January 2020 Films

Best for last month -Togo (by a mile)
I'll return soon and add my favourite films of the year.

Best of December
The Shooter and John Wick Chapter 3

Worst
Crawl - might possibly be the worst of the century.

My best for December was Midsommar and my worst was The Rise of Skywalker

Best of December
Ready or Not
I am not a horror fan but I loved this tongue in cheek horror film.

Worst of December
Vernon, Florida
I gave this a .5 rating

Twelve Best of 2019
The Wife
Good Boys
Vice
Rocketman
The Favourite
Shazam
Stuber
Venom
Once Upon A Time In Hollywood
On the Basis of Sex
Everything is Copy- Norah Ephron Scripted and Unscripted
Unleashed

Five Worst of 2019
Under the Silver Lake
First Reformed
One From the Heart
Miracle Mile
To the Ends of the Earth

Sunshine (2007)
4/5

50 years into the future, the Sun begins to die, and Earth is dying as a result. A team of astronauts is sent to revive the Sun - but the mission fails. Seven years later, a new team is sent to finish the mission as mankind's last hope.

It's more of a psychological thriller than a traditional sci-fi extravaganza and whilst this has been done many times before - 2001: Space Odyssey, Solaris, Silent Runnings; to name a few - Sunshine does it superbly and without fault. I thought the idea of what the sun might look like up close was fascinating.

Yesterday I saw Jumanji: The Next Level.

This is what a holiday popcorn movie should be. It was entertaining, funny, and at only 2 hours, relatively short. (Remember when movies used to be 90 minutes? Those were the days.) They did a nice job interesting some new wrinkles into the sequel, especially the characters played by Danny Devito and Danny Glover. I enjoyed this much more than The Rise of Skywalker.

>7 sturlington: I don't mind a 2 hour movie if it is entertaining but sometimes those don't have enough content to back them up especially the special effects movies.

Richard Jewell
4/5 stars
Directed by Clint Eastwood and based on the true story of Jewell who found a bomb at the Atlantic Summer Olympics in 1996. Jewell is first hailed as a hero and then accused of the bombing. Great cast and interesting story!

>8 JulieLill: I'm just happy when a movie is shorter than 3 hours these days.

The Biggest Little Farm is a documentary that came out last year. It has won multiple awards, and justifiably so. It's the story of the Chesters, who buy a run-down apricot farm and renew it using permaculture and restorative methods, focusing first on soil rejuvination. It doesn't stint on the hard parts, but the results are amazing. Both the photography and the text are superb. And could you resist baby pigs? Recommended.

Midsomer Murders - A Christmas Haunting (2013)
5/5

A man is fatally stabbed with an antique sword during a ghost-hunting party at a manor house. New DS Charlie Nelson assists DCI John Barnaby.

I have loved this series since I saw the first series years ago. This is the first episode in the 16th season in 2013-2014. BBC does mysteries better than anyone I know and they did an excellent job with this one.

Dangerous Minds (1995)
4/5

Louanne Johnson is an ex-marine, hired as a teacher in a high-school in a poor area of the city. She has recently separated from her husband. Her friend, also teacher in the school, got the temporary job for her. After a terrible reception from the students, she tries unconventional methods of teaching (using karate, Bob Dylan lyrics etc) to gain the trust of the students.

It was interesting to see how Louanne Johnson handled each new situation with these kids...the ones everyone had given up on and saw no future for...but Louanne Johnson saw what they could become and they didn't let her down. I became extremely frustrated with the attitude of the principal and most of the other adults. The most that the principal could come up with to teach these kids was that they needed to knock before entering his office...but Louanne taught them that they mattered and could be anything they chose to be.

Dark Places (2015) - Based on the novel by Gillian Flynn
2.5/5

25 years after testifying against her brother as the person responsible for massacring her entire family, a haunted woman is approached by a secret society that specializes in complex, unsolved cases.

None of the characters were particularly likable nor was the way the entire event happened very believable. The entire story seems fatally flawed from the start. To call the final product a blotch job would be a considerable kindness...but I felt the same way about the book.

