Category Archives: 2012

2012, Abuse of Women, Anti-Semitism, Bloody scenes, British, Child abuse, Contract Killing, Could Be Hard To Watch, Crime, Crude Talk, Detective, Disturbing Image, DO NOT MISS, Drag Queen, Drama, Explicit sexual discussion, Gambling, Gangs, Greed, Grim, Grisly, London History, Mayhem, Mild Torture, Murder, Murder Investigation, Murder Trial, Newpaper work, Nudity, Orphans in Foster Care, Outrageous Behavior, Physical child abuse, Police Politics, Prison, Prostitutes, Revenge, Sadism, Suspense, Theft, Torture, Violent, Vulgar

Ripper Street (2012)

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From IMDB:

The streets of Whitechapel are the haunt of Detective Inspector Edmund Reid and his team of officers, who aim to maintain law and order in a place once terrorized by Jack the Ripper.

A new drama set in the East End of London in 1889 during the aftermath of Jack The Ripper murders. The infamous H Division – the police precinct charged with keeping order in the district of Whitechapel- is in a chaotic state trying to keep order after a tumultuous time for London and reported infamously worldwide.

From Netflix you can stream 4 seasons consisting of 37 episodes  as follow:

  • Season 1 – 8 episodes
  • Season 2 – 8 episodes
  • Season 3 – 8 episodes
  • Season 4 – 7 episodes
  • Season 5 – 6 episodes       As of April 21,2017 not yet released

WARNING: Season 4 ends with a real cliff-hanger that needs Season 5 to resolve the issues. But at this point you cannot stream Season 5.

Matthew MacFadyen superbly plays Detective Inspector Edmund Reid.  Jerome Flynn (who was Bronn in “Game of Thrones”) plays Det. Sgt. Bennet Drake. Adam Rothenberg (who played Danny in “The Divide”) plays Dr. Homer Jackson.

Strong stomachs and tolerance for blatant vulgarity are required for watching this series. Otherwise these intense episodes are captivating. Trying to be authentic for 1889, the speech is formal, possibly pedantic, even when describing sexual activity.  Here we have an escape from the usual formulaic police procedurals. Do not be misled by the very first episode which deals with a murder that tries to mimic the work of Jack the Ripper because subject matter for the episodes is incredibly varied (thievery, pestilence, and other delights).

London in that period was a horrible, dirty, smelly, hellhole in which the place of women was especially dire. In the eighteenth century, one in every five women were sex workers. If a woman was not wealthy or married, she very often ended up in the streets.  In this series the plight of women is often the motivating theme.

Workers had no rights, no workplace safety precautions.  Future readers of this review should be reminded that under our current President Trump, the Republican party places itself in opposition to such protective organizations as the EPA.  One episode features (and shocks with a view of a match girl [woman who worked in a match factory] inflicted with) phossy jaw. You may never forget the sight.

One episode features as a character the famous Elephant Man whose real name was Joseph Merrick.  Merrick the actor is made to look exactly like the photograph in the mentioned Wikipedia article. You may never forget the sight.

One episode centers about the laws against sodomy which enabled blackmailers and often destroyed lives.

One episode makes vividly alarming the horrors created by the law making abortion illegal. Note that even now in the USA the Republicans would return to that terrible past.

London was an ugly, ugly place. Brace yourself!

After viewing more and more episodes I have upgraded to DO NOT MISS!

 

2005, 2008, 2010, 2012, Bloody scenes, Bullying, Car Chase, Corruption, Could Be Hard To Watch, Crime, Crude Talk, Detective, Drug Dealers, Forensics, French Detective Series, Gangs, Gay theme, Grisly, Homophobia, Lawyers, Murder Investigation, Netflix Streaming, Occasional gore, Police Culture, Police Politics, Pornographic Scenes, Prison, Prostitutes, Psychiatrists, Rape, Revenge, Sadism, Sociopath, Spousal Abuse, Suicide, Suspense, Thriller, Torture, Unscrupulous drive to power, Various Romances, Violent, Vulgar, Wife Beating

Spiral (2005)

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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.

