Category Archives: Drugs

2010, Cowboy, Crime, Detective, Drugs, Made For TV, Police Story, Sex Scenes, TV Series, Violent, Vulgar

Justified (2010)

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From NetFlix:

Based on an Elmore Leonard short story, “Justified” stars Timothy Olyphant as Raylan Givens, a young U.S. Marshal who’s been assigned to help keep order in the same Kentucky region where he spent his childhood. Givens is a thoughtful but determined old-style lawman who seems strangely out of place in a modern, turbulent society. That places him at odds not only with the criminals he pursues, but also with his bosses at the U.S. Marshals Service.

“Justified” gets its name from the pattern adopted by this TV series: U.S. Marshal Raylan Givens at least once in each episode is placed in a duel-like situation in which his gun is holstered and the one or more bad guys are armed visibly or with hidden weapons. Now these guys are soooooo bad that they are worth killing. Moreover the bad guy(s) always shoot first. Needless to say our hero Marshal Givens always gets his man. So you usually see a neat little bullet hole and maybe some blood. At any rate, the killing is JUSTIFIED (get it?) .

Actually the atmosphere is just like the home town feeling of the vampire series “True Blood” because Raylan was assigned to his old home town in Kentucky and knows a lot of good guys and bad guys. The badest guy of all is Raylan’s nasty crook of a father – and now we know why our hero became a police officer.

And yes Raylan does get to sleep with an attractive woman (with the required air of legal reluctance, “We should not do this too often”).

All said, the series is a lot of fun, the plots are not bad, and Timothy Olyphant knows how to act tongue in cheek. Try it, you’ll like it!

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, Car Chase, Crime, Detective, Drama, Drugs, Gangs, Love Story, Redemption, Revenge, Sex Scenes, Suspense, Violent, Vulgar

The Town (2010)

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From NetFlix:

Career bank robber Doug (Ben Affleck) and his volatile partner, Jim (Jeremy Renner), hit a roadblock when Doug falls for bank manager Claire (Rebecca Hall), whom he kidnapped during their last heist. Worse, an FBI agent (Jon Hamm) is now trailing the thieves around their Charlestown, Mass., territory. Affleck directs and co-writes this smart, intricate actioner that co-stars Blake Lively as Krista, Jim’s sister and Doug’s troubled former flame.

No doubt about it, Ben Affleck shows how multi-talented he is in this adaptation from Chuck Hogan’s novel “Prince of Thieves”!

Yes, there are the mandatory car chases, sex scenes, shoot outs at the OK Coral, etc. But I was always rooting for Affleck’s character Doug, hoping he could turn his life around. However, cooperative crime is a trap, once a member always a member. Somehow his relation with Claire adds something distinct about the film (but then there is always “On the Waterfront”).

Jan Hamm is wonderfully forceful as the FBI lead agent. It’s nice to see him as something other than one of the “Mad Men”.

One of my favorite villains, he plays “The Florist”, is the Cheshire, England born-and-raised Pete Postlethwaite (I wonder how you pronounce that name). His final end in this film is very satisfying.

Please read the Wikipedia article which tries hard to dispel the myth that Charlestown remains a breeding ground for criminals. Too bad the article didn’t explain how they filmed all those destructive car chases.

My one real objection is that at the end of the film (this is not a spoiler) Doug has arranged too many clever details. And just when, amidst the shooting, did he have time for those arrangements?

2010, Drama, Drugs, Gloomy, Grim, Occasional gore, Violent

Winter’s Bone (2010)

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From NetFlix:

In director Debra Granik’s unflinching noir drama set deep in the Ozarks, resilient teen Ree Dolly (Jennifer Lawrence) goes on the trail of her missing, drug-dealing father when his absence jeopardizes the family’s safety. Her deadbeat dad has a key court date pending, and Ree is determined that he show up — despite the objections of the insular Dolly clan. The film earned an Independent Spirit Award nod and won the Grand Jury Prize at Sundance.

Jennifer Lawrence superbly lets a light shine in a grim Ozark setting in which the standard livelihood is cooking crystal meth. Compared with all the other characters she is just too healthy looking, too normal size, too responsible, really too attractive. But she is not Hollywood, she fits right in.

