Category Archives: Based on a Book

2021, Acceptable for teenagers, Archaeologists, Art Treasures, Based on a Book, Based on true facts, Bicycles, British, Buried Treasure, Career Competition, Character Driven, Could Be Sad, DO NOT MISS, Drama, Failing Marriage, Fatal heart problems, Gay theme, Love Story, Mother-son relations, Netflix Streaming, Romance, Sex Scenes, Unhappy Marriage, WWII

The Dig (2021)

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From IMDB:

An archaeologist  embarks on the historically important excavation of Sutton Hoo in 1938.

From Netflix:

On the eve of World War II, a British widow hires a self-taught archaeologist to dig up mysterious formations on her land, leading to a staggering find.

From Netflix you can stream this wonderful 1 hour 52 minute complete film.

Ralph Fiennes (who during the filming was 59 years old) plays Basil Brown the excavator and self-taught archaeologist. Carey Mulligan (who was 36)  plays the wealthy, widowed landowner Edith Pretty.

Actually the film is a homage to Basil Brown who was a humble man with no formal education whose industrious intelligence led him through self-study to become an intuitively clever amateur archaeologist.  In fact a major point of the story is that during his lifetime he was given no credit for having discovered a 6th century Anglo Saxon burial site complete with ship and precious jewelry. Instead the glory was claimed by the “experts” who tried to wrest the project from Basil. But Edith Pretty, who is dying from faulty heart valves damaged by childhood rheumatic fever,  comes to the rescue and champions Basil and his right to complete the project which, after all, is on HER land.  All the artifacts are now in the British Museum where the explanatory signage give full credit to Basil Brown.

Remember this film is NOT a documentary. But rather a drama involving many threads featuring:  Edith’s son and who will care for him when she dies, Edith’s cousin,  a young woman excavator whose uncaring husband turns out to be gay,  Basil’s wife, and others.  World War II also plays a prominent part in the plot.

DO NOT MISS!

2020, Accidental Death, Addiction, Adopted child, Alcoholism, America of the 1960s, Based on a Book, Chess, Could Be Sad, DO NOT MISS, Drama, Drugs, Explicit sexual discussion, Failing Marriage, Fashion, Friendship, Husband leaves wife, Mother-daughter relations, Netflix Streaming, Orphanage, Paris in the 1960s, Redemption, Sexual promiscuity, Unhappy Marriage

The Queen’s Gambit (2020)

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From IMDB:

Orphaned at the tender age of nine, prodigious introvert Beth Harmon discovers and masters the game of chess in 1960s USA. But child stardom comes at a price.

Nine year-old orphan Beth Harmon is quiet, sullen, and by all appearances unremarkable. That is, until she plays her first game of chess. Her senses grow sharper, her thinking clearer, and for the first time in her life she feels herself fully in control. By the age of sixteen, she’s competing for the U.S. Open championship. But as Beth hones her skills on the professional circuit, the stakes get higher, her isolation grows more frightening, and the thought of escape becomes all the more tempting. Based on the book by Walter Tevis.

From Netflix you can stream the 7 episodes of this  remarkable drama. Episodes vary in length from 46 minutes to 67 minutes.

You need not understand anything about chess to appreciate the tension of a chess match and to enjoy this story.  Although there are an awful lot of chess matches and much discussion about the game,  Beth and her personal life remain the center of attention. Watching the obsessive inhabitants of the world of chess can be a revelation. Granted that a person can obsess over just about anything, nonetheless the hold that chess has on some players is remarkable. Indeed that hold is the core of Beth’s ultimate problem: exactly what is her life about?

Anya Taylor-Joy,  the British/Argentine actress who plays Beth, is as perfect for the role as she is beautiful.  When she says “I like clothes”, consider that an understatement.   Where did she get the money for all those clothes?

DO NOT MISS!

 

2015, Abduction, Amazon Prime, Based on a Book, Bisexual theme, Brother-Brother relations, Brother-Sister relations, Bullying, Car Chase, Drama, Drug Dealers, Drugs, Extramarital Affair, Failing Marriage, Father-daughter relations, Father-son relations, Gangs, Gay theme, Gritty, Jealousy, Love Story, Mother-daughter relations, Murder, Personal Betrayal, Revenge, Scottish, Soap Opera, Suicide, Suspense, Unhappy Marriage, Violent, Wife leaves husband

Stonemouth (2015)

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From IMDB:

Mystery drama based on a novel by Iain Banks. Stewart Gilmour returns to his hometown after been driven out two years before by a local gangster. He returns for the funeral of his friend who recently committed suicide. He sets out to try and get the bottom of his friends death who also happens to be the son of the local gangster and the brother of Stewart’s ex girlfriend.

