Searching
Digital devices are so prevalent and here to stay. Searching (2018) is shot from the point of view of them. I watched it last night courtesy of Netflix. Set in California’s Bay Area, John Cho stars as a single dad whose teenage daughter has disappeared. He begins the hunt using digital devices, entering social media sites and googling for more info. Famous companies get a lot of free advertising, which may annoy some people. I don’t see how it could have been avoided. Product placement in films has never bothered me, even when it’s obvious. It’s everywhere one turns in our society. End of commercial — back to the movie. Debra Messing plays the detective on the case. There are several twists and red herrings along the way. It is well constructed visually and the plot is grounded, sensational only in the aspect of news coverage, an accurate reflection of today’s media. One key aspect of the scenario was too sketchy. I’ll refrain from details that would spoil viewing. This was director Aneesh Shaganty’s first full length feature after five shorts, a solid debut. It will be interesting to see where he goes from here. He co-wrote the screenplay with Sev Ohanian, who has a lot of credits as a producer. The movie was a big success at the box office, bringing in $75 million worldwide. Although I was unable to find the cost of production, I’d bet it wasn’t even half that. Add DVD sales, rentals and streaming, and studio heads are probably willing to shove a lot of money Shaganty’s way. 90,000+ users at IMDb have rating Searching, forging to a consensus of 7.7 on a scale of ten. Although I liked it, I wouldn’t go that high, as I found the constant use of devices a bit monotonous. I think it would appeal more to those who use them a great deal. I keep my computer separate from the rest of my life, although it is a big part of it. There is nothing in the narrative that would gross out most viewers. Here are Michelle La and Cho, an ubiquitous presence on the big and small screen, in character:
Not wanting to take a chance that rain would drench the floating book shop on unsheltered Bay Parkway and 85th, I set up under the scaffold at my usual nook. Seven of the eight sales were of books in Russian. Ira bought Eat This, Not That! Thousands of Simple Food Swaps that Can Save You 10, 20, 30 Pounds — or More! by David Zinczenko and Matt Goulding. My thanks to all, and to the young man who donated a bag of non-fiction just as I was about to head home with four big boxes of wares. Fortunately, the wheeled basket a women gave me a month ago allowed me to do it in a single trip and with relative ease. I had to clear out the back seat for tomorrow’s family trip to the wilds of Jersey. Happy Easter, Happy Passover.
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