Category Archives: Sad small town

2011, Adopted child, Alzheimer's disease, Amusing banter, Baby Selling, Baby snatching, Blackmail, British Drama, British Mystery Series, Cocaine, Comic Moments, Conspiracy, Corrupt Care Givers, Corrupt policemen, Corrupt Politicians, Dark family secrets, DO NOT MISS, Ethical struggles, Extramarital Affair, Failed Father, Failing Marriage, Family Conflict, Family Secrets, Father-daughter relations, Father-son relations, Flashbacks, Friendship, Illegitimate Child, Journalist, Marital Infidelity, Mental Institution, Nudity, PBS Masterpiece Streaming, Physical child abuse, Plot Twist, Rape, Sad small town, Sex Scenes, Suspense, Vulgar

Exile (2011)

From PBS Passport:

Tom Ronstadt’s world has fallen apart. Tom returns to his hometown and begins to unravel the mystery that drove him away years ago, unaware that he is unearthing a devastating crime that will reveal secrets he could never have imagined.

From PBS Passport you can stream the 3 episodes of this mystery drama series. Each episode lasts about an hour.

With a cast of British actors “to die for”, you cannot go wrong:

  • Tom Ronstadt (played by John Simm) is a washed-up reporter who returns to his hometown where he finds that
  • his sister Nancy (played by Olivia Colman) has devoted her life to caring for
  • her father (played by Jim Broadbent) who is suffering from Alzheimer’s disease.
  • Tom, ever on the prowl, hooks up with the barmaid Mandy Eldridge  (played by Claire Goose) who turns out to be the wife of
  • Mike Eldridge (played by Shaun Dooley) who was Tom’s best buddy while they were growing up.
  • Mike works for Metzler (played by Timothy West) who, we learn bit by bit, is a horrible but well disguised monster.

Only warning in sight: Expect a constant stream of vulgar banter.

Sound intriguing?  Expect shocking plot revelations.

DO NOT MISS!

2021, Abandoned child, Abuse of Women, Adultery, Bloody scenes, Child abduction and murder, Dark, Extramarital Affair, Family Conflict, Grim, Horror, Masturbation, Mediocre, Murder, Netflix Streaming, Personal Betrayal, Police Investigation, Psychopath, Sad small town, Sociopath, Spousal Abuse, Strange Ending, Suspense, Violent

Things Heard And Seen (2021)

Leave a comment

From IMDB:

An artist relocates to the Hudson Valley and begins to suspect that her marriage has a sinister darkness, one that rivals her new home’s history.

From Netflix you can stream this 2 hour 1 minute horror film.

What! You waste your time on a horror film? Normally I would not except that since Grantchester I have not seen any sign of James Norton who played the priest sidekick to Robson Green’s detective. In this film James Norton plays George Claire alongside Amanda Seyfried who plays his wife Catherine Claire.  Somehow a horror film seems a step down for Norton.

Less a real grewsome horror film, the story is the gradual unpeeling of the layers of deceit which comprise George Claire. Granted there are a few ghosts haunting their house which is infamous for its tragic history.  And there is no harm in a hokey séance.   In a way the entire film is somewhat hokey.

At least give Norton some acting credit.  He can play a good man as in Grantchester. But he can portray really evil people as in this film as well as in Happy Valley with Sarah Lancashire.

In fact you would do well to watch Happy Valley instead of this horror of a film.

2015, Acceptable for teenagers, Adultery, Amazon Prime, Antique Cars, Australian, B-movie, Bad Acting, Based on a Book, Bullying, Comedy, Corny, Cross Dressing, Eccentric cast of characters, Haute Couture, Love Story, Marital Infidelity, Mediocre, Mother-daughter relations, Murder, Outrageous Behavior, Quirky, Revenge, Sad small town, School Teacher, Senior citizens, Slapstick, Small Town, Sports, Unmarried mother, Unusual

The Dressmaker (2015)

Leave a comment

From IMDB:

A glamorous woman returns to her small town in rural Australia. With her sewing machine and haute couture style, she transforms the women and exacts sweet revenge on those who did her wrong.

From Amazon Prime you can stream this 2 hour film.

Revenge is the keyword in this Australian comedy-drama. Wikepedia offers you more than you probably want to know about this film. Equally important is the ever present theme of haute couture.   It stars Kate Winslet as a femme fatale in the titular role of the dressmaker, Myrtle “Tilly” Dunnage, who returns to a small Australian town to take care of her ailing, mentally unstable mother, played by Judy Davis.  Along the way we encounter a love affair, false accusations of murder, and (did we forget to mention ?) revenge.

Sometimes the acting is over the top if not downright corny. But the visual fun of the film is the outrageous cast of  characters: the policeman is a cross-dresser, Judy Davis is a positive wreck, several women are timid and unattractive until Tilly takes charge. Three quarters through the story we think we see a happy ending … but then suddenly — (you will just have to watch the film!)

Even though I would give the film a B+,  I enjoyed every minute. Visually the oddities and clothing transformations are fun to watch and the story for all its faults is engrossing.

