Capitol Hill Blue Forums Misc. Topics Book, Movie & Podcast Reviews The Netflix Thread

Redheat, have you seen "Monarch of the Glen?" Sounds similar to Hamish Macbeth, which I'll watch ASAP. (I have a Thing for Scotland, sort of.)

I have not watched Monararch but have seen it advertised. I'll add it to my Netflix list. If you have thing for Scotland you will adore Hamish. I have a thing for all things British and now Scottish, Hamish is fine looking.

There is another political series that I have added to my queue that was recommended by my neighbors, "House of Cards".

I'd like to recommend "The Cats of Mirikatani." It's a documentary about a Jimmy Tsutomu Mirikitami, an 80-year-old artist who lived and drew around Washington Square in New York City. Mr. Mirikatani was born in San Franciso and raised in Hiroshima. He returned to the United States in time to be interned at Tule Lake for three and a half years. A central part of the documentary depicts Jimmy's view of fall 2001 in New York through the eyes of Tule Lake and the bombing of Hiroshima (none of his family survived.)

His art is beautiful and I found his story to be fascinating.

we just saw "A walk on the moon" and really loved it.

A touching look at life, human weaknesses, missed dreams, and opportunities. A well acted, beautifully filmed, and nicely scored remembrance, of the period of self exploration and human frailty.

Takes place in Jewish summer holiday camp during summer 1969... Woodstock, landing on the moon, general social upheava . Lots of nice music to remember from that period. The general arc of the plot concersn a houswife who is disppointed with her life and falls into having an affair. We thought the love affair was convincing.... many movie affairs do not seem so very credible credible.

........
We were dissappointed in "There will be Blood"

Ditto Ardy on "There Will Be Blood." However OIL, the Upton Sinclair novel upon which it's based, has been shipped from B&N.com.

"Mist" is probably one of the best Stephen-King-novels-into-movies, which makes it a couple steps below mediocre.

"Juno" arrives tomorrow.

Added Andy and Mellow's suggestions to my list.

Searching for this film resulted in no hits here, although I have a sneaking suspicion I may have screwed up the search.

The movie is "Once." It's an Irish film that was recognized at Sundance last year. It's a musical, primarily because the characters are musicians and their music forms part of the story.

In making the film, the directors found the actual musicians who would record the film soundtrack first, intending to look for the actors later. Instead, they decided to use the musicians themselves (Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova) in the film.

There are a few scenes I would have cut (why does every recording studio soundman have to sit up as though to say, "Golly, these darn kids just might have something!") The camera work is distracting in spots, at least for me. But I would actually consider buying the soundtrack - something I haven't done since, oh, maybe "Miss Saigon." Although with iTunes I'm more likely just to buy the 3 or 4 songs I really liked.

They make up for all their errors by ending the story before they can screw it up.

I recommend this movie to a) anyone who is into singer-songwriters, b) anyone who has thought of him/herself as a musician, c) anyone who has ever loved a musician. Yes, it's a love story, but it's mostly about the love of music.

Oh yes, Once was really nice. And the ending was against the obvious expectations.

After it was all over, I could not figure out what was real, and what was not... since obviously the two actors know each other and work together, so they have an actual relationship... but then act out a different relationship, Anyway, the special features interviews are worth watching also.

In case anyone remembers the Oscars... the was a girl who was "played" off the stage without the chance to say her thanks, and then Jon Stewart brought her back.... this is the girl from the movie... and by the way, that was a super classy thing for Stewart to do.

Just saw a made for cable movie called "Door to Door" Starring William H Macy... the car salesman in Fargo.

The movie is based on a true story about a handicapped man who perseveres to become a successful door to door salesman despite suffering from a disease that makes him look a little foolish.

The film is a little sweet. But very nice. And Macy does an unbelievable job in his role. You see him and gotta say... now there is great acting.

Whenever and wherever you see him.

Just saw a lovely Iranian movie called "Willow Tree." It's directed by Majid Majidi (I'll look for more of his(?) work), and stars Parviz Parastui (I'll definitely look for more of his work.)

The premise is very simple: What happens when, having lost your sight as a child, you have it restored to you some thirty years later? Is it possible to adjust to what's been given, without being overwhelmed by the bitterness of what you've missed?

Majidi explores the joy, the bitterness, and the pure puzzlement of seeing your home and family for the first time, when you have lived with them daily for years.

Parastui inhabits the body of a blind man in a way that I think only Dustin Hoffman, in this country, could equal. There are two major tearjerker scenes that have made me a serious Parastui fan. The first is the night before his bandages are to be removed. Unable to wait for the doctors, he loosens the bandages. The shock of sight is not strictly mental or facial - it's physical. Vision and light hit him in a way I can't describe but which seemed absolutely true as I watched it. What follows are small movements and small sounds that do one hell of a job of expressing inexpressible joy.

The second scene is on his return to Iran. His students (the main character is a college professor), friends, and family have come to meet him at the airport. They are behind a glass partition; there is much cheering and noise - and the professor turns slowly from one face to the next. It's very clear that these are people who know and love him, and vice versa - and he has no idea which is which -- which of the women is his wife, which small child is his daughter?

Those two scenes are worth the rest of the movie, in my book. Although I find Iranian movies are usually "eye candy" in that they are beautifully shot and framed.

This movie could not have been made in the US without having been turned to syrupy dreck. Also, had it been made in the US, there would have been a nice, neat, no-loose-ends finish - or an obvious plea for a sequel. Willow Tree avoids maudlin reunions and ends with a definite "maybe, maybe not." (Netflix describes it as "bittersweet," and a review from the NYT calls it "sad beyond measure", although whether the ending holds hope or despair is a matter of interpretation, I think.)

If you want action and motion, watch something else; if you want a study of human character, I highly recommend this movie. It isn't perfect - but what is?