Unseemly Politics

Keeping track of our current nasty political times cuts into video viewing time, but it has motivated me to catch up with the last couple seasons of Veep, the nasty political spoof that unfortunately is becoming more real.

Veep (Season Five) – 2016 (3.1). Broadcast in the spring of 2016 before Trump secured the Republican nomination for President, the profanely irreverent fifth season of this comedy seems to be like fiction turning to sick reality. The personality clashes, dubious alliances and perpetual back stabbing that seem so far-fetched have now become reality. Maybe to some degree Presidential politics has always had these problems, but what this series presents is now being played out daily in the real White House. The series is supposed to wind up next year. Hopefully the Trump Presidency will end even sooner.

Merchants of Doubt – 2014 (3.0). This slick looking documentary from Robert Kenner does an impressive job of exposing the think tanks and spokespeople for the sleazy world of anti-government prostitutes and obstructionists, concentrating on climate change deniers.  The tactics that were developed by the tobacco industry have been transferred to the fossil fuel field without skipping a beat and with more vitriol as our political discourse has continued to deteriorate. Rational discussion is rebuffed by these people. Violent reaction is tempting, while a midway tactic seems elusive. The movie could have done a better job of guiding the audience to what to do.

The Durrells in Corfu(Season Two) – 2017 (3.0). The family becomes even more attached to their new home and all learn more about their surroundings, themselves and the other family members and friends. Mercifully, the cast is not burdened with an excess of new characters; there are just enough to add to the story of the family. For the audience, the cast and setting continue to endear and invite back for further stories.

The Eagle Huntress – 2016 (3.0). On the desolate but beautiful plains of Mongolia a thirteen year old girl wants to follow in the footsteps of her male ancestors and learn to hunt with a golden eagle. Village elders say women are not fit for the task, but the father of the girl knows she is a natural and works with her to develop her interest and skills. The process and results are shown in this documentary, scenic in its settings, respectful of the culture shown and uplifting in presenting the relationship of father and daughter and the ability of desire and work to accomplish a goal.

The Night of – 2016 (3.0). Based on a BBC series, this crime miniseries tells a compelling story of a NYC college student son of Pakistani immigrants who is charged as the murderer of a young woman supported by what they consider is overwhelming evidence of guilt. A courthouse trolling lawyer with serious skin problems initially gobbles up the defendant who is confined to the horrors of Rikers Island pending trial. We are kept guessing about guilt as the defense turns up other possible suspects, a dedicated cop keeps seeking more evidence against the student, other defense lawyers horn in and the defendant seems to adapt to his new environment. The characters are interesting and thetrial ends in such a way that the door is left open for a possible second season.

Poldark (SeasonThree) – 2017 (3.0). The saga progresses into the years of the French Revolution and corresponding political concern in England. Various characters come and go but the main ones remain with their ongoing problems. Ross Poldark struggles with many issues and loses a bit of his appeal, but the Villain George continues to repulse. By season end, Ross seems to be realizing he needs to become more politically active, which makes us primed for season four.

Veep (Season Four) – 2015 (2.9). After watching season three on DVD it seemed so discouragingly cynical about the American Presidency that I decided not to watch any further seasons. I rated it low but forgot to even write a note about it on this blog. After the series cleaned up for the sixth year at the Emmys, I decided to watch season four, which finished up just a week or two before Donald Trump came down the escalator to begin his ridiculous run for President. Trump must have watched the show and is using parts of it for his Presidency. Looks like I will need to watch the rest of the seasons to see how it turns out. Julia Louis-Dreyfus would likely be better at the job than Trump.

Almost Sunrise – 2016 (2.8). Two Milwaukee vets of US 21^st century wars struggle with PTSD and decide to hike 2700 miles from home to California for a mental break and to call attention to the issue of vets struggling with PTSD. This documentary follows the men and interviews their wives and family, friends and some counselors. A type of meditative practice seems most effective. From the counselors we learn about moral guilt men carry from fighting in these latest wars of dubious basis and purpose.

The Beatles: EightDays a Week – 2016 (2,8). Ron Howard mixed lots of performance and other archival film with old and new interviews to make this entertaining documentary about the years the Beatles toured. Nothing really new is learned but revisiting the songs is quite enjoyable for fans, which means just about everyone. The Special Edition DVD set has extended content including more early performance footage, discussion of their musical technique and a Japanese narrated segment covering the Beatles in Tokyo.

Dark Horse – 2015 (2.8). A Welsh mining village fallen on hard times is lifted a bit by a group of residents who form an alliance to breed and race a thoroughbred horse in this heartfelt documentary. The horse comes from unlikely prospects but a top notch trainer is surprised to see a bit of hope, so the horse is entered in a series of races and does fairly well with ups and downs and then starts to blossom. How high can he rise, will he remain healthy and what will happen to him if he does not are questions that keep us watching and cheerfully rooting for the horse and for the owners too.

Fats Domino and theBirth of Rock and Roll – 2016 (2.8). Archival performance footage, interviews with Fats and his colleagues and opinions from admirers comprise this tribute movie. There is only a minor amount of biopic, as it is almost all about the music. American Masters played it as an hour piece but the DVD has a director's cut of about an hour and a half.

Our Little Sister –  2016 (2.8). Dad is estranged from the three young adult daughters of his first marriage when he dies during his third. The daughters travel to his funeral where they meet the orphaned 15 year old half-sister from the second marriage. The oldest girl has assumed the mother role since the first wife has also been estranged from her daughters, so she and invites the half-sister to come live with the three sisters in the ancestral home. This Japanese movie is well acted and gently directed. The bits of humor are not contrived and the script, though not particularly dramatic, plays out naturally as the back story of the family and the feelings of the women start to be revealed.

