Category Archives: Friendship

2022, Action Film, Action Hero, Amazon Prime, Big Pharma, Bloody scenes, Boating, Brain Tumor, Complicated, Conspiracy, Contract Killing, Corrupt Military, Corrupt Pharmaceutical Firm, Corrupt Politicians, Cover-up, Ethical struggles, Extremely Violent, Fight Scenes, Flashbacks, Frame someone for a crime, Friendship, Government cover-up, Government human experiment, Government medical experiment, Harmful Medicine, Mental Illness, Navy Seals, Personal Betrayal, Revenge, Sniper, Suspense, Violent, War

The Terminal List (2022)

From IMDB:

A former Navy SEAL officer investigates why his entire platoon was ambushed during a high-stakes covert mission.

From Amazon Prime you can stream the 8 episodes of this action thriller. Each episode lasts about one hour.

Essentially, this is a revenge film based on the complications of a quasi-government human experiment gone wrong.  As more details of the government cover-up come to light, the revenge list maintained by James Reece, played by Chris Pratt, of the guilty parties grows as he doggedly eliminates each person on that list.

Violent but engaging revenge series right up to the relentless ending.

2022, Ageing gay men, Amusing banter, Art as worthless fakery, Comedy, Divorce, Failed Marriage, Friendship, Gay theme, Husband leaves wife, Netflix Streaming, Nudity, Real Estate Agents

Uncoupled (2022)

From IMDB:

Michael’s life seemed to be perfect, until his long time partner blindsided him after 17 years of being in long time relationship. He has to confront the nightmares of losing his soulmate and suddenly finding himself as a single gay man in his mid-40s.

From Netflix you can stream the 8 episodes of this gay-themed comedy about the difficulty of creating or maintaining relationships. Each episode lasts about 30 minutes.

Neil Patrick Harris plays Michael, a New York city real estate agent dealing in high-priced condominiums. His wealthy client Claire, played by Marcia Gay Harden, becomes an annoying buddy with whom he shares a history of rejection.

So-so comedy that depicts the problems of ageing unattached gay men.

 

2016, Acceptable for teenagers, Amazon Prime, Amusing banter, Basically Sad, Discussions about Emotions, Dishonest father, Drama, Embezzlement, Failed Father, Family Conflict, Father-son relations, Financial malfeasance, Flashbacks, Fraud, Friendship, Gay theme, Jewish Religious Observance, Love Story, Love Triangle, Manipulative personality, Mother-son relations, Pianist, Prison, Sex Scenes, Suicide, Unhappy Ending, Wonderful acting

Those People (2016)

From Amazon Prime:

On Manhattan’s gilded Upper East Side, a younger painter, Charlie, finds the man of his dreams in an older pianist from across the globe, Tim. If only Charlie weren’t secretly in love with his own manipulative best friend, Sebastian, who is embroiled in a financial scandal. In the wake of Sebastian’s notoriety, their tight-knit group of friends must confront the new realities of adulthood.

From Amazon Prime you can stream this 1 hour 29 minute complete film.

Alone the acting would be a reason to watch this film. But Charlie himself is a sympathetic, naïve, and engaging character.  Root for Charlie BUT (spoiler to follow) do not expect a happy ending.

2020, Acceptable for teenagers, Australian, Binge worthy, Bloody scenes, Brother-Brother relations, Contract Killing, Corrupt policemen, Detective, DO NOT MISS, Failed Mother, False Imprisonment, Friendship, Gangs, Good Brother - Bad Brother, Incompetent or unfit mother, Murder, Narcissist, PBS Masterpiece Streaming, Plot Twist, Sniper, Suspense, Violent, White Supremecy

Halifax: Retribution (2020)

From IMDB:

A sniper is on the loose, as Jane Halifax comes back to the rescue to find the sniper before its too late. 20 years on the race for answers is more important than ever.

From PBS Playhouse you can stream the 8 episodes of this second season of this Australian thriller filmed in Melbourne. Each episode lasts about 45 minutes.

