Three Streamers

For any readers who stream movies from Netflix, I am now going to mention which movies in a new list were streamed on Flix [thanks Reiko for the suggestion]; but remember if you are reading a list later in time, the streaming rights may have expired. This list of 17 only includes 3 streamers; 13 came from the library and one (the top rated) was watched on TV.

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. The movies streamed via Netflix were:

Which Way Home

My Dog: An Unconditional Love Story

Kumare

Mr. Selfridge – 2013 (3.3). Shown on PBS Masterpiece, written by Andrew Davies, centered on a beautiful set of the famous London department store, and acted by a typically fine English cast with a few Americans thrown in, this dramatic series about the American founder of the famous store is another winner. Season one is set in 1909, as Selfridge comes to London with bold plans to employ American entrepreneurial skills and braggadocio to make all London take notice of his new store modeled after his Chicago success. Self-made from a deprived childhood, but with the constant love of his mother who is still with him, Selfridge has a wife and four young children. He also has a mistress, a gambling instinct and deep seated but hidden insecurities. We follow the man and his wife and the mistress, a music hall star, and those whose circle they enter in London, but we also follow the personal stories of some of the store managerial and working staff. The sumptuous store set is said to have been built for five years of use. Season two will jump ahead five years to the start of WWI, and further five year jumps would take us to 1919, the end of the war and aftermath of the flu epidemic, 1924, the roaring twenties, and 1929, the crash. These should be well worth the wait.

Hot Coffee – 2011 (3.2). Everyone knows about the woman who got rich suing McDonald’s because she spilled hot coffee on herself. This documentary grabs attention from the start by showing the true story of what actually happened to the woman, which is totally different from the impression we all were given by the media. The movie then goes on to show how making sure we were misinformed about the case is part of a wide ranging program led by the Chamber of Commerce on behalf of the largest corporations to limit the rights of individuals injured by wrongful actions of the corporations. In addition to using the media to stigmatize legitimate claimants, the corporate operation includes lobbying for laws to put limits on corporate liability, bankrolling the electoral campaigns of judges who favor the corporate agenda and inserting mandatory arbitration clauses in every contract they can in order to keep individuals from seeking redress by a civil jury and instead having to submit their case to an arbitrator inclined in favor of corporations. Individuals who have not been able to get fair redress for injuries suffered are shown telling their stories and consumer advocates and experts also contribute helpful interviews. This well-made film will be an eye opener for most viewers, especially when they realize that if the corporate takeover of our legal system is not stopped, they could be the next victim.

Which Way Home – 2009 (3.0). This Oscar nominated documentary follows several children from Central America as they ride on freight trains attempting to travel thousands of miles to the US border in hopes of crossing over. We are more familiar with the dangers of the actual border crossing, including double crossing coyotes, human predators and the oppressive heat of the desert, but this movie shows us the equally dangerous journey to try to get to the border. The children range in age from 9 to 17 and travel without adults. Many are trying with parental consent to get to a parent or other family member in the US, some are running away from home because of poverty or stepfamily conflict and a few are orphans who have been living on the streets and want to try for a new life up north. The film mostly shows the children talking about how and why they are traveling, with some interviews and footage of the homes and families they have left and some scenes of volunteers who try to keep the kids safe on their journey and some shots of the involvement with various immigration authorities. Sparse on screen writing gives supplemental information about the children, but there is no political, religious or sociological commentary. The children speak for themselves and they are quite sympathetic.

The Intouchables – 2012 (2.9).  A quadriplegic Parisian nobleman hires a black ex-con from the projects as his caregiver in this Oscar nominated French drama based on a true life story. Their opening hijinks are a bit of a turn off, but as the movie goes back to the beginning of the story, we find the caregiver is more endearing than expected, even though he retains his rough edges, and the patient has insecurities masked by his witty sense of humor. There are no cheap laughs or slapstick here, nor is there any overdone melodrama, just genuine joie de vivre mixed with the hard realities of life. Though the film is about the relationship between the men, it could have told us more about who they are outside the relationship, in order for us to more fully appreciate them.

