2004, DO NOT MISS, Drama, Explicit sexual discussion, Gay theme, Nudity, Redemption, Revenge, Suspense

Walk on Water (2004)

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From NetFlix:

American-born Israeli director Eytan Fox lenses this contemporary road movie that takes its Israeli characters to Berlin as they attempt to understand the role that the past still plays in the lives of young Israeli and German people. Stars Lior Ashkenzai, Carola Ranier, Hans Tischler, Israeli Gideon Shemer and Yousuf Swaid. The soundtrack includes tunes by Esther Ofarim, Bruce Springsteen, Telepopmusic and Gigliola Cinquetti.

Thanks to my Spanish teacher Joaquín for lending me this film. If any theme is strongest, it is that of personal change and overcoming prejudices. The plot itself offers many surprising turns all the way to the end of the film. In fact for me this was one of those films in which the suspense of the plot line is so strong that I could not even pause the film for a second.

No film is perfect. The main actor, the Mossad assassin, was best when he was purposely emotionless. In one scene he is not terribly successful in portraying remorse. Was the ending a bit too good to be true ? And of course the Mossad agent is an expert martial artist.

This film is not for children not so much because of its gay subtheme but because there is very explicit discussion of gay sexual practices.

If I had not seen this movie, I would have missed a really worthwhile film.

2008, British Mystery Series, Detective, DO NOT MISS, Drama, Gritty, Made For TV, MHz Choice, Mystery Film, Occasional gore, Suspense

Wallander (2008)

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June 2020 Update:

Wallander has moved to MHz Choice. There are two Wallander series in MHz Choice.

————————– NEW REVIEW ————————————-

From Netflix:

By now (August 2016) you can stream from Netflix 3 seasons of the British Wallander with Kenneth Branagh.  Each episode lasts about an hour and a half.  Each of the 3 seasons offers 3 independent stories. However, you should start from the beginning and watch in sequence because running through the entire 9 stories is the theme of Wallander’s personal life: loneliness, struggles with his eccentric father, relation with his daughter, etc.

One advantage of streaming is that there are captions.

More than ever, I consider these somewhat “noir” stories a DO NOT MISS!

————— OLD REVIEW ———————————————

From NetFlix:

Kenneth Branagh delivers a bravura performance as Swedish sleuth Kurt Wallender in three stories drawn from Henning Mankell’s best-sellers. With violence on the rise in once-peaceful Ystad, the dour detective battles crime as well as personal demons. This trio of TV mysteries finds Wallander connecting a woman’s suicide with government corruption, pursuing a cabbie’s killer and coping with the murder of a colleague during a tough investigation.

There is already a review for “Before the Frost (2002)” which was an excellent Wallander story. The present review is for a two-disk series (two separate NetFlix disks) from 2008. Kenneth Branagh again does an outstanding job portraying a dedicated detective whose personal life is in shambles. As such, the three stories (the second disk contains two stories) are dark. Kenneth Branagh is shabby and haggard throughout.

One caveat: there are NO subtitles available for those of us who are hard of hearing.

Also remember that everything takes place in Sweden despite the actors being British.

1000NYTimes, 1001BeforeDie, 1989, Drama, Independent, Mostly About Sex, Soderbergh, Unusual

sex, lies, and videotape (1989)

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From NetFlix:

Director Steven Soderbergh’s voyeuristic indie drama paints an intense, intimate portrait of discord among a frigid housewife (Andie MacDowell), her philandering husband (Peter Gallagher), her adulterous sibling (Laura San Giacomo) and an intriguing out-of-towner (James Spader). When Spader arrives with a trunk load of videotapes featuring women confessing their sexual secrets on camera, he gradually turns the quartet’s lives inside out.

This film is recommended in “NY Times Guide to Best Movies Ever” and “1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die”. It never would have occurred to me to watch this film until my brother-in-law Jack (a movie fan) recommended the TV series “Boston Legal”. One of the lead actors in “Boston Legal” is James Spader who is perfect for the part. In searching for James Spader in IMDB I spotted “sex, lies, and videotape” featuring a very young James Spader. In fact, although I am good with faces as they age and change, I never would have recognized James Spader (especially with really long hair).

Not for everyone, this is a thoughtful film is as much about sex versus love as it is about truth versus lying. Don’t expect explicit sex, it isn’t at all pornographic. But do expect a lot of heads talking about sex. Great plot twists. Very soft-spoken dialogs. I’d have to say this is an “important” film. From “1001”: “Written in just 8 days and filmed in 5 weeks on a budget of just $1.2 million, the movie (Soderbergh’s debut) is credited with transforming the independent movie industry.”

2007, Comedy, Feel Good Not For Children, Love Story, Mediocre, Melodrama

Chaos Theory (2007)

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From NetFlix:

Thanks to a strict regimen of timetables, to-do lists and index cards, efficiency expert Frank Allen (Ryan Reynolds) lives his life exactly how he wants it. That is, until his well-meaning wife (Emily Mortimer) decides to set their clock back a mere 10 minutes. Suddenly, Frank’s once-safe and predictable life is spinning dangerously out of control … which is the one thing he never bothered to plan for. Stuart Townsend and Sarah Chalke co-star.

Don’t expect much. This mediocre melodrama rates a C. There are some genuine laughs. And the story has some original twists. The language is at times crude enough to exclude children.

2009, Feel Good For All, Revenge, Sci-Fi

Star Trek (2009)

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From NetFlix:

Capt. Kirk (Chris Pine) and his trusted team on the starship USS Enterprise boldly go where no man has gone before in this installment of Gene Roddenberry’s sci-fi franchise that follows the early days of the intergalactic adventurers. The crew includes Spock (Zachary Quinto), Chekov (Anton Yelchin), Uhura (Zoe Saldana), Scotty (Simon Pegg) and Sulu (John Cho). Eric Bana co-stars, and Leonard Nimoy appears as an older version of Spock.

