The Long Call (2021)

From IMDB:

Follows detective Matthew Venn as he returns to an evangelical community in which he grew up to attend his father’s funeral.

From Amazon BritBox:

Following the discovery of a dead body, DI Matthew Venn is led back into the community he left behind – and the deadly secrets that lurk there.

From Amazon BritBox you can stream the 4 episodes of this single season production. Each episode lasts exactly 46 minutes.

DI Matthew Venn’s investigation of the death of a Simon Walden leads him back to the religious cult in which he was raised, and to which he also returns for his father’s funeral.  Years before Matthew left the cult because he is gay and therefore was considered by the cult to be a sinner.  Matthew lives with his partner Jonathan Roberts who works hard to bring comfort and self-acceptance to Matthew who battles the guilt inculcated into him by the cult.  Eventually we learn how involved the cult is in the death of Simon Walden. Along the way Matthew tries to make peace with his mother Dorothy Venn.

Two notable actors are:

  • Martin Shaw plays Dennis Stephenson the leader of the cult. Martin Shaw may be familiar to you as Inspector George Gently. In this production he was 76 years old.
  • Juliet Stevenson plays Dorothy Venn, Matthew’s conflicted mother. Juliet Stevenson has a huge resumé.  My earliest recollection is her role as “The Politician’s Wife”.  In “The Long Call”  she is a aged, somewhat haggard woman. During production she was 65 years old.  In “The Politician’s Wife” she was a mere 26 years old. How time flies!

Well-done and worth a DO NOT MISS!

 

Bridgerton (2020)

From IMDB:

Wealth, lust, and betrayal set against the backdrop of Regency-era England, seen through the eyes of the powerful Bridgerton family.

From Netflix you can stream 2 seasons of this Regency-era serial soap opera.  Each season consists of 8 episodes, each episode lasting roughly one hour.

During the American revolution George III was king of England. Because he suffered from periodic madness due to porphyria (disputed), his son acted as regent and later became George IV. For this reason this period of history is called the Regency era.

Among the wealthy London aristocrats of the Regency era, social competition and ambition centered around gossip,  fancy apparel, and above all else finding suitable husbands for one’s daughters. “Suitable” here means wealthy and hopefully titled, as in prince beats duke beats lord.  Bridgerton in it entirety is about gossip, fancy apparel and husband pursuits.  And what fun it is to watch!

SLIGHT NEGATIVES:

  • Do not be put off by the very beginning in which we see a bare-assed Anthony Bridgerton copulating with his lower class lover against a tree.  Although there are plenty of sex scenes, this is not a trashy production.
  • Talk, talk, talk and more talk.  There is much repetitious talk.

NOTABLE FEATURES:

  • As far as being “woke”,  irregardless of any particular role, parts are mixed between races. For example: Simon Basset, Lady Danbury, and Queen Charlotte are black;  members of the Sharma family are from India; most actors are white.
  • You may not recognize her, but the voice of Lady Whistledown reading her gossip column is none other than Julie Andrews.
  • Underlying all the husband and wife hunting is the motivation for the main protagonists Daphne and Anthony Bridgerton and the Sharma sisters that despite all the imposed societal ambitions,  true love is the oft scorned but most desired quality of a good marriage.

SEASON ONE

Season One is devoted to finding Daphne Bridgerton a husband. After much  pretending and maneuvering,  Duke Simon is the one.  As far as difficulties are concerned, Simon has taken a vow against his much despised father to never produce an heir to the title.

As an extra major distraction, the search is on the discover the identity of Lady Whistledown, the weekly publisher of a gossip paper that more or less rules society.  My lips are sealed.

One further theme is the friendship between Eloise Bridgerton and Penelope Featherington.  In reality the Featherington family is penniless, meaning that their daughters MUST marry well in order to rescue the family from its gambling induced poverty.

SEASON TWO

Season Two is devoted to finding a suitable wife for Anthony Bridgerton and a suitable husband for Kate Sharma.   Along the way Anthony misguidedly proposes marriage to Kate’s sister Edwina.

We learn the identity of Lady Whistledown while Queen Charlotte threatens Eloise Bridgerton with ruin if she fails to discover the true identity of Lady Whistledown.