Kumare – 2011 (2.9). Raised in America in a Hindu family, this young film maker wanted to know why so many people turn to a guru to find answers to their spiritual questions, so he went to India to check out some gurus there and then he came back to America and decided to pose as a guru to see if people would become his disciples. This documentary shows the man letting his hair and beard grow and inventing his own chants and yoga. He even adopted the voice of his Indian grandmother. This is not a satire or ridicule of people who look for answers about how to live their lives, though there are some people shown who are easy targets. It is instead one man’s attempt to validate and share his own sense that the real guru is the one inside us.

Loving Walter – 1983 (2.9). Stephen Frears directed Ian McKellan in two British TV dramas about a man with a mental developmental handicap making him incapable of living totally independent but who functioned well enough to hold a menial job and to relate well to other people. The first movie covered his teenage transition from living with his parents to being sent to an institution. The second took up 20 years later as he embarked on a time free of the institution living in a relationship with a woman. Using real settings and developmental patients, the movie has a semi-documentary feel. Realistically disturbing, the movies called attention to the need for reforms in rendering assistance and treatment to people with such conditions. The first film was called “Walter” and the second “Walter and June”. Combined on a 20th year anniversary DVD as “Loving Walter”, the disk also includes interviews with the writer, director and Sir Ian. [From memory, perhaps faulty, I had rated this movie as a did not like, but on this current viewing (2013), I have rated it much higher].

The Greatest Movie Ever Sold – 2011 (2.8). Morgan Spurlock of Super-Size Me fame is at it again in this fun documentary. He decides to make a movie solely with corporate funding in return for product placement in the film, and the movie in fact is about the effort to get the funding and make the movie to the satisfaction of the funders. The idea seems to be too oddball and Spurlock is continually rejected at first. But after getting advice from several people in the film and marketing business, he gets his first contributor and then carries on with growing confidence. A branding expert shown in the film says Spurlock is a balance of playful and mindful. This movie is definitely playful. It is mindful to the extent it makes us aware of the extent of product marketing through movies and raises the question of commercialism in art. Indeed it raises the bigger question of the proper role of advertising. But in spite of all the experts consulted, we never get much help in deciding whether product placement is good or bad.

My Dog: An Unconditional Love Story – 2010 (2.8). Short and simple, this documentary shows some famous New Yorkers interrelating with their dogs and talking about the benefits of dogs in general and their dogs in particular. If you like dogs, you will like the movie. If you are not a dog person but like loving relationships, you should like the movie and you might get tempted to get a dog, perhaps even to rescue one. If you have major problems with what happens to dogs when they get old and sick, then you probably should not get a dog and you may not want to watch this movie.

They Came To Play – 2008 (2.8). Amateur pianists over age 35 are invited to compete in an international competition hosted by the Van Cliburn Foundation in Texas, and this documentary follows many of them as they prepare themselves and tell their stories of being drawn to the piano as very young children and always having a passion for it, though many had to put their playing on hold while they completed their education and started their careers. Some had formal training and some are self-taught, but all are intent on performing their best. Maybe the movie tries to cover too many competitors, though they are all interesting people. It would have been nice to see more of the interaction between the various contestants.

Ten Days That Unexpectedly Changed America – 2006 (2.8). The History Channel produced this miniseries of ten documentaries by independent filmmakers. The days chosen were not rated or considered the most noteworthy; in fact they were actually days on which events happened that are not well remembered or the significance of which is not always fully appreciated. In chronological order, the days documented are: the colonists slaughtering the Pequot Indians in 1637, Shays Rebellion showing the inadequacy of the Articles of Confederation in 1787, the discovery of gold in California in 1848, the Civil War Battle of Antietam in 1862, Andrew Carnegie and the Pinkertons breaking the Homestead Steel strike in 1892, the McKinley Assasination and succession of Teddy Roosevelt to the Presidency in 1901, the Scopes trial over teaching evolution in public schools in 1925, Einstein’s letter urging FDR to authorize development of the atomic bomb in 1939, Elvis on the Ed Sullivan show as part of the changes in the younger generation in 1956, and the murder of the three civil rights workers in Mississippi in 1964. The movies use a variety of techniques including animation, reenactment, archival photographs and film footage and interviews of historians. Shays, using animation was the least interesting, while the Gold Rush, Antietam and Scopes trial offered the least new material to me. The two newest ones were of interest to me because I remember them happening. The Pequots massacre, Homestead Strike, McKinley Assassination and Einstein letter films offered lots of new information for me.

