Omniscient: S01 - 2020 - Brazil

Omniscient: S01 - 2020 - 6/10
AKA - Onisciente

Tech series set in near future Rio de Janeiro.
Society has surrendered privacy for security, as fly-sized drones follow citizens everywhere.
Yes, that means bathroom, that means bouncing the sheets.
Nina is a programmer candidate for Onisciente, the massive surveillance firm.
Her father is murdered; his drone saw nothing. Actually, because of privacy laws, no footage is available.
His death is ruled an accident. Afterward, Nina starts digging, hacking into the system.
Much is given over to Nina outsmarting or gaming her ever-present drones.
The tech may be too shaky for engineers, but for those who suspend a lot of disbelief this should be OK.
To my amazement, S01 did resolve and tie up questions, while opening floodgates for S02.
Same creative team made 3%.
I watched S01 of that show, never bothered with later seasons.

Snodgrass - 2013

Snodgrass - 2013 - 6/10

1991, John Lennon is behind in rent and applying for a lowly job.
Some still remember him. “You’re the guy who quit the Beatles!”
This version of the Beatles, however, without Lennon, never quite made it.
Lennon views those around him as dim fools, the man, the wad - - - Snodgrasses.
Angry, sarcastic, bitter, venting when no one gives a damn.
Ian Hart excels as 50 year old washout, spitting rage, cocksure that the lads never ought to have compromised and agreed to sing that “How Do You Do It” trifle.
Unpleasant “what if” story - except - this John still breathes in 1991.

Two Of Us - 2000

Two Of Us - 2000 - 7/10

In 1976, Paul drops in on John at the Dakota.
The story “speculates” on what they discuss, later do.
Film omits two other persons who are there that day, Linda and Yoko.
This smacks of a small play, but is enjoyable and well acted.
Aiden Quinn has, perhaps, the tougher part playing Paulie.
His Paul is well grounded, worldly, and not merely the “cute Beatle.”
John, holed up in his Dakota fortress, is troubled by demons, though when they go outdoors, the prankster emerges.
Few tunes, by the way.

3%: S01 - 2016 - Brazil

3% - 2016 - 6/10

Unwashed masses teem and struggle “Inland,” while “Offshore” is an undreamed utopia.
The concept of meritocracy, often espoused, is here carried out.
Via “the Process” each coming-of-age bracket are put through mental, physical, psychological tests.
Only 3% pass, and they are allowed to journey to Offshore.
Elysium … or Soylent Green?
Slow going 8-part parable from Brazil (in Portuguese, so find subs, if necessary).
Backstories of unlikable characters unfold.
E04 was “Lord Of The Flies” excitement, yet E05 ground to a standstill.
Near future look is heavy on dystopia, light on SciFi.
Budget and script-writing limitations apparent.
Doors left open for a second season.

The Day Of The Jackal - 1973 - UK

The Day Of The Jackal - 1973 - 8/10

I recently watched Speakerine, set in the early 1960's, and it was fair enough.

But for a top tier intrigue thriller of that era, try this -

 
Brilliant adaptation of Ludlam’s thriller.
Edward Fox peerless as “the Jackal,” hired by the OAS to assassinate DeGaulle.
Film is three narratives:  French intelligence.  British intelligence.  The Jackal.
Agencies have difficulty dealing with the lone wolf, outside the compromised OAS.
Each side adjusts, but the assassin is resourceful.
Exceptional editing throughout.  At two hours plus, the film never drags.
I cannot imagine this being made today without gadgets and booming music.
Riveting from beginning to end.

Kisses - 2008

Kisses - 2008 - 7/10

 
Dylan and Kylie live in dysfunctional households. One endures physical violence, the other abuse of another sort.
One afternoon, they flee and hop a ferry to Dublin. (Yes, a road movie of sorts.)
Fun under the lights, contrasts with predators in shadows.
Dublin proves too hard. No surprise since the characters are aged 10 and 11.
Another, more iconic Dylan appears in a white hat and offers advice.
A small gem.
Friends with sensitive ears - foul language galore.

Last Train Home - 2009

Last Train Home - 2009 - 7/10
AKA - 归途列车

 
Excellent documentary about Chinese migrant workers who jam trains every New Year to go back to the village and their families.
Shows the sweatshop conditions of two garment worker parents contrasted with the lush village they left behind.
No preaching or soapbox. This is how it is.
Parents toil, making clothes for Westerners, so their kids can attend school and have a chance at a better life.
Shot in Guangdong before and after the Beijing Olympics, and before the financial meltdown in 2008.
An unsettling future if one can look beyond today's horizon.
Planet Antfarm.

