Some of the library holds of newer movies are starting to
show up now and I have also borrowed some DVDs of newer movies that are not in
as much demand. So this list includes those plus some streamers from Netflix, a
couple documentaries and the second and last season of an old BBC series. The
topper on this list is one John from Phoenix recommended.
Here is what I have watched since I posted my last list.
[The ratings I give are on my own number system which is explained at the link
on the sidebar].
50/50 – 2011
(3.0). Based on the true story of one of the producers, this independent drama
with humor and heart tells the story of a 27 year old Seattle man who is
suddenly diagnosed with spinal cancer with a 50% survival rate. As he starts
the chemo, he is referred to a newbie therapist for help with the emotional
impact, and we see how he and the people in his life (equivocal girlfriend,
crude best friend, forceful mother, Alzheimer’s father and sincere but
inexperienced therapist and some more experienced fellow patients) deal with
the affect his disease has on him, them and their relationships. Well written,
directed and acted, this movie makes an emotional impact without being maudlin.
Once again, with only a few iconic Seattle shots, a movie set in Seattle is
actually filmed in less expensive (for movie making) Vancouver, BC. In case you
didn’t know, the very pretty girl who played the conflicted girlfriend is the
daughter of Ron Howard.
Monica & David
– 2010 (3.0). A short documentary about a thirty-something couple getting
married and following them through their newlywed year is much more interesting
when the lovers both have Down’s Syndrome. This film made by a cousin of the
bride shows a very loving couple and two very committed mothers and an adoptive
stepfather all making the necessary adjustments. This is a movie where you can
truly feel the love and be touched by it.
Game of Thrones
(Season Two) – 2012 (2.9). The story arc of the fighting to take over the
throne of the mythical realm continues, though a bit slowly at first, with the
primary characters becoming more familiar, even as some continue to be
eliminated and new ones enter the scene. The production highlight of the season
comes in episode nine in the form of a siege and battle at the dominant castle.
The fantasy elements are ratcheted up, but otherwise the second season is much
like the first. A third season is just beginning on HBO and one has to wonder
whether the third should be able to conclude the story.
Poldark (Season
Two) – 1977 (2.9). The second season of this BBC oldie starts with a mission to
revolutionary France to rescue an English prisoner, demonstrating that action
sequences are a definite weak point of this production. Character development,
interpersonal turmoil and class conflict are what this series does best, and in
this final season, the principal characters and a few added ones are brought to
their dramatic finale with a satisfying final episode in which we hear
appropriate philosophical dialogue from the main characters. [One wonders why
the scruffy couple who serve the household of the hero seem to have worn the
same nasty looking clothes throughout; wouldn’t someone have provided better
clothing if only for the reputation of the houosehold?]
The Ides of March
– 2011 (2.8). The hardball aspects of campaigning for the US Presidential
nomination are the focus of this George Clooney directed drama in which he
plays the “good” candidate. Campaign managers and workers, political opponents
and opportunists, and journalists all have their own agendas, and even
idealists are forced to decide if the end justifies the means. An interesting
script which focuses more on the personal aspects than the policies, combined
with decent direction and acting makes for a movie that should be watchable
even by those who are not heavily political. In a special feature, the actress
who played a young campaign worker said she was drawn to the part of a strong
young woman, but I thought the character was more of a Monica Lewinsky type.
[Coincidentally, I watched this on the day of the title].
Salmon Fishing in the
Yemen – 2011 (2.8). Expecting a bit of a farce, it was a pleasant surprise
to find an encouraging movie about faith in dreams and finding love. A decent
script, though a little too pat at the end, good chemistry between the stars,
Ewan McGregor and Emily Blunt, and fine direction from Lasse Hallstrom make
this very watchable.
Saint of 9/11 –
2006 (2.6). This documentary celebrates the Franciscan priest chaplain of the
NYFD who died at the WTC during the response to the 9/11 attack. Details of his
involvement on 9/11 and the circumstances of his death are not provided;
instead numerous interviews with colleagues and persons touched by the personal
charisma and ministry of the priest are shown, and we learn not only about his work
as a priest reaching out to the most needy people of Manhattan, but also about
the challenges he faced as a man. More time showing the priest and less time
hearing about him from others would have made a better movie.
Following Sean
-2005 (2.6). Going back 30 years later to see what became of the precocious free
roaming four year old subject of an early documentary short about the son of
free love hippie parents in Haight Ashbury sounded like a good idea for a film,
but that is not what this movie delivered. Instead, the film is a hodgepodge
about the father and the filmmaker and their respective parents, children and
spouses, including Sean. It has the feel of reading multiple biographies and an
autobiography with the pages scrambled. If not quite an indictment of the
Haight lifestyle, it is certainly not an endorsement. Sean actually turned out
pretty good, but in spite of the film title, we never followed his upbringing
enough to know the particulars of why.
Beginners – 2011
(2.4). The semi-biographical drama from a writer/director seems to suffer from
the creator being so close to his material that he lost sight of whether his
final product would register with his audience anywhere near as much as it did
with him. The characters ended up seeming like frustrated stereotypes, but we
never got to understand them at any deeper level, perhaps because they did not
figure that out themselves. The message supposedly is that it is never too late
to begin again, but in order to do a better job the second time, we have to
have a fairly good idea of why we failed the first. Considering the low budget,
the movie does have a nice look though and it is sincere enough to be
watchable.
Beasts of the
Southern Wild – 2012 (2.2). A collective of young film makers settled for a
time on the Louisiana coast to film this labor of love, featuring locals acting
for the first time, including a six year old girl who was nominated for the
best actress Oscar. Unfortunately the movie has no particular story, the
fantasy elements don’t effectively register and the derelict characters, with
the exception of the little girl, are a very unappealing mix of intoxicated
eccentrics. All this apparently charmed the film makers, but the charm does not
come across in their movie.