Season Two does not end happily ever after for all. Will there be a Season Three, dear reader?

Traces (2019)

From IMDB:

While attending an online forensic course, young lab assistant discovers that the fictitious case study has a link to her past. With the help of two female professors she works on bringing a killer to justice.

From Amazon BritBox:

Emma Hedges needs to find out what happened to her mum. In a world of danger and deceit, will Emma have the nerve to follow the evidence no matter where it takes her?

From Amazon BritBox you can stream two seasons of this mystery series set in Dundee, Scotland.  Each season consists of 6 episodes. Each episode lasts about 45 minutes.

SEASON  1:

Emma (played by Molly Windsor) enthusiastically begins her new job in a forensics lab where she discovers a link to the still unsolved murder of her mother twelve years ago.  Coincidentally her team must investigate a suspicious fire in which 3 people died.  During this investigation she meets the father and son team of building contractors involved in the construction of that building.  Her relations with each of these two men could not be more opposing: she falls in love with son Daniel MacAfee (played by Martin Compston) and is afraid of the father Phil MacAfee (played by Vincent Regan).  And then the plot thickens.

Vincent Regan may be the most familiar actor in this series. Usually he plays a nice guy such as Ray Conlon in “The Bay“.  In “Traces”, however, he is a very effective bad guy.

Worth calling this season a DO NOT MISS.

SEASON 2:

Although this season begins with the trial of Phil MacAfee for murdering Emma’s mother,  this season suddenly ignores that plot and launches into the search for a serial bomber.  At least three bombs go off before the forensic scientists uncover the bomber’s identity.  Along the way there are many personality clashes and other issues.  To repeat: season 2 seems strangely disjoint from season 1, is more into scientific details, and is not as exciting as season 1.  Not exactly a “do not miss”, but still worth the watch.

Gattaca (1997)

From IMDB:

A genetically inferior man assumes the identity of a superior one in order to pursue his lifelong dream of space travel.

From Netflix:

In a dystopian future where genetics determines your fate, a man born into limited prospects plots to escape his second class citizen status.

From Netflix you can stream this 25 year old classic film which lasts 1 hour and 46 minutes.

Again from IMDB:

In the not-too-distant future, a less-than-perfect man wants to travel to the stars. Society has categorized Vincent Freeman as less than suitable given his genetic make-up and he has become one of the underclass of humans that are only useful for menial jobs. To move ahead, he assumes the identity of Jerome Morrow, a perfect genetic specimen who is a paraplegic as a result of a car accident. With professional advice, Vincent learns to deceive DNA and urine sample testing. Just when he is finally scheduled for a space mission, his program director is killed and the police begin an investigation, jeopardizing his secret

Jude Law plays the paraplegic Valid Jerome. Ethan Hawke plays the ambitious In-Valid Vincent. UmaThurman plays Irene who cannot be Valid because she has a heart condition.  Irene and Vincent become lovers.

Most of the plot centers around the extreme means that Vincent must take to become Jerome, all done with Jerome’s unselfish help. For one example, Vincent must change the length of his legs (ouch!) in order to match Jerome’s height. All these maneuvers are necessary because there are watchful cameras and security entrances just about everywhere.

At the time this film was made, do you suppose the filmmakers could imagine how close the film details come to the 2022 social controls in, say, China or North Korea?

Good flick!

Kanopy Films

Few people watch Kanopy, which is available free from your local library.  Unfortunately in Belmont we are limited to 10 films a month. If you inadvertently touch your touch-screen in a manner that starts a film, then your film count goes down by one.

Because so few people watch Kanopy, I will merely list some films that I have found there along with the description provided by Kanopy.

Beware that Kanopy offers conventional and truly bizarre films. Since Kanopy is free I generally opt for taking a chance on unusual films, some of which were TERRIBLE (and which I did not list).

  • Deadfall (2012)

Two siblings (Eric Bana and Olivia Wilde) fend for themselves in the wake of a botched casino heist, only to reunite during another family’s Thanksgiving celebration in this thriller.

  • Wildlife (2018)

Family bonds are stretched to the breaking point in the emotionally stunning directorial debut from Paul Dano. Carey Mulligan and Jake Gyllenhaal star.

