In the Loop (2009)

In the Loop has been on my watchlist for ages and if it wasn't for Margaret suggesting it to me, it would probably still be there. I really wanted to like this film because it's from the same director of The Death of Stalin (which I haven't seen yet but I've only heard great things about) but I just didn't find it that amusing. 

British Secretary of State for International Development Simon Foster (Tom Hollander) says in an interview that a war in the Middle East is unforeseeable. This sets off people from both the UK and the US to bring out their political strategies, both pro- and anti-war.

I cannot tell you how much I struggled to write that brief plotline. The truth is that I really had a hard time following and understanding what was going on. The plot is very complex which I guess wouldn't have been a problem if I understood something about politics. Unfortunately, I don't. To that, add a very face pacing that completely lost me. I did get the end game, but I'm not really sure about what was going on in the movie. And I watched it twice.

Though the plot really confused me and didn't always hold my attention, In the Loop still manages to be a decent satire of the world of politics. The corruption, the deception, the lack of morality, the cynism, the ambition, it's all in here, so it's definitely a quite accurate portrayal of politicians.

The dialogue is also very quick so I struggled a little to follow that as well --I'm not an English native speaker after all-- but, unlike the plot, it was way easier to follow the second time. It's sharp, humorous, and manages to be both clever and offensive.

IFC Films

If there's a thing in In the Loop that convinced me to give it a second chance, it's Peter Capaldi, ladies and gentlemen. He is fantastic and absolutely hilarious as the Prime Minister's abusive Director of Communications who offends and bullies anyone who stand in his way. He steals the show every single time he is on screen as he delivers all of his lines perfectly.

The rest of the cast does a nice job too, especially Tom Hollander, James Gandolfini --he plays a reluctant but angry US Military General-- and Gina McKee --she plays Capaldi's executive assistant-- who all deliver pretty awesome comedic performances.

DAILY CALL SHEET: JULY 3, 2018

Throne of Fire (1983) The title begs for a toilet joke. Fitting, as this Conan wannabe is a complete turd. Points, though, for portraying Satan's spawn as a self-entitled Millenial. TIL: Looks like Proverbs was right, pride does go before destruction.

Your daily dose of culture courtesy of Re-Animator (1985) - “You are right in speaking of the moral foundations of science, but you cannot turn around and speak of the scientific foundations of morality.” - Albert Einstein

And finally, if you’re a podcast fan, here’s a couple that might pique your interest. The first one is for all those who have ever wondered just what that omnipresent death music is in movies? Well, the Brain Stuff podcast provides the answer as they ponder the thirteenth century Latin hymn, “Dies Irae.”

Next, we deal with the question, what do most low budget 90s movies have in common? The answer… bogus breasts, of course. Have a listen to what the Angelic Doctor has to say on that subject as the Pints with Aquinas podcast takes on "Modesty, Makeup, and Boob Jobs."

Heroin(e) (2017)

Award season is the best way for me to discover potentially interesting documentaries and, as I've watched all of this year feature-length nominees, I've moved over the short subject category and picked Netflix's Heroin(e) as it really intrigued me. 

As you probably guessed from the title, the documentary centers on drugs, specifically on heroin, focusing on the town of Huntington, West Virginia, which used to be a bustling industrial town but now it's now known for having the overdose rate 10 times the United States average. 

It follows three female figures, Fire Chief Jan Rader, Cabell County Judge Patricia Keller, and social worker Necia Freeman, as they try to help people who struggle with heroin addiction, either by saving their lives, literally, helping them with recovery, or delivering food to women who prostitute themselves in order to support their addiction. 

The documentary shows what it's like to be first responders and what it's like to see so many overdoses in such short period of times --dozens a month. It highlights the effort those three women do every single day to help those in need. It's quite remarkable what they do as it's difficult to care about these people or feel sorry for them because, after all, when they first used, they willingly did it, it was their conscious choice to do so. Whether they were pushed by friends or acquaintances or not, the final decision was theirs. 

