Liars and Saints

  "A Haunting in Venice" doesn't work, for a few reasons that Amanda Dobbins outlines on "The Ringer." First, the mystery itself isn't very interesting, and the climactic "revelatory moment" isn't dramatic. To me, the problem is that only one character seems to have a motive for murdering the victim. I think, in an ideal Christie tale,  everyone  seems to want one guy to enter "cadaver" mode. (An example is "Crooked House," where everyone will benefit from the death of Aristide.)  When you understand possible motives, you might find yourself (uncomfortably) sympathizing with a (possible) killer. That fun, queasy feeling is generally missing from "A Haunting in Venice." Another issue is the casting of Tina Fey. I think I understand Branagh's reasoning. The Ariadne character needs to be American, and she needs to be a writer. And Fey is both of those things. But Fey's acting range is limited, and she seems to...

  Most stories follow this prompt: "A stranger comes to town."  Mean Girls  is an iconic example: Having been homeschooled by brilliant parents in Africa, young Cady finds herself dumped in an Evanston calculus class. (Mom has accepted a job at Northwestern.) Cady is poised and sensible, and the rituals of public school are baffling to her. The writer, Tina Fey, has vivid memories of the absurdity, the petty tyranny, of a classroom. When Cady stands to use the bathroom, the teacher doesn't allow this. But, also, the teacher doesn't just say: "Later." The teacher mentions a strange totem, a "hall pass," and, innocently, Cady requests the pass. It's only then that the teacher says: "Never! Back to your seat!!!!" Who hasn't lived through this moment? Cady lusts for power--though she may not actually realize this--so she finds herself in competition with the Queen Bee, Regina George. What unfolds is like a spy movie; it's more Hit...

 It's always a treat to discover a new voice--anywhere--so today I'm tipping a hat to Meredith Scardino. She doesn't even have her own Wikipedia entry, and yet she is responsible for the show I keep hearing about, "Girls5eva." Granted, this show also has a Tina Fey imprint, and you can "hear" Fey in some of the lines. For example, Fey contributed to the song "Dream Girlfriend": "I'm your dream girlfriend....cuz my dad is dead. Tell me again why Quentin Tarantino is a genius....." That Tarantino sentence--a marvel of economy and a line with "bite"--seems to me to be Classic Tina Fey. Other moments do *not* have Fey's name attached to them. For example, the titular girls' group--a pop group we follow around throughout the first season--has a loopy signature song: We're gonna be famous 5eva... Cuz 4eva's too short.... Gonna be best friends 3-getha.... That's one more than 2-getha..... This is so wonderfu...