2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, Abduction, Acorn TV, Ambiguous Conclusion, Bloody scenes, British Mystery Series, Child custody, Confusing Plot, Could Be Sad, Detective, Divorce, Eccentric Detective, Emotional abuse, Ethical struggles, Extramarital Affair, Family Conflict, Forensics, Gritty, Lawyers, Made For TV, Murder Investigation, Orphans in Foster Care, Revenge, Spousal Abuse, Suicide, Suspense, TV Series, Violent

Vera (2011)

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From AcornTV:

Two-time Oscar nominee Brenda Blethyn stars as DCI Vera Stanhope a solitary, obsessed, caustic, brilliant investigator, and a bit disheveled; think female Columbo.

From AcornTV you can stream 6 years of this British TV series which first started in 2011 and went on for 7 years through 2017. AcornTV does not offer 2017. Each year, or “set”, consists of 4 episodes. Surely 24 episodes will keep you busy for awhile (binge – anyone ?). Each episode is approximately 1.5 hours.

DCI Vera is as personally distant as her sidekick DS Joe Ashworth (played by David Leon) is personable. An important thread in the series is their relationship. For example, Vera’s refusal in one episode to even consider being the Godmother to Joe’s latest newborn child is really hurtful. But Joe seems to understand her aloofness and accepts it begrudgingly. In one episode Joe insists on taking Vera for a doctor’s visit because of her sudden stress-related faintness.

Just remember that British police procedurals are not for the faint of heart. Could that be why I enjoy them so much?

2012, 2014, Abduction, Acorn TV, Adultery, Bloody scenes, British, Clever Plot, Corruption, Detective, Drug Dealers, Extramarital Affair, Police Politics, Police Story, Possibly depressing, Prison, Sadism, Sex With Minors, Suspense, Torture, Violent

Line of Duty (2012)

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From Acorn TV:

Like other police units, AC-12 investigates criminals–but the lawbreakers it catches are police officers working in the line of duty. Martin Compston (Monarch of the Glen), Lennie James (The Walking Dead), and Keeley Hawes (The Casual Vacancy) star in this critically adored series called unmissible by The Times (UK).

Another lucky find!  This really taut British TV series economically keeps the tension mounting from the first police screw-up, through the ever deepening web of corruption and the corresponding undercover investigations. “Cat and Mouse” would be another good title for the series.

Series One from 2012 has 5 episodes. Series Two from 2014 has 6 episodes. There is a 6 episode Series Three from 2016 that Acorn does not yet offer.

For three episodes of Series One I was pleased to recognize Gina McKee in the role of Jackie Laverty.  Long ago in 2002 she played Irene Forsyte in “The Forsyte Saga” which was presented on public television.

NOT QUITE A SPOILER: Just remember that sometimes criminals escape justice.  And just because you watch two seasons, that does not mean that the bad guys are caught.

Today police misbehavior in the USA is a current hot topic. Hopefully this portrait of British police will not make us more cynical.

WARNING: Despite being on the edge of my seat for 11 episodes of a  DO NOT MISS series, I was not happy afterwards.

 

2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, Adultery, Amusing banter, Art History, Bicycles, British Mystery Series, Clever Plot, Complicated, Crime, Detective, Dysfunctional Lives, Ethical struggles, Family Conflict, Forensics, Love Story, Marital Infidelity, Murder Investigation, Oxford University, Religious Theme, Revenge, Suspense

Inspector Lewis (2008)

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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!

2012, Abduction, Addiction, Based on true facts, Creepy, Detective, Docudrama, Forensics, Military, Murder Investigation, Netflix Streaming, Nothing special, Profiler, Royal Canadian Air Force, Serial Killer, Sociopath, Stalker, Suspense, True Story

An Officer and a Murderer (2012)

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From NetFlix Streaming:

The true story of Royal Canadian Air Force officer Russell Williams’ progress from respected military commander to deranged murderer.

This film can be streamed from NetFlix, but there is no DVD available.

Were it not for the fact that this chilling story is true, nothing makes this film special. Consider the film an enacted documentary. All the acting is good, but Gary Cole as the serial killer is particularly creepy because of his lack of affect, especially on occasions when extreme affect would be appropriate. Moreover, I don’t consider this bad acting because, in fact, some sociopaths don’t share our normal empathetic feelings.

