Category Archives: Mother-son relations

1998, 1999, Amazon Prime, British, Ethical struggles, Forensics, Irish, Mother-son relations, Murder Investigation, Politicians, Unmarried mother

The Ambassador (1998)

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From Amazon:

The new British Ambassador to the Republic of Ireland, Harriet Smith, arrives in Dublin to discover that the Irish government is accusing the British of sinking one of their ships in the Irish Sea. Smith partners with MI6 agent John Stone to uncover the truth. “The Ambassador” originally aired on the BBC.

From Amazon Prime we could stream 6 episodes from season 1 (1998) and 6 episodes from season 2 (1999). The above description holds true only for episode 1, season 1. Each story is self-contained, although the characters, their problems and romances continue from episode to episode.

Pauline Collins as the British Ambassador to the Republic of Ireland does a believable acting job in portraying a woman in a position that is very political and always calls for careful restraint.

Denis Lawson as her private MI6 sidekick is perfect for the job. He can pull tricks that are not available to so public a figure as the British Ambassador.

As far as I am concerned, Pip Torrens who plays Deputy Ambassador Tyler is a standout as a very formal, correct, repressed, and ambitious man often at odds with his boss. Episode 12 centers on the death of his wife.

If you liked “Doc Martin”, then this adult, non-violent series is for you.

Based on true facts, Basically Sad, Bloody scenes, Brother-Brother relations, Creepy, Drugs, Dysfunctional Lives, Emotional abuse, Horses, Mental Illness, Mother-son relations, Murder, Not Feel Good, Psychological Thriller, Suspense, True Story, Wrestling

Foxcatcher (2014)

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From NetFlix:

Preparing for the 1988 Olympics, two sibling wrestlers cross paths with a paranoid schizophrenic millionaire in this drama based on a true story. The competitive Schultz brothers soon learn their new acquaintance is a dangerous distraction.

Steve Carell makes such a perfect creep that the tension never leaves the film. You just sit there waiting for him to explode. Meanwhile he tries to make Channing Tatum emotionally dependent on him as a father substitute using psychological trickery such as introducing him to cocaine, encouraging him to imbibe, and especially trying to turn Tatum away from his brother Mark Ruffalo. Tatum plays a fatherless young man emotionally dependent on his brother, who has been a father to Tatum his whole life. To a degree Tatum resents his dependence on Ruffalo and Carell uses that as amunition in his increasingly jealous conflict with Ruffalo. Another detail in the story is Carell’s constant but useless efforts to gain the approval of his horse-obsessed mother.

If the story seems harsh, remember that it is based on a true story. For a reference see the Wikipedia article. Be sure to read the final historical follow-ups.

Not a happy story, just a film that is as good as it is ugly.

2010, 2013, Alcoholism, Arson, Based on a Book, Bloody scenes, Catholic culture, Child abduction and murder, Child Molestation, Complicated, Could Be Hard To Watch, Dark, Detective, Flirting, Grim, Irish Detective Series, Mother-son relations, Murder, Netflix Streaming, Pedophilia, Police Story, Religious Theme, Revenge, Sex Scenes, Suspense, TV Series, Unmarried mother, Use of Irish Brogue, Violent

Jack Taylor (2010)

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From Netflix:

As he faces his own struggles with the bottle, boozy but big-hearted ex-cop Jack Taylor earns a reputation for being a tough-as-nails private investigator who’s not afraid to take on ruthless vigilantes or track down merciless killers.

From Netflix I streamed:

Season 1
The Guards
The Pikemen
The Magdalen Martyrs

Season 2
The Dramatist
Priest
Shot Down

  • Season 3
  • Cross
  • Headstone
  • Purgatory

Kathy and I watched “The Guards” together and decided against watching any more episodes. However, on my own I tried one more episode and was hooked. Not all the episodes are equal in value. “The Guards” introduces us to Jack Taylor as a sloppy drunken former Guard (which means a member of the Irish Guarda, that is to say, the police force). Although episodes refer back to earlier episodes you could conceivably watch selected episodes.

All the episodes are violent, grim, and harsh. Ian Glen does a convincing job as Jack Taylor. You may remember Ian Glen as Jorah Mormont in “Game of Thrones” or Sir Richard Carlisle from “Downton Abbey”.

Riveting but definitely not relaxing. Proceed at your own caution.

2013, Bloody scenes, Child abuse, Crime thriller, Detective, Divorce, DO NOT MISS, Drama, Dysfunctional Lives, Forensics, Journalist, Lesbian Theme, Love Story, Marital Infidelity, Medical Theme, Melodrama, MHz Choice, Mother-daughter relations, Mother-son relations, Murder Investigation, Netflix Streaming, Revenge, Sex Scenes, Suicide, Suspense, Swedish, Swedish crime series, Teenagers, Thriller, TV Series, Unmarried mother, Violent

Dicte (2013)

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From Netflix:

A crime reporter starts a new life by returning to her hometown, where she finds herself at odds with the police when she tries to solve their cases.

UPDATE: From MHz Choice you can now stream 3 seasons of Dicte. The stories and writing continue to be captivating and suspense filled. Currently (January 2020) there is a new episode of season 3 released each Tuesday.

OLD REVIEW ————————————————————-

No doubt about it, streaming is taking over. Just today (Dec 9,2014) the papers echo complaints that Netflix streaming is threatening cable TV. No surprise there seeing how cable offerings continue to worsen.

From Netflix I streamed 10 wonderful episodes of the only season made of the Swedish thriller “Dicte”. If you loved the Swedish “Wallander” you will be ecstatic over “Dicte”. Dicte is the character name of the lead actress who is a newspaper crime reporter dedicated to uncovering the truth often by using methods not legally available to the police.

More than crime solving, the series is equally if not more concerned with the personal lives of Dicte and all the people surrounding her. In this respect you can call it a melodrama. Expect to see married couples break up, exchange partners, and so forth: today’s operative word is “blended”.

As with “Wallander” the sound track is in Swedish with English subtitles.

DO NOT MISS either “Wallander” or “Dicte”!