In one sense you might describe most of the film as Ree’s searching and visiting one strange character after another looking for her dad Jessup. Even so, the journey is never boring, probably because every second feels so authentic (but then, I’ve never been in the Ozarks and, from what the film shows me, I will NEVER visit the Ozarks).

One odd fact: there is absolutely no reference to sex in the film.

Without giving anything away, please stay with the story and I promise you a happy ending.

2000, Could Be Hard To Watch, Dark, Drugs, Explicit sex, Gay theme, Grim, Horror, Nudity, Occasional gore, Sadism, Serial Killer, Suspense, Violent, Vulgar

American Psycho (2000)

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From NetFlix:

With a chiseled chin and an iron physique, Patrick Bateman’s looks make him the ideal yuppie — and the ideal serial killer. That’s the joke behind American Psycho, which follows a killer at large during the 1980s junk-bond boom. Bateman (Christian Bale) takes pathological pride in everything from his business card to his Huey Lewis CD collection, all the while plotting his next victim’s vivisection.

Opinions vary wildly on this controversial film. Despite the horror, I found myself laughing at the satirical approach to nonchalant mayhem. Moreover, in this vein I saw the obvious connection between this story and the TV series Dexter (2006) featuring a serial killer who kills serial killers.

Certain more objectionable parts were left in the uncut version that I got from NetFlix. Should I have felt guilty watching this film ? At any rate, let me just jot down some “notes” and let you decide. To help you form an opinion you might also read the Wikipedia article.

  • Christian Bale is a study in perfect acting. He put himself through intense physical training to look the part.
  • Much of the satire centers on the complete vapidity of the financial traders. They constantly try to outdo each other by creating fancy calling cards. At one point Patrick is so incensed that someone else’s card is nicer than his card that he goes out and vents his anger by murdering someone.
  • Another point of satire is the obsession about eating at the best restaurant, one-upping each other on begin able to get a prized reservation.
  • Reese Witherspoon does a great job as Patrick’s clueless fiancee. In one restaurant scene she babbles on about the personalities she spies while Patrick is drawing sadomasochistic pictures on the tablecloth.
  • Willem Dafoe is a totally different actor from his usual self. He successfully portrays a private detective affecting an exaggerated smile and cloying society manners.
  • Little by little I began to suspect that Patrick’s intimate circle of financial goons (who explicitly hated women) were all homosexual. Patrick calls this phenomenon the “Yale thing”.
  • As he prepares yet another victim for slaughter, he banters on and on to that unsuspecting victim about the marvels of some piece of popular music.
  • You never see damage being done to a human body. You may be there while it is happening, but you do not really see it. Just the very bloody aftermath. At one point you see a completely naked and blood covered Patrick running down a hall with a chain saw.
  • At one point Patrick really loses his grip and the film also seems to lose control.

My biggest disappointment was that I did not understand how the story ended. If anyone has the stomach to watch this blood bath, please tell me how Patrick gets away with his crimes. Did he kill someone who was pretending to be Paul Allen ? What happened when at the end he steals into an apartment being shown for rent only to discover that all his bodies stashed in the closet have disappeared ?

Not really a gore fest, but close!

2010, Animated, Biographical, Drugs, Explicit sexual discussion, Gay theme, True Story, Vulgar

Howl (2010)

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From NetFlix:

James Franco steps into the shoes of famed Beat poet Allen Ginsberg in this star-studded biopic centered around Ginsberg’s poem “Howl” — and the widely publicized obscenity trial that followed its publication in 1957. Documentarians Rob Epstein and Jeffrey Friedman (The Times of Harvey Milk) direct, with an A-list ensemble cast that includes Jon Hamm, David Strathairn, Jeff Daniels and Mary-Louise Parker.

“Howl” is probably not for everyone (but what film is ?). Indeed it contains many words conventionally considered vulgar. That, in fact, is what the film is about: a courtroom trying to decide if the publisher of Howl (Ferlinghetti) must go to jail on obscenity charges.

So what is there to like about this “documentary” ?

  • No dialogs are invented. Every single word that you hear came from someone in the past.
  • Much of the original poem “Howl” is recited by the actor portraying Ginsberg. This is done is two ways: Either the actor is shown reciting his poem in a coffee house, or you hear the lines while watching very imaginative and appropriate animation.
  • You get to hear pro and con courtroom discussions about Ginsberg’s work.
  • You can see photos and film clips of the past and even see Ginsberg himself doing a small bit of recitation.
  • Don’t miss the final screen notes (just before the credits) that tell us what happened to the personalities (Ginsberg, Cassady, Kerouac, Orlovsky, etc).

