Pop Culture Diary: This Week's Reviews, Reads and Roundup

Reviews:

"Wildhorse Nine" Watching John Malkovich curmudgeon his way through this very dark comedy as Chris Carlisle, a cynical CIA agent facing his demise, is fun, but there's overall more gloom than funny. I left wondering what's the point. Not of existence — that's CIA agent Chris Carlisle's issue — but of the film.

I suppose the story could be reflecting on the agency's history of evil and the pointlessness and hypocrisy of covert imperialism, but, at the same time, it celebrates violence in its last act.

Good performances, also, from Sam Rockwell, Steve Buscemi and an unrecognizable Parker Posey, but I left feeling more icky than enlightened or amused.

"Small Prophets." Mackenzie Crook, creator and co-star of "Dectorists" (and, also, the skinny uptight dude in the British version of "The Office") introduces us to a new collection of lovely, lonely, eccentrics in this delightful comedy set, feels like, rural England (although it was filmed in Machester, apparently).

Pearce Quigley is Michael Sleep, a very-bearded loner, who works in a big box hardware story and who's still shattered over the sudden disappearance of his longtime girlfriend seven years hence. Did she leave him, or just leave?

Michael's dad, Brian (Michael Palin, yay!), is an eccentric, possibly demented, pensioner who lives in a retirement home, who flirts with the arcane. Hoping to bring Michael some solace, he introduces him to the concept of homunculi, mystical beings that can answer any question, and instructs Michael on the proper alchemy to cultivate a batch. Moving, funny, heartwarming and relatively mild mayhem ensues.

Along with the always wonderful Palin, the great cast is fleshed out by Lauren Patel as Michael's charming workmate, Kacey, and Jon Pointing and Sophie Willan as the nosy neighbors.