Eleanor the Great (2025)

Jack and I enjoyed this story, both funny and moving, of 94 year old Eleanor dealing with the loss of her best friend. June Squibb, born in 1929, was probably 94 when it was shot and she is, as always, terrific in the title role. The supporting cast includes Rita Zohar as Eleanor's Holocaust survivor friend Bessie, Jessica Hecht as Eleanor's daughter, and Erin Kellyman and Chiwetel Ejiofor as a journalism student and her journalist father.

Scarlett Johansson and Tory Kamen make their debuts as director and writer, respectively. I must admit that the movie had some slow parts, but they were worth the wait. Dustin O'Halloran's pleasant soundtrack is available on Apple Music and probably elsewhere.

Kamen's back story about the creation of her screenplay is fascinating, but contains spoilers, so read it after watching. I appreciated that it points out that Bessie always tells her own story in flashbacks.

Squibb was last blogged for Thelma, Ejiofor for Doctor Strange, and O'Halloran for The Current War. I've seen some of Zohar's one-off TV episodes. Among Hecht's over a hundred credits, I have liked Sideways (2004), Dan in Real Life (2007), two episodes of Succession in 2019, and four of Dickinson 2019-21. Kellyman is new to me but not to the business.

Rotten Tomatoes' audiences found this great, with a 93% average, but not its critics at 67. We streamed it on Netflix on May 15.

One of Them Days (2025)

Jack and I enjoyed this romp about Los Angeles roommates in dire need of rent money. Musicians Keke Palmer and SZA star as Dreux (pronounced Drew) and Alyssa, respectively, heading the big cast that includes Katt Williams, Vanessa Bell Calloway, Lil Rel Howery, and Maude Apatow.

Lawrence Lamont directs from Syreeta Singleton's screenplay, and Chanda Dancy's soundtrack is available on Apple Music. In addition, there are lots of fun songs, listed here, including performances by Palmer and Madison McFerrin..

Howery was last blogged for We Grown Now and Apatow for The King of Staten Island.

Palmer has loads of credits as a singer and actress, but the only ones I've seen are four episodes of Masters of Sex (2014), and SZA makes her film acting debut after dozens of music videos and an Oscar nomination for composing a song featured in Black Panther. Comedian Williams is no stranger to screens big and small. Calloway's four decade resume includes Coming to America (1988) and its 2017 sequel, Southside with You as Michelle Obama's mother Marian, 23 episodes of Shameless, and eight of This Is Us.

This is Lamont's feature debut after directing a handful of music videos and one TV series. It's also Singleton's feature debut, but she wrote for the same series, was executive story on twenty episodes of Insecure, and was staff writer for the animated series Central Park. Dancy is new to me, despite her dozens of projects. 

Rotten Tomatoes' critics are loving this day, averaging 94% and its audiences are close at 89. We watched it on Netflix on May 10.