For a really good history of that era see the Wikepedia article

Of course the film was slanted in favor of Ginsberg: you wouldn’t make such a film if you objected to his work. But I was annoyed at coffee house scenes in which the audience acts in a way to make it clear they are “moved”. It just seemed phony.

2010, Could Be Hard To Watch, Cynical, Dark, Drugs, Grim, Occasional gore, Redemption, Suspense, Violent

Repo Men (2010)

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From NetFlix:

In the world of this sci-fi thriller set in the not-too-distant future, artificial organs are readily available to anybody with a credit card. But what happens if a buyer falls delinquent on his payments? Jude Law stars as an organ repo man who’s now fleeing his ex-partner after failing to keep up the payments on his own recently installed ticker. Miguel Sapochnik directs; Forest Whitaker and Liev Schreiber co-star.

Do NOT watch this film with your family in front of a cozy fire near the Christmas tree because “Repo Men” is easily one of the more gory and disturbing films I have ever seen. It is based on the novel Repossession Mambo by Eric Garcia. Having warned you, I now encourage those of you with strong stomachs to see this film. Jude Law, newly beefed up, and his partner Forest Whitaker portray chillingly a pair of opportunist thugs whose job is indeed to retrieve transplanted body organs from clients who have fallen behind on their outrageously expensive loans at more than 19% interest. You must be able to watch Jude Law use a stun gun to paralyze a “deadbeat” and then rip the client’s body open and reach in and pull out a heart, liver, kidney, or whatever. Perhaps you might prefer a Disney movie.

As with so many post-apocalyptic stories, there are abandoned, gritty sections of the city where the castoffs live. It seems most castoffs are hunted for their bodies filled with transplanted organs. For a similar situation see the film “Blade Runner”. Also note the theme of organ transplants in films such as “Dirty Pretty Things” and “Never Let Me Go”.

Before you click away from this description, I have to say that in a certain way this is a story of redemption. There is a point here. Whereas Liev Schreiber does a superb job as an amoral salesman for body parts, and whereas Forest Whitaker seems unconcerned about the ugliness of it all (after all, “a job is just a job”), Jude Law starts to regret and eventually realizes the horror of what he does for a living.

Because the ending confused me, I found it helpful to read the Wikipedia article. Perhaps reading the original book might help.

You have been warned!

2009, Crime, Detective, Drugs, Explicit sex, Gangs, Nudity, Police Story, Revenge, Sex Scenes, Violent

Brooklyn’s Finest (2009)

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From NetFlix:

Antoine Fuqua directs this tense drama about three wildly different New York cops whose paths collide in a Brooklyn housing project, where each must make a decision that will change the course of their lives forever. Cynical, washed-up Eddie (Richard Gere) no longer cares about the job or the rules; cash-strapped Sal (Ethan Hawke) sees a shortcut to solvency; and Tango (Don Cheadle) is torn between conflicting loyalties. Ellen Barkin co-stars.

Grim is the word that comes to mind, in addition to violent, bloody, despairing, cynical, etc. The scenes switch rapidly and constantly among the three separate stories. Only one officer reaches anything resembling positive closure and I’m not telling. Instead of watching this film, why not go and hug someone you love ?

2009, Child Molestation, Crime, Detective, DO NOT MISS, Drama, Drugs, Gangs, Gay theme, Rape, Suspense, TV Series, Violent, Vulgar

Southland (2009)

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From NetFlix:

This hard-hitting drama follows the trials and triumphs of a group of dedicated Los Angeles cops, including tough veteran John Cooper (Michael Cudlitz), who begins this show’s first season training rookie patrolman Ben Sherman (Benjamin McKenzie). Other characters sworn to serve and protect include Detectives Russell Clarke (Tom Everett Scott) and Lydia Adams (Regina King), single-mom patrol officer Chickie Brown (Arija Bareikis) and more

If you liked “NYPD BLue” or “Law and Order”, you will love “Southland”. Full of tense crime scenes and personal stories, the series is DYNAMITE! Enough said.