By Nate Bloom
Contributing Columnist
“Eddington” is a black comedy/drama that opens in theaters on July 18th. This modern Western was written and directed by ASI ASTER, 38. It takes place in a smallish New Mexico city in the summer of 2020. It was the first summer of the COVID pandemic.
The two main characters are Joe Cross (JOAQUIN PHOENIX, 50), the city’s sheriff, and Ted Garcia (Pedro Pascal), the city’s mayor. The strong supporting cast includes Emma Stone and Austin Butler (best known for playing Elvis in “Elvis,” a hit 2022 film).
It’s hard to quickly lay-out all the conflicts between Cross and Garcia — and other conflicts within the city. In many ways, the film shows the ever-growing political fissions in American society. These fissions really took off during the pandemic.
As the film opens, Cross loses popularity because he’s just about the only person in the city refusing to wear a mask. He had a plausible excuse for that — but he didn’t have an excuse for being an incompetent sheriff. Meanwhile, many progressive citizens have their faults, too.
The film was shown at the Cannes Film Festival last May. This gave leading media outlets a chance to review the film before it opened big in theaters. The critic for “Variety” gave it a pretty good review, as did many other critics. However, some other respected critics weren’t as favorable.
I am a little behind in covering “Too Much,” a Netflix comedy/drama limited (10 episodes) series that premiered on July 10. All the episodes of a Netflix limited series are released at once.
“Too Much” was co-created by LENA DUNHAM, 39, and her husband, musician LUIS FELBER, 39. Dunham wrote or co-wrote all the episodes. Felber co-wrote two episodes.
Here’s the premise: Jessica (Megan Stalter) is a timid, workaholic, New York City-based TV producer in her mid-‘30s. As the series begins, she is reeling from a broken relationship and she opts to get away from bad memories by taking a job in London. She plans a life of solitude, but then she meets Felix (Will Sharpe). Jessica knows they will have problems, but she feels a connection she can’t ignore.
Lena Dunham has a small role in “Too Much.” Four Jewish actors have biggish recurring roles: RHEA PERLMAN, 77, Sir STEPHEN FRY, 67, MICHAEL ZEGEN, 46, and EMILY RATAJKOWSKI, 34.
Dunham is most famous for creating and starring in “Girls,” a big hit HBO series (2012-2017). It followed the lives of four women, in their mid-‘20s, living in New York City. Three of the women were played by Jewish actresses: Dunham, ZOSIA MAMET, 37, and JEMIMA KIRKE, 40.
Dunham has stayed busy since the end of “Girls” — mostly directing and writing for films and TV series. But none of them had as good reviews as “Girls,” and none had as big audiences as “Girls.” Here’s hoping she gets another “Girls.”
Dunham grew-up in New York City. Her WASP father is Carroll Dunham, 75, a respected painter. Her Jewish mother, LAURIE SIMMONS, 75, is a photographer and filmmaker.
Dunham was not raised in any faith, but she has long described herself as very culturally Jewish. From 2012-17, her romantic partner was JACK ANTONOFF, 41, a very successful music producer and rock band member.
In 2021, she met Luis Felber on a blind date in New York. He plays guitar and writes songs (one with Mick Jagger). His English father is Jewish and his mother is Peruvian and not Jewish. From age 7, he was raised in the U.K.
In a “New York Times” article, Lena said it was important for her, and Luis, to have a “quite” Jewish wedding. They married in a London club, under a chuppah. The bride and the groom each walked around three times (an old Jewish custom). The groom stepped on a glass.
Normally, I don’t say anything about a rabbi who married a celeb. But this one is pretty unique: Dr. HARRIE CEDAR, an ordained rabbi, presided over Dunham’s wedding. Cedar is the Jewish chaplain at King’s College in London. She has a PhD in cancer stem cells and has had an academic position at a clinical health facility for many years.
Do watch “Somebody Feed Phil Season 8 | Mel Brooks Extended Cut” on YouTube. (“Somebody Feed Phil” is a Netflix series). PHIL ROSENTHAL, 65, recently interviewed MEL BROOKS, 99(!). Watch this 20-minute interview. I was almost crying! Brooks is still all there and still funny! I’ll say more about this next week, along with another Rosenthal YouTube interview of real Jewish interest.
