Category Archives: Father-daughter relations

2021, Abuse of Women, Acceptable Trash, Action sequences, Bad Acting, Bloody scenes, Boating, Complicated, Confusing Plot, Corny, Corruption, Drama, Ethical struggles, Explicit sex, Extramarital Affair, False Imprisonment, Family Conflict, Father-daughter relations, Father-son relations, Fist Fight, Gay theme, Illegitimate Child, Love Story, Marital Infidelity, Murder, Netflix Streaming, Nudity, Poor plot management, Prison, Rape, Revenge, Spanish, Suspense, Telenovela, Violent

Who Killed Sara (2021)

Leave a comment

From IMDB:

Hell-bent on exacting revenge and proving he was framed for his sister’s murder, Álex sets out to unearth much more than the crime’s real culprit.

From Netflix you can stream two seasons of this never-ending Spanish telenovela. Season one offers 10 episodes. Season two consists of 8 episodes.  Each episode last about 40 minutes. Spoken Spanish with English subtitles.

As is usually the case  “Spanish Telenovela” implies “acceptable trash.”  Be prepared for a complicated, ever shifting plot and characters that seem to pop out of nowhere.  You might want to make a list of characters as this pot boiler proceeds.  Try and guess the fathers of each of the illegitimate children.  Do not get upset if the time sequence is sometimes incorrect.  Nor does it matter if sometimes the chosen actor just doesn’t seem to match the role because that is how telenovelas are made.

For a good time just muddle your way through this cinematic mess that wants to be serious.

2016, Abduction, Coarse manners, Divorce, Eccentric Detective, Family Conflict, Father-daughter relations, German, German Detectives, Jewelry theft, Mental Illness, MHz Choice, Missing Person, Murder, Murder Investigation, Nudity, Police Culture, Religious fanatic, Religious Theme, Revenge, Serial Killer, Stalker, Suspense, Teenagers

Wolfsland (2016)

Leave a comment

From MHz Choice:

Criminalist Viola Delbrück and Detective Burkhard “Butch” Schulz are mismatched investigators in this atmospheric German crime drama set in the mountains of Upper Lusatia.

From MHz Choice you can stream one season consisting of 6 episodes. Each episode lasts about 1.5 hours and is a complete story. German with subtitles.

Running through the 6 episodes are several themes, the most important being the fact that Viola’s former husband is stalking her and determined to win her back.  Viola is an intelligent and sincere detective who tries to follow the rules.  Detective “Butch” on the other hand is a real pain-in-the neck who is most often rude but underneath  the coarse surface is, in his own way, a caring person.

Well done set of engrossing stories.

2014, Acceptable Trash, Accidental Death, Addiction, Alcoholism, Alzheimer's disease, Amazon Prime, Arson, Art Marketing, Autism, Binge worthy, Brother-Brother relations, Brother-Sister relations, Cancer theme, Cooking and food, Corny at times, Corrupt Prison Guards, Courtroom scenes, Depression, Detective, Divorce, DO NOT MISS, Drugs, Dysfunctional Lives, Ethical struggles, Explicit sex, Explicit sexual discussion, Extramarital Affair, Failing Marriage, False Imprisonment, Family Conflict, Father-daughter relations, Father-son relations, Fishing, Flashbacks, Flirting, Friendship, Gay theme, Happy Family Gatherings, Husband leaves wife, Illegitimate Child, Incompetent or unfit mother, Lawyers, Longsuffering wife, Love Story, Love Triangle, Marital Infidelity, Medical Theme, Mental Illness, Mother-daughter relations, Mother-son relations, Murder, Murder Investigation, Murder Trial, Narcissist, Nudity, Occasionaly violent, Prison, Psychiatrists, Romance, Small Town, Small Town Atmosphere, Soap Opera, Suicide, Surfing, Unhappy Marriage, Unmarried mother, Weird California Cultures, Wife leaves husband, Womanizing

The Affair (2014)

Leave a comment

From IMDB:

A struggling novelist and a young waitress strike up an extramarital relationship that promises to forever change the course of their lives.

From Amazon Prime you can stream the 10 episodes of this steamy romance and crime series. Each episode is just under 1 hour.

UPDATE:  Now from Amazon Prime you can stream 5 seasons of the soap opera that never ends. Season 2 has 12 episodes. Season 5 has 11 episodes. Seasons 1,3, and 4 have 10 episodes. Each episode is still about one hour.  That gives us a total of 53 hours of soap opera escape.

Nothing is perfect. Some portions are downright corny.  There is a strange interruption in plot when Noah seems to be having a series of psychotic episodes.  Did the writers forget to finish that part of the story?   Sometimes present events plus flashbacks from the past might seem somewhat confusing.

