Category Archives: Vulgar

Black Swan Green (2006)

We already reviewed David Mitchell’s first novel Ghostwritten (1999) in which we list his novels in order of date written.

After reading “Black Swan Green” I should probably re-read “Catcher in the Rye”. In Mitchell’s version, Jason Taylor is a 13 year old student living in Worcestershire, England. For a well-written review see the Wikipedia review. If there is a theme that stands out, it is Jason’s struggle to fit in with the crowd, made very difficult by the fact that he stutters and that he is bullied mercilessly. It doesn’t help that his parents don’t get along.

Chloe (2009)

From NetFlix:

Suspecting her husband, David (Liam Neeson), of infidelity, doctor Catherine (Julianne Moore) hires sexy escort Chloe (Amanda Seyfried) to seduce him and test his faithfulness. But as Catherine checks in on Chloe’s encounters with David, Chloe’s reports become increasingly lurid. Soon, the relationships between all three intensify in unexpected ways. Renowned filmmaker Atom Egoyan directs this psychological drama

Not until the middle of this erotic thriller did I begin to suspect the truth. In fact for much of the beginning I almost dismissed the film as a mediocre excuse for “talking dirty”. But I stayed the course thinking that Julianne Moore just does not do cheap films. Up to the very last seconds this film remains sexually ambivalent.

Amada Seyfried is deviously beautiful as the “other woman”. Every now and then I could almost mistake her for Scarlett Johanssen (which can also be spelled “Johansson”). In this film she is certainly not the wonderful girlfriend in Dear John (2010)

Worthy film or not ? I am not sure. Opinions welcome.

44 Inch Chest (2009)

From NetFlix:

After his wife, Liz (Joanne Whalley), cheats on him, gangster Colin Diamond (Ray Winstone) gets his revenge by enlisting his underworld pals to kidnap her hunky French lover (Melvil Poupaud) in the feature debut of director Malcolm Venville. Top British actors, including Ian McShane, John Hurt and Tom Wilkinson, round out the cast of the crime thriller, penned by the screenwriters of another memorable Winstone vehicle, Sexy Beast.

You will not see much actual violence in this film. You do see Colin punch his wife. You do see a bloodied French lover after a beating. But that is NOT the point of the film.

Colin and his pals are rough crooks. They spend most of their time using the same foul words over and over until it gets quite tiresome. Colin has that British accent in which “worth” sounds like “wurf”.

Talk, talk, talk. Possibly this was initially a play because it sounds that way. For the most part the film is a monologue delivered by Colin.

Basically the theme of the film is true love and its loss. More than that I will not say for fear of spoiling.

NOT for everyone. You might prefer a root canal.

Southland (2009)

From NetFlix:

This hard-hitting drama follows the trials and triumphs of a group of dedicated Los Angeles cops, including tough veteran John Cooper (Michael Cudlitz), who begins this show’s first season training rookie patrolman Ben Sherman (Benjamin McKenzie). Other characters sworn to serve and protect include Detectives Russell Clarke (Tom Everett Scott) and Lydia Adams (Regina King), single-mom patrol officer Chickie Brown (Arija Bareikis) and more

If you liked “NYPD BLue” or “Law and Order”, you will love “Southland”. Full of tense crime scenes and personal stories, the series is DYNAMITE! Enough said.

Sea of Love (1989)

From NetFlix:

Lonely, burnt-out NYPD detective Frank Keller (Al Pacino, in a Golden Globe-nominated performance) is on the hunt for a serial killer who uses personal ads to attract potential victims in director Harold Becker’s taut, suspenseful thriller. Unfortunately, Frank falls hard for Helen (Ellen Barkin), the alluring top suspect in the case. Now, their white-hot attraction could save him — or kill him.

In every Al Pacino film I have seen, his personality is more or less the same: wisecracking tough guy. Although this film is no exception to that comment, the younger Al Pacino here is slightly softer, slightly more vulnerable. His paring with John Goodman works well. Catching the serial killer, while the central theme, is really secondary to Al Pacino’s dealing with his sad personal life. “Sea of Love” is as representative of any Pacino fiilm that I have seen, although he was excellent in Angels In America (2003).

In the Cut (2003)

From NetFlix:

Frannie (Meg Ryan) is a New York writing professor entwined in an erotic affair with a police detective (Mark Ruffalo) who’s investigating the murder of a young woman in Frannie’s neighborhood. But soon Frannie begins to suspect her lover’s involvement in the crime. Kevin Bacon and Jennifer Jason Leigh also star in this highly charged film directed by Jane Campion (The Piano) and based on Susanna Moore’s best-selling novel.

Sex – that’s mostly what this film is about. That and a lot of gory murders by a serial killer. You need a strong stomach for this film. Visually there is explicit sex. Verbally there is a lot of very frank sex talk and cursing.