One Day on Earth – 2012 (2.7). Edited from over 3000 hours of footage claimed to be from every country in the world, this documentary provides glimpses of life filmed by locals and submitted to the compilers (onedayonearth.org), all taken on 10-10-10 (October 10, 2010). The pace of the movie is too frenetic at first but then slows down somewhat for later portions. There is some attempt to organize the presentation by topics such as marriage and music, contrasting diversity while also showing universality. While ambitious and encompassing, better organization and pacing would have made it more digestible, though the sheer volume of material must have been an enormous challenge. Nevertheless, seeing the variety of activity by our diverse fellow humans on the same day is an interesting experience.

Cinematographer Style – 2006 (2.7). This documentary of interviews with cinematographers should have been more interesting than it was. Part of the problem is the sheer number of people interviewed; over 110 were interviewed and portions of their comments edited into the movie. The interviews start with biographical background on everyone, then proceed into the development of their careers and working relationships with other film people and some of their techniques and philosophy of their art and craft. Notably missing are any clips from movies; this whole documentary is images of the cinematographers being interviewed. A better movie on this same subject, which did include illustrative film clips, is Visions of Light from 1992.

25^th Hour – 2002 (2.7). The first feature filmed in NYC after 9/11, this Spike Lee movie tells about the last 24 hours of freedom for a minor drug dealer due to start a seven year prison term in the morning. He uses the time to say his farewells to his girlfriend, two best buddies and his father, and to examine how he got into this trouble and who ratted on him. More character study than drama, with some subtle stylistic touches by Lee, the movie seems a little slow moving and longer than needed, and the story never seems to make any particular point, unless it is that we all make mistakes in life and when they catch up to us we have to decide whether to pay the price or run for cover.

Anna Karenina – 2012 (2.6). The choice to encase this movie version of the Tolstoy classic in the stylized setting of theater is quite disturbing at first, adding further distraction to figuring out who is who as the script jaunts along apparently assuming we are all familiar with the characters from having read the novel. By the time those of us who are classically challenged have figured out how everyone fits together and have become less put off by the stylistic nature of the production, the movie is half over, and those of us who stuck around to the end got somewhat of an idea of what the book is about, love in its various manifestations, including the doomed passionate love of Anna.

The Chess Players – 1977 (2.2). Satyajit Ray made many wonderful movies about India, but this is not one of the better ones. Set in 1856, it is an allegory about the British takeover of one of the last kingdoms in northern India. Two nobles play chess all day while ignoring their wives and the political developments. Meanwhile the British, who have previously coopted the King, decide it is now time to push him to abdicate. The British tactics and strategy are like the chess games – bloodless war. Sometimes bordering on slapstick, and then verging to cultural songs and poetry, the film seems a bit uneven; and the noble class involved in the movie are not as appealing characters as the more ordinary people of the best Ray movies.

Life of Pi – 2012 (2.0). I did not like this movie. I am not interested in spending time on supposed allegories about the existence of God, so I doubt I would ever read the book either. Computer generated special effects do not fascinate me or make a movie a must see for me, but I did watch the special feature on the DVD about how the effects were created. I did not see this movie in 3D and doubt that would make it a more appealing film for me. Fantasy movies can be fun adventures but I found this one to be tedious. The only part of the film that was passable was the time spent on the ground back in India, where I wish the whole movie had taken place – preferably with a better story.

