Category Archives: 2010

Killers (2010)

From Amazon Prime:

Spencer Aimes (Ashton Kutcher) is just your average, undercover, government-hired super-assassin. When he meets Jen Kornfeldt (Katherine Heigl), he finds true love… Enjoying a picture-perfect marriage, Spencer becomes the target of a multi-million dollar hit. Now Spencer and Jen are on the run for their lives.

From Amazon Prime you can stream this 1 hour 40 minute complete film.

Why brood over Putin’s invasion of the Ukraine when you could waste some quality time watching this B+ rom-com violent piece of cinematic fluff?

Did I mention that this film is violent from start to finish?  However, as bizarre as it sounds, the constant shooting, car chases, and martial arts fighting are not to be taken seriously and are really part of the fun.

Tom Selleck plays Tom Selleck, which actually works well in this plot.

Moreover, everyone except the scores of dead people live happily ever after.

Cougar Town (2010)

From Amazon Prime Video:

Courtney Cox stars as Jules, a recently divorced single mother exploring the truths about dating and aging. While most women in their twenties go through life experiencing the challenges and pitfalls of meeting men, Jules took on the responsibilities of marriage Now in her forties, she embarks on a journey to self-discovery surrounded by divorcees and singletons eager re-live a time gone by.

From Amazon you can stream this 6 season  comic soap opera. Seasons and number of episodes are: 1 has 24, 2 has 22, 3 has 15, 4 has 15, 5 has 13, 6 has 13 making a total of 102 trashy and funny episodes. Each of the 102 episodes lasts about 22 minutes.

“Acceptable trash” is probably the most accurate characterization of this binge festival.  Making it the last video I watched in the day just put me in a good mood. Humor style remains constant but there is enough clever repartee to keep the fun going.  Almost all the characters are around for the entire collection except for Bobby Cobb who leaves  at the beginning of season 6.  Eight constant characters are the main actors:

  • Courteney Cox plays Jules Cobb, the lead female character.
  • Christa Miller plays Ellie Torres, the cynical people-hater.
  • Busy Philipps plays Laurie Keller, the slut-proud dumb blond.
  • Dan Byrd plays Travis Cobb, son of Jules and Bobby.
  • Josh Hopkins plays Grayson Ellis,  Jules’ new neighbor boy friend.
  • Ian Gomez plays Andy Torres, Ellie’s husband.
  • Brian Van Holt plays Bobby Cobb, Jules’ divorced husband.
  • Bob Clendenin plays Tom, the misfit surgeon neighbor.

Courteney Cox might be familiar to you as Monica from “Friends.”

When I had seen all 102 short , funny,  trashy, and sometimes corny episodes I felt bereft.  Enjoy the nonsense!

 

Sherlock (2010)

From Netflix you can stream 4 seasons of Sherlock Holmes stories. Seasons 1,2, and 4 have 3 episodes. Season 3 has 4 episodes. Each episode lasts 88 or 89 minutes.

Because there have been so many presentations involving the famous British detective, let’s be clear: In this series four of the many actors are:

Adjectives that describe this particularly imaginative adaptation are: eccentric, exaggerated, implausible, sometimes repellent.

Much of the time Sherlock indulges himself by  showing off his brilliant deductive genius.  At other times he is busy confusing his poor companion  Dr. Watson.  When he is bored he uses cocaine.

Toward the end of the seasons, especially in season 4, the plot devices are just plain over the top and unbelievable.  Also there is a lot of sadistic cruelty on the part of the last villainess, which repelled me.

If nothing else, these episodes are certainly not dull. Hang on tight!

The Silence (2010)

From Acorn TV:

Deaf teenager Amelia (Genevieve Barr, Liar) wants to adjust to the hearing world and escape her overprotective parents (Hugh Bonneville & Gina McKee). But when she witnesses a murder, it jeopardizes the career of her homicide-detective uncle (Douglas Henshall, Shetland) and endangers her whole family. “A stunningly well-made thriller…taut, suspenseful and earth-shatteringly well written” –Express.

From Acorn TV you can stream the 4 episodes of this Irish thriller. Each episode is about an hour.

