Wallander (Swedish)

Wallander is the original Swedish version of the movie adaptation of Henning Mankell's books.  Krister Henriksson does a fantastic job as a brooding, subdued and exceptionally good detective in the south of Sweden.  The stories are solid, engaging and gripping.

If reading subtitles are not a distraction and you enjoy detective shows then this will be one to watch.

Sherlock

Sherlock is a current and updated version of the Sherlock Holmes stories.  This is a refreshing series from the BBC.  The show uses some unique techniques that work well in telling the story.  The acting is spectacular and Benedict Cumberbach does an exceptional job as an odd, relentless and determined sleuth accompanied by Martin Freeman who plays a brooding Dr. Watson.  The two balance each other out quiet well in the show.

There are currently three seasons released and they get better with each show.  The directing and acting are amazing. If you like action, mystery, buddy movies or love to be entertained then this show will not disappoint.

Starbuck and Delivery Man

Starbuck is a French movie which starts out with a man who is informed that through his sperm donations years ago he has 522 biological children and a large group of those children want to find him.  His ineptness at the family business and a faltering personal life are impacted by this news.

 This movie is a delightful movie that is lighthearted and touching.  If you are looking for a movie that is not heavy and will bring a smile then this one is for you.




Deliverman is a remake of the French movie staring Vince Vaughn.  I was hesitant to watch this as I am not a fan of remake of French films.  However, I was surprised at how much I enjoyed the movie.  One reason is that the film is a duplicate of the original almost scene by scene.  Even the names of the characters are mostly the same.  My more muted reaction to Deliveryman may be a result of having seen Starbuck first.

Of the two movies though, Starbuck edges out Deliveryman as the better film.

3 Days to Kill

3 Days to Kill is an espionage movie from a story by Luc Besson (The Fifth Element, Leon: The Professional, La Femme Nikita and many more) staring Kevin Costner and Amber Heard.  This movie shows a CIA agent in his end days taking on one more job.  This movie is an action movie interspersed with humor while interlaced with several small subplots.  One such subplot is the interaction between Ethan (Costner) and his daughter whom he is trying to reconnect with.

This is clearly a violent movie with plenty of shooting and car chases.  Costner does a great job in the lead and holds the movie together well.  Amber Heard, Hailee Steinfeld and the other actors do a great job keeping the story going and bringing life to the characters.  It was an enjoyable movie.

Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit

Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit is a reboot of the Tom Clancy movie franchise.  The movie starts with the back story to Jack Ryan and how he progressed from college student to espionage.  The movie stars Chris Pine, Kevin Costner, Keira Knightly and Kenneth Brannagh who also directed the film.

Chris Pine does a believable job in taking Jack Ryan through his first missions.  Kenneth Brannagh shows one of his best performances to date and does an exceptional job in his role.  Kevin Costner did a great job in his supporting role as the recruiter.  The film is well paced and well acted.  No one star overpowers the other and the interplay is rich with well acted tension and depth. There will most likely be more Jack Ryan films to come.

Edge of Tomorrow

Edge of Tomorrow is a science fiction movie set in the near future where humanity is fighting what seems to be a losing battle against an alien invasion.  The movie stars Tom Cruise and Emily Blunt as soldiers involved in mankind's last hope for survival.  The movie starts off with an pending invasion of France reminiscent of the real invasion of D-Day.  Everything goes wrong and the movie progresses from there with a small nod to the movie Groundhog Day.

The film is balanced well between the acting and the not overdone special effects.  The plot, dialog and interaction of the various characters in the movie are well done.  I enjoyed the movie throughout and did not feel the time and money spent watching it in Imax 3D a waste.  I look forward to getting the Blueray when it comes out.

Big Trouble in Little China

Big Trouble in Little China (1986) is a fun "b" movie directed by John Carpenter and staring Kurt Russell and Kim Cattrall.  Kurt Russell is a typical anti-hero and finds himself increasingly involved, over his head, in a world that gets deeper and deeper into a magical world of Chinese folklore.

The story is about a young Chinese restaurant owner trying to rescue his girlfriend while Kurt Russell tags along to try and collect on a debt from that same friend.  This is an action and adventure movie laced with humor that hits at just the right time.

Daybreakers

Daybreakers is a vampire film with a twist.  The majority of the world is vampire and the blood supply is getting low.  Ethan Hawke stars as a vampire hematologist charged with solving the problem with synthetic blood.  The movie has a modern/retro look and does a good job showing night as the normal time of day and daytime as the quiet time of day.

The plot is intricate and maintains interest.  The cast includes some great performances by Sam Neil and William Dafoe.  Ethan Hawkes performance is what keeps the movie moving in a positive direction.  I found the alternative story line from other vampire movies quite intriguing.