Watched Marriage Story last night. This was so well acted. It hits a bit close to home for me personally, but I think it did a really good job of humanizing everyone and showing that even though two people are divorcing each other, they can still love each other.

Shoutouts to Laura Dern and Ray Liotta as the lawyers.

*deleted double post

Deathtrap (1982)
3.5/5

To make Sidney's slump all the more painful, Clifford Anderson, a student of one of Sidney's writing seminars, has recently sent his mentor a copy of his first attempt at playwrighting for Sidney's review and advice. The play, "Deathtrap", is a five character, two-act thriller so perfect in its construction that, as Sidney says, "A gifted director couldn't even hurt it." Using his penchant for plot, and out of his desperate desire to once again be the toast of Broadway, Sidney, along with Myra, cook up an almost unthinkable scheme: They'll lure the would-be playwright to the Bruhl home, kill him, and market the sure-fire script as Sidney's own. But shortly after Clifford arrives, it's clear that things are not what they seem. Even Helga Ten Dorp, a nosey psychic from next door, and Porter Milgram, Sidney's observant attorney, can only speculate where the line between truth and deception lies.

It's really a story more at home on the stage than the screen in order to reach it's full power. It was dreadfully overacted but it had something about it that prevented you from turning it off. If you sat through Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid" , "Clue", "Sleuth", or "Murder by Death"...you will more than likely like Deathtrap.

Thrillers seen in Dec./Jan.:

Amazon Prime (also the cable channel Epix):

Overlord (2018). Dir. Julius Avery. This one really grinds my gears. D-Day paratroopers sent to destroy a radio tower. Turns out the tower is the least of their worries (aside from most of them getting killed during and immediately after the drop-off); the Nazis are building a zombie superrace from cadavers in the basement. Can't believe this got 87% on Rotten Tomatoes from the critics (audience rating was more sensible at 67%). Opening jump seems to be an outtake from the HBO series Band of Brothers but what struck me immediately (unmentioned in any of the critics' comments in Tomatoes) -- the Master Sergeant leader of the stick (or chalk) of troopers is African-American, and one of the troopers is also black. I'm certainly OK with diversity in casting, but not when it's used to cover up historical racism. In the 40's it's unimaginable that white Southerners would accept leadership from a black sergeant, or that they would accept a black trooper in their ranks. Segregation was the norm in the U.S. military during WWII, right? One might argue that this is some kind of sly allusion to the Nazi master race shenanigans in the basement, but I think it's far more likely that it's just tone deaf, is a most disingenuous means of displacing the U.S. race issues by focusing on the Nazis, or assumes that the younger demographic target is so ignorant, they won't notice. It creates a most uncomfortable dissonance in what would otherwise be a fairly well-crafted war-horror B-movie.

Starz cable channel:

Brightburn (2019). Dir. David Yarolevsky. Childless Kansas farming couple (Elizabeth Banks & David Dennam) find a baby in an oddly shaped vehicle that falls out of the sky. They decide to keep the child and to avoid questions, they hide the vehicle in their capacious barn. All is well until the child reaches puberty and starts to "act up" after discovering the space ship. The parents choose to ignore all signs that the child has become a sociopath. Finally the little lad's eyes turn red and shoot flames and the film ends with him burning off Dad's head and flying mom up to airline cruising level and dropping her and then smashing into a passenger plane. Although the plane crash might be attributed to Boeing design mismanagement, the fact that the kid is starting to burn up Kansas with his x-ray vision argues otherwise. Recommended for new parents, who will learn that your child's puberty will turn him (mostly hims) into an alien from outer space, and anyway, it's a mistake to ignore your children's bad behavior.