  • The Dream Children (2014)

The challenges of a young gay male couple who decide to have a baby are explored in this Australian melodrama set in the early 2000s. Hunky architect Alex wants a child while his partner, TV game show host, Steven is closeted at work and not all too keen on exposing himself to public scrutiny. Adding to the problem is the government’s policy against same sex adoptions and their own, far from settled, home life. They decide to illegally hire a surrogate mother to carry the baby, but the woman, a bit homophobic, plots her own scheme to get more money from the two.

  • Death in Buenos Aires (2014)

The biggest hit of the year in its native Argentina, DEATH IN BUENOS AIRES is a gripping police thriller about corruption, paranoia, and the secret gay lives of the wealthy elite of Buenos Aires during the politically tumultuous 1980s. At the scene of a murder of one of the city’s high society figures, veteran police inspector Chavez (Academy Award nominee (A Better Life, 2011) Demian Bichir, runs into Gomez (Chino Darin), a.k.a. “El Ganso” (The Goose), a handsome young rookie cop with dreams of advancement. When Chavez uncovers that the murder may be linked to a small-time hustler, and the gay nightclub La Manila, the detective sends the rookie undercover to pose as a gay newcomer on the prowl for an older benefactor. As they come close to luring out the killer, the erotic charge of their new surroundings triggers changes in both Chavez and Gomez. Director Natalia Meta’s deeply involving debut film delivers rich, multi-faceted characters that match the complexity of its riveting story.

  • The Treatment (2014)

The Treatment is an unsettling Belgian murder mystery that gets under your skin and stays there. A nail-biting suspense yarn based on one of a series of best-selling novels by British crime writer Mo Hayder, the film is not an old-fashioned Agatha Christie-type whodunit, but its gritty themes of sexual violence and pedophilia give it a raw, contemporary intensity that places it in the same company as the “Girl With the Dragon Tattoo” book and film series. Police inspector Nick Cafmeyer is investigating a case where a mother and father have been bound and beaten, and their young son is missing. An obsessive loner, Cafmeyer discovers that there are other similar cases – tragedies where the parents were forced by a psychopath to harm their own children, who then vanish. For the inspector, this triggers memories of his own brother’s abduction as a child, and the possibility that he may still be alive somewhere. Grim and wholly engrossing, The Treatment is a thriller with an edge.

  • The Best Offer (2013)

Geoffrey Rush is stunning as an eccentric art auctioneer obsessed with an heiress in this compelling mystery. Also stars Donald Sutherland.

  • The Endless (2018)

Acclaimed filmmakers Moorhead and Benson return with this mind-bending thriller that follows two brothers who receive a cryptic video message inspiring them to revisit the UFO death cult they escaped a decade earlier.

  • Saint-Narcise (2020)

Set in 1972 Canada, SAINT-NARCISSE follows Dominic, a handsome narcissistic young man who discovers the existence of his twin brother, living in a remote monastery led by a depraved priest. Dominic sets out to save him and reunite once and for all. The two beautiful, identical brothers are soon embroiled in a strange web of sex, revenge and redemption.

  • Outlander (2008)

A man from another world crash lands on Earth during the age of the Vikings.

  • Automata (2014)

Antonio Banderas stars as an insurance agent investigating robots who violate their primary protocols against altering themselves.

  • Altered Minds (2015)

A psychological thriller about a tormented son who makes a desperate bid to save his sanity by unearthing family secrets before his father dies. Plagued by terrifying visions, Tommy Shellner hijacks a family celebration in an attempt to force a confession from his once CIA psychiatrist father. The warm reunion in their family home turns icy and spirals out of control when Tommy alleges his father adopted three children for the purposes of psychological experimentation.

  • Surge (2020)

Set over 24 hours in London, this stripped-back thriller follows a man who goes on a bold and reckless journey of self-liberation.

  • I’m Your Man (2021)

Alma (Eggert) is a scientist coerced into participating in an extraordinary study in order to obtain research funds for her work. For three weeks, she has to live with a humanoid robot tailored to her character and needs, whose artificial intelligence is designed to be the perfect life partner for her. Enter Tom (Stevens), a machine in human form in a class of its own, created solely to make her happy. The film is a humorous tale about the questions of love, longing and what makes a human being human.