The Devil and Miss Jones

The Devil and Miss Jones is a film from 1941 staring Jean Arthur and Robert Cummings.  It is the story of a department store which is in the throes of labor problems.  The owner, Robert Cummings, goes "under cover" to vet out the bad elements but things don't go as planned.

I was taken by this movie when I first saw it and highly recommend it.  This movie is delightful to say the least.  The weaving of characters through heartfelt situations are endearing and leaves you on a positive note.

Get Low

Get Low is a movie staring Robert Duvall, Sissy Spacek, Bill Murray, Lucas Black among other excellent actors.

Get Low is an endearing story of a man, living a mostly hermetic life, who is held in disdain and fear by his community.  In approaching his mortality he decides plan a funeral party for himself.  The catch is he wants to do it while he is still alive to see who shows up.  The plot sounds simple but as the story goes on you get deeper and deeper into the background and story of this man's life.

It is a well acted movie with a well written plot.  The movie is deep, uplifting, sad and intense.  The  movie did not get a lot of press and the title is not one that would necessarily lead to being remembered easily.  This movie will not disappoint.

John Carter

John Carter is a science fiction adventure film based on the John Carter of Mars series of books written by Edgar Rice Burroughs.

My jaw dropped the first time I saw the upcoming previews  a year in advance.  My first "grown up" book that my father gave me was A Fighting Man of Mars which was the seventh book in the series.  I enjoyed the books and they remain special to me for the time and circumstances of my first reading.  I still remember the time and place where my father gave me the book and his comment that he had read them as a young man as well.

The movie was well done with a good mix of dialog and acting.  The sets were amazing and the special effects brought the characters to life.  The movie was faithful to the world and stories that Burroughs depicted.  I saw the movie with my daughter a week following watching the Hunger Games.  I thanked her for agreeing to see the movie with me as I really wanted to share the experience with someone.  She had never read the books, let alone seen them.  She said that she enjoyed the movie.

If you like action and adventure and don't mind a bit of science fiction thrown in then you should find this movie entertaining.

Beasts of the Southern Wild

Beasts of the Southern Wild is a very different movie.  I first heard of it on NPR.  In searching for the setting the interviewee stated that he went as far out in Louisiana as he possibly could until he came to the end of the road and the setting of the story.  A small, displaced community out of step in both time and setting.  The story is about a young girl searching for her mother and a father who is trying to do his best to raise his daughter in the only way he knows.  My friends have described it in different ways including "I loved it but won't watch it again" and "it is a brutal movie."  To me it had many qualities including the harshness of living in a very poor rural southern community to how that community really was a community; a collective of disparate souls trying to make the best of life.  It could be that in some ways I was not as sensitive to the darkness as I grew up at one time in the rural south in poverty though not as bad as depicted in the movie.

On NPR the interviewee described their surprise at how deep the girl was who would end up with the leading role.  They asked her what she would do if the world was to end tomorrow.  She responded that she would brush her teeth and clean her room.

The movie is stirring, deep, liberating, inspiring and magical while every once in a while dipping into a more dark side of growing up with pain, loss and separation.

Paperhouse

Paperhouse is a British movie filmed in 1988.  I first saw this movie when it came out and searched for it again over the years.  It is about a young girl who becomes ill.  In the process of healing she draws a house and begins to dream what she draws including a boy that shows up and the story progresses from there.  Dream and reality become blurred.

It is described as a dark fantasy but it is a deep movie that stays with you long after you watch it.  It is available through Amazon and Itunes.  The movie will not disappoint
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Luther

Luther is a British crime show staring Idris Elba as a detective with issues. The plots are edgy and at times push the limits.  The supporting cast is excellent as well, especially Ruth Wilson as Alice.  Luther consists of three seasons with the promise of movies to follow.

Of all the British police shows I have seen this ranks up at the top of the list along with Sherlock.  If you like good acting and edgy police shows then this one will not disappoint.

Gattaca

Gattaca is a movie from 1997 which is set in the not too distant future.  It involves a disadvantaged person who is trying to simply make a dream come true.  His disadvantage is he is not genetically engineered.  The movie is clearly about working hard to attain your goals in spite of all odds.  The acting is stellar with great performances by Ethan Hawke, Uma Thurman, Jude Law, Gore Vidal, Alan Arkin and Tony Shalhoub among others.

Gattaca ranks high on the list of my favorite movies.  The film relies on the quality of acting and story line. The sets are subdued but effective.  Both Ethan Hawke and Jude Law perform at their very best.  I watch this movie often and can't help but be moved by it.