Category Archives: 2016

2016, Action Film, Action Hero, Asperger's Syndrome, Autism, Brother-Brother relations, Bullying, Computer geeks, Contract Killing, Father-son relations, FBI, Finance, Financial malfeasance, Frenetic, Invincible Hero, Netflix DVD, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, Psychological Drama, Revenge, Suspense, Torture

The Accountant (2016)

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From IMDB:

As a math savant uncooks the books for a new client, the Treasury Department closes in on his activities and the body count starts to rise.

From NetFlix

Offering two very different skills to his clients, a financial forensics expert and trained assassin goes to work for a tech mogul who’s determined to eliminate those responsible for secretly manipulating the company’s financial records.

Netflix sent me this DVDS which lasts 2 hours 8 minutes.

Of all the many Ben Affleck films I have seen, in some respect this is one of his best Instead of a romantic hero, he is an autistic,  number savant, assassin. Naturally you can expect a lot of violence. Moreover the action and shooting sequences are over the top if not just plain impossible. Still isn’t it fun to see that our anti-hero never misses a punch or a shot? And such advanced weaponry!

But there is more to the story than just the noise, because in some way the major theme is autism. We get to see Christian Wolff’s childhood traumas, his siblings, and  the extremes to which his father goes so that Christian can protect himself during his lifetime. In that regard expect a great plot twist.

Ben Affleck was 44 during the filming.  Older actors include J.K. Simmons (Will Pope in “The Closer”),  Jeffrey Tambor (the transsexual dad in “Transparent”),  and John Lithgow (who has a huge resumé).  One of the younger stars is Anna Kendrick who plays Dana Cummings, whom Christian is determined to protect.

Such violent action films are my guilty pleasure. Loved it!

2016, Action Film, Action Hero, Based on a Book, Conspiracy, Contract Killing, Corny at times, Corruption, Drug Dealers, Dysfunctional Lives, Father-daughter relations, Illegitimate Child, Invincible Hero, Mayhem, Military, Military Corruption, Mixed Martial Arts, Murder, Netflix DVD, Suspense, Unmarried mother, Violent

Jack Reacher: Never Go Back (2016)

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From Netflix who sent me the DVD:

Jack Reacher (Tom Cruise) returns with his particular brand of justice in the highly anticipated sequel Jack Reacher: Never Go Back. When Army Major Susan Turner (Cobie Smulders), who heads Reacher’s old investigative unit, is arrested for treason, Reacher will stop at nothing to prove her innocence and to uncover the truth behind a major government conspiracy involving soldiers who are being killed.

So what if you have seen one then you have seen all the Jack Reacher films (of all the action films, for that matter)!  Once the action starts I am attracted like a fly to fly-paper. Never mind that Tom Cruise looks much older. At least give him credit: not bad for someone who is now 55 years old. Never mind that his street fighting skills are improbably staged, they are still fun to watch. Never mind that he and his fellow fighters for truth and justice get some unlikely breaks from time to time just to let their side win. Never mind that the last 10 minutes or so are unbearably maudlin. Never mind that our hero can just barely speak an emotive line of script.

Who cares! What you see is what you get and it just plain fun!

2016, Clever Plot, Cult Brainwashing, Drama, Frenetic, Made For TV, Netflix Streaming, Suspense, Thought provoking, Unusual, Violent

Rebirth (2016)

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From Netflix:

Long-lost buddy Zack gets suburban dad Kyle on a bus to a Rebirth seminar, sending him down a rabbit hole of psychodrama, seduction and violence.

Again a Netflix Original film, this time one full-length feature lasting 1 hour and 40 minutes.  Several languages available both in subtitles and audio tracks.

What seems to start as some almost boring story picks up when Kyle reaches the Rebirth seminar, From then on the story crescendos into a horror story of violence, brain washing, and the frightening power of a fanatical cult. Recall how the novel “1984” ends? This is no different and the ending is chilling indeed. Could that ever happen? Think about Scientology.