The film also includes interviews with many addicts in recovery as they discuss the effect of heroin on their lives and their efforts to recover.

Netflix

The problem with Heroin(e) is that it doesn't really show anything we haven't seen before. Also, it's got a feel-good kind of vibe that feels a little inappropriate in my opinion. Seeing state officials and addicts so close and warm with each other takes away the documentary's credibility. It doesn't feel genuine, rather it feels staged which is why it didn't fully convince me. 

MONDO COMMENTARY: Independence Day

Join the Horror Duo and special guest Jos, as they get together to celebrate freedom, independence and special effects! Listen as they share their thoughts on the sci-fi classic Independence Day, starring everyone's favorite '90s know it all, Jeff Goldblum. This commentary is packed with deep discussions about real life alien encounters, the truth behind hacking a UFO and the steady decline of the collective I.Q. of the summer blockbuster.

CONTINUE READING

Netflix NEWS 07.03.2018

Netflix NEWS

Updates on Netflix original content releasing this week and the announcements from last week.
Netflix Originals Releasing This Week

The Comedy Lineup Season 1 (July 3)

Netflix  Standup Comedy Series

A diverse group of eight up-and-coming comedians perform 15-minute sets in this stand-up comedy showcase. Check out Michelle Buteau, Ian Karmel, Taylor Tomlinson, Sam Jay, Phil Wang, Sabrina Jalees, Jak Knight, and Tim Dillon.
Watch the trailer 

Anne with an E Season 2 (July 6) - Excludes Canada

Netflix Distributed Series with CBC - 10 episodes

Based on the 1908 novel Anne of Green Gables, where orphan Anne Shirley (Amybeth McNulty) is adopted by a couple expecting a boy to help them on their farm.
The second season adds new characters and story lines as the series continues to explore prejudice, feminism, bullying, gender parity, and empowerment through it's fourteen year old protagonist. Season 2 announcement 
Season 2 begins filming 
Season 2 premiere date 
Watch the trailer

Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee Season 1 (July 6)

Netflix Exclusive Continuation - 24 episodes

Jerry Seinfeld picks up a comedian and they grab a cup of coffee in a classic car. Netflix has exclusive rights to new episodes and the 58 previous episodes.
Seinfeld is also working on two comedy specials for Netflix, Jerry Before Seinfeld and an untitled project.
Watch the trailer
Watch the Freshly Brewed trailer

First Team: Juventus Season 2 (July 6)

Netflix Original Series

With unprecedented access to the players and facilities during the 2017-18 season, go behind the scenes and get to know the players and coaches of the Juventus Football club.

Free Rein Season 2 (July 6)

Netflix Original Teen Series

A coming of age story about American teen Zoe and her summer in the English countryside.
Zoe meets mysterious horse Raven. It's not about falling down, it's how you get back up.

Inside the World’s Toughest Prisons Season 2 (July 6)

Netflix Series Continuation - 4 episodes

Investigative journalist Paul Connolly becomes a voluntary inmate in the world's most volatile prisons, where intimidation and brutality rule.

 Sacred Games Season 1 (July 6)

Netflix Original Series

Netflix's first original series from India and based on a novel, delving into organized crime, politics, and the corruption that underlie Mumbai, India's financial resurgence. The deadliest games are the ones we don't know we're playing.
Watch the date announcement video
Teaser video
Watch the trailer 
Kaam 25 Divine video 

Samantha! Season 1 (July 6)

Netflix Original Portuguese Language Series

This Brazilian series follows the life of a young actress married to a former football player who recently gets out of jail. A child star in the '80s, Samantha clings to the fringes of celebrity with hilarious harebrained schemes to launch herself back into the spotlight.
Watch the trailer

Somebody Feed Phil Season 2 (July 6)