Veep (Season Six)– 2017 (2.8). In a way it is like the so-called "previous investment trap", watching season six because of having watched the first five. With the disgusting Trump now actually in the White House, the Veep team coping with the big setback finale of last season might offer hope for the biggest of all Presidential setbacks for Trump and his team. The sixth season does not get us there yet, but sets up a seventh and supposedly final season. It would be great if next year was also the Trump finale.

Master of None(Season One) – 2016 (2.6). Comedian Aziz Ansari plays a struggling actor in NYC hanging with a diverse group of friends who like him are obsessed with sex and are barely mindful that people might want to have some deeper direction to their lives. There is a small amount of wit buried in the shallowness of the lives of the characters, but not much actual comedy to make one laugh, causing me to lauch my parachute hallway through.

Toni Erdmann – 2016 (2.6). A workaholic daughter is out of touch with her divorced father, so he goes to extremes to renew his touch with her and to encourage her to lighten up in this overlong German comedy drama, which is not that funny and not that dramatic. There is full frontal nudity of both sexes and nothing much in any of the characters to make one particularly care what happens to them.

Into the Fall

What little I watched this summer is on this list.

All the Way – 2017 (3.2). Movies made from stage plays are often a bit static, but this film defies its stage origins. Bryan Cranston gives an awesome performance as LBJ pushing Congress to pass the 1964 Civil Rights Act. The humanity and profanity of President Johnson are on good display along with his empathy, self-doubt and prodigious political ability.

Hannah Arendt – 2012 (3.0). Quite a bit of research paid off in accomplishing the difficult task of making an entertaining and thought provoking movie about a brilliant German-Jewish professor in the US who was an early exile from Germany and then from a concentration camp in France. The film wisely concentrates on four years of her life, when she covered the Nazi Eichmann trial in Jerusalem and eventually wrote about it in The New Yorker and in a book and then had to weather enormous criticism for her portrayal of Eichmann as a thoughtless bureaucrat mindlessly following orders and for her questioning of whether Jewish community leaders could have done more to protect their people. More of a thinker than a feeler, Arendt failed to properly account for the emotional weight Holocaust survivors were carrying. A great philosopher of political theory, she did significantly contribute to discussions which remain highly relevant. The DVD has some very good special features.

Joe's Violin – 2016 (3.0). This short documentary briefly introduces us to two people in NYC, a 91 year old Holocaust survivor and a 12 year old Hispanic girl attending an all-girl school composed of mostly children of immigrants. The man donates his violin to an instrument drive for school kids and the girl is chosen to have the use of the violin for one school year. His love of the instrument and music is wrapped in family memories, especially of his mother who died in the Holocaust. Her love of music is genuine and deep which is why she was chosen to have the use of this beloved instrument. When the two eventually meet, the connection is immediate, heartfelt and inspiring. 

The Vietnam War – 2017 (3.0). This ten part documentary telling of the story of the US involvement in the Vietnam War should be considered definitive, at least by those interested enough to take the time to watch it all and digest what is being documented. Ken Burns and Lynn Novick worked for several years putting this series together, using much historical footage (some of which includes enactments) and interviews with various participants, all woven together by effective narration. The interviews with Americans give the sweep from their initial involvement and then all the years that have passed with new information about the war and more time for contextual reflection. With the help of a Vietnamese producer, the interviewees also include Vietnamese who were involved in the war from three different elements, North Vietnamese Army, South Vietnamese Army and Viet Cong guerillas. Even for someone who lived through the time and has followed events closely, the film includes new information and perspectives, especially from the Vietnamese. This series documents that the war was a huge mistake and those who prosecuted it for the US knew that it was going to be a loser, but still persisted. Sadly, the lessons taught by the war have not been well learned and this series will probably not do much to change that.

Trumbo – 2015 (2.9).  Bryan Cranston augments a good script in portraying Dalton Trumbo as he takes on the HUAC and is blacklisted and convicted of contempt of Congress. We see the pressures he faces at home, the turmoil the witch hunt created in the Hollywood community and the clever workarounds Trumbo concocted for himself and his fellow screenwriters. Some actual news footage is seamlessly incorporated.

Everything is Copy – 2015 (2.8). Nora Ephron was a well-regarded magazine essayist before becoming a movie director. This nicely paced documentary by her son chronicles both careers and includes personal biographical materials, all presented through home movies, archival footage and lots of interviews with family and colleagues.

Kubo and the TwoStrings – 2016 (2.8). Five years of animated stop motion filming combined with computer techniques to tell an epic story enmeshed in Japanese culture is an impressive effort. The resulting film about the young son of a deceased samurai who goes on a quest to find the lost armor of his father is quite showy but the exact meaning of the quest is not particularly clear, especially for young audiences.

Last Men in Aleppo – 2017 (2.8). This intimate documentary follows a group of "white helmets", self-appointed rescuers, Syrian men from Aleppo who respond to bombings and use their knowledge of construction trades to dig survivors from the rubble. Over some years, we meet the individuals, see them interact, watch them in action and in moments of contemplation, despair and recommitment. There are no interviews with other talking heads and no political views other than condemnation of Assad and the Russians.

Prime Suspect:Tennison – 2017 (2.8).  Shown to Brits as Prime Suspect 1973, this six part prequel shows us Jane Tennison when she first joins the police force while still living with her parents. She is a natural cop and is so good looking that her boss can't resist the mutual attraction. An early ethical challenge affords an opportunity to prove she is a loyal team member or to take the high road. An ongoing case leads to catching bank robbers in the act, with devastating results. No word yet on whether there will be a second season.

