Category Archives: Wonderful acting

2019, Abuse of Women, Acceptable for teenagers, Acorn TV, British, Brother-Brother relations, Brother-Sister relations, Bullying, Dancing, Divorce, DO NOT MISS, Drama, Extramarital Affair, Failing Marriage, Family Conflict, Father-daughter relations, Father-son relations, Jealousy, Love Story, Marital Infidelity, Mother-daughter relations, Mother-son relations, Narcissist, Personal Betrayal, Sex Scenes, Spousal Abuse, Wife Beating, Wonderful acting

Gold Digger (2019)

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From Acorn TV:

On her 60th birthday, Julia (Emmy® winner Julia Ormond, Mad Men, Legends of the Fall) hits it off with handsome young Benjamin (Ben Barnes, The Chronicles of Narnia films, Westworld). But their whirlwind romance is marred by the disapproval of Julia’s adult children. Does Benjamin truly love her, or is he the gold digger her family believes him to be? “Bold and hugely entertaining” –The Guardian.

From Acorn TV you can stream the 6 episodes of this British thriller. Each episode lasts about an hour. There is a 7th episode that interviews the actors.

All the acting is splendid as is this riveting series.

  • Julia Ormond  is perfectly cast as the wealthy, beautiful, lonely Julia Day whose 60 years stand in stark contrast to the young Benjamin Greene.  Her acting resumé is most impressive. During filming Ms. Ormond was actually 54 years old.
  •  In the story no mention is made of the character Benjamin Green’s numerical age. Ben Barnes the actor was 38 years old during the filming.  His own acting resumé is noteworthy.
  •  One good villain is sometimes all it takes to make a story captivating.  In this respect Alex Jennings as Julia’s former husband Ted fits the bill to perfection. His portrayal of an aging narcissist is all too human.  From his resumé you will note that Alex Jennings has appeared in just about everything (slight exaggeration, but wow!)
  •  You might recognize Nikki Amuka-Bird as DCI Erin Gray from the series “Luther.”  In her role as Julia’s  friend Marsha I could only feel sorry for her despite her having betrayed Julia.

Is Benjamin a gold digger or is he genuinely in love with Julia?

DO NOT MISS!

2015, Amazon Prime, Amusing banter, Basically Sad, Bisexual theme, Bloody scenes, British Comedy, Cross Dressing, Drama, Eccentric cast of characters, Explicit sex, Explicit sexual discussion, Flirting, Friendship, Gay theme, Grungy, Lesbian Theme, Love Story, Masturbation, Mostly About Sex, Murder, Not Feel Good, Nudity, Occasionaly violent, Outrageous Behavior, Panic Attacks, Promiscuity, Sex Scenes, Sexual promiscuity, Soap Opera, Somewhat ridiculous plot, Somewhat trashy, Suicide, Unusual, Vulgar, Wonderful acting

Cucumber (2015)

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From IMDB:

After causing a man to commit suicide over a misunderstanding and his long term boyfriend proposes, sexually repressed Henry has a breakdown and leaves home to move in with work colleague Dean and love interest Freddie both half his own age; meanwhile his ex, Lance finds a new love with Daniel. Modern life for gay men in the city of Manchester by the mind behind Queer As Folk, writer Russell T. Davies.

From Amazon Prime you can stream 8 episodes of this gay soap opera. Each episode lasts about 45 minutes.

If there is a predominant theme in this story, it is the sadly common often lonely life of older gay men.  After their youthful attractiveness vanishes, most of the characters in the film spend their time desperately searching for a sexual encounter with some “hot” young stud.

So why watch this soap opera?  For one thing, the acting is superb. Vincent Franklin as Henry Best presents futile searching, regret and guilt perfectly.  You may not sympathize with his faulty choices in life, but you can watch a tragically sincere performance. For another thing,  you will witness what is supposedly the typical Manchester gay life and, at least for me, ask the question “Is that even close to the truth and, if so, YIKES!”  Be prepared for no holds barred explicit and vulgar shenanigans.  Also be prepared for some nasty violence.

Certainly not to everyone’s tastes but still a fascinating sad freak show.

2020, Acceptable for teenagers, Based on true facts, Bisexual theme, Classical musicians, Cult Brainwashing, Divorce, DO NOT MISS, Drama, Explicit sexual discussion, Failing Marriage, Family Conflict, Gambling, Gay theme, Good Acting, Hasidic Jews, Jewish Culture, Lesbian Theme, Mother-daughter relations, Mother-son relations, Netflix Streaming, Religious Theme, Sex Scenes, Wife leaves husband, Wonderful acting, Yiddish

Unorthodox (2020)

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From IMDB:

Story of a young ultra-Orthodox Jewish woman who flees her arranged marriage and religious community to start a new life abroad.