Netflix Original Series

Phil Rosenthal, the creator of Everybody Loves Raymond, visits cities around the world to sample local delicacies.
Season 2 announcement  

The Legacy of a Whitetail Deer Hunter (July 6)

Netflix Distributed Movie

Buck Ferguson (Josh Brolin), famous for hunting whitetail deer, plans a special episode of his hunting show around a bonding weekend with his estranged son, Jaden (Montana Jordan). With trusted but hapless cameraman and friend Don (Danny McBride) in tow. Buck sets out for what soon becomes an unexpectedly epic adventure of father-son reconnection in the great outdoors. Scoot McNairy also stars.
Watch the teaser

The Skin of the Wolf [Bajo la piel de lobo] (July 6)

Netflix Distributed Spanish LanguageMovie

An animal trapper living in an abandoned mountain town in northern Spain seeks to resolve his loneliness by securing a wife.

White Fang (July 6) - US, Canada, Latin America, Southeast Asia, Japan, South Korea, UK, Eastern Europe, India, ANZ, South Africa

Netflix Distributed Animated Movie

The story is told through the eyes of the wolf just as London wrote it. The voice cast includes Nick Offerman, Rashida Jones, Paul Giamatti, and Eddie Spears. The film premiered at the January 2018 Sundance film festival.

 
Netflix Trailers
The Legacy of a Whitetail Deer Hunter trailer - July 6
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society trailer - August 10
Father of the Year trailer - July 20

Netflix Previews & Videos

GLOW Season 2 - Step into your Power Pose
Somebody Feed Phil Season 2 teaser 
Set It Up - Pizza Scene 
Disenchantment Season 1 teaser - August 17
Ingobernable Season 2 Date Announcement - September 14
Queer Eye x Nailed It! - Crossover Episode
The Break - Unhinged 2018 
The Break - Perfect Sports with Nick
The Break - Mind Your Manners

Netflix News & Announcements

Mark Wahlberg and Director Peter Berg Team for Wonderland Movie
Piper Perabo, JJ Feild, Frankie Hervey Cast in Turn Up Charlie Season 1 
Beau Bridges and Philip Baker Recurring Roles in Messiah Season 1
Jazmyn Simon Cast in Raising Dion Season 1
Lost in Space Season 2 - Sibongile Mlambo Promoted to Series Regular
Bojack Horseman Season 5 Returns September 14 
Ja-Siah Young and Alisha Wainwright Cast as Leads in Raising Dion Season 1
Midnight Children to be Adapted to Series 
Keegan-Michael Key Joining Eddie Murphy in Dolemite Is My Name! 
Wu Assassins Season 1 Announcement with Iko Uwais 
Coisa Mais Linda Season 1 Casting Announcement
Quicksand [Störst av Allt] Announcement
Krysten Ritter Will Make Directorial Debut in Marvel's Jessica Jones S3 

Hype List
Black Mirror Season 5 (2019, projected)
Disenchantment Season 1 (2018)
Arrested Development Season 5 (2018)
Stranger Things Season 3 (2018, projected)
Altered Carbon Season 2 (unconfirmed)
The Witcher Season 1 (2020)
Ratched Season 1 (2019)
Dark Season 2 (2018, projected) 
Mindhunter Season 2 (2018)
The Umbrella Academy Season 1 (2018)

Sense and Sensibility Movie Review

Sense and Sensibility (1995)

Rent Sense and Sensibility on Amazon video
Written by: Jane Austen (novel), Emma Thompson (screenplay)
Directed by: Ang Lee
Starring: Emma Thompson, Kate Winslet, Hugh Grant, Alan Rickman, Tom Wilkinson
Rated: PG
Watch the trailer

Plot
Rich Mr. Dashwood dies, leaving his second wife and her three daughters poor by the rules of inheritance. With their marriage prospects hampered by lack of wealth, the two oldest sisters struggle between choosing a relationship based on desire or comfort.

