Hugh Bonneville Archives

Review: ‘Mummies’ (2023), starring the voices of Joe Thomas, Eleanor Tomlinson, Celia Imrie, Hugh Bonneville and Sean Bean

March 1, 2023

by Carla Hay

Nefer (voiced by Eleanor Tomlinson) and Thut (voiced by Joe Thomas) in “Mummies” (Image courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures)

“Mummies” (2023)

Directed by Juan Jesús García Galocha

Culture Representation: Taking place in London and in an underworld in Egypt, the animated film “Mummies” features a cast of characters that are Egyptian mummies and humans.

Culture Clash: A male mummy and a mummy princess are expected be engaged in an arranged marriage, but they are reluctant to get married to anyone, and their travel from their underworld in Egypt to modern-day London in search of a valuable wedding ring that was stolen from them.

Culture Audience: “Mummies” will appeal primarily to people who are interested in watching any type of fantasy animation, no matter how dull and predictable it is.

Sekhem (voiced by Santiago Winder), Croc and Thut (voiced by Joe Thomas) in “Mummies” (Image courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures)

“Mummies” could have been a wildly imaginative adventure about the contrasts between ancient Egypt and modern London, but this boring animated film has a clunky narrative, unremarkable visuals and a stale plot. Perhaps some viewers will be satisfied with “Mummies” if they have very low standards or haven’t seen many animated films. However, this movie is so derivative and trite, it seems like a throwaway from the 1980s.

Directed by Juan Jesús García Galocha, “Mummies” has the most basic of basic plots that is really a very lukewarm, watered-down version of a Disney princess movie. Javier Barreira and Jordi Gasull wrote the frequently awkward screenplay, which was originally written as a Spanish-language film, but the movie has an English-language version too. The language difference isn’t the problem, because the dialogue in the movie would be just as witless and dull, no matter what the language.

“Mummies” begins by showing a championship charioteer named Thut (voiced by Joe Thomas) in an ancient Egyptian underworld called the World of Mummies, populated entirely by mummified creatures that are human and non-human. Thut holds the record for winning the most chariot races in the World of Mummies. Thut is in a chariot race and wins, but one of his chariot wheels falls off, and he tumbles out of his chariot. It’s a blow to his confidence, and he never enters a chariot race again.

Publicly, Thut tells people that he retired because he has no more storage space for trophies. Privately, Thut has become afraid of moving at a fast speed because of his chariot accident. As a retired charioteer, Thut occupies his time cashing in on his past glories by signing autographs. He is also the sole guardian of his energetic 8-year-old brother Sekhem (voiced by Santiago Winder), who greatly admires Thut. Sekhem has a baby crocodile as a pet named Croc, who acts like a puppy and is Sekhem’s constant companion.

Meanwhile, a greedy archaeologist named Lord Sylvester Carnaby (voiced by Hugh Bonneville), who is visiting Egypt from London, finds the tomb of an ancient Egyptian named Princess Nefer. To the dismay of Lord Carnaby, the tomb is empty. He has two bumbling sidekicks named Dennys (pronounced Dennis) and Danny (both voiced by Dan Starkey), who are fraternal twins. Viewers of “Mummies” will learn nothing about these two subordinate characters, who are essentially useless and take up space.

Princess Nefer (voiced by Eleanor Tomlinson) is actually alive and well, as an undead mummy living in the World of Mummies. In this movie, mummies do not want to interact with living human beings. The filmmakers’ world building in “Mummies” is so poorly constructed and vaguely explained, when certain mummy characters inevitably cross over into the living world, this transition just looks very tossed-off and underwhelming.

Thut and Nefer meet by chance one day on the street in the World of Mummies. Nefer and Thut trade sarcastic commentary and don’t seem to like each other very much. It’s at this point you know that they will eventually be each other’s love interest. However, Thut and Nefer tell everyone they know that they are not ready to get married to anyone. Thut says he wants to permanently remain a bachelor. Nefer, who is an only child, tells her father Pharaoh (voiced by Sean Bean): “I need at least 100 more years before I get engaged.”