As an old “Star Trek” fan and still adolescent at heart, I enjoyed much of the film. Sometimes the pseudo-scientific explanations of what was happening left me cold. And seen one battle in space is pretty much to have seen all of them. These days it seems fashionable to create “Origin of …” films. Granted I am getting older, but I do wish the young Captain James Kirk did not have a case of acne.

The best line of all was (say this loud and fast) “Are you out of your Vulcan mind ?”

Live well and prosper!

2008, Detective, Drama, Explicit sex, Love Story, Nudity, Revenge, Suspense, Violent

Deception (2008)

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From NetFlix:

Unassuming accountant Jonathan McQuarry (Ewan McGregor) thinks he’s hit the big time when a lawyer friend (Hugh Jackman) introduces him to an exclusive sex club. But McQuarry’s life begins to unravel when he falls for a woman at the club and is later linked to her disappearance. Michelle Williams, Natasha Henstridge and Charlotte Rampling also star in this atmospheric thriller from director Marcel Langenegger (in his big-screen debut).

Hugh Jackman redeems himself despite his appearance in the adolescent film “X-Men Origins: Wolverine”. In this film Jackman makes a great villain. You might also want to see him in “Australia”. He and Ewan McGregor make perfect foils for each other’s character. I will not say a word about the really clever plot because plot is everything. Of course there is the sex club and lots of sex scenes, but do not avoid the film because you think the film is just about sex. The nice thing about the plot is that while tricky it is not too complicated.

2009, Animated, Comedy, DO NOT MISS, Feel Good For All

Up (2009)

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From NetFlix:

After a lifetime of dreaming of traveling the world, 78-year-old homebody Carl (voiced by Ed Asner) flies away on an unbelievable adventure, with Russell, an 8-year-old Wilderness Explorer (Jordan Nagai), unexpectedly in tow. Together, the unlikely pair embarks on a thrilling odyssey full of jungle beasts and rough terrain. Other voices include the renowned Christopher Plummer and Pixar stalwart John Ratzenberger.

Not your average Disney film. Entertaining for young and old alike. Sometimes I just burst out laughing. In the initial part of the film we watch the lifetime of a married but childless couple. They age, she dies, he is alone. As I watched this part I thought “Oh my gosh, do I look like him ?” The fatherless boy scout is at times touching. The villain is, well, a real Walt Disney villain. If I could do the athletic stunts that the old man carries off, I would be in amazing shape. Just suspend disbelief and enjoy the fun.

2008, Chick Flick, Comedy, Complicated, Feel Good Not For Children, Love Story

Definitely, Maybe (2008)

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From NetFlix:

Interested in knowing how her divorcing parents met, young Maya (Abigail Breslin) listens as her dad, Will (Ryan Reynolds), recounts his romantic past with three different and special women: Emily (Elizabeth Banks), April (Isla Fisher) and Summer (Rachel Weisz) — leaving Maya to guess which one is her mom. Kevin Kline makes an appearance in writer-director Adam Brooks’s tender tale of father-daughter bonding and lost love.

You may remember Abigail Breslin as “Little Miss Sunshine”. She is also perfect for this easy-to-watch Chick Flick. Ryan Reynolds you may remember from “The Proposal”. Kathy and I watched all three “date films”. “Little Miss Sunshine” and “The Proposal” are both better than “Definitely, Maybe” in our opinion. The character Will dates so many women that not only can the plot be confusing at times, but his daughter even calls him a “slut”. In fact, except for very explicit and oft-repeated sexual terminology this could be an OK film for all ages. What does sparkle are a lot of snappy retorts. Now why can’t I think of such funny comebacks ?

2004, Ballet, Biographical, Documentary, Feel Good For All

Born to be Wild (2004)

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From NetFlix:

Fans of the American Ballet Theatre will delight in this documentary about the renowned company’s four lead male dancers: Angel Corella, Vladimir Malakov, Hose Manuel Carreno and Ethan Steifel. Find out how each dancer got started in classical ballet, learn about their individual approach to the discipline, their backgrounds and their strengths onstage, and view clips of their best performances from the beginning to the apex of their careers.

It’s hard to believe that human bodies can do what these 4 men can do. The climax of this documentary will be all 4 men dancing together to the finale of Robert Schuman’s 4th piano quartet in a dance choreographed by Mark Morris. But interspersed with the rehearsals are biographical interviews with the dancers. Who knew that ballet was alive and well in Castro’s Cuba ?

Could be boring, Detective, Drama, Feel Good Not For Children, Kidnapping, Mystery Film, Scam Artists, Suspense, Unusual

The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency

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From NetFlix:

After her beloved father dies, the sassy Precious Ramotswe (Jill Scott) sells an inheritance of 180 cows to start a detective agency and becomes the first female sleuth in the history of Botswana. Co-starring Anika Noni Rose as Ramotswe’s assistant and secretary, Mma Makutsi, this quirky whodunit was adapted from Alexander McCall Smith’s hit mystery novels. The film also marks the last directing credit for Anthony Minghella (English Patient).

Season One contains 3 discs. Because of a theme of kidnapping children to sell their body parts (e.g. fingers) as magic amulets, this series might not be for children. More than that, an American audience might find the slow childlike speech patterns in the Botswana English a bit hard to take. I almost stopped watching even the first episode until the plot became somewhat sinister and my curiosity kept me watching. But after that first episode I returned the disc to NetFlix. The books are better than the TV adaptations, in my opinion.