By Nate Bloom
Contributing Columnist
Catch ‘Task,’ Marlee Matlin PBS Documentary & Two Films
In my September 4th column, I wrote about “Task,” a 7-episode HBO mini-series. “Task” premiered on September 7th, and the final episode will premiere on October 19th.
Here’s part of what I wrote: “Task” was created and written by Brad Ingelsby. He also wrote and created “Mare of Easttown,” a terrific [HBO] crime drama mini-series that premiered in 2021.
The “Task” reviews are in, and virtually all of the critics gave this crime drama a “big thumbs-up.”
I previously wrote that there are two Jewish actors in the series. I now know much more about their characters than I did on Sept. 4. Here’s ‘who they are’ without really providing “spoilers.”
Early in the first episode, we learn that there are three ‘groupings.’ There’s three men who break into homes of members of a big motorcycle gang. There is cash and pounds of opiate fentanyl in these homes, and they steal it. The 2nd group is the big motorcycle gang, and the 3rd is a task team of four police officers. They try to find out who is robbing the motorcycle gang. The task team is headed-up by Tom, an FBI agent (Mark Ruffalo) and the other three come from different local police forces.
FABIAN FRANKEL, 31, plays Anthony Grasso, a local County police officer who joins the task force. Grasso’s importance becomes clear late in the series.
Frankel’s acting career took off in 2022 when he got a main role (Ser Christian Cole) in “House of the Dragon,” an HBO hit. The third season of “Dragon” is now filming.
Frankel is a Brit. He’s the son of actor MARK FRANKEL. Mark was killed in a road accident in 1996, age 34. Mark was on the cusp of a really big career — he had just started getting starring roles in major British TV shows. Mark’s mother was an Indian Jew from Mumbai. Mark’s English Jewish father served as a pilot in the Royal Air Force.
Fabian was 2 years old when his father died. I don’t know much about Caroline Besson, his mother and Mark’s widow. She is French, was an ad company executive, and has re-married.
MARGARITA LEVIEVA, 45, was born in Russia. She and her Jewish parents moved to Brooklyn when she was 11. She was a stellar student at New York University and graduated early.
She’s had a career that has almost made her famous. She’s acted in 15 so/so films and most often has had just a supporting role. She has had main roles in two short-lived TV series.
In “Task,” Levieva plays Eryn, the wife of Jayson, an important gang leader. Eryn is a recurring role. Eryn first shows-up in the 3rd episode. In that episode, we learn Eryn is a key character, even if she appears in only 4 episodes.
Last June, I wrote about the theatrical opening of “Marlee Matlin is Not Alone,” a documentary. It premiered on October 14th on PBS (“American Masters”). Don’t worry, there are repeat showings on most PBS stations and you can watch it any time for free on the PBS app.
The film explores the life of (deaf) actress MARLEE MATLIN, 59. Reviews say that the film covers much more than her deafness and her movie career (which includes the best actress Oscar in 1987 for “Children of a Lesser God”).
Two interesting things: (1) HENRY WINKLER, 79, the well-known super-mensch, is in the film. He gave critical help to Matlin when she began trying to get film and TV roles. He even put her up in his home for months; and (2) the documentary’s director is SHOSHANNAH STERN, 44. She’s deaf and she grew up in a religious Jewish family.
“After the Hunt” is a 2025 psychological thriller film. It follows Alma (Julia Roberts), a college professor caught between a sexual abuse accusation involving one of her students and a colleague.
ANDREW GARFIELD, 42, plays “Hank” Gibson, Alma’s colleague and close friend who is accused of assault. MICHAEL STUHLBARG, 57, plays Frederik Imhoff, Alma’s psychiatrist husband (Opens on Oct. 17).
Odd thing: Ayo Edebiri, a black, Christian-raised actress, plays Maggie Resnick, a young philosophy student and Alma’s protégée. Resnick is a “very” Jewish name. Perhaps Maggie is a black, Jewish student (?)
Also opening on the 17th is “Good Fortune,” a supernatural comedy film. Aziz Ansari, a well-known comic actor, wrote and directed the film. He co-stars, too. He plays Arj, a guy who does odd jobs for Jeff (SETH ROGEN, 43), a wealthy man who lives a life of excess. This all changes when Gabriel (Keanu Reeves), an angel, switches the lives of Arj and Jeff.