Nefer loves to sing, but her old-fashioned mother (voiced by Celia Imrie) scolds Nefer for singing out loud. She tells Nefer that singing is inappropriate for royalty and should only be done by entertainers. (Karina Pasian is the singing voice of Nefer.) The only thing that Nefer’s parents want for Nefer is for her to get married, so that she can produce and heir to continue the family legacy.

In this World of Mummies, a royal family heirloom is a magical trinket in the shape of phoenix, which was given by the goddess of love. Through an ancient ritual, the phoenix comes to life and is supposed fly to the person who will become the spouse of any unmarried heir to the throne. Nefer’s family does the ritual, and the phoenix (which looks like a burning flame) flies near Thut’s home and is accidently hit with a rock by Sekhem.

When Nefer and Thut find out that the phoenix has “chosen” them to get married, they both resist the idea. Thut is told that he has to safeguard the wedding ring anyway. Through a series of events, the ring is stolen by Lord Carnaby, who brings it to London to sell and put on display in a prominent museum. Thut, Sekhem, Croc and Nefer then go to London to retrieve the ring and experience culture shock at all the modern technology.

In between the mindless dialogue and terribly staged action sequences, “Mummies” has a few musical scenes where Nefer sings, including a silly sequence where she ends up performing in a West End musical that just happens to be about Egyptian mummies. There’s nothing wrong with the singing or any of the cast members’ voice work, but the movie’s original songs and musical scenes are very bland and forgettable. You know that “Mummies” is creatively lacking in innovation when it has to over-rely on the Bangles’ 1986 hit “Walk Like An Egyptian” for its biggest musical moments.

Adding to the movie’s substandard quality, “Mummies” has a character named Ed (voiced by Shakka), who is a London-based aspiring pop music producer/composer. Ed is illustrated as someone of South Asian heritage, but the “Mummies” filmmakers made him a very corny and cringeworthy subservient stereotype. Predictably, Ed (who first saw Nefer perform in the West End musical) says that he can make Nefer a music star. And there’s some nonsense in the movie about Nessa (with Ed’s help) making a music video that becomes a viral sensation.

Everything about “Mummies” could have been pre-programmed on a computer with a data dump of outdated princess movies where the main goal is for the princess to get married and “live happily ever after.” The World of Mummies is supposed to have characters who live by ancient traditions in Egypt, so no one is expecting this movie to be about progressive feminism. But even depictions of Cleopatra in movies give her some autonomy, while Nefer has no autonomy. Even though Nefer pretends to have a mind of her own, she ultimately follows whatever the male characters tell her to do.

And you already know how this movie is going to end, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing if the journey along the way is entertaining to watch. In that regard, “Mummies” falls very short. “Mummies” has a few “cutesy” moments, but the overall movie is just so lazy for not bothering to have a truly innovative story and interesting characters. The entire movie is lacking in personality, just like a mummified corpse in a coffin.

Warner Bros. Pictures released “Mummies” in U.S. cinemas and in Spain on February 24, 2023.

Review: ‘Downton Abbey: A New Era,’ starring Hugh Bonneville, Elizabeth McGovern, Michelle Dockery, Maggie Smith, Hugh Dancy, Dominic West and Robert James-Collier

May 19, 2022

by Carla Hay

“Downton Abbey: A New Era”

Directed by Simon Curtis

Culture Representation: Taking place in 1928, in the United Kingdom and in France, the dramatic film “Downton Abbey: A New Era” features a nearly all-white cast of characters (with a few black people) representing the working-class, middle-class and wealthy.

Culture Clash: In order to pay for extensive mansion renovations, the wealthy Downton Abbey clan of England reluctantly allows a movie to be filmed at Downton Abbey, while matriarch Violet Crawley finds herself embroiled in a battle over inherited property, health issues, and questions over who really fathered her son Robert Crawley.

Culture Audience: Aside from appealing to “Downton Abbey” fans, “Downton Abbey: A New Era” will appeal primarily to people who are fans of movies about 20th century upper-crust British people and their servants.

Hugh Dancy (second from left), Kevin Doyle (third from left), Alex Macqueen (second from right) and Michelle Dockery (far right) in “Downton Abbey: A New Era” (Photo by Ben Blackall/Focus Features)

“Downton Abbey: A New Era” is more comedic and bolder than its predecessor movie. It takes a less insular view of the world, from the central family’s perspective, thanks to encounters with the 1920s movie industry and a trip to the south of France. The wealthy British clan is impacted when a movie is made on the Downton Abbey estate (located in Yorkshire, England), while members of the Downton Abbey family go to the south of France and learn more about their ancestral history, which might be intertwined with a French aristocratic family.