From Netflix you can stream the 4 hour long episodes of this masterpiece.

At this point in April 2020  critics are raving about the film. For example you can find a discussion in the New York Times.  Unfortunately you must subscribe to the NYT to read full articles. From that review we read:

“Unorthodox” is loosely based on the best-selling 2012 memoir by Deborah Feldman, who left the Satmar sect of Hasidic Jews in Williamsburg and ultimately settled in Berlin.

In the film the young woman Esther Shapiro, who is called Esty, is played by the slight pixie of an actress Shira Haas.  Shira Hass is an incredible performer who presents her role to perfection. 

There are also short documentaries on the making of this film and how it strived for correct Hasidic details by hiring Hasidic men to help with the filming. Only the mink fur men’s hats are fake.

Constant switching between the past and the present, between New York and Berlin, might be a tad confusing.  Just keep in mind that the Berling portion of the film is fictional while loosely based on the memoir.

For me the most stunningly breathtaking moment in the film occurs when Esty auditions at a music school. We are talking real gooseflesh.

DO NOT MISS!

2018, Amazon Prime, Basically Sad, Bullying, Child abuse, Child Molestation, Conspiracy, Corruption, Crime, Drama, Dysfunctional Lives, Father-daughter relations, Mother-son relations, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, Pedophilia, Physical child abuse, Police Corruption, Police cover-up, Psychological Drama, Sensitive treatement of emotions, Suspense, Violent, Wonderful acting

A Dark Place (2018)

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From IMDB:

When a young boy goes missing in a sleepy backwoods town, a local sanitation truck driver, Donald, plays detective, embarking on a precarious and obsessive investigation.

From Amazon Prime you can stream this 1 hour 29 minute feature film.

Hats off to the incredibly talented and adaptable Irish actor Andrew Scott.  You can watch him in Fleabag and Handsome Devil. In “Fleabag” (Amazon Prime) he plays a Catholic priest. In “Handsome Devil” he plays a somewhat closeted gay private school teacher. In “A Dark Place” he plays to perfection a personality-disabled obsessive compulsive garbage man.

If I had to make an amateur guess, I would says the character suffers from Asperger’s Syndrome. His withdrawn and hesitant demeanor reflects the small town’s low opinion and dismissal of him.  But he is NOT stupid. In fact his determined obsessiveness coupled with his native intelligence drive him to expose an atrocious  crime which was covered over by corrupt forces in the town.  What I marvel most about this film is Scott’s ability to channel a lonely disliked oddball to such an extent that I ended up commiserating with and rooting for the character.  Facial expressions and physical movement are part of Scott’s acting toolbox.

Speaking of facial expressions, don’t miss the last grimace of the sheriff.

Corrupt bullies versus a disadvantaged good guy is a scenario that always holds my attention.

DO NOT MISS!

 

2007, Acceptable for teenagers, Alcoholism, Amazon Prime, Basically Sad, British, Controlling personality, Drama, Revenge, Wonderful acting

Capturing Mary (2007)

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From IMDB:

A young man ushers an older woman into a dark exploration of her past – back to the time when, as a young girl, she met a stranger who affected her life forever.

From Amazon Prime you can stream this 1 hour 45 minute complete film.

“Joe’s Palace” was reviewed immediately before “Capturing Mary” which is somewhat of a sequel to “Joe’s Palace”. That is to say, the story takes place in the same well-kept but empty London town house with the same door keeper  Joe again played by Danny Lee Wynter. But this time who should come to the door but an elderly Maggie Smith playing Mary Gilbert.  In this film from 2007 Maggie Smith was 75 years old. She makes no attempt at remedial makeup because she portrays a sad, regretful, possibly alcoholic woman whose life was ruined by a controlling and vindictive man Greville White played by David Walliams. If you go to IMDB and look at Mr. Walliams’ resumé you will discover that the list is impressive.

Once again Ruth Wilson shines in her part as young Mary Gilbert. Be sure to read about her performance in “Dark River“.  In the title, it seems to me that the word “capturing” should have been “rescuing” because the emphasis in the plot is  the help that the young compassionate doorman Joe gives to Mary.

Although the plot in “Joe’s Palace” was more captivating, the appeal of “Capturing Mary” is attention to detail and fine acting.  In some ways much of the film involves talking heads. Indeed this film is in no way an action film. Neither was “Joe’s Palace” an action film but there were scenes you might never forget.