Shalom Italia – 2016 (2.8). Three surviving Jewish brothers, born in Italy and driven with their family during WWII first from their Florentine home, then from a small town and finally into hiding near a small village in the hills, decide to go back to the village and look for the cave where their family lived for a time. We travel with them in this documentary and watch the men as they try to sharpen their recall, re-experience the Italian life, philosophize, bicker and complete their quest. We learn once again how fragile and personal memories are and how revisiting those by talk and by travel can be an emotional journey.

Tribal Justice – 2016 (2.8).  Tribal Judges on two Indian reservations in California are followed as they work with tribe members who have run afoul of the law, both on and off the reservation. Both Judges are women, one with considerable experience and one fairly new. Dealing with repeating patterns of addiction and low aspirations, the Judges adopt a more mentoring approach to help the offenders deal with their personal problems.

Captain Fantastic – 2016 (2.7). In this drama, a father raising his six kids off the grid in the Pacific Northwest learns that his hospitalized wife has died. Her father tells the man not to come to the funeral or he will have him arrested. Of course the man and grieving kids do travel to and attend the service, leading to strange confrontations with the "civilized" world and the family of the deceased woman. Unfortunately a very important part of the movie was never made, the story of how the couple decided to live off the grid in the first place and the conflicts they had in their relationship in doing so.

Denial – 2016 (2.7). The problem with this movie about the libel suit brought by a Brit historian holocaust denier against an American historian who calls him a liar is that the script is unfortunately clumsy. The true story calls for a concentration on the British law of libel, the legal tactical decisions of the defense and the presentation of the case in court, which is more appropriate in a documentary film or in a miniseries. In making it as a feature length drama, the script writer has to decide on the major area of concentration, and the script for this movie settled for touching all areas without any concentration.

Lili – 1953 (2.7). Young Leslie Caron embodies the role of the naïve orphan who finds a home with the circus where she talks to puppets as if they were real people. Her acting is the highlight with her dancing playing a lesser role.

Presenting Princess Shaw – 2015 (2.7). A young African-American woman from an abusive background writes and records songs on YouTube. An Israeli video artist composer likes her work and puts it into a video with some of his own musical ideas. We see her struggling in her life and him working on a kibbutz. Eventually they meet and her dream of performing on stage is met. The movie mostly follows the singer, so we get to know her much more than we do the quiet Israeli. The filmmaker says her posting on YouTube was like a message in a bottle thrown into the sea. Though she is quite sincere in her singing, she does not seem to have star potential. It would have been nice to know more about the Israeli.

Hitchcock/Truffaut – 2015 (2.7). In 1962, Alfred Hitchcock granted an extended interview week to the fast rising young film director Francois Truffaut. In spite of the need for a translator, the two men hit it off and Truffaut recorded 27 hours of conversation covering in detail the art and craft of cinema in general and of Hitchcock in particular. Truffaut published a book presenting the interview with numerous pictures from Hitchcock films. This documentary took on the task of presenting the story of the two men and that week in less than 90 minutes. The movie is a decent introduction to the book, especially for film students and cinephiles.

Raising Bertie – 2016 (2.7). Six years in the lives of some young boys growing into men in rural Bertie County, North Carolina are documented in this movie. The cycle of poverty, incarceration, lack of education and absence of male role models swirls around them. Stern but overworked mothers do the best they can and one local woman starts an alternative high school that shows promise, but the odds seem stacked against these fellows.

Remember Me – 2014 (2.2). The BBC wasted talent and resources for three episodes of this drivel about an elderly widower who escapes from a nursing home after a woman dies a mysterious death. There is a scary Indian woman ghost who may think she has a good reason for doing bad things. The investigating detective ultimately decides he doesn't care about solving the murder. The potential series viewer would be well advised to make the same decision before starting to watch.

And the Oscar went to…

As Oscar nominees start showing up from my library hold list, I am confirming again I have not been missing much. Two got a 3 and one a 2.9. The rest have been marginal or worse. A couple foreign films are still to come.

Call the Midwife(Season Six) – 2017 (3.1). The series resumes in 1962 with the birth control pill coming on and characters growing, struggling and adjusting and a new midwife entering. The same quality of writing and acting prevails.

Life, Animated – 2016 (3.0). A young man with autism is followed in this documentary as he begins life on his own, supported by his parents and brother. Home movies show his childhood and animation helps explain his feelings, which ties in neatly with the fact that memorizing Disnet animated movies was what opened the door for him to communicate with his family and the outside world.

A Man Called Ove – 2015 (3.0). Adapted from a popular Swedish novel, this drama with comic overtones centers on an aging curmudgeon who has always been a bit OCD and now seems to be angrily depressed. A young Swede and his Persian wife pregnant with their third child move in across the way and add new problems for the old man while we await his personal reconciliation. The back story of the man is told in flashbacks which are well blended into a good script which holds attention and is well paced. Fine direction and effective acting round out an enjoyable film.

Dark Angel – 2017 (2.9). A movie about the first British female serial killer sounds like a downer, but it is so well acted by Joanne Froggatt (appealing maid Anna of Downton Abbey) that it is compelling to watch this woman struggle with adversity by working her wicked schemes knowing all the while as we do that it is only a matter of time before she has to pay the price.

Hidden Figures – 2016 (2.9). Three African American women mathematicians who worked for NASA starting in the early days of the space race are celebrated in this biopic. The discrimination they faced based on race and gender is realistically shown and may seem overstated to those too young to have experienced those days. Because their story has not been as widely publicized as it deserves, it might seem their importance to the space mission is a bit overplayed in this movie. Apparently it is not, but even if it were, after what they put up with and what they accomplished, they deserve all the honors they can get. The fine performance of Taraji P. Henson seems to have been unreasonably overlooked.

