Category Archives: FilmReview

2012, Acceptable Trash, Imperfect, Psychic Phenomena, Suspense, Violent

Red Lights (2012)

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From NetFlix:

Professor Margaret Matheson and her assistant, Tom Buckley, set out to debunk claims of paranormal activity. During their investigation, a legendary psychic comes out of retirement, and Buckley becomes obsessed with proving he’s a fraud.

Give this almost-dud a B minus. Sprinkled here and there in the midst of all the psychobabble claptrap are some fun moments.

Why does Cillian (pronounced “Killian”) Murphy usually play weird parts? Is it because of his unusual eyes? This time his character Tom Buckley is more obsessed and desperate than strange. Sigourney Weaver is adequate as Margaret Matheson.

Initially the story introduces the professor and her assistant in a series of almost boring episodes in which the pair debunk so-called psychics. Only when Robert De Niro enters as the blind psychic Simon Silver does the plot thicken and take on a sinister feel.

To avoid spoiling the film (if that is possible), I can only tell you to expect some real surprises. If you do guess how the film ends, just drop me a comment.

1993, British Mystery Series, Detective, Explicit sexual discussion, Gritty, Marital Infidelity, Murder Investigation, Psychological Thriller, Serial Killer, Suspense, Violent

Cracker (1993)

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From NetFlix:

Eddie “Fitz” Fitzgerald smokes, drinks, gambles and cheats on his wife. He’s also a brilliant criminal psychologist, or “cracker.” When not evading his personal demons, he uses his particular genius to track down Manchester’s worst criminals.

Be prepared to intensely dislike the “cracker” Eddie Fitzgerald. Arrogant stubbornness is his chief characteristic. For example, despite the fact that gambling is one of his many faults which have contributed to his marriage problems, he defiantly refuses to stop gambling. At least half the story time revolves around his personal failings. What on earth does his wife see in him? Possibly she values his often very clever sarcastic comments.

Nonetheless, the mystery plots are well-written. Each full story requires several episodes. Kathy and I watch the series using NetFlix streaming in order to get subtitles. Unfortunately, the DVD versions do not carry subtitles. In fact, many offerings from NetFlix are subtitled only in the streaming version.

Not all stories are about serial killers. Today’s detective series seem more often than not to center around a serial killer. However, as usual, the stories are violent. If you want “non-violent” then try Pie in the Sky.

Acting is excellent and unusual. For example, the second full story has as its culprit a murderous couple in which the man is a stutterer who can only speak when he is furious (which is most of the time).

Different and well worth your time.

2002, Clever Plot, Detective, Murder Investigation, Small Town, Suspense, Violent

Insomnia (2002)

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From NetFlix:

Sent to investigate the murder of a teenage girl in a small Alaska town, police detective Will Dormer (Al Pacino) accidentally shoots his partner, Hap (Martin Donovan), while trying to apprehend a suspect (Robin Williams). But in spite of his guilt, he’s still determined to solve the case. Hilary Swank co-stars as a local detective who hampers Dormer’s efforts based on her suspicions about the circumstances of Hap’s death.

Although the film starts out seeming very ordinary, it soon picks up with an intriguing and original plot. Both Al Pacino and Robin Williams have secrets to hide and how they scheme to use and ensnare each other is a well-planned scenario. Hillary Swank plays well as a new member of the force, one who admires almost reverently the older experienced Al Pacino. Al Pacino usually plays Al Pacino and to a certain extant that is still true here. But his portrayal of a trapped man who goes for something like 6 days without sleep is perfect. Robin Williams comes across as a somewhat eerie smooth talker.

Martin Donovan has one of those faces you know you have seen somewhere (Ezra Stone in the TV series “Boss”).

In addition to a well-crafted detective suspense film, the Alaskan scenery is breathtaking.

2002, Basically Sad, Crime, Detective, DO NOT MISS, Drama, Drugs, Gangs, Gloomy, Redemption, Revenge, Violent, Wonderful acting

25th Hour (2002)

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From NetFlix:

Monty Brogan has 24 hours to spend with his two best friends and his girlfriend before he’s sent to prison for seven years for dealing drugs. Spike Lee directs this meditative drama set in post-9/11 New York.

Edward Norton does it again! His portrayal of a drug dealer, Monty Brogan, facing a seven year black hole of almost certain prison sexual abuse is powerful, unflinching, sympathetic and pitch perfect. In fact, some good part of his open expressions of fear center around that sexual abuse, so much so that towards the end (no spoiler) he addresses that problem in a unique way. What was “sympathetic” in his presentation was his openly tearful regret for having taken such a wrong turn in his life, a decision that is next to impossible to correct.

He interacts meaningfully with:

  • Philip Seymour Hoffman as his friend Jacob Elinsky. Hoffman is perfect as a repressed man ashamed of his position as a trust-fund baby.
  • Barry Pepper is wonderful as his other best friend Frank Slaughtery who loves Monty but says that Monty ruined many lives with those drugs and deserves his punishment. He played Lucky Ned Pepper in True Grit.
  • Rosario Dawson played Monty’s girlfriend Naturelle Riviera. She played Connie in Unstoppable.
  • Brian Cox plays Monty’s father James Brogan. He was Argyle Wallace in “Braveheart”.

