Category Archives: Drama

2003, Drama, Not Feel Good, Suspense, Unusual, Violent

It’s All About Love (2003)

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From NetFlix:

In this futuristic thriller about love and fate, professional ice skater Elena (Claire Danes) and her estranged husband, John (Joaquin Phoenix), live in different cities. When John heads to New York seeking a divorce from Elena, he finds her life has gone askew: Her friends and family appear to have their own plans regarding her future as a skater, and those plans depend on John’s cooperation. Can he and Elena escape their clutches … alive?

Joaquin Phoenix has never played in a bad film in my experience, and this is no exception. However, he is willing to take chances in unusual films. Consider this film an art film of sorts. It claims to take place in the future but for a while those aspects seem to have nothing to do with the suspenseful plot. Ignore the slow start and stay with the story for awhile. Eventually the extreme weather changes (it seems like just the opposite of global warming) enter into the plot. There is some violence. Since I watch many films, I have the time to spend on such unusual films, but perhaps you might choose another film to watch.

2008, Could Be Hard To Watch, DO NOT MISS, Drama, TV Series

In Treatment (2008)

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From NetFlix:

Get inside psychoanalyst Paul Weston’s (Gabriel Byrne, in a Golden Globe-winning
role) head with this original series from HBO. After dealing with his patients’
traumas and issues, Weston caps off his week with a visit to therapist Dr. Gina
Toll (Dianne Wiest) to unload his own problems. Weston’s diverse patients include
an anesthesiologist (Melissa George) in a relationship crisis, a Navy pilot (Blair
Underwood) and a conflicted couple (Josh Charles and Embeth Davidtz).

We are hooked again on another TV Series. Season 1 of In Treatment” consists of 9 discs from NetFlix. When you open one of these discs you see photos of several people. Each person (or persons) is an episode. That person is in session with the psychiatrist. Each “talking heads” session is really involving.

Some warnings:

  • Each disc treats the same patients and then the psychiatrist visits his own psychiatrist. So from disc to disc you watch the progress in each case. But they all are interrelated
  • The very first session of disc 1 could be a turnoff. Laura, the attractive young anesthesiologist, describes explicitly a tawdry sexual encounter. I hope they did not begin the series with this episode just to attract an audience. Don’t let this session keep you from the other sessions. Moreover that patient is very important in the series.

In all cases the acting is superlative. The characters for the first season are:

Paul
Gabriel Byrne is the psychiatrist.
Laura
Besides being beautiful, Melissa George is an extraordinarily difficult patient. She is intelligent, seductive, and manipulative in the extreme.
Alex
Blair Underwood is the black fighter pilot. He has appeared in “Dirty Sexy Money” and “Law and Order SVU”.
Sophie
Mia Wasikowska is just plain brillant as a young gymnast.
Jake and Amy
Amy is played by Embeth Davidtz. She appeard in “Grey’s Anatomy”
Jake is played by Josh Charles. He has appeared in “Law and Order SVU”. This is one fighting couple and how!
Gina
Dianne Wiest plays Paul’s psychiatrist. Hers may well be the most familar face. She was a regular on “Law and Order” for many episodes.

Of all the TV series that Kathy and I have watched, this one so far is the most compelling and addictive adult presentation we have seen.

2009, Could Be Sad, DO NOT MISS, Drama, Feel Good For All

Last Chance Harvey (2009)

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From NetFlix:

Dustin Hoffman stars in this romantic dramedy as Harvey Shine, a
struggling jingle writer who risks losing his job to attend his
daughter’s London wedding, only to discover he is not exactly welcome
at the ceremony. While seeking refuge in the airport bar, Harvey meets
a lonely statistician named Kate (Emma Thompson) and soon finds himself
happily thrust into an unexpected romance. Hoffman and Thompson both
picked up Golden Globe nominations for their roles.

This is one sweet film. Hoffman and Thompson really pair off well. Beware: there are some tensely embarrassing moments for poor Harvey. But isn’t it rare these days to find a gentle feel-good movie suitable for all viewers ?

