Category Archives: Abandoned child

2022, Abandoned child, Abduction, Acceptable for teenagers, Arson, Based on a Book, Binge worthy, Child abuse, Child Molestation, Child Social Services, Clever Plot, Complicated, Dark family secrets, Detective, Discussions about Emotions, DO NOT MISS, Failed Mother, Frame someone for a crime, Hopeless Love, Incompetent or unfit mother, Lawyers, Marital Infidelity, Monstrous Mother, Mother-son relations, Murder by poison, Murder Investigation, Parkinson's disease, Personal Betrayal, Plot twists, Prostitute, Psychological Thriller, Psychologist, Revenge, Ruthless Killer, Self-cutting, Self-harm, Shocking Ending, Sundance Now Streaming, Troubled Personality, Wrongful Arrest

The Suspect (2022)

From Sundance Now:

Joseph O’Loughlin has the perfect life: a beautiful wife, a loving daughter, and a successful career as a clinical psychologist. But it all begins to unravel when the police seek his professional opinion about the murder of a young woman. Caught in an increasingly complex web of deceit, Joseph risks everything as he embarks upon a search for a killer.

From Sundance Now (through Amazon Prime) you can stream the 5 episodes of this clever suspense series. Each episode lasts about 47 minutes.

Thanks to my neighbor Terry for introducing me to Sundance Now which currently through Amazon Prime is $6.99 per month after a short free trial.

Someone is killing a series of people.  Although DI Vince Ruiz almost obsessively zeroes in on the psychologist Joe O’Loughlin, you will probably spend all 5 episodes bouncing your suspicions from one character to the next. After many character twists the conclusion is a knock out.

Joining Sundance Now just to watch “The Suspect” is worth the price. Besides, you can cancel at any time.

DO NOT MISS!

2022, Abandoned child, Acceptable for teenagers, B-movie, Chick Flick, Christmas theme, Corny at times, Death of a child, Drama, Failed Marriage, Family Secrets, Father-son relations, Flashbacks, Happy ending, Netflix Streaming, NOT violent, Quiet, Reconciliation, Romance, Unmarried mother

The Noel Diary (2022)

From IMDB:

The story of a man who returns home on Christmas to settle his estranged mother’s estate. Once there, he discovers a diary that may hold secrets to his own past and of a beautiful young woman on a mysterious journey of her own.

From Netflix:

Cleaning out his childhood home at Christmas, a novelist meets a
woman searching for her birth mother. Will an old diary unlock
their pasts — and hearts?

From Netlix you can stream this 1 hour 40 minute romance drama.

While a step up from a Hallmark Hall of Fame presentation, this is still in the same vein.  Of course the famous popular writer Jacob Turner (played by Justin Hartley) will eventually fall in love with Rachel (played by Barrett Doss).

And no, I have never heard of any of the actors.

Still, it is a relief from all the omnipresent violent entertainment in today’s streaming choices.

And it is NOT sappy.

2014, Abandoned child, Ballet, Crude Talk, DNA, DO NOT MISS, Drama, Explicit sexual discussion, Failed Father, Father-son relations, Fatherless child, Gay theme, Happy ending, Kanopy streaming, Marijuana, Narcissist, Plot Twist, Promiscuity, Psychological Drama, Psychological Tension, Reconciliation, Revenge, Sexual promiscuity, Tender, Unhappy Marriage, Unusual

Match (2014)

From IMDB:

As a Juilliard professor is interviewed by a woman and her husband for her dissertation on the history of dance in 1960s New York City, it becomes increasingly clear that there are ulterior motives to the couple’s visit.

From Kanopy:

Patrick Stewart is riveting as a Manhattan ballet instructor concealing a sordid past in this explosive drama of sex, secrets, and lies based on the Tony(R)-nominated play.

From Kanopy you can stream this 1 hour 32 minute film drama.

There are three characters in this superb but harrowing drama:

  • Patrick Stewart plays the ballet teacher Tobi Powell.  His character is a mixture of guilt,  libertine,  and genuine caring for others.  WARNING:  His conversations offer some of the most explicit sexual discussions I have ever heard. You might be offended.
  • Carla Gugino plays Lisa Davis the unhappy wife of Mike Davis.
  • Mathew Lillard plays Mike Davis the policeman on a mission.

You may never have heard of Gugino or Lillard, but their IMDB resumés are extensive.