Because the plot, characters, and acting are all so good, I consider this film a

DO NOT MISS!

2010, Feel Good Not For Children, Imperfect, Love Story, Marital Infidelity, Mediocre, Quiet, Sex Scenes, Slow

Last Night (2010)

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From NetFlix:

During an evening apart, married couple Joanna and Michael encounter tempting opportunities to cheat on each other: Michael spends time on a business trip with his sexy colleague, Laura, while Joanna crosses paths with a former flame, Alex.

Imagine a film in the 21st century about marital fidelity! In fact, it was a pleasure watching the subject being taken seriously. Unfortunately the writing at times was either stilted or just plain amateurish.

Keira Knightley is beautiful (and possible anorexic) and reminds me of young Audrey Hepburn. Her smile sometimes seems to me somewhat less than genuine.

Sam Worthington projected an air of uncertainty that I found realistic and appealing. In addition his remorse towards the end of the film was well-done. He keeps his Australian accent during the film.

Alex is played by Guillaume Canet, a French heart-throb.

How realistic the scenes between Knightley and Canet were (they spend the night sleeping together fully clothed) I cannot say.

Although I give the film a “B+”, it was an adult feel-good, something increasingly rare these days.

2002, British Mystery Series, Could Be Hard To Watch, Dark, Detective, Disturbing Image, DO NOT MISS, FilmReview, Grim, Gritty, Murder Investigation, Occasional gore, Police Story, Sadism, Serial Killer, Stalker, Suspense, Torture, Transexual Theme, Violent

Wire in the Blood (2002)

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CHANGE OF STREAMING SOURCE:

Now you can stream 6 episodes NOT from Netflix but now from Acorn TV, which makes sense because Acorn TV shows only entertainment from the worldwide British empire.

The review below is still valid and a warning. However in Season 4 and forward, Herminone Norris is no longer in the episodes.

ORIGINAL REVIEW:

From NetFlix:

This tense British crime series follows the work of Dr. Tony Hill (Robson Green), a psychologist with a peculiar talent for understanding how serial killers think and for using that knowledge to help law enforcement apprehend them. Partnered with a detective from the local police department’s Major Incident Team, Hill finds himself on the trail of killers ranging from vigilantes and snipers to rapist-murderers, twisted suicide cults and more.

Through NetFlix streaming or DVDs you can see this British detective TV series.

Some of the episodes are ugly. You might even want to skip the very first episode because it shows sadistic torture. Later episodes refer back only slightly to preceding episodes, but that is not important.

Why watch the series at all? With each British detective series that I watch I find that the stories are tensely engaging, well written, and well acted but also usually very grim and explicit. One exception that comes to mind is Pie in the Sky in which there is never a murder. Also the crimes in Midsomer Murders are never hard to watch.

Two actors carry the series:

  • Robson Green appears exclusively in (zillions of) British TV series. If you are a British TV fan you will recognize him immediately. His character, Dr. Tony Hill, seems a little too smart to be true.
  • Hermione Norris (DCI Carol Jordan) appeared in a great many episodes of MI-5.

You have been warned that certain scenes are brutal. Other than that, this is another great British detective TV series.

2011, Car Chase, Clever Plot, Complicated, Conspiracy, Crime, Frenetic, Love Story, Norwegian, Nudity, Occasional gore, Plot Twist, Revenge, Sex Scenes, Suspense, Violent

Headhunters (2011)

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From NetFlix:

Living way beyond his means, corporate recruiter Roger Brown steals rare artwork to maintain his lavish lifestyle. But when he plans to boost an especially valuable painting, he targets a man who has headhunting skills of a different variety.

Hold onto your seats because this plot twists and turns like an angry alligator. From one minute to the next you will be surprised by all the unexpected, and usually violent, events.

In Norwegian with subtitles, even though the actors are Norwegian, still there is a surprise in store. Just how the names of the actors are pronounced is beyond me. Aksel Hennie as Roger Brown and Synnøve Macody Lund as his drop-dead beautiful wife Diana were excellent actors that I have never seen before. However, I kept staring at Nikolaj Coster-Waldau who plays the villain Clas Greve and wondering where had I ever seen this Norwegian actor. Surprise … he played Jaime Lannister in the TV series “Game of Thrones” (which you should NOT miss!) where he seemed to speak perfect English.

Much of the plot has Roger Brown running for his life from one horrible experience to another. But his ingenuity is remarkable.

Expect an incredibly satisfying ending. But you have to also expect unending suspense.

2005, Conspiracy, Frenetic, Mediocre, Suspense, Violent

Red Eye (2005)

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From NetFlix:

On a red-eye flight bound for Miami, Lisa learns that a fellow passenger has plans to murder the deputy secretary of Homeland Security — and that he wants to use her as part of the plot.

