Film Series and Double Bills

Back in our college days, John and I used to take in the UW film series on campus. Each quarter, weekly movies were shown, usually all from one foreign country. The host was someone knowledgeable about foreign movies and would do a written handout on each film. At the beginning of the quarter, the first films seemed quite strange culturally and in language, but by the end of the quarter they began to feel more familiar, as it is when visiting a foreign country for an extended stay. Since the movies were extracurricular, there was no post movie discussion.

Schools today, from junior high on up, could put a series of movies to good use as discussion stimulators, for instance with a series of movies on racial intolerance, one on conflict resolution and another on peer pressure. The possible topics are numerous and the choice of movies on any theme is even more extensive. What fun it would be to choose the themes and movies and then facilitate and moderate the discussions.

When I was a kid, theaters, usually the cheaper ones I could afford would show double bills, two movies for one admission. In fact, the old Embassy on 3rd Avenue in Seattle offered triple bills for some oddball pittance, either 9 cents or 11 cents. There was seldom any apparent attempt by the theater operators to pick films that would have a common theme, though sometimes that might happen by coincidence.

Now that I am watching movies on DVD, I sometimes watch two movies in sequence and am surprised that they have a lot in common. That happened on two pairs of movies listed below (High Fidelity and Fever Pitch) both about young lovers based on novels by Nick Hornby with stories set in England and then relocated to America for the movies, and Dean Spanley and The Cave of the Yellow Dog, both touching on dogs reincarnated as humans.

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

South of the Border – 2009 (3.3) Streamed. Oliver Stone did a good job with this documentary about democratically elected leaders of South American countries who are taking their nations in a more progressive and social minded direction, in opposition to the rich elites, multi-national corporations and pressure from American and European governments and their surrogates. Starting with Hugo Chavez in Venezuela, the chronological leader of the pack, Stone conducts intimate interviews with these leaders, who seem to feel his good will towards them and are thus more open in their dialogue. Brief visits are also made to Bolivia, Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Ecuador, and Raoul Castro also participates. The result is a hopeful sense of significant, worthwhile and long overdue change.

The Cave of the Yellow Dog – 2005 (3.1). The plan for this Mongolian film had included a few ideas to include in the story of following a nomadic Mongolian family, but the realities of the lifestyle and the appeal of the subject family took over the story instead. The result is a fairly slow moving film about a young mom and dad with three little children, the oldest of whom picks up a stray dog, part drama and more documentary about the lifestyle and the honestly simple passing of the wisdom of generations to the youngsters. Watch the 12 minute interview with the young Mongolian filmmaker for a quick bio on her and some fun facts about making the movie. Do not try to watch this on streaming, because that version is English dubbed in the worse possible way, and Netflix should be ashamed for not warning about that.

Cocalero – 2007 (2.9) Streamed. This Spanish language documentary follows Evo Morales as he successfully runs to become the first indigenous Indian leader of Bolivia. A dedicated leader of the coca growers union, Evo has tremendous support among the poor people. The film is a little slow in parts, but does an effective job of showing what a grass roots (or coca leaves) campaign this was.

Fever Pitch – 2005 (2.9). A truly fanatic Red Sox fan (Jimmy Fallon) and a workaholic ad agency up and comer (Drew Barrymore) fall in love, but Fallon is a totally rabid Red Sox fan and Drew is not that interested in baseball. This was filmed by coincidence in the season the Red Sox broke the 86 year curse and won the World Series. Predictable but still enjoyably cute.

Closely Watched Trains – 1966 (2.9) Streamed. This Czech movie about a young man coming of age near the end of WWII has him yearning to end his virginity while the Nazis retreat through the train station where he is newly employed. In a charming way, this film shows the bleakness of then contemporary Czechoslovakia while telling a gently heroic story from 20 years earlier. The Soviet occupiers probably delighted in having a film made about the Nazi occupiers, without realizing it was also about them.

High Fidelity – 2000 (2.8). I like John Cusack and always crack up over Jack Black. Stephen Frears directs good movies (he says proper casting is essential for a good movie). The female roles in this movie were well played. The premise of learning by analyzing past relationship breakups was good. But somehow the whole movie did not turn out to be as good as I hoped. It never seemed to get to any depth and the insider celebration of musical artists largely went over my head, and not entirely because I am just too old.

