Category Archives: DO NOT MISS

2010, Conspiracy, Could Be Hard To Watch, Cowboy, Dark, DO NOT MISS, Grim, Plot Twist, Revenge, Suspense, Violent, Western, Wonderful acting

Red Hill (2010)

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From NetFlix:

After being shot on duty, police officer Shane Cooper (Ryan Kwanten) moves with his pregnant wife to the quiet Outback town of Red Hill, where surly sheriff Old Bill (Steve Bisley) is downright unfriendly and Shane’s first day on the job turns into the worst day of his life. When killer Jimmy Conway (Tommy Lewis) escapes from jail and heads for Red Hill, the police try to track the skilled hunter, and Shane soon realizes something is very wrong.

Not a detail is out of place in this suspenseful and violent Australian cowboy sheriff film about an aborigine escaped from prison and intent on killing every single lawman in the dying town of Red Hill.

Ryan Kwanten is the only actor I will remember from this film and he was terrific. Those of you with vampire tastes will recall that Ryan Kwanten was the irrepressible Jason Stockhouse in the TV series True Blood (2008). His tender scenes with his very pregnant wife are touching. My only objection is that he is physically a bit too much of a superman, overcoming all obstacles while severely wounded. But don’t let that stop you from watching.

How dull: aborigine escapes and shoots a lot of people. Not at all ! First this killer’s hunting (he can smell his intended victims) and shooting skills and his amazingly clever instincts make him a formidable enemy. HOWEVER, the plot has an amazing and very emotional twist that holds you to the end.

In my book, this violent film is an Australian masterpiece. Don’t miss it!

2006, Biographical, DO NOT MISS, Drama, Feel Good Not For Children, Redemption, Religious Theme, Slavery, True Story, Underdogs win

Amazing Grace (2006)

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From NetFlix:

Based on actual events, this historical drama from acclaimed director Michael Apted tells the story of William Wilberforce (Ioan Gruffudd), an 18th-century English politician who fought for the abolition of slavery. Despite staunch opposition, Wilberforce waged an aggressive campaign using boycotts, petitions and slogans to bring the British slave trade to a decisive end. Albert Finney, Michael Gambon and Rufus Sewell co-star.

Worthwhile but not maudlin feel-good films can be hard to discover. “Amzing Grace” is such a jewel.

For an historical reality check please read the Wikipedia article.

England, through the efforts of Wilberforce, abolished the slave trade in 1807, a half-century before the American Civil War. Stay for the final credits which add that Wilberforce and William Pitt are buried side by side in Westminster Abbey.

Although it is eventually a feel-good film, you will be subjected to unsettling descriptions of the treatment of slaves.

In the film I saw many familiar British actors whose names I have never known. To give some of them credit, you will see:

  • Benedict Cumberbatch was William Pitt. He is currently the Masterpiece Mystery Sherlock Holmes.
  • Michael Gambon was Lord Charles Fox. He was Dumbledore in “Harry Potter”.
  • Rufus Sewell was Thomas Clarkson. He was Alexander Hamilton in “John Adams”.
  • Ciarán Hinds was the evil Lord Tarleton. He was Gaius Julius Cesar in “Rome”.
  • Toby Jones was the cretinous Duke of Clarence. He was Karl Rove in “W”
  • Nicholas Farrell was Henry Thornton. I will always remember him as the young runner Aubrey Montague in “Chariots of Fire”. His screen credits roll on for pages.
  • Albert Finney was John Newton and IS British acting.

DO NOT MISS THIS FILM !!!!

2006, Based on true facts, Detective, DO NOT MISS, Drama, Military, Nudity, War

In the Valley of Elah (2006)

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From NetFlix:

When exemplary soldier Mike Deerfield (Jonathan Tucker) disappears after returning from Iraq, his concerned father (Tommy Lee Jones, in an Oscar-nominated role) — a retired sergeant — works with gutsy police Det. Emily Sanders (Charlize Theron) to investigate. Writer-director Paul Haggis based his script on events reported by Mark Boal in a Playboy magazine article. James Franco, Josh Brolin, Jason Patric and Susan Sarandon also star.