2016, Acceptable Sci-Fi, Amazon Prime, Ambiguous Conclusion, Amnesia, Australian, Bloody scenes, Complicated, Conspiracy, Creepy, Crime, Detective, DNA, Drugs, Ends in Cliff Hanger, Extramarital Affair, Family Conflict, Father-daughter relations, Forensics, Good Production Values, Improbable details, Medical Theme, Mental Illness, Mother-daughter relations, Mother-son relations, Murder, Personal Betrayal, Police Corruption, Police Politics, Possible a put-on, Psychic Phenomena, Sad small town, Sex Scenes, Somewhat ridiculous plot, Suspense, Unusual, Upsetting ending, Violent

The Kettering Incident (2016)

Leave a comment

From Amazon Prime:

Two girls disappear in identical circumstances in the wilds of Tasmania 15 years apart, and Doctor Anna Macy finds herself linked to both cases. To clear her name, Anna must delve into her troubled past and face some truths about herself and the otherworldly nature of this gothic land.

From Amazon Prime you can stream 8 episodes of season 1. Each episode last about 50 minutes.

Possibly it was the adolescent side of my brain that kept me interested in staying with the series. Each episode added some new mysterious element. At any minute I expected little green men to arrive in a space ship. Alas the green men never arrived and the creepy details just piled up. Still I forged onward hoping for the best.

WARNING:   Do not expect a satisfying conclusion to the story. Instead you get a semi-conclusion that must lead into the next season, which does not seem to exist yet.

Why did I fall for this possible put-on?  Probably because this Australian production is well done with good acting and believable character interaction. In fact, I don’t regret having watched it at all.

2013, British, Bullying, Could Be Sad, Drama, Ethical struggles, Gloomy, Journalist, Mental Illness, Military, Murder, Netflix Streaming, Revenge, Sad small town, Small British village, Suicide, Violent, War Veterans

Southcliffe (2013)

Leave a comment

From IMDB:

Following a raft of shootings in an English market town, the crimes are retold through the eyes of a journalist and the tragedies’ victims.

Netflix Steaming offers 4 episodes of so-called Season 1. However, as far as I can tell the story ends with the fourth episode.

After watching the miserable life of the long-suffering shooter so that we understand why he goes berserk, we get to know some of the inhabitants of the sad, small British town Southcliffe. David Whitehead, the reporter who is also a native of Southcliffe and who has bitter memories of the town, is the center of the story as he digs for information and interviews various townies. There are two guilty provocateurs, each with his own reaction to the shootings.

Basically this is a very depressing story with not a bit of sunlight visible, despite the fact that it is very well done. You are warned.

 

 

2013, Crude Talk, DO NOT MISS, Drugs, Dysfunctional Lives, Father-daughter relations, Feel Good Not For Children, Love Story, Quiet, Sad small town, Sensitive treatement of emotions, Sex Scenes, Small gem of a film, Teenagers, Unusual, Wonderful acting

Hateship Loveship (2013)

Leave a comment

From Netflix:

Hired to look after an elderly man and his teenage granddaughter, a dowdy caretaker finds herself drawn to the girl’s ne’er-do-well father, never realizing that the subversive teen has been sending her tender e-mails in her father’s name.

Because the film starred Guy Pearce (whose films are usually very good) I took a chance on this film and won the raffle! Small gems such as this are rare finds.

Of course Guy Pearce does well. But the absolute star of the show was Kristen Wiig (young Lucille Bluth in “Arrested Development”) as the character Johanna Parry. Here is a woman who, as far as I can recall, never smiles in the film. Instead she is this determined, stoic, practical, hard-working, and lonely young woman who despite seemingly hopeless circumstances sets her sight on what she wants. Sometimes her doggedness seems a bit unrealistic, but let us remain optimists.

Nick Nolte (who is now 73 years old) plays a wonderful grandfather. In case you are wondering where you have seen her, his eventual girlfriend Eileen is played by Christine Lahti who portrayed Executive A.D.A> Sonya Paxton in “Law and Order”.

But hats off to the two high school girls Hailee Steinfeld as the granddaughter Sabitha and Sami Gayle (Nicky Reagan-Boyle in “Blue Bloods”) as mean-girl Edith. Sabitha is the lonely, sad, insecure, and vulnerable daughter of Guy Pearce (character Ken). In “Blue Bloods” Sami Gayle as Nicky is sweet and mature. In this film Sami Gayle is perfect as the prototypical high school bitch. Look for two moments: At one point Edith’s sex buddy points out that what she is doing is mean and she pauses only for a moment before continuing in her meddling; At the end of the film she is jabbering on about how wonderful her life will be while trying to ignore Johanna’s accusing stares.

In the small gem category I nominate this film as a DO NOT MISS!

2013, Abduction, Acceptable Trash, Action Film, Action Hero, Addiction, B-movie, Boxing, Bullying, Car Chase, Crude Talk, Drug Dealers, Drugs, Dysfunctional Lives, Gangs, Mayhem, Mixed Martial Arts, Motorcycles, Revenge, Sad small town, School Teacher, Suspense, Violent, Vulgar

Homefront (2013)

Leave a comment

From Netflix:

When ex-DEA agent Phil Broker is widowed, he moves with his 10-year-old daughter to a small town in pursuit of a quiet life, but he finds his dream destroyed by a murderous drug trafficker, Gator, and his gang of meth-making thugs.