So I won’t call this film a “DO NOT MISS”. However I will be sorry if you miss this fine film.

2015, Amazon Prime, Basically Sad, Complicated, Dark, Divorce, Emotional child abuse, Failing Marriage, Mental Illness, Mother-son relations, Narcissistic Personality, Psychiatrists, Psychological Drama, Tragedy, Unloved Child, Wonderful acting

Elephant Song (2015)

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From Amazon Prime:

When a psychiatrist goes mysteriously missing from a hospital that has recently been plagued by scandal, Dr. Toby Green (Bruce Greenwood) is called in to investigate before the news goes public.

From Amazon Prime you can stream this 1 hour 39 minute film.

Bruce Greenwood  (who played Batman in Batman: Gotham by Gaslight) plays the psychiatrist who is unwittingly drawn deep into the disturbed life of the young man Michael Aleen.  Catherine Keener plays the nurse Susan Peterson.

Think of this film as a complicated mystery story. What is really going on? Michael plays so many mind games with Dr. Greene that we often take wrong turns in the puzzle.

Superb acting, clever plot, and surprise turns make this one very worthwhile adventure.  Even now I hope I understood the story.

DO NOT MISS!

2017, Abduction, Abuse of Women, Blackmail, Bloody scenes, Boating, Brother-Brother relations, Brother-Sister relations, Child custody, Corruption, Could Be Hard To Watch, Crime, Cynical, Dark, Drug Dealers, Ethical struggles, Extramarital Affair, Family Conflict, Father-daughter relations, Father-son relations, FBI, Financial malfeasance, Gambling, Gay theme, Grim, Large-scale gang activity, Lawyers, Mafia, Money Laundering, Mother-daughter relations, Mother-son relations, Murder, Murder by poison, Netflix Streaming, Orphans in Foster Care, Police Corruption, Prison, Revenge, Suspense, Teenagers, Torture, Uncle-Nephew relations, Uncle-Niece relations, Violent, Vulgar, Wonderful acting

Ozark (2017)

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From IMDB:

A financial adviser drags his family from Chicago to the Missouri Ozarks, where he must launder $500 million in five years to appease a drug boss.

From Netflix you can stream two seasons. Each season consists of 10 one-hour episodes. You need to watch both seasons to come to a conclusion of sorts. Conceivably  there could be another season.

Before saying anything more let me warn you that this series is very VIOLENT!

In several places I have read that Donald Trump debases everything and everybody he touches. For a step-by-step detailed textbook showing how evil spreads to engulf even the originally most innocent souls, this series will more than suffice. The process of moral debasement portrays at the same time the “Wages of Sin.” Many involved characters receive harsh retribution, most especially the loss of life, love and respect.

Those of you with strong stomachs may well find these episodes captivating for their attention to detail in the plot, excellent dialog, and superb acting. No wonder the series received 9 Emmy award nominations!  Personally I was as hooked as I was horrified.  Seems I have become very jaded.

Hats off to some remarkable performances:

  •  “Arrested Development” was my first encounter with Jason Bateman who plays Marty Byrde. In both cases Bateman exudes a somewhat-repressed, matter-of-fact, nerdish comportment. Nothing seems to rattle him.  At each shock, after a thoughtful and facially inexpressive pause, during which you can almost hear his brain cells clicking, he manages to smooth talk his way through the crisis. You must wait for almost 20 episodes before you can see his despair.
  •  Laura Linney, who plays Marty’s wife Wendy Byrde constantly flashes the always beautiful smile that launches a thousand crimes.  After a while I finally realized that for the most part Wendy is one of the most evil characters.  Here I am reminded of Hannah Arendt’s phrase “the Banality of Evil”.  One rationalization leads to another.
  •  Julia Garner, who plays Ruth Langmore, turns in a bravo performance as a “white trash” daughter of a convicted criminal. Ruth’s character, while never innocent,  grows to recognize the lowness of her given state in life and does mature to rise above and take responsibility.  Her improvement owes much to the fact that she was born with a very intelligent mind.

Assuming you can get through the first stomach-churners, you may well become as addicted as was I.

2017, Adultery, Crude Talk, DO NOT MISS, Drama, Emotional abuse, Extramarital Affair, Family Conflict, Father-son relations, Marital Infidelity, Mother-son relations, Nobel Prize, Wonderful acting

The Wife (2017)

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From IMDB:

A wife questions her life choices as she travels to Stockholm with her husband, where he is slated to receive the Nobel Prize for Literature.

