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Netflix’s New Martha Stewart Documentary Makes Her More Powerful Than Ever

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Netflix’s New Martha Stewart Documentary Makes Her More Powerful Than Ever

Martha.
Photo: Martha Stewart/Netflix

When Martha Stewart eventually passes away, she should order that director R.J. Cutler also be buried along with her inside her death pyramid. With the new Netflix documentary, Martha, he has constructed the greatest possible tribute one could want for a figure as godlike as Stewart — a warts-and-all portrait of the lifestyle mogul that somehow still manages to be a hagiography. Although she clearly cooperated with the production, Stewart has reportedly criticized Cutler’s finished film, which is understandable. In Martha, she comes off as combative, egomaniacal, impatient, uncaring, and at times delusional, as well as a wronged visionary who has reemerged on top. And not just merely “on top”: As someone says early in the film, Martha Stewart essentially created the world we’re currently living in — a world of influencers and borrowed lifestyles and perfect surfaces, all while deep beneath us roll the storms of chaos. Is Martha a good movie? I’m not sure. But it might be an essential one. Anyway, into the pyramid you go, R.J. Cutler.

Formally, the film is no great shakes. It’s an amiably edited journey through Stewart’s life and career with plenty of archival footage, synopsizing her early years in Nutley, New Jersey, with an abusive, embittered father who made the family raise their own vegetables; her young marriage to law student and future publishing-house chief Andy Stewart; the couple’s move to a Westport, Connecticut, fixer-upper that she transformed into a tony manse; and the discovery of her catering and entertaining talents after her lavish dinner parties. Like so many streaming-era documentaries, the picture effectively opens with a trailer for itself, briefly previewing its main points before settling into a by-now familiar cadence of bland insights, light historical context, and obvious music cues. (When young Martha Kostyra takes up modeling, we hear Etta James sing “Good Lookin’” on the soundtrack. When she becomes a stockbroker, we hear Nancy Sinatra’s “These Boots Are Made for Walkin’.” When her career as a lifestyle guru takes off, we hear the synth beats of Depeche Mode’s “Just Can’t Get Enough.”)

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What makes Martha fascinating is the now-83-year-old Stewart herself, who presides over the film with a contemporary onscreen interview. (Other interviewees — including family members, friends, employees, and inmates she did time with at Alderson Federal Prison — remain offscreen as they attest, choruslike, to her gumption, her drive, and, occasionally, her goodness.) She makes a hard-nosed guide to her own life, pushing back when Cutler presses her on tougher topics. When Stewart talks angrily about how Andy cheated on her, Cutler notes that she also cheated on him. Her answer? “Yeah, but Andy never knew about that.” When Cutler replies that Andy did in fact know, Martha dismisses her own affairs as minor dalliances. This sort of back-and-forth actually helps humanize Stewart, however much she may hate it in retrospect. And it lifts Martha the movie up from just another bit of swoony celebrity blather to something more interesting.

Stewart’s surface perfection powered her business. She created beautiful spaces with beautiful things and cooked beautiful dishes, all while still looking beautiful. As the film makes clear, she connected with a generation of women who had been raised by working mothers; many of them didn’t get homemaking knowledge or recipes passed down. Stewart filled that gap, and she did so without requiring any kind of emotional reciprocity. She was there, smiling and infallible, the MacGyver of good housekeeping, ready to turn a used glass jug and some tissues into an elegant centerpiece at the drop of a hat. An incredible amount of initiative and energy went into all this, but she made it look so effortless partly because she had taste.

When Stewart did fall from grace, however, the celebrity culture that had embraced and lionized her bit back. She had always seemed so unfazed by everything, so the world now delighted in seeing her brought down several pegs. The infamous insider-trading scandal that landed her in prison is still a raw subject; Stewart and others involved continue to claim she did nothing illegal, and that she became a target because then-U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York James Comey wanted to make a name for himself by bagging a celebrity. Stewart was also genuinely changed by prison and made friendships there among the women incarcerated alongside her. Once her mask of perfection fell, she seemed to open herself up more to the world.

All this would make an ideal rise-fall-rise narrative for a standard documentary, and you can imagine what the pitch memo for this might have looked like: Watch Martha Stewart achieve success, then watch the world unfairly humiliate her, then watch her claw her way back to fame and relevance. And maybe Martha still thinks it is that kind of movie. But Cutler’s onscreen interactions with Stewart, as well as occasional forays into the way she treats the people around her, turn the picture into something a lot slippier and the subject into someone more captivating. While most films would crystallize their theses as they near their end, Martha invites ambiguity and uncertainty. The more we see of Stewart, the more we feel for her — and the less we understand her. She cannot be summarized. And as much as Martha might try, in its failure to do so lies its unlikely power.