Airplane! – 1980 (2.8). This spoof of disaster movies had some funny bits in it and holds its age pretty well, but runs out of steam after a while. When Leslie Nielson died in November, a few clips from this movie were shown as part of his tributes, and they were campy enough to make me get it from Netflix. They sent me the Don’t Call Me Shirley Edition.

Big Night – 1996 (2.6) Streamed. This movie had some moments of humor, but was not really a comedy. It had a little drama, but not much plot. The principal players maybe all learned a little something, but there was no particular message. The food feast was lavish but that does not especially impress me. Some good performances and interesting, but slow pacing save it for me, but it is marginal.

Dean Spanley – 2008 (2.5) Streamed. I picked this out thinking I would see some BBC TV type humor bordering on Burlesque, but was surprised to find a quite polished looking New Zealand film about reincarnation, the thoughts of dogs and coping with death. I wish I could say it is as good as some Netflix members have said, but it never quite connected with me. The look and intention are there, and the acting is good, but the script was a weak link for me. Not quite bad enough to dislike, but hard to say yes.

I Capture the Castle – 2003 (2.5) Streamed. Netflix calls this movie quirky and Jane Austen-esque, but I call it marginal. It starts unnecessarily quirky and then tries to become a more serious drama. The script does not seem to achieve any focus until near then end. The acting is all right, but the script does not make any of the characters particularly appealing, except the role played by Romola Garai, who does a good job.

Trainspotting – 1996 (2.5). I got this because Susan was interested – she really likes Ewan McGregor. Netflix warned me (2.3), though it was well directed by Danny Boyle and the acting was good, the story about young UK heroin addicts is not my cup of tea. While watching, Susan asked what the purpose of the movie was, and I suppose the answer is to show the evil of drug addiction in a way that still has some humor midst the horror. The characters were not presented in any depth and what drama there was suffered accordingly. We are probably supposed to root for a clean future for the McGregor character, but the odds are against him and nothing in this movie made me feel how terrible that really is. So though this is very marginal for me, I’ll give it the edge at 2.5 and a reluctant 3 stars at Netflix.

The Story of Adele H. – 1975 (2.4). This sad story of the daughter of Victor Hugo, based on her diaries and filmed by Truffaut, is a disappointing French movie. Adele obviously had mental issues that caused her to become a stalker, but all this movie did was show us some of that stalking in a boring way. Isabelle Adjani received an Oscar nomination for her performance and won the French Cesar, but the role was not that demanding and though her performance was all right, her filmography does not show that her career ever blossomed.

Ship of Fools – 1965 (2.4). Stanley Kramer directed this overlong gabfest with an ensemble cast aboard a German ocean liner on the brink of WWII. Based on a novel, the story was trying to appear progressively opposed to intolerance and oppression, but the movie was jumping around between the characters, none of whom we came to understand or care much about, and the message of tolerance seemed oddly heavy handed and ineffective. Honored with at least 8 Oscar nominations, the movie won only in 2 black and white categories, cinematography and art direction, where it likely had little competition. This was the last screen appearance of Vivien Leigh.

Even Fewer Changes

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

A Few Changes

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

My Movie Ratings - Updated January 2011

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

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

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

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

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

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

Last of the Year

Here is a list of the movies that I enjoyed watching the most in 2010, which is not really a list of the best movies released in 2010. Since I watch movies at home, my viewings are too delayed to make a 2010 list until the next year is half over. The ratings I give on this blog are on my own number system explained previously in this blog. Those watched via Netflix instant view, include “Streamed” after the numeric rating.

Letters to Juliet – 2010. (3.3) The love of Romeo & Juliet brings us to Verona and a romantic and fun story of a search for a lost past love that may not be too late, and young lovers whose star crossing may turn out to be fortuitous. Good cast, nice story well told and beautiful Tuscan scenery provide quite pleasant enjoyment.

Temple Grandin – 2010. (3.3) Claire Danes does a good job impersonating an autistic woman who was first diagnosed in the 1960s when doctors told her parents she should be institutionalized, but who instead was encouraged by her family to pursue her education and ended up getting a master’s degree and becoming a college professor. Temple used her autism in her animal studies to help her understand what animals experience and how that experience can be applied by man in dealing with animals. Special effects in the movie were quite good at showing how the autistic mind interprets experience. Time constraints limit what bio pics can show, but leaving Temple’s father and her siblings out completely left me feeling I missed something of value. If this had been streamed, special features showing the real Temple would have been omitted, and the opportunity to see how well Claire captured her would have been missed.