Finally, another somewhat gory flick that has a sense of humor, great visuals, and offers a glimpse of Indonesian rural life you've probably never seen before. This from Amazon Prime:

Marlina the Murderer in Four Acts (Marlina si Pembunhuh dalam Empat Babak) (2017). Director: Mouly Subya. With Marsha Timothy as Marlina. A recent widow lives alone in a province of Indonesia called Sumba. She has an unexpected and uninvited visitor named Markus (Egy Fedly), who calmly tells her he and his gang will be taking over her house and selling off all of her livestock. Since the gang will be arriving shortly, he tells her to start making dinner. The gang subsequently loads all of her livestock into a truck and two of them drive off to market. She makes chicken stew but adds poison to the gravy and the gang eats the tasty meal and die quickly and quietly. However, the poison does not account for the two who went to market or for Markus, who has been napping in the bedroom. She takes him his dinner but he knocks over the dish and rapes her. While he's asleep, she decapitates him with his own weapon, a machete. Following an apparent local custom, she carefully arranges all of the bodies in the living room, & carries Markus' head on a rope to the bus stop. On the way, she runs into a friend and neighbor, Novi (played by Nea Panendra), who is also heading for the bus stop. Novi is pregnant and is on her way to find out what her husband is up to. Marlina explains she is taking the head to the police -- many miles away -- to report the theft (the head is "evidence"?). The only person who seems nonplussed by all this is the bus driver, who thinks bringing a head onto the vehicle violates protocol, but Marlina uses the machete at his throat to get her ride. The rest of the film concerns her trip to the police station, picking up a wedding guest with two horses (wedding gifts) -- the bus is a modified truck, so picking up horses isn't such a big deal -- stopping at a small shop for satay and chat with an adorable 2nd grade girl Topan (Safira Ahmad) who is the waitress. Marlina puts the head in a basket so as not to shock the kid and asks her to keep it for her while she checks into the police station. The police (who are mainly concerned with lunch and table tennis) claim they don't have time to follow-up on the remaining gang; Marlina picks up the basket and returns home with Novi, Novi has her baby and ... This is not an action film like The Night Comes for Us; it has a quiet pacing and beautiful visuals of the region, which is a parched, empty landscape -- not at all the tropical jungle or urban beehive one would expect. The bizarre events all happen quite matter of factly and the comic humor of the situation is not overstated as seems to be the case in Korean comedy. It's been described as a revenge thriller comparable to Kill Bill, but it's not revenge (more survival) and quite unfrenetic with no melodramatic posing. It's how Psycho could be perfectly sane in another, non-Western context.

Mike Wallace Is Here
4/5 stars
Wonderful documentary on the life and career of Mike Wallace, TV news reporter and co-host of 20 Minutes. He interviewed hundreds of noteworthy people and an had an interesting career. Highly recommended.

The Hollywood Librarian-A Look at Librarians Through Film
3/5 stars
This is a interesting documentary about librarians and libraries. Told through film clips, it discusses library issues including censorship, library funding and other issues. Not sure I how I found this but I thought it was well done.

Father Brown season 7
5/5

A modest, compassionate priest doubles as an effective crime solver in this series based on the short stories by G.K. Chesterton

A really good series. I got hung up on tit several years ago when I got season 1 for my mother to see and I've watched and enjoyed them ever since. Beautiful scenery. I became a little frustrated with the inspector thais season. Make me wonder how he kept his job.

Strange But True - Based on a novel of the same name by John Searles,
3/5

A woman who, five years after the tragic death of her boyfriend, arrives on the doorstep of his family to tell them she is pregnant with his child. Though skeptical, the family find themselves trying to prove her right, only to discover that the truth is much more terrifying than they could have imagined.

This isn't a typical thriller. It's different. It starts off like a psychological thriller...then things become more crime drama with an unexpected villain. The conclusion is unexpected but at least doesn't leave you hanging totally. The only problem I had with it was that the there was no good reason for the conclusion to take the turn that it did. Without saying too much...what happened was an accident.

The Two Popes. 2019. I'm not a religious person. I envy those whose faith gives them hope and strength, so I really didn't expect to enjoy a saccharine film about El papa. With two consummate actors at the helm, a backdrop to die for and a faultless screenplay. I'm expecting Oscars.

Brian Banks
3.5/5 stars
This was a very interesting film on the pro football player Brian Banks who was jailed and was not able to play college football after being accused of rape by a girl at his high school. With the help of the California Innocence Project he was able to fight the accusations.

