2015, 2016, British Mystery Series, Cambridge University, Church of England, Ethical struggles, Gay theme, Murder Investigation, Murder Trial, Quiet, Religious Theme, Unmarried mother

Grantchester (2015)

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From IMDB:

A Cambridgeshire clergyman finds himself investigating a series of mysterious wrongdoings in his small village of Grantchester.

Currently we can see this  British TV Series on PBS. There are seasons for 2015,2016,and (in the future) 2017. For a really good summary see the Wikipedia discussion. My best reason for recommending this detective series is that despite there being murders, the atmosphere is gentile and pleasant.

All the episodes revolve around the two main characters Sidney Chambers (the priest played by James Norton) and Geordie Keating (the detective played by Robson Green).  Sidney’s guide is his religion whereas Geordie is guided by his hard-bitten cynicism. Sidney and Geordie complement each other, work together well, but are often ethically at odds.

As astounding as it may seem, James Norton also starred in the wonderful but grim British TV series “Happy Valley” where he portrayed the warped, evil, and vengeful Tommy Lee Royce.  Sidney Chambers is as appealing as Tommy Lee Royce is repellant. If you are into “grim but great”, then do NOT miss “[Un]Happy Valley”.

Robson Green is also worth watching in the TV series “Wire in the Blood” in which he is a psychologist who gets inside of the minds of both killers and victims to aid the police in solving gruesome serial killings in Northern England. Be careful, however, because the first episode in that series is a bit ugly.

Again Robson Green is worth watching in the TV series “Touching Evil“, another twisted and gritty series in which he was brought back to life through the miracle of medicine, now walking a tightrope on the edge of sanity as the semi-suicidal detective hunts down serial killers and other perps through his gift for thinking like they do.

In summary “Grantchester” is  civilized whereas so many other British detective series can be grueling to watch.

 

2002, Assisted Suicide, Contract Killing, Detective, Forensics, Murder Investigation, Plot Twist, Serial Killer, Suspense, Terminal Disease

Killing Emmett Young (2002)

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From Amazon Prime:

Detective Emmett Young (Scott Wolf) is determined to rid Philadelphia of a psychotic serial killer.

One hour and 44 minutes of twists, turns, and near misses that will keep you pinned to your seat. Streams from Amazon Prime.

Scott Wolf plays the young detective. Although I can find no mention of Scott Wolf in association with “The Good Wife”,  I am convinced he played the young lawyer that kept jumping law firms.  Nonetheless he has an impressive resume.

Originally this film was called “Emmett’s Mark” whose IMDB writeup states:

In order to avoid the debilitating effects of a terminal illness, a young detective orders a hit on himself.

At any rate the entire film is a series of chagrining twists of fate that are maddening to watch but compelling.

One of the villains in this story is none other than Gabriel Byrne a con man who takes out Emmett’s own contract to kill himself, i.e. Emmett, so that he does not have to linger in a fatal disease.

Highly recommended suspenseful detective story.

 

2013, Acorn TV, Based on a Book, Canadian Mystery Series, Canadian Police, Detective, Forensics, Gay theme, Made For TV, Murder Investigation, Small Town Atmosphere

Still Life: A Three Pines Mystery (2013)

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From IMDB:

Chief Inspector Armand Gamache and his team arrive in Three Pines to solve the unusual murder of a much-loved woman and find dark secrets shadowing this usually peaceful village.

Canadian author Louise Penny has written a series of eleven mystery novels set around the life of Chief Inspector Armand Gamache (a Wikipedia article) a member of the provincial police force for Quebec. The first of these novels “Still Life” was presented as a 1 hour 25 minutesTV movie in 2013.  Most of the stories occur in the fictional town of Three Pines. To quote from the above linked Wikipedia article:

The Chief Inspector Armand Gamache book series contains little or no sex or violence and has been referred to as a kinder and gentler alternative to modern crime fiction.

Chief Inspector Gamache is played by Nathaniel Parker whose resume is quite long. Perhaps you remember him as Inspector Lynley in the 2001-2007 “The Inspector Lynley Mysteries” TV series.

Recall that Acorn TV presents British entertainment: Britain, Australia, New Zealand, and (in this case) Canada. Stream this film from Acorn and enjoy the hour and a half.