  • Free Fall (2013)

Star of Sense8, Max Riemelt and Hanno Koffler (Summer Storm, Coming In) co-star as gay lovers in this wildly popular drama. It’s been called the German Brokeback Mountain for its portrayal of forbidden love between two police cadets as previously heterosexual Marc (Hanno Koffler) and fellow male cop Kay (Max Riemelt) embark on an unexpected life-changing affair.

With a promising law enforcement career and a child on the way, Marc’s life is all going according to plan until he meets the free spirited Kay. They start jogging together, bringing a breath of fresh air into Marc’s life — and, for the first time, he develops feelings for a man. Torn between the life he knows so well and the exhilaration of this new adventure, his life rapidly spins out of control. In this state of free fall, it seems Marc cannot make anyone happy anymore. Least of all himself. FREE FALL is part of a new wave of powerful German cinema.

  • A Teacher (2013)

In this provocative psychological thriller a young high school teacher unravels after she begins a torrid love affair with one of her teenage students. What starts as an a fling soon becomes dangerous and destructive.

  • Rift (2017)

In this Hitchcockian Thriller, when Gunnar receives a distraught phone call from his ex, he drives up to a secluded cabin to see him. He discovers that there’s more going on than he imagined. Someone is lurking outside and the two find that they are haunted by someone — or something.

  • Royal Deceit (1994)

An ancient Danish story of evil, power and human spirit, that subsequently inspired William Shakespeare on his tragedy, Hamlet. When the king of Jutland is murdered by his brother, the dark prince claims both the throne and Queen Geruth. Although her son saw the murder, he feigns madness to spare his life.

This historical drama features a stellar cast including Oscar-winners Christian Bale and Helen Mirren.

  • Neither Heaven Nor Earth (2015)

French Army Captain Antares Bonassieu and his squad are assigned to monitor a remote valley of Wakhan, Afghanistan on the border of Pakistan. Negotiating control of the region between local shepherds and possible Taliban sympathizers grows more and more tenuous for them as men from all sides start mysteriously disappearing. Unable to explain this eerie phenomenon, the soldiers find themselves embroiled in an existential nightmare, desperate for their own safety.

  • Double Lover (2017)

Crafting a deliriously cinematic web of suspense, shock, eroticism, and power dynamics, writer/director Francois Ozon returns to master the thriller genre with DOUBLE LOVER.

Chloe, who works as a guard at a museum in Paris, seeks to shore up her resiliency and enters psychoanalysis. Following the end of the treatment with psychiatrist Paul Meyer, both realize that they have fallen in love. A new chapter begins for Chloe when she and Paul move in together…yet Chloe soon comes to believe that Paul is keeping a secret. She impulsively visits another psychiatrist, Louis Delord. Spiraling emotional and sexual stakes will push all three of them to extremes, forcing Chloe to take action in order to solve a mystery and save herself.

  • Obit Ever After (2013)

Nigel has fallen in love. But when you live in orbit, aboard a ramshackle space hovel with the most risk-averse family imaginable, it isn’t easy to follow your heart – especially when the girl of your dreams is spinning around earth the wrong way!

  • S1mOne (2002)

In Hollywood, the land of illusion, never have those words rung so true… until S1MONE. Viktor Taransky (Al Pacino) is a down-and-out Academy Award-nominated director who loses his last chance for a comeback when temperamental actress (Winona Ryder in a cameo role) walks off his set. But now computer genius Hank Aleno (Elias Koteas) shows up. S1MONE is a director’s dream: She won’t get old, won’t gain an ounce. She’ll never need rehab, doesn’t have an agent, manager, entourage or guru. She won’t demand a bigger trailer or a private jet. She does her own stunts. She has no problem with nudity. The only power she craves comes from an electrical outlet. What could possibly go wrong?

  • D’Agostino (2012)

Allan Dawson has recently inherited his grandmother’s island estate in picturesque Santorini, Greece. It provides the perfect temporary break from his loveless marriage to Sylvia. However he is not the only transatlantic traveler. A human clone who was part of a lost cargo shipment has washed up on shore and he too is looking to upgrade.