“Downton Abbey: A New Era” is a sequel to 2019’s “Downton Abbey” movie (directed by Michael Engler), which was in turn a continuation of the British “Downton Abbey” TV series, which was on the air from 2010 to 2015. (In the United States, the award-winning “Downton Abbey” series began airing in 2011.) “Downton Abbey” creator/showrunner/writer Julian Fellowes, who is also the writer of the “Downton Abbey” movies, makes each part of the franchise seamless without making it confusing to viewers who are new to the franchise.

In other words: It’s not necessary to see the “Downton Abbey” TV series (which takes place from 1912 to 1926) and 2019’s “Downton Abbey” movie (which takes place in 1927) before seeing “Downton Abbey: A New Era” (which takes place in 1928), although it is very helpful to see all things “Downton Abbey” before watching this movie sequel. As a bonus, “Downton Abbey: A New Era” has an introduction by Kevin Doyle, who plays valet Joseph Molesley, better known as Mr. Molesley. In this introduction, he catches viewers up to speed by providing a summary of what happened in the 2019 “Downton Abbey” movie. A “Downtown Abbey” TV series recap, although not part of “Downton Abbey: A New Era,” is available online and narrated by cast members Jim Carter and Phyllis Logan, who portray Downton Abbey servants Mr. Carson and Mrs. Hughes.

Directed by Simon Curtis, “Downton Abbey: A New Era” continues with the central family’s preoccupations with class status, royal titles, property ownership and who is (or who should be) the rightful heirs of various inheritances. The “Downton Abbey” franchise, just like much of Fellowes’ work, explores the “upstairs/downstairs” cultures, with the “upstairs” people being the wealthy employers and the “downstairs” people being the employers’ servants. What makes “Downton Abbey: A New Era” stand out from previous “Downton Abbey” storylines is that the “upstairs” and “downstairs” people of Downton Abbey, who usually only deal with British aristocrats, interact with two very different types of cultures: showbiz people and French aristocrats.

Because there are so many characters in the “Downton Abbey” franchise, here’s a handy guide of who’s who in “Downton Abbey: A New Era” and how their relationships affect each other:

The “Upstairs” People

Violet Crawley (played by Maggie Smith), also known as Violet Grantham (her maiden name) or Dowager Countess of Grantham. Violet is the widowed family matriarch. She is feisty, sarcastic and strong-willed when it comes to deciding the family’s power structure. Violet is the mother of two living children: son Robert and daughter Rosamund. Sir Marmaduke Painswick, one of Violet’s three children, is deceased and was never seen in the series.
Robert Crawley (played by Hugh Bonneville), 7th Earl of Grantham. Robert is Violet’s only living son. He is generally friendly but also very opinionated on how family matters should be handled.
Lady Rosamund Painswick (played by Samantha Bond), Violet’s other living child. Lady Rosamund usually defers to her mother and her brother, when it comes to major decisions for the family.
Cora Crawley (played by Elizabeth McGovern), the Countess of Grantham. She is Robert’s kind, patient and dutiful wife. Robert and Cora are the parents of three daughters, one of whom is deceased.
Lady Mary Josephine Talbot (played by Michelle Dockery), previously known as Mary Crawley. Fair-minded and even-tempered, she is the eldest of Robert and Cora’s three daughters. In the “Downton Abbey” movie, Violet put Mary in charge of all Downton Abbey management decisions, but Mary struggles with having confidence in deciding what is best for Downton Abbey and the family. Mary experienced tragedy with the 1921 death of her first husband Matthew Crawley (played by Dan Stevens), who was a distant cousin. Matthew died in a car accident shortly after Mary gave birth to their son George Crawley (played by twins Oliver Barker and Zac Barker), born in 1921. In 1925, Mary wed her second husband Henry Talbot (played by Matthew Goode), who is not seen in “Downton Abbey: A New Era.” Henry is dashing and charming but often inattentive to his family because he frequently travels to attend car racing matches around the world. Mary says of Henry: “He’s in love with cars, speed and adventure.” Mary and Henry have a daughter together named Caroline Talbot (played by twins Bibi Burr and Olive Burr), who was born in 1926.
Lady Edith Pelham (played by Laura Carmichael), previously known as Edith Crawley), Marchioness of Hexham. She is the middle daughter of Robert and Cora. Edith is happily married and has been mainly preoccupied with raising children, after previous issues with conceiving. She is a journalist who still wants to continue her dream of owning and managing her own magazine. In late 1922 or early 1923, Edith gave birth to her daughter Marigold (played by twins Eva Samms and Karina Samms), whose biological father was The Sketch magazine editor Michael Gregson (played by Charles Edwards), whom Edith met when she wrote for the magazine. Edith and Michael were never married because he could not divorce his mentally ill wife. Michael died in 1923, during the Beer Hall Putch in Germany.
Herbert “Bertie” Pelham (played by Harry Hadden-Paton), 7th Marquess of Hexham, an amiable real-estate agent/military man. He is Edith’s second husband and the stepfather of Marigold. Bertie and Edith, who were wed on New Year’s Eve 1925, have a biological son together named Peter, who was born in 1927 or 1928.
Tom Branson (played by Allen Leech), an Irishman who used to be the Downton Abbey chauffeur, but he became part of the family when he married Sybil Crawley (played by Jessica Brown Findlay), Robert and Cora’s youngest daughter, who died from childbirth complications in 1920. Tom and Sybil’s daughter, born in 1920, is named Sybil “Sybbie” Branson (played by Fifi Hart).
Lucy Branson (played by Tuppence Middleton), Tom’s second wife, whom he began courting in the first “Downton Abbey” movie. Lucy is a former maid and formerly secret illegitimate daughter of Maud Bagshaw, who is a wealthy distant relative of the Crawleys. Maud has made Lucy the heir to Maud’s entire fortune. “Downton Abbey: A New Era” opens with the wedding of Tom and Lucy.
Maud Bagshaw (played by Imelda Staunton) is a steely socialite who has had a longstanding feud with Violet, because Violet thinks Maud should have made Violet son’s Robert the heir to Maud’s fortune, since Maud has no sons of her own. This feud reached a temporary halt when Lucy and Tom got married, since this marriage puts the Crawleys in close proximity to Lucy’s inheritance, because Robert’s granddaughter Sybbie is now Lucy’s stepdaughter.
Isobel Merton (played by Penelope Wilton), the droll-talking mother of the late Matthew Crawley. Isobel frequently trades sardonic barbs with Violet.
Lord Merton (played by Douglas Reith), Isobel’s laid-back second husband. He is usually a bystander in the family drama.

The “Downstairs” People

Thomas Barrow (played by Robert James-Collier), the Downton Abbey butler. He is somewhat rigid and uptight but not afraid to stand up for himself if he feels that he is being disrespected. Thomas is also a semi-closeted gay man. Only a few trusted people at Downton Abbey know about his true sexuality.
Daisy Parker (played by Sophie McShera), a Downton Abbey kitchen maid. She has a fun-loving and energetic personality. Daisy suffered a tragedy when her first husband William Mason (Thomas Howes), a second footman for the Downton Abbey family, died from World War I combat wounds.
Andy Parker (played by Michael Fox), the Downton Abbey second footman. Daisy and Andy fell in love and got married circa 1928. Andy is prone to get jealous and insecure, but Daisy likes that Andy is willing to go to extremes for their love.
Mr. Carson (played by Jim Carter), the on-again/off-again Downton Abbey butler. As the most experienced butler at Downton, he often sees himself as the unofficial leader of the staff, whether they want his advice or not.
Mrs. Hughes (played by Phyllis Logan), the Downtown Abbey head housekeeper, who is prim, proper, and frequently involved in keeping secrets to prevent Downton Abbey from being embroiled in scandals.
Mrs. Patmore (played by Lesley Nicol), the Downton Abbey chief cook. She has a no-nonsense attitude that keeps the other kitchen staff in check.
Mr. Bates (played by Brendan Coyle), the Downton Abbey valet. His arrogance sometimes alienates other members of the staff.
Anna Bates (played by Joanne Froggatt), wife of Mr. Bates and the maid to Lady Mary. She is generally well-liked but sometimes gets caught up in the Downton Abbey gossip.
Mr. Molesley, the aforementioned Downton Abbey valet who has a tendency to bumble and be socially awkward.
Phyllis Baxter (played by Raquel Cassidy), the lady’s maid for the Countess of Grantham. Phyllis and Mr. Molesley become each other’s love interest. “Downton Abbey: The Next Era” shows how far this romance goes.