The Son – 2017 (2.9). This original AMC series tells a fictional story of how a white Texan grew from a teenage captive of the Comanche to a ruthless land baron. Like the Godfather, the man has sons whom he brings into the family "business" applying a self-serving brand of frontier 'justice". Indians, Mexicans and any whites who get in their way are in peril. Ongoing flashbacks to the time of captivity are integrated at first in a mildly annoying way but soon their presence becomes more welcome in filling in the back story. Artistic license has the Comanche speaking English in a probably false vernacular but it is more useful to express nuance than the grunting trade jargon that would likely have really been employed. The season moved along with consistency and sufficient history and drama to justify giving a second season a look.

Dalya's Other Country – 2017 (2.8). Four years of following a Syrian girl who moves with her mother from Aleppo to Los Angeles to attend an all-girl Catholic high school affords lots of opportunity to get to know the girl as she adapts. In this documentary we also get to know some about the mother and a little about the brother who had come to LA for college and the father who separated from the mother and visits a few times from Turkey where he lives. We barely meet a second brother and some extended family and though we see people with whom the family interfaces in LA, such as classmates of the girl, we never actually hear from them during the interactions or by interview. This is a very intimate portrait which could have had broader effect if we could have heard froma few more people.

Elle – 2016 (2.8). Director Paul Verhoeven and star Isabelle Huppert agree this French movie adapted from a novel is not any specific genre and the primary female character is driven by a need not to see herself as a victim. The resulting film does defy easy classification and the woman does defy victimization even as she herself avoids feeling guilt for any people she may have hurt. The audience ends up not particularly liking or disliking her, but just coming to learn how she sees and accepts herself.

Fences – 2016 (2.8). Movies made from stage plays are often too static and wordy on the screen, especially when the screenplay is written by the playwright. This film is no exception. The story of a black garbage man in Pittsburgh portrays a bitter man with children by three different women, married to the long suffering mother of the middle child and especially hard on their son together. Denzel Washington stars and makes his directorial debut. Understanding how a man got to be who he is does not necessarily engender sympathy or respect for the result. Indeed, the more the man demands respect, the less likely he is to deserve it.

Lion – 2016 (2.8).  Tens of thousands of young children become homeless every year in India and this movie tells the true story of one of them, a five year old boy who wandered on his own for two months before being taken to an orphanage and adopted by an Australian couple. His life seems idyllic, especially in contrast with another boy adopted from India by the same couple. That child appears to be suffering from a type of PTSD as a result of abuse, perhaps in the orphanage. Two decades later the contented man starts having flashbacks and after a struggle decides to search for his birth mother and two siblings. The cinematography is evocative and several adult performances receive acting nominations, but the actor who plays the five year old delivers a wonderful performance that hooks the audience.

Hacksaw Ridge – 2015 (2.7). Desmond Doss was the first conscientious objector to win the Congressional Medal of Honor, for his heroic action as a medic in WWII rescuing numerous soldiers from behind enemy lines on Okinawa. Director Mel Gibson used his kind of clichéd script and lots of his trademark blood and gore to tell this version of the story. The script has lots of holes in it, such as new enlistees wearing their uniforms before going to boot camp and being able to keep their curly locks throughout training and their drill sergeant serving on the battlefield with them. Granted the carnage on Hacksaw Ridge was horrific, but way too much time was devoted to that in this movie, whereas the real heart of the story, what Desmond was like as a person and how he lived his values was relatively short changed.

Hell or High Water – 2016 (2.7). The direction, cinematography and acting are good in this movie about contemporary depressed small town Texas. The script moves us along toward the two bank robbing rancher brothers escalating their crimes and coming to the point of having to answer to the wise old Texas Ranger about to retire. But then the ending goes a little soft, prompting a view of the special feature interview with the screenwriter who reveals that the movie he wrote is not the one that was just viewed. Apparently we were supposed to feel some ambivalence or nuance or even sympathy for these desperados. Even if the script had gone more into the back story to generate some understanding, the violence these men perpetrated on innocent victims could not be justified.

La La Land – 2016 (2.7). Holding the Best Picture Oscar for a couple minutes before a mistake was discovered has analogies to this musical drama, which starts as a musical and then morphs into more of a drama. The story is nothing new, an aspiring actress and a male jazz pianist searching for more creative gigs hook up then take different turns in their careers and are separated. Will they reunite or does she choose someone else is the teaser of the ending.

Arrival – 2016 (2.4). The space aliens have landed and all humankind is understandably concerned. Enter an American woman who is an expert linguist and she will manage to figure out why they have come. In the process she learns a new way of seeing the time of our lives and the minds of the movie viewers are suddenly blown open. Well alright sir.

King Charles III – 2017 (2.4). Apparently impatient for Queen Elizabeth II to die, someone wrote a play about a plot to force son Charles to abdicate. Delivered with pseudo Shakespearean iambic pentameter, this tasteless drivel, filmed as a teleplay, is shamefully disrespectful to a most respectable woman.

Home Fires Still Burning

Home Fires – 2016 (3.2). As WWII progresses, the effect on the English village becomes more direct, with local men off to war and their families losing track of them in the turmoil. The various love relationships move along, some for the better and some not. An evacuated unit of Czech soldiers temporarily housed in the area provides a new love interest, the local business baron dies and leaves a mystery and danger of sabotage lingers. The intertwining of character and plot lines still feels correct, though one can always find a few quibbles. Bottom line is you have to admire the Brit stiff upper lip and the ability of most of the villagers to overcome their differences and pull together.

