Such curious timing! The same week that NASA launched DART (Double Astroid Redirection Test), a $330 million spacecraft to ‘nudge’ the asteroid Dimorphos off-course, Netflix’s star-studded cautionary satire “Don’t Look Up” hit the big screen.

It begins at Michigan State University as astronomy grad student Kate Dibiasky (Jennifer Lawrence) spots a never-before-seen comet. Calculating its trajectory, it seems to be headed directly toward Earth. 

Terrified, she alerts her advisor, geeky Dr. Randall Mindy (Leonardo DiCaprio), who confirms that the comet will, undoubtedly, destroy Earth in six months. After wading through bureaucracy, they snag an appointment to alert the President, but they’re kept waiting for hours outside the Oval Office.

When they finally inform President Orlean (Meryl Streep) of the imminent extinction of the human race, she’s far more concerned about midterm polling numbers, as is her snotty Chief of Staff/son (Jonah Hill). Her initial denial parallels that of President Donald Trump when first confronted with evidence of COVID-19.

Rather than “sit tight and assess,” which is what the Administration advises, Kate and Randall turn to the media, snagging a spot on a popular morning TV show where the relentlessly perky hosts (Cate Blanchett, Tyler Perry) are determined to trivialize their message: “Keep it light, fun.”

Eventually, condescending President Orlean relies on an aloof mega-donor, Peter Isherwell (Mark Rylance). Modelled after an Elon Musk/Steve Jobs mash-up, there is little surprise when this prescient billionaire decides to mine the comet for its precious resources.

With Doomsday imminent, the POTUS glibly advises, “Don’t Look Up,” as a pop star (Ariana Grande) counters with “Just Look Up!” Plus, there are dubious bonus scenes during the end credits.

Previously, filmmaker Adam McKay created politically-charged satires (“The Big Short,” “Vice,”) with far more substance than this flimsy, disjointed venture, conceived as an allegory for the current climate crisis. That must be why environmental activists Leonardo DiCaprio and Meryl Streep climbed aboard, perhaps hoping for another “Dr. Strangelove” or “Wag the Dog.” No such luck!

On the Granger Gauge of 1 to 10, “Don’t Look Up” is a frantic, fragmented, ham-fisted 5, currently in theaters and debuting on Netflix on December 24.

“Belfast” is filmmaker Kenneth Branagh’s poignant cinematic memoir of the year 1969, during his childhood in Northern Ireland. It recalls a period where turbulence between Catholics and Protestants turns into a war.

Branagh’s semi-autobiographical story revolves around nine year-old Buddy (Jude Hill), who lives with his older brother (Lewis McAskie), parents (Jamie Dornan, Caitrionia Balfe) and grandparents (Ciaran Hinds, Judi Dench).  They are Protestants in a working-class neighborhood that’s also filled with Catholic families.

Then the sectarian riots begin, the barricades go up and British soldiers arrive. Chaos reigns as bewildered Buddy watches his idyllic street become an unruly battleground. During one skirmish, Buddy’s ma rescues him using a trash can lid as a shield.

 As tribalism erupts, Buddy’s Pa is pressured by thuggish Billy Clanton (Colin Morgan) to participate: “Either you’re with us or against us.”

At home, Buddy watches “Star Trek” and classic TV Westerns; the treat that Buddy relishes most is the local cinema, where he’s entanced by “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang” (1968) and “One Million Years B.C.” (1966)–both shown in full color.

Meanwhile, Buddy’s debt-riddled parents are debating whether to leave their cherished city at the height of “the Troubles” and to resettle in England, where Buddy’s father has a job as a plumber and joiner.

Five-time Oscar-nominated actor/writer/director Kenneth Branagh worked with his longtime cinematographer Haris Zambarloukos to film this tale largely, but not wholly, in black-and-white, ostensibly as homage to street photographer Henri Cartier-Bresson, whose 1950’s work for Harper’s Bazaar captured candid, unguarded images of the humanity of the Irish people. 

An advantage of being monochromatic is focus – it’s immersive and minimalistic in the actors’ movements. Significantly, Branagh cast two Belfast-born actors – Ciaran Hinds and Jamie Dornan – and he fills the soundtrack with the music of Belfast-born Van Morrison. 

Branagh often opts for romanticism over realism, sometimes diluting the effect of the unfolding family drama while reinforcing his empathetic viewpoint.

FYI: If you look closely, Buddy’s reading a “Thor” comic book; Branagh directed the first film adaptation of “Thor.”

On the Granger Gauge, “Belfast” is a bittersweet, elegiac 8, playing in theaters and streaming on Prime Video.

Almost unrecognizable in spidery mascara, prosthetic cheeks and garish wigs in “The Eyes of Tammy Faye,” Jessica Chastain is irresistible as camp icon Tammy Faye Bakker who built – with her husband, preacher Jim Bakker (Andrew Garfield) – a Christian empire, including Heritage USA, a Jesus-themed amusement park.

Born in 1942 in International Falls, MN, Tammy Faye was the eldest of eight children. She yearned to attend the local Pentecostal church but felt rejected because her disgraced mother (Cherry Jones) was divorced. Then, at age 10, devout Tammy Faye fell to the floor and spoke in tongues.

When Tammy Faye met charismatic Jim, he proposed on their first date.  Proclaiming that they were summoned by God to preach His word, they went on the road. When TV preacher Pat Robertson caught their puppet ‘act,’ they landed their own kiddie show on the Christian Broadcast Network.

In 1974, the husband-and-wife televangelists launched the competing PTL (Praise the Lord) network. They preached a folksy, prosperity gospel, equating making money with spiritual fulfillment, pioneering faith-based entertainment.

At its peak, the PTL network broadcast to 13.5 million homes, generating more than $120 million in annual revenue. The Bakkers built a five-level mansion, wore expensive clothes, drove matching Rolls-Royces and flew on a private jet. 

What was unique was Tammy Faye’s compassionate involvement in controversial issues like homosexuality and AIDS, maintaining, “God loves everybody.” She shocked conservatives like Jerry Falwell Sr. (Vincent D’Onofrio) when she interviewed an AIDS-afflicted, gay activist (Randy Havens).

Eventually, Jim became embroiled in a sex scandal with church secretary Jessica Hahn and lost it all in 1987. Two years later, he was sentenced to 45 years in prison – later reduced after an appeal.

“The Eyes of Tammy Faye” was adapted from Fenton Bailey and Randy Barbato’s 2000 documentary of the same name, about the rise and fall of these Bible-thumpers. This iteration is unevenly directed by Michael Showalter. But it was Jessica Chastain who propelled this project via her production company Freckle Films.

On the Granger Gauge, “The Eyes of Tammy Faye” is a sincerely sympathetic 7 on Prime Video & Apple TV.