Speakerine - 2018 - France

Speakerine - 2018 - 6/10

 
Brief French series set in 1962.
Christine is a broadcasting institution.  She announces upcoming programs.
What she longs for is her own show, a woman’s show.  By women, about women, for women.
An early strike for representation and equality.  Anticipate male resistance.
Into the mix are a budding network alliance between France TV and US networks, terrorist activities from the OAS, family drama, and a large manor house where alpha males entertain underage plaisirs du jour.
Oh, and a malicious, unscrupulous rival bent on shoving Christine from her throne, no matter the means.
Six episodes stitched nicely.

The Last Black Man In San Francisco - 2019

The Last Black Man In San Francisco - 2019 - 7/10

Meandering film about ownership, property, status, memory, family.
In the Fillmore district, long before gentrification excluded all but the affluent, Jimmie’s granddad built the family house, roof to cellar, by himself.  Later, Jimmie’s father lost it.
Since then, Jimmie has acted as guerilla caretaker, tending the house whenever occupants are away.
It took me a good half hour to realize what was going on here.
Then I became engaged, though wondering why the police were never summoned, even when Jimmie is clearly painting the house exterior!
Ever so subtly, however, layers of deception begin to fall away.

Kings Of Pastry - 2009

Kings Of Pastry - 2009 - 7/10

 

Documentary about winning the red/white/blue collar of the Meilleur Ouvrier de France.
The finest pastry craftsmen of France.
To say competitors were obsessive would be an understatement.
I had friends who perched on the edge of their chairs watching this.
Me?  I found the tone a bit cool, the creations out there.
The final event is always the sugar creation, very fragile creations that shatter easily.
Worth watching if confection (creating or eating) is your thing.

Tapas - 2005

Tapas - 2005 - 6/10

 

Four minor storylines weave in and out of a minor tapas bar in Barcelona.
Characters ache for love, say goodbye to love, find love.
Random assortment of types and ages.
Mild diversion.
STILL ... If a movie is titled Tapas (or Tapas Bar) then, damnit, there ought to have been a lot more food!
This flick serves tiny portions of prep work and dining appreciation.
¿Muy gusto? Nada.

Interpol - 1957

Interpol - 1957 - 6/10
AKA - Pickup Alley

The underrated Victor Mature stars as a federal agent chasing a narcotics ring.
Small fry are easy enough to catch, and for the criminal organization, easy to replace.
The top man has never been seen.  His name, perhaps an alias, is McNally.

Trevor Howard is memorable as the smooth, calculating mastermind, seen above with Anita Ekberg who acts as courier, bait, decoy, whatever is necessary.
Filmed between London and the US, but also includes jaunts to Lisbon, Naples, Rome, this recalls **To The Ends Of The Earth** (1948), but that was more procedural and this more character driven.
Watchable throughout, though I did find myself starting to root for the narcotics ring.

Model Shop - 1969 - USA

Model Shop - 1969 - 6/10
 

George’s bad day is a continuation of what appears to be a streak.
His girlfriend wants to discuss their relationship, the repo man wants his MG, his finances are zilch, and he expects a letter, any day now, from the draft board.
For all that, he gets out of bed and hustles, hopes to borrow money, if anything to save his car.
Moody study of a man marking time nicely catches Southern California at the end of the 60's.
George, mixing with the creative class, doesn’t know what he wants, only what he doesn’t want.
Stone-faced Gary Lookwood (2001) strikes one as too old for the role.
Director Demy’s original choice was a young unknown.  Harrison Ford.

Wild Grass - 2008

Wild Grass - 2008 - 5/10
AKA - Les Herbes Folles

French twaddle by Alain Resnais.
Marguerite has her purse stolen, Georges finds her cash empty billfold outside his car.
Before turning it over to the police, he goes through her cards and photos and grows obsessed.
Obsession turns into stalking.
These are not teenagers. He is around 65, she is 53.
After Marguerite complains, police warn Georges off.
Then Marguerite begins stalking him!
Shallow, utterly implausible, sheer nonsense.

Boundaries - 2018

Boundaries - 2018 - 6/10

80 tear old dad phones his estranged daughter after he is ejected from his senior center.
Seems his gardening hobby, though lucrative, was considered illegal.
He makes his daughter a deal:  Drive me down to my other daughter in Los Angeles, and I’ll pay my grandson’s private school tuition.
The road trip follows, from Washington state to Los Angeles, with a few stops.
For adult diapers, for stray dogs, and to make marijuana drops.
The gardening hobby, which he excelled in harvesting primo cannabis.
If you buy the premise that there is still a market for homegrown in states where reefer is legal, then you are halfway to enjoying this implausible, feel-good adventure.