13^th – 2016 (3.1). Documentary filmmaker Ava DuVernay spent a couple years working on this comprehensive movie about the history of using the American criminal justice system to continue many of the aspects of the slavery that was abolished by the 13^th Amendment. She rightly compares the segments of the film to pieces of a puzzle that she wanted to put all together. She interweaves segments from many two hour interviews with ex-con activists, politicians, academics and commentators with historical film and photos. One of the major thought provokers from the movie is the fact that 97% of the incarcerated never had a trial but were pressured into accepting a lesser offense plea bargain instead of risking conviction and a long minimum mandatory sentence. In many states this makes them an ex-convict ineligible to ever vote again. Also revealing is the collusion between politicians (usually Republican) and corporations that have a financial stake in perpetuating the incarceration industry.

Command and Control [American Experience]– 2016 (3.0). In 1980 in an Arkansas Titan missile silo a mechanic dropped a wrench which set off a series of mishaps leading to the nuclear warhead being catapulted some distance off the head of the missile. This documentary eerily captures this extremely dangerous occurrence which necessitated a secret search of the local area to locate the warhead packing 6000 times the firepower of the bomb dropped on Hiroshima. Archival footage and interviews are combined to chronicle what happened.

Dead Reckoning: War,Crime and Justice – 2016 (3.0). Shown on PBS as a three part documentary, this was a bit of a surprise because it did not go into great technical detail about the process of prosecuting war crimes but instead spent much time on the process by which the crimes are uncovered and investigated. Starting with WWII and coming forward the movie covers declared wars and civil insurrection and genocides. At first it seems there are too many talking heads, but then the realization sinks in that these people are knowledgeable experts with hands on experience investigating and prosecuting the crimes. Sadly, the sheer extent of atrocities is discouraging and the minimal numbers that are prosecuted is extremely disheartening. Local community confession and forgiveness programs in Africa demonstrate a sophistication that seems to have escaped people from other continents. Given that war crimes are overwhelmingly committed by males and often against females, one has to wonder whether a world run by women would be far better.

The Great War [American Experience] – 2016 (3.0). Shown on PBS over three nights, this documentary covers the immediate lead up to WWI, the countervailing attitudes toward American involvement or neutrality, the American entry into the War and the negotiation of the Armistice and then the final Peace Treaty. Our complex President Woodrow Wilson was central to the American aspect of the story, first as a proponent of neutrality, then asking for a War declaration and finally working toward a peace treaty that would create a new League of Nations. Historical commentators are interspersed with archival footage to cover numerous aspects of the War, some more familiar and some less known, whetting the appetite to go more in depth and learn more about this pivotal time when the US became a world power.

Game of Thrones (Season Six) – 2016 (2.9). The saga continued based on outlines of future novels from author Martin, adapted as were previous seasons to be more TV friendly. Martin gave input on the finished scripts. At times this year the episodes seemed to drag a bit in parts. The climactic land battle was a tour de force as it was intended to be. It remains hard to keep track of all the story lines and remember fully what has gone before, but the sense is there that events are moving toward some ultimate conclusion, but apparently not before two more somewhat abbreviated seasons, one of which has been filmed and the other contracted.

Seed: The UntoldStory – 2016 (2.9). There are activists worldwide dedicated to preserving as many heritage seeds as possible for future use before the profit driven greed of corporate monoliths contaminates or annihilates all seeds except the ones the corporation have placed under patents.  This documentary uses archival footage and interviews and fields trips with some of these activists to explain the history of seeds and of the battle to monopolize seed stocks. The movie does not include specific advice for viewers to become personally involved nor does it provide much information on legal battles being waged for protection of heritage seeds.

Snowden – 2016 (2.9). Oliver Stone personalizes Edward Snowden, the NSA whistleblower in this movie drama, giving us a better understanding of the patriotic geek who becomes a civil libertarian when he learns that our intelligence agents have gone rouge. The film manages to give enough technical information to impress without making eyes gloss over. The DVD special feature question and answer session including Snowden via the Internet is a useful postscript.

Bridget Jones's Baby – 2016 (2.8). Though it is actually the third film about these characters, the second one was so forgettable that this new one, with the original director, seems like the real sequel. The romantic comedy plot about a 43 year old with no active sexual relations bedding two men within a couple weeks is expectedly [pun intended] predictable and it is fun to pretend it is difficult to figure out which one is the father to be, her stuffy Brit former love or the exciting new American. Renee Zellweger embodies the appealing character and the sound track is a dynamic mix of good music.

Grand Coulee Dam [American Experience] – 2012 (2.8). This straightforward documentary uses some interviews and much archival footage to tell the story of the envisioning and building of the enormous dam on the mighty Columbia.

The Hoodlum Priest– 1961 (2.8). Maybe because of the documentary background and style of the director and the earnest drive of young actor Don Murray to bring it to the screen, this true life drama about a Jesuit priest who works with ex-cons and sets up an early half way house in St. Louis holds up pretty well. The debate over criminal justice and capital punishment continues and this movie is still relevant. As with most movies of this age, the musical score is often loudly annoying.

National Bird – 2016 (2.8). Not eagles, but US military drones are the featured flyers in this documentary which follows three analysts whose job was to pore over live video from the drones in the Middle East and make the decision whether to authorize the firing of weapons to kill the people seen on the screen. They each suffer from PTSD. One has trouble getting help from the VA, another travels to the scene of the killings she authorized and a third becomes an activist against the faults of the drone system thereby incurring government action against him. No expert commentary or great insights are included, but the close following of these three people and seeing the impact the program has made on them raises serious questions.

Newtown – 2016 (2.8). A documentary that checks in on the Newtown community a few years after the terrible school shooting could have taken various directions. This one essentially concentrates on intimate visits with individuals who were directly involved as they recall that horrific day and tell about how they have been coping with the aftermath which will last the rest of their lives. What happened at that school was too horrible to comprehend and this movie does not help overcome that. Maybe that is the point as we learn as we see the people in the film continue struggling to cope.

