Category Archives: FilmReview

2008, Comedy, Drama, Feel Good Not For Children, Gay theme, Love Story, Sex Scenes, Swedish

Patrik Age 1.5 (2008)

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From NetFlix:

After moving from the city to a small town, gay couple Sven (Torkel Petersson) and Goran (Gustaf Skarsgård) adopt a child. But when Patrik (Thomas Ljungman) arrives in their lives, it turns out he’s not 1.5 years old as they were told by the adoption agency — he’s a rebellious, homophobic 15-year-old. While the couple houses the angry boy until the mix-up is resolved, his presence causes them to reassess their lives.

Gay-themed films have come a long way from being centered on the AIDS epidemic to a more realistic involvement with society in general. After watching this film, I would like to know if you thought the story portrayed was realistic, that is to say, could happen.

So what do you expect from a “straight” film: sex, violence, comedy, mystery, romance, sports, war ? Ignoring the gay theme, this film offers romance, non-explicit sex, some rough stuff that could hardly be called violence, comedy, social issues, an orphan needing a home, etc. Sound familiar ?

Although I did not expect much at first, I was pleased to find that this sane and warm film tells a story which is finally a feel-good. Each character is well-cast and well-acted, including their well-honed facial expressions. Look for a variety of neighbors, for better or worse.

Swedish with optional English sub-titles.

Is Sweden any different from the US&A ?

2006, Biographical, DO NOT MISS, Drama, Feel Good Not For Children, Redemption, Religious Theme, Slavery, True Story, Underdogs win

Amazing Grace (2006)

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From NetFlix:

Based on actual events, this historical drama from acclaimed director Michael Apted tells the story of William Wilberforce (Ioan Gruffudd), an 18th-century English politician who fought for the abolition of slavery. Despite staunch opposition, Wilberforce waged an aggressive campaign using boycotts, petitions and slogans to bring the British slave trade to a decisive end. Albert Finney, Michael Gambon and Rufus Sewell co-star.

Worthwhile but not maudlin feel-good films can be hard to discover. “Amzing Grace” is such a jewel.

For an historical reality check please read the Wikipedia article.

England, through the efforts of Wilberforce, abolished the slave trade in 1807, a half-century before the American Civil War. Stay for the final credits which add that Wilberforce and William Pitt are buried side by side in Westminster Abbey.

Although it is eventually a feel-good film, you will be subjected to unsettling descriptions of the treatment of slaves.

In the film I saw many familiar British actors whose names I have never known. To give some of them credit, you will see:

  • Benedict Cumberbatch was William Pitt. He is currently the Masterpiece Mystery Sherlock Holmes.
  • Michael Gambon was Lord Charles Fox. He was Dumbledore in “Harry Potter”.
  • Rufus Sewell was Thomas Clarkson. He was Alexander Hamilton in “John Adams”.
  • Ciarán Hinds was the evil Lord Tarleton. He was Gaius Julius Cesar in “Rome”.
  • Toby Jones was the cretinous Duke of Clarence. He was Karl Rove in “W”
  • Nicholas Farrell was Henry Thornton. I will always remember him as the young runner Aubrey Montague in “Chariots of Fire”. His screen credits roll on for pages.
  • Albert Finney was John Newton and IS British acting.

DO NOT MISS THIS FILM !!!!

2006, Based on true facts, Detective, DO NOT MISS, Drama, Military, Nudity, War

In the Valley of Elah (2006)

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From NetFlix:

When exemplary soldier Mike Deerfield (Jonathan Tucker) disappears after returning from Iraq, his concerned father (Tommy Lee Jones, in an Oscar-nominated role) — a retired sergeant — works with gutsy police Det. Emily Sanders (Charlize Theron) to investigate. Writer-director Paul Haggis based his script on events reported by Mark Boal in a Playboy magazine article. James Franco, Josh Brolin, Jason Patric and Susan Sarandon also star.

As you will learn in the film, the valley of Elah is where David killed Goliath.