From Amazon Prime you can stream the two episodes of this complete story. Each episode lasts an hour.

Granted this drama set in Scotland is a soap opera, but it was really nice to see a complete story played out in only two episodes.  Granted also that the tensions, violence, and betrayals could have been stretched out a lot longer but instead were possibly resolved too easily. But what is wrong with a short, easy watch filled with good guys, bad guys, real friendships, and a nice love story?

One of the Scottish actors, Gary Lewis (who plays Mike MacAvett), seems to show up in many productions. You may remember him as Colum MacKenzie in the very popular Scottish series Outlander (which you should not miss).

Do Stewart and Ellie work out their difficult situation?  You too can find out in a mere 2 hours.

 

2014, Abuse of Women, Acceptable for teenagers, Amazon Prime, Amusing banter, Based on a Book, Bloody scenes, Creepy, Detective, Disturbing Image, Happy Family Gatherings, Murder, Serial Killer, Sex Scenes, Stalker, Stephen King, Stephen King, Strange Ending

A Good Marriage (2014)

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From IMDB:

After 25 years of a good marriage, what will Darcy do once she discovers her husband’s sinister secret?

From Amazon Prime you can stream this 1 hour 41 minute complete film.

Based on a short story by Stephen King, this suspense thriller is about a wife who accidentally discovers that her husband of 25 years is a serial killer of women whom he first tortures before killing them. You learn this at the very beginning of the story and is not here a spoiler.  Really the question is: Having made this discovery what does she do next?

Darcy Anderson, the wife is played by Joan Allen who played Colonel Margaret Rayne in the TV series The Killing,  Bob Anderson, the husband, is played by Anthony LaPaglia whose resumé is enormous.

LaPaglia’s portrayal of a man darkly stalking his next victim is what you would expect.  What is more surprising is his loving behavior toward his wife even after she makes the discovery. Hard to believe, but it actually works!

Absence of any violence  or torture (although there are photographs of the victims)  obviates the need to cringe.

What would you do if you discovered that your spouse is a serial killer?

2020, Acceptable for teenagers, Based on a Book, Blackmail, Bloody scenes, British, Clever Plot, Complicated, Conspiracy, DO NOT MISS, Extramarital Affair, Failing Marriage, Family Conflict, Father-daughter relations, Father-son relations, Financial malfeasance, Friendship, Happy Family Gatherings, High school students, Illegitimate Child, Marital Infidelity, Muchausen's by proxy, Muchausen's syndrome, Murder, Murder Investigation, Netflix Streaming, Nudity, Personal Betrayal, Police Corruption, Suspense, Teenagers, Thriller, Violent, Wife leaves husband, Womanizing

The Stranger (2020)

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From IMDB:

Follows the lives of suburban families whose secrets and lies are made public by the appearance of a stranger.

From Netflix you can stream the 8 roughly 50 minute episodes of this thriller based on the book The Stranger which Harlan Coben wrote in 2015.

Starting in 1995 Harlan Coben (who at this writing is 58 years old) has written a book a year. If you have never read a book by Coben and if you like clever thrillers, you are in for a treat. So far every Coben book I have read was gripping and a real pleasure.

Plot is all important and usually complicated in a Coben novel. However his treatment of character is well done. In the TV version the actors do not disappoint:

All this actors have incredibly extensive resumés. You just cannot go wrong watching this series.

DO NOT MISS!

2014, Abduction, Abuse of Women, Action Film, Action Hero, Assisted Suicide, Based on a Book, Bloody scenes, British History, Chick Flick, Child abuse, Child Molestation, Coarse manners, Could Be Hard To Watch, Disturbing Image, DO NOT MISS, Explicit sex, Explicit sexual discussion, Father-son relations, Flirting, French Culture, Frontier Life, Gaelic, Gay theme, Good Brother - Bad Brother, Historical Fiction, Husband leaves wife, Illegitimate Child, Improbable details, Magic, Marital Infidelity, Medical Theme, Melodrama, Military, Murder, Murder by poison, Netflix Streaming, Nudity, Personal Betrayal, Prison, Rape, Revenge, Romance, Sadism, Scottish, Sex Scenes, Sexual Tension, Smallpox, Sociopath, Suspense, Torture, Various Romances, Violent, Vulgar

Outlander (2014)

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From Wikipedia:

Outlander is a drama television series based upon author Diana Gabaldon‘s historical time travel book series of the same name.  It stars Caitriona Balfe as Claire Randall, a married former World War II nurse who in 1946 finds herself transported back to Scotland in 1743. There she encounters the dashing Highland warrior Jamie Fraser (Sam Heughan) and becomes embroiled in the Jacobite risings.

