Shameless Self Expression

Dealing with Presidential hopeful Edward Kennedy (Jason Clarke) whose boozy antics end in a car accident with a young strategist named Mary Jo Kopechne (Kate Mara) in tow. The event has deadly consequences for one, and potential career-ending scandal for the other. Ed Helms plays Kennedy’s cousin Joe Gargan, who is also a lawyer called upon to get Teddy out of sticky situations, but forever being reminded that as a Gargan he’ll never be a ‘true’ Kennedy. Jim Gaffigan plays a principal party involved in the aftermath of the accident, Paul Markham. Clancy Brown plays the deadly serious Robert McNamara who heads the political/PR spin side of dealing with Teddy’s mess. Bruce Dern appears as Kennedy patriarch Joe, forever disappointed in Teddy, who competes in the shadow of his two more successful/liked dead brothers John and Bobby. Olivia Thirlby has a tiny role as an apparent amalgam of young strategists who worked on RFK’s campaign. Despite featuring an Aussie in the lead and b...

The story of Saraya-Jade Bevis (Florence Pugh), daughter of Norwich wrestling royalty of-sorts, promoter/trainer Ricky Bevis (AKA Ricky Knight, played by Nick Frost) and former wrestler/promoter Julia Bevis (AKA Sweet Saraya Knight, played by Lena Headey). Saraya-Jade and her brother Zak (an excellent Jack Lowden) take an opportunity to try out for the WWE, and eventually Saraya-Jade (aged just 18 at the time) is signed by WWE and sent to its developmental territory, and eventually the televised NXT program which exposes the latest signees to the ins-and-outs of WWE TV, grooming them for main roster promotion and bigger TV exposure. Sadly, brother Zak is rejected, with NXT/Performance Centre coach ‘Hutch’ (a fictionalised character played by Vince Vaughn) basically telling Zak he just hasn’t got ‘it’. Meanwhile, Saraya-Jade, eventually given the moniker ‘Paige’ finds that while her wrestling experience might place her slightly ahead of the other model and cross-fit athletes etc., b...