As you will learn in the film, the valley of Elah is where David killed Goliath.

Having seen a mediocre film starring Tommy Lee Jones (In the Electric Mist (2008)), I was pleased that this film, also starring Tommy Lee Jones, was so amazing.

Let there be no doubt: this is an anti-war film. But it is perhaps the most subtle anti-war film I have ever seen. There is no preaching, rather the characters speak for themselves, and it is a scary spectacle indeed.

For me the most unsettling moment comes when Corporal Penning (played to perfection by Wes Chatham) non-confesses to a horrible crime. That is to say, he describes in a completely non-emotional manner what he did and then adds my pet-peeve phrase “Sorry for your loss”. Other reviews have labeled this character as having evolved in Iraq into a sociopath suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.

To understand the factual basis for the film, you should read the Wikkipedia article.

Other themes abound in the film: sexist resentment toward Detective Sanders (admirably played by Charlize Theron), father-son relations, military cover-ups, turf wars, etc.

Often I complain of the style of acting in which the actor does not emote, but rather expects the audience to guess what that character is thinking at that moment. Call it lazy acting. However, this style is used to great effect in this film and avoids the flaw of preaching.

Please enjoy something that Theron does well, namely: she is constantly battling male sexism, bureaucratic cover-ups, etc. But in several scenes she summons her courage and speaks out with a steely stare. However, just as soon as her adversary turns away, you can see her insecurity steal back into her eyes. Wonderful! Watch her interact not only with her pension-oriented boss but also with a powerful confrontation with Lt. Kirklander (Jason Patric).

And yes it took me some time to convince myself that it really was Jason Patric playing Lt. Kirklander as a military bureaucrat intent on protecting the army from bad publicity. Time flies!

Primarily because it is done so well (and secondarily because it addresses the effect of war on our young military) I urge you to see this film.

2009, Crime, DO NOT MISS, Drama, Drugs, Italian, Mafia, Redemption, Revenge, Sex Scenes, Suspense, True Story, Violent

The Sicilian Girl (2009)

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From NetFlix:

In this taut drama based on a true story, 17-year-old Rita (Veronica D’Agostino) is leading a privileged life when her father and brother are slain by rival Mafiosi. Bent on revenge, she turns to a sympathetic magistrate (Gérard Jugnot) and breaks the code of silence. In her journey from self-centered teenager to fearless advocate for justice, Rita enrages Sicily’s most powerful men, putting her life in jeopardy.

Probably the biggest impression I got from this amazing enactment of a true story was how all-encompassing and soul-destroying is the Mafia cult. For Rita the real stumbling block was accepting the fact that her adored father was no less a brutal and cruel assassin than all the other animals. Her own mother did her best to convince Rita to not testify even though the Mafia had killed Rita’s father and brother.

Also awe inspiring was the bravery of Rita and the prosecutor and all the other law enforcement staff. Human life means nothing to the Mafia.

Be prepared for a surprise (and true) ending.

2010, Australian, Car Chase, Crime, Detective, DO NOT MISS, Drama, Drugs, Grim, Lawyers, Police Story, Revenge, Slow, Suspense, Violent

Animal Kingdom (2010)

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From NetFlix:

When his mother dies suddenly, a 17-year-old boy (James Frecheville) finds himself drawn into the clutches of a diabolical criminal family, until a good-hearted detective (Guy Pearce) makes a concerted effort to change the boy’s fate. Australian writer-director David Michôd’s first feature-length drama won the World Cinema Jury Prize: Dramatic at the 2010 Sundance Film Festival

How lucky I was to stumble on this gem of a film! Confirming my excited impressions are all the rave reviews in the Wikipedia article.

Instead of Joshua, the boy is called simply ‘J’. For this entire Australian film, the character J is practically mute. We can only assume that some awful battle is taking place inside. When he speaks it is usually some terse (i.e. one word) answer such as ‘yeah’, spoken with a strong Australian accent. Not all the characters are terse, especially if they are hopped up on cocaine.