The Newcomers

Jack Barber (played by Hugh Dancy), the director and producer of “The Gambler,” a drama film, set in 1875, about a seductive gambler who’s a con man and a heartbreaker.
Guy Dexter (played by Dominic West), the male titular star of “The Gambler.” Guy is charismatic, flirtatious, and might be secretly attracted to Barrow, the Downton Abbey butler.
Myrna Dalgleish (played by Laura Haddock), the female star of “The Gambler.” Myrna comes from a working-class background and has a thick Cockney accent. She is very conceited and rude to almost everyone.
Mr. Stubbins (played by Alex Macqueen), the sound engineer for “The Gambler.”
Montmirail (played by Jonathan Zaccaï), a French marquis from a wealthy family.
Madame de Montmirail (played by Nathalie Baye), Montmirail’s mistrusting mother.

It’s a lot of characters to take in for one movie, which is why viewers who know at least some basic “Downton Abbey” background will enjoy “Downton Abbey: A New Era” the most. “Downton Abbey: A New Era” also has two main storylines:

(1) British Lion Film Corp. Ltd. asks to film “The Gambler” at Downton Abbey for one month. Some members of the family think it would be crass and tacky to allow a movie to be made at their home, but Mary ultimately decides that the family could use the money to do extensive renovations at Downton Abbey, including the roof that has been leaking for years. After all, why use the family money for this refurbishing when it can be paid for by a movie studio?

“The Gambler” was originally going to be a silent film. However, the movie studio shuts down production of “The Gambler” because talking pictures are becoming popular. Mary comes up with the idea to make “The Gambler” a talking picture by dubbing in the audio with a separate recording.

However, Myrna’s speaking voice is considered too “low-class” and unacceptable for the role, and she says her lines of dialogue in a stiff and unnatural manner. A reluctant Mary is then recruited to be the speaking voice for Myrna’s character in “The Gambler.” Myrna predictably gets jealous. Most of the comedic scenes in “Downton Abbey: A New Era” revolve around the making of “The Gambler.”

(2) Violet finds out that she inherited a villa in the south of France from Montmirail’s marquis father, whom Violet spent just a few days with when she traveled to France as a young woman. This Montmirail widow is contesting this will and is threatening to take legal action against Violet. Robert, Cora, Edith, Bertie, Tom and Lucy all travel to France to meet the Montmirail widow and her son, to settle this matter, and to see the villa. Meanwhile, speculation abounds over why Violet got the inheritance. Was it because she and the marquis were secret lovers? Meanwhile, Violet is dealing with health issues that were mentioned in the first “Downton Abbey” movie.

“Downton Abbey: A New Era” keeps much of the snappy dialogue that’s characteristic of the “Downton Abbey” franchise, while the movie’s screenplay still maintains an air of intrigue and mystery of how the story is going to go. (Needless to say, the movie’s cinematography and production design are gorgeous.) And all of the cast members play their roles with considerable aplomb.

Violet, as usual, gets the best zingers. She’s one of the Crawley family members who is appalled that showbiz people have populated Downton Abbey to film “The Gambler.” Violet is particularly unimpressed with Myrna. Violet quips about Myrna: “She has all the charm of a verruca.” Violet also finds movies to be an uncultured form of entertainment. “I’d rather eat pebbles,” she says about watching movies.

If watching a film about stuffy British people and their servants isn’t something that you don’t want to spend two hours of your time doing, then anything to do with “Downton Abbey” is not for you. But if you want to see an intriguing and multilayered story about the dynamics between a complicated family, then “Downton Abbey: A New Era” is worth your time, especially if you know about who these characters are before watching the movie.

