Even Fewer Changes

Anna chuckled at my less than extensive blog changes mentioned in my last post. They definitely were minor, and now I am already backing away from a couple of them, having decided there is no reason to rush to stream a movie from Netflix just because instant viewing is about to become unavailable, nor is there a need to get a movie from the library just because only one copy is left, but I can still have Netflix mail me a copy. So that leaves the biggest change dumping the marquee graphic in favor of a DVD box. Admittedly this is not very creative, but on my previous Sense from Seattle blog, I often spent more time searching for the best graphic than I did writing the article.

Probably the biggest change since I started this blog in November 2009 is the morphing from articles on specific aspects of movies to just a listing of what movies and shows I have been watching and how I rate them. Sometimes a movie rating includes a mention of a more general aspect of movies, and often John in his comments does the same. I suppose we could try to do a little more of that.

Here is what I have watched on DVD and streaming since I posted my last list. The ratings I give are on my own number system explained at the link on the sidebar. Those watched via Netflix instant view, include “Streamed” after the numeric rating.

Emma – 2009 (3.5). We watched this Jane Austen story on TV last year and then decided to watch it again on DVD, because we were not sure that we had seen it. This British production is so typically well done that, even though we recognized it as soon as we started the DVD, we were quite happy to watch it again and enjoy it once more. We have seen a couple renditions of this tale and are now quite familiar with the characters and the story lines. It seems we may be ready now to go to the source – and read the novel.

Amreeka – 2009 (3.3) Streamed. Cherien Dabis, a young American woman writer and director of Palestinian heritage, did an impressive job with this, her first movie, about a well-educated, overweight Palestinian divorcee who comes to Illinois with her 16 year old son during the early stages of the American invasion of Iraq. They stay with her sister and her Arab physician husband and daughters, and all of them encounter the prejudice that was rampant at that time. The divorcee, very well played by Nisreen Faour, is the heart of the story, drawing on her inner strength to try to meet the challenges she encounters. The film, is realistic about the persistence of the problems, but still projects a genuine hopefulness.

The Duchess of Duke Street (Season One)– 1976 (3.3). This BBC series is based on a true story of a maid who rose to become an accomplished chef and collateral member of high society, as proprietress of a fashionable London hotel. It covers the same time period (first third or so of the 20th Century) and class differences as Upstairs, Downstairs, but it concentrates heavily on the heroine and her rise to success, especially in the first few episodes,whereas Upstairs, Downstairs covers an ensemble of characters and goes much more deeply into the class structure and how it plays out in the lives of the characters. Later episodes introduce and develop the supporting players better and then include some episodes concentrating on guest characters, which I think detracts from time that could be spent getting to know the lead and supporting characters in greater depth. But still, I found myself hooked and looking forward to seeing the lives of the regular characters play out over the series. Though not wide screen, this colorful series has admirable production values and has held up well over time.

Starting out in the Evening – 2007 (3.2) Streamed. This review by member Frank W. at Netflix is right on the mark, except I did not think the script was that dull, so I am quoting it here. “Excellent performances by Frank Langella, Lauren Ambrose and Lili Taylor enliven a rather dull but well-written script about a young graduate student who believes her master's thesis can resurrect the career of an aging author. A bit pretentious and very, very "art-house", but if you can stick with it, it's actually quite rewarding. Character and dialogue driven, so no action but plenty of drama. The subject matter will be better suited for book-hounds, authors and literary types, but lovers of well-crafted drama will certainly find it interesting too.” I would add that the movie covers creativity in fiction writing, the role of the personal life of the writer and how certain fiction books can influence our lives; and all this can also apply to movies and film makers.

Tumbleweeds – 1999 (3.1). British actress Janet McTeer gives an Oscar nominated performance in this movie, playing a flirty marginally employed single mom from North Carolina, whose romances quickly turn sour causing her to flee with her pre-teen daughter. We don’t really learn much about the character, except that she joyfully masks her hurts and really loves her daughter, on whom the peripatetic life has taken a toll. Kimberly J. Brown does a very good job in the daughter role, but her filmography since this picture is so poor, she should look for a better agent. McTeer, who lost the Oscar to Hilary Swank in Boys Don’t Cry, is an excellent actress who also seems underutilized. Check her out in Songcatcher, a sleeper film from 2000.