Suspense is palpable, especially because J is trapped in a herd of unbalanced and unrestrained uncles who are guided, encouraged, and protected by a menacingly evil grandmother Smurf. Understand: this is a very controlled film atmosphere. There are violence, drug use, and insanity in a film that is mostly quiet, SLOW, and threatening.

Expect two surprising plot twists. Do NOT read the Wikipedia summary first because it will spoil these surprises.

Most memorable moment for me: Catch the interchange between Guy Pearce and the grandmother in the supermarket toward the end of the film.

Toward the end be sure to catch Guy Pierce asking J if J has “found his place in the world” and then ask yourself what that really meant when the film reaches its startling conclusion.

I highly recommend this film!

2010, Acceptable for children, Biographical, DO NOT MISS, Drama, Feel Good For All

The King’s Speech (2010)

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From NetFlix:

Britain’s King George VI (Colin Firth) struggles with an embarrassing stutter for years until he seeks help from unorthodox Australian speech therapist Lionel Logue (Geoffrey Rush) in this biographical drama, which received multiple Golden Globe nods, including Best Picture. Logue’s pioneering treatment and unlikely friendship give the royal leader a sense of confidence that serves him and his country well during the dark days of World War II.

Quite possibly Colin Firth’s best film yet. His pairing with Geoffrey Rush is a perfect match and makes for very moving movie making. Definitely a feel-good film suitable for all (WARNING: there is a lot of yelling of curse words as part of Logue’s methodology).

There are some notable blasts from the past: Derek Jacobi (“I Claudius”) is the archbishop of Canterbury; Guy Pearce is George’s brother, the king who abdicated to marry a twice divorced American woman from Baltimore; Clair Bloom is Queen Mary; Anthony Andrews is Stanley Baldwin.

For me this is a “don’t miss” film!

2000, British Mystery Series, Bullying, Child Molestation, Conspiracy, Crime, Cynical, DO NOT MISS, Gritty, Occasional gore, Serial Killer, Violent

Waking The Dead (2000)

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From NetFlix:

A British version of CSI, this International Emmy-winning series follows the cold case unit, a team of top police investigators who use modern techniques to solve old murder cases. Led by Det. Peter Boyd (Trevor Eve), the group includes cops and scientists. They all combine forensics, psychology and old-fashioned police work to get results, but their jobs are on the lin, as they’ve been given only one year to prove their worth.

AUGUST 2019 UPDATE:

From Amazon Prime you can now stream 9 seasons.  Each season has between 8 and 12 episodes. Each self-contained story consists of 2 episodes.

Because many of the stories are quite GRIM, Kathy stopped watching.  But the plots are so gripping that I could not stop watching. Finally Boyd is forced to retire and the series ends.

In contrast with most British crime series, the crime solving team of characters remained constant except for one notable staff death and her replacement.

ORIGINAL REVIEW:

So far on DVD you can watch 4 seasons of this wonderful British detective series. In my opinion, this British version is better than the American CSI. You get to know and enjoy all the personalities. There are many seasons not yet available from NetFlix. If you go to Wikipedia, you can get a rundown of ALL the episodes from all the years. You will discover there that over the long series the characters change (some die, etc). The one charater that is constant is Det. Peter Boyd whose personality is one of an impetuous almost bullying man who after a while goes through psychoanalysis to improve his relations with his subordinates.

Kathy and I could not wait to see each episode. Enjoy!

2009, British Mystery Series, Child Molestation, Conspiracy, Could Be Hard To Watch, Cynical, Dark, DO NOT MISS, Drama, Grim, Gritty, Serial Killer, Sex Scenes, Torture, TV Series, Violent

Red Riding Trilogy (2009)

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Those of you with weak hearts or stomachs should not watch this three part British crime series. The three parts are:

  • Part 1: 1974

    • Loosely based on the facts surrounding Britain’s notorious Yorkshire Ripper case, this grim thriller, Part 1 in the television adaptation of David Peace’s novels, uncovers rampant police and civil corruption in mid-1970s Northern England. Girls are disappearing, the Yorkshire community is abuzz with gossip and fear, and a young reporter (Andrew Garfield) is suspicious when a mentally handicapped immigrant is fingered for the heinous crimes

  • Part 2: 1980

    • After six years of vicious unsolved murders, Manchester policeman Peter Hunter (Paddy Considine) arrives in West Yorkshire to supervise the Yorkshire Ripper investigation, along with a copycat killer case, in this second installment of the Red Riding trilogy. Meanwhile, he must also deal with local police corruption and his struggle to remain faithful to his wife while working closely with his ex, fellow investigator Helen Marshall (Maxine Peake).