Florence FosterJenkins -2016 (2.7). This movie is based on a true story of a woman with money who mistakenly believes she can sing opera. Her costumes and terrible voice are so hideous as to be funny. Her second husband enables her as she financially supports him and enables him to maintain a mistress. An expected farce takes a script turn as we are given reason to feel sad for Florence and develop some admiration for the husband and for her young piano man. Probably intended from the start as a Meryl Streep vehicle, her appropriate acting cannot overcome the unfocused nature of the script.

Manchester by the Sea – 2016 (2.7). A slow paced movie that tells a downer story is not made better by a script that intersperses flashbacks in a way that is more distracting than revealing, supposedly to create an element of mystery. It may have been better if just told from start to finish, because seeing how tragedy affects future lives is more honestly felt by living the lives straightforward. There are exceptions to this, as for example where a character learns something from someone else and the audience is shown that via flashback, or when a character hiding from his past suddenly lets that part of the story come through via flashback. Maybe a bit of the latter is what was intended here, but it did not come across effectively.

Moonlight – 2016 (2.4). This may be a really good movie as many critics and the Best Picture Oscar say, but it did not connect with me. A black boy born in 1967 is raised in the Miami ghetto by a crack addict single mom and struggles to find out who he is, complicated by the likelihood he is gay. We see him at age 11, 17 and 26. He is quiet and unexpressive. He has a friend who is forced to turn on him at 17 after they had a sexual encounter and then initiates reconnection at 26. The mom is a continual mess. The local crack dealer and his motherly female partner become de facto parents but the man is dead by the time the boy is 17. In high school the boy finally fights back against a bully and is arrested. In stage three he has become a crack dealer in Atlanta. This movie is acclaimed for its quiet nuance in struggling with black gay masculinity, which certainly makes it different. Though that subject is not high on my interest list, I could have appreciated a script that had more to say literally and included more drama and story. One has to wonder whether years from now the film will be more remembered for its artistic merit or for the mistake that the Best Picture Oscar was at first erroneously announced for a different movie. 

Thanks for PBS

Every film on this list was broadcast on PBS, except for one Disney animation. After perusing the awards lists for last year I was able to add some to my library queue. They will start filtering in over the next several months. Maybe some older films will be sprinkled into my library holds.

Call the Midwife Christmas Special 2016 – 2016 (3.3). This special episode of the series gets a separate mention because it takes place in a totally different setting and because it is very good. It is 1961 and many of those associated with the clinic in England spend the holidays in South Africa helping with a struggling clinic. They encounter apartheid, impoverished and oppressed Africans, the doctor who has dedicated her life to the African people and is now ill and a seriously bitter white resident, and they are moved and enriched by the experience.

The Witness – 2015 (3.2). Filmed over several years this documentary follows the youngest brother of Kitty Genovese as he investigates whether the iconic story of 38 eye witnesses watching for 35 minutes without calling the police while she was brutally attacked and murdered in 1964 in New York City. The Genovese family had moved to Connecticut but Kitty stayed in the city. She was 28 at her death and her youngest brother 16. When he graduated high school he joined the marines because he did not want to be a passive bystander to that American War. He stepped on a land mine and lost both legs so extensively he cannot wear prosthesis. Though fifty years have passed, he does an excellent job of tracking down the story, the witnesses who are still alive and many of the authorities and journalists who were involved. All this is very interestingly documented with archival and current footage and excellent animation.

Tower – 2016 (3.1). The sniper shooting from the tower on the campus of the University of Texas in Austin is the first major mass school shooting in American history. On the 50^th anniversary of that rampage this documentary chooses not to tell the story in a way quite different from the usual news style presentation of the chronology of events with a look back at how the perpetrator became so deranged, how the sequence of the tragedy transpired, how law enforcement and the victims reacted and what was the final legal outcome of the case. Instead the filmmaker tells the story from the point of view of a few of the victims, witnesses and police involved, using a compelling style of rotoscoping animation (drawn over live footage) interwoven with archival footage all narrated by the participants. About halfway through the movie, we start to see the actual narrators as they appear 50 years later. Telling how the experience of that tragic day affected their lives and how the participation in making the film has also affected them seems to be the ultimate purpose.

Victoria (Season One) – 2016 (3.1). This Brit series starts with a Victoria we rarely see, the lonely young teenager who is about to become Queen. The usual excellence of writing, production values and acting is present. The female writer studied history at the university level and was given Victoria for a thesis, at first being disappointed at being assigned an uptight old lady dressed in black, but then being excited when she read the diaries of the young Victoria. Real and re-created venues enhanced with some computer work, sumptuous period costumes and courtly surroundings are the backbone of the production. I doubt there is even one mediocre actor in all of England and once again we have every role from top to bottom portrayed with excellence. The young actress who plays Victoria captures wonderfully her rise from ingénue to Monarch and the young man who plays Prince Albert at first seems dorky until we realize that is how Albert really was at first look, but then he becomes quite appealing and they turn an arranged match into a true love and emerging ruling team. With her long reign this series stands to be around for many highly enjoyable seasons. One downside, the inclusion of subplots involving the servant class is not essential and often seems a bit clichéd.

American Experience:Rachel Carson – 2016 (3.0). Personal biography and professional career are naturally blended in this documentary movie celebrating the woman who should be considered the mother of the environmental movement. Her scientific training and superb writing skills enabled her to bring the scientific wonder of nature to the attention of millions of people. When she wrote Silent Spring warning of the dangers of pesticides, she was attacked both by government officials and chemical industry shills, but her research and writing was so effective that many scientists rose to her defense and the world was saved from a continuation of the massive overuse of these dangerous chemicals. Archival footage of the indiscriminate application of DDT is chilling, particularly the use directly on people to fumigate them.

