Category Archives: Transvestite theme

2017, Binge worthy, Brother-Sister relations, Conspiracy, Corny at times, Cynical, DO NOT MISS, Drugs, Ethical struggles, Extramarital Affair, Family Conflict, Financial malfeasance, Government cover-up, Government Prosecutions, Illegitimate Child, Jealousy, Lawyers, Love Story, Marital Infidelity, MHz Choice, Money Laundering, Mother-daughter relations, Mother-son relations, Murder, Promiscuity, Sex Scenes, Suspense, Swiss banking, Tax Evasion, Transvestite theme, Unscrupulous drive to power

Banking District (2017)

Leave a comment

From IMDB:

A private banker goes into a coma. His sister becomes the director and finds out his coma might not be accidental as she finds obscure transactions her brother was involved in.

From MHz Choice you can stream the 6 episodes of season 1 of this French-speaking Swiss intrigue film with English subtitles.  Each episode lasts about 50 minutes.  IMDB seems to indicate that there is or will be a season 2 which, in my opinion, would be a shame.

REVISION for Season 2 which also consists of 6 episodes, each lasting about 50 minutes.

My above opinion about season 2 being a shame, is WRONG. Season two was just as good as season 1.  At least we know from the beginning of season 2 who the bad guys are. But now Elizabeth has the difficult task of removing the bad buys and cleaning up the bank ethics. However, the line between good and evil becomes increasingly blurred as the plot develops. Elizabeth has her troubles in spades. Expect cynical plot turns. And once again DO NOT MISS!

ORIGINAL review for season 1.

From the very beginning up to the very end there is a palpable atmosphere of intrigue, suspense, and danger (for the good guys at least).

Elizabeth Grangier is the black sheep of the Swiss Grangier banking family. In fact she is the black sheep because of her disdain for the crooked dealings of the Swiss bank.  More to the point, the whole series is an indictment of the shady Swiss banking system. We quickly learn that her beloved brother Paul, who lies in a coma for the entire season, was quite corrupt.  Besides Elizabeth, the only other honest adult seems to be her newspaper journalist former husband.   Impetus for most of the action comes from the United States hunt for American tax evaders.  Add murders to the mix.

Some details are left hanging.  Elizabeth cries a lot. We never meet the owner of the female phone voice that orders killings.  But the story grabbed me.  At last I have gotten used to and in fact admire the plotting technique in which the conclusion leaves many details hanging. Just use your imagination.

Despite some negative criticisms,  I rate this series a DO NOT MISS!

 

 

2008, Abduction, Acceptable for teenagers, Based on a Book, Bloody scenes, Bullying, Detective, Divorce, DO NOT MISS, Dysfunctional Lives, Extramarital Affair, Failing Marriage, Father-son relations, Forensics, MHz Choice, Mother-son relations, Murder, Murder Investigation, Norwegian, Norwegian Crime Story, Norwegian Detective, Police Story, Revenge, Suspense, Transvestite theme, Violent

Unni Lindell (2008)

Leave a comment

From MHz Choice:

In this series based on the popular crime novels by prolific Norwegian author Unni Lindell, middle-aged detective Cato Isaksen (Reidar Sørensen) performs superbly at work while his personal life, on a good day, resembles barely-managed chaos. Careening between significant others and keeping up with three young sons by two different mothers, Cato tries his best to do right by all the players.

From MHz Choice you can stream 4 stories about Cato Isaken, a Norwegian detective. Each story is composed of 2 episodes where each episode is 1.5 hours.

From “The Euro TV Place”  I found this review of the TV series which characterized the series as mediocre.  However, I found the series more than passable with lots of the kind of tension which compels me to keep bingeing toward a resolution.

Cato Isaksen, the lead detective, is a determined detective and as a result a somewhat negligent family man. His life is really messy, complicated by fathering a child by a post-divorce girl friend.  He leaves the girlfriend after the first story “The Snake Bearer” but continues leading a troubled family life. In subsequent episodes his son is seriously bullied while the detective is too busy to notice.

WARNING: Ugliness abounds in some of the episodes, as in “not for the squeamish.”

In my opinion you will not be wasting your time on this series. In fact I was so caught up that I will rate it, for those of you who enjoy this genre, a DO NOT MISS!

2017, Abduction, Abortion, Abuse of Women, Adultery, Amnesia, Cult Brainwashing, Detective, Dysfunctional Lives, Family Conflict, Forensics, Horses, Jealousy, Kidnapping, Marital Infidelity, MHz Choice, Missing Person, Mother-daughter relations, Murder Investigation, Personality or religious cult, Police Culture, Religious Theme, Serial Killer, Sex Scenes, Suicide, Swedish, Swedish crime series, Transvestite theme

Missing (2017)

Leave a comment

From IMDB:

Police superintendent Maja Silver goes back to her old hometown in the Swedish Bible belt to see her daughter, when a terrible discovery paralyzes the small community.

Helena Bergström stars as Maja Silver in this Swedish TV series streamed from MHz Choice.  Only season 1 is available and consists of 4 episodes, each about 45 minutes. Swedish with English subtitles.