The Magnificent Ambersons – 1942 (DNF).  In this second movie by Orson Welles, he used many of the techniques he embraced in Citizen Kane, such as low key lighting, long tracking shots and camera angles revealing the ceilings. Based on the Pulitzer winning novel about the new automobile industrialists displacing the old Midwest aristocracy, the script comes across more like a radio show than a film, with copious narration and dialogue. A subject that should have been interesting never got my attention and it wasn’t long before I was asleep. Welles was not allowed to finish the film the way he wanted, and neither was I; being awake would have been preferable. The picture is as old as me and this was my first try at watching it and will likely be my only one.

And Basketball Too

In spite of getting sucked in once again to the NBA playoffs, I have still found time for movie watching, facilitated by the King County Library, PBS and Netflix streaming. It also helps to be retired.

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].

The Sessions – 2012 (3.0). This movie is based on a true story of a man crippled by polio at age 6, who spent the rest of his life in an iron lung from which he could only emerge for a few hours at a time with the aid of a portable respirator. As he reached middle age, he felt his biological clock was ticking and in spite of having no muscle control from his neck down, he wanted to see if he could engage in sexual activity. Since he lived in Berkeley, it was not that difficult to find a sex therapist who used surrogacy in her practice. As we see this thoughtful, sensitive and genuinely witty man relate to his caregivers, his priest and the therapist, we realize that, while the film is understandably sad in dealing with what he has missed in his life, it is also heartening to see how much he was able to accomplish in building personal relationships.

Bugging Hitler’s Soldiers – 2013 (2.9). Shown as an episode of the PBS series Secrets of the Dead, this documentary tells the fascinating story of a British WWII intelligence program under which German prisoners who were considered to be possible sources of high value information, particularly high ranking officers, were housed in an English country estate where they lived a quite comfortable life style. Unbeknownst to the prisoners, the “Lord” who was their host was in fact an intelligence agent, and the premises were thoroughly bugged with the most sophisticated recording devices available. About 50,000 pages of transcripts of conversations were scrutinized and yielded valuable information which helped blunt the effectiveness of the Blitz and confirmed the knowledge and participation of regular army personnel in the Holocaust. In order to keep the technique secret for possible cold war use, the decision was made not to use the transcripts at Nuremberg.

The Central Park Five – 2012 (2.9). Shown on PBS, this documentary from Ken Burns and associates covers the 1989 case of the brutal assault and rape of a white female jogger in Central Park in NYC on a summer night when black teenagers engaged in random acts of violence there against various park patrons. Police quickly rounded up five young suspects and working closely with prosecutors employed questionable and probably illegal interrogation techniques resulting in inconsistent confessions in which each accused implicated the others. Investigators chose to ignore the many inconsistencies in their case and lack of corroborating physical evidence, especially the complete absence of any DNA from the five. With much media sensationalizing and grandstanding by politicians, the young men were brought to trial, refused to accept a plea bargain, maintained their innocence, but were convicted. They ultimately served from 7 to 13 years, until 2002, when they were exonerated after a serial rapist, who had continued his crimes into later years, admitted he was the perpetrator. The case is followed chronologically using archival footage, current interviews of the five men, their families and attorneys, media people, academics and the one juror who held out against conviction but finally gave in out of exhaustion. Police and prosecutors refused to participate in the movie and a civil action for wrongful prosecution has been pending for 10 years. This type of injustice has sadly been common enough to have been the subject of several similar movies, and this film does not break any new ground or suggest any way to minimize the problem going forward. The interviews with the five men (one of whom chose only to allow audio interview) talking about their emotions throughout the ordeal and how they now feel about what they have lost from their life are sincerely affecting. More exploration of the holdout juror’s experience would have been one example of a new angle.

Best Exotic Marigold Hotel – 2011 (2.9). An excellent cast of British seniors independently decide to travel to India for a prolonged sojourn at an old hotel which is being restored. They have their various reasons for embarking on the adventure and diverse reactions to what they encounter as they get to know each other and some of the Indians. A nice mix of light and heavier moments entertains and touches us, and though we never get to know any of the people in much depth, we do seem to have learned enough to understand how each came to be there and why they experienced it as they did.