The Real Buddy Holly Story – 1987. (3.1). Buddy Holly and the Crickets were a great part of the rock and roll scene during my high school years and I loved all their songs. Buddy was killed in a plane crash in 1959, the year I graduated from high school. He was just 22, only five years older than me. This documentary was produced as a reaction to the inaccuracies in the 1979 Gary Busey biopic. It benefits by some archival footage and by interviews with Buddy’s two brothers and with the three other members of the band and some of the record producers who were involved in Buddy’s short career. The interviews of admiration expression by a few other artists of the time, including Paul McCartney, do not add much. Netflix does not have this, but my public library had one DVD.

A Thousand Years of Good Prayers – 2007 (3.0) Streamed. Chinese retiree comes to Spokane to get to know his divorced daughter with whom he had never bonded, and he has to deal with the culture shock of America and the coldness of his daughter to him as he tries so belatedly to converse with her. Director Wayne Wang’s movie holds our interest throughout as we watch the painful family process develop, relieved by humor in the old man’s lonely encounters with other people. We never get the full story but we do come to better understand the characters.

Down in the Delta – 1998 (2.7). First timer Maya Angelou did a good job directing this earnest story about an alcoholic single mother (well played as usual by Alfre Woodard) from Chicago who reluctantly takes her two kids to Mississippi to spend the summer with her uncle. The Chicago ghetto scenes were passable and the small town Mississippi scenes seemed authentic, but the behavioral turnaround of Alfre, as written, did not feel quite real, and her son, about 12, always seemed too wholesome for the story. The uncle (Al Freeman Jr.) was well written and played, as was his wife with serious Alzheimer’s, played by Esther Rolle. The autistic young daughter role was basically just annoying. If you try this film, stay with it to the end to get the full story on the family roots.

Z – 1969 (2.7). This French movie about the 1963 assassination of a popular opposition party Greek legislator by the repressively anti-communist government of Greece was such a politically dangerous subject at the time that the film had to be made in Algeria. The low budget of the film shows and this true story is probably not of much current interest outside of Greece.

The Usual Suspects – 1995 (2.4). Movies about cocky professional criminals killing lots of less clever criminals, all overshadowed by a mysterious bogey man who preys on such characters are not high on my list. For a supposedly intricately plotted Oscar winning script, the story was actually pretty uninspired – and Kevin Spacey seemed to be sleepwalking through his part.

Despicable Me – 2010 (2.2). For almost the first half of this animated movie little kids would not have gotten the jokes and probably would be bored and restless. I got the jokes but did not find them funny, and I was bored and restless. The movie improved a little after the hero (villain) got matched up with the little orphan girls, and any little kids still watching would probably stay to the end. I stayed, but did not find enough to recommend this film or say I liked it.

Heavens Fall – 2006 (2.0) Streamed. It’s hard to believe someone could write and direct a dud movie based on a case as sensational as the Scottsboro Nine rape trials, but Terry Green has managed to do it with this low budget film. Neither the period of the Great Depression nor the locale in Alabama seem to have any authenticity as portrayed, the script is muddled, all the characters are lifeless and the trial portrayal is a technical disgrace. I squeezed this viewing in because it was the last day of availability at Netflix. I’ll be more careful next time. To really appreciate this case, get the excellent documentary, Scottsboro: An American Tragedy.

A Few Changes

With the new year, and without planning, I have done a few new things regarding my movie watching. When I see that the availability of a movie in my Netflix instant queue is about to expire, that prompts a quick viewing. If a movie is save only at Netflix, but the King County Library still has a DVD, I’ll get it from the library. If a movie is mail only from Flix and the library is down to only one copy, I may get it from the library. And finally, I am starting to grade marginal movies a little harder; sliding a 2.7 down to a 2.4 changes it from a Flix 3 star “liked” to a Flix 2 star “didn’t like”.

Another change is dropping the movie marquee at the top of blog articles and replacing it with a picture of the top rated DVD, to add a little graphic variety to this blog.

Here is what I have watched on DVD since I posted my last list. The ratings I give are on my own number system explained at the link on the sidebar. Those watched via Netflix instant view, include “Streamed” after the numeric rating.

Scenes from a Marriage – 1973 (Theatrical version) (3.5). Ingmar Bergman filmed a six night 1973 TV miniseries about the breakup of the marriage of a couple and it caused such a sensation in Scaninavia that he was persuaded to make a shorter version for showing in movie theaters elsewhere in the world. The movie focuses intently on the couple, marvelously played by Liv Ullman and Erland Josephson, as they dialogue through six scenes spread over about ten years. The TV version supposedly gives the leads more nuance and contributes some input from supporting players. After watching the theatrical version, I am so interested in the characters, I think I would like to watch them again in the full TV version, but since it is fairly legthy, maybe I’ll wait a while.