You Don’t Know Jack – 2009. (3.3) The physician assisted suicide issue has been around for decades, but Dr. Jack Kevorkian is the man who brought it to the forefront in America. Though his involvement with the issue was in the news for years, the title of this HBO movie was very accurate for me – I knew practically nothing about the man himself. This film provides much of the missing information on this fascinating man. Al Pacino does a great job of playing the title role, with an excellent supporting cast and able direction by Barry Levinson. Be sure to watch the brief special feature to see the real Dr. Jack, who reminds us we are all going to die and go to the nothingness, from which we came, then comforts us with the rhetorical question, “Was that so terrible?”

Mademoiselle Chambon -2007. (3.0) Streamed. This movie says a lot without so many words, but rather with context and drawing the personal experience of the viewer into the characters themselves. A female substitute teacher, new in town, and a construction worker father of a student, are each socially awkward and not particularly attractive, but still somehow make a connection, as awkward as the couple themselves. This is one of those films that leaves you feeling you understood, while at the same time making you wonder if you really did – kind of like our own life fels sometimes.

The Pillars of the Earth – 2010. (2.9) Streamed. Based on a Ken Follett book, this miniseries tells about the political intrigue and fighting for power in 12th century England, centering on the building of a new cathedral. Tons of plot and characters, good production values and competent direction and acting, with practically no attempt to use the language of the time, which, though English, we would not recognize.

Adventureland – 2008. (2.8) Recent college grad James planned a European summer with his buddies before heading to journalism grad school at Columbia, but hard times in 1987 hit his family and he had to stay home in Pittsburgh and work as a game carnie at Adventureland. He made some new friends, had some new experiences and learned some things they don’t teach in college. Tastefully done, a sort of college kid comes of age movie. Netflix calls it a comedy, but it is more of a light drama.

Prodigal Sons – 2008. (2.8) Streamed. This very personal documentary starts covering the story of the filmmaker, the popular high school quarterback, returning to Montana for the school reunion after having become a woman, then it expands to cover relationship problems with the older, adopted brother who suffers mental problems resulting from accidental brain trauma. As the brother struggles with his medical and mental problems, he also has issues about his adoption and curiosity about his biological family, which adds an inyeresting twist. This material may have been better handled as two separate films.

The Cake Eaters – 2007. (2.8) Streamed. This directorial debut of Mary Stuart Masterson shows good skill, and the cast did a generally good job, but the story did not effectively grab attention or maintain a focus. Trying to cover too many people in a short movie did not allow time to get to know any of them well enough by the end of the movie. Much of the back story was presented via dialogue, whereas showing the back story directly or by flash backs would have been more effective. Budget constraints probably limited the length of the film and dictated the use of dialogue for back story.

How About You – 2007. (2.8) Streamed. I watched this to see if young Hayley Atwell, whom I find quite appealing, is a good actress, and was pleased to find she is, holding her own with an ensemble cast of cranky nursing home residents, in this enjoyably simple story, which is more a light drama than a comedy.

No Reservations – 2007. (2.8) About the time this movie came out, I watched the German film, Mostly Martha, of which this is a remake. I gave Martha 4 stars and remember it as being both touching and encouraging about overcoming grief and emotional pain. The remake didn’t come very close to my recall of the original, having less emotional impact and seeming more contrived. Maybe some of that is due to inflated memory of the original (though I did give it 4 stars at the time), and maybe some is due to less impact the second time, since I already knew the story.

Steal a Pencil for Me – 2007. (2.8) Streamed. Archival footage and contemporary interviews tell the story of a Dutch Jewish couple who conducted a courtship by letters during their time in concentration camps in WWII, and recently celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary.

Invincible – 2006. (2.8) A true story of a 30 year old Philadelphia Eagles fan who in 1976 responded to an open tryout stunt by the long suffering team, and ended up becoming a three year special team player, this drama, though fairly well done, was not that dramatic, not just because we know what is going to happen, but also because there was little other tension in the script. Maybe a documentary would have been better.