Do you believe this: Thompson (born in 1959) is 50 years old. Hoffman (born in 1937) is 72 years old. Not bad!

2008, Drama

Vicky Cristina Barcelona (2008)

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From NetFlix:

Javier Bardem stars in the latest effort from legendary filmmaker Woody
Allen as a flamboyant painter who finds himself in the middle of a unique
relationship with Vicky (Rebecca Hall) and Christina (Scarlett Johansson),
a pair of American tourists. Penélope Cruz (with her first Oscar win)
also stars as Bardem’s insanely jealous ex-wife, Maria Elena, in this
quirky romantic dramedy (winner of a Best Comedy Golden Globe) set in
Barcelona.

The manner in which this film is narrated reminds me of that quirky TV series “Arrested Development”. There is a continual voice-over that seems to be serious, but in reality the narrative is a bit tongue-in-cheek. In any case, the style lends a certain lightness to the story.

The film may be fun to watch, but the characters constitute a set of really mixed-up people. I just don’t buy the philosophies. What’s wrong with a marriage that seems to have a future ? Granted, all that talk about the perfect house and the perfect decorator gets to be a bit much. But don’t underestimate the value of finding a “steady Eddie”.

Scarlett Johansson is easy on the eyes, but sometimes I swear she reads her lines like a high-school sophomore.

And wasn’t Javier Bardem better in the films of Almodóvar ?

When the characters speak Spanish, there are English subtitles.

2008, Drama

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008)

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From NetFlix:

David Fincher directs this adaptation of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s classic
tale set in the early 20th century that follows Benjamin Button (Brad
Pitt), a man who was born in his 80s and continually grows younger. The
story throws linear conventions upside down to explore love, loss and
memories from the perspective of a character living under incredibly
unique — and unexpectedly difficult — circumstances. Cate Blanchett
co-stars in this Oscar nominee for Best Picture.

This is one long film – 3 hours! But it was good enough that I did not mind the length. At times I felt that the segments of Button’s life were too disjointed, but toward the end of the film it made for better continuity and sense.

The conceit is clever and entertaining. It is actually fun watching someone begin his life as an old man and then become younger and younger until he is an infant. The story actually works! I am not sure an expert in facial development would agree with each stage of Button’s life.

But get serious: would I really want to grow younger so that in time (for however briefly) I looked like Brad Pitt ?

YOU’RE DAMN RIGHT I WOULD !!!

2003, British Mystery Series, Conspiracy, Detective, DO NOT MISS, Drama, Gritty, Suspense, TV Series

State of Play (2003)

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From NetFlix:

Powerful politico Stephen Collins (David Morrissey) is embroiled in a scandal when his
research assistant dies in a freak accident and his former campaign manager Cal McAffrey
(John Simm), now a reporter, realizes the incident may be linked to the death of a drug
dealer. As McAffrey digs deeper, he uncovers a dangerous connection between government
and big business in this exciting conspiracy thriller from the BBC.

This version is a 2-disc, 6-episode British TV series that predates the Hollywood film. Reviews for the film have been lukewarm, but they recommended this TV series that I got from NetFlix. Kathy and I could not wait to see each exciting installment. Acting is excellent. Details are well worked out. But pay attention in this conspiracy thriller. From time to time we would pause the DVD player and confer on whether we really understood what was happening. Even toward the end when things seem to be settling down you should hang on for more surprise.

I cannot recommend this British TV series highly enough.

2008, Biographical, Could Be Sad, Drama, Imperfect, Not Feel Good, Redemption, Violent

What Doesn’t Kill You (2008)

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From NetFlix:

Partners in crime Paulie (Ethan Hawke) and Brian (Mark Ruffalo) find themselves at odds after years of pulling dangerous jobs, surviving turf wars and evading a determined detective (Donnie Wahlberg) in this gritty crime drama set in South Boston. The childhood buddies have gone through the wringer together, but when Brian’s relationship with his wife (Amanda Peet) begins to fall apart, their loyal friendship is tested.