This macabre tale follows Allan’s attempts to mold D’Agostino into the perfect pet. Domesticating D’Agostino and keeping him secret from the outside proves increasingly difficult and Allan quickly finds himself in way over his head with man’s best friend.

  • The Cakemaker (2017)

Thomas, a young German baker, is having an affair with Oren, an Israeli married man who has frequent business visits in Berlin. When Oren dies in a car crash in Israel, Thomas travels to Jerusalem seeking for answers regarding his death. Under a fabricated identity, Thomas infiltrates into the life of Anat, his lover’s newly widowed wife, who owns a small Cafe in downtown Jerusalem. Thomas starts to work for her and create German cakes and cookies that bring life into her Cafe. Thomas finds himself involved in Anat’s life in a way far beyond his anticipation, and to protect the truth he will stretch his lie to a point of no return.

  • Draughtman’s Contract (1982)

Set in a richly exaggerated 17th-century England, Peter Greenaway’s sumptuous and sensuously charged brainteaser catapulted him to the forefront of international art cinema. Adorned with intricate wordplay, extravagant costumes and opulent photography, Greenaway’s first narrative feature weaves a labyrinthine mystery.

An aristocratic wife commissions a young, cocksure draughtsman to sketch her husband’s property while he is away–in exchange for a fee, room and board, and one sexual favor for each of the twelve drawings. As the draughtsman becomes more entrenched in the devious schemings in this seemingly idyllic country home, curious details emerge in his drawings that may reveal a murder. THE DRAUGHTMAN’S CONTRACT is a luscious cinematic banquet for eye, ear and mind.

  • The Boondock Saints (1999)

Fraternal twins Murphy (Norman Reedus, THE WALKING DEAD) and Connor (Sean Patrick Flanery, POWDER) become vigilantes after killing two members of the Russian Mafia in self-defense.

After both experience an epiphany, the brothers set out to rid Boston of evil while being tracked down by FBI agent Paul Smecker (Willem Dafoe, SPIDERMAN, PLATOON, SHADOW OF THE VAMPIRE) in this stylish and violent crowd-pleaser.

Willem Dafoe’s portrayal of the conflicted homosexual FBI agent is overacted to such an extent that it is hilarious, amazing and entertaining. His is an unforgettable character.” – Robert Rote

  • Bite Marks (2011)

Truck-driver Brewster takes over his missing brother’s delivery of a load of coffins to a funeral home. He picks up hitchhiking gay couple Cary and Vogel whose relationship is in trouble to help him stay awake but when his GPS leads them into a deserted junkyard, his truck breaks down, stranding them. NIght falls, and the coffins reveal blood-thirty vampires. Now the mismatched trio must barricade themselves in the cab of the truck and try to survive until dawn…

  • Tomcat (2016)

Andreas and Stefan lead an idyllic life near Vienna and even work in the same orchestra, as manager and musician. But one morning an unexpected outburst of violence from Stefan shakes their harmonious relationship to its core. Writer-director Klaus demonstrates exceptional sensitivity for the male psyche, drawing the viewer into Andreas’ and Stefan’s most intimate physical and emotional moments in this poetic ballad about the fragility of love.

  • Three (2010)

This Berlin-set dramedy from the director of Run Lola Run and Cloud Atlas centers on a 40-something couple who, separately, fall in love with the same man.

  • Kiss Kiss Bang Bang (2005)

From producer Joel Silver and screenwriter Shane Black, both of Lethal Weapon fame, comes an action-comedy spoof of rough-and-tumble buddy films–KISS KISS BANG BANG. A private detective (Val Kilmer – Alexander), a thief posing as a struggling actor (Robert Downey Jr. – Gothika) and an actual struggling actress (Michelle Monaghan – The Bourne Supremacy) become entangled in a murder mystery filled with twists, turns, betrayal and, most importantly, romance.

  • Swiss Army Man (2016)

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.

  • Moss (2018)

n this coming-of-age tale set in the American South, Moss is an isolated and troubled young man who embarks, on his eighteenth birthday, on an unexpected adventure never to be forgotten.