Focus Features will release “Downton Abbey: A New Era” in U.S. cinemas on May 20, 2022. The movie was released in the United Kingdom on April 29, 2022.

Review: ‘Never Forget Tibet,’ starring the Dalai Lama, also known as Tenzin Gyatso

April 1, 2022

by Carla Hay

“Never Forget Tibet”

Directed by Jean-Paul Mertinez

Some language in Mandarin and Hindu

Culture Representation: Taking place in India and other parts of the world, the documentary film “Never Forget Tibet” features a racially group of Asian and white people representing the working-class, middle-class and wealthy, who all discuss the life and legacy of the 14th Dalai Lama, also known as Tenzin Gyatso.

Culture Clash: The 14th Dalai Lama (also known as Tenzin Gyatso), who is a spiritual leader and the former head of state of Tibet, has been refugee in India, since 1959, when he escaped to India after China’s invasion of Tibet.

Culture Audience: “Never Forget Tibet” will appeal mainly to people who are interested in the Dalai Lama, Chinese history, spiritual leaders, human rights activists and refugees.

The Dalai Lama (also known as Tenzin Gyatso) and Har Mander Singh in “Never Forget Tibet” (Photo courtesy of Fathom Events)

The documentary “Never Forget Tibet” is subtitled “The Dalai Lama’s Untold Story,” which isn’t an entirely accurate description. Much of the documentary is essentially biographical information that can be found on the Wikipedia page of the 14th Dalai Lama, who is also known as Tenzin Gyatso. It’s not exactly “an untold story,” but the documentary is a good history lesson for anyone who knows next to nothing about this extraordinary person. For people who already know a lot about the Dalai Lama, the main reason to see the documentary is for the exclusive footage of him talking about his refugee journey and reuniting with Har Mander Singh, the former politician/diplomat who helped guide the Dalai Lama when the Dalai Lama escaped as a refugee from Tibet to India in 1959.

Directed Jean-Paul Mertinez and narrated by actor Hugh Bonneville, “Never Forget Tibet” shows a brief, exclusive interview that journalist Rani Singh did with the Dalai Lama, who rarely gives one-on-one interviews. Rani Singh had an inside track to get the interview because her father happened to be Har Mander Singh, who died in 2020, at the age of 94. Rani Singh doesn’t do much questioning in the interview (she seems more than a little star-struck), but she is content to just let the Dalai Lama share his memories while she nods in agreement. Fathom Events released “Never Forget” as a one-night-only event in U.S. cinemas on March 31, 2022, the 63rd anniversary of the Dalai Lama’s 1959 escape from China-occupied Tibet.

Born as Lhamo Thondup in Tibet on July 6, 1935, his name became Tenzin Gyatso, and he became the 14th Dalai Lama in 1940. He was Tibet’s head of state from 1963 to 1991. This Dalai Lama has become world-renowned as an advocate of peace and spirituality, but China still officially considers him to be an enemy of the state. Environmental journalist Nithin Cocoa, who is one of the people interviewed in the documentary, comments on the Dalai Lama’s status as a political refugee from China: “No matter what the Chinese government tries to do, they can’t take down his moral standing.”

Cocoa goes into details about how people in China are still targeted and under surveillance if they show any interest in the Dalai Lama. He also mentions that droughts in Tibet and parts of India could be attributed in part to the Chinese government’s role in controlling the Great Wall’s cutting off of bodies of water. The Dalai Lama says in the documentary that although technology has made the world a better place, damage to the environment is the biggest threat to humanity.

Har Mander Singh shares his memories of the first time he met the Dalai Lama and what it was like to get to know him when Har Mander Singh had the responsibility of helping the Dalai Lama navigate through India as a refugee. A highlight of the documentary is when the Dalai Lama and Har Mander Singh reunite for the first time in years. It might bring tears to some viewers’ eyes.

In his interview, Dalai Lama says that when he was living in Tibet, he became “close friends” with Mao Zedong, also known as Chairman Mao, the founder of the People’s Republic of China. The Dalai Lama mentions that at one point, he wanted to join the Communist Party. When the Dalai Lama told a friend about it, the friend advised him to wait. It wasn’t long before China invaded Tibet.