Bill Maher: But I’m Not Wrong – 2010. (2.7) Nothing much new here except maybe more foul mouthed, Maher’s progressive libertarian point of view is well known and a little stuck in the past, with just a trickle of commentary on President Obama.

Italian Fascism in Color – 2007. (2.7) Using archival footage, some colorized, and some unimpressive reenactments, this documentary pedantically tells the about the politics and failed strategies of Mussolini. I did learn a few things, but probably could have done it quicker using Wikipedia.

Sabah: A Love Story – 2005. (2.7) Streamed. After building up an interesting case of a Syrian Muslim family in Toronto, headed by a strictly chauvinistic older brother, and concentrating on the dutiful daughter stuck taking care of her widowed mother, while starting a clandestine relationship with a non-Muslim Canadian, this film disappoints by ending with the proverbial whimper instead of a bang.

Group of Twelve

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

Here are a dozen more, of which five were streamed via Netflix. This group includes an original and a remake, three documentaries, only two foreign films and eight from this century. Half are probably worth watching for most readers and half are only worth viewing if they have particular appeal to you.

The Shop around the Corner – 1940. (3.5) From the play of the same name, remade in 1999 as “You’ve Got Mail”, this is Lubitsch flawlessly directing a wonderful MGM ensemble in a very enjoyable story. Though older even than me, the film does not appear that dated, and in spite of the limitations of its theatrical origins, it does not feel too stage bound. This was an early lead role for Jimmy Stewart, whose career had been encouraged by his co-star, Margaret Sullavan, a Broadway actress of considerable talent who hated Hollywood and only made a dozen or so films there, of which Netflix has only three, this being the best.

Kissing Jessica Stein – 2002. (3.2) A personal film written by and starring two young New York actresses, exploring the meaning of sexuality, friendship and happiness, this gentle and humorous movie prompts reflection on being open to life. A male blind date, concerned he might be coming across as boastful, delivers this fun line, “I’m usually more self-defecating”.

Everlasting Moments – 2008. (3.1) Streamed.  The best early films of Jan Troell are not available on DVD, but this visually appealing movie from the Swedish director might prompt consideration of making them available. A WWI era wife bears a parade of children to her boorish husband, and while struggling with the decision to leave him, finds an unexpected muse who encourages her to pursue photography. The images are better than the story, but they are reason enough to watch.

The Ritchie Boys – 2004. (3.1) Streamed. The Ritchie Boys were young Jewish men of an intellectual bent, mostly immigrants who fled Nazi Germany for the US before WWII, who were trained at Fort Ritchie, Maryland for intelligence and psych op work as members of the US Army. Ten of these men are interviewed in this documentary, accompanied by archival footage. Their stories are quite interesting and the movie allows them to be told fairly straightforward. At the end of the film we learn what the men did with the rest of their careers.

Cherry Blossoms – 2008. (3.0) Streamed. Another spin on the what to do with the rest of your life after being diagnosed with a terminal illness question, this German film adds in a twist and also touches on the choice between rooted stability and traveling adventure, and the disappointment of non-pursued exotic dreams.  

The Family Stone – 2005. (3.0) Streamed. Good ensemble in a film directed by its writer, again with a secretively terminal parent, with adult children assembled for Christmas and engaging in sibling dynamics mostly at the expense of the newcomer girlfriend of the oldest son. Shifts in romantic allegiance are predictable and not that convincingly portrayed, but the overall family feeling remains interesting.

Glass: Portrait of Philip in Twelve Parts – 2007. (2.8) Streamed. The composer and this film about him were actually more interesting to me than his music, but if you really like his music then you may be more interested in this film. There was much about the man personally and we saw him in a variety of situations, but I can’t say I actually learned much about his music.

You’ve Got Mail – 1998. (2.8) I always figured this would be a little too cute for me, but decided to watch it after watching its original source, The Shop around the Corner. Like many remakes of classics, this one pales by comparison. Much of the charm of the original was the workplace dynamics in the shop where all the characters worked, but that is totally scrapped in this remake. The interplay between the leads in the new version never rises to the level of the original, and the extra half hour of running time makes the whole piece feel puffy, in contrast to the original, which was a tightly scripted cohesive whole. It is interesting to recall how just twelve years ago the idea of an intimate connection via e-mail was considered so fresh and exciting. And are we being told that a chain supermarket of books is better than a venerable little book shop?