For Moss, whose mother died while delivering him, the day means freedom, especially from his father, whom Moss believes resents him for his very existence. However, it will take more than this milestone day to set him free. During a chance encounter with a woman fleeing her own heartache, the two escape into a psychedelic journey that teaches Moss lessons of life and loss.

  • Maurice (1987)

Set against the stifling conformity of pre-World War I English society, MAURICE is a story of coming to terms with one’s sexuality and identity in the face of disapproval and misunderstanding. Maurice Hall (James Wilby) and Clive Durham (Hugh Grant) find themselves falling in love at Cambridge.

At a time when homosexuality is punishable by imprisonment, the two must keep their feelings for one another a secret. After a friend is arrested and disgraced for “the unspeakable vice of the Greeks,” Clive abandons his forbidden love and marries a young woman. Maurice, however, struggles with his identity and self-confidence, seeking the help of a hypnotist to rid himself of his undeniable urges. But while staying with Clive and his wife, Maurice is seduced by the affectionate servant Alec, an event that brings about profound changes in Maurice’s life and outlook.

  • Tell No One (2006)

Tell No One is based on Harlan Coben’s international best selling thriller about pediatrician Alexandre Beck who still grieves the murder of his beloved wife Margot Beck eight years earlier. When two bodies are found near the scene of the crime, the police reopen the case and Alex becomes a suspect again. The mystery deepens when Alex receives an anonymous e-mail with a link to a video clip that seems to suggest Margot is somehow still alive and a message to “Tell No One”.

  • A Kid (2016)

When Matthieu finds out that the father he never knew has died, he decides to go to his funeral in Quebec in order to meet his two siblings. But once in Montreal, he realizes that nobody is aware of his existence or even interested in it.

  • Cut Bank (2015)

A small town murder caught on camera thrusts a man and his girlfriend into the high stakes game of cat and mouse.

Starring Billy Bob Thornton, Bruce Dern, Liam Hemsworth, Teresa Palmer, and John Malkovich.

  • Dona Flor and Her Two Husbands (1976)

Based on the novel by Jorge Amado, this Brazilian comedy follows the strange events that befall Dona Flor (Sonia Braga) after she is left a widow by the death of her wild, irresponsible husband.

  • The Oxford Murders (2010)

A woman is murdered and her body is discovered by a prestigious professor and young graduate student, who quickly realize that this is the first of a series of murders, all of which are announced by the murderer with strange mathematical symbols.

  • Ideal Home (2017)

Paul (Paul Rudd) and celebrity chef Erasmus (Steve Coogan) live an extravagant, self-indulgent life. When the grandson they never knew existed crashes their fancy dinner party, their lives are turned upside-down.

  • Angels of Sex (2012)

In this steamy love triangle, Bruno questions his feelings for his loving girlfriend Carla as he grows increasingly attracted to fellow dancer Rai.

  • Four (2012)

Emory Cohen (Brooklyn, Smash, The Place Beyond the Pines) and Wendell Pierce (The Wire, Treme) give gripping performances as a white gay young man named June and a middle-aged black businessman named Joe who hook-up for a secret encounter in this award-winning drama. In a simultaneous search for connection, Joe’s straight-laced daughter Abigayle (Aja Naomi King) flirts with the streetwise Dexter (E.J. Bonilla) over the course of a hot July 4th evening. Adapted from Obie-winning, Pulitzer Prize-nominee Christopher Shinn’s highly-acclaimed stage play, FOUR is full of the poetic and tender human drama of great theatre.

In a nameless, suburban American town, the smell of barbeque fills the air as the Fourth of July moves from a hot summer day into the smoldering explorations of night. With raw intimacy and emotion, these four characters explore the limits and possibilities of human connection. And for just this night, the small world that they live in will become even smaller — though the freedom they experience has never been so dangerous, fleeting and honest. Film Independent Spirit award nominee, Best Actor – Wendell Pierce.

 

 

Before We Die: Season One (2021)

From PBS Masterpiece Streaming,

Determined to solve her lover’s murder, Detective Hannah Laing persuades one of his confidential contacts to help her. But when Hannah discovers the informant’s identity, she realizes there is far more at stake than bringing the killers to justice.

From PBS Masterpiece Streaming you can stream the 6 episodes of this tense British thriller. Each episode last about 45 minutes.