Such a film may fascinate or horrify you, but it will not make you happy.

 

2016, Abduction, Anti-Arab, Arab Culture, Based on a Book, Bloody scenes, Child abduction and murder, Child Molestation, Could Be Hard To Watch, Danish, Danish Detectives, Dark, Disturbing Image, Explicit sex, Grim, Netflix Streaming, Orphans in Foster Care, Philosophic Discussions, Police Politics, Religious Theme, Sadism, Serial Killer, Sex Scenes, Sociopath, Suspense, Uncategorized, Violent

Department Q (2016)

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From Denmark comes this TV detective series in which each episode lasts most of 2 hours. In other words, each episode is a feature-length film. From Netflix you can stream each episode.  Each episode has its own title. You should watch them in order. One of the reviewers called the series a “top box-office film in Denmark.”   Spoken Danish with English subtitles.

From Decider we learn that there are six books in the series, but that only three have been made into films.

WARNING: Generally speaking, these episodes are grim, violent, and peopled with vindictive, cruel, sadistic, psychopathic villains.  Strong stomachs are advised.

Episode 1: The Keeper of Lost Causes

From Decider:

Precisely. Nikolaj Lie Kaas stars as Carl Morck, a brilliant homicide detective who gets demoted to Department Q. His partner in solving crime? Another detective named Assad (played by actor Fares Fares). Together they delve into the crimes no one wants solved.

Episode 1 introduces us to the two detectives mentioned above. In episode 2 a third member is added to Department Q, which we would call the “Collection of Unsolved Crimes or Cold Cases”.

In this episode a young woman politician in on a ferry with her emotionally disturbed brother when she is abducted and held captive in a barometric chamber. You were warned it could get ugly!

Episode 2: The Absent One

In this episode the detectives uncover a series of brutal crimes planned and perpetrated by students at a posh private high school that caters to the ruling class. Their outrageous behavior continues throughout their wealthy lives as they are protected by a former classmate who is now an extremely powerful lawyer. More Ugly!

Episode 3: A Conspiracy of Faith

Yet another psychopath, this time kidnapping children of fundamentalist Christians and using a type of religious blackmail against the parents.  As we often seen in such films, the sociopath does his damage calmly and with a bland or smiling countenance. But still ugly!

One characteristic of all three stories is the suspenseful and action filled final scene in which our heroes confront the villain. You might even hold your breath in all the (did I mention “ugly”?) excitement. Take a tranquilizer and enjoy.

 

 

2016, Abduction, Abortion, Addiction, Amnesia, Arson, Belgian Detectives, Bloody scenes, Boxing, Complicated, Computer geeks, Contract Killing, Corruption, Crime, Dark, Drama, Drugs, Explicit sex, Extramarital Affair, Father-daughter relations, Forensics, French, Grisly, Lesbian Theme, Love Story, Mental Illness, Mother-daughter relations, Mother-son relations, Murder Investigation, Netflix Streaming, Nudity, Psychiatrists, Psychological Drama, Revenge, Sex Scenes, Small Town Atmosphere, Soap Opera, Soccer, Sociopath, Suspense, Teenagers, Violent, Vulgar

The Break (2016)

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From Netflix:

Soon after arriving in Heiderfeld, Inspector Yoann Peeters is called to the scene of a suspected suicide and begins uncovering troubling details.

From Netflix you can stream the 10 episodes of this compelling detective story in French with subtitles. According to Wikepedia The Break (French: La Trêve, “The Truce”) is a French-language Belgian crime drama television series

Actually this series is a soap opera with many characters,  quite a bit of sex and violence, and many surprises. In fact I would estimate that each episode has at least 3 or so unexpected  plot revelations. Not until the very, very end will you discover “who done it”. If you truly guess the answer before episode 10, then let me know.