Cillian Murphy (his first name is pronounced “Killian” with a hard “K”) has those cold steel grey eyes that make him a perfect candidate to play a sociopath on a mission. Rachel McAdams is our Super Woman: beautiful, intelligent, friendly, determined, and a real fighter. Watching nasty Cillian ensnare our Rachel, especially as she understands bit by bit what is happening, is well-done. In fact, for me the best part of the film was that first part in the airplane in which the two play a game of one-upmanship. After she flees the airplane the rest of the plot is something that you have already seen in other films. Still, as in most suspense films, you have to see how it all turns out.

Give it a B. Not a total waste of time.

1997, Comic Books, Crude Talk, DO NOT MISS, Explicit sexual discussion, Gay theme, Love Story, Mostly About Sex, Vulgar

Chasing Amy (1997)

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From NetFlix:

Comic book artist Holden meets the perfect woman, only to learn that she’s a lesbian. Their friendship develops into something more when Holden confesses his love for her, but secrets from her past threaten their relationship.

From the moment “Chasing Amy” started I was hooked. Oddly enough, the film, suggested to me by NetFlix streaming, is now 15 years old and I had never seen it. Probably the best summary of this film is a direct quote from the Wikipedia article:

“Chasing Amy explores gender roles, sexual mores, and the limits of friendship with a mixture of sensitivity, raw honesty, and director/screenwriter Kevin Smith’s signature raunchy humor.”

Be prepared: without a doubt “raunchy” best describes the explicit sexual discussions occurring throughout the film. But this constant series of crude verbal give and take is, believe it or not, part of the film’s charm. Everything is so out in the open that either you are turned off or you just relax and go with the flow. Keep in mind that the characters are supposed to be young people in probably their 20’s or early 30’s. Sometimes the chatter seems a bit juvenile.

Whether or not you can accept the outcome of the film is probably up for grabs. To avoid any “spoiler” I cannot discuss each character’s final decision. But at least be aware that the film has a sad ending.

Most important among the actors (whose ensemble acting in this film is wonderful) are:

  • Ben Affleck (Holden, as in “Holden Caufield”) was a mere 25 years old during the filming. For about 15 seconds there is a shot of his buddy Matt Damon.
  • Jason Lee (Banky) was 27 years old. Lee had the lead role in the TV series “My Name Is Earl”.
  • Joey Lauren Adams (Alyssa) was 29 years old. She played Addie int “The Break-Up”.

There is NO visual sex except for kissing (including between two women). If you can be comfortable with the very explicit sexual discussions then I would go out on a limb and say: DO NOT MISS!

2009, Ballet, Based on true facts, Detective, Disturbing Image, Imperfect, Mental Illness, Murder Investigation, Nudity, Psychological Thriller, Sex Scenes, Suspense, True Story, Unusual

In Her Skin (2009)

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From NetFlix:

When pretty 15-year-old Rachel (Kate Bell) goes missing, the police dismiss the incident as a runaway, but her parents don’t believe it. Soon everyone suspects envious 19-year-old Caroline (Ruth Bradley), a heavyset, acne-ridden daughter of a domineering father (Sam Neill). Simone North writes and directs this Australian drama, which is based on a 1999 news story. Guy Pearce and Miranda Otto also star.

Why does it seem that almost every Australian film I watch is somehow out of the ordinary or even a piece of eccentric originality? “In Her Skin” fits this description even though it is oddly imperfect in certain aspects.

Stay with the film because the beginning seems like a dull, ordinary film about a missing girl. What held my attention was the fact that the story is a true one based on a 1999 news story. You meet many familiar Australian film stars:

  • Guy Pearce (Rachel Barber’s father) is currently in “Prometheus” and “Lawless”. He has here a somewhat secondary role.
  • Sam Neill (Caroline’s father) plays an aloof, ego-centric, uncaring father. He was 62 during the filming. When he was a mere 30 years old he played Harry Beecham in “My Brilliant Career”, which was the first time I ever saw him.
  • Ruth Bradley (Caroline) was 22 at filming. She OWNS this film. She delivers a believable and utterly chilling portrayal of a psychotic who craves the approval of her cold fish of a father. In fact one thread that kept me interested was to see how and how soon her clever plot would unravel. This film is NOT a mystery. You get to watch Caroline’s unraveling in detail. Expect one ugly murder scene.

    If you look for Ruth Bradley in IMDB you see a photo of a very attractive woman. Somehow in this film she is anything but attractive. Conceivably she put on weight just for the film just as Robert De Niro did in “Raging Bull”.

Unfortunately the film drags on after the climax. We have to sit through a funeral, family grieving, and Caroline’s continuing fantasies in prison. However, at the very end the screen text tells us a bit about the Barber family.

One irritation for me was that the skeptical police who refused to investigate never seem to be admonished in the film. But then the film and story itself is more than enough of a reminder of their abject failure.

Worth watching if only because it is somewhat unusual.