Colors of the Mountain – 2010 (2.9). A simple story from Columbia, with apparently true villagers from a small mountain town playing the roles of people caught in the crossfire of guerillas and government paramilitary forces. The movie concentrates mostly on the children, primarily grade school boys and in particular one nine year old and his parents. The lack of political context seems appropriate to these simple people who just want to be left alone to live their basic lives, close to their animals, playmates, neighbors, one room school and playmates. It feels like a movie honestly made by one of their own.

Surviving Hitler – 2010 (2.9). This documentary benefits from a compelling story, an effective story teller, surviving home movies and efficient editing. The story is about a young Berlin woman who meets an attractive young man who is newly in military uniform and is shortly sent to the eastern front. They fall in love and correspond and the soldier returns to Berlin after being wounded. Disillusioned with Hitler, the couple becomes involved on the periphery of the plot to kill Hitler. The woman, now graciously elderly, narrates the story with audio supplementation from the man prior to his death. The young man was a home movie enthusiast and his surviving footage from the early years of their relationship gives a very personal touch to the presentation. Good merging of archival footage, the home movies and reenactments results in a movie of just over one hour, which manages to tell a large and interesting story.

Me and You and Everyone We Know – 2005 (2.9). Miranda July is a performance artist who wrote and directed this first feature, which has the same fresh appeal of someone performing on the sidewalk as you walk by and find yourself staying to take the whole thing in, not knowing if you fully understand what it is about but still appreciating it as genuinely entertaining and gently thought provoking. Good direction and editing are apparent in the cinematic details and the acting is authentic. A low key shoe salesman is newly separated from his wife and takes a modest apartment with an extra bedroom for his two young sons. A female performance artist is making ends meet by providing taxi service to the elderly. We follow them as their paths cross and we also watch some of their neighbors and others they know as they all seem to be looking for some connection they don’t quite understand. There is a desire for touching and being touched, but not just physically.

Argo – 2012 (2.8). The fact based story of this thriller about the secret rescue of six Americans from the Tehran embassy in 1979 is an interesting one, but gets a little too much of the Hollywood treatment in this movie. Casting name actors in minor roles (e.g. here, Alan Arkin and the omnipresent John Goodman) may help in pitching and marketing a film, but too often distracts from the sense of reality in a drama. The script is constantly on edge, with no time devoted to character familiarization, in contrast to the much better script for Flight. A more balanced drama with less Hollywood flash would have been a better fit for this truth based story.

Broken Trail – 2006 (2.8). Robert Duvall and Thomas Haden Church won acting Emmys for this western tale of an old cowhand and his nephew driving horses from Oregon to Wyoming in 1898, during which they acquired a small entourage including five young girls from China who had been on their way to forced prostitution in mining camps. The two-parter from AMC also won for best miniseries and direction, capturing the feel of the vanishing cowboy west and the beauty of the Rocky Mountain horse country (though it was actually filmed in Canada). Plot and drama are present, but the strengths are more in the ambience and developing relationships.

Holes in My Shoes – 2006 (2.8). A lifelong 94 year-old New Yorker is the subject of this documentary which follows the vigorous man around town as he tells his stories of growing up and working at numerous occupations. He is a bit of a Forrest Gump in that he has connections with many iconic parts of American history. His enthusiasm for life is enduring and engaging and on good display in this straightforward film.

In Which We Serve – 1942 (2.8). Made by Noel Coward early in WWII, integrating some actual war footage with the drama about a British Navy destroyer sunk by German dive bombers, this movie presented the image of the stiff upper lip resolution to fight on at a time when such encouragement was sorely needed. As some survivors cling to a life raft awaiting rescue, their stories are told in flashbacks of life on the home front and the grim realities of shipboard life fighting off attacks from sea and air. Though definitely dated and affected, nevertheless the film captures the resolute spirit of these sailors and their families.