Fallen Angel - 2007 - UK

Fallen Angel - 2007 - 6/10

 

Dark, three chapter series with Emilia Fox and Charles Dance.
Child kidnappings, severed limbs, and a locked freezer. Part, the first.  Or parts.
The following segments contain flashbacks, detailing the creation of a monster.
Much of this will be horrifying to parents.
The ending stretched plausibility.
Note - This is *not* an American production.
Outside of the States, children characters exist and suffer much as actual children.

The Fifth Cord - 1971 - Italy

The Fifth Cord - 1971 - 7/10
AKA - Giornata Nera per l'Ariete

 
From the opening, a disguised voice starts to narrate hoped for murders.
The point-of-view gaze sweeps the swank party.
Participants, soon enough, become victims.
While the police regard a troubled news reporter, he is given a long leash.
Confusing Giallo (like most of them, actually), boasts an unusual style.
Rather than the garish colors, this utilizes reflections, shadows, glass barriers.

Ms Fisher’s Modern Murder Mysteries: S01 - 2019 - Australia

Ms Fisher’s Modern Murder Mysteries: S01 - 2019 - 6/10

 
Spinoff / reboot of the Miss Fisher franchise suffers by comparison.
Set decades after Miss Fisher’s adventures, a low born niece inherits her aunt’s mantle.
She has no detective skills, is somewhat of a fish out of water, yet is soon part of the Adventuresses.
A love angle is forced in, yet the leads have no chemistry.
Indeed, the girl who plays Ms Fisher has no presence for the camera whatsoever.
Set in the early 60’s, the “look” and songs feel correct, but I am unsure.  I suspect Australia, like the States, lagged England in fashion, style and creativity at that point.
At four episodes, it might provide a Fisher fix for grieving fans, especially after the Miss Fisher dud movie.

Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries: S01 - 2012 - Australia

Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries:  S01 - 2012 - 6/10

 
Feel-good detective series set in 1920's Australia.
Phryne Fisher, rich, bored, decides to start her detective agency, and each week solves or helps the police solve a baffling case.
By chance, the main inspector is handsome and single.  Who’ve thunk that?
Vintage music, vintage cars, though no one would possibly call Miss Fisher’s morals vintage.
The lady does like her conquests.
Series is a programmer, but lacks the gore and cynicism of current crime fare.
Enjoyed it for what it was, though females around me swooned at the costumes.
As referenced, Miss Fisher is wealthy and her posh clothes reflect that.

Paris - 2008

Paris - 2008 - 5/10

 

Text on the box referenced Woody Allen's Manhattan.
Not even close.  This was more like one of Altman's lesser, ensemble works.
I wanted to like this, but it was an unsatisfying meal.
Multiple plots, many characters, scant narrative advancement, limited resolutions.
As always with these type of films, certain stories vanish.  Others (including the less interesting tales) unfold.
Excellent photography of Paris.
Perhaps a date flick. Over two hours.

Memories Of The Alhambra - 2018 - S Korea

Memories Of The Alhambra - 2018 - 6/10
AKA - Alhambeuraui Gungjeonui Chooeok // 알함브라 궁전의 추억

Polished K-drama should appeal to gamers and VR adopters.
A young designer develops an immersive game set in Granada.
Two CEO’s of rival tech firms are casually interested.
The game itself soon shows to have a few bugs.
Deadly bugs, as in lethal, especially as virtual bleeds into reality.

Worse, the higher one progresses it is nigh impossible to log off.
The main protagonist is not the young developer, but one of the rival CEO’s.
To be blunt, the guy is an arrogant jerk. He is rude, dismissive, and untrustworthy.
Opening episodes suffer the K-drama disease of “cutesy,” as characters behave and act like thumb-sucking seven year olds. This dissipates, but it is cringe worthy.
Soon enough, skills are honed, and a quest is undertaken.

Spanish locations are stunning.
Three quarters in, the series flags. Energy, momentum, invention, all dip noticeably.
The ending – not to spoil – was an exhausted failure. Not that it was even an ending, it was an attempt.
The creative team shrugged “good enough” and delivered a finale that felt dishonest.
Inside joke: Gamers are permitted to make allies, one of our protagonist’s most loyal allies goes by the handle of “City Hunter.”