Once again, it would be worthwhile to join Kanopy (it costs nothing) just to see “Match”.

DO NOT MISS!

 

2015, Abandoned child, Abortion, Adopted child, Arson, Attempted Murder, Blackmail, Bullying, Burglars, Career Competition, Career Criminal, Contract Killing, Controlling personality, Cooking and food, Corrupt Prison Guards, DO NOT MISS, Drama, Erotic Tension, Ethical struggles, Failed Father, False Imprisonment, Family Secrets, Father-son relations, Fight Scenes, Frame someone for a crime, French, French Culture, Friendship, Happy ending, Jealousy, Love Story, Love Triangle, Melodrama, MHz Choice, Murder by poison, Must suspend disbelief, Narcissist, Occasionaly violent, Personal Betrayal, Police Investigation, Prison, Revenge, Romance, Sex Scenes, Uncle-Niece relations, Unwanted Pregnancy

Chefs (2015)

From IMDB:

Chefs in France. Competition drama and more.

From MHz Choice you can stream 2 seasons of this French soap opera centered around the competition between chefs. Season 1 offers 6 episodes whereas season 2 offers 8 episodes. Each episode is a bit under one hour. In French with English subtitles.

Where to begin!  This over-the-top melodrama is something only the French could conjure and runs the gamut from vegetables to love to murder.  Name a topic and it is probably involved. Still the gist of the series is:

  • Le Chef (we never hear his name) is the chef of Le Paris, an expensive and renowned Parisian restaurant who oversees and bullies his expert staff to achieve perfection.
  • Romain is out of jail for burglary and gets a job with Le Chef. We learn later that Romain does not know that he is the estranged son of Le Chef, whereas Le Chef recognizes his son. For most of the series Romain hates Le Chef, especially when he learns more about his father.
  • One constant theme is the fierce and unlawful competition to purchase various properties on which restaurants are located. For example,  Monsieur Edouard, a major villain in the story, manages to purchase Le Paris and force Le Chef to accept as a manager
  • Delphine, a beautiful and ruthless woman, whom Le Chef hates at first glance. Needless to say they eventually fall in love.
  • Yann is a superb kitchen culinary technician that is yet another villain.  Eventually we learn to sympathize with Yann.
  • Additionally there are far too many beautiful young women to record.  As the story proceeds each woman manages to love and leave various men.  Did I mention that this drama is a soap opera?

You will not learn a single recipe even as you watch zillions of meals go by that are too precious or exotic to believe.  Expect burglars, loan sharks, hired thugs,  Russian roulette poisoned meals,  betrayals, attack dogs, apprenticeships in using knives and preparing Chinese food,  unwanted pregnancy,  love affairs,   murder,  and difficult stays in prison to name a few.  Did I mention over-the-top?

If this milieu appeals to you then, DO NOT MISS!

 

2022, Abandoned child, Acceptable for teenagers, Alcoholism, Amazon Prime, America of the 1950s, Amusing banter, Based on a Book, Based on true facts, Brother-Sister relations, Coarse manners, Could Be Sad, Crude Talk, Disrespect toward women, DO NOT MISS, Eccentric cast of characters, Failed Father, Father-son relations, Fatherless child, Feel Good Not For Children, Friendship, Happy ending, Husband leaves wife, Local color, Sex Scenes, Social class differences, Uncle-Nephew relations, Vulgar, Wife Beating

The Tender Bar (2022)

From Amazon Prime:

​​From director George Clooney and based on the best-selling memoir, The Tender Bar follows an aspiring writer (Tye Sheridan) pursuing his romantic and professional dreams. From a stool in his uncle’s (Ben Affleck) bar, he learns what it means to grow up from a colorful group of local characters.

From Amazon Prime you can stream this gem of a film which lasts for 1 hour 46 minutes.

Ben Affleck’s resumé has seen its ups and downs, successes and embarrassing flops.  But with this wonderful film he has nailed a really memorable role.  Even one critic who found the film “bland” still conceded that Affleck (as Uncle George) delivered an excellent, terrific performance.

Although that Long Island neighborhood, home of a lot of foul-mouthed but warm-hearted men and women, was rougher than anything I ever experienced, nevertheless I admired their tight friendships.