Toward the end I watched slowly because I did not want the story to end.  If a LOOOONG soap opera with a fair number of sometimes explicit sex scenes is your thing, DO NOT MISS!

Original review:

Noah Solloway is played by Dominic West,  the British actor with a long acting resumé. At the time of filming he was 45 years old.

Alison Bailey is played by Ruth Wilson, the British actress whose own resumé is just as long even though she was only 32 years old at the time of filming.  Her role as the sociopath “Alice Morgan” in the TV series “Luther” was chillingly unforgettable.

Alison’s marriage is failing while she and her husband morn the death of their young son.  Noah is having trouble writing his second novel and is trying desperately to be faithful to his wife even though he is immediately attracted to Alison.

Along the way there is a death that is being investigated  by Detective Jeffries.

As soap operas go, this one is not too bad.

2020, Anti-women Victorian attitudes, British Mystery Series, Corrupt policemen, Detective, False Imprisonment, Father-daughter relations, Flirting, Frame someone for a crime, Friendship, Gay theme, Greed, Happy ending, Male Chauvinism, Mildly Violent, Murder, Murder Investigation, PBS Masterpiece Streaming, Police Corruption, Police Culture, Police Investigation, Police Politics, Romance, Suspense, Unjust crime conviction, Upstairs - Downstairs, Women's Equality

Miss Scarlet and the Duke (2020)

Leave a comment

From IMDB:

Eliza Scarlet joins forces with a Scotland Yard Inspector to solve crime in 19th century London.

PBS Masterpiece is showing each episode one week at a time. From PBS Passport all 6 episodes can already be streamed. Each episode is about 1.5 hours.

Eliza Scarlet is the daughter of deceased detective Henry. She needs to earn a living and wants to be a detective herself.  She meets resistance to this goal from Scotland Yard Detective William ‘The Duke’ Wellington who was also a friend to Henry.  In each episode she fights to be included in the current investigation and also in each episode she gains a bit more respect from the anti-feminist William. Of course, a romance is in the making. Overriding the 6 episodes is the question: How did Eliza’s father Henry really die?

Involving period piece.  Worth the watch.

2018, Acceptable for teenagers, Action sequences, Alcoholism, Binge worthy, Blackmail, Bloody scenes, Conspiracy, Controlling personality, Dark, DO NOT MISS, Ethical struggles, Family Conflict, Father-daughter relations, Greed, Grim, High school students, MHz Choice, Mother-daughter relations, Murder, Murder Investigation, Norwegian, Norwegian Crime Story, Norwegian Detective, Police Culture, Police Investigation, Police Politics, Possibly upsetting ending, Psychopath, School Teacher, Small Town, Sociopath, Suicide, Suspense, Troubled Personality, Violent

Kieler Street (2018)

Leave a comment

From MHz Choice:

Kieler Street is a fresh and uniquely characterful drama-thriller that deconstructs what it really means to be a “normal” person. Criminal or not, most of us are capable of doing extreme things in our pursuit of a peaceful existence – but just how far are we willing to go? In this acclaimed Norwegian drama, former criminal Jonas has started a new life in Slusvik, Scandinavia’s most peaceful little town. He has it all: a happy family, a great job and the quiet life he always wanted. But when Geir, Jonas’ AA sponsor, cracks his cover, the facade starts falling apart and Jonas realizes he’s not the only one in Slusvik with a secret. And they’re all prepared to do whatever it takes to protect the illusion they have created…

From MHz Choice you can stream the 10 episodes of this Norwegian crime drama. Each episode lasts about 45 minutes.

Be prepared for a very disquieting story.  Should we root for Jonas who, although he supposedly is repentant and wants to reform and have a peaceful life,  is essentially a violent personality?  In addition he is easily led toward his worst impulses by a spectacularly evil psychopath William, who is also leading a second life in Slusvik. It seems that a mysterious company can be paid to give its criminal clients a second life in Slusvik. So you never know which inhabitants of the town are “second lifers.”

Driving the story towards its surprising climax is the question “Will any of these villains get caught?”  Moreover, “Will the wily and smart outside detective Marius learn the truth despite the jealous competition of the amateur and naive  local police officers?”

Would you send me your reaction to the final conclusion?

Enjoy the suspense. DO NOT MISS!