There exist or will exist at this writing 5 seasons of this very successful series. From Netflix you can stream 3 seasons. Starz is offering  at least 4 seasons. Season 1 has 15 episodes. Seasons 2,3,and 4 have 13 episodes. Season 5 is promised by Starz but not yet available today (Jan11,2020).

Summarizing a plot that goes on forever is pointless. If this type of adventure soap opera appeals to you, then you just emerse yourself and plow through.  Personally I could not stop watching probably because like all good potboilers our hero and heroine repeatedly get caught in some dilemma only to eventually extricate themselves.

Some of the subplots are a bit over the top. When the couple escape to Paris from somewhat bleak and primitive Scotland, they suddenly are dressing to the hilt and acting like socialites.  In fact you have to suspend disbelief in the details. Just enjoy the superstitions and magic.

Expect to see much violence, wounds, blood, and lashings. Some of the scenes are cringe-worthy.  Especially BEWARE season 1 episode 15 “Wentworth Prison” in which the evil Black Jack (played to sadistic perfection by Tobias Menzies ) tortures and rapes Jamie.

As a further reward, this series has some of the best sex scenes I have ever seen.  These scenes are successful because they hinge on real emotions and are truly not pornographic.

Bets are on that once you start watching, you will not be able to stop.

DO NOT MISS

 

 

2015, Acceptable for children, Acorn TV, Autobiographical, Based on a Book, Based on true facts, British, Brother-Brother relations, Brother-Sister relations, Coming-of-age, Could Be Sad, DO NOT MISS, Feel Good For All, Husband leaves wife, Mother-daughter relations, Mother-son relations, Nostalgia, Quiet, Romance, Senior citizens, Small British village, Small gem of a film, Teenagers, War Deserter, Wonderful photography, WWI

Cider With Rose (2015)

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From IMDB:

In 1918, with her husband working in the War office – and subsequently leaving the family – devoted mother Annie Lee takes her step-daughters and her own children to live in the idyllic Gloucestershire countryside, the youngest being the sickly Laurie, known as Loll. Here they witness two feuding matrons, Granny Trill and Granny Wallon and shelter a young army deserter hiding in the woods until his capture. At school Loll and his classmates are terrorized by the formidable teacher Crabby until hulking Spadge Hopkins literally puts her in her place. Far more important to Loll’s schooldays are the captivating Burdock sisters, Jo and Rosie, and, as he grows into adolescence and beyond, eventually leaving home to seek his fortune, he samples the delights of cider with Rosie.

From Acorn TV:

This beautifully shot, elegiac drama is a coming-of-age story set in a remote English valley post-WWI. Raised by his kindly mother (Samantha Morton, In America) among a pack of siblings, Laurie Lee experiences the wonders of love and friendship but also the brutality of loss and death. “Brilliant performances underpin a lyrical, languid, and poetic adaptation [of Lee’s memoir]” -The Telegraph.

From Wikipedia:

Cider with Rosie is a 1959 book by Laurie Lee (published in the US as Edge of Day: Boyhood in the West of England, 1960). It is the first book of a trilogy that continues with As I Walked Out One Midsummer Morning (1969) and A Moment of War (1991). It has sold over six million copies worldwide.

From Acorn TV you can stream this heart-warming 89 minute film.

Annie Lee, the mother, is played by Samantha Morton (Alpha in the 2019 The Walking Dead).  Granny Trill is played by Annette Crosbie (Clarice Millgrove in  Call the Midwife) whose face was immediately familiar to me even though at the time of filming she was 81 years old.

If you want a beautiful yet sad-at-times reproduction of WWI life in rural England from a century ago, DO NOT MISS!

2017, Acorn TV, Based on a Book, Based on true facts, Bicycles, Biographical, British, Brother-Brother relations, Brother-Sister relations, DO NOT MISS, Drama, Family Conflict, Father-son relations, Mental Illness, Mother-son relations, Psychiatrists, Punjab Culture, Race Relations, Romance, Schizophrenia, Small gem of a film

The Boy With The Topknot (2017)

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From IMDB:

One-off drama based on the critically acclaimed memoirs of British journalist Sathnam Sanghera. A touching, humorous and emotional rites-of-passage story.

From  Acorn TV:

Based on a critically acclaimed memoir, this BBC drama is the touching and humorous story of Sathnam (Sacha Dhawan, Iron Fist), a second-generation Indian raised in Britain, who struggles to reconcile his traditional upbringing with his multicultural modern life. “Soul-searching and impeccably acted” (The Telegraph), it also stars Joanna Vanderham (The Paradise) and Deepti Naval (Lion).

From Acorn TV you can stream this 87 minute complete film.