American Experience:Oklahoma City – 2017 (2.9). White Supremacists and anti-government militias are linked in this movie which sets the background of how the Oklahoma City bomber of the Federal building became a radical domestic terrorist and killed more people than any other such terrorist. This all happened before the Internet and social media became so prevalent, but the ignorant racism and anti-government sentiment have always been present. Back then it was spread by word of mouth and expedited through gun shows where the weapons of terror were readily available. Excellent police work by the FBI is documented with the swift apprehension of the terrorist surprising many people when he turned out to be a native born American white man who was a US military veteran. Somehow his execution seems like letting him off the hook.

American Experience:Ruby Ridge - 2017 (2.9). The way Federal Law Enforcement became involved with the Weaver family and eventually engaged in a deadly confrontation and standoff at Ruby Ridge in Idaho is clearly explained in this documentary. Adopting a fundamental biblical belief that the end days were near, the family left the Iowa farmlands for remote Idaho where they befriended the members of the white supremacist Aryan Nation. Caught in a weapons law violation by an ATF sting, Randy Weaver refused to become an informant and then failed to show for his court appearance on the weapons charge, leading to US Marshalls being sent to apprehend him. Archival footage is combined with current interviews from authorities involved and most interestingly from the oldest Weaver daughter who provides effective memories of the mindset of the Weaver family during the standoff. The end result of this case is probably inaccurately known to most Americans.

Six Wives with Lucy Worsley – 2016 (2.9).  Historian Lucy Worsley uses historical dramatizations combined with visits to the historical sights to tell the story of the wives of King Henry VIII in this entertaining and informative mini-series. Lucy narrates and also appears in dramatic scenes as a servant who observes what happens, as she tells the stories of the wives more from their point of view and expresses her professional opinions on the personal strengths, weaknesses and motivations of the women.

Zootopia -2016 (2.9). Disney animation with heart and a contemporary message without the cloying cuteness is refreshingly delivered in this story of a city populated by non-human animals The underlying friction between the predators and the prey leads a new police recruit to uncover a plot to exploit prejudice for political power. Hmm.

Accidental Courtesy – 2016 (2.8). Daryl Davis is a large African-American musician with an interesting background and a personal mission of matching interest. Born in 1958, his father was a Secret Service agent who transferred to the Foreign Service which meant Daryl spent his childhood living in numerous foreign countries and attending schools with a diverse student body of the children of diplomatic personnel from all over the globe. With a Howard University education, quick wit, winning personality and deeply mellifluous voice Daryl has dedicated himself to embracing and loving all Americans, even members of the KKK, many of whom have come to embrace him as a great friend. Over time, many of these once high ranking Klan members have rejected the KKK and Daryl collects their robes and hoods as historical souvenirs.

The head of the Southern Poverty Law Center discusses the Klan with the Daryl and says the goal is to eradicate the entire KKK and Klan members only leave the organization when they themselves decide to do so. While the documentary captures these successes faithfully there is a disturbing scene where Daryl sits down with young black activists in Baltimore and is not able to connect with or charm them and actually ends up seeming to treat them with disrespect he is never shown delivering to KKK members.

Maya Angelou and Still I Rise – 2017 (2.8). Archival footage and interviews with her son and famous people who knew her result in a straightforward biographical presentation of this celebrated African American poet, writer, entertainer and teacher. Her life passed from the Jim Crow south through the struggles of the civil rights movement and she was a perceptive observer and explainer of it all. Traditional family life seems to have eluded her, perhaps in part because she never experienced it as a child and also because it would have interfered with her personal mission as a visionary.

Birth of a Movement – 2016 (2.8). The Birth of a Nation is justly celebrated as a cinematic masterpiece for creating new film techniques, but the 1915 movie is also rightly condemned as pro KKK racist propaganda. Protests over its showing in theaters came to a head in Boston where a prominent African-American newspaper publisher organized demonstrations and tried to pull political strings ultimately without success. But though the film was shown, this documentary presents the view that the reaction to the film was in effect the start of the civil rights movement in the black community. The presentation is perhaps spread too thin between personal biographical sketches of individuals involved and putting many aspects of the matter into historical context, all using archival film and a plethora of historical commentators.

Mercy Street (Season Two) – 2016 (2.8). I was hoping this series would not have a second season but am pleased to report that much of what was so annoying in the first year has been eliminated or at least toned down considerably. As we become more familiar with the characters, they also are showing more nuances and the historical context of the Civil War turmoil become more believably interwoven with their lives. As is typical, a few new characters come and some old ones go, but the central players remain and become more familiar even as they develop with the shifting people and events. One might argue that the series is a bit judgmental about the Confederacy, but the fact that so much of what was bad about the "Lost Cause" persists in America even after 150 years seems to indicate a lot of good judgement is long overdue.

SevenSongs for a Long Life – 2016 (2.7). In this Scottish documentary seven terminal patients of varying age are followed for a few years during their treatment in a hospice day center. We see them in their home life and at the center where they interact with other patients and staff. The movie is intended to make us more aware and willing to face impending death situations. The patients filmed show resilience and strength but the underlying tragedy of what is happening to them is always present. Singing as therapy is interspersed but the overall effect of the movie is a bit disjointed, perhaps in part because I watched the PBS version which seems to have been shortened.

Best of What I Watched in 2016

Streaming Netflix only the first half of the year and using the library the second half, plus some PBS shows tallied only 77 views for the year, though some of course were full seasons. Here are the ones I scored 3 or higher. Remember, these are what I watched during the year, not the best ones released during the year. The fact there are none rated very high means I did not watch many good ones or I am a crotchety rater, or both. My lists of movies alpha and rated from high to low, linked at the right, are also now updated.

