Film critic Greg Russell is back with his thoughts on the latest movies and TV series hitting screens this weekend, including new projects from Benedict Cumberbatch and former first lady, Michelle Obama.
First up, Russell reviewed a true story of 1960′s Cold War espionage called The Courier. In the film, Cumberbatch plays a salesperson recruited by MI6 to go undercover in Russia during the Cuban missile crisis.
Cumberbatch said that when he first heard the story, he said he could hardly believe it was true. He said the film’s writers dug deep on the research, making it easy to get absorbed into this world.
One running theme of the movie surrounds the ability of a normal person to step into the role of a hero. “Change starts with one person,” the film’s director Dominic Cooke said. “And, at the moment, that feels like a really important sort of thing to be talking about.”
Next up on Russell’s list was Waffles + Mochi, a new kid’s cooking show from the makers of Chef’s Table, Salt Fat Acid Heat, and Ugly Delicious. The show follows Michelle Obama and a crew of puppets and guest hosts as they travel the world looking at international cuisine.
The show’s crew said that working with Michelle Obama just made sense, as so many of her initiatives aligned with their view of food. As one chef put it, “Mrs. Obama is going from the first lady of the United States to the food ambassador of the world.”
To see Russell’s full review and more, watch the video above.