Catherine Cookson’s The Girl – 1996. (2.8) Probably the last of the Cookson stories that I will be watching, this movie is a little subpar for the course. The heroine here is not particularly likeable, nor for that matter is the supposed hero. The morality that prevails is open to question. It may hold your interest if you like stories of mid 19^th century English women from questionable backgrounds who are given an opportunity to rise a little in life and then encounter a set back with which they cope in a questionable manner.

Noel – 2004. (2.7) Streamed. In spite of a couple brief moments of touching Christmas outreach, there’s no reason to add this movie about lonely people on Christmas Eve to your list of Christmas favorites. The ensemble never assembled and the story never grabbed, but because of the absence of half stars at Netflix, I’ll have to give a 2 ½ star so so movie a Flix 3, that I liked it, because I’m not enough of a Grinch to give it a 2 and say I didn’t.

Hubert Selby, Jr.; It’ll Be Better Tomorrow – 2006. (2.7) Streamed. Those who made this documentary were so in awe of the subject author that they produced a film which comes across as a collection of interviews of choir members singing the praises of their pastor. I’m not familiar with Selby and this barely piqued my interest. If you know his writing, you may be more interested, but will probably not learn much more about his writing than you already know.

Any Friend of Nicholas Nickleby [etc] – 1982. (2.0) Jennifer H at Netflix hit the nail on the head: “This a low-budget made-for-TV film that just isn’t polished or creative enough to be of much interest today. The acting, music score, editing and camera work are amatuerish. Gwynne was the only decent actor in the bunch. The movie lies somewhere between an episode of the Waltens and a public service film. It’s categorized under Children & Family but most kids would be terribly bored by this film. The only adults that might be interested are literary buffs or Bradbury fans...or older folks who like squeaky-clean sentimental dramas and don’t care about outdated/low production value.

Netflix News Too

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

I was just looking at Netflix to see if any of my few friends there (my one social networking venture) had rated a film I just watched, and I discovered that Netflix closed down the friends feature about two months ago. The reason for the closure was low usage (confirmed in my case by the fact I had not looked at it for two months), and also the desire to shift Netflix resources from the friends feature to the growing streaming business. I also suspect Netflix found the hassle of maintaining the friends feature was something they did not need in order to keep their business growing.

Netflix reports business is indeed booming and subscriber views by streaming are expected to exceed DVD mailings by the end of the year. It has been obvious for a while that streaming is going to replace DVD rentals, especially now that the streaming video quality has improved and the streaming library is growing. A Netflix price increase starting with January (more than 17% for my 3 in the mail program) appears to be designed to wean us off mailings. For example, if I am willing to cut back to 2 mailings, I can actually have a price reduction of about 12%. [I think Red Box kiosks fill a niche for people who don’t have Netflix or a similar subscription, but they hold no attraction for me. Kiosk fees are expected to increase soon also].

I have been slow to embrace Netflix streaming, even though I can watch streams on my home theater setup and they look and sound good (though the best sound quality I can stream seems to be DTS, rather than Dolby Digital). I get 17 mailings average per month on my 3 DVD subscription, but I have only been watching about 5 streams a month, even though there is no limit. The reasons for my reluctance to stream more movies include the novelty, lingering doubts about sound quality, fewer new releases, the lack of my own methodology for deciding what to stream, and the unusually ease of bailing out of a film early at no cost. My own experience and improvements by Netflix should make these reasons fade over time.

Until 7 months ago, I used to get about 20 movies a month from the library in addition to my Netflix mailings. That was too many movies and often I felt burdened to watch them and get them back to the library on time. Without the library movies, I increased the speed of my Netflix mailings to take up some of the slack. Now, as I embrace Netflix streaming more, and as Netflix expands the streaming choices (my instant queue has already been running about twice the size of my mailing queue), I may find that I can reduce my mail subscription from 3 to 2, and gradually transition away from mail altogether, just as Netflix has planned.

Hachi: A Dog’s Tale – 2009. (3.5) Lasse Hallstrom makes movies that have a professional finish and often an appealing charm. This one, based on a true story from Japan, stars an Akita dog, whose life we follow from puppyhood to death, and who experiences and shows a full range of emotions with an Academy Award caliber performance. Of course the dog is in fact several animals being led through the motions (and emotions) by its trainer, but the script, human actor interaction, direction and editing make us want to believe. Such is the magic of movies. There is a message in this very touching G rated movie, but it is not preached. In spite of the rating, because of the theme, this is probably not something you would want your younger kids to watch. Macho men should watch this alone, lest their cover be blown. Netflix way underestimated my rating for this film, probably because of lack of comparables, for it is an unfortunate fact that there are so few movies like this being made in America these days.

