Category Archives: Happy Family Gatherings

2019, Acceptable for teenagers, Alcoholism, Cross Dressing, Downs Syndrome, Father-son relations, Feel Good Not For Children, Flirting, Friendship, Gay theme, Happy Family Gatherings, Hopeless Love, Lesbian Theme, Love Triangle, Masturbation, Mother-daughter relations, Music Scenes, Netflix Streaming, Nudity, Offbeat, Philosophic Discussions, Privileged Upper Class, Rich versus Poor, Sex Scenes, Single Father, Single Mother, Soap Opera, Social Class Inequality, University Politics, University Professor, University Students

Merlí Sapere Aude (2019)

From IMDB:

Pol Rubio starts to study Philosophy at the University of Barcelona while the relationship between Bruno and him begins to strengthen. Pol will meet new friends, new colleagues and new teachers apart from having to face conflicts in his new student stage, his complicated family and his new relationship with Bruno Bergeron in this way until becoming a Philosophy teacher.

From Netflix you can stream the 8 episodes of the second season of this Spanish (Barcelona) young adult soap opera. Each episode lasts about 45 minutes. Catalan is the original language of the series.

Season one was entitled  simply   “Merlí” and is not available. Merlí is the name of a favorite teacher who dies at the end of season one. Season two takes up from there with Pol grieving over the loss of his teacher Merlí.

All episodes center on a group of students studying philosophy at a university in Spain.  This group of friends quickly formed at the beginning of their studies.  Another notable character in particular is one of their teachers María Bolaño who is lonely and struggles with alcoholism. Each student has his or her own story to tell.  Relationships, sexual and otherwise, are formed and fought over.

My recommendation for this forgettable series is that it is a light-hearted young adult snapshot of the culture of 21st century Spain.

2020, Abduction, Action sequences, Amazon Prime MHz Choice, Bisexual theme, Bizarre Episodes, Clever Plot, Detective, DO NOT MISS, Eccentric Detective, Explicit sex, Family Conflict, Father-son relations, German, Grisly, Happy Family Gatherings, Hostage Taking, Husband leaves wife, Jewish Religious Observance, Kidnapping, Male Chauvinism, Marital Infidelity, MHz Choice, Mother-son relations, Murder, Murder by Robot, Murder Investigation, Nudity, Physical fighting, Police Investigation, Psychopath, Revenge, Secret Society, Serial Killer, Sex Scenes, Suspense, Torture, Unhappy Marriage, Violent

Tatort: Streets of Berlin (2020)

From MHz Choice:

Berlin is sexy, deadly and dangerous, devouring unwitting victims and the cops who walk its streets. In this latest installment of the Tatort franchise, Inspectors Nina Rubin and Robert Karow team up as a uniquely competent and dysfunctional pair.

From MHz Choice directly or through Amazon Prime MHz Choice you can stream the 11 episodes of the only season.  Each episode lasts about 1.5 hours. German with English subtitles.

Robert Karow is a single, smart, sexist, overbearing, bisexual detective that drives Nina Rubin to distraction.  Nina Rubin is separated (temporarily) from her husband while she tries to raise her two sons with great difficulty.

As with most of all the many different Tatort series, the plots are well imagined, the characters of the detectives are distinctive, and the level of tension is palpable.

Tatort Lindholm is better. Nonetheless, once again for a Tatort series:  DO NOT MISS!

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)

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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.

2018, Basically Sad, Brother-Brother relations, Cancer theme, Dancing, Divorce, Drugs, Failing Marriage, Friendship, Gay theme, Happy Family Gatherings, Homophobia, Masturbation, Netflix Streaming, Nudity, Occasionaly violent, Physical fighting, Terminal Disease

Euphoria (2018)

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From IMDB:

A difficult situation gives two distant brothers the opportunity to get to know each other deeply.

From Netflix:

An entrepreneur prone to partying and his estranged brother, a teacher resigned to a humdrum life, begin to bond under fragile circumstances.

From Netflix you can stream this 1.5 hour complete Italian film with English subtitles.

Matteo is the successful playboy and his brother Ettore is a quiet and very ordinary man.  Ettore has a fatal, malignant brain tumor but supposedly (or so Matteo believes) does not know what his illness is. Matteo goes to great lengths to keep the truth from Ettore.

Because of their great differences, the once close brothers have drifted apart. In the background Matteo is busy partying and chasing male gay conquests. Ettore has fallen out of love with his wife and is now in love with a new woman.  Both brothers are part of a large, noisy Roman family complete with zany mother. As the plot progresses, the somewhat dissolute Matteo works hard to keep Ettore on track with his hospital treatments.  Despite arguments and physical fighting, eventually the brothers realize their love for each other.

For some reason this film, which is certainly not for everyone, kept me watching. Probably it was the real humanity portrayed that was most appealing.