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Movie Reviews

Wicked Movie Review

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Wicked Movie Review

The opinions expressed in this article are the writer’s own and do not reflect the views of Her Campus.

This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Augustana chapter.

During Thanksgiving week, I saw Wicked, starring Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba and Ariana Grande as Glinda. I went in thinking the movie would be just another cash grab that would be lifeless and mediocre. However, I was proven incredibly wrong, and for that, I am grateful. And I cannot wait for the second part coming next year. I will wait patiently, hoping it is as great as the first part.

Anyway, enough ranting; let’s get into the movie. Wicked is an adaptation of the Broadway musical of the same name, based on the book “The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West” by Gregory Maguire, which is loosely based on L. Frank Baum’s novel “The Wizard of Oz.”

John Chu directed the movie, which delivers a dazzling cinematic experience. As I’ve stated before, the film is split into two parts. With stunning visuals and stirring performances, it explores the origins of Elphaba and Glinda while tying together themes of friendship, prejudice, and the cost of ambition.

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The film is a sensory extravaganza with a vivid production design that captures Oz in stunning detail. Chu elevates the musical numbers with dynamic camera work and visual effects, fusing real-world sets with CGI to produce an incredible yet engaging atmosphere. However, there are some moments where the visuals drag. The lighting could often be better, which could take away from the visuals. Other than that, it is excellent.

Cynthia Erivo’s portrayal of Elphaba is especially remarkable because of her nuanced performance, which successfully captures the character’s vulnerability and strength. Her rendition of “Defying Gravity” is a cinematic high point, cementing her as the film’s heart. I felt euphoric and goosebumps, as though I were with her in that instant, defying gravity. In her portrayal of Glinda, Ariana Grande excelled at balancing her comedic charm and emotional depth, especially in her rendition of “Popular.” I laughed at times, which was surprising as it wasn’t advertised as a comedy.  Unquestionably, Erivo and Grande have chemistry together, highlighting the complexity of their friendship.

Overall, Wicked was an excellent character-driven story. It was enjoyable with its lush visuals, unforgettable performances, and narrative. The ending perfectly sets the stage for part two. I know it left me wanting even more.  

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Pushpa 2: Social media user’s ‘brutal review’ of Allu Arjun movie goes viral, says ‘He uses his teeth to…’ | Today News

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Pushpa 2: Social media user’s ‘brutal review’ of Allu Arjun movie goes viral, says ‘He uses his teeth to…’ | Today News

A social media user has given a ‘brutal’ review to the latest record-breaking movie, Pushpa 2. The user stated that the film lacks logic and that educated people will not appreciate it.

 He especially pointed out a scene where the film’s lead actor, Allu Arjun, uses his teeth to fight the goons. He also mentioned that only uneducated people would appreciate this movie.

“Our fault is, despite being educated, we went to watch the film,” he said.

However, several social media users disagree with his review. Few users criticised the reviewer for questioning the educational qualification of the audience.

One of the users commented, “I always say that if you want to watch a South Indian Masala film, leave your brain at home and just watch the movie for entertainment. It’s not an intellectual activity.”

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“I am a Chartered Accountant, so am I qualified to review or not?

I loved the movie, especially the action sequences.

The main aim of the picture is entertaining the audience, and it does.

Otherwise,if we judge by logical sense of action scenes, then most films would be rated 0,” another user added.

“Kon kon hai ye jo sun kr movie dekhne nh jaega (Who will not watch the movie after this review?),” one of the users commented.

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Another added, “Movie is for entertainment if you didn’t like the film then criticise it but why are dragging people’s literacy here ? Why their education matters when it’s about entertainment ? Even if you defend these then what would you expect from a film which is set around a backward region.”

The Allu Arjun-Rashmika Mandanna starrer Pushpa 2: The Rule hit the theatres on December 5, and its collections are breaking many records. The action thriller is the sequel to Pushpa: The Rise, the 2021 blockbuster film. 

Apart from Rashmika Mandanna and Fahad Faasil, the film is directed by Sukumar, with Pushpa (Allu Arjun) facing off against Shekhawat (Faasil). The film also stars Jagapathi Babu, Dhananjaya, Rao Ramesh, Sunil, and Anasuya Bharadwaj in prominent roles.