2020, Abandoned child, Abduction, Acceptable for teenagers, Acceptable Trash, Action sequences, Addiction, Adopted child, Aliens from outer space, Anti-Immigration, Bisexual theme, Brother-Brother relations, Brother-Sister relations, Conspiracy, Cooking and food, Corny, Dancing, Drugs, Father-daughter relations, Flashbacks, Friendship, Gay theme, Government cover-up, Government medical experiment, Immigrants, Incomplete ending, Latino Culture, Lesbian Theme, Love Story, Love Triangle, Melodrama, Mental Illness, Mildly Suspenseful, Mildly Violent, Missing Person, Mother-daughter relations, Mother-son relations, Murder, Netflix Streaming, Nice Aliens, Occasionaly violent, Racial Prejudice, Romance, Sci-Fi, Sister-sister relations, Strange Ending, Unusual ending

Roswell (2020)

Leave a comment

From IMDB:

Centers on a town where aliens with unearthly abilities live undercover among humans. But when a violent attack points to a greater alien presence, the politics of fear and hatred threaten to expose them.

From Netflix;

A decade after the death of her sister, Liz reluctantly returns to her small hometown and reconnects with her teenage crush Max.

From Netflix you can stream 2 seasons of this sci-fi soap opera. Each season consists of 13 episodes, each episode usually lasting exactly 42 minutes (think of the film cutting involved!)

Ignore the seemingly serious thumb print summaries above. Nothing about this pseudo sci-fi love fest should be taken seriously. Rather the point is to just relax and enjoy the corny and acceptable trash.

As far as the virtually unknown actors let us briefly note that Nathan Parsons (who plays Max Evans) is Australian and that Jeanine Mason (who plays Liz Ortecho)  won Season 5 of FOX’s “So You Think You Can Dance” and earned the title of America’s Favorite Dancer. So much for fame!

If there is anything serious about this fun time-waster, it is the theme of the problems faced by illegal immigrants. In this respect the story is often political. Border agents are painted as racist bullies.  And there there are the fairly common difficulties of drug addiction.  Finally let us not overlook the prominent gay theme.

Because season 2 ends so abruptly,  the series demands another season.

I LOVE TRASH!

2017, Abduction, Abuse of Women, Acceptable Trash, Action Hero, Action sequences, B-movie, Binge worthy, Blackmail, Bloody scenes, Bromance, Brother-Brother relations, Chase film, Complicated, Contract Killing, Corruption, Cover-up, Death penalty debate, Detective, Extramarital Affair, Father-daughter relations, Forensics, Frame someone for a crime, Friendship, Happy ending, Improbable details, Invincible Hero, Marital Infidelity, Mediocre, Mental Illness, Mother-son relations, Murder, Must suspend disbelief, Netflix Streaming, Personal Betrayal, Police Corruption, Psychiatrists, Psychopath, Torture, Violent

Somewhere Between (2017)

Leave a comment

From IMDB:

A local news producer is given one chance to relive a deadly week and stop a serial killer. If she fails, she’ll lose her daughter forever.

From Netflix:

While investigating a serial killer, strange coincidences begin to pile up around news producer Laura. Suddenly, her daughter disappears.

From Netflix you can stream 8 episodes of this TV thriller. Each episode lasts about 43 minutes.

Give this production B or, if you are feeling generous, B+.  Why the negativity on my part?  Don’t misunderstand me, I binged from one suspenseful episode to the next. But in order to let the good guys win and the bad guys lose, this plot will supply as many implausible or impossible details as it takes to succeed.  As an example,  in one comical device that is used several times, our heroes are submerged in water and can hold their breath for practically an entire episode. Perhaps I exaggerate, but you get the idea.

If any of the actors managed to steal the show, it was the 8 year old Serena (played to smart aleck perfection by Aria Birch) who plays the daughter of the news producer Laura Price.

At least a whole raft of unknown actors got a chance to perform.

Rest assured, after watching all the bad guys come to their well earned demise,  you can enjoy a happy sappy ending.

2020, Abduction, Abuse of Women, Amazon Prime, Barely Acceptable Trash, Bloody scenes, Comedy, Could Be Hard To Watch, Crude Talk, Embarrassing episodes, Farce, Father-daughter relations, Grungy, Kazakh, Kazakhstan, Male Chauvinism, Nudity, Outrageous Behavior, Political Satire, Remarkable Costumes, Satire, Sight Gags, Slapstick, Vulgar

Borat Subsequent Moviefilm (2020)

Leave a comment

From IMDB:

Follow-up film to the 2006 comedy centering on the real-life adventures of a fictional Kazakh television journalist named Borat.

From Amazon Prime you can stream this 1 hour 35 minute complete film.  Spoken language is  Kazakh (which is a Turkic language), the official language of Kazakhstan, and English. Part of the fun of the film is that the Kazakh is translated into English subtitles written in ungrammatical garbled phrases.  Just listening to Borat murdering the English language is a hoot.