Religious fanaticism is the center of this series. Someone is driving young women to commit suicide. Police inspector Maja, on a visit from Stockholm to see her estranged daughter, reluctantly agrees to head the case in the small town after the police chief dies suddenly of a heart attack.

All the usual police detective soap opera pieces are in place: a jealous colleague, a former lover, an estranged daughter, a resentful police force, a transvestite father, a sexual predator, and a few religious perverts and nutcases.  None of these elements detract from a compelling four-part series.  Until the last portion reveals the answer to the puzzle I suspected the wrong person.

Try your luck at guessing who is abducting the women.

2010, 2012, Acceptable Trash, Australian, Black humor, Born Again Christians, Comedy, Corruption, Crude Talk, Dysfunctional Lives, Explicit sex, Explicit sexual discussion, Farce, Father-son relations, Financial malfeasance, Flirting, Frenetic, Gambling, Lawyers, Lot's of Fun, Marital Infidelity, Murder Investigation, Murder Trial, Netflix Streaming, Outrageous Behavior, Police Corruption, Prostitutes, Revenge, Senior citizens, Sex Scenes, Somewhat ridiculous plot, Suspense, Teenagers, Transvestite theme, Violent, Vulgar, Witty dialog

Rake (2010)

Leave a comment

From NetFlix:

While Cleaver Greene is a brilliant and driven attorney, he’s also an ex-druggie, a current gambling addict and loathed by many of his colleagues.

Four years after I first reviewed this nutty series it is now 2020 and there are 5 seasons of this outrageous and sometimes really funny series.  Just remember: it is really vulgar.

Each season has 8 episodes lasting about an hour. Probably the best service I an provide is to copy a description of each season.

Season 1 –

Richard Roxburgh is Cleaver Greene, a brilliant barrister battling self-destructive tendencies in this hit Australian comedy-drama. As a lawyer, Cleaver prefers to defend those who are utterly hopeless and probably guilty; his clients include murderers, bigamists, and even cannibals. Despite his roguish ways, Cleaver’s wit and charm have won him many cases and loyal friends over the years.

Season 2 –

An alcoholic and former cocaine addict, Cleaver runs up huge gambling debts and makes enemies of gangsters and politicians alike. Despite his roguish ways, Cleaver’s wit and charm have won him many cases and loyal friends over the years.

Season 3 –

As the third season of this acclaimed Aussie drama opens, Cleaver Greene’s life is once again heading south. Clients are rejecting him and he struggles to find anything resembling a case. He takes on a mid-range drink driving charge that he tries to make into a cause célèbre.

Season 4 –

Smart but self-destructive lawyer Cleaver Greene (Richard Roxburgh, Moulin Rouge!, Van Helsing) faces new challenges in the fourth season of the hit Australian comedy-drama. Last seen dangling from a runaway hot air balloon, Cleaver inadvertently crosses paths with a wanted criminal.

Season 5 –

The final season of this “ever-sparkling comedic drama” (The Guardian) sees Cleaver Greene (Richard Roxburgh, Moulin Rouge!) in the Australian Senate, having won on a pledge to do nothing. But even his low expectations fall short of the absurd reality, as he faces a political nemesis.

—————— FIRST REVIEW IN 2016 —————————–

How can two seasons (8 episodes per season) of a Australian comedy series with negative social value be so entertaining? Answer number one: it helps if the viewer is somewhat immature with a really jaded sense of humor. Answer number two: despite the completely salacious series of situations, the plot lines are complicatedly clever. Answer number three: it is just plain fun to watch Cleaver Green go from screw-up to screw-up, sleeping with just about every woman he comes across.

Will all Cleaver’s misadventures eventually catch up with him by episode 16? Stay tuned if you like exaggerated British satire.

1997, Based on true facts, Drag Queen, Gay theme, Imperfect, Love Story, Magic Realism, Mediocre, Murder, Murder Trial, Somewhat trashy, Transvestite theme

Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil (1997)

Leave a comment

From NetFlix:

When magazine writer John Kelso (John Cusack) travels to Savannah, Ga., to cover a chichi party thrown by urbane antiques dealer Jim Williams (Kevin Spacey), he is pulled into his subject’s intriguing murder trial and introduced to a throng of colorful locals. Set against the beguiling backdrop of Southern high society, this retelling of John Berendt’s novel by director Clint Eastwood also stars Jude Law as Williams’s lover, Billy Hanson.

After I read the book in preparation for a trip to Savannah, which is the scene of the novel, I then watched this film, which turned out to be fairly faithful to the text. In the book Jim Williams has four trials, whereas in the film he has only one. Unfortunately this long film is merely mediocre. In fact, some of my watching companions went to sleep.

Jude Law, who was 25 years old at the time of shooting, has a rather limited part although his murder is central to the story.

Kevin Spacey is ever the cool, suave gentlemen.

“The Lady Chablis” is played by a real life drag queen named “The Lady Chablis”.

John Berendt’s novel is base on actual events.

Heard enough?