Also interviewed in “Never Forget Tibet” is Ahimsa publisher/president Leslie Di Russo, who shows some rare Dalai Lamai archives in the Heinrich Harrer Limited Edition Portfolio; Bon Tibetan religious teacher Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche; Rinchen Khandro Choegyal, founding director/special advisor of the Tibetan Nuns Project, who talks about how educations has improved for nuns over the decades; and Ngari Rinpoche (also known as Tenzin Choegyal), the Dalai Lama’s youngest brother and the partner of Rinchen Khandro Choegyal; Richard West, also known as music artist Mr. C; and Sikyong Dr. Lobsang Sangay, president of Central Tibetan Administration.

“Never Forget Tibet” isn’t a very well-edited movie. Parts of the documentary jump around in a somewhat incoherent storytelling manner, while other sections of the movie have pacing that is a bit tedious. However, it’s hard not to be riveted by the Dalai Lama’s story, regardless of any prior knowledge that a viewer might have about him before seeing this documentary.

At the Fathom Events screening, the documentary was followed by a pre-recorded videoconference Q&A that the Dalai Lama did with various young people around the world, in a session hosted by PeaceJam. He said the usual things about how compassion and spirituality are important for humanity, and he gave a lot of rambling answers. The Dalai Lama also mentioned that modern people are “wiser” than previous generations because of education and technology. “Never Forget Tibet” is not a groundbreaking chronicle of the Dalai Lama, but it’s an interesting peek inside the mind and memories of a historical figure whose impact transcends borders and political beliefs.

Fathom Events released “Never Forget Tibet” in U.S. cinemas as a one-night-only event on March 31, 2022.

Review: ‘Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey,’ starring Forest Whitaker, Keegan-Michael Key, Hugh Bonneville, Anika Noni Rose, Madalen Mills, Phylicia Rashad and Ricky Martin

December 31, 2020

by Carla Hay

“Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey”

Directed by David E. Talbert

Culture Representation: Set in an unnamed city during the 1860s to 1890s, the musical film “Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey” features a predominantly African American cast of characters (with some white people, Latinos and Asians) representing the working-class, middle-class and wealthy.

Culture Clash: After being betrayed by a former apprentice, an inventor-turned-pawnbroker has his cynicism and disillusionment challenged by his precocious and optimistic 10-year-old granddaughter.

Culture Audience: “Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey” will appeal primarily to people interested in family-friendly musicals that celebrate hope and resilience.

Keegan-Michael Key in “Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey” (Photo by Gareth Gatrell/Netflix)

The movie musical “Jingle Jangle: Christmas Journey” conveys unabashed sentimentality in such an earnest, charming and entertaining way that its predictable story will be easier to take if people expect nothing more than what this movie is: an inoffensive Christmas-themed story that can appeal to various generations. “Jingle Jangle” has got a little something for everyone to enjoy, unless someone really hates musicals or mostly cheerful family entertainment. Written and directed by David E. Talbert, “Jingle Jangle” is a vibrant homage to old-school musicals while managing to have timeless, not outdated, qualities.

The acting, costume design, choreography, production design, visual effects and original music all elevate the story, which at times drags a little in its pace in the middle of the movie. There’s a flying robot named Buddy 3000 in the movie that looks like a combination of the two main robot characters in Pixar’s 2008 animated film “WALL-E.” The sci-fi aspect of “Jingle Jangle” seems recycled from much-better movies. But the rest of “Jingle Jangle” showcases more originality when it comes to the unique and believable chemistry of the cast members in this well-cast film.

The story is narrated by a grandmother (played by Phylicia Rashad), who is shown reading this tale to her two grandchildren (played by Ria Calvin and Kenyah Sandy) during the Christmas holiday season. “Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey” is essentially the saga of a family damaged by broken dreams and learning to heal from these emotional wounds. The clan at the center of the story is the Jangle Family, whose patriarch is a brilliant inventor named Jeronicus (played by Justin Cornwell as a young man and by Forest Whitaker as a senior citizen).

In his youth, Jeronicus had a charmed life, with a successful shop called Jangles & Things, where he and his family lived; a loving wife named Joanna (played by Sharon Rose); and a smart and friendly daughter named Jessica (played by Diaana Babnicova as a child and Anika Noni Rose as an adult), who aspired to follow in her father’s footsteps and become an inventor.