Expect notable acting from:

  • Tye Sheridan as the young JR.  Naïve, plain looking, and hopelessly attracted to
  • Briana Middleton as Sidney. Did she ever love JR or was she looking for “experience” (as in “sex”)?
  • Quincy Tyler Bernstine as Sidney’s mother, whose sneering, smug, cruel treatment of JR left me boiling.
  • Daniel Ranieri as young JR.
  • Christopher Lloyd as Grandpa. “Don’t tell anybody I’m a good grandfather, everybody will want one.”
  • Lily Rabe as the  Mom whose life is centered on her son JR.
  • Max Martini as JR’s cringe-worthy drunk of a father.

In the IMDB entry for this movie, there is a sizeable user review that is much harder on the film than I have been. Still —

DO NOT MISS!

 

2019, Abandoned child, Adopted child, Alcoholism, Amazon Prime, Ambitious Dirty Tricks, American Indian culture, Attempted Murder, Binge worthy, Bloody scenes, Brother-Sister relations, Corrupt judge, Corrupt lawyers, Corruption, Courtroom scenes, Cover-up, DO NOT MISS, Drug trip, Drugging as a weapon, Drugs, Environmental concerns, Family Conflict, Father-daughter relations, Lawyers, Murder, Murder by poison, Suspense, Uncategorized, Violent, Water theft

Goliath Season 3 (2019)

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From Amazon Prime:

The unexpected death of an old friend leads Billy McBride to take a case in the drought-stricken Central Valley where he comes face-to-face with a new Goliath: a billionaire farmer and his sister and their scheme to steal California’s most valuable resource – water. As Billy and his team pursue the truth, old enemies and personal demons resurface forcing him to confront his own mortality.

From Amazon Prime you can stream the 8 episodes of season 3. Episode lengths vary but are always less than one hour.

Now (2021) and in the future, water will be a major issue for the entire planet.  Recall that Los Angeles was built using stolen water. In a quote from Google:

Is LA built on stolen water?
Los Angeles finally is giving back some of the water local residents say the city stole from them many years ago. A valve was opened at mid-morning Thursday and water flowed from the Los Angeles Aqueduct into Black Rock Channel, and then into the Owens River, which has been generally dry since 1913.Jun 6, 1986

 

Goliath’s themes are motivated by current abuses. Season one is about the arms industry.  Season two concerned political corruption. Season three is about stealing water. Season four is about opioids.

 

Although season two was cautiously recommended because of the intrinsic ugliness of the characters and their hideous modus operandi,  in order to appreciate season three you need only know that the corrupt character Marisol Silva became mayor of Los Angeles through the efforts of her Mexican brother who amputated the limbs of anyone standing in the way of Marisol ‘s election. Marisol reappears in season three.

 

Season one ended in a jury trial in which Billy’s nemesis Donald Cooperman was maneuvered into committing perjury.  At that moment Cooperman suffered a fairly complete stroke. As that season ended, Cooperman was supposedly bedridden for the rest of his life.  Miraculously in season three Cooperman reappears as one of the evil forces behind the conspiracy.

 

In season three the villains are methodically and cruelly stealing water by tunneling under federal land.  At times that causes the ground to sink. Because the wife of one of Billy’s old friends is swallowed up in such a sinkhole, Billy tries for a class action suit.

 

If you hardened yourself and actually watched season two, then you were probably upset that Marisol’s evil schemes make her mayor. Never fear, in what is almost a Shakespearean tragedy, many bad guys get their comeuppance.

 

Along the way there are all the well-written side issues.

 

Satisfyingly violent. DO NOT MISS!
2021, 911 Operator, Abandoned child, Anxiety Attacks, Could Be Hard To Watch, DO NOT MISS, Drama, Failed Marriage, Friendship, Mental Illness, Netflix Streaming, One Man Show, Physical child abuse, Police Culture, Psychotic Mother, Suspense, Troubled Personality, Valium appropriate, Well developed plot, Wonderful acting

The Guilty (2021)

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From Netflix:

A troubled police detective assigned to 911 operator duty scrambles to save a distressed caller during a harrowing day of revelations — and reckonings.

From Netflix you can stream this 1 hour 31 minute complete film.

Ever since Donnie Darko, Jake Gyllenhaal has seemed to me to be a consummate actor, probably because he dares to present unusual and challenging roles.  In this tense film he does not disappoint.  As far as I can remember there is hardly a second of the film in which the camera is not focused on him,  usually a full screen closeup that catches every nuanced facial expression.