2013, Acceptable Science, Addiction, AIDS, Based on true facts, Crude Talk, Dark, DO NOT MISS, Drugs, Dysfunctional Lives, Explicit sex, Gambling, Gay theme, Grim, Homophobia, Human spirit, Nudity, Sex Scenes, Transvestite theme, Unusual, Violent

Dallas Buyers Club (2013)

2 Comments

From Netflix:

Loosely based on true events, this drama follows Ron Woodroof, who refuses to accept he’ll die in 30 days when he’s diagnosed with AIDS in 1986. He extends his life and eventually helps many other AIDS patients by smuggling medications from abroad.

Repulsive! At least that was my first impression of Ron Woodroof who throughout the film is always “in your face”. His unbridled lifestyle of drugs, alcohol, and prostitutes leads to full-blown AIDS. He then spent the rest of his life (which was much longer than the doctors foresaw) smuggling medications from wherever he could. Along the way he eventually accepts as a friend a cross-dressing male prostitute despite the fact that Woodroof is portrayed as virulently homophobic. Also he eventually finds a helper and friend in a woman doctor from the local Dallas hospital.

My criterion for a good actor is one that is a true cameleon, that is to say, can adapt to many different parts. In my opinion, Matthew McConaughey has achieved cameleon-hood. Let’s hope he did not injure his health losing so much weight in order to look like a scrawny AIDS patient.

Be sure to consult the Wikipedia article which at the end contrasts the film plot with the true story.

If you don’t mind a view of America’s low life culture, in view of McConaughey’s performance, I call this a DO NOT MISS!

1980, Based on a Book, Based on true facts, Crude Talk, Dark, Detective, Gay theme, Grim, Mostly About Sex, Murder Investigation, Nudity, Plot Twist, Psychological Drama, Serial Killer, Sex Scenes, Suspense, Transvestite theme, Violent, Vulgar

Cruising (1980)

Leave a comment

From NetFlix:

After a serial killer brutally murders several gay men in New York’s S&M and leather districts, cop Steve Burns (Al Pacino) goes undercover on the streets, where he must learn the complex rules of the underground gay subculture if he’s to catch the psycho. Karen Allen co-stars as Burns’s girlfriend in this gritty 1980 thriller, which sparked protests from gay rights groups at the time of its release but has since developed a minor cult status.

“Lurid” is the first adjective that comes to mind. The Stonewall riots occurred in 1959. By 1980 the gay movement was strong enough to protest this film which depicts an aberrant side of gay culture. Indeed the strong gay protests are described in the Wikipedia article about the film.

Expect “grungy” scenes in this cult classic with a wonderfully ambiguous ending.

2009, Drama, Psychological Thriller, Quiet, Trains, Transvestite theme, Unusual

Peacock (2009)

Leave a comment

From NetFlix:

Bank clerk John Skillpa (Cillian Murphy) hides a disturbing past from everyone in small-town Peacock, Neb. When a train jumps the tracks and crashes into John’s backyard, his neighbors discover a confused woman named Emma milling about. They rush to aid the woman they assume is John’s wife, but their efforts prompt John to descend into psychosis. Only Maggie (Ellen Page), a young mother, seems to know the truth behind his bizarre behavior.

Do not believe the last sentence of the NetFlix summary. This film is so bizarre that no one in the town of Peacock could begin to guess what was happening. From the very first shock to the end of the film I could not begin to guess what would come next. Probably it was this kind of originality that made me value the film. In retrospect the way the film ends is very fitting but not what I would have predicted.

Be sure to pay strict attention to the very first seconds of the film because it helps to explain John Skillpa’s behavior.

Susan Sarandon, Josh Lucas, Bill Pullman and Keith Carredine are all familiar to us.

But hats off to Cillian Murphy who does an amazing job of acting two parts. His portrayal of John Skillpa is masterful. Because I have never heard of Cillian Murphy I looked him up in IMDB. His first name is pronounced “Killian”. He was born in Cork, Ireland. He played Robert Fischer in “Inception”. He was The Scarecrow in the 1992 “Batman”.

Once again, this well-done film might not be to everyone’s taste.

2006, Bullying, Corny, Fashion, Feel Good Not For Children, Love Story, Musical, Transvestite theme

Kinky Boots (2006)

Leave a comment

From NetFlix:

After inheriting a shoe factory, Charlie Price (Joel Edgerton) aims to take the fashion world by storm with help from a flashy cabaret dancer named Lola (Chiwetel Ejiofor), who helps him design a racy line of men’s boots, in this whimsical comedy from British director Julian Jarrold. But on the eve of the Milan Shoe Fair — just as Charlie’s about to introduce the world to his signature shoes — everything falls apart.

Sometimes maudlin, sometimes almost preachy, “Kinky Boots” has enough originality to provide a decent evening’s entertainment. Think of this British film as part of the tradition of films such as the American version of “La Cage aux Folles”: singing and dancing and a sermon here and there about acceptance, tolerance, motherhood and apple pie. Tell the children what a transvestite is and even the children can watch.

Give it a B and just enjoy the fun!