New movies to stream this week: Penguin Bloom, Palmer and more
Michael O Sullivan, The Washington Post
Jan. 28, 2021
FacebookTwitterEmail 12
1of12From left, Andrew Lincoln, Felix Cameron, Griffin Murray-Johnston, Naomi Watts and Abe Clifford-Barr in Penguin Bloom. Joel Pratley/NetflixShow MoreShow Less
2of12From left, Justin Timberlake, Ryder Allen and June Squibb in Palmer. Apple TV PlusShow MoreShow Less
3of12
5of12The character of Roderick Usher, right, accompanied by his childhood friend William, at the coffin containing Roderick s twin sister Madeleine, in a scene from The Fall of the House of Usher. Boston Lyric OperaShow MoreShow Less
6of12
9of12
10of12From left, Nita-Josee Hanna and Matthew Ninaber in Psycho Goreman. RLJE Films/ShudderShow MoreShow Less
Wednesday Jan 27, 2021 at 11:10 AM Jan 27, 2021 at 11:10 AM
If the kind of movie that you enjoy watching is one that presents a few characters, tosses them together to tell a story, and gets you emotionally involved, then “Palmer” could be for you. But if those characters aren’t developed enough to understand their motivations, if the gears that turn the story aren’t explained until too late in the film, and if that emotional involvement falls short of you being comfortable with your feelings about the characters and the story, then you might have some problems with “Palmer.”
It’s certainly a likable film, filled with actors turning in strong performances, and a few of them achieving the rare treat of screen chemistry. Justin Timberlake holds his own as the title character, Eddie Palmer, fresh out of jail on an early release after serving 12 years for a crime that’s not immediately revealed. He’s on his way home to the little town
Photo: Apple+
If there’s anything worth missing about the leading men of long ago, it is not as right-wing pundits claim some masculine ideal embodied by John Wayne’s toupee and sauntering catwalk gait. It’s a kind of believability. There was a time when cirrhotic, prematurely middle-aged stars could be seen stumbling through the motions of a Hollywood plot. These men were exponentially more magnetic and commanding than the average American but still looked like they might have worked as stevedores or boxers before they ever wandered into a theater class. Blame it on Marvelization and the obsession with
Review: Timberlake seeks redemption in formulaic Palmer | Entertainment nwitimes.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from nwitimes.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.