Basically this at times wildly funny satire is aimed at Donald Trump and his band of merry Trump Thugs.  Secondarily the goal is also to make fun of Kazakhstan.  Supposedly the plot is this: Borat must present his daughter to Donald Trump as a gift to avoid being executed in Kazakhstan in an “excruciatingly painful manner.”

Borat (Sacha Baron Cohen) paints Kazakhstan as a backward collection of shabby villages in which women, including his daughter,  are kept in cages with absolutely no rights. Throughout the film he and his daughter quote the Kazakhstan bible which instructs how to (mis)treat women.

In the past there was a TV program called “Candid Camera” in which unsuspecting participants were secretly filmed while being placed in awkward situations. Each Borat episode follows exactly that model. In most cases the episode features an individual or group of people who are Trump supporters. These victims are conned into revealing their appalling ignorance and conspiracy acceptance.

WARNING: “Embarrassing, vulgar, disgusting, crude” are a few adjectives that must be applied to some episodes.  How on earth did this film get past the decency censors?  Make no mistake, I am no prude. But there have to be limits on what is shown in public. You are warned.

Ignoring the crass downside,  you have some truly funny belly laughs in store.

2020, Abandoned child, Acceptable for teenagers, Addiction, Alcoholism, Amazon Prime Brit Box, British Mystery Series, Clever Assistant, Eccentric Detective, Family Conflict, Father-daughter relations, Father-son relations, Gay Prostitution, Illegitimate Child, Murder, Murder Investigation, Older Detective, Police Culture, Unloved Child

McDonald & Dodds (2020)

Leave a comment

From IMDB:

A shy and enigmatic Detective Sergeant is partnered with a wildly ambitious Detective Chief Inspector to solve crimes in the historic city of Bath.

From Amazon Prime britbox:

The ambitious DCI McDonald has swapped the mean streets of London to climb the career ladder in picturesque Bath. Tough, driven cop McDonald cracks cases through sheer force of will. When the two are partnered up, the unlikely pair instantly lock horns over their different approaches to policing – and to life. New episode arrives every Tuesday.

From Amazon Prime britbox you can stream the only two episodes available of this British detective story which takes place in Bath, England. Each episode lasts about an hour and a half.

DCI McDonald, played by Tala Gouveia, is young, tough, and at first glance dismisses DS Dodds, played by Jason Watkins, as a doddering old has-been who is ready for retirement.

Jason Watkins is a consummate actor with a long resumé. Perhaps you remember him as Prime Minister Harold Wilson in the TV series The Crown.  In these two detective episodes Watkins plays to perfection a shy, almost stuttering, annoyingly hesitant, absent-minded (as in “where are my glasses” when they are already perched on his head) older detective who, as it turns out, is a brilliant detective and the brains of the police department. Eventually McDonald and Dodds become good friends.

Chief Superintendent John Houseman is played by James Murray. His is a face you may have often seen but probably cannot remember where. James Murray also has a very long resumé. In this show CS Houseman is the mean boss who dislikes both McDonald and Dodds, sneers at their efforts, and never ever gives poor old Dodds any credit for his cleverness.

Finding this series was just plain dumb luck.

2020, Abandoned child, Abuse of Women, Acceptable for teenagers, Amazon Prime Acorn, Athletes, Baby snatching, Beautiful Seaside Town, Boating, Child custody, Danish, Danish Police, Danish TV series, Divorce, Failing Marriage, Father-daughter relations, Jealousy, Lottery Winners, Love Triangle, Mother-daughter relations, Sex trafficking, Swindlers, Unhappy Marriage, Unmarried mother, Violent, Wife leaves husband

The Sommerdahl Murders (2020)

Leave a comment

From Amazon Prime Acorn:

DCI Dan Sommerdahl investigates murders in a lovely Danish coastal town with his best friend, Detective Flemming Torp, and his wife, Marianne, a criminal technician. But Dan’s years of devotion to
the job have hurt his marriage, and with Marianne wanting a divorce, Dan discovers his rival for her affections is none other than his best friend. And they all must still work together to solve crimes.

Amazon Prime offers some subscriptions to special sets of shows, one of which is Acorn TV.  You can, of course, subscribe independently to Acorn TV. But Acorn TV gave me such headaches when I tried to login on my TV set that I switched to the cheaper Amazon version of Acorn.

From Amazon Acorn (and probably Acorn TV) you can stream the 8 episodes of this Danish crime series. Each episode last about 45 minutes. Some stories require 2 episodes.

As explained in the  summary above,  the important theme that runs through all the episodes is the continuing tension between Dan and Marianne.  Somehow the crimes are interesting but secondary in importance to their marriage problems.

Crimes are varied: Sex trafficking, baby theft,  serial swindlers, financial fraud, murder in an athletic setting.

Nothing special but watchable.