Having seen a mediocre film starring Tommy Lee Jones (In the Electric Mist (2008)), I was pleased that this film, also starring Tommy Lee Jones, was so amazing.

Let there be no doubt: this is an anti-war film. But it is perhaps the most subtle anti-war film I have ever seen. There is no preaching, rather the characters speak for themselves, and it is a scary spectacle indeed.

For me the most unsettling moment comes when Corporal Penning (played to perfection by Wes Chatham) non-confesses to a horrible crime. That is to say, he describes in a completely non-emotional manner what he did and then adds my pet-peeve phrase “Sorry for your loss”. Other reviews have labeled this character as having evolved in Iraq into a sociopath suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.

To understand the factual basis for the film, you should read the Wikkipedia article.

Other themes abound in the film: sexist resentment toward Detective Sanders (admirably played by Charlize Theron), father-son relations, military cover-ups, turf wars, etc.

Often I complain of the style of acting in which the actor does not emote, but rather expects the audience to guess what that character is thinking at that moment. Call it lazy acting. However, this style is used to great effect in this film and avoids the flaw of preaching.

Please enjoy something that Theron does well, namely: she is constantly battling male sexism, bureaucratic cover-ups, etc. But in several scenes she summons her courage and speaks out with a steely stare. However, just as soon as her adversary turns away, you can see her insecurity steal back into her eyes. Wonderful! Watch her interact not only with her pension-oriented boss but also with a powerful confrontation with Lt. Kirklander (Jason Patric).

And yes it took me some time to convince myself that it really was Jason Patric playing Lt. Kirklander as a military bureaucrat intent on protecting the army from bad publicity. Time flies!

Primarily because it is done so well (and secondarily because it addresses the effect of war on our young military) I urge you to see this film.

2008, Crime, Detective, Drama, Serial Killer, Suspense, Violent

In the Electric Mist (2008)

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From NetFlix:

Detective Dave Robicheaux (Tommy Lee Jones) finds himself swimming in a murky sea of corruption, deception and lies when he probes the connection between a rash of murders and a notorious New Orleans mobster (John Goodman) — and discovers secrets that were better left untold. With Robicheaux’s family, and his life, in serious danger, can he stem the rising tide of blood and bring justice back to the bayou?

If it were not for some notable actors such as Tommy Lee Jones, John Goodman, Peter Sarsgaard, and Mary Steenburgen, this ordinary B-film would not be worth watching. The only unusual theme is that Robicheaux is a reformed alcoholic who wants to get Sarsgaard into Alcoholics Anonymous. Better to watch a Law and Order episode.

2002, Biographical, Conspiracy, Crime, Documentary, Military, Violent, War

The Trials of Henry Kissinger (2002)

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From NetFlix:

This riveting documentary depicts former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger as a warmonger responsible for military cover-ups in Vietnam, Cambodia and East Timor, as well as the assassination of a Chilean leader in 1970. Based on a book by journalist Christopher Hitchens, the film includes interviews with historians, political analysts and such journalists as New York Times writer William Safire, a former Nixon speechwriter.

What did Lincoln say? “You can fool some of the people some of the time …”.

So many details appear in this well-crafted documentary that I fear to cite any facts for fear of being inaccurate. Please therefore view the film critically. Granted the makers hated our clever war monger, but judge for yourself whether or not the accusations are well founded.

Kissinger is accused of at least the following:

  • He hijacked a Paris peace accord that could have ended the Vietnam war so that by prolonging the war he could get Tricky Dick Nixon re-elected.
  • He promoted the bombing of Cambodia.
  • As a result of this bombing, the almost total destruction of Cambodia paved the way for the Khmer Rouge.
  • He is responsible for the overthrow of Allende in Chile and the installation of Pinochet.

Ironically our Henry was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for ending the Vietnam war. But he received this award two years before the war ended. Vietnamese officials boycotted the award because the members of the Nobel committee were such fools.