Matt Shepard Is a Friend of Mine 2014 3.2 Downton Abbey (Season Six) 2015 3.2 Call The Midwife (Season Five) 2016 3.2 Hamilton's America 2016 3.2 Call the Midwife (Season Two) 2013 3.1 Call the Midwife (Season Three) 2014 3.1 Call the Midwife (Season Four) 2015 3.1 O.J.: Made in America 2016 3.1 TheGalapagos Affair: Satan Came to Eden  2013 3 Journey of Hope 1990 3 Last Man on the Moon, The 2014 3 Tab Hunter Confidential 2015 3 Tangerines 2013 3 Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory 2011 3 Mine Wars, The 2015 3 Poldark (Season Two) 2016 3

Another Year

This list wraps the end of 2016 and includes a first DVD for 2017. Viewing has certainly slowed down. A lot of what I watch on TV is PBS documentaries and I continue to debate which ones should be included on these lists. I do not miss Netflix streaming and have not taken advantage of Amazon Prime viewing or free Xfinity movies on demand. Checking availability of 33 movies viewed through the years and highly rated by me, Amazon Prime only had two and Xfinity on demand for free had one, but the library had 28. I have put some newer movies on hold at the library but it will take a while for them to come available. Meanwhile I will be watching more PBS shows. An article with the updates through 2016 will be forthcoming.

Poldark (Season Two) – 2016 (3.0). As the story lines progress, Elizabeth becomes less appealing while Demelza is more so. Ross continues principled if sometimes troubled and the dastardly George seems overdue for a fall.

The Durrells in Corfu (Season One) – 2016 (2.9). This fun series follows an impoverished Brit widow and her four children who relocate to the Greek island of Corfu in the late 1930s and settle into a charming rental house from which they integrate with the locals to varying degrees. The children include an aspiring novelist son, another son who is a bit of a bumbler, a coming of age daughter who is not too bright but means well and a young boy who is a budding naturalist.

Citizenfour – 2014 (2.9). NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden comes across as more of a patriot than a traitor in this Oscar nominated documentary about him contacting the filmmaker and a journalist for help in exposing the extensive, secret and probably illegal gathering of massive amounts of private communication and other information on all Americans and millions of people in other countries. Snowden spent five days in a Hong Kong hotel explaining the clandestine government activity to two journalists while the filmmaker documented the process and the immediate aftermath during which Snowden sought asylum and eventually obtained it in Russia.

Black America SinceMLK – 2016 (2.8). This  documentary uses plenty of archival footage and commentary from social historians all hosted by Henry Louis Gates Jr to tell the story of African Americans over the last 25 years. Progress but not enough is the message, not surprising in view of the longer history before MLK. No new insights but a useful compilation.

The Intern - 2015 (2.8). Robert DeNiro plays a widowed executive who is bored with his retired life and answers an ad seeking interns to work at a new Internet company selling fashion clothing. He is assigned to company founder Anne Hathaway who has no use for him at first but then they predictably form a bond. There is no real depth here but DeNiro projects an appealing authenticity and has pretty good chemistry with Hathaway. There is gentle humor, but no slapstick or farce, except for a scene about trying to intercept an e-mail sent in error. Though set in Brooklyn in 2015, the company and cast are surprisingly devoid of diversity.

The Judge – 2014 (2.8).  Robert Duvall plays a long serving judge in a small town in Indiana who has just lost his wife of 50 years. His middle son, a hotshot lawyer from Chicago, returns home to a cold reception from the Judge after having chosen to distance himself from the family for many years. The plot thickens when the judge is accused of killing a man he felt he had been too lenient on in sentencing him for a killing many years ago. The movie should have been shortened by half an hour, which could have easily been done without damaging the story.

Anne of Green Gables – 2016 (2.7). It is a challenge to take a classic story which was told on screen so effectively in the 1985 series and try to condense it into an hour and a half. There is not enough time for character development and nuanced acting. It is a testament to the strength of the material that this production is marginally effective. For those not familiar with the story, this might serve as an inducement to watch the excellent series.

Indian Summers (Season Two) – 2016 (2.7). This series about the Brits in India in the 1930s was originally hoped to run for five years, but the second season succumbed to wandering story lines and characters coming and going in all directions. As ratings fell the decision was made to end after two and the finale was a slapdash of sewing up plot lines. Too bad a series with the exotic charm of India, a typically excellent cast and a fascinating time and place in history could not have done a better job of telling its story.

The Secret Life ofPets – 2016 (2.7). The parts of this animated movie that show what pets do when their owners are gone ring pretty true and make us knowingly laugh. But much of the film follows the created drama of animals with homes suddenly being on the street and besieged by evil animal control officers and a motley gang of strays headquartered in the sewers. There does not seem to be any clear message or point being made by the drama, so a gentler film with a light drama about our pets at home when we are gone would have been more enjoyable.

45 Years – 2015 (2.7). On the verge of their 45^th wedding anniversary a Brit couple hits a bit of a bump when the man receives a letter from Switzerland bringing up the matter of a girlfriend from his pre-marriage days who was killed in an accident way back then. The feelings this taps into for both people is subtly presented, but the resulting movie could have benefitted from at least a pinch of drama.

American Sniper – 2014 (2.7). This movie directed by Clint Eastwood is quite heavily weighted in favor of showing action scenes of the true exploits of a Navy Seal who served four tours in Iraq providing defensive sniper fire to protect American troops. There is very little depth about his personal life, his relationships with family and fellow service members, the Iraqi people and circumstances involving American forces, or the attitude of American troops beyond pursuing their violent duties with a vengeance. This is a bit at the end about the psychological effects of his service on him and others who served.