2012, Acceptable for teenagers, Acceptable Trash, Adopted child, Alcoholism, Alzheimer's disease, Amazon Prime, Comedy, Corny, Dancing, Father-daughter relations, Feel Good Not For Children, Gay theme, Happy Family Gatherings, Love Story, Mother-daughter relations, Mother-son relations, Personal Betrayal, Romance, Sign language for the deaf

The Perfect Wedding (2012)

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From IMDB:

Home for the Christmas holiday, a gay man starts falling for his ex-boyfriend’s lover, not knowing that the relationship is a mere pretense.

From Amazon Prime you can stream this 1 hour 22 minute comedy romance film.

When society is having a tough time, entertainment at that time can be grim. For example, in France after WWII the outlook was bleak which may explain why for a time La Grand Guignol was a popular live performance that featured torture. When times improved, that entertainment closed down.

So here we are in July 2020 suffering from the COVID-19 caronavirus.  At the same time there are quite a few streaming offerings that are real downers. Don’t despair – “The Perfect Wedding”  is an unabashed piece of acceptable trash that is a corny feel-good soap opera. And I guarantee you a happy ending for all four couples:  Mom and Dad must confront Dad’s incipient Alzheimer’s disease;  Daughter wants to marry her boyfriend in a simple wedding; Daughter introduces her girl friend to Son’s workmate; reformed alcoholic Son will find his male soul mate.

James Rebhorn, who plays Dad, is instantly recognizable. From his sizable resumé we see that he was Frank Mathison in Homeland.

What’s not to love?  Especially when I LOVE TRASH!

 

2010, Acceptable for teenagers, Acorn TV, Ambiguous Conclusion, Bloody scenes, Boxing, Corruption, Crime thriller, Deaf person, Detective, DO NOT MISS, Drug Dealers, Ethical struggles, Family Conflict, Father-daughter relations, Father-son relations, Happy Family Gatherings, Irish Detective Series, Mother-daughter relations, Murder Investigation, Police Corruption, Police cover-up, Police Culture, Police Politics, Suspense, Thriller, Uncle-Niece relations, Upsetting ending, Valium appropriate, Violent

The Silence (2010)

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From Acorn TV:

Deaf teenager Amelia (Genevieve Barr, Liar) wants to adjust to the hearing world and escape her overprotective parents (Hugh Bonneville & Gina McKee). But when she witnesses a murder, it jeopardizes the career of her homicide-detective uncle (Douglas Henshall, Shetland) and endangers her whole family. “A stunningly well-made thriller…taut, suspenseful and earth-shatteringly well written” –Express.

From Acorn TV you can stream the 4 episodes of this Irish thriller. Each episode is about an hour.

Talk about tense! In Shetland Douglas Henshall’s character DI Jimmy Perez is calm, thoughtful, persistent, and competent.  In “The Silence” his detective character Jim (characters as found in IMDB have no last names) is persistent, competent, not corrupt, however anything but calm.  And no wonder! His deaf niece Amelia witnesses one corrupt cop murder another cop by running her down with an automobile.  Jim is faced with protecting her while fighting to convince his fellow officers that there are clever, bent cops in the precinct who murder and are drug dealers.  Moreover, because of his exasperated demeanor those bent cops can easily persuade Jim’s  colleagues that Jim has mental problems, which reminds us of Trump’s method of discrediting anyone who disagrees with him.

You will probably recognize some of the other actors such as:

From IMDB we learn some personal facts about the deaf actress Genevieve Barr:  Genevieve Barr was born deaf and normally uses hearing aids. For her role as Amelia, who has just had a cochlear implant fitted, she was required to remove her hearing aids. She also had to learn sign language which she had never done before because she had always relied on her hearing aids supplemented by lip reading.

You might be astounded, disappointed, angry, puzzled, or all of the above after the last (fourth) episode finishes. But that is a notable feature of British plots:  why waste time on the details of an expected warm-feeling finale?  You can figure out for yourself what will happen next. However, if it makes you feel any better, rest assured there are many “outraged” reviews. Here is just one such review from IMDB:

What a Shame!

jeanjeannie3815 July 2010
I watched this, potentially brilliant, mini serial for each of its four days. Each day I really looked forward to the next episode. However, having now watched the whole series, I have reached the conclusion that the drama should have continued for five days instead of four. The fourth episode could very easily have concluded with a cliffhanger concerning the main character. This would have enabled the drama to end in a much more satisfying way. Instead, after watching four days of a truly gripping thriller, the ending was very disappointing. I don’t think merely leaving your audience with a good idea of the probably outcome of a drama is a patch on concluding with a fully rounded ending. Instead of the series concluding in a way that left me pleased I have invested my time and energy in it, I was left feeling it had been cut short because the writer (or director) had simply run out of steam. On the plus side the acting, especially of those playing the two leading characters, was first class.
…
Don’t listen to them. This is one really good thriller!
DO NOT MISS!
2020, Acceptable for teenagers, Accidental Death, Amusing banter, Chick Flick, Child custody, Comedy, Cooking and food, Corny at times, Flirting, Gay theme, Happy Family Gatherings, Improbable details, Lawyers, Love Story, Motorcycles, Netflix Streaming, Romance, Romantic comedy, Sex Scenes, Sports TV

Life As We Know IT (2020)

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From IMDB:

Two single adults become caregivers to an orphaned girl when their mutual best friends die in an accident.

