Category Archives: 2005

2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, Acceptable for children, Acceptable Science, Asperger's Syndrome, British, Could Be Sad, DO NOT MISS, Dog Story, Drama, Dysfunctional Lives, Feel Good For All, Love Story, Made For TV, School Teacher, Small British village, Small Town

Doc Martin (2004)

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From NetFlix:

Crippled by a sudden and inconvenient fear of blood, flashy surgeon Dr. Martin Ellingham abandons his bustling London practice and sets up shop as a country doctor in this medically minded British sitcom.

Are you looking for a warm, friendly, non-violent, comic, personal British sitcom? Look no further. Beginning in 2004 and extending over 5 years of wonderful episodes, you can relax and enjoy “Doc Martin”.

Doc Martin (played by Martin Clunes) is a very unusual character. For starters he is a family doctor who is sickened by the sight of blood (he looks away when he draws a blood sample). Most importantly he is completely hopeless in any social situation. My guess is that he is supposed to suffer from Asperger’s syndrome. Nowadays we would say that he “doesn’t have a clue”.

He has set up practice in a charming, small, British village on the sea. He is a brilliant diagnostician and much of each episode has him helping people in his impossibly brusque manner. In fact, part of the comedy in the series is his reaction (or non-reaction) to everyone, including his patients.

Do not misunderstand: the stories are not pablum. Some of the situations are harrowing. For example, we see his icy mother just once when she visits and explains that she never loved him because he “got in the way”. Along the way we see villagers afflicted with OCD, vertigo, psychosis, etc. Nonetheless the “cringe” factor is very low compared to today’s British TV plots.

All 5 seasons are available on DVD. NetFlix offers DVD or streaming for all the episodes.

In the area of family sitcoms I would rate this series a DO NOT MISS!

2005, Conspiracy, Frenetic, Mediocre, Suspense, Violent

Red Eye (2005)

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From NetFlix:

On a red-eye flight bound for Miami, Lisa learns that a fellow passenger has plans to murder the deputy secretary of Homeland Security — and that he wants to use her as part of the plot.

Cillian Murphy (his first name is pronounced “Killian” with a hard “K”) has those cold steel grey eyes that make him a perfect candidate to play a sociopath on a mission. Rachel McAdams is our Super Woman: beautiful, intelligent, friendly, determined, and a real fighter. Watching nasty Cillian ensnare our Rachel, especially as she understands bit by bit what is happening, is well-done. In fact, for me the best part of the film was that first part in the airplane in which the two play a game of one-upmanship. After she flees the airplane the rest of the plot is something that you have already seen in other films. Still, as in most suspense films, you have to see how it all turns out.

Give it a B. Not a total waste of time.

2005, AIDS, Clever Plot, DO NOT MISS, Drama, Gay theme, Mostly About Sex, Psychological Drama, Revenge, Sex Scenes, Wonderful acting

The Dying Gaul (2005)

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From NetFlix:

When Jeffrey (Campbell Scott), a slick Hollywood studio exec, offers gay screenwriter Robert (Peter Sarsgaard) $1 million to transform a screenplay’s homosexual protagonists into heterosexuals, Robert takes the bait — and ends up sleeping in Jeffrey’s bed. But complications ensue when Jeffrey’s wife, Elaine (Patricia Clarkson), begins unraveling her husband’s secrets, with nail-biting consequences. Craig Lucas directs in his feature-film debut.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Loss of a loved one, infidelity, jealousy, betrayal, and revenge make this tragic gay-themed film an intense experience.

Of the three protagonists, only the wife Elaine, despite her faults, shows a compassionate soul searching for the right thing to do. However, this tragedy would have made Shakespeare proud as each of the three characters move slowly but surely to their deserved sad ends.

Such a well-made and involving gay-themed film deserves a DO NOT MISS!

 

 

1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, British Mystery Series, Crime, Detective, Mystery Film

Midsomer Murders (1997-2012)

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Beginning in 1997 British TV has offered 91 (by my count) episodes of a detective series called “Midsomer Murders”. As in much British TV of this nature you are immersed in a green, fertile, picturesque, made-for-gullible-Americans locale where everything seems so quaint, friendly, folksy, and what we hope is typically British. But that is precisely why Kathy and I enjoy the series. Yes, you do see blood and you could not very well have a murder mystery without a murder or three. But even the occasional torture scene is downright polite. All of this contrasts completely with another current British TV suspense culture which often goes out of its way to be gory, explicit, pessimistic, and gloomy in the extreme. Examples of the latter are “Waking the Dead” or “MI-5”. Whereas Kathy does NOT leave the room for “Midsomer Murders”, there are scenes from the rough series that send her flying in terror. Somehow the sex and violence does not seem to phase yours truly.

