More New Ones than Usual

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.