Stand by Me – 1986 (3.5). I have never seen this movie before and was pleased to discover that it is indeed a very well made film about what it is like to be a 12 year old boy and to bond with your small troop of oddly matched buddies seeking adventure in the midst of the confusion of coming of age. The DVD has a good special feature with director Reiner and the three surviving young men who played the leads. The early death of the fourth, River Phoenix, adds poignancy as we are reminded again what a great young actor he was.

American Violet – 2008 (3.2) Streamed. Money making drug task forces targeting poor black communities on bogus charges spearheaded by prejudiced district attorneys has been covered by documentary film makers, but this movie gives the story a dramatic turn. Well written, acted and directed, the film, based on a true story from Texas that began in 2000, stays pretty much on target without rubbing our noses in the problem. The open and violent prejudice of the Jim Crow and early civil rights years is replaced with a more subtle and economics based model.

Bomber – 2009 (3.0) Streamed. Film Movement presents some “four i” movies – interesting, intelligent, independent and international. Unfortunately they are not always good. This story of an aging Brit who dropped bombs on an unsuspecting German village in WWII and wanted to go there and apologize is well done. His wife and forty something son accompany him on a road trip and the story concentrates on their relationships. It’s not really a comedy, though it does have some funny moments. But it has a reality that makes us laugh in recognition, even as we may sympathize with the characters.

The Secret in Their Eyes – 2010 (2.9). A criminal investigator has always had the hots for his boss, but they never hooked up. One case in particular has haunted him throughout his career and now that he has retired, he uses it as the basis for writing a novel, which prompts him to revisit the case and his boss. Good Hollywood type plot [2010 Oscar winner as Best Foreign Film]and appealing leads and some lighter fun in office demeanor at the beginning make this Argentine film worth watching.

Dersu Uzala – 1975 (2.9). The title character is an old Japanese mountain man in Siberia in the first decade of the 20th Century who befriends a Russian officer who is in the wilds surveying the area in this Kurasawa movie filmed in Russian as one of his last films. The shooting is almost entirely in the wilds, where we see the wisdom of the old man in action as he teaches the officer about surviving in the wilds, but also about the differences between nature and civilization. A little long and slow, but very well done.

The Last Station – 2009 (2.8). Excellent acting in a generally well made film about the last year in the life of Tolstoy is not enough to overcome a somewhat weak script, which never gives a true feel for the heart of the conflict between Tolstoy and his wife. The time spent trying to make the roles of the other characters seem significant might have been better applied to explaining more about the dynamics between the two leads.

The Maid – 2009 (2.8) Streamed. A maid has been in service to a middle class family for 23 years in this Spanish film, and she is burned out, bitter and very protective of her turf. The family loves her and tries to be sensitive, finally insisting on bringing in help when the maid collapses, but the maid resists. The movie is a little tedious at first, just like her job, and the behavior of the maid makes you wonder, and hopefully keep watching, to see whether the lady of the house will just get rid of her and whether there is any hope for the maid to snap out of her ennui.

Irina Palm – 2007 (2.8) Streamed. This film about an older widow who needs to earn some money starts out a little kinky and then settles in to become a fairly good drama with some social commentary, though a little slow paced and not solidly ended.

The Prince & Me – 2004 (2.8). A fairy tale with modern day realistic overtones, this movie is fun, in the romantic comedy vein, without much drama. The ending actually includes some of the “and then what happened” after the “and they lived happily ever after”. An interesting point from a special feature tells of conflict about how to end the story, and resolving it based on how the chemistry between the leads came across on the screen after filming.

Buddy – 2003 (2.8) Streamed. A Norwegian romantic comedy with three male roommate buddies, one neurotic and the other two irreverent but sensitive, and with some overlapping love triangles and other minor subplots, all of which blend well enough into a pleasant, though not deep, whole.

Lion’s Den – 2008 (2.7). If you want to see what life is like for a pregnant female prisoner in an Argentine prison, then this film from that country will show you. The mothers can keep their children in prison with then until the age of four, and the prison block they share does not seem as bad as the legal system that delays the farce of a trial. The characters and story are so undeveloped here, that I never made much connection, even though the performances seemed good.

