Easiest ‘Decision’ you’ll make this weekend

Goose on the loose! An ill omen for the Dodgers? Or simply part of the current Goose renaissance, what with “Top Gun: Maverick” bringing back the feels for Anthony Edwards?

I’m Glenn Whipp, columnist for the Los Angeles Times, host of the Envelope’s Friday newsletter and the guy hoping the Dodgers have a better exit in the postseason than this legend did the other night.

This ‘Decision’ is an easy call

Do you revel in the lingering scent of skin lotion? Are you spellbound by hypnotically repetitive patterns of wallpaper? Does the glistening sheen on a piece of sushi send you into a state of rapture?

Times film critic Justin Chang highlights all these things — and so much more — in his review of South Korean writer-director Park Chan-wook’s new movie, “Decision to Leave,” which happens to be one of my favorite films of the year. Opening in a half-dozen theaters in Los Angeles today, the film is a striking, sensual tale of love, obsession and maaaaaybe manipulation that churned up all kinds of emotions inside me when I saw it several weeks ago.

A neo-noir thriller about a detective (Park Hae-il) who falls for the wife (Tang Wei) of a man who died from a suspicious fall, “Decision to Leave” is a twisty mystery, gorgeously shot and full of wry humor. It’s South Korea’s official entry in the international feature Oscar category, but like “Parasite” and “Drive My Car,” it deserves to leapfrog into the best picture race. It’s also further confirmation of Tang’s artistry, as she skillfully keeps her character’s motivations mysterious until the very end. Put this one at the top of your list.

Park Hae-il and Tang Wei in “Decision to Leave.”

(CJ ENM Co., Ltd., Moho Film)

‘Till’ a showcase for Danielle Deadwyler

Also in theaters today is another Oscar contender, the historical drama “Till,” which chronicles Mamie Till-Mobley’s quest for justice for her son, Emmett, who was murdered while visiting his cousins in Mississippi in 1955. The images of the 14-year-old’s brutally beaten body became a defining moment in the civil rights movement. His mother insisted that his coffin remain open so the world could see the horrors he endured.

My colleague, Justin Chang, did an excellent job wrestling with this restrained, thoughtful movie, anchored by a superb, richly detailed performance from Danielle Deadwyler as Till-Mobley. As Justin notes, the film “is more understatedly effective, and Deadwyler’s performance at its most powerful, when [writer-director Chinonye] Chukwu resists and even undermines the template of the prestige biographical drama she only appears to be making.”

I admired Deadwyler’s work and found the film to be persuasive but flawed, at times making Till-Mobley more of a symbol than a three-dimensional woman. But Justin’s review made me consider other aspects of Chukwu‘s movie as well. That’s what good film criticism does and why it remains essential.

Danielle Deadwyler, star of “Till.”

(Genaro Molina/Los Angeles Times)

Bringing ‘The Bear’ back to my taste buds

Just as I was missing this summer’s terrific FX series “The Bear” and thinking of giving it a rewatch, Times food writer Stephanie Breijo dropped an amazing package of stories on the show, yes, and Italian beef sandwiches that had me making a beeline for one of the handful of spots around town that serve this soggy, Chicago delicacy.

“I hope that someday it’s up there on the Mt. Rushmore of beef sandwiches that other people are familiar with,” says Garrett Kern of the Portillo’s restaurant chain, “but it’s highly regional, and I think it’s just starting to dip its toe into the water and introduce itself to the folks.”

To which, I can only add: Yes, chef!

Jeremy Allen White and Liza Colón-Zayas in “The Bear.”

(Matt Dinerstein/FX)