From Netflix you can stream this 1 hour 54 minute complete romantic comedy film.

For anyone who has cared for small children this film presents many familiar scenes.  Add to that mix the fact that Holly Berensen (played by Katherine Heigl) and Eric Messer (played by Josh Duhamel  are suddenly forced to replace the deceased parents and you have many comic moments.

Before the film reaches a happy ending there are the usual clashing career choices, side romances (including Holly with Sam, played by Josh Lucas), and an eccentric social worker. 

Of course there are corny moments and very improbable details but at least you can relax for two hours without seeing any violence.

2014, Abuse of Women, Acceptable for teenagers, Amazon Prime, Amusing banter, Based on a Book, Bloody scenes, Creepy, Detective, Disturbing Image, Happy Family Gatherings, Murder, Serial Killer, Sex Scenes, Stalker, Stephen King, Stephen King, Strange Ending

A Good Marriage (2014)

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From IMDB:

After 25 years of a good marriage, what will Darcy do once she discovers her husband’s sinister secret?

From Amazon Prime you can stream this 1 hour 41 minute complete film.

Based on a short story by Stephen King, this suspense thriller is about a wife who accidentally discovers that her husband of 25 years is a serial killer of women whom he first tortures before killing them. You learn this at the very beginning of the story and is not here a spoiler.  Really the question is: Having made this discovery what does she do next?

Darcy Anderson, the wife is played by Joan Allen who played Colonel Margaret Rayne in the TV series The Killing,  Bob Anderson, the husband, is played by Anthony LaPaglia whose resumé is enormous.

LaPaglia’s portrayal of a man darkly stalking his next victim is what you would expect.  What is more surprising is his loving behavior toward his wife even after she makes the discovery. Hard to believe, but it actually works!

Absence of any violence  or torture (although there are photographs of the victims)  obviates the need to cringe.

What would you do if you discovered that your spouse is a serial killer?

2020, Acceptable for teenagers, Based on a Book, Blackmail, Bloody scenes, British, Clever Plot, Complicated, Conspiracy, DO NOT MISS, Extramarital Affair, Failing Marriage, Family Conflict, Father-daughter relations, Father-son relations, Financial malfeasance, Friendship, Happy Family Gatherings, High school students, Illegitimate Child, Marital Infidelity, Muchausen's by proxy, Muchausen's syndrome, Murder, Murder Investigation, Netflix Streaming, Nudity, Personal Betrayal, Police Corruption, Suspense, Teenagers, Thriller, Violent, Wife leaves husband, Womanizing

The Stranger (2020)

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From IMDB:

Follows the lives of suburban families whose secrets and lies are made public by the appearance of a stranger.

From Netflix you can stream the 8 roughly 50 minute episodes of this thriller based on the book The Stranger which Harlan Coben wrote in 2015.

Starting in 1995 Harlan Coben (who at this writing is 58 years old) has written a book a year. If you have never read a book by Coben and if you like clever thrillers, you are in for a treat. So far every Coben book I have read was gripping and a real pleasure.

Plot is all important and usually complicated in a Coben novel. However his treatment of character is well done. In the TV version the actors do not disappoint:

All this actors have incredibly extensive resumés. You just cannot go wrong watching this series.

DO NOT MISS!

2001, Acceptable for teenagers, Amazon Prime, Forensics, Happy Family Gatherings, Hunting, Mormon theme, Murder, Murder Investigation, Religious Theme, Serial Killer, Small Town Atmosphere, Suspense, Thought provoking, Unusual

Brigham City (2001)

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From Amazon Prime:

Sheriff Wes Clayton is also a Mormon bishop in a picturesque little burg called Brigham City whose residents are stalked by an unknown serial killer. This mystery will keep you on the edge of your seat until the shocking final twist.

From Amazon Prime you can stream this 2 hour complete film.

When Wes discovers the first dead and mutilated body in Brigham City, his immediate reaction is to call the FBI and suppress any news of the murder in his perfect, quiet, respectful, Mormon village. Folks in Brigham City do not even lock their doors at night and Wes aims to keep it that way. Gradually the idyllic village atmosphere changes to one of mutual suspicion as the bodies pile up.

Is this film a piece of Mormon evangelizing?  Certainly the clean-cut lives of the families is appealing. More than one Mormon religious service is acted out.  But there is a genuine point to the story: for Wes this wrenching experience is a test of faith and indeed Wes is sorely tested.  Perhaps we non-Mormons are represented by the woman FBI agent who sees something appealing in the Mormon way of life and who seems to be searching for meaning.

Investigation details are well done.  Never mind the slick TV detective stories. Imagine staying awake for 48 hours dusting over 400 beer bottles for fingerprints that might lead to the killer.

Along the way there are scenes in which you are lead to think “Aha, so that’s who the killer is.” But you would be wrong. Possibly you can guess the real killer before the surprising final solution.

Don’t expect a Hollywood production.  Perhaps a few scenes may seem maudlin. But for some reason I found the slow pace, personal details, and village life appealing. Personally I enjoyed the film.