Inspector Peeters has left Brussels with his daughter after the death of his wife and has returned to his hometown Heiderfeld in the hopes of a fresh start. He goes to work for the local police force populated by 6 or so characters whose own stories and involvements with one another are an integral part of the plot. Peeters’  daughter makes a friend and in order to fit in socially makes mistakes. There are teen friends, a soccer team and its managers, a woman mayor scheming to buy the area’s farms to make way for a dam, and subplots galore. Most of all, running through the entire story is the fact that Peeters is eventually confined to a mental hospital and is in every episode being interviewed by a woman psychiatrist of the institution, who must evaluate Peeters’ mental health. Flashbacks are a principal tool in the story telling.

Oddly enough Yoann Peeters is played by a Belgian actor Yoann Blanc whose performance (as well as his somewhat strange face with his deep set brooding, unemotional eyes that seem to stare all the time) is remarkable.

Getting to the story’s conclusion was so compelling for me that once again I binged, which is definitely not a good habit. But once you start this thriller my guess is that you too will fall under its spell.

 

2016, Abduction, ALS (Lou Gehrig's Disease), Ambiguous Conclusion, Bullying, Drugs, Dysfunctional Lives, Explicit sex, Family Conflict, Father-daughter relations, Kidnapping, Mildly Violent, Mother-daughter relations, Netflix Streaming, Nudity, Orphans in Foster Care, Philosophic Discussions, Plot Twist, Possible a put-on, Psychic Phenomena, Religious Theme, School Shooting, School Teacher, Sci-Fi, Sex Scenes, Sociopath, Sometimes seems silly, Strange Ending, Supernatural, Suspense, Teenagers, Unusual

The OA (2016)

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From IMDB:

Having gone missing seven years ago, the previously blind Prairie returns home, now in her 20s with her sight restored. While many believe she is a miracle, others worry that she could be dangerous.

Have you ever started on a box of chocolates and found you could not stop eating them? In other words you “binged”. Similarly once I started streaming this 8-episode series from Netflix, I was hooked. No sooner did one episode end, but I started the next episode. This went on for days until I had watched all eight episodes.

Characterizing this story is difficult. Partly it suggests science fiction although the style is closer to a fantasy which borders on the supernatural. Such flights of fancy are certainly not to everyone’s tastes. At times I asked myself why I was watching this goofy show. But the originality, the constant suspense, and the interplay of personalities was just too intense. In other words, the story for me was so compelling that after every “happening”  I had to see what came next.

Notable for me was how so many scenes seemed just plain ordinary if not dull or slow moving.  BUT — behind the seeming banality there was real tension because you just knew that something out of the ordinary was just about to happen.

Most of the actors portray high school students, which might also be another turnoff. But this is NOT a teen flic.  Admittedly there were some nakedness and sex scenes which suggests a bit of pandering to the audience.

Both the young, middle age, and older actors turn in excellent performances. You will recognize many faces from other shows. Prairie Johnson’s father is played by Scott Wilson who was  Hershel Green in “The Walking Dead”.

Jason Isaacs, who plays Hap, has a long resumé including the Inquisitor in “Star Wars Rebels”.  His portrayal of an obsessed scientist who can feel no empathy for his experiment subjects is chilling. Watch as his character morphs.

Brad Pitt was one of the producers.

However, you are warned that the ending is problematic. My first reaction was “What! Give me a break! This can’t be happening!” But stop and console yourself with the realization that Prairie was blind as a child, only to return after seven years absence able to see. That could not be faked! I would be eager to hear your opinions about the ending, including howls of outrage.

If anything, this sometimes wacky story is not boring.

2016, Afghanistan, Ambiguous Conclusion, French, French Soldiers, Military, Mystery Film, Psychological Drama, Religious Theme, War

Neither Heaven Nor Earth (2016)

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From IMDB:

While on a mission in Afghanistan, French captain Antarès Bonassieu’s men start vanishing one by one without explanation.

Netflix sent me a DVD of this French film with optional English subtitles.