So why would anyone in their right mind watch this gore-sex fest ? Well – Meg Ryan, Mark Ruffalo, Kevin Bacon and Jennifer Jason Leigh (as Pauline, Frannie’s sister) do a fair job of putting together a tense “who done it”. The core of the problem is that Meg Ryan is surrounded by a lot of characters, any one of whom could be the serial killer. This list of suspects includes Mark Ruffalo with whom she is having an affair. As much as you might guess the ending it is still scary.

But you have been warned that this film might offend you.

The Damned United (2008)

From NetFlix:

Arrogant Brian Clough (Michael Sheen) helms England’s soccer champs Leeds United in 1974 alongside confidant and assistant manager Peter Taylor (Timothy Spall), but he manages to bungle the deal in a mere 44 days, winding up fired. Written for the screen by Peter Morgan (The Queen, Frost/Nixon) and based on David Peace’s critically acclaimed novel, this fictionalized account of the notorious sports legend co-stars Jim Broadbent.

You don’t have to be a soccer fan to enjoy this well-made and well-acted film. Possibly the Wikipedia article might help. In fact that article claims that much of the film is fictional. Hopefully the barebones historical facts are accurate.

During the film we do see Leeds cheating during the soccer matches. One of Brian Clough’s contentions was that in fact in the past Leeds did a lot of that sort of thing. There is a lot of soccer slang that went right past me, but it did not really matter.

During the film you don’t see that much soccer playing. Rather the emphasis is on Clough’s arrogance and his relation with other managers and players. In a certain sense the film ends on a happy note.

At the end of the film you get to see actual film clips of the real Brian Clough and Peter Taylor. Indeed I saw a similarity in looks between the actor and the real Clough.

Perhaps the cursing is not appropriate for children.

Dona Flor and Her Two Husbands (1976)

From NetFlix:

Proving that bad boys are hard to shake, this fanciful Brazilian comedy follows the adventures of Dona Flor (Sonia Braga), a conventional girl who weds a handsome ne’er-do-well (José Wilker) whose only saving grace is his talent in bed. When he dies suddenly, Flor remarries — but to his polar opposite: an exceedingly dull pharmacist (Mauro Mendonça). Soon, she finds herself longing for hubby No. 1 … and next thing you know, his ghost appears.

“Dona Flor” is the most successful Brazilian film ever made. For more history see wikipedia. Because I am studying Brazilian Portuguese I watched this historical film. Today’s audience would probably find the film dull even though it is completely about sex. In fact the nudity and the sex scenes are fairly chaste. Unless you are a determined afficionado of Brazilian film history, skip this one. I was just grateful to understand some small amount of the Brazilian.

30 Rock (2006)

From NetFlix:

Tina Fey stars as Liz Lemon, the lead writer on a television variety series à la “Saturday Night Live,” in this Emmy-winning workplace sitcom co-starring Jane Krakowski, Tracy Morgan and the scene-stealing Alec Baldwin. When brash network executive Jack Donaghy (Baldwin) arrives on the scene to pep up the show, he unnerves the cast and crew with his meddlesome ways — among them, hiring a whacked-out movie star (Morgan).

I warn you: this TV series is at best acceptable trash. My son Mike suggested this series. His tastes are juvenile, sophomoric, and crass. Unfortunately, genes being what they are, he and I seem to share those tastes. I learned this during the recent Christmas vacation when I sadly realized that my tastes and those of my daughter Kate seemed to have diverged. Could it be that Kate is maturing ? What have Kathy and I done wrong ?

Every now and then there is a good laugh that was worth waiting for. Surprisingly, after her success imitating Sarah Palin, Tina Fey in this series is the straight man who leaves the laughs to others. Alex Baldwin does indeed steal the show, he just knows how to deliver a line. Jane Krakowski (she was Elaine in “Ally McBeal”) always gets it right.

You were warned, so don’t complain.

I Love You, Man (2009)

From NetFlix:

In this bromance, the cinematic equivalent of a rom-com buddy flick, Paul Rudd plays a recently engaged guy who’s got the bride-to-be of his dreams but lacks an all-important significant other when it comes to their pending nuptials: a best man. On a determined hunt for a stranger who will stand up for him, he eventually meets a candidate (Jason Segel) with wedding-party potential. Jaime Pressly, Rashida Jones and Jon Favreau co-star.

According to Wikipedia a bromance or “man-crush” is a close but non-sexual relationship between two men, a form of homosocial intimacy.

Give this film a strong C. I got some good laughs mostly at the embarrassed expense of the characters. Perhaps I am out of touch or just plain old, but I was truly shocked at some of the discussions (e.g. a bachelor’s intimate masturbation den, yikes!).

Despite its rampant vulgarity the film actually makes some valid points: How many close friends do you really have ? How hard is it for a single man to make new friends ? What topics should appropriately be shared between friends or between a couple ?