We know they're ratings gold, but we just can't stand to watch the American Idol audition episodes, with more delusional, tone-deaf people in costume than genuine talent on display. Don't even get me started on "Pants on the Ground."
But now (finally!) Idol has made its way to Hollywood Week, where the winnowing of the real talent begins. Who are we rooting for to break into the top 24 and beyond? A quintet of locals with pipes of gold. Details are sparse (Idol doesn't allow contestant interviews until the live taping begins, for reasons of confidentiality), but here's what we know about the Houstonians in the mix to be the next Kelly Clarkson.
Anzeo Henderson/Anzeo David This isn't Anzeo's first time on national television. He appeared on P. Diddy's Making the Band 4 (though not for long, as the first one eliminated) and has opened concerts for Jaheim and Trey Songz.
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Brandi Holmes A Houston native and the daughter of two preachers, Holmes says she first sang in public at her parents' church.
Megan McCallon This Baylor grad has been playing the piano since the age of four and guitar since 12, and has released two albums of her own material on iTunes.
Paige Miles Raised in Naples, Fla., Miles now calls Cypress home. A former cheerleader and community theater vet, Idol rumors and spoiler sites put Miles in the top 24.
Christian Spear Spear has the heart-tugging backstory that Idol producers love—she was diagnosed with leukemia at 4 years old and went into remission when she was 8—but her talent and confidence in the audition room are what earned her some early-episode screen time.
For as closely tied together as Matt Damon and Ben Affleck are, it might come as a surprise how few times they’ve led a movie together. They’ve appeared alongside each other in Good Will Hunting, The Last Duel, and Air, but the only time they were on equal footing in a story was Kevin Smith’s Dogma. So the fact that they are the two true stars of the new Netflix movie The Rip makes it a rare opportunity for the longtime friends to square off against each other.
Damon and Affleck play Lt. Dane Dumars and Detective Sgt. J.D Byrne, respectively, the two highest ranking members of a Miami police department squad that specializes in drug and drug money raids. A tragedy to begin the film already has the team — which includes Detectives Mike Ro (Steven Yeun), Numa Baptiste (Teyana Taylor), and Lolo Salazar (Catalina Sandina Moreno) — on edge, with the FBI and DEA breathing down their neck.
Going off a tip, Dumars gathers the team to raid a house in nearby Hialeah that is supposed to have a stash of a relatively small amount of money. But when they get to the house occupied only by Desiree Molina (Sasha Calle), they discover close to $20 million. The team, required by law to count the money on site, must not only fight the urge to skim a little off the top for themselves, but also worry about the Cartel and other agencies that might want a slice of the pie.
Written and directed by Joe Carnahan, the film is a surprisingly effective crime thriller made even better by its high-quality cast, which also includes Kyle Chandler as a DEA agent. The story is designed for the audience to not know who’s trustworthy until the last possible second, and the various twists and turns it takes are well done, with barely a hint of narrative cheating.
Taking place entirely at night, the mood is set right from the start, with the only surprise being that Carnahan didn’t add in rain for extra effect. He keeps things tense with a number of subtle elements, including having the house located in a seemingly deserted cul-de-sac. This allows for the characters to remain on high alert at all times, with anything out of the ordinary — an unexpected noise, a flashing light, etc. — adding to the stress of the situation.
The only element that could have used a bit more of a punch-up is the characterization. The story is set up to cast suspicion on almost everybody, making it tougher to understand exactly what type of person each of them is. As the two leads, more time is spent with Dumars and Byrne, leaving everyone else with slightly underwhelming arcs. It’s to the credit of the actors that everyone else below Damon and Affleck is still compelling.
Damon and Affleck play their sometimes friendly, sometimes adversarial roles well, showing an ease together that’s a result of their friendship and the acting skills they’ve honed over 30+ years. Taylor, an Oscar hopeful for One Battle After Another, and Oscar nominee/Emmy winner Yeun have a pedigree that elevates their supporting roles. Chandler, Moreno, and Calle each get just enough to demonstrate why they were cast in their respective roles.
Damon and Affleck have had their individual ups and downs throughout their careers, but when they choose to work together, the results are usually good-to-great, as they are in The Rip. It’s a different take on a crime thriller that features a story that will keep viewers guessing until the very end.