City Hunter - 2011 - S Korea

City Hunter - 2011 - 6/10
AKA - 시티헌터

Jin Pyo seeks revenge on government officials who betrayed and murdered his black ops team.
He kidnaps an infant, then trains him for 20+ years to be his instrument of revenge.
Trouble is … the child grows into preferring justice over vengeance.
Revenge is a staple of K-dramas, and the father figure, Jin Pyo, clutches a toxic form of it.
Choreographed action every other episode, martial arts predominate over gunfire.
The love story (hello - this is a K-drama!) is corny and annoying, though characters grow on one.
At 20 episodes, this is overlong and padding is evident.
Emotional entanglements get quite involved by the last act.
Despite a so-so score, I watched to the end and enjoyed.

Joanna - 1968 - UK

Joanna - 1968 - 5/10

Swinging London flick, very time and place centered.
Young girl (late teens) arrives in London, ostensibly to pursue arts classes, instead to revel in the loose Mod morals and laissez-faire life. Meaning, bang a lot of rich or artistic blokes. Luv em and leave em.
While Joanna comes across as gullible or foolish, she is neither.
She lacks purpose and has few values. Momentary pleasures suffice … for a time.
Gaudy 60’s piece is awash in excessive makeup, flamboyant fashions, and London exteriors.
Narrative chronology bops with flashbacks and dream sequences, jarring at first.
Music by Rod McKuen, one number by Scott Walker.
Dated novelty at this point, perhaps when it was released.
A lot was going on in '68, and this seems a frothy throwback.
Donald Sutherland terrific as young lord, seizing the last rays.

Frozen - 2010 - USA

Frozen - 2010 - 7/10

No, this ain’t the sing-along kiddie film.
Three college friends spend all Sunday skiing.
Evening, the hill is closing because of approaching storms. They beg for one last lift ride …
Things go wrong.
These are not “slasher” teenagers that you want dead.
All are real, funny even, but unwise to the notion that there are consequences to risky decisions.
A clinic on how to make a great thriller using a lift chair. A 50 foot drop. Freezing sleet. Frostbite. 3 degrees. And the realization that the mountain is only open on weekends and that Friday is a long way off.
After all that, events go quite dark for our characters.

Long Shadow - 2014 - UK

Long Shadow - 2014 - 7/10

By and large, I dislike documentaries led by a presenter.
For this, I make a wee exception. For one thing, this three part documentary on the legacy of the Great War, or World War I, is hosted by the original author of the incisive book, Cambridge professor, David Reynolds.
And unlike other presenters, he appears sparingly, and does not force his face into the frame 95% of the time.
This is not a doc of the war, the battles, the participants.
This is the aftermath, and later consequences, that resulted in the rise of Fascism, Communism, Nazism.
Or, equally significant, the limitations and outcomes of unbridled capitalism.
Also the perils of nation building, redrawing boundary lines, or simply the best intentions gone awry.
Reynolds makes the point of how nationalism leads into an “us vs them” mentality, though he wisely refrains from drawing parallels with current proliferation of global strong men.
One suspects he hopes, rightly or wrongly, modern citizens are intelligent enough to avoid past mistakes.

The Wildcat - 1921

The Wildcat - 1921 - 5/10
AKA - Die Bergkatze

Early Lubitsch film stars Pola Negri as rowdy leader of rural bandits.
The local military post does not deal with them, being preoccupied with the arrival of a dashing ladykiller.
So will the untamed vixen and the handsome lieutenant …
Visually interesting interiors are packed with curves and curlicues.
The pace of this is manic throughout, yet despite a few laugh out loud chuckles, most of the humor is farce.
Slapstick, cartoon antics better suited to pre-schoolers.

Bluebeard - 2009

Bluebeard - 2009 - 7/10
AKA - Barbe Bleue

French film by Catherine Breillat.
Two young sisters climb into the attic and begin reading the Perrault fairy tale.
In a secondary narrative, the tale comes to life, and two sisters are kicked from the convent after their father dies.
The sisters return home and watch as creditors reclaim family possessions.
One sister realizes their powerful neighbor, Bluebeard, is rich beyond measure.
The neighbor also has a thing for young - very young - brides.
A beautiful film, but chilly in tone, with a dark undercurrent.
Both narratives plunge into dark territory.

The Last Legion - 2007

The Last Legion - 2007 - 5/10

I saw this on the shelf, and it looked lame, but I grabbed it anyway.
Colin Firth terribly miscast as a Roman commander assigned to protect the last Caesar.
Visigoths overrun Rome, so Firth and companions (Indian warrior maiden, huge guy in dreadlocks, et al) set off for Britain.
Ben Kingsley also participates in this “intimate epic.” Film-makers phrase, meaning not enough budget for cast of thousands. Intimate = cheap.
Firth can’t wield a sword for shjt. How come all those different nationalities speak and understand English?
Where do they dine on this long trek? Caesar’s Chicken?
Mindless nonsense.

