Movies Update: ‘Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom’ and More

Plus, how the stars of 'Tenet' leaped tall buildings.

View in browser|nytimes.com Continue reading the main story December 18, 2020 By Mekado Murphy Hey, movie fans! This week brings a couple more high-profile films to your home for the holidays. Netflix has its film adaptation of the August Wilson drama “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom,” featuring Viola Davis and Chadwick Boseman. It’s a Critic’s Pick, with A.O. Scott calling it “a powerful and pungent reminder of the necessity of art.” Read an interview with the film’s creative team and watch Boseman and Davis in one of the movie’s key scenes. Also, “Tenet,” the Christopher Nolan/Warner Bros. thriller that became one of the highest profile Hollywood movies to open theatrically worldwide during the pandemic, is now available on digital and Blu-ray. Watch Nolan discuss a scene that launches two characters up the side of a high-rise. In other Warner news, Nolan’s “Dark Knight” was added to the national film registry while WarnerMedia’s chief, Jason Kilar, was added to the naughty list. Also in the news, Sundance announced its slate, readers reacted to FKA twigs and her allegations of abuse against Shia LaBeouf, the Berlin Film Festival announced a delay and Tom Cruise had some choice words for the “Mission: Impossible” crew about adhering to Covid-19 protocols. Enjoy the movies! David Lee/Netflix Critic’s pick ‘Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom’ Review: All the Blues That’s Fit to Sing Viola Davis and Chadwick Boseman star in a potent adaptation of August Wilson’s play. By A.O. Scott Continue reading the main story ADVERTISEMENT MOVIE REVIEWS ‘Fatale’ Review: Another Attraction of the Fatal Kind Hilary Swank plays a police detective who seduces Michael Ealy into a very tangled web. By Glenn Kenny ‘The Belovs’ Review: Another View of Farm Life The director of “Gunda” filmed two Russian siblings in the early 1990s. By Ben Kenigsberg ‘Museum Town’ Review: A Love Letter to Mass MoCA This documentary looks at how a contemporary art museum in Western Massachusetts transformed a struggling small town. By Lovia Gyarkye ‘Effigy — Poison and the City’ Review: Death and the Matron Udo Flohr’s stagy drama follows the investigation of a real-life serial killer in 1820s Germany. By Jeannette Catsoulis ‘Nasrin’ Review: Righting Wrongs in Iran Filmed in secret, Jeff Kaufman’s portrait of the Iranian lawyer Nasrin Sotoudeh captures her ongoing battles for the rights of women, children and minorities. By Jeannette Catsoulis ‘The Art of Political Murder’ Review: Behind a Bishop’s Assassination This documentary from Paul Taylor explores the killing of Bishop Juan Gerardi Conedera in Guatemala in 1998. By Ben Kenigsberg ‘The Last Blockbuster’ Review: All the Nostalgia, With No Late Fees Through celebrity interviews, this documentary looks back at the history of the home video retail industry. By Glenn Kenny Continue reading the main story ADVERTISEMENT ANATOMY OF A SCENE David Lee/Netflix Anatomy of a Scene Watch Chadwick Boseman in a Scene From ‘Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom’ The director George C. Wolfe discusses a tense sequence featuring the actor and Viola Davis. By Mekado Murphy Warner Bros. Anatomy of a Scene Watch the Stars of ‘Tenet’ Leap Tall Buildings The writer-director Christopher Nolan discusses a scene that follows John David Washington and Robert Pattinson’s characters as they’re launched up the side of a tower. The movie is now available on demand. By Mekado Murphy NEWS & FEATURES Disney Plus, via Associated Press critic’s notebook Bumps on the Road From Broadway to Hollywood Not for decades have so many plays and musicals been turned into movies. But even in the best of the new crop, a lot gets lost in translation. By Jesse Green David Lee/Netflix Viola Davis and Company on ‘Ma Rainey’ and Chadwick Boseman’s Last Bow Members of the creative team discuss what it took to adapt the August Wilson play for Netflix and trying not to be “outdone” by the late actor. By Reggie Ugwu HBO Max Critic’s Notebook How the Bee Gees Stayed Alive The HBO documentary “The Bee Gees: How Can You Mend a Broken Heart” traces the decades-long arc of a band that mastered a rare pop skill: adaptation. By Jon Pareles Alexandra Von Fuerst for The New York Times Emerald Fennell’s Dark, Jaded, Funny, Furious Fables of Female Revenge A brilliant young show runner from “Killing Eve” unveils her first film, “Promising Young Woman,” bringing macabre feminist wit to experiences that no one wants to talk about. By Carina Chocano Antoine d'Agata/Magnum, for The New York Times Feature What if the Great American Novelist Doesn’t Write Novels? Frederick Wiseman’s documentary films offer an unparalleled, panoramic vision of society. His 45th feature, “City Hall,” is on PBS this month — and he’s eager to get back to work. By Mark Binelli Continue reading the main story ADVERTISEMENT Sign up for the Watching Newsletter Get recommendations on the best TV shows and films to stream and watch, delivered to your inbox. Sign up How are we doing? We’d love your feedback on this newsletter. Please email thoughts and suggestions to moviesupdate@nytimes.com. Like this email? Forward it to your friends, and let them know they can sign up here. Continue reading the main story Need help? Review our newsletter help page or contact us for assistance. You received this email because you signed up for Movies Update from The New York Times. To stop receiving these emails, unsubscribe or manage your email preferences. Subscribe to The TimesGet The New York Times app Connect with us on: Change Your EmailPrivacy PolicyContact UsCalifornia Notices The New York Times Company. 620 Eighth Avenue New York, NY 10018