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Ballard: TV series

 So far, watchable but not much else.  Maggie Q is the star.  Not her problem that Ballard has so little personality.  Her sole passion is righting a wrong in the LAPD.  She was assaulted (details vague as of episode 3) by Olivaras.  Her partner didn't stick up for her. Now she's in the basement working on cold cases.  Her partners don't provide much drama.  Black woman, ex-cop.  Intern, hispanic. Gay older white guy.  Younger white guy who is a bit of a doofus. Cases:  fraternity kid pushed off balcony:  solved, scorned girlfriend is murderer.  Frat had a "book" of all the female conquests.  She found it, confronted boyfriend who laughed in her face.  Whacked him on the head and pushed him off the balcony. Perlman's sister:  councilman supporting the unit, wants this murder solved first. Yulia Kravitz:  cleaned up in hotel where one murder occurred.  Ballard visits the motel, the woman tries to co...
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Belle de Jour

 Bunuel . . . 2/3 finished.  So far, not much.  Catherine Deneuve is a frigid married woman, abused as a child. Unable to enjoy sex with her husband.  She becomes a daytime prostitute, meeting up with men with strange sexual predilections.  Not sure where this is going Finished, still not quite sure.  Throughout the film, "fantasy" sequences are interposed.  At the very end, there is a suggestion that the entire movie is actually a fantasy.  Glad I saw it, but not a masterpiece by any means.

Hacks season 5

 So far, not so good.  The show is heading toward a climactic performance at MSG for Deborah Vance, but they don't seem to have material to get there.  One entire episode opening a show honoring her ex & dead husband,  Frank Vance.  Another show turned over to Deborah and her daughter's ill-fated attempt to be part of the Amazing Race.  Still a third given over to brief affairs for Ada an D.snoozers.

Looking for Mr. Goodbar

 Diane Keaton as somewhat (though not all that much) repressed 20 something.  Affair with teacher, fantasies of sex as prostitute, jealousy of sexual freedom of sister Tuesday Weld.  Fast moving, which covers a lot of sins

North & South Mrs. Gaskell

Good story. Margaret's father, a cleric, stubbornly refuses to go along with his new superior. They move north to manufacturing town based on Manchester.  London ways v Manchester ways.  Education, refinement v. business and striving. Thornton runs the mill.  Hard man,  anti union, but with integrity as he sees it. Margaret dislikes his hard ways, but is drawn to him.   Strike.  Thornton confronts workers. M goes out on balcony and is hit by rock.  Hitting a woman puts the strikers into a weak position; they capitulate.  The man who threw the rock is ostracized and kills himself. Strike leader takes over his family. M. brother is a seaman wanted for mutiny.He sneaks back to see his mother before she dies. He's recognized, a fight, the other man dies. What a mess! 

Misery: movie of Stephen King novel

 James Caan and Kathy Bates Caan is author of series, Misery, which he hates. His most recent novel kills her off, and he has just finished a "real" book for the first time.  He's heading home. Snowstorm, accident, crash. Bates "rescues" him. She LOVES the Misery series so loves him.  When she reads the latest installment, she's appalled. Misery dead! No.  When she next reads his new novel, she's even more appalled.  Profanity. Bates turns out to be a crazy mass murderer.  She keeps Caan in hiding, forces him to bring Misery back to life in a new novel, tortures, torments him.  (Broken legs in car crash) Enjoyable movie, directed by Rob Reiner