Another attractive feature of the series is the slower pace. Plots can be complicated but often there is discussion between characters that tries to explain what is happening.

Additionally an episode is willing to include some “sideshow attraction” such as fifteen minutes of a cricket match or a town’s tradition of a donkey race. That may sound stupid, but actually these extras only add to the charm of the series.

And again I applaud the intelligent tradition in British drama to use actors who are not handsome or beautiful but just plain interesting.

If you want a complete catalog of the series, go IMDB. In addition to learn all about the fictional county called Midsomer as well as the large cast of characters you can try Wikipedia.

Beginning in 2006 the DVDs offer subtitles which Kathy and I need. Therefore I have listed below only those episodes which offer subtitles.

Season 9

Four Funerals and a Wedding
Country Matters
Death in Chorus
Last Year’s Model

Season 10

Dance with the Dead
The Animal Withing
King’s Crystal
The Axeman Cometh
Death and Dust
Picture of Innocence
They Seek Him Here
Death in a Chocolate Box

Season 11

Shot at Dawn
Blood Wedding
Left for Dead
Midsomer Life
The Magician’s Nephew
Days of Misrule
Talking to the Dead

Season 12

The Dogleg Murders
The Black Book
Secrets and Spies
The Glitch
Small Mercies
The Creeper
The Great and the Good

Season 13

Sword of Guillaume
Made-to-Measure Murders
Blood on the Saddle
Silent Land
Master Class
Noble Art
Not in my Backyard
Fit for Murder

Season 14

Death in the Slow Lane
Dark Secrets
Echos of the Dead
The Oblong Murders
Sleeper Under the Hill
Night of the Stag
Sacred Trust
Rare Bird

Season 15

The Dark Rider
Murder of Innocence

Let me know when you have seen all of them.

2005, Grim, Mayhem, Sci-Fi, Suspense, Violent

War of the Worlds (2005)

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From NetFlix:

In this loose adaptation of H.G. Wells’s novel about alien invasion, Tom Cruise stars as Ray, a divorced dockworker whose children (Dakota Fanning and Justin Chatwin) are staying with him for the weekend when a fleet of spaceships carrying tripod creatures appears in his neighborhood. Forced to become the protective father he’s never been, Ray scrambles to usher his kids to safety, as the invasion escalates around them. Steven Spielberg directs.

As far as I can tell, the only reason to watch this remake of the 1953 film version is for the visual effects. Spielberg spent $132 million dollars to make this film. If the cost of films interests you, have a look at Movie Budgets. At least the industry provides jobs.

How the film ends is a foregone conclusion because we have all probably seen the 1953 version. Personal details have been updated: neglectful father gets to redeem himself. But I found it difficult to swallow the fact that the son makes it back to seemingly unscathed Boston on his own. And why do all these alien creatures seem to look alike from film to film?

Dakota Fanning was 11 years old during the filming. How long can she continue to be a child star?

Nonetheless, I was glued to my seat and somewhat of a wreck when the film ended. Are you ready?

2005, Drama, Love Story, Mediocre, Psychological Drama

Neverwas (2005)

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From NetFlix:

After taking a job at the mental institution that once housed his father (Nick Nolte) — a famous children’s author — erudite psychiatrist Zach Riley (Aaron Eckhart) befriends a schizophrenic (Ian McKellen) who unlocks a string of family secrets. Joshua Michael Stern makes an impressive directorial debut with an all-star supporting cast that includes Brittany Murphy, Jessica Lange, Bill Bellamy, William Hurt and Alan Cumming.

Ian McKellen usually appears in good films. Sadly, “Neverwas” is merely acceptable. Considering the impressive cast of characters I can only conclude that the story is less compelling than the characters would wish it to be.

Among the actors we find:

  • Aaron was Howie in Rabbit Hole (2010)
  • Ian McKellen is a grand old man of acting. Besides “Lord of the Rings” I remember him especially in “Gods and Monsters”.
  • Brittany Murphy was Daisy in “Girl Interrupted”
  • Nick Nolte was Joe Bechstein in The Mysteries of Pittsburgh (2008)
  • William Hurt was Richie Cusack in “A History of Violence”
  • Alan Cumming is currently in “The Good Wife” and also currently
    in the MC for BBC Masterpiece Theater.

Start-studded, but not important enough to watch if your time is limited.