Talk about tense! In Shetland Douglas Henshall’s character DI Jimmy Perez is calm, thoughtful, persistent, and competent.  In “The Silence” his detective character Jim (characters as found in IMDB have no last names) is persistent, competent, not corrupt, however anything but calm.  And no wonder! His deaf niece Amelia witnesses one corrupt cop murder another cop by running her down with an automobile.  Jim is faced with protecting her while fighting to convince his fellow officers that there are clever, bent cops in the precinct who murder and are drug dealers.  Moreover, because of his exasperated demeanor those bent cops can easily persuade Jim’s  colleagues that Jim has mental problems, which reminds us of Trump’s method of discrediting anyone who disagrees with him.

You will probably recognize some of the other actors such as:

From IMDB we learn some personal facts about the deaf actress Genevieve Barr:  Genevieve Barr was born deaf and normally uses hearing aids. For her role as Amelia, who has just had a cochlear implant fitted, she was required to remove her hearing aids. She also had to learn sign language which she had never done before because she had always relied on her hearing aids supplemented by lip reading.

You might be astounded, disappointed, angry, puzzled, or all of the above after the last (fourth) episode finishes. But that is a notable feature of British plots:  why waste time on the details of an expected warm-feeling finale?  You can figure out for yourself what will happen next. However, if it makes you feel any better, rest assured there are many “outraged” reviews. Here is just one such review from IMDB:

What a Shame!

jeanjeannie3815 July 2010
I watched this, potentially brilliant, mini serial for each of its four days. Each day I really looked forward to the next episode. However, having now watched the whole series, I have reached the conclusion that the drama should have continued for five days instead of four. The fourth episode could very easily have concluded with a cliffhanger concerning the main character. This would have enabled the drama to end in a much more satisfying way. Instead, after watching four days of a truly gripping thriller, the ending was very disappointing. I don’t think merely leaving your audience with a good idea of the probably outcome of a drama is a patch on concluding with a fully rounded ending. Instead of the series concluding in a way that left me pleased I have invested my time and energy in it, I was left feeling it had been cut short because the writer (or director) had simply run out of steam. On the plus side the acting, especially of those playing the two leading characters, was first class.
Don’t listen to them. This is one really good thriller!
DO NOT MISS!

The Indian Doctor (2010)

From Acorn TV:

This uplifting and charming period drama from the BBC follows an Indian doctor (Sanjeev Bhaskar, Mumbai Calling) who moves to a small Welsh village in the early 1960s. As he and his upper class wife (Ayesha Dharker, Indian Summers) adjust to life in the mining town, they start to change the community–and the community changes them.

From Acorn TV you can stream three seasons of this series which is in the same genre as “Doc Martin”.  Each season has 5 episodes and each episode lasts about 43 minutes.

Eventually Dr. Prem Sharma and his wife Kamini Sharma with difficulty  fit into the small Welsh mining community.

Season 1 centers on Dr. Sharma fighting to get chest X-rays for the miners in order to detect black lung disease.

Season 2 is about a church minister whose belief that prayer can cure smallpox endangers the community.

Season 3 has Dr. Sharma working to defeat a hoax that will impoverish the town inhabitants.

If you have ever watched the wonderful British series “Unforgotten” then you will recognize Sanjeev Bhaskar (who plays Dr. Sharma) as DS ‘Sunny’ Khan who is the sidekick to DCI Cassie Stuart (played by Nicola Walker).

If you need a family-friendly series then you cannot go wrong with these 15 episodes.

 

The Sandhamn Murders (2010)

From IMDB:

Viveca Sten’s popular novels come to life in “The Sandhamn Murders”, a perfect mix of Nordic crime and the beautiful surroundings of the outer Stockholm archipelago.

Addendum: There are now 8 seasons on MHz Choice. Whereas the first 5 seasons were not too harsh,  the remaining 3 seasons could be tense and wrenching to watch.   Nora’s marriage choices are surprisingly bad while her true love interests change from season to season.

From MHz Choice you can stream this Swedish mystery and romance series. Each of the 5 available seasons consists of 3 episodes, each lasting approximately 45 minutes. There was a season 6 produced in 2018.

Recall that MHz Choice offers only foreign language programs with English subtitles.