Mother and Child – 2009 (2.4). Writer/director Rodrigo Garcia spent ten years developing this script of three motherhood related story lines that connect at the end. It is well directed and acted, but the ten years of overworking damaged the plot like over beating damages muffins. Did nobody catch that one pregnancy lasted about 15 months? Plot holes aside, none of the characters ever seemed effectively developed and the connection at the end seemed forced. It would have been better to make each story separately, but Garcia may have felt the need to offer three in one as an incentive to get this independent venture financed.

Penelope – 2006 (2.4) Streamed. This somewhat farcical romantic comedy was predicted too low for my queue but we streamed it on a whim and found the story of a girl born with a family curse pig nose sensitively acted by Christina Ricci to be tolerable, but not enough to say “I liked it”.

Cyrano de Bergerac – 1950 (2.4) Streamed. Jose Ferrer won the Academy Award for his histrionic performance in this stage bound gabfest. The print being streamed is in terrible shape. This is the first time I have seen this movie and I now understand why it has never been restored.

Fort Apache – 1948 (2.4) Streamed. I never cared for John Wayne, but this movie was about to drop from instant view, so I gave it a whirl. This was supposed to be a more politically correct John Ford western, in that the Indians were treated with more respect. All the Ford hallmarks (or clichés?) are present. The action scenes involve superb stunt people, but the editing is a little choppy. The Monument Valley scenery is classic and the cast takes me to the Film Encyclopedia for some personal stories. Twenty year old Shirley Temple was awkward in her ingénue role and wooden John Agar, the young officer matched with her, was in fact her husband at the time – they divorced the following year. Uptight Colonel Henry Fonda gets deservedly “Custered” , but wiser John Wayne, instead of saying “I told you so” ends up celebrating him. Not enough appeal here for me, so 2 stars will protect me from similar Flix recommendations.

Frankie Starlight – 1995 (2.1) Streamed. Netflix was way off on its prediction for me on this dud. It sounded promising, based on a novel about a dwarf and his mother, but the script did not deliver anything or anyone with appeal. No drama, no emotion, nothing.

My Movie Ratings - Updated January 2011

Through the end of 2010, I have rated 1,860 movies and TV shows I have watched on DVD in the last few years. I rated them, to help me remember what I have watched and how I liked it. My rating system is built around the Netflix five star system, but starting a couple years ago, I began adding decimals to make it more accurate. It essentially has evolved into a four star system. A 2.7 or lower movie is one I would not recommend. Ratings of 2.8 and 2.9 are marginal.  From 3 to 3.2 are all right for those interested. From 3.3 on up are recommended. Several of the older ratings were done before I started using decimals and they are identified as "no decimal" and should be taken with a grain of salt, since a 2.7 and 3.3 movie would both have been rated three stars.

References to seasons or disk numbers are not meaningful unless more than one rating is made for that title. Some of the movies include the year of release. Numbers following some titles are Netflix or other predictions of how I would rate the movie, as of the time of viewing. 

The Netflix star system is designed to make three of the five stars positive ratings (and thus encourage rentals). My reaction to that tactic was to hold my ratings down to mostly three stars (liked it), with a few four stars (really liked it) and a rare 5 star (loved it).

By memory of viewings from many years ago, I have rated about 850 other films at Netflix, mainly for the purpose of helping the Netflix predictions of what I will like. They are not included in the ratings lists on this blog. I could make a list here of those which I top rated, but it might be best for me to first watch them again to see how they stand the test of time and then rate them on the decimal system.

Remember, these ratings are my current opinions of what I want Netflix to recommend to me, based on my most recent viewing of the movie, and also on my mood of that day. In years past I may have rated a movie higher, but recent viewing reduced my opinion. I am not rating based on the historical merit of the movie as of the time it was released. I picked movies to watch that I did not remember seeing and that I thought would at least be marginally acceptable (2.8). Of the movies listed through 2010, I rated 85% at 2.8 or above. I think the toning down of my ratings at Netflix has enabled the Netflix prediction algorithm, which is calculated to one decimal, to more accurately guide my choice of what to watch.

My movie ratings lists are now dated December 31, 2010, and are linked to in the blog side bar, both alphabetically and from high to low rated. The lists may be updated in the future. Some of the movies do not have a year listed, because the year was not included in all my lists I used in compiling this list. In the case of a TV series, sometimes the series is rated as a whole and sometimes the individual seasons are rated. Direct any requests for clarification to me, Tom Blake.