Front of The Class (2008) Based on the book by Brad Cohen
5+/5

After being challenged by Tourette's syndrome from a very young age, Brad Cohen defies all odds to become a gifted teacher. As Cohen grows up, he must face friends and classmates who don't realize that he sometimes cannot control his outbursts and a father who seems unwilling to accept his son's condition.

Once in a great while a movie that didn't have box office blow outs comes along and sweeps you off your feet. This is the case with Front of The Class. What courage this man exhibited as a child, and as an adult to not only become a teacher but to be "Teacher of The Year" the only school that would hire him in Atlanta. There is so much positivity here making it by far one of the most inspirational movie you will ever see.

I've managed to sit through several films this weekend and enjoyed those I saw (with one exception).

Richard Jewell 2019. Biography, drama. As a sport hating Brit, I have no recollection of the pipe-bomb set off in Centennial Park Atlanta in 1996. Wannabe cop Richard Jewell spotted an unattended knapsack, while working as a security guard. He did all the right things and was hailed as a hero until an FBI operative Tom Shaw (Jon Hamm) decides Jewell fits the profile of an emergency services staff member who bombs or sets fires so they can swan in and save the day. Naive Jewell eventually smells a rat and calls in an acquaintance (Sam Rockwell) to act as his lawyer. Meanwhile Shaw has fallen for the chat-up line of a sleazy, ambitious journalist and he tells her who they suspect. From there onwards Richard and his mother (Kathy Bates) live an horrendous life in the spotlight.

Dark Waters. 2019. Biography, legal drama. Mark Ruffalo plays a lawyer claiming his way up the greasy pole in a film of corporate lawyers. A dairy farmer is sent to his office by his grandma and out of curiosity he travels to his rural hometown to investigate the farmer's grievances. The farm is near a landfill owned by Du Pont and he gradually becomes alarmed and then terrified at devious cover-up by this massively rich company. I kind of wished I hadn't watched it. I now have another item to add the list of things that frighten me...Spiders, chickens, Jehovah's Witnesses, snakes, monkeys, frying pans.....

Jojo Rabbit. Comedy. I love NZ actor/director Taika Waititi and he doesn't disappoint with this very funny story about lonely young German boy who's best friend is an imaginary Adolf Hitler. As a member of a Hitler Youth troop, he is horrified to discover his mother is hiding a young Jewish girl in their house. What to do? What to do? Adolph always gives good advice. Backed up by Sam Rockwell and Scarlett Johansson, this is a film that will get many rewatches.

Paddleton. 2019. I'm not sure what category. It states comedy, but I felt it was a heartfelt buddy film. Michael and Andy are two middle-aged neighbours. They enjoy living alone, but over the years they have arrived at a routine of things they do together. The younger of the two discovers he has cancer. He doesn't want any treatment. He wants to carry on as normal and then he intends taking a cocktail of drugs prescribed by his doctor, which can only be supplied in a different state. So a road trip ensues. It sounds like a pure misery-fest, but it was nice, warm, gentle and caring. I watched it ages ago, but I haven't forgotten it.

Connect 2019. Drama. A self-funded film set in Scotland that leaves the viewer with a lot to think about. Young Brian (Kevin Guthrie) moves through life like an automaton. We believe he is suffering from a debilitating grief after the death of his brother. A fortuitous meeting with a man who runs a day centre who offers to be his support and mentor, and his life begins to move in an upward momentum. He makes a friend. He acquires a lady friend. He makes another friend. If only he could see into the future.

>25 Carol420: We have that in our library system-will order.

>31 JulieLill: You will just love the main character and his attitude toward life.

I may have to leave the group. I don't have the time to watch all these great recommendations! Though I will be trying.

