – one World Series and lots of bad baseball; the White Sox have done it too but with nothing but frustration to show for it. One could say that Blackhawks did it too, but that wasn’t tanking, it was the cheapness and pure obstinance of late owner “Dollar” Bill Wirtz.
What does it say that Olczyk would rather call a second-year expansion team that his home town team where he played? Do they have better prospects? Will they at least be more interesting? I don’t know, but my joy in not having to hear nearly as much Eddie Olczyk (he’ll still be on TNT national broadcasts), may be overwhelmed by really bad hockey.

The Truth Hurts
While I have always been amazed by LeBron James’ talent, I have been less enthused by his methods of changing teams and acting as GM. However, I have appreciated his social comments and advocacy. Unlike Michael Jordan and so many other famous athletes, LeBron has put his money where his mouth is in terms of his various philanthropic efforts, especially supporting schools. He has also been forthright in speaking out in favor of Black Lives Matter, against income inequity, police brutality and other issues. To that end, it shouldn’t be surprising that he commented on the Brittney Griner situation, and I guess the pushback should have been expected and he backed down a little bit, but on the latter, I wish he hadn’t because he was absolutely correct.
HBO has been broadcasting a 34 second trailer for season five episode five of his program “The Shop” in which James questioned how he would feel about returning to the United States if he were in Griner’s situation. “Over 110 days, now how could she feel like America has her back?” James said. “I would be feeling like, ‘Do I even want to go back to America?'”
As expected, there was backlash on the comment sufficient for James to issue a clarification on Twitter: “My comments on ‘The Shop’ regarding Brittney Griner wasn’t knocking our beautiful country. I was simply saying how she’s probably feeling emotionally along with so many other emotions, thoughts, etc. inside that cage she’s been in for over 100+ days! Long story short #BringHerHome.”
Over time, I have been very open on how, as a thinking adult African-American, I am often ambivalent about the United States of America. There are many positives about this country, but at the same time, there are so many negatives that it is hard to unequivocally love the country. There is the famous quote (who I’m not sure to whom it can be attributed) that sums this feeling up – it is very hard to love a country that doesn’t love you back.
James’ comment is straight-forward and honest. It is the feeling of many Americans – people of color, LGBTQ+, and women. The hard right turn of abortion laws, failure to push for even more common sense gun control, income inequality, the system of structural racism, the attempt to whitewash history, at almost every turn, it is easy to be angry, disappointed, frustrated. More than almost anyone, Brittney Griner has every right to question her country, that has left her in a Russian prison for over 150 days, just for bringing legal medical marijuana. Being held as a political pawn between major countries can be fun. Meanwhile, she has missed her Russian basketball season, has missed the WNBA season, not to mention being with her partner and their baby.
If I were LeBron James, I wouldn’t have clarified my statement on Ms. Briner and the United States. When asked, I have never shied away from the ambivalence I have for this country. It’s long past time for people, especially white men to understand that not everyone will drink the “America is perfect” Kool-Aid.