Jeronicus has an apprentice named Gustafson (played by Miles Burrow as a young man and by Keegan-Michael Key in middle-age), who idolizes Jeronicus. Gustafson wants to show Jeronicus a special invention he’s been working on, but Jeronicus keeps telling Gustfason that he’s too busy. One of Jeronicus’ inventions is a doll dressed like a matador named Don Juan Diego (voiced by Ricky Martin) that mysteriously comes to life. Don Juan Diego is flashy, flamboyant and loves to call attention to himself.

But this isn’t a harmless toy. Don Juan Diego is also a corrupt-minded doll that convinces Gustafson to steal Jeronicus’ book of invention ideas. (Don Juan Diego’s solo musical number is aptly called “Borrow Indefinitely.”) Gustafson commits this theft because he feels unappreciated as Jeronicus’ employee. And over time, Gustafson uses the ideas in the book to become the richest and most powerful inventor in the world.

After this betrayal, Jeronicus’ life takes a turn for the worse. His beloved wife Joanna dies. And Jeronicus’ fortunes begins to wane as Gustafson’s fortunes begin to rise. Jeronicus feels broken and defeated. And so, he sends his daughter Jessica away because she thinks that she’s better off not living with him. Jeronicus becomes very reclusive and vows never to invent anything again.

The story then fast-forwards to Jessica as a single mother to a bright and inquisitive 10-year-old daughter named Journey (played by Madalen Mills), who has inherited her mother’s love of science and interest in becoming an inventor. Jessica has not seen or spoke to her father for years. There are lingering hard feelings because Jessica believes that Jeronicus abandoned her.

However, Jessica doesn’t want Jeronicus to be deprived of knowing his granddaughter, so she sends Journey to visit Jeronicus as a surprise. When Journey arrives at the Jangles & Things shop, where Jeronicus still lives, she finds out that the shop no longer sells his inventions but instead is now a pawn shop. Jeronicus is a grumpy old man who at first doesn’t believe that Journey when she tells him that she’s his granddaughter.

However, he’s convinced that Journey is telling the truth after Journey tells Jeronicus many things about Jessica that only a close family member would know. Jeronicus reluctantly agrees to let Journey stay with him and makes her sign a contract where she agrees to do the cleaning and other chores. Jeronicus also forbids Journey to look at or touch any of his old inventions that are stored in an attic. But since Journey is a very curious child, you just know that she’ll break this rule.

Other supporting characters in the story include an orphan named Edison (played by Kieron L. Dyer), who befriends Journey; Mr. Delacroix (played by Hugh Bonneville), a banker whose friendship with Jeronicus helps Jeronicus get extensions on his unpaid loans; and Ms. Johnston (played by Lisa Davina Phillip), a postal service delivery person who is very attracted to Jeronicus and not shy about showing it, even though Jeronicus is often oblivious to her romantic interest in him.

Even though Gustafson is the chief villain in the movie, “Jingle Jangle” doesn’t get too dark or disturbing with his storyline. Key brings his talent as a comedian to his portrayal of Gustafson, by making this character more like a cartoonish fraudster who is his own worst enemy when it comes to his greed, rather than someone who’s a truly deranged and violent criminal. Gustfason’s big musical number “Magic Man G” is one of the highlights of the movie.

Another show-stopping number is “Make It Work,” a soaring anthem performed by Anika Noni Rose and Whitaker. Journey’s musical showpiece is “Square Root of Possible,” which perfectly demonstrates why Mills is multitalented performer to watch. “Jingle Jangle” features several original songs written by Philip Lawrence, Michael Diskint, Davy Nathan and John Stephens (better known as John Legend), who is one of the producers of the movie. The songs can best be described as a mixture of light R&B with traditional stylings of a stage musical.

The heart of the story and what that works the best in “Jingle Jangle” is the relationship between Jeronicus and is granddaughter Journey, because they both learn things from each other that help make them better people. There’s a part of “Jingle Jangle” that veers into a sci-fi adventure story, with the expected “race against time” chase scene. But “Jingle Jangle” is mostly a sweet-natured tale of how love can rekindle faith and can sustain families through the hardest times.

Netflix premiered “Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey” on November 13, 2020.