TCM:

La Silence de la Mer (1949). Dir. Jean-Pierre Melville. Melville's first feature film, based on the novel of the same name by Vercors. During the WWII occupation of France, a professor (Jean-Marie Robin) & his niece (Nicole Stephane) are forced to board a Nazi officer, Werner von Ebrennac (Howard Vernon). For the entire film they barely acknowledge his presence, though he does his best to persuade them that the Nazis have the best interests of France at heart & envisions a cultural partnership. Late in the film in discussion with his peers he realizes the actual plan is to destroy French civilization. Filled with remorse, he applies for transfer to the Russian front. A word or two from the niece as he departs suggests that he may have gotten through to her. Melville (changed his name from Grumbach when he escaped France to London, where he joined the Free French Army & eventually saw action at Monte Cassino) clearly makes Ebrennac a sympathetic & sincere character. To me, Ebrennac sounded like a French version of Lord Haw Haw, the German propaganda broadcaster, and his disillusionment at Nazi war aims seemed excessively naive. Ran across an interesting essay from 2017 on Melville's background here: Double Exposure: Jean-Pierre Melville.

Deadwood: The Movie
2.5/5 stars
I loved the series but maybe it has been too long since I had seen the series but the movie was just so/so for me. I couldn't wait till it was over.

Two Ingmar Bergman films via TCM:

The Seventh Seal (1957) Dir. & written by Bergman. First time I've seen this one all the way through. Striking imagery, but maybe it's become such a part of popular culture the impact is somewhat diluted. Was finishing Barbara Tuchman's A Distant Mirror around the same time. I had a sense that Bergman's (via the knight's) modern religious concerns undercut the strangeness of the period as described in Tuchman. Interesting that the film originates with a play Bergman wrote for a theater class he was teaching, since I don't think a number of the characters (especially the muted women) are really allowed to develop.

Wild Strawberries (1957) Dir. & written by Bergman. An old doctor Isak Borg (Victor Sjostrom) takes the scenic route with his daughter-in-law Marianne Borg (Ingrid Thulin) to receive a prize or honor in another city, over the protests of his elderly housekeeper & companion Agda (Jullan Kindahl) who had arranged airplane reservations. In the course of the drive he reflects on his life and the might have beens. I saw the beginning of the film some time ago, about up to the dream/nightmare sequence early in the film. Got not further since the film was literally too dark to watch. The Criterion version used by TCM in 2020 was wonderfully restored with the right balance of light and shade, and a joy to watch. My perspective differed too, since I'm now catching up with Dr. Borg in age (this was the last film made by Sjostrom, a renowned silent film director & actor who was actually older than the character he plays). On the way the Borgs pick up 3 hitchhikers, the one female played by Bibi Andersson, who also plays Sara, the girl who got away in Dr. Borg's youth. Andersson was also in The Seventh Seal; she is such an iconic image of youthful exuberance in Bergman's films; she passed away last year. Last month I watched the FX TV film of A Christmas Carol (the one with Guy Pearce), an awful "21st century" version (Scrooge, sexually molested as a youth by his guardian, then in old age sexually harasses Mrs. Bob Cratchit!) which in my case triggered memories (both happy and dark) of the Alistair Sim version from 1951, which comes closest to getting right the spirit of the original Dickens novella. To some extent, Wild Strawberries is kind of like the Sim movie. Revisiting the past, when he was more open to experience, positive and negative, is a release that allows Scrooge & Borg to make peace with the present, as well as the future end that haunts Bergman's previous Seventh Seal. Add this one to your bucket list, if you haven't seen it.

For those of you who loved the movie Before Sunrise:*

Ashley Spencer. NYT Jan. 22 2020: ‘Before Sunrise’: The Making of an Indie Classic. On a tiny budget and at the mercy of Viennese trains and Ferris wheels, Richard Linklater, Julie Delpy and Ethan Hawke managed to create ’90s movie magic.

*The sequels are good too!

2019 was a tough year for me. I just couldn't be bothered, so I stopped keeping lists and ratings of everything I watched, so this is just from memory. I'm sure I've left out some really impressive/entertaining films.
In no particular order:
Bad Times at El Royale
Bohemian Rhapsody
Maudie
The Public
Togo
They Shall Not Grow Old
The Wife
Yesterday

A mention for Korean film Keys to the Heart

Bombshell 2019. Drama. Every year, the Oscars picks up an expose of the nasty underbelly of America. This year, following the "Me Too" movement, the spotlight falls on Fox News founder, Roger Ailes, who was unable to keep his vile hands to himself when in the company of ambitious, unfeasibly beautiful women who wished to get ahead in the top TV presenting slots. Personally, I struggled to empathise with these "perfect" role models, looking as I do. In the same situation I feel a swift kick to the scrotum would have solved my problems. Sorry, I just didn't care enough. Glad he got his comeuppance, even though the sexist attitude seems to be ingrained in all facets of the visual media.