The Bletchley Circle – 2012 (2.7). This three part drama from Britain brings together four smart women who worked as code breakers during WWII and are now reunited to work outside authorized channels trying to find the pattern of a brutal serial killer targeting women. Under the Secrecy Act, the women are sworn not to disclose the nature of the work they did, so their families and the police cannot be told that they know what they are talking about as they close in on their target. The interesting premise, excellent acting and fine production values are not fully matched by a script that tries to balance their personal lives, their detecting processes, frustration in dealing with the police and dangerous encounters with the culprit.

Safety Not Guaranteed – 2012 (2.7). Billed as a romance, comedy and sci-fi, this small indie is better typed as a bit quirky. A jerk Seattle Magazine writer talks himself into an assignment down at the Washington coast to check on a man there who placed an ad looking for a time travel partner. The writer really just wants a lark and a chance to look up an old flame who lives there, so he gets two interns to go along to do most of the work, one a deadpan young woman and the other a shy East Indian young man. The target is seriously eccentric and has a mutual attraction with the deadpan intern. The jerk meets up with the flame and then tutors the shy intern on women. All moves fairly swiftly in this short and somewhat amateurish movie and it holds attention to the end to see what will happen. For us local yokels, it is fun to check the Washington coastal scenery and locations to see what looks familiar.

Seeking Asian Female – 2012 (2.7). In this short documentary, shown on PBS as part of Independent Lens, a twice married 60 year old San Francisco Caucasian man uses the Internet to find a 30 year old Chinese bride. The Chinese-American filmmaker becomes central to the relationship of the couple as the bride to be comes from China and the film maker serves as interpreter and confidant and a bit of a counselor. We do get to see the problems the couple experiences, but the personal injection of the film maker into the story, though unintended, ultimately detracts from the movie. Perhaps separating the movie into two distinct documentaries, one about the couple and the other about the filmmaker making the movie and becoming involved with the couple, should have been considered.

Teddy Bear – 2012 (2.7). Presented by Film Movement, this Danish drama tells about a 38 year old very shy body builder who lives with his dominating mother. His uncle travels to Thailand and comes back with a young woman he marries and he encourages his nephew to do the same. We follow him on his visit and into the conflict his trip causes with his mother. Nothing deep here, but well enough done to be watchable, especially since I have one son still living in Thailand and another who now lives back here with his Thai wife.

Quill: The Life of a Guide Dog – 2004 (2.7). If you are a dog lover and are emotionally affected by dogs being parted from their owners and by dogs coming to the end of their lives, then be warned about this Japanese movie telling the story of a yellow lab puppy who gets trained as a guide dog for the blind and assigned to a man with a very brusque manner. This is not a “sweet dog wins grump over” story. Though a drama, in some ways it plays like a documentary. The dogs are all very appealing indeed, many of the people much less so. This would not seem to be an effective film for recruiting guide dogs.

Dark Victory – 1939 (2.6). Bette Davis had already won two Oscars when she starred in this loquacious melodrama about a young rich woman with a serious disease requiring brain surgery. She falls in love with her surgeon who shares her romantic feelings but not the truth about the seriousness of her disease. Definitely dated, but another opportunity to see Davis in her prime and decide whether she is your cup of tea. Two interesting contract players in minor roles were Bogart with a poor Irish brogue playing a horse trainer smitten with Davis, and Ronald Reagan as an effete playboy overly fond of booze.

Almost All from the Library

Except for one documentary watched on PBS (a 3.5) and one old timer streamed from Netfllix (a 1.5), the movies on this list were all obtained from the library. Some newer ones had been on my hold list, some others were found on the shelf and a few were chosen because the library only has one or two copies left. I guess it is time to start working on the Netflix queue, either trying what is already there or finding something more appealing; I have only streamed one old dog in the last month. The ratings spread on this list, from top to bottom, is about as wide as it gets.

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].