  • Part 3: 1983

    • When the current case of a missing 10-year-old becomes linked to the abduction and murder of Clare Kemplay in 1974, investigators torture the man who found Clare’s body in an effort to learn more in this final installment of the Red Riding trilogy. Meanwhile, solicitor John Piggott’s (Mark Addy) conversations with the man found guilty of the old abduction points to a wrongful conviction and a search for the real murderer.

Each part is self-contained. Cynical in the extreme, these hopeless portraits deal with insurmountable official corruption at every level: police, journalists, politicians, businessmen, etc. At times the violence is difficult to watch.

Two items of interest: One reader has supplied an interesting bit of Yorkshire history that may explain the title. Also, because the plots are somewhat complicated, there is a Wikipedia article.

So why would you ever watch such a difficult theme ? Because these three gems are just about perfect in every way, provided you can stand to watch.

2008, Crime, DO NOT MISS, Drama, Lawyers, Suspense, TV Series

Canterbury’s Law (2008)

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From NetFlix:

Julianna Margulies stars in this prime-time Fox drama as spirited attorney Elizabeth Canterbury, a woman who balances her desire to help others seek justice with her own ongoing struggle to deal with her son’s unsolved disappearance. Though Elizabeth’s professional life is decidedly driven, her personal life with her law professor husband, Matt (Aidan Quinn), is haunted by their shared grief over losing their only child.

Because of her success in the TV-series “The Good Wife” Kathy and I are enthusiastic fans of Julianna Margulies. In that series she is a quiet but determined woman lawyer who has been wounded by her well-known husband’s public adultery.

In this earlier series “Canterbury’s Law” she again plays a lawyer with an entirely different personality. Here she is aggressive, more-or-less honest, with a “seek justice at any cost” attitude.

From what I have seen so far of the series, the plots are involving, well-written, and at the level of the “Law and Order” TV series.

Addendum: Having watched more of the series, I am now even more excited about the series. Don’t miss it!

There are only two DVDs for the series. We watched it with subtitles.

2001, Could Be Sad, DO NOT MISS, Drama

The Man From Elysian Fields (2001)

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From NetFlix:

After failing to get his latest book published, a Los Angeles novelist (Andy Garcia) finds it difficult to pay the bills and support his wife (Julianna Margulies) and son. He’s compelled to take a job with an elite male escort service called Elysian Fields (run by Mick Jagger) … which leads to him having an affair with the beautiful wife (Olivia Williams) of one of the world’s most successful writers (James Coburn), whom he also befriends

Again thanks to NetFlix for suggesting this touching, sad, well-written, beautifully acted small gem of a film. How is it that conversations in films can fall flat but some, even with somewhat ordinary content, can just sparkle and feel perfectly natural and right ? I guess it is a tribute to the actors in this film.

At first the Puritan in me rebelled against the idea that an author dying of diabetes would want his wife to be sexually satisfied by a male escort but eventually I bought into the idea. This film is neither tawdry nor titillating. Somehow it all just works.

Be prepared for some nasty plot twists. Be prepared for real sadness.

Nine years may not be a long time, but the actors’ physical appearance has changed a bit. Andy Garcia was incredibly handsome. For a while I did not recognize Julianna Margulies who is now having an enormous success in the wonderful TV series “The Good Wife”. I also did not recognize Olivia Williams as the prim, bespeckled but caring teacher in the film An Education (2008). And who knew that Mick Jagger was such a good actor. James Coburn is perfect as the obliging and dying famous author.