Just Mercy. 2019. Fact based drama. Black Harvard graduate Bryan Stevenson (Michael B Jordan) sets up his organization in Alabama fighting for prisoners awaiting execution on death row. The most obvious miscarriage of justice was Walter Mcmillian (Jamie Foxx) who had many witnesses stating he was at an all day party and just one felon who said he saw Walter standing over a dead young girl with a gun in his hand. The D.A. and the sheriff refuse to budge and it's up to Bryan to get justice before it's too late. It was a good film, but possibly because I've never seen blatant racism up close and dirty (Thank God), I felt I was watching entertaining fiction. Rewatch To Kill a Mockingbird instead.

A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood. 2019. Drama. Please take into consideration that I've never heard of Fred Rogers, but I've heard of Tom Hanks, so I felt in safe hands. LLoyd Vogel (Matthew Rhys) a cynical magazine writer, has upset so many of his former interviewees, by turning a profile into a hatchet-job, his editor has only children's entertainer Mr Rogers (Tom Hanks) who will welcome him. Somewhere between the start and the end, Mr Rogers manages to sprinkle his individual magic dust all over Lloyd's life. You would expect cloying saccharine to ooze out of every scene, but it was nice and gentle and left me with good vibes.

Judy
3.5/5 stars
Renee Zwelleger portrays Judy Garland in the newest movie about the star. Renee really nails her performance as Judy (and also does all the singing herself) but this is a very sad story. Out of money, single, trying to raise her youngest daughters and traveling all over to perform and earn money is very trying for her. Definitely for Judy Garland fans.

David Crosby: Remember My Name
3/5 stars
This was a nice overview of singer David Crosby's life. I never knew much of his life and found it interesting. Cameron Crowe produced the film.

Suits Season 9
4/5

In January 2019, the series was renewed for a ninth and final season which premiered on July 17, 2019.

This final season feels like it was only done to get people to watch the Gina Torres spinoff, "Pearson". That being said it certainly put everything in a big box tied up with a big red bow Everybody had a storybook ending but the last four episodes felt rushed to get it done. I'll stil miss the players in the firm.

Striking Out Series 1
4.5/5

Legal drama that follows Dublin-based solicitor Tara Rafferty. After discovering that her fiance has been cheating on her, she quits her job at their joint legal firm and sets out on her new life.

I have never gone wrong with anything that Acorn produces or that airs on BBC. Self-assured in the courtroom but a mess in matters of the heart, Tara is a terrifically appealing heroine who's easy to root for. I had never even heard of this one, but I'm glad I took a chance and have already requested Series 2.

Britt Marie Was Here (2019) - Based on te book by Fredrik Backman
3.5/5

Britt-Marie, 63 years old, has just left a 40 year old marriage and her long life as a house wife. Being told she is a nagging passive aggressive aunt the new, only job, in small town Borg will be quite challenging. Small town of Borg has no pride left except the young soccer team and Britt-Marie's new job is to coach them. This is the start of a journey filled with not only struggles and challenges, but also warmth and love.

The dialog of the film of course was in Swedish so I spent the entire film reading subtitles in English. Finally had to silence the Swedish altogether. I have to say that I liked the book more. Maybe if I had seen the film before reading the books I would have liked the film more. It boils down to..."Britt-Marie" doesn't pretend to be anything other than a feel-good film with a simple message: It's never too late to chase your dreams.

Still Life (2013) Based on the Inspector Gamache series by Louise Penny - Book #1
4/5

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.

I loved the first five or six books of this series, and then for some reason just lost interest. I contributed some of the it to the attitude and actions of Gamache's co-workers. I always loved the "idea" of the little village of Three Pines. The supporting characters were even worse on the screen than they were in print but the supporting village characters were excellent. I hope more of this series gets the opportunity that was awarded to "Still Life".