Boy A – 2007 (3.7). An excellent script, fine direction and good acting make this British movie a winner. A young boy who was sent to prison for his involvement in a violent crime is now a young man who has served his sentence and is being released under a program to give him a new identity, similar to what is done in the witness protection programs. But the protection here is from people who want to harm the offender in further retribution for the crime he committed. On his release he is mentored by a corrections official with a drinking problem and a broken family of his own, but who is very proud of the job he has done in turning the boy’s life around. As we follow the boy renting a room, getting a job and getting a girlfriend, it is hard to warm up to him because he is so quiet and awkward. But then we start to realize how everything he does on the outside is strange and new to him, because he was only a boy when he went to prison. Movies too often fail to tell the back story or have too many or too few subplots, but this one wisely leaves out mostly all the back story, except for periodic brief flashbacks to the developments leading up to the crime, and smartly excludes all subplots except the relevant involvement of the corrections official and his son. This film is about this young man trying to start a new life now, not about what he did in the past or why he did it. By the end of the movie we realize that this man is just who he is, but his past will always be part of him, the same as we are who we are and our past will always be part of us.

The House I Live In – 2012 (3.1). Voted best documentary at Sundance, this movie tells the story of the failed American “War on Drugs”, and the toll it takes not just on those incarcerated and their families, but also on society and our institutions as a whole. Interviews with prisoners, jailers, police, judges, and other involved officials, activists and academics are combined with documentary footage to establish the faulty foundation of the war, the financial incentives that keep it alive and the unfairness and injustice that are an inherent part of the system. More positive hope for successful change would have been nice to show, but the fact is there is not much out there. This film is another step in the right direction.

Flight – 2012 (3.0). Denzel Washington plays a top notch commercial pilot with a drug and alcohol problem in this riveting drama. Fate, or some would say God, catches up with him in the form of defective plane and only his extraordinary skill, though possibly impaired by his indulgences, has the chance to avoid death for all aboard. On a very personal level, the pilot struggles with his chronic denial of addiction in a way that is powerful without going over the top. Though a bit long, the script is tight, the direction very good and the acting of Denzel excellent as always. Speaking of over the top acting, I am getting tired of John Goodman popping up in so many minor roles as larger than life eccentrics.

In a Better World -2012 (3.0). Vengeance, retribution and forgiveness are the subjects of this Oscar winning Danish drama about a bullied adolescent son of separated parents and his new friend who is angry with his father over the recent cancer death of his mother. The father of the victim of the bullying is a volunteer doctor to refugees in Africa, where he sees firsthand the horrors of violence. The doctor father tries to show the boys that it is better to turn the other cheek and turn away rather than engage in retaliation which can escalate, but that lesson seems too sophisticated for them to accept. The story challenges our own feelings about seeking payback.

Playing for Change – 2005 (3.0). I pulled this off the library shelf to view again because I like to listen to the music played and sung by various groups in multiple countries around the world. The songs are about love and peace and the documentary technique involves having the musicians listen to recordings of music by other artists while they play along, which shows the connection across places and cultures and the universality of the themes. The movie is extensively composed of the musical numbers with a little explanation of how the project came to be and some scenes of the artists before and after recording. There are some special features on the DVD giving more information on the filming itself.

Viridiana – 1961 (3.0). Spanish leftist film maker Luis Bunuel directed this story of a young novice nun paying a visit to her benefactor uncle before taking her final vows. The woman does not really know her uncle, nor does she know his illegitimate son who enters the movie later on, but they both present obstacles to her vocation, as does her attempt to minister to the needs of the local beggars. Condemned at the time as sacrilegious and blasphemous, the film holds up quite well, having been shot in a straightforward way and covering simple themes of religion, morality, vocation and charity which still resonate. Though a bit of a surrealist, Bunuel does not indulge that style in this movie, though there are plenty of intriguing images. The Croterion DVD has some interesting documentary features about Bunuel, including an interview of him.

Incendies – 2010 (2.8). French-Canadian brother and sister twins learn after the death of their mother that they have a brother and that their father, whom they were told was dead, is in fact alive. Their mother left a death wish that they find their brother and father, which sends them off on a journey to an unnamed war ravaged country in the Middle East. Using flashbacks to interweave the back story of the mother is confusing at first, particularly because the daughter and the young mother of the flashbacks look alike, and the initially slow pacing and overall length of this Oscar nominated movie make one impatient. But as the nature of the mysteries becomes more apparent, interest in finding the answers increases. A tighter script would have made a better movie.