2014, Acorn TV, Action Film, Australian, Bullying, Crime, Detective, Ethical struggles, Gay theme, Plot Twist, Prison, Psychological Drama, Sex Scenes, Sexual Tension, Suspense, Violent

Cut Snake (2014)

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From Wikipedia:

Merv (Alex Russell) is an ex-convict who is trying to make a new life for himself in 1970s Melbourne. He has found honest work and even becomes engaged to Paula (Jessica De Gouw), but the prospect of his new life is challenged when his foreboding and charismatic former cellmate James (Sullivan Stapleton) arrives in town and pressures Merv into going back to his old ways.

According to the Wikipedia article, the title comes from the Australian idiom “mad as a cut snake” which describes either insanity or anger so extreme you don’t want to get near it.

Before seeing this film, I had more or less dismissed Sullivan Stapelton as a limited one-tune film actor who usually plays the role of a sexy tough guy.  In this regard, “Cut Snake” was an unexpected discovery. Because I refuse to give away the suprise part of the plot, I will only say that the film starts out with Stapleton seeming to be once again nothing but a mean tough guy determined to drag his former cellmate back into a life of crime. And that part of the plot was indeed tense enough to hold my attention. For some reason good versus evil just keeps me interested. But then all of a sudden there is another complication in the plot that I never expected. After seeing the film, think back to some of Stapleton’s behavior that initially did not make sense, for example his reactions in the night club.  From this point on Stapleton comes through with some very successful emotional acting. He is indeed a “cut snake”.

Lately so many Australian films really hit home. And don’t forget to subscribe to Acorn TV to see lots of British, Australian, and New Zealand films, although I streamed “Cut Snake” from Amazon Prime.

2014, Acorn TV, Assisted Suicide, Australian, British Mystery Series, Career Competition, Conspiracy, Detective, Drug Dealers, Gangs, Lawyers, Lesbian Theme, Motorcycles, Murder, Murder Investigation, Murder Trial, Private Versus Professional Life

Janet King (2014)

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From IMDB:

Senior Prosecutor Janet King returns from maternity leave to confront a high-profile murder, and a conspiracy which will have shocking ramifications throughout the judicial system.

In an earlier review I raved about “A Place To Call Home” which can be streamed from Acorn TV ($5.00 per month). In that Australian TV series the star Marta Dusseldorp was the enchanting Sarah Adams. In addition Deborah Kennedy presented a perfect town gossip.

And now I rave about another Australian TV series streamed from Acorn TV. Here Marta Dusseldorp plays the protagonist Janet King who is a very busy lawyer and mother. Her character is a lesbian with a partner who stays home with their children. Homophobia plays only a small part in the plot. Once again we meet Deborah Kennedy, this time in a slightly more sinister role as murder suspect Dianne Vaslich.

As far as I can tell so far Acorn offers only Series 1.  Beginning late March 2016, a second series of 8 episodes will be shown for the first time on (British ?) TV.

Various themes run through the episodes: slight homophobia, police versus prosecutors, threatening motorcycle gangs, assisted suicide, witness intimidation,  home life versus professional life, and ambitious competition to name a few.

Think of this type of series as the British version of “Law [versus] and Order”. Excellent!

2015, Acceptable for children, Airline pilot, Based on true facts, CIA, Cold War, Communists, DO NOT MISS, Feel Good For All, German History, International thriler, KGB, Lawyers, Military, Prison, Spy Theme, Steven Spielberg, Suspense, Thought provoking, True Story

Bridge of Spies (2015)

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From NetFlix:

At the height of the Cold War in 1960, the downing of an American spy plane and the pilot’s subsequent capture by the Soviets draws Brooklyn attorney James Donovan into the middle of an intense effort to secure the aviator’s release.

Steven Spielberg’s films tell stories in a straight forward manner often including quite a bit of schmalz (the German word for “lard”). In this excellent and true Cold War portrayal, Spielberg’s style is unmistakable with a minimum of schmalz.

After watching the 142 minutes continue to stay for the credits because the follow-up explanations are as meaningful as the story itself. Probably because you have accompanied these characters through a very difficult spy exchange negotiation,  you will want to know what happened to them after the film story ended.

Not all young film stars mature into fine older actors. Clearly Tom Hanks is a standout.

Throughout the film there are many subtle facial expressions and gestures. As one example, at the very end the East German high official concludes a swap and extends his hand for a handshake because above all else the East Germans wanted recognition as something other than Russian lackeys. But the American agent refuses the handshake and whisks the swapped prisoner away to American safety.

James Donovan’s insistence on due process as part of what defines the United States, even for a foreign spy, was a thought-provoking and essential point of the story.

Bravo Steven Spielberg! DO NOT MISS!