Glenn Close’s role as “the wife” has been mentioned in relation to an academy award. Her performance actually gave me gooseflesh. Watching the facial expressions in her beautiful face for an hour and forty minutes was sheer pleasure.

Jonathan Pryce had the dubious success of offering an excellent performance as “the husband”. You have to see the film to understand what I mean. But I will not spoil the plot for you. Jonathan Pryce was familiar to me as, of all things, High Sparrow from “Game of Thrones”.

My heart went out to Max Irons as the suffering “son”.

DO NOT MISS!

2016, Acceptable for children, Adopted child, Australian, Based on true facts, Biographical, Brother-Brother relations, Could Be Sad, Culture of India, DO NOT MISS, Drama, Drugs, Feel Good For All, Love Story, Mental Illness, Missing Person, Mother-son relations, Netflix DVD, True Story, Wonderful acting

Lion (2016)

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From IMDB:

A five-year-old Indian boy gets lost on the streets of Calcutta, thousands of kilometers from home. He survives many challenges before being adopted by a couple in Australia. 25 years later, he sets out to find his lost family.

Netflix sent me a DVD containing this film.

Goose flesh films are rare for me, but this true story really worked for me.  Imagine having your 5-year-old child getting lost and then disappearing.  Imagine being that poor child Saroo who grows up in his adopting and loving Australian family while always wondering where his real mother and brother Guddu are.  This nagging compulsion finally drives Saroo away from his Australian family as well as from his wife Lucy while he plods on day and night using Google World to find his birthplace. Of course we know the story has a happy ending, but getting there is a tense trip.

Expect the film to be somewhat slow moving. Much film time is spent inside Saroo’s head as he more and more remembers bits and pieces of his past childhood. Present stimuli bring back past memories.

Some important characters are:

  • Nicole Kidman is superb as Sue Brierly, Saroo’s adoptive mother. Nicole Kidman just keeps maturing into a better and better actor.
  • Dev Patel makes the perfect Saroo. Does it seem possible that just 8 years ago, Dev Patel played the older Jamal in “Slumdog Millionaire”?
  • Rooney Mara is an appealing and sympathetic Lucy. How different she is here as compared to her role as Lisbeth Salander in the 2011 production of “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo”.

Patience is a virtue in watching this film. Be sure to stay tuned at the end to read subsequent history and to see photos of the real Saroo and all the other people in his life.

DO NOT MISS!

2016, Addiction, African American centered, Amazon Prime, Basically Sad, Bullying, Could Be Hard To Watch, Drug Dealers, Drugs, Emotional child abuse, Gay Bashing, Gay theme, Grim, Human spirit, Love Story, Middle school students, Mother-son relations, Personal Betrayal, Sex Scenes, Teenagers, Thought provoking, Uncategorized, Violent, Vulgar, Wonderful acting

Moonlight (2016)

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From IMDB:

A chronicle of the childhood, adolescence and burgeoning adulthood of a young, African-American, gay man growing up in a rough neighborhood of Miami.

From Amazon Prime:

A moving, transcendent, award-winning look at 3 defining chapters in the life of Chiron, a young man growing up in Miami. His epic journey to adulthood, as a shy outsider dealing with difficult circumstances, is guided by support, empathy and love from the most unexpected places.

From Amazon Prime you can stream “Moonlight”.

Gooseflesh must mean that I have just seen a perfectly made, beautifully acted, true to life, and really moving film. Here is a film all of whose actors are African American speaking their own patois. But much more important are the things left unsaid. Dialog is terse to non-existent, but each word carries a lot of weight, sometimes a world of pain. Hats off to the writer and director Barry Jenkins for getting his actors to exercise such verbal restraint.

Because each of the three parts of Chiron’s life (childhood, adolescence, adulthood) had its own set of players, there are just too many actors to mention. Nor is it fair to omit a name because each part was chiseled to perfection.  Therefore, to mention just a few:

  • Mahershala Ali (who played Juan) is instantly recognized as the character Remy Danton from “House of Cards”.
  •  Naomie Harris  played Chiron’s crack addicted mother. She presented both ugly, hurtful scenes and also a touching reunion with Chiron.
  • André Holland (who played the adult Kevin) played Dr. Algernon Edwards in the TV series “The Knick”.
  • Trevante Rhodes (who played the adult Chiron)  played Ramsey Walters in the TV series “If Loving You Is Wrong”.

Let us be grateful for our own situation in life as we watch this sad, sad portrait of Americans who have such limited opportunities.

DO NOT MISS!