Possibly a dry police procedural, nonetheless I was drawn to watching the hard detailed detective work finally pay off. Imagine accusing a commander of a base of 3000 Royal Canadian Air Force personnel of being a serial killer who starts off just stealing (and wearing) ladies underwear and little by little escalates into murder.

Give this story a B+.

2012, Abduction, Bank Robbery, Car Chase, Child abuse, Clever Plot, Complicated, Conspiracy, Corruption, Detective, DO NOT MISS, Dutch, Dutch politics, Father-daughter relations, Father-son relations, Horses, Murder, Netflix Streaming, Orphans in Foster Care, Pedophilia, Police Corruption, Political Suspense, Revenge, Sociopath, Suicide, Suspense, Thriller, Violent, Well developed plot, Wonderful acting, WWII

Salamander (2012)

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From NetFlix:

As he investigates a bank robbery, a Brussels police inspector uncovers a complx conspiracy with the potential to bring down the nation.

On a par with Wallendar, House of Cards, etc. Tense, complicated but understandable, well-acted, you cannot go wrong watching this series as long as you can stand the suspense. We streamed all 12-episodes of this 1-season Dutch series from Netflix. There does not seem to be a DVD version.

Bank robbers steal the contents of exactly 66 safe deposit boxes from a prominent bank in Brussels. These 66 boxes contain the secrets of 66 well-placed individuals who achieved their status by being part of a powerful cartel called Salamander. In fact the bank robbers are masterminded by a rich former factory owner who is seeking vengeance on the members of Salamander because they were responsible for unjustly portraying his father as a World War II traitor. When an honest and determined policeman gets an inkling that something is amiss (the bank robbery was immediately hidden from the public), he doggedly continues to investigate despite dangers to himself, his family, and to lots of other people.

Read along with the English subtitles and have a wonderful, action-packed adventure. DO NOT MISS!

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)

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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.

2012, Acceptable for children, British, Clever Plot, DO NOT MISS, Drama, Feel Good For All, Good Brother - Bad Brother, Love Story, Marital Infidelity, Netflix Streaming, Suspense

The Scapegoat (2012)

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FromNetFlix;

Soon after meeting his doppelgänger, schoolteacher John Standing is duped into taking the man’s place at the head of an aristocratic but troubled family. As Standing grows into his new identity, he learns that his lookalike has sinister intentions.

Good story, good acting, and good suspense makes this British drama a wonderful surprise. Best of all, you can stream from NetFlix or get a DVD. At the end of the film you hold your breath waiting to see what really happened.

There is not a single actor I recognized except for Eileen Atkins who plays Lady Spence. She was Ruth Ellingham in “Doc Martin”.

For an evening of adult, well-done, feel-good drama DO NOT MISS!

2011, 2012, Acceptable Trash, Action Film, Action Hero, Amnesia, CIA, Complicated, Computer geeks, Conspiracy, Corruption, Imperfect, Love Story, Mediocre, Netflix Streaming, Nothing special, Often downright silly, Political Suspense, Ridiculous plot, Somewhat ridiculous plot, Suspense, Terrible acting, Thriller, Unrealistic, Violent

XIII: The Series (2011)

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From Netflix:

A highly trained former secret operative cannot remember his past. To rediscover it, he must take on missions from those he cannot trust.

Each of season one and season two offer 13 episodes. All 26 episodes may be streamed from Netflix. Would you really do that?

Stuart Townsend (who was Jack McAllister in the TV series “Betrayal”) plays Agent XIII, a super human who almost never loses a fight, who leaps onto running trains, who comes back from torture with nary a scratch, and so on. Remember the old weekly movie series: At the end of episode N our hero is in a terrible jam and about to perish. At the beginning of episode N+1 our hero moves on the next challenge. Just suspend disbelief and watch XIII and his sidekick Jones (played by Aisha Tyler) battle moles in the CIA, a corrupt ex-President, sadistic assassins, paranoid survivalists, and the list goes on.

If you can do other things (such as fold laundry) while you watch one of the innumerable episodes, at least the time spent will not be a complete loss.