This is mostly for me to track the films I've seen. If I like it enough to recommend I review it. If it's a show I liked I'll BOLD it here.
- NIGHTCRAWLER
- DAREDEVIL
- LOUIE
- WET HOT AMERICAN SUMMER
- THE ROVER
- THE KNICK
- BOARDWALK EMPIRE
- SENSE8 Ep.1
- BLACK MIRROR
- THE PRINCE OF EGYPT
- CROODS
- THE HONORABLE WOMAN
- HAPPY VALLEY
- FOYLE'S WAR
- BROADCHURCH
- BORGEN
- LONGMIRE
- THE GOOD, THE BAD, AND THE WEIRD
- LIFE OF PI
- AVENGERS: AGE OF ULTRON
- CAPTAIN AMERICA: WINTER SOLDIER
- WHAT HAPPENED, MISS SIMONE?
- A YOUNG DOCTOR'S NOTEBOOK
- WALLANDER (UK/DANISH)
- PEAKY BLINDERS
- SHERLOCK
- KILLING THEM SOFTLY
- BLOODLINE
- DAMAGES (SEASONS 1-2 ONLY)
3 out of 5. Noah Baumbach's black and white film FRANCES HA pins down what it's like to go after ones dreams and fall short. In the easily likable character of Frances, played by Greta Gerwig, you get a sense of someone who's spirited outlook on life seems indomitable. Her forward motion doesn't take time to ponder to long before going onto the next thing. Which is easily frustrating for those around her. She won't be kept down for long before bouncing back into some other wish fulfillment. It makes those who are somewhat jaded (moi?) and serious long for that bit of adolescent naivete in their daily life. It's a very refreshing film and very New York.
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3 out of 5. Marius Holst weaves a dark tale based on a true story in the KING OF DEVIL'S ISLAND. Having Stellan Skarsgard in the lead role doesn't hurt either. He's as icy and bitter as the winter winds in this Nordic tale of a school for delinquent boys. Benjamin Helstad does an equally excellent job at standing his ground and foregoing the harshest conditions. It's not much different than Cool Hand Luke in terms of story but it does offer some really excellent situations and character development that is harrowing and heartbreaking. The ending...man...good stuff.
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3 out of 5. It's rare when a documentary director finds such a unique angle. Joshua Oppenheimer's THE ACT OF KILLING could have been a Ken Russell film. It was bizarre right from the start and a little unnerving how matter-of-fact the death squad leaders were about their "jobs". When they recreated the scenes of murder in lavish crime numbers or musical numbers, the haunting pallor would blanket the people involved. You could see the thousand yard stare of reliving history in their eyes. This is brave filmmaking and Oppenheimer does an excellent job at capturing it. Not for everyone, but everyone should watch if nothing more than to understand what humans are capable of.
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4 out of 5. Satyajit Ray's THE BIG CITY marks a moment in time when a woman steps outside of her role as housewife in contemporary India and sets to earn to help out the family even more. His ability to capture very real and honest portraits of life is always mesmerizing to me. He's one of the few directors who I completely trust to get at the emotional center of his characters. The circumstances he creates for his characters elicit a universal response while remaining unique to that character. Like the Apu Trilogy, his power of listening is as great as his gift of showing. I can't wait to seek out more of his films.
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4 out of 5. This is one of those movies from the 70s I remember as a kid. A stranger in an even stranger small town and things just go wrong. Ted Kotcheff is bold and daring in WAKE IN FRIGHT. Gary Bond as the lead is great but Donald Pleasance somehow gets under your skin. There's some excellent cinematography and lens choices that really create paranoia and fear. I have to admit though, it's a little rough around the edges, especially during the kangaroo hunt which was relentless and real. There was a real mix of that relentlessly male dominant culture verging on the edge homoerotic and then obliterating that line. It's raw, it's rough and it's a significant Australian film worth a watch.
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4 out of 5. Masaki Kobayashi's THE HUMAN CONDITION 1-3 was a masterfully done almost 10 hour epic telling the tale of a pacifist in totalitarian Japan during WWII. The cinematography was gorgeous and the acting was fantastic. You follow the main character Kaji, played by Tatsuya Nakadai (of SAMURAI REBELLION) as he's given a job in a mining town after marrying the love his life. He doesn't want to run things the way his bosses want him to. It's a clash of ideals and he spends most of the film trying to keep the humanity of his men in tact while almost losing his. Having to watch it in 2 hour chunks a night, made it feel quite episodic and gave one much food for thought. Highly recommended.
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