Movie Roundup Part 3: Spelling the Dream, Eurovision, Greyhound

In the final installment of this week’s quickfire movie reviews, I’ve saved my personal favorite for last. Your weekend awaits, let’s go!

Spelling the Dream: Have you been craving a documentary about the Indian-American kids who dominate the Scripps National Spelling Bee every year? Well good news, Netflix has you covered! This is a lighthearted look at how Indian-Americans increasingly took over the Bee, some of which you may already know if you’ve ever read articles about the South Asian spelling circuit and various ways in which these immigrant families developed their own training ground to help their kids go pro. There’s a great deal of focus on how none of these kids are being forced into this racket - these are fellow nerds who love word etymologies and languages and have just demonstrated an early interest and aptitude in spelling that their parents have fostered. Of course, being an Indian myself, I have deep cynicism about what may be going on in these families when the cameras are turned off, but we’ll set that aside for now. There are also interviews with Indian-American celebrities who talk about what it means to have all this South Asian representation at the Bee and some of the racist rhetoric that it has invoked. This is an interesting, engaging documentary, and while it tries to dive into some deep questions, ultimately, you’ll just stare mouth agape as some young kid spells some ridiculous word you’ve never heard of and start to rifle through your dictionary.

Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga: OK, yes, this movie is splendidly wacky because it is about Eurovision, which is the most insane spectacle human beings have ever concocted to date. But what that means is that this is the perfect movie to watch with a friend so you can giggle over how bonkers and wonderful it is. And also get the song Jaja Ding Dong stuck in your head (which apparently has become a legitimate hit on Icelandic radio, because Icelanders have an excellent sense of humor). Will Ferrell and Rachel McAdams star as Lars and Sigrit, two Icelandic musicians who have always dreamed of performing in the Eurovision Song Contest. Through a series of mishaps, they actually manage to make it, but as you can imagine there are a lot of stumbling blocks, onstage disasters, romantic misunderstandings, and the involvement of murderous elves. Yeah, don’t expect that last bit to make sense. My friend Peggy (who is in California) and I watched this “together” on Netflix and our texts back and forth were about how cozy all the Icelandic knitwear looked, how much we loved ABBA, and why on earth anyone as hot as Rachel McAdams would be pining for a loon like Will Ferrell. But of course, she’s the heart and soul of the movie and it is wonderful to finally have her grace my screen in something as silly and fun as this film. Pierce Brosnan also has a stint playing Ferrell’ s father, with an Icelandic accent that was described in one article as “constipated.” I mean, how could you not want to watch this movie after that?

Greyhound: This is the movie that surprised and delighted me the most out of everything else I’ve watched recently. It would be my pick for an Oscar contender, though I desperately wish I could have seen it on the big screen. Starring Tom Hanks (who also wrote the screenplay, because he is just too impressive for his own good) and based on a novel by C.S. Forster, this is a tense World War II naval epic about a supply convoy of ships trying to cross the North Atlantic in an area known as the “Black Pit” where they cannot get any air cover for 4-5 days and therefore must fend for themselves if they encounter any German U-boats intent on torpedoing them. Hanks plays Commander Ernie Krause, who is leading a destroyer (codename: GREYHOUND) across this stretch of ocean for the first time, and once the convoy comes under attack, you simply cannot move your eyes from the screen. This might as well be a foreign language film: I did not understand a single word the men were uttering as they desperately tried to attack the enemy and avoid coming under fire. It is all a barrage of technical jargon, but there is a palpable sense of urgency and fear and frenetic action that will hold you in thrall throughout. Also, apparently this is what compasses and protractors were used for in real life once you graduated from your high school Geometry class. It’s a visceral movie, where you shiver as you watch the window wipers frozen on the glass, duck as a hail of bullets sail past, and can almost smell the aroma of the hot coffee that the captain gets as his sole source of relief as he struggles to stay awake and stay one step ahead of the Nazis. It’s a spectacular war movie, and the focus on the Naval efforts is something I haven’t often seen onscreen so it felt novel. It’s also a remarkably quick watch, but it’s an experience that will soak into your brain for a while. It will truly transport you into another time and place, and that is something I am seeking more than anything these days.