In 1994 Rebecca Gibney, who plays Jane Halifax, starred in the first series consisting of 21 episodes.  This explains the IMDB reference to “20 years”.

In “Retribution” she plays opposite Anthony LaPaglia, who plays a somewhat washed out Tom Saracen.   According to the plot Saracen is on his last legs as an overweight, alcoholic, divorced policeman. In fact Anthony LaPaglia looks horribly unhealthy. But he fits the role perfectly.

At least three plot threads are at play: Jane’s relation with her step-daughter Zoe and Zoe’s mother Mandy;  The appearance of a woman author whom Jane put in jail 20 years ago; Most important,  the effort to discover and capture an intelligent sniper who is on a mission to warn the world about technological mind control.

Fast moving plot,  white supremacists, corrupt policemen, and a capable supporting cast make for an enjoyable ride.

DO NOT MISS!

2019, Acceptable Sci-Fi, Action sequences, Car Chase, Detective, Eccentric Detective, Failed Father, Father-daughter relations, Friendship, Good Brother - Bad Brother, Happy ending, Mediocre, Murder Investigation, Mysterious Disappearance, Netflix Streaming, Nothing special, Occasionaly violent, Plot Twist, Police Investigation, Sci-Fi, Serial Killer, Single Father, Surprise Ending, Time Travel, Uncle-Niece relations

In the Shadow of the Moon (2019)

From IMDB:

In 1988, Philadelphia police officer Thomas Lockhart (Boyd Holbrook), hungry to become a detective, begins tracking a serial killer who mysteriously resurfaces every nine years. But when the killer’s crimes begin to defy all scientific explanation, Locke’s obsession with finding the truth threatens to destroy his career, his family, and possibly his sanity.

From Netflix you can stream this 1 hour 55 minute complete  Netflix Original film.

In this B+ sci-fi yarn officer Thomas Lockhart get older and more desperate and determined in each of the portions of the film which are separated by 9 years.  As time progresses his relation with his daughter Sarah becomes increasingly difficult, so much so that Sarah eventually lives with Thomas’ brother Holt played by Michael C. Hall (of “Six Feet Under” fame).  Holt is also a detective in the police force and never gives up on Thomas’ seemingly crazy quest.  Actually Thomas in on the correct “crazy” track because every 9 years the killer returns from the future on her mission.

Expect a plot surprise at the conclusion.  While the film is nothing special, the somewhat original plot conceit held my interest.

2021, Abduction, Abuse of Women, Action sequences, Amnesia, Attempted Murder, Based on a Book, Binge worthy, Bizarre Episodes, Bromance, Cancer theme, Complicated, Contract Killing, Contract Torture, Corrupt policemen, Dancing, Detective, Disturbing Image, Everybody lies, Flashbacks, Forensics, Friendship, Harlan Coben, Maudlin, Mediocre Acting, Missing Person, Mother-daughter relations, Mother-son relations, Murder, Netflix Streaming, Occasional gore, Occasionaly violent, Plot mismanagement, Psychopath, Reconciliation, Ruthless Killer, Serial Killer, Surprise Ending, Torture, Unexpected Ending

Stay Close (2021)

From Netflix:

As her wedding approaches, Megan Pierce is troubled by a visitor from her past. Det. Mike Broome finds a new disappearance reminiscent of a cold case.

From Netflix you can stream 8 episodes of this Harlan Coben mystery thriller. Each episode lasts about 50 minutes.

Harlan Coben is a very successful writer whose stories are always clever and gripping.  Sadly this particular adaptation, while still worth a binge watch, has a few flaws. For example, at the end of episode 6 Megan and her daughter are trapped in a locked room in the police station while the assassins have gained entrance to the building and killed an officer. But at the start of episode 7 Megan and her daughter are somehow perfectly safe and being interviewed by police officers.  Such “miracle resolutions” seem to occur often in streaming thrillers, possibly because the writers could not find a way out of a messy situation.

Acting is not first-rate.  Scenes between detective Michael Broome and bar owner Lorraine are often mawkish.