Of all the many characters, only the two main characters appear consistently in all the episodes. Thomas the detective is played by Jakob Cedergren whom we mentioned in the review for “Those Who Kill”.  Nora is played by Alexandra Rapaport.  Thomas and Nora are strongly attracted to each other.  Thomas starts out as a divorced and grieving father. Nora starts out in an unhappy and picture-perfect marriage.  Throughout the series the theme is “will they get together or not?” which adds to the soap-opera-as-mystery-series.

Stories are good. Acting is just fine. Scenery is appealing because the filming takes place always in the summer holiday islands.

Here is a human series without a lot of gore. Not a serial killer in sight. Suitable for teens.

 

Spiral (2005)

From IMDB:

Follows criminal investigations in Paris from all the different points of view of a criminal investigation.

Netflix streaming brings you 4 seasons of this French TV series:

  • Season 1: 2005    8 episodes
  • Season 2: 2008    8 episodes
  • Season 3: 2010 12 episodes
  • Season 4: 2012  12 episodes
  • Season 5: 2015  12 episodes
  • Season 6: 2016  12 episodes

Season 7 is currently being produced in France. Spoken French with optional English subtitles.

“Engrenages” is the French title which means “gears”, the theme being how intertwined are the lives of criminals, police personnel, lawyers (honorable or prostituted by greed), ambitious (and seemingly entirely corrupt) politicians and innocent civilians. Various crimes (murder, spousal abuse, drugs, prostitution, gun running) are investigated.  Actors are matched flawlessly to their characters.

Such a long-running series will, of course, require many actors. But several stand out:

  • Grégory Fitoussi is the honest lawyer Pierre Clément.
  • Audrey Fleurot  is the greedy, amoral, beautiful lawyer Joséphine Karlsson who specializes in defending the scum of the earth for large sums of money.
  • Caroline Proust is the extremely competent, tough, but constantly embattled police detective Laure Berthaud.
  • Philippe Duclos is Juge Roban, an honest judge who has to constantly fight to stay honest.

Because of its variety of characters and their interactions, the many tense situations, the constant battle between corruption and honesty, this series has been immensely popular. Sometimes the many car chases border on boring. But this is NOT your average detective show. Call it a soap opera if you wish, nonetheless it remains compelling.

FIRST WARNING: Each season will end with a cliff hanger enticing you to watch the next season.

SECOND WARNING: You must have a strong stomach to watch these often brutal, violent, sadistic, and bloody episodes.  Tension runs as constantly high in this series as in any I have seen.

Inspector Lewis (2008)

As a follow-up to the many seasons of “Inspector Morse” (the Morse actor died), you can stream 7 seasons of “Inspector Lewis” from Amazon Prime. All the episodes are worthwhile, and usually complicated. Each episode lasts approximately 90 minutes.

Although the Robert Lewis actor (Kevin Whately) is adequate, the real joy is the James Hathaway character (Laurence Fox). James Hathaway is a former Anglican seminarian, Oxford graduate, literary savant, moody and conflicted character, and somewhat of a delightful know-it-all. As an essential third actor we have the charming Dr. Laura Hobson (played by Clare Holman), the forensic pathologist who eventually is a love interest for Inspector Lewis.

All episodes take place in Oxford whose academic and idiosyncratic atmosphere permeates the entire series.

Indeed the plots can be intricate, but sometimes by searching the Internet you can find plot explanations.

Not a miss in the bunch!

Rake (2010)

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.

Thorne: Sleepyhead (2010)

From Netflix:

Investigating a series of attacks on young women, detective Tom Thorne is dragged back into the nightmares of his past as he races to find a killer.

SLEEPYHEAD

Lasting more than two hours, this British TV one-episode detective story is as good and as harsh as any of the many other British detective shows. This and the next self-contained Thorne episode “Scaredy Cat” may both be streamed from Netflix or be viewed on DVD. Both stories involve serial killers. You should see them in order because the second story refers back to the first story.

In story one “Sleepyhead” the serial perp does not want to kill the girls. Rather he wants to put them into that conscious but immovable state known as “locked in”. Yes, I did mention that the story is harsh. For most of the story I was sure I knew who the serial perp was but I was completely wrong.

SCAREDY CAT

Because of events in “Sleepy Head” we see Thorne come on scene a bit at odds with the rest of his department. In this serial killer episode there are two killers working together. Episode two is just as rough as episode one.

For those strong stomachs out there this is an acceptable pair of serial killer stories.