The Street – 2006. (3.4) There are only six episodes (two discs) of this BBC anthology series about the families who live on a contemporary London street. Each episode concentrates on one family, but there is some intertwining with the stories of the other families. I thought this would be the ususal TV fare, mixing humor with serious content, the overworked “dramedy”, but was pleased to find that it is just good, solid drama, well written, acted and directed, with interesting plot and excellent character development. I particularly liked the episodes on the first disk and would give them a 3.7, whereas two of the episodes on the second disk, one about a young footballer who gets trapped into involvement with drug pushers, amd one about spousal abuse, seemed to have more violence and less overall story value, perhaps a 3.1. Following seasons apparently have not yet made it to DVD.

The Narrow Margin – 1952. (3.2) If you want a quick look at a well-made and interesting film noir story that will hold your attention and keep you on your toes, check out this 72 minute movie. No major actors and a capable but not spectacular director still yield a very good film when the attention stays on the efficiently told story. There are some nice filmic devices used here to keep things moving rather than just to call attention to themselves.

Fatal Love – 1992. (3.0) An early Aids awareness TV film, in which Molly Ringwald plays an unlikely victim coping with her anger and fear, the anguish of her parents and the confusion and awkwardness of her friends, this movie does a fairly good job, until it necessarily ends up in the air, because that is where life stood for the real person on whom the story was based.

Mary and Max – 2008. (2.9) Australian clay animation here, with a lonely, unpopular, young Australian girl randomly picking for a pen pal an obese, atheistic New York City Jew with Asperger’s. Quirky as expected, but with a tenderness too.

Introducing Dorothy Dandridge – 1999. (2.8) The first African-American actress to be nominated for an Oscar in a lead role had beauty, talent and courage, but they were not enough to protect her from prejudice and the tragedies that life too often brings. Halle Berry produced and starred in this HBO TV movie which, like Halle, did a competent job of telling the story, but never quite grabbed the attention of the audience. Biopics like this have lots of ground to cover and we are often left feeling we want to see more of what is left out and less of what is included.

Dance With Me – 1998. (2.8). The romance and drama here is a bit shallow, but still fairly appealing, but the best thing about the film is the Latin ballroom dancing and Afro-Cuban music. Vanessa L. Williams had the female lead and her dancing looked great to me. Though she has a fairly long filmography, this is the first time I have seen her act and I thought she was alright, but I don’t see anything else of interest in her filmography. The male lead was Chayanne, an incredibly handsome man whom I do not know, though he is a famous Latin singer. He has acting talent, which he has failed to develop because of conflict with his movie career. I selected this movie from the filmography of the director, Randa Haines, who has made only a few films over a span of thirty years, but I have liked them all.

Emily Dickinson: A Certain Slant of Light – 1977. (2.7) This very short documentary was filmed (with a crew including Ken Burns) in the outdoors of Amherst and in the two Dickinson houses, which is about the only reason for watching it. The limited biographical information and quotes from some of her poems show that it was intended as a film for use in schools.

Something to Talk About – 1995. (2.4) Streamed. A good cast and fine director cannot make a poor script of an uninteresting story worth much, which is what happened with this Lasse Hallstrom film about a contemporary southern horse farm family with marital fidelity issues.

Gates of Heaven – 1978.  (2.4)  Streamed. An Erroll Morris documentary supposedly about pet cemeteries, this polyester time capsule of interviews with Californians does not tell much about the subject but includes many ego centric interviewees, a few of whom are sadly humorous.

The Lightkeepers – 2009. (1.4) A ludicrous New England accent by Richard Dreyfuss, in a boring story that takes way too long to even get started, corny music, amateurish technical work and the squandering of Cape Cod beauty make this a loser all around. I suffered through the first 20 minutes of banal set up dialogue before the two male characters, static at one location, were finally augmented with the female players, only to confirm the women did not make this any more tolerable. Love that super fast forward button so I could zip through the rest, just going through the motions – like this movie did.