My Name is Khan – 2010 (2.8). Bollywood comes to California to make this drama about an Indian Muslin immigrant man with Asperger’s who falls for an Indian Hindu immigrant single mom in San Francisco. Hostility after 9/11 leads to complications setting the man on a journey around the country. Too long and uneven, with a story about love and also about prejudice and intolerance, the movie has its touching moments but also some hokey ones. Maybe it would have been better to make two films, one about the love story and one about the prejudice.

The White Ribbon – 2009 (2.8). Long, slow and in black and white, this German film was a Golden Palm winner, telling a story of mysterious criminal acts committed in a German village on the brink of WWI. Told years later by the school teacher who left for the war and never returned, the tale involves parents and children across the social spectrum in a time and place of rigid patriarchy. Filmed with great style, the movie seems to be a mystery inviting determination of who is guilty, but ultimately turns out to be more an invitation to ponder who we are inclined to suspect and why, and to realize that, contrary  to the lack of color on the screen, guilt is not always a matter of black and white.

The Crusades: Crescent & the Cross – 2005 (2.8). This History Channel documentary covers the three crusades by European Christians to take Jerusalem from Muslim control. Historical reenactments with CGI, interviews with scholars, contemporary narration and reenacted readings by historians of that time are the techniques used to tell the story of these wars in a straightforward chronological manner. The parallels to the conflicts in the middle east today are inescapable.

Diary of a Chambermaid – 1964 (2.8). This version of the Mirbeau novel was made by Luis Bunuel in his straightforward style, playing off the differences between the master and servant classes while at the same time showing how personal strengths and weaknesses know no class bounds. The plot, though playing like a mystery, is not intended to wrap the story up nicely, but is rather a vehicle for presenting the gray aspects of life.

Exporting Raymond – 2010 (2.7). When the creator of the sitcom “Everybody Loves Raymond” is invited to Russia to work with TV producers there to develop a Russian version of the show, he decides to make a documentary of his experience. The result includes brief glimpses of his parents, who were the inspiration for the parents of Raymond, and lots of time in a glum and, except for the colorful onion dome churches, bleak Moscow of rundown buildings, oppressive executives and overworked production people, Our hero struggles with the cultural differences that almost make the style of Raymond seem unworkable in Russia, and makes a few friends in the process.

Talk to Me – 2007 (2.6). Petey Greene was a DJ in prison who became very popular on local radio in Washington DC by profanely talking truth to the people in the late 1960s. This biopic starts out OK in showing him at the end of his prison time and through the rise of his career, but once the script gets to the point where his manager pushes him to go too far, the script falls apart as it rushes to the end. The high point is when Petey calms Washington after Dr. King was assassinated. A typically good performance by Don Cheadle overshadows the rest of the cast, the production has a fairly good look and the direction has some weak spots, but overall it is worth watching and listening to the period R & B music.

Diary of a Chambermaid – 1946 (1.5). After watching the 1964 Bunuel movie of this classic nove, I noticed Netflix had the 1946 Renoir version available for streaming, so I watched it for comparison, even though I knew it was not very good. In fact, it is a terrible bowdlerization of the story presented sometimes as a farce and sometimes as a ridiculous attempt at melodrama, the characters distorted to the point of meaningless drivel and all the elements of social commentary either omitted or trivialized. This Hollywood sound stage monstrosity is the worst movie Renoir ever directed. Burgess Meredith wrote the script, produced the movie and hammed up one of the roles, while his wife of the time, Paulette Goddard, [third marriage for both] played the lead. No wonder Meredith and Goddard soon divorced and tried the marriage game soon again.

Wreck-it Ralph – 2012 (DNF). My viewing partner who likes Disney animated movies better than I do bailed out of this one after about half an hour, and there was still more than an hour to go. I don’t understand who the target audience is for a $165 million movie like this, but Disney knows what they are doing financially, because this film will make them a profit. I fast forwarded through the rest of the movie confirming it would have been an ordeal for me to view it at normal speed. The little girl character had a cute personality.

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.