Once again you have already seen this film with many other names. Jason Statham films are all more or less the same: really nasty bad people trying to kill really good (albeit a bit violent) people like our hero Jason and his 10-year old daughter.

Laugh all you want: I was once again glued to my seat. Does Jason Statham use a double? He sure can fist fight and shoot guns and do kick boxing and do somersaults and withstand water boarding (which according to President Cheney is NOT torture). What a hero!

There has to be a reason what these films are so popular. Putting snobbery aside, they are CONSISTENT. Story line manages to insert human interest, acting is reasonably good, car chases well filmed. Plant a radish, get a radish. You know what you are getting when you invest precious time in a Jason Statham film.

One of my many guilty pleasures.

Alzheimer's disease, Comedy, Could Be Sad, Crude Talk, DO NOT MISS, Dysfunctional Lives, Father-son relations, Greed, Human spirit, Possibly depressing, Quiet, Sad small town, Senior citizens, Sensitive treatement of emotions, Wonderful acting

Nebraska (2013)

1 Comment

From Netflix:

When a cantankerous old boozer thinks he’s won a magazine sweepstakes prize, his son reluctantly takes a road trip with him to claim the fortune. As they drive from Montana to Nebraska, they visit friends and relatives to whom the dad owes money.

Ignore the misleading Netflix blurb. In summary, this is a wonderful film – HOWEVER …

When the movie began I did a lot of squirming, as in:

  • Who wants to watch a concentration of losers all in one desolate spot?
  • In fact who wants to visit such desolation? (Somehow the towns reminded us of Herkimer in upper state New York where Kathy grew up.)
  • Why would the sons of such a hateful father turn out to be such kind men?
  • How could that old boozer have lived with such a bitch all those years?
  • Who wants to watch incipient Alzheimer’s disease?
  • Who wants to watch greedy cretins?

Even if your initial response is a complete turn-off, please stick with the film. For one thing, the acting is so superb that it can be depressing. Will that be us in a few years? If so, let me off the planet right now!

Eventually I was cheering for “the bitch” of a mother. Dave (played to affectionate perfection by 44 year old Will Forte) was almost too good to be true. His final gestures toward his failing father are almost tear-jerkers. Bruce Dern turns in a solid performance at the tender age of 78.

Sometimes you have to get past momentary discomfort to earn a really good watching experience. DO NOT MISS!

2012, Coming-of-age, Crude Talk, Drama, Dysfunctional Lives, Police Corruption, Revenge, Sad small town, Suspense, Teenagers, Violent, Wonderful acting

Mud (2012)

Leave a comment

From Netflix:

Two Mississippi teens, Ellis and Neckbone, meet a mysterious drifter named Mud hiding on a deserted river island and get caught up in his tangled web of tall tales about bounty hunters, crimes of passion, lost love and a perfect woman named Juniper.

Good acting and an involving storyline make this somewhat violent film worth seeing.

For once Matthew McConaughey is neither romantic stud, tough cowboy, nor clever lawyer. His role here as a fugitive from a revenge killing seems to me to be his best effort at acting that I have seen to date (2013).

Similarly Reese Witherspoon is not a bouncy blonde but plays well the part of an imperfect, sad, basically good-hearted young woman. At first I almost did not recognize her (because at the time one of the villains was giving her a beating – did I mention “violent”?).

Tye Sheridan and Jacob Lofland, the two kids, are good but do not steal the show. Their tough, down-to-earth, terse, somewhat abrupt manner of speaking seemed to me at times to be too mature for their age.

During the entire film I kept wondering how people can stand living where and in the manner that these somewhat down-trodden characters lived. Beasts of the Southern Wild took place in the same ambience.

Essentially not a violent film, but at least a suspenseful film, this one is worth catching.

2012, Acceptable for children, Based on true facts, Conspiracy, Drama, Environmental concerns, Ethical struggles, Feel Good For All, Human spirit, Sad small town, Thought provoking

Promised Land (2012)

Leave a comment

From Netflix:

Taking advantage of hard economic times, two salespeople for a natural gas company come to a small town to buy drilling rights from the residents. To their surprise, a local schoolteacher mobilizes a campaign aimed at blocking the company’s plans.

Watching this film while sitting next to my daughter’s German boy friend Thomas made for some very interesting discussion afterwards. On the one hand, the film has an obvious agenda: FRACKING IS BAD! But my debate opponent, ever the pragmatist, came up with some really good reasons why FRACKING IS GOOD!

No matter which side you take, the movie is well-written, well-acted, and includes some unsuspected plot twists. Moreover, I am pleased to be able to say that despite any doubts I have had in the past, Matt Damon can act. He always comes off as Mister Nice Guy. And what’s wrong with that?

Don’t miss Frances McDormand (married to Joel Cohen the director) trying desperately and unsuccessfully to sing.

Frank Yates is played by the venerable Hal Holbrook who was 87 years old during the filming and very appropriately looked that old.

Suitable for the kids and could lead to some worthwhile discussion.