Lesley Sharp played DC Janet Scott for 33 episodes of “Scott and Bailey” from 2011 to 2016. In 2011 she was 51 year old  In the 10 year span from 2011 to the filming year 2021 she has aged  considerably and to her credit sits for many thoughtful and still screen shots despite the wrinkles.  Brits seem to value the acting skill above any appearance.

In this series Lesley plays  detective Helen Laing and the mother of Christian Radic (played by Patrick Gibson). Her sidekick in an off-the-books investigation of a unscrupulous and violent family of Croatian criminals is Billy Murdoch (played by Vincent Regan). Vincent played DCS Dave Murray in the same “Scott and Bailey) series.

From the very beginning Christian volunteers to be part of the murder investigation by inserting himself into the crime family. In doing so he invites great risk to himself and causes great anxiety for his detective mother.

Season one ends in such a way as to lead into season two. However season one is complete in itself with an almost satisfying ending.  But conspiratorial villains remain undetected.

WARNING:  In the beginning of the story there are scenes of torture (another family  specialty) that are hard to watch.  In the reminder of the episodes there is much tension but no torture.

Tension plus a really clever plot twist at the end make this series a

DO NOT MISS!

Modus (2015)

From IMDB;

During a snowy Christmas season in Sweden, psychologist and profiler Inger Johanne Vik and her autistic daughter both get drawn into the investigation of a number of disturbing deaths.

From PBS Masterpiece Streaming you can stream  the 8 episodes of this Swedish mystery series. Each episode lasts about 45 minutes.

Just because the villain intends to kill multiple victims does not, as I understand the term, make the villain a serial killer. Rather in this well-done series his motive has a homicidal rationality.  But I will leave it up to you to guess for yourself that motive before the profiler Inger Vik realizes what is happening.

Many well-presented characters interact.  Throw a romance into the pot and the result is successful suspense.

DO NOT MISS!

 

 

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!

Death at a Funeral (2007)

From Amazon Prime:

As the mourners at a British country manor struggle valiantly to “keep a stiff upper lip,” a dignified funeral devolves into a hilarious, no-holds barred debacle of misplaced cadavers, indecent exposure, and shocking family secrets. This classic farce blows the lid off the proverbial coffin as “the film’s delicious comic flourishes are served up by an outstanding cast” 

From Amazon Prime you can stream this 1.5 hour comedy film.

Although there is an American 2010 all-Black version of this film, the Amazon version is the British 2007 all-White version.

British slapstick is not for everyone. For example, there is at least one  outlandish scene (this one involving human excrement) that could seem distasteful.   Nor is it certain that the treatment of a gay theme from 15 years ago would be  completely acceptable in 2022. These days the extensive nudity will probably not raise an eyebrow.

Among the British actors that might seem familiar, there are:

  • Matthew Macfadyen (Howard’s End, MI-5) as the grieving son Daniel.
  • Peter Dinklage (the dwarf actor in Game of Thrones) as  Peter, who claims to be the lover of the deceased father.
  • Alan Tudyk (Arrested Development) as Simon, who spends most of the time in a drug-induced haze.
  • Rupert Graves (Inspector Lestrade in Sherlock ) as Robert.
  • Peter Vaughan (Maester Aemon in Game of Thrones ) as Uncle Alfie, who spends most of the time on the toilet.
  • Peter Egan ( Martin Hughes in Unforgotten) as Victor.

Possibly not as funny as Monty Python.

 

Pieces of Her (2022)

From IMDB

When a Saturday afternoon trip to the mall with her mother suddenly explodes into violence, an adrift young woman’s conception of her mother is forever changed. As figures from her mother’s past start to resurface, she is forced to go on the run and on that journey, begins to piece together the truth of her mother’s previous identity and uncovers secrets of her childhood.

From Netflix you can stream 8 episodes of this crime saga. Each episode lasts between 42 minutes and 62 minutes.

Mainly this sequence of flashbacks explains why Laura Oliver (played by Toni Collette) has been in witness protection for many years.   Probably the story could have been told in a fewer number of episodes, but just hang in there while keeping track of the many characters.  Just remove several maudlin scenes and the series might shorten.

Not a complete waste of time.