I almost did not finish this film. It just seemed like any other film about South Boston hoodlums. However, the last part of the film contains the film’s message. Indeed that half belongs to Mark Ruffalo who beautifully portrays a discouraged former alcholic who desperately wants to be a good father to his sons. This story is based on the life of Brian Goodman who plays Pat Kelly in the movie. The film ends, as do many “true” films, with lines of text that explain what happened in Goodman’s life beyond the end of the film. Note also that the minor role of Detective Moran is played by the brother of Mark Wahlberg. This is only a B-film, but Ruffalo does a wonderful job.

2008, Could Be Hard To Watch, Drama, Independent, Not Feel Good

Frozen River (2008)

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From NetFlix:

On a Mohawk reservation on the Canadian border, Ray (Melissa Leo, in an Oscar-nominated role) teams with widowed tribe member Lila (Misty Upham) to smuggle illegal immigrants into the United States. Although the work provides the women with much-needed money, each trip puts them in danger. How long will their luck hold before the authorities close in? Charlie McDermott co-stars in this drama nominated for multiple Independent Spirit Awards, including Best Feature.

Talk about gritty! Ray has two boys and an irresponsible Mohawk husband who disappears to gamble (with sources such as a mortgage payment). Hers is a life of barely getting by. In fact life on the reservation isn’t any better for anyone else. Ray is a gutsy lady fighting to keep her 15-year-old in school when he really wants to get a job. The opening slow pan onto her worn, depressed expression tells you we are in for tough sledding: the 15-year-old tries to invent a scam to steal enough to pay for their rented TV, the kidnapping business might be a tad dangerous, and there’s more! Think of this film as engaging reality TV. If nothing else comes of your watching, at least be grateful for what you have.

For another review see the New York Times review.

2008, Biographical, Could Be Sad, Drama, Feel Good Not For Children

The Secret Life of Bees (2008)

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From NetFlix:

Haunted by the death of her mother, 14-year-old Lily (Dakota Fanning) escapes the dreary life she lives on her father’s farm and heads to Tiburon, S.C., with her friend and caregiver, Rosaleen (Jennifer Hudson), setting off on a life-changing journey of self-discovery. Set amidst the hotbed of racial tensions in the South in the 1960s, Gina Prince-Bythewood’s dramatic tale is based on the bestselling novel by Sue Monk Kidd.

Basically this is a really sweet and gentle film. Just ignore the incident of racial violence near the beginning that starts Lily and Rosaleen on their odyssey (and even that incident is not too hard to watch). Do I believe there was this oasis of black happiness somewhere in the South of the 1960s? Who cares! Just enjoy the conceit. Did Lily become awfully mature for a girl her age? Who cares! Did the film sometimes border on the maudlin? Who cares!

For some background on the author and her novel see the Wikipedia article.

2008, DO NOT MISS, Drama, Explicit sex, Not Feel Good, Nudity, Redemption, Suspense

The Reader (2008)

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From NetFlix:

Michael Berg (Ralph Fiennes) reflects on the formative sexual relationship he had with older woman Hanna Schmitz (Kate Winslet, in a Golden Globe- and Oscar-winning role) as a young teenager in this poignant drama set in post-World War II Germany. The passionate affair ended when Hanna disappeared. But years later, Michael learns she’s on trial for horrific Nazi war crimes. David Kross plays the teenage Michael in this film based on Bernhard Schlink’s best-seller.

I am still shaking after watching this powerful, superb, maddening film. I was and am still so angry at the male protagonist. Without giving anything away, he was such a “Hamlet” that he allows his female counterpart to suffer more than she need have. I refuse to accept that he was sparing her feelings. Hopefully one of you will have a different point of view and share it with us. Why on earth did he behave as he did ?

The acting is perfect. David Kross does so fine a job I could have strangled him.

Lots of sex, not for children.