 

 

 

 

2015, Ambitious Dirty Tricks, Based on a Book, Based on true facts, Complicated, Corruption, Finance, Financial malfeasance, Thought provoking

The Big Short (2015)

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From IMDB:

Four denizens in the world of high-finance predict the credit and housing bubble collapse of the mid-2000s, and decide to take on the big banks for their greed and lack of foresight.

Although this scary (because it is a true story) film tries to explain the financial concepts involved, it may help to read the Wikipedia summary which contains a link to Credit Default Swaps (CDS).

Plot moves quickly, acting is good, and the lineup of stars is promising.

If you or your financial adviser rely on the rating agencies (who knowingly lied about the worthiness of the mortgage backed instruments), how safe do you feel?

Not only is there not a happy ending, but the same corrupt practices are continuing even as you read this review.

2015, Ambitious Dirty Tricks, Based on true facts, Bolivia, Political Campaigning, Possibly depressing, Thought provoking, Violent

Our Brand Is Crisis (2015)

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From IMDB:

A battle-hardened American political consultant is sent to help re-elect a controversial president in Bolivia, where she must compete with a long-term rival working for another candidate.

Oddly enough there is a 2005 documentary with the exact same title that discusses American political campaign marketing tactics and their consequences.

Up to now I always thought of Sandra Bullock as a comedian. In this film, however, there is nothing funny about her role as Jane who is a take-no-prisoners stop-at-nothing campaign consultant.

Jane is additionally motivated to win because her opposing campaign consultant is her arch enemy from earlier campaigns, Pat Candy played by Billy Bob Thorton. Just the fact that Thorton is in this film makes it very likely that this film is worth seeing.

Joaquim de Almeida plays the Bolivian candiate that Jane is promoting. You have seen this Portuguese actor in many presentations but I suspect you do not know his name. In fact, I found him in an IMDB list of “Most underrated European actors in hollywood”.

However, the film is rightfully depressing because it rings so true. It is almost as if the film was motivated by our current presidential campaign with its almost entirely negative atmosphere.

As a drama the film could easily have more of an effect than a documentary. At the very least, it will reach a larger audience.

Expect no happy ending.

2015, Acceptable for children, Comedy, Corny at times, Extramarital Affair, Senior citizens, Young Adults

The Intern (2015)

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From IMDB:

70-year-old widower Ben Whittaker has discovered that retirement isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. Seizing an opportunity to get back in the game, he becomes a senior intern at an online fashion site, founded and run by Jules Ostin.

Feel-good films appropriate for everyone are an endangered species. So grab onto this pleasant and not overly sentimental film.

Robert De Niro plays Ben Whittaker, whose role is that of an experienced father figure.

Anne Hathaway plays Jules Ostin, whose role is that of an ambitious, young entrepreneur whose successful two-year-old start-up is experiencing the usual growing pains.

Sub-plots include romances, extra-marital affairs, the difficulties of today’s young people starting their work life, “can a woman have it all?”, etc.

Watching a friendly film free of violence can be relaxing.

2014, 2015, Amazon Prime, Ambitious Dirty Tricks, Classical musicians, Crude Talk, Feel Good Not For Children, Gay theme, Lesbian Theme, Mostly About Sex, Orchestral Music, Sex Scenes, TV Series, Vulgar

Mozart in the Jungle (2014)

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From Amazon Prime:

A new Amazon Original Series: What happens behind the curtains at the symphony is just as captivating as what happens on stage. Created by Paul Weitz (About a Boy), Roman Coppola (The Darjeeling Limited), and Jason Schwartzman (Rushmore). Brash new maestro Rodrigo (Gael Garcia Bernal) is stirring things up, and young oboist Hailey (Lola Kirke) hopes for her big chance.

Most what this wonderful series is about is music and sex and sex and sex. Get the picture? Also the F-word is used quite a bit. Is it a soap opera? – You bet! Is it something that you do not want to stop watching? – You bet!

Amazon Prime offers free streaming of both seasons, each season containing 10 episodes.

There are too many enjoyable characters to name them all. Gael Garcia Bernal stands out as the young new conductor of the fictitious New York Symphony. Of all the fine female actors, Lola Kirke as Hailey, an aspiring oboist, is probably the second most important character. Malcolm McDowell is perfect as the crusty, aging, and wildly eccentric former conductor.

But don’t miss Bernadette Peters as Gloria, one of the board members. Her character is a non-musician who really wants to be at least an amateur singer. In one memorable scene she gets a chance to sing at an open-mike night where she proves that as a singer she still has what it takes. Think goose flesh.

Give this Amazon Original Series a DO NOT MISS!