Looking for non-gory old-feel detective shows ? “Da Vinci’s Inquest” is a Canadian TV series involving the coroner’s office. It is very human, not especially grim (as is the current fashion) and the face-to-face interviews held my attention.
Category Archives: FilmReview
No Country For Old Men (2007)
From NetFlix:
A hunter (Josh Brolin) stumbles upon a dead
body, $2 million and a stash of heroin in the
woods. He absconds with the cash, but
brutal thief Anton Chigurh (Javier Bardem)
comes looking for it, with a local sheriff
(Tommy Lee Jones) on his trail. The roles of
hunter and prey blur as the violent pursuits
of money and justice collide. Joel and Ethan
Coen direct this dark morality tale, which
won four Oscars in 2008, including Best Picture
It can’t get much more violent. Could this film be a put-on ? The plot is as follows: Javier Bardem murders many people and then the film ends. Some viewers report being more than dissatisfied. However, if nothing else the plot is an intriguing cat and mouse game. Killer Bardem is VERY clever. I am told the book is great.
Hate it or love it, you are warned.
Lars and the Real Girl (2007)
From NetFlix:
Ryan Gosling plays the title character in this oddball
comedy about a delusional young man who buys a life-size
sex doll over the Internet — and then falls in love with
her. When the besotted young man starts telling people that
the doll is his girlfriend, his brother and sister-in-law
decide it’s time to intervene in this film co-starring
Patricia Clarkson, Emily Mortimer, Kelli Garner and Paul
Schneider.
o This is not really a comedy.
o I had to classify this as “unusual and not to everyone’s tastes
o S L O W and very Q U I E T
o but with real orchestral background.
o You really have to suspend disbelief. Would an entire town really
humor Lars in such a kind way ?
o You will love this move or hate it.
o There’s a reason for Lar’s behavior and real healing.
You are taking a chance,
Slings & Arrows (2003)
From NetFlix:
With a new job running the New Burbage Theatre Festival, has-been actor Geoffrey Tennant (Paul Gross) is at loose ends since the death of his beloved mentor Oliver Welles. Fortunately, Geoffrey soon discovers that his dearly departed friend is still present, in spirit, to help him reinvigorate the Shakespearean troupe. The only things in their way are an overly commercial marketing department, a hostile leading lady and a slightly dim male star.
The above is a NetFlix description for season 1 of several seasons.
This is NOT mystery. It is a Canadian series about a troupe of dysfunctional
professional actors. The language can be foul. Activity is no-holds-barred
outrageous at times. But the first season ends perfectly when a teen-age
idol against all expectations becomes a really good Hamlet. His performance
was wonderful to behold.
A Touch Of Frost (1992)
There are 13 seasons. Frost is an aging, lonely, sarcastic British
detective. Wife Kathy objects that it shows the sad, grubby parts of
England. But it has a humane reality to it that doesn’t have to be grisly
to be entertaining.
The Savages (2007)
From NetFlix:
Carrying the emotional scars of an abusive childhood, siblings Wendy
Savage (Laura Linney, in an Oscar-nominated role), a long-aspiring
playwright, and Jon Savage ( Philip Seymour Hoffman), a professor
of drama, now face the challenge of caring for their ailing elderly
father, Lenny (Philip Bosco), despite their emotional disconnect
from him and each other. Tamara Jenkins (Slums of Beverly Hills)
wrote and directed this indie drama
This film paints what is soon to be one of the more typical scenarios
on the American family scene. And what a scene! If you want to
walk away after a pleasant few hours, do not see this film! But the
acting is perfect. And the details are sadly all too accurate. There
will unfortunately be a moment of truth in this film for most of us.
All I can say is, “Thank you Mom for planning and for cooperating
with me to get you settled in a really nice assisted living facility.”
You have once again warned about an A-film
Stand By Me (1986)
From NetFlix:
In this Rob Reiner dramatization of Stephen King’s novella, The Body,
a writer ( Richard Dreyfuss) tells the story of how he and three other
boys sought adventure and heroism. In the 1950s, in the woods of
Oregon, the boys set out to find a missing teen’s dead body. What
they find out about themselves along the way, though, means even
more in this coming-of-age tale co-starring River Phoenix,
Corey Feldman, Wil Wheaton and Jerry O’Connell
Beautiful, nostalgic, at times sad. You can just feel Richard Dreyfuss’
wave of sad long-lost memories while sitting in that car.
This Stephen King novel is a sweet classic.
Before The Devil Knows You Are Dead (2007)
From NetFlix:
The perfect crime goes horribly wrong when Andy and Hank
( Philip Seymour Hoffman and Ethan Hawke) botch a robbery
of their parents’ jewelry store in this wrenching drama from
legendary filmmaker Sidney Lumet, who was 82 when he
directed the film. Albert Finney and Rosemary Harris co-star
as the unsuspecting parents, while Marisa Tomei plays Gina,
who cheats on her husband, Andy, with Hank.
I have friends who cannot like a movie if they find the
characters repellent. Somehow I can divorce myself
from such characters and just enjoy a well-made film.
This film is the downer of all downers. Philip Hoffman
plays a man for whom one dishonesty leads to another
and another etc. He is at the bottom when the film
starts and still exudes a slimy confidence. You couldn’t
ask for a better cast. Albert Finney was born in May 1936,
so he is almost 72. Unbelievable !
You have been warned,
Music Within (2007)
From NetFlix:
After losing his hearing during the Vietnam War, Richard
Pimentel (Ron Livingston) returns to America, where he falls
in with an unlikely circle of friends and finds a new calling as a
spokesman for the disabled. His efforts as an activist eventually
lead to the creation of the Americans with Disabilities Act. This
inspiring and entertaining true story won the Audience Award
at the 2007 AFI Dallas International Film Festival
It’s not Hollywood but more Hollywood than an Indie. Ron Livingston
comes across as a real person. His relation with his friend with
cerebral palsy is a treat. The language is VERY earthy but is
absolutely appropriate and downright funny. Did you know that
in many cities it was against the law for a disabled person
to appear in public because they were an insult to the eyes
of the other citizens ? I guess I’m a sucker for stories about
real people with their ups and downs. Despite the language, why
shouldn’t kids see it ?
The Full Monty (1997)
From NetFlix:
This raucous English comedy follows a group of unemployed British
steel-mill workers who, broke and bored, devise a fabulous scheme
to get off the dole: Become male strippers! Soon they’re a sensation
with the ladies, who encourage the men to show the “full monty”
(strip down to the skin). This quirky 1997 sleeper is full of character
and great humor.
I was looking for movies my mother would like. The telephone conversation would be something like: “Well Mom, it’s about unemployed British men who want to strip naked in a show … Mom … Mom … are you still there ?”