Every now and then I happen upon a film that I cannot characterize and “Neither Heaven Nor Earth”, which held my attention every second, is such a film. Although it follows a group of French soldiers posted in the mountains of Afghanistan, it is not a military film as such. Although the central theme is the mysterious disappearances of some of the soldiers (at various times), it is not a mystery story which concludes with the solution. Because the presentation is so low-key and natural, neither does the film feel like science fiction.

Most of all the film is a study of the negative effects of the pressures of war upon soldiers, especially when those pressures are compounded by the unsolved disappearances of the four men. Go into this film without expecting any answers and enjoy the wonderful acting, the lack of cheap horror effects, and the portrayal of fear as it affects the sanity of some of the men.

One of the best reviews was provided by Roger Ebert. Another supporting review comes from Avclub.

Consider this film a well-done “happening” and keep an open mind.

2016, Acorn TV, Addiction, Arson, British Mystery Series, Complicated, Contract Killing, Corruption, Crime, Detective, Divorce, Drugs, Extramarital Affair, Father-daughter relations, Forensics, Illegitimate Child, Mother-daughter relations, Murder Investigation, Police Corruption, Police Culture, Suspense

The Level (2016)

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From IMDB:

A police detective finds herself at the centre of the most dangerous case of her life when she is seconded on to the investigation into the murder of a drugs trafficker. What nobody around her knows is that she is the missing witness that the police and the killer are searching for.

From Acorn TV you can stream the six episodes of this one-season British detective series.

Acting is good. Plot gets a bit more complicated with each episode, enough so that you might have to work somewhat to remember each of the many characters. As the plot progressed Kathy and I had to keep changing our choice for the guilty party.  And just who is the bent cop?

We recognize some of the faces:

  • Rob James-Collier, who plays Kevin, was James the butler in “Downton Abbey”.
  • Joe Absolom, who plays Shay Nash,  was Al Large (the son) in “Doc Martin”.

COMPLAINT: Probably because the writers were hoping for another season of “The Level”, the sixth episode has an ending that for me was disappointing. Still there was some satisfaction in that at least something good happened.

Consider watching this not-too-violent, intelligent, well-written one-season detective series.

 

2016, Abduction, British Mystery Series, Complicated, Confusing Plot, Detective, Divorce, Extramarital Affair, Family Conflict, Forensics, Gay theme, Greed, Marital Infidelity, Mental Illness, Mother-daughter relations, Mother-son relations, Murder Investigation, Netflix Streaming, Politicians, Private Versus Professional Life, Serial Killer

Marcella (2016)

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From IMDB:

Marcella Backland left the Metropolitan Police for the sake of her family, only to have her husband leave her. She returns to her job on the murder squad, investigating a case that seems disturbingly familiar to her.

From Netflix you can stream 8 episodes of Season 1.  It is not clear from IMDB whether there is a Season 2, but in any case Netflix offers only Season 1.

Although the acting is fine, the story is complicated, new characters seem to pop up regularly, and the 8 episodes drag on a bit.  Marcella herself falls into strange fugue states from time to time without any explanation as she works to catch one and possibly two serial killers. Along with all the murders, not all of which are serial murders, there is no lack of suspicious characters.  Of all the characters, Sinéad Cusack, who plays Sylvia Gibson, is wonderful as a woman you can hate on first sight.

We stuck it out to the end of Season 1 out of mere curiosity.

2016, Acorn TV, B-movie, Bad Acting, Barely Acceptable Trash, British, Car Chase, Corny at times, Detective, Family Conflict, Father-daughter relations, Incest, Mediocre, Murder, Not Recommended, Police Corruption, Terrible acting

Winter (2016)

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From Acorn TV:

Rebecca Gibney (Packed to the Rafters) stars as Detective Eve Winter in this gripping Australian murder mystery series.

“Gripping” it was NOT!  From Acorn TV you could suffer while you stream 6 episodes of this cliché-ridden, poorly written, embarrassingly acted detective series.

DO NOT BOTHER!