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Johannes Grenzfurthner’s ‘Solvent’ (2024) Melds Obsession With Transcendence – Movie Review – PopHorror

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Johannes Grenzfurthner’s ‘Solvent’ (2024) Melds Obsession With Transcendence – Movie Review – PopHorror

After reading our interview with Filmmaker Johannes Grenzfurthner about his new project, Solvent, I decided I needed to check this film out. Anything involving missing Nazis, decrepit farmhouses, delusional filmmakers, and the director’s actual grandfather had to be awesome, right?

Here’s the synopsis:

While searching for Nazi documents in an Austrian farmhouse, a team of experts uncovers a hidden secret buried in its bowels. American expatriate Gunner S. Holbrook becomes obsessed with solving the mystery, and as his sanity wanes, he must confront an insatiable evil. Can he find redemption before it drains the life out of him?

Solvent (2024) was directed by Johannes Grenzfurthner (Masking Threshold 2022) from a script co-written by himself and Benjamin Roberts (Able Bodies 2022). The film also stars Grenzfurthner, Napoleon Dynamite’s Jon Gries, Polish actress Aleksandra Cwen (F Is For Freaks 2019), and Grenzfurthner’s late grandfather, who only appeared in photographs but played a major role in the story.

Solvent tells the story of guerrilla filmmaker Gunner S. Holbrook (Gries) as he films his investigation into the disappearance of Ernst Bartholdi’s (Grenzfurthner) grandfather, Wolfgang Zinggl (Otto Zuckerberg), a Nazi during the Second World War. He has a team of people working with him, including Bartholdi and his ex-girlfriend, Krystina (Cwen). Everyone is there for the adventure, at least at first. Searching the old man’s the dilapidated, mold-encrusted farmhouse proves to be quite the treasure hunt. Photos and documents are found under collapsed ceilings and inside the brittle pages of old books. The mood is almost jolly. Who knows what they’ll find in the next room?

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When the filmmakers stumble on a partially hidden cave on the property, they see no reason not to continue on with their search. However, something terrible happens when Krystina goes into the cave alone, and her reaction to whatever it is has fatal consequences. Yet, despite the death of one member of his crew and the abject refusal of Ernst to allow Gunner back onto his grandfather’s property, the young filmmaker becomes obsessed with what’s lurking in this underground lair.

What Works

Not only does Solvent follow Gunner on his very personal journey through the mind of an insane madman, it takes place in a found footage, first person POV, only showing us what he sees and hears. We don’t get any information that doesn’t come straight from the American’s experiences. I haven’t seen such a clever and compelling use of this filmmaking style since Jozsef Gallai’s I Hear The Trees Whispering (2022). The viewer is chained to the mindset and visuals of the slowly deteriorating Gunner, with no way to look away from everything he experiences. And he makes sure to keep his camera on at all times.

“All life is a rebellion against faith…”

While there’s nothing particularly bloody about Solvent, there are some disturbing visuals, including a dead fish being stuffed into a bag, dozens of bottles of collected urine, a dead mouse in a glass jar that looked a little too real, and an extremely gory shot at the end of the film of a place no pipe inspection camera should ever go. These gruesome images are made worse by the off handed way they’re presented, as if these are just normal things that one does with their time.

I love the idea that what Zinggl has created is a sentient liquid, something that can leech through the ground, infecting anything it comes into contact with. Much like Vonnegut’s Ice-9, anything that this nefarious substance touches will be changed forever, and there is no way to return it to its natural form. No matter how innocent or undeserving, the receiver will always be contaminated. There is no escape and no cure. It’s solvent to both body and soul.

What Doesn’t Work

The voiceover of Jon Gries as Gunner could sometimes be a bit flat, not always reacting well to what was going on around him. This took me out of the film a few times. Although I realize that the countryside rambling and long-winded soliloquies were there to show Gunner’s state of mind, they could be a bit boring. Sometimes realism is not as entertaining as one might hope.

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Final Thoughts

It’s obvious that Solvent is a very personal film for Grenzfurthner. The photos of his grandfather and the treasure hunt through his family’s actual abandoned farmhouse are a love letter to the filmmaker’s heritage, despite the fact that he made his affable familial patriarch into a antisemitic psychopath bent on eternal life in any form. The secondary characters are darkly funny and entertaining, proving to be an uneasy break away from Gunner’s increasing insanity. The multiple layers and subtext in Solvent alone make it worth a watch, and adding the bizarre visuals, creepy locations and contagious psychosis are the icing on the cake.

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