2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, British, Complicated, Computer geeks, Conspiracy, Cynical, DO NOT MISS, Flirting, Love Story, Made For TV, Political Suspense, Suspense, Terrorist Attack, Torture, TV Series, Wonderful acting

MI-5

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From NetFlix:

This award-winning series dramatizes the professional exploits and personal lives of the “spooks” of MI-5, the British equivalent of the FBI. No-nonsense head officer Harry Pearce (Peter Firth) guides a band of dedicated spies who risk their lives every day. The team includes expert and junior members who must balance real life with the job’s requirement for complete secrecy, no matter the cost. Matthew Macfadyen and Richard Armitage co-star.

Beginning in 2002 and continuing at least to 2010, this British TV-series is “utterly smashing”. Intense, sometimes hard to watch, but incredibly exciting in just about every episode. What makes some episodes difficult to watch is that the members of MI-5 are forced at times to make hard decisions that involve “collateral damage” (meaning some poor soul dies), so much so that those members are often damaged themselves and actually leave MI-5 (i.e. leave the show). In fact, be prepared for many, sometimes disappointing cast changes. For example Rupert William Penry-Jones (the character Adam Carter) started the show and then disappeared for awhile to be replaced by Matthew Macfadyen (the character Tom Quinn) who then leaves the show and is replaced by Rupert William Penry-Jones.

There are too many wonderful characters to even mention them. You can find them all listed in IMDB.

In addition to spook plots, there are also many romances. But any romance for a member of MI-5 is next to impossible because even their significant others cannot know what these spooks do for a living.

2005, Could Be Hard To Watch, Dark, Drama, Love Story, Medical Theme, Mystery Film, Sadism, Sex Scenes, Suspense

The Jacket (2005)

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From NetFlix:

John Maybury’s masterful thriller stars Adrien Brody as Jack Starks, a Persian Gulf War veteran who has lost his memories to amnesia. When Jack is accused of a heinous killing, he realizes he must find a way to prove his innocence. Desperate to unearth clues about his past, he seeks a controversial treatment that allows him to go back in time — which turns out to be a heart-wrenching decision when he realizes he’s destined for tragedy.

Take a tablespoon of time-travel, suspense, quasi-sadism, mix together to get “The Jacket”. If you are claustrophobic, you might feel a bit squeamish watching the sadistic (but excellent) Kris Kristofferson subject Adrien Brody to some horrific “treatment” (put into a straight jacket and stuck into a morgue body compartment). Jennifer Jason Leigh plays a sympathetic nurse who can only weakly object to this treatment. While he is so confined, Jack Starks (Brody) travels in time to help and fall in love with Keira Knightley.

Details of the mystery are not too hard to follow and were for me involving enough to hold my attention. With these four such good actors this film is not a complete waste of time.

2005, Book Review, Could be boring, Could Be Sad, Grim, Love Story, Novel, Unusual

Never Let Me Go (2005)

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Kazuo Ishiguro and his family moved to England when he was 6 years old. He was educated in schools in England. He writes in English. You may read more about him in Wikipedia. He is probably best know for an earlier novel “Remains of the Day” which was made into a film with Anthony Hopkins.

My copy of “Never Let Me Go” was the paperback Vintage edition. I tell you this because I refer to page 81. If you know nothing about this novel (and I try to avoid spoilers) then you might not appreciate what is happening until you reach page 81 at which point the lightning strikes. After that the novel can seem many things: strange, creepy, grim, or quite possibly boring. Because I always try to give a book a fighting chance I plowed onward determinedly. Because the premise is so threatening I just had to find out what happens to the characters. At least be forewarned this much: do not expect fireworks. Finally for me the overwhelming emotion was sadness.

2005, Drama, Explicit sex, Historical Fiction, Made For TV, Military, Nudity, Revenge, Violent, War

Rome HBO BBC (2005)

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From NetFlix:

Follow the saga of two ordinary Roman soldiers — Lucius Vorenus and Titus Pullo (Kevin McKidd and Ray Stevenson) — and their families amid the rise and fall of the Roman republic and the creation of an empire. The fates of Pullo and Vorenus become entwined with those of Caesar, Mark Antony, Cleopatra and the young Octavian, a strange and awkward child who, by political guile and force, is destined to become the first emperor of Rome

There is a pay-TV series “Spartacus: Sand and Blood” which is mostly sex and violence pornography. However, the HBO and BBC production of “Rome”, in addition to sex and violence pornography, offers an engrossing history lesson. You will find in the Wikipedia article a good summary (at the very end of the article) of the historical inaccuracies and omissions in the series. It did not take long before I was hooked. The writing is good and the “conceit” that we can view a sweep of history through the eyes of Pullo and Vorenus actually works.