Little by little as the film progresses,  you learn more and more about the troubles facing Officer Joe Baylor (i.e. Jake Gyllenhaal).  Let’s just say he is a deeply caring man who has made some bad mistakes. Even the way in which the plot lets us learn more and more about Joe is clever.

If you can stand the tension and are committed to never relaxing even for a second, then

DO NOT MISS!

2009, Abandoned child, Abduction, Abuse of Women, Amazon Prime, Bad Acting, Bloody scenes, British, British Mystery Series, Bullying, Child abuse, Could Be Hard To Watch, Emotional child abuse, Father-son relations, Grim, Grisly, Narcissistic Personality, Occasional gore, Pedophilia, Psychopath, Rape, Sadism, Serial Killer, Suspense, Unloved Child, Violent

Above Suspicion (2009)

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From Amazon Prime:

Does rookie detective Anna Travis have what it takes to succeed in what is still mostly a man’s world? Based on the bestselling novels by Lynda La Plante, this hit British police drama is a “younger, sassier successor to Prime Suspect” (The Telegraph, U.K.)

From Amazon Prime you can stream seasons 1 and 2 of the 4 existing seasons. Season 1 consists of 2 episodes lasting roughly an hour each. Season 2 consists of 3 episodes each lasting about 45 minutes.

“Grim” is the word that immediately comes to mind.  An effort was made to present some really gory scenes.  Fortunately the two stories offer plots that are good enough to warrant watching. Fortunately, I say, because the lead detective DCS James Langton is played by Ciarán Hinds who as a loud ham of an actor is a bit hard to take.  His sidekick opponent Anna Travis learns to stand up to Langton’s offish bullying.

Gory but watchable.

2017, Abandoned child, Acceptable for teenagers, Drama, Drug Dealers, Drug trip, Drugs, Father-son relations, Kanopy streaming, Quiet, Slow, Small gem of a film, Small Town Atmosphere, Southern U.S. wilderness, Wonderful photography

Moss (2017)

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From Kanopy:

In this coming-of-age tale set in the American South, Moss is an isolated and troubled young man who embarks, on his eighteenth birthday, on an unexpected adventure never to be forgotten.

For Moss, whose mother died while delivering him, the day means freedom, especially from his father, whom Moss believes resents him for his very existence. However, it will take more than this milestone day to set him free. During a chance encounter with a woman fleeing her own heartache, the two escape into a psychedelic journey that teaches Moss lessons of life and loss.

From Kanopy you can stream this 1 hour 21 minute complete film.

Perhaps you should be smoking a joint while watching this photographic essay go dreamily on its way.  Sometimes the camera work seems clumsy,  but the film captures a piece of the South notable for raw, beautiful nature and the poverty of its inhabitants.  In this rush-rush age it is amazing to watch folk who are in no hurry, have no ambitions, and are content to smoke pot and just enjoy watching the day go by.

2021, Abandoned child, Abuse of Women, Adultery, Bloody scenes, Child abduction and murder, Dark, Extramarital Affair, Family Conflict, Grim, Horror, Masturbation, Mediocre, Murder, Netflix Streaming, Personal Betrayal, Police Investigation, Psychopath, Sad small town, Sociopath, Spousal Abuse, Strange Ending, Suspense, Violent

Things Heard And Seen (2021)

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From IMDB:

An artist relocates to the Hudson Valley and begins to suspect that her marriage has a sinister darkness, one that rivals her new home’s history.

From Netflix you can stream this 2 hour 1 minute horror film.

What! You waste your time on a horror film? Normally I would not except that since Grantchester I have not seen any sign of James Norton who played the priest sidekick to Robson Green’s detective. In this film James Norton plays George Claire alongside Amanda Seyfried who plays his wife Catherine Claire.  Somehow a horror film seems a step down for Norton.

Less a real grewsome horror film, the story is the gradual unpeeling of the layers of deceit which comprise George Claire. Granted there are a few ghosts haunting their house which is infamous for its tragic history.  And there is no harm in a hokey séance.   In a way the entire film is somewhat hokey.

At least give Norton some acting credit.  He can play a good man as in Grantchester. But he can portray really evil people as in this film as well as in Happy Valley with Sarah Lancashire.

In fact you would do well to watch Happy Valley instead of this horror of a film.