Among the villains there is a man and woman couple who as hired assassins, while on route to torture and kill someone, suddenly break out into a Broadway dance routine. Talk about strangely inappropriate!  However, the couple portray perfect psychopaths.

But never mind these objections. For me and for other reviewers the final conclusion is a shocking revelation.  Give this show a B+ and enjoy the gore.

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!

 

2018, Abduction, Abuse of Women, Amazon Prime, Amputation as revenge, Amputee, Bloody scenes, Boating, Bullying, Clever Plot, Conspiracy, Controlling personality, Corrupt policemen, Corrupt Politicians, Corruption, Could Be Hard To Watch, Creepy, Dancing, Dark, Dark family secrets, Disturbing Image, Dysfunctional Lives, Eccentric Detective, Ethical struggles, Explicit sexual discussion, False Accusations, False Imprisonment, Father-daughter relations, FBI, Flashbacks, Forensics, Frame someone for a crime, Friendship, Gory, Grim, Grisly, Hopeless Love, Jealousy, Kidnapping, Masturbation, Murder, Narcissist, Nuns, Occasional gore, Personal Betrayal, Police Corruption, Prostitute, Psychopath, Revenge, Ruthless Killer, Sex Scenes, Sexual Perversion, Sociopath, Strongly Discouraged, Suicide, Suspense, Unscrupulous drive to power, Upsetting ending, Violent, Well developed plot, Wrongful Arrest

Goliath Second Season 2 (2018)

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From Amazon Prime:

Billy McBride returns to criminal defense, taking on a grisly double murder case. His client is a 16-yearold boy, and Billy’s damn sure he’s innocent. Billy, Patty, and the team fervently build their case in the seedy underworld of Los Angeles. As the murders’ true culprits come to light, the implications reach as far as the mayoral race — and the city’s preeminent billionaire developer.

From Amazon Prime you can stream 4 seasons of this lawyer series.  This review is just for season 2 which consists of 8 episodes where each episode is roughly one hour.

Normally I am recommending films. Here, however, I am strongly warning you that this is a ugly season. For one example, the chief villain amputates limbs from people who offend him.  For another example, one of the chief’s underlings suffers from “eroticized childhood trauma”, in which he can only get sexual pleasure from watching someone sooth an amputated limb. Heard enough?

To further clinch my discouraging review,   although some of the criminals suffer their just punishments, several innocent people are falsely imprisoned or killed.  As a final nail in this season’s coffin is that I purposely reveal that the chief villains succeed gloriously in their crimes and are so clever that they escape prosecution.

On the positive side (really?) the plot, good acting, detailed clever deceptions, utter evil of the conspirators, and the interactions of multiple characters make the story grimly watchable.

YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!  STRONGLY DISCOURAGED!

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!

2016, Action sequences, Coarse manners, Defies Categorization, Eccentric cast of characters, Exaggeration Comedy, Explicit sexual discussion, Father-son relations, Friendship, Improbable details, Kanopy streaming, Masturbation, Must suspend disbelief, Offbeat, Philosophic Discussions, Vulgar

Swiss Army Man (2016)

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From Kanopy:

Hank (Paul Dano) is stranded on a deserted island and given up all hope. Everything changes when a corpse named Manny (Daniel Radcliffe) washes ashore. The two become fast friends, and go on an epic adventure to bring Hank back to the woman of his dreams.

From Kanopy you can stream this 98 minute complete film.

Easily one of the strangest films I have ever seen.  No holds are barred in the outrageous conversations,  more than frank sexual discussions, and visual effects.

Just one example should convince you that this adventure is not your average film experience.  As Hank prepares to commit suicide on a deserted island, he spots a corpse that has just come in from the sea and landed on the beach.  This corpse noisily farts repeatedly. Eventually Hank uses Manny as a flotation device and the two sail off into the sea using Manny’s fart power as an outboard motor.

Heard enough?   Keep an open mind and I’ll bet you can’t stop watching.