Page 30 - ARUBA TODAY

A30 PEOPLE & ARTS
Monday 9 March 2020

Review: Netflix whiffs in Boston with

‘Spenser Confidential’

By MARK KENNEDY making Hawk into Spens- (one character even has a
Associated Press er’s roommate, an oat milk toothpick sticking out of his
It’s back to Boston for Mark drinking, MMA fighter who mouth at all times). Some-
Wahlberg in the new Netflix adores animals. times it tries be a “Dirty
crime flick “Spenser Confi- This Spenser is such a good Harry” movie or to ape the
dential” so you know what guy that even one of his dark feel of “Gone Baby
that inevitably means, enemies calls him a “choir Gone.” Other times it tries
right? boy.” Just ask his ex-girl- to be a buddy comedy but
There’s eventually going to friend (Iliza Shlesinger), who with few actual laughs, un-
have to be a fight with dirty has a love-hate relation- less you consider the line
This image released by Netflix shows Mark Wahlberg, right, and cops in an Irish bar — sorry, ship with him but admires “Did you just kick me, bro?”
Winston Duke in a scene from "Spenser Confidential." it’s pronounced “bah” — his “strong moral code” funny.
Associated Press
while the Red Sox are play- even though she tells him: Berg and Wahlberg have
ing on TV. Those are the “You are incapable of real previously worked together
rules. intimacy.” Contradicting on “Lone Survivor,” “Patri-
Sure enough, the bar brawl herself sometime later, she ots Day” and “Deepwater
arrives 30 minutes into this screams “Go, Sox!” during Horizon.” Playing a ren-
meandering film that tries sex with him, which is the egade good guy is right
to piggyback on the good most Boston thing to do. up Wahlberg’s alley and
will created by novelist Rob- Spenser was only sent to to say he sleepwalks down
ert B. Parker’s wisecracking prison because he beat up that alley this time isn’t too
boxer-turned-private eye his crooked police chief, harsh. On the positive side,
Spenser, played on TV by who was, in turn, beating some nifty acting turns are
Robert Urich. up his wife. He comes out offered from Post Malone
“Spenser Confidential” is a of prison and immediately and Marc Maron.
bit of a mess tonally with a the chief is killed gruesome- But there are some head-
plot that keeps attracting ly. Spenser sticks his neck scratching moments, in-
new weird layers, like lint on out to clear the name of a cluding a man-versus-dog
a sweater. It wants to be cop who has been framed fight that serves no purpose
funnier than it is. It hopes to for the murder. “Why are and an attempt to reach
be deeper than it is. you doing this?” the widow for a sequel when the first
Wahlberg as Spenser is an asks Spenser. “Because it’s one hasn’t been earned.
ex-con and an ex-police the right thing to do,” our And why does Spenser
officer who gets out of good guy replies. sometimes write down all
prison only to stumble into Like a stage musical that his clues, pointlessly circling
a conspiracy that includes is propelled by its songs, and underlining words on a
crooked cops, Dominican this film moves thanks to its notepad like “Why?”
street gangs armed with frequent violent outbursts. It’s not even clear why the
machetes and dirty busi- Director Peter Berg evenly film is called “Spenser Con-
ness investors pursuing gen- spaces out the fight scenes fidential.” There’s nothing
trification and gambling. so you can tell one is com- hush-hush about it except
How high does it go? “High ing every 10 or 15 minutes. this: Everyone associated
up,” he learns. “Man, you get beat up a with the film might want to
If there’s a Spenser, there lot,” Hawk tells Spenser. (Ev- keep that confidential.
has to be his buddy Hawk, eryone in this Boston seems “Spenser Confidential,”
and this role is filled awk- to be a member of a box- a Netflix release, is rated
wardly by Winston Duke. ing gym.) R for violence, language
He’s a fine actor but screen- In between the fights, throughout and sexual
writers Sean O’Keefe and “Spenser Confidential” content. Running time: 110
Brian Helgeland haven’t reaches for film noir, like a minutes. One star out of
really integrated him well, “Chinatown” in Beantown four.q
American Film Institute postponing

gala with Julie Andrews

NEW YORK (AP) — The early summer. will allow our full attention
American Film Institute says "AFI's decision to postpone to focus on the many gifts
it is postponing its 48th an- the event is simply in re- that Julie Andrews has giv-
nual AFI Life Achievement sponse to the rapidly evolv- en the world."
Award Gala Tribute honor- ing nature of current events AFI did not directly cite the
ing Julie Andrews in an ap- and our promise to ensure virus outbreak that officials
parent response to the new the well-being of the artists in numerous countries, in-
coronavirus outbreak. and audience that gather cluding the United States,
The organization originally each year to celebrate are trying to contain. The
planned to give Andrews America's art form," AFI 84-year-old won two Gram-
its Life Achievement Award CEO and President Bob my Awards and received a
on April 25 in Los Angeles. Gazzale said in a state- Grammy Lifetime Achieve-
It will be rescheduled for ment Saturday. "This move ment Award in 2011. q