One facet of history that has always bothered me is that evil men often go to their graves convinced that they “did the right thing”. For example consider: Pinochet (Chile) or Emilio Massara (Argentina’s “dirty war”) both of whom claimed to their dying day that they had acted for the good of their country. Several Nazi war criminals never understood what all the fuss was about. (Note that the documentary calls Kissinger a war criminal.) What will be the deathbed experience of such notables as Cardinal Law (“The Church of the Holy Pedophile”) or Henry the Swinger ?

Not a pretty picture!

1986, Dark, Drama, Explicit sex, Gloomy, Grim, Mystery Film, Nudity, Religious Theme, Suspense, Torture, Violent

The Name of the Rose (1986)

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From NetFlix:

In this adaptation of Umberto Eco’s best-selling novel, 14th-century Franciscan monk William of Baskerville (Sean Connery) and his young novice (Christian Slater) arrive at a conference to find that several monks have been murdered under mysterious circumstances. To solve the crimes, William must rise up against the Church’s authority and fight the shadowy conspiracy of monastery monks using only his intelligence — which is considerable

Umberto Eco wrote his first novel The Name of the Rose in 1980. Eco is a well-known modern scholar.

Jean-Jaques Annaud, the director, has assembled a cast of the most unusual, distorted, exaggerated, cretinous faces I have ever seen. These faces are perfectly in tune with the dark, forbidding atmosphere of the Benedictine monastery in northern Italy. To keep all the characters straight, try reading the Wikipedia article on the film. Besides Sean Connery and Christian Slater, Ron Perlman as Salvatore is particularly memorable. Salvatore is the retarded hunchback whose garbled speech is a mixture of several languages. Whoever restructured and tonsured all those heads was a genius in the art of actor makeup.

Thanks to my Italian teacher ,Vincenzo Santone, for recommending this film. Of course, Vincenzo would like me to read the original Italian version, which is a challenge. Because I have not read the book, I do not know if it is so condemning of the Catholic church of the early 14th century as is the film. Certainly the film makes the church hierarchy into a pack of sadistic, ignorant, self-indulgent, greedy, superstitious cretins. Naturally, the Inquisition is cast as the fundamentalist, intolerant Taliban of the 14th century.

Here is one film that I could not stop watching.

2009, Child Molestation, Conspiracy, Crime, Detective, Drama, Rape, Revenge, Suspense, Swedish, Violent

The Girl Who Kicked The Hornet’s Nest (2009)

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From NetFlix:

Third in a trio of films inspired by Swedish author Stieg Larsson’s “Millennium Trilogy,” this thriller follows feisty computer hacker Lisbeth Salander (Noomi Rapace) as she finds herself hospitalized, suspected of murder and targeted for death by thugs. Meanwhile, Lisbeth’s journalist pal, Mikael Blomkvist (Michael Nyqvist), crusades to prove her innocence. Daniel Alfredson directs this film that also stars Lena Endre and Jacob Ericksson

My NetFlix version offered not only English subtitles but also English dubbing.

Although the third book in Larsson’s trilogy seemed procedural and not as exciting as the first two books, the third film was not boring. Probably for me what kept the tension going was the need to see Salander vindicated. In a certain sense it all seemed to work out too easily. At the very least, seeing Dr. Teleborian get his comeuppance was very satisfying.

For the most part the film was faithful to the book while omitting certain unimportant details. For example, her wounded father, Zalachenko, does not roam the hospital hall trying to get at Salander. Nor could the treatment of her clandestine use of technology in her hospital room be so elaborate.

Only in one instance do I object: without giving anything away, in the last part of the film Niedermann is given a different solution from that planned by Larsson in order to continue the series.

If you’ve seen the first two installments, how can you not watch the conclusion ?

2010, Cowboy, Crime, Detective, Drugs, Made For TV, Police Story, Sex Scenes, TV Series, Violent, Vulgar

Justified (2010)

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From NetFlix:

Based on an Elmore Leonard short story, “Justified” stars Timothy Olyphant as Raylan Givens, a young U.S. Marshal who’s been assigned to help keep order in the same Kentucky region where he spent his childhood. Givens is a thoughtful but determined old-style lawman who seems strangely out of place in a modern, turbulent society. That places him at odds not only with the criminals he pursues, but also with his bosses at the U.S. Marshals Service.