Parfum - 2018 - Germany

Parfum - 2018 - 7/10
AKA - Perfume

Brief series “inspired” by the Süskind book.
Katherina is discovered floating in the swimming pool, murdered, head shaved, organs surgically removed.
Police quickly hone in on her tight circle of friends, all of whom hide histories and motives.
Somewhat talky, although the language is a key element. Confessions, evasions, misdirections.
One can see how the police were simultaneously fascinated and repelled by a few.
I watched this avidly each week, without a guess regarding who or what.
The denouement, however, was maddeningly opaque.
(Eventually, a Reddit forum offered a satisfactory explanation.)

Modern Life Is Rubbish - 2017 - UK

Modern Life Is Rubbish - 2017 - 6/10

He wants to be a musician, she studies to be an artist.
Inside the music shop (circa 1999-2000) boy meets girl.
Film is told in flashbacks. How they met, fell in love, moved into a flat.
Some choices are easier when you are younger, though the world is indifferent to dreams.

Flashbacks originate from one soul moving on, the other staying put.
A great musical soundtrack propels the film.
Characters are likeable, if formulaic.
The “Americanized” ending put me off.

 

The Exploding Girl - 2009

The Exploding Girl - 2009 - 6/10

Quiet, chick flick.
Ivy is home on college break. Staying with mom in New York City, hanging with friends, drinking a little.
Phoning her boyfriend. Repeat . . . phoning her boyfriend. Again. And - he - does - not - answer.
When you first hook up, your calls get answered immediately.
Ivy keeps getting his voicemail. The machine.
Either that or, “Sorry, I can’t talk right now.”
The women I watched this with shook their heads, recognizing the dump miles before the character did.

Monsters - 2010 - Mexico

 Monsters - 2010 - 5/10

Earth gets invaded by aliens.
Rather, Mexico gets invaded by walking octopuses (octopi - octopods) about five stories high.
The US erects a mammoth wall to keep aliens in Mexico. Is this symbolism?
Octopi wreck some buildings, yet far more damage is wrought by fighter jets.
Two unlikable US citizens journey through the “Infected Zone” toward the homeland.
Not a Horror film, not SciFi, not a Romance, but an old-fashioned Road movie.
Hardly any budget, sparsely plotted, the only “actors” were the two leads. Solid use of scenery, music, and unease.
A cadre of geeks swooned over this film, trumpeting what the director created with only $15,000.
I still felt like a carnivore inside the vegan cafe. Unsatisfied and hungry.

Ghost House - 2017

Ghost House - 2017 - 6/10

 

I’m inclined to indulge this cobbled together horror outing. It has strong points and liabilities.
American couple visit Bangkok, searching for adventure amidst their romance.
The female takes photos of anything and everything.
Being turistas, neither of them ask permission or consider others.
She is particularly drawn to ghost houses, or shrines to the dead.

Plot is a mix of other horror films and themes, from It Follows to “dead wet girls.”
It is not predictable, though, as it changes course throughout.
Thailand visuals are nice, and seem accurate. (most of the rooms I stayed in always had a greenish tint)
Sound mix is moody ambiant. Story itself, while clichéd, rarely drags.

 

A Dangerous Fortune - 2016

A Dangerous Fortune - 2016 - 5/10
AKA - Die Pfeiler der Macht

German adaptation of Ken Follett’s Victorian / Edwardian twaddle.
Young boy is taken in by relatives after his father commits suicide rather than face financial ruin.
In due time, he is a rising star at the family business, the bank.
Revolutionaries, gambling, drinking, murder, fraud and bodice ripping spice the first half.
Second half is dreary love triangle and general whining. Soap opera.
German take on gaslit England is interesting, but seems too modern in many regards.

Mia Madre - 2015

Mia Madre - 2015 - 6/10

 

Overwhelmed film director deals with troublesome actor, a pleading ex-lover, teenage daughter.
Oh, and an elderly mother who is hospitalized, her condition deteriorating.
Film consists of confrontations, interrupted by visitations and reflections.
Memories, both fond and uncomfortable, spill into her “normal” world.
Many threads and characters explored, but the script is well organized.
A poignant film, not necessarily a depressing one.

Out Of The Fog - 1962

Out Of The Fog - 1962 - 5/10
AKA - Fog For A Killer

Freshly released from prison (again), embittered George takes a room in a halfway house.
Ex-cons have trouble enough readjusting, finding work, meeting others, but his attitude is poisonous.
And then nearby, young girls start to get murdered.
Police suspect number one? Bingo!
B-movie with fine acting, unimaginative script.
Barely an hour, good enough time waster.