Finding Altamira (2016)
4/5

Life and events of the man who realized one of the most important discoveries of the 19th century: Altamira's caves.

I have a huge interest in archaeology so was really excited when finding this account of the event. I never realized how much slander and ridicule Marcelino endured not only from fellow scientist but from the Catholic church...when taking the cave drawing he and his 9 year old daughter discovered to the leaders of the scientific world. He died in 1889 never knowing what a discovery he had really made. The paintings that he thought were 10,000 years old turned out to be much, much older.

>45 Carol420: Did you read My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She's Sorry? It introduces Britt-Marie and she's not a very nice character. We gradually find out why.

>45 Carol420: I love Backman's books. I ordered all those movies from the library!

>48 .cris: Yes...it was the first one read. Actually I believe it was the first in the series. I stopped reading them when they began to have so much sports in them. I'm not cray about sports of any kind.

>50 Carol420: I have A Man Called Ove...both the book and the movie.

>50 Carol420: I loved the book A Man Called Ove. Does the film do it justice?

>51 2wonderY: I liked it. Rolf Lassgård makes a good grumpy old git hiding a heart of gold. If you don't mind subtitles it's worth a watch.
>50 Carol420: I hate sports too, but Beartown was in my favourite books of 2019 list.

>51 2wonderY: I have not read the book (yet) but I liked the movie. Being Swedish & speaking the lingo, subtitles were an added source of entertainment for me because they were often less than precise. It actually made me enjoy the film more but won't make a bit of difference to anyone that doesn't speak Swedish. In other words, the subtitles don't mess up the plot. The translation is just hilariously off here & there.

Just checked. My library has six copies in Overdrive and the wait time is still eleven weeks! I placed a hold today but likely won't get to it before springtime.

I ordered the DVD from my library.

>51 2wonderY: Personally I believe I liked the book a bit more...but it may have been because I already formed "pictures" of the characters. In answer to your question...while the characters didn't look like the ones I had already conceived... the movie didn't harm the concept of the book in any way. It was an enjoyable movie and very close to the book. Hope you really enjoy it. Let us know please.

>52 .cris: I loved the old guy that played Ove. The part where he was teaching the neighbor lady to drive was hilarious.

>53 ScoLgo: The only problem I had with the language was that it was like trying to listen to 2 different conversations and not understanding either one:) I just muted the Swedish and read the English.

Thought this article might be of interest:

Simon Van Zuylen-Wood. Wired, 01/21/2020: Behind the Scenes at Rotten Tomatoes.

Ran across the article via the Longreads site. Lots of interesting non-movie stuff to be found there.

>56 featherbear: thanks for the link to that great article... RT is my go to for movie info!

>56 featherbear: Thanks for the link. Interesting article.

Game Night (2018)

(7/10)

Nothing really new here but still a funny flick. There are a few fairly dumb situations but the acting and humor more than make up for it. There are also a few decent dovetails to the plot. Speaking of plot, although it is different, I was reminded in some ways of Big Trouble, another movie I liked. This one flew under my radar when it came out so I'm glad to have stumbled across it recently.

>59 ScoLgo: I watched that last year and I loved it- so funny!

Sea of Love (1989)
4/5

Frank Keller is a New York detective investigating a case of a serial killer who finds the victims through the lonely hearts column in newspapers. Keller falls in love with Helen, the main suspect in the case.

The constant tension between the police investigation and Pacino's love interest keep the suspense going strong. Pacino is fabulous. John Goodman is excellent as always, the sex-death themes add to the tension, and the ending will throw most for a loop.

The Fanatic
3/5 stars
Based on a true event, this creepy/ sad film is about a man who is mentally disabled who is attempting to track down his favorite star so he can meet him. John Travolta stars. This did not get good reviews but it was oddly compelling and we had to see how this film was going to end.

Christmas Jars
4/5 stars
Sweet movie about a young woman who when she was young was left at a restaurant and was taken in and raised by a waitress where she was left. When she gets older she looks for the person who had left a Christmas Jar for her so that she can write a story about him/her. Prepare for tears!

Mystic River 2003
4/5...Very dark and powerful.