Without giving anything away, the underlying motivation for the story is that Sathnam wants to marry a white girl outside his Punjabi culture and is afraid to tell his mother. Years ago he left his family to work in the white world of London journalism. When he returns to his family (in another part of London) he makes many discoveries about his family of which he was blithely unaware starting with the fact that his father is schizophrenic.

Call this film a “rare find” or small “gem of a film”. In any case,

DO NOT MISS!

2015, Acorn TV, Based on a Book, British, Brother-Brother relations, Cancer theme, Carpentry, Could Be Sad, Deportation, Detective, Drama, Ethical struggles, Failing Marriage, Lawyers, Mother-daughter relations, Romance, Terminal Disease, Terrorists, Wrongful Arrest

Capital (2015)

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From IMDB:

The residents of an affluent street in London are busy getting on with their lives, when suddenly something very strange happens. Every house in the street has an identical, mysterious postcard pushed through their letterboxes that simply states “WE WANT WHAT YOU HAVE”. At first, the residents of Pepys Road dismiss the notes as some sort of marketing campaign but gradually as events begin to escalate it becomes clear that there is something more to this strange occurrence than something as mundane as that.

From Acorn TV:

Based on John Lanchester’s bestselling novel, this complex and resonant drama starring Toby Jones and Rachael Stirling is a “beguiling” (The Daily Telegraph, UK) and “alarmingly recognizable” (The Times, UK) depiction of contemporary life in England’s capital city.

From Acorn TV you can stream the 4 episodes of the one season complete story.  Each episode is about 45 minutes.

Five subplots associated with the same block in London are involved:

  • Ahmed’s Pakistani family runs the corner grocer. One of his brothers is falsely accused of terrorism.
  • Roger (Toby Jones) is an investor with a ridiculing wife.
  • Mary (Lesley Sharp) looks after her ailing mother Petunia (Gemma Jones).
  • Bogdan is a Polish is a building contractor who falls in love with Roger’s nanny. He is renovating Petunia’s residence because Petunia dies and Mary wants to sell.
  • Quentina, the neighbor auxiliary policewoman, has VISA problems.

Lesley Sharp played DC Janet Scott in the enjoyable series “Scott and Bailey”.  Gemma Jones, who was 73 during the production, has a huge resume including playing Claire Slater in the TV series “Unforgotten”.

Almost every subplot, except for one real tragedy, ends happily. Fearing the worst, I was almost afraid to watch the fourth and final episode.  Well worth the watch!

 

2000, Abuse of Women, Acorn TV, Alcoholism, Arson, Based on a Book, Bloody scenes, British Mystery Series, Conspiracy, Corruption, Could Be Hard To Watch, Detective, Drugs, Dysfunctional Lives, Eccentric Detective, Extortion, Forensics, Government cover-up, Ian Rankin, Journalist, Lawyers, Murder, Murder Investigation, Police Corruption, Police Culture, Romance, Scottish, Scottish Detectives, Suspense, Torture, Womanizing

Rebus (2000)

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From IMDB:

DI John Rebus is a hard drinking, unkempt, womanizing police officer whose job is his whole life. He is the most senior and most experienced DI at his station. He has a mysterious past that his partner DS Siobhan Clarke learns about from time to time through various comments Rebus makes. She is a young woman who wants to succeed, but does not have much of a personal life. She feels being paired with Rebus jeopardizes her career because of his unorthodox methods, but she is also fascinated by the man and is extremely loyal. DI Rebus’ boss is Chief Superintendent Templar, a woman who was one of Rebus’ lovers in a distant past. Their relationship is now one where they barely tolerate each other.

From Acorn TV:

Based on the novels by Ian Rankin, this gritty crime drama stars Laurence Olivier Award winner Ken Stott (The Hobbit) as gruff Scottish detective John Rebus. The world-weary policeman investigates the grisly crimes that mar Edinburgh’s historic streets in these sharply written and intricately plotted mysteries.

From Acorn TV you can stream seasons 2,3,and 4. Season 1, which is described in IMDB, seems to be missing. Season 2 has 2 episodes. Season 3 has 4 episodes.  Season 4 has 4 episodes. Each episode is a complete story.  Each episodes lasts approximately 68 minutes.

Fans of Ian Rankin should enjoy these well-done adaptations with interesting and compelling plots.  Only one, season 4 episode 1 (Resurrection Men)  stands out as especially violent.

Beautiful Claire Price plays Rebus’ long-suffering partner, DS Siobhan Clarke (which is pronounced “sha-von”.) Jennifer Black plays DCS Gill Templer.

As is common in many detective stories, Rebus is a heavy smoking quasi alcoholic.  In all fairness, however, people as portrayed in the British isles and in my own experience drink A LOT of alcohol. In one of the more recent Ian Rankin novels, Rebus’ unhealthy lifestyle catches up with him.