“Justified” gets its name from the pattern adopted by this TV series: U.S. Marshal Raylan Givens at least once in each episode is placed in a duel-like situation in which his gun is holstered and the one or more bad guys are armed visibly or with hidden weapons. Now these guys are soooooo bad that they are worth killing. Moreover the bad guy(s) always shoot first. Needless to say our hero Marshal Givens always gets his man. So you usually see a neat little bullet hole and maybe some blood. At any rate, the killing is JUSTIFIED (get it?) .

Actually the atmosphere is just like the home town feeling of the vampire series “True Blood” because Raylan was assigned to his old home town in Kentucky and knows a lot of good guys and bad guys. The badest guy of all is Raylan’s nasty crook of a father – and now we know why our hero became a police officer.

And yes Raylan does get to sleep with an attractive woman (with the required air of legal reluctance, “We should not do this too often”).

All said, the series is a lot of fun, the plots are not bad, and Timothy Olyphant knows how to act tongue in cheek. Try it, you’ll like it!

2009, Crime, DO NOT MISS, Drama, Drugs, Italian, Mafia, Redemption, Revenge, Sex Scenes, Suspense, True Story, Violent

The Sicilian Girl (2009)

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From NetFlix:

In this taut drama based on a true story, 17-year-old Rita (Veronica D’Agostino) is leading a privileged life when her father and brother are slain by rival Mafiosi. Bent on revenge, she turns to a sympathetic magistrate (Gérard Jugnot) and breaks the code of silence. In her journey from self-centered teenager to fearless advocate for justice, Rita enrages Sicily’s most powerful men, putting her life in jeopardy.

Probably the biggest impression I got from this amazing enactment of a true story was how all-encompassing and soul-destroying is the Mafia cult. For Rita the real stumbling block was accepting the fact that her adored father was no less a brutal and cruel assassin than all the other animals. Her own mother did her best to convince Rita to not testify even though the Mafia had killed Rita’s father and brother.

Also awe inspiring was the bravery of Rita and the prosecutor and all the other law enforcement staff. Human life means nothing to the Mafia.

Be prepared for a surprise (and true) ending.

2010, Australian, Car Chase, Crime, Detective, DO NOT MISS, Drama, Drugs, Grim, Lawyers, Police Story, Revenge, Slow, Suspense, Violent

Animal Kingdom (2010)

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From NetFlix:

When his mother dies suddenly, a 17-year-old boy (James Frecheville) finds himself drawn into the clutches of a diabolical criminal family, until a good-hearted detective (Guy Pearce) makes a concerted effort to change the boy’s fate. Australian writer-director David Michôd’s first feature-length drama won the World Cinema Jury Prize: Dramatic at the 2010 Sundance Film Festival

How lucky I was to stumble on this gem of a film! Confirming my excited impressions are all the rave reviews in the Wikipedia article.

Instead of Joshua, the boy is called simply ‘J’. For this entire Australian film, the character J is practically mute. We can only assume that some awful battle is taking place inside. When he speaks it is usually some terse (i.e. one word) answer such as ‘yeah’, spoken with a strong Australian accent. Not all the characters are terse, especially if they are hopped up on cocaine.

Suspense is palpable, especially because J is trapped in a herd of unbalanced and unrestrained uncles who are guided, encouraged, and protected by a menacingly evil grandmother Smurf. Understand: this is a very controlled film atmosphere. There are violence, drug use, and insanity in a film that is mostly quiet, SLOW, and threatening.

Expect two surprising plot twists. Do NOT read the Wikipedia summary first because it will spoil these surprises.

Most memorable moment for me: Catch the interchange between Guy Pearce and the grandmother in the supermarket toward the end of the film.

Toward the end be sure to catch Guy Pierce asking J if J has “found his place in the world” and then ask yourself what that really meant when the film reaches its startling conclusion.

I highly recommend this film!