‘DEEP COVER’ ON AMAZON PRIME
   
Should you be in the mood for a goofy comedy mixed with some action, then Amazon Prime’s “Deep Cover” is a pleasing little film fixed upon three unlikely characters finding themselves embroiled in what could be an ill-fated caper.
   
Quoting the author of “The Improv Guide,” the film’s opening title says “Improv Comedy is like going into battle. If you want to kill, you have to be willing to die.” That might prove prophetic. 
   
The opening scene on the streets of London results in a high-speed chase when one criminal on a motorbike is chased by gun-toting Albanians, who are then pursued by police officers unable to keep up with the hunt.
   
Toiling away in a boring IT job is Hugh (Nick Mohammed), a socially awkward tech nerd who fails to ingratiate himself with a bunch of obnoxious day traders, only to be told by his boss to stay in his lane and stop trying to be part of the team. 
   
Meanwhile, Orlando Bloom’s Marlon wants to be a method actor but job offers go not much further than working in commercials, where he succeeded with a bit of recognition as the “Pizza Knight” in television ads.
   
After work, Hugh wanders by The Comedy Store, taking notice of the posted notice that he could find his voice and build confidence by joining a comedy improv class, which is run by aspiring actress and American expat Kat (Bryce Dallas Howard).
  
Hugh is hoping that getting experience on stage would help him garner self-esteem to hold his own at the office, rather than breaking into a questionable career move of stand-up comedy.
   
While the acting career is not really working out for Kat, whose circle of snobbish friends fret about her prospects, a new path converges for her by teaming up with Hugh and Marlon.
   
The trio is recruited by Detective Billings (Sean Bean) for undercover work going after drug pushers. The theory is that real undercover cops would be quickly exposed but not these guys. 
   
In short order, the acting team’s flair for the melodramatic doesn’t help much when they get in too deep with drug dealer Fly (Paddy Considine), and hapless Hugh does lines of coke to recklessly establish his street cred. 
   
The situation gets even more chancy when the actors get access to Metcalfe (Ian McShane), the boss of the criminal underworld that is the true target for the undercover operation.
   
“Deep Cover” benefits from the comic chops of likable yet frivolous main characters going for laughs in what is undeniably an entertainment fully committed to absurdist escapism. 

‘MUBI’ STREAMING PLATFORM
   
The ad-supported streaming service Tubi now appears to be well-established in providing users the opportunity to watch sports, along with vintage as well as more recent television programs and movies, for free.
   
On the other hand, not to be confused with Tubi is the streaming service MUBI, a global streaming platform that views itself as a kind of highbrow outlet for arthouse films and the like.
   
MUBI describes itself as a production company and film distributor dedicated to elevating great cinema by creating, curating, and acquiring and championing visionary films from iconic directors and emerging auteurs.
   
As part of its mission statement, MUBI believes “cinema should be viewed on screens of all shapes and sizes. Our curators scour film festivals for the most exciting and original new films, which we bring to the big screen with the same care and attention we give to our curated platform.”
   
For a taste of MUBI, some previous and upcoming releases include Coralie Fargeat’s “The Substance;” Luca Guadagnino’s “Queer;” Joshua Oppenheimer’s “The End;” Magnus von Horn’s “The Girl with the Needle;” and Pinny Grylls and Sam Crane’s “Grand Theft Hamlet.”
   
Other works include Sofia Coppola’s “Priscilla;” Ira Sachs; “Passages;” Pedro Almodovar’s “Strange Way of Life;” Molly Manning Walker’s “How to Have Sex;” and Aki Kaurismaki’s “Fallen Leaves.” The names of directors Coppola and Almodovar are familiar; the others much less so.
   
Joachim Trier’s “The Worst Person in the World” sounds intriguing. Just who could it be? Are we talking about the entire history of the world with awful tyrants like Joseph Stalin, Mao Tse-tung (or Mao Zedong), Adolf Hitler, and Pol Pot? 
   
MUBI co-productions include Jim Jarmusch’s “Father Mother Sister Brother” starring a stellar cast of Adam Driver, Mayim Bialik, Tom Waits, Charlotte Rampling, Cate Blanchett, Vicky Krieps, Indya Moore, and Luka Sabbat.
   
Then there’s Karim Ainouz’s “Rosebush Pruning” starring Callum Turner, Riley Keough, Jamie Bell, Lukas Gage, Elena Anaya, Tracy Lettes, Elle Fanning and Pamela Anderson, and Michel Franco’s “Memory” starring Jessica Chastain and Peter Sarsgaard.
   
MUBI considers itself the biggest community of film lovers anywhere, with members across 190 different countries. The streamer is headquartered in London, with 15 offices around the world and over 400 employees.
   
Joining this community comes with a monthly or annual price tag, and it is available on the web, Roku devices, Apple Vision Pro, Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, PlayStation, Samsung Smart TV, as well as mobile devices including iPhone, iPad and Android.

Tim Riley writes film and television reviews for Lake County News.