Verdict
It's an intertwining story of characters as sisters search for marriage. While that sounds a bit sappy, the theme of greed and honor are woven into the story to create a dense plot. The setting is integral to the story as marrying into money has big impacts. This isn't the standard contrived romance tale. Greed drives many of the characters and the plot, and it's also what resolves the plot. It truly is a movie you should see, and that's coming from someone who typically avoids romance movies. This is much more than that.
Watch it.

Review
While this is a romantic movie, greed is the primary motivator for many characters amid a twisted geometry of attraction and infatuation. Set in the early nineteenth century, I appreciate a period movie where the time period is integral to the story. This story just doesn't work in contemporary society, or at least not in a society without arranged marriages.

Kate Winslet plays Marianne.

I'm a big fan of director Ang Lee, he has such a great control with dramas. While the motivation is money, and it's what starts the plot, the underlying question is do you marry for desire or money? Love is not the easy answer as Marianne feels a strong infatuation for Willoughby and he turns out to be a complete mope. She ignores the older Colonel Brandon. While he is well off, she is blind to his devotion.

Alan Rickmand plays Colonel Brandon.
Emma Thompson plays Elinor.

The idea of marrying for love or money can change if you meet the right person. This is a love story that isn't overly sweet and it feels adapted from a book, which it is adapted from Jane Austen's classic, due to the convoluted plot.
Is a comfortable life or desire more important? That idea can change if you meet the right person. Elinor is practical while Marianne is the romantic. Brandon is the unsung hero. Who'd have thought he'd gone on to play a similarly devoted character in Harry Potter? I wanted Marianne just to realize how good he could be to her. The dashing rogue Willoughby sweeps her because he presents well.
This contrasts with Elinor who is attracted to Edward, but feels obligated to write him off when she learns he's secretly betrothed. His honor prevents him from being with Elinor, but it's also what allows him to return to her at the end.
This has enough characters that you're going to find one with which you relate or despise, maybe both. While the right people end up together, it's due to other characters greed that this occurs, so it doesn't feel like a contrived conclusion. I don't typically like happy endings, but this ending follows what the movie set up. The greedy characters marry for money, and Elinor and Marianne find men they're passionate about. Everyone pretty much gets what they want, even the characters that aren't very likable. That's a rare feat.

 

Actors commented Ang Lee was more concerned with body language than the American directors. Lee felt that actors are too concerned with doing something or playing to the camera than just being. He also attempted to temper Hugh Grant's performance as Grant frequently was too over the top.

TAU Movie Review

TAU (2018)

Watch TAU on Netflix
Written by: Noga Landau
Directed by: Federico D'Alessandro
Starring: Maika Monroe, Ed Skrein, Gary Oldman
Rated: R
Watch the trailer

Plot
A street-smart-grifter is kidnapped and held captive by TAU, an advanced artificial intelligence developed by her kidnapper. She must race against the confines of man and machine to win her freedom before she suffers the same fate as the previous subjects.

Verdict
It's a neat concept with an execution that doesn't quite get there. It's too easy, nearly everything the protagonist faced is. I frequently questioned her actions. I wanted more from this movie, and even on a budget it could have done more. It doesn't. Instead I'm left thinking about what this movie could and should have done.
Skip it.

Review
 It's a budget version role reversal of Ex Machina (read my review).

The basic tenant of most kidnapping movies is that the person kidnapped is certain they will live and escape. That seems especially egregious for Julia. If ever the odds were stacked against her, this is it. I wish the movie and character had embraced that and her goals shifted to finding a glimmer of hope in the time she has left. Instead she is blindly confidant that she'll make it. I'm fine with that to a point.

The relationship she develops with TAU doesn't work, from their dialog to how oblivious her kidnapper is to what's going on. This seems like a big loophole he left. Julia doesn't even trick TAU into helping her. It was too easy, playing right into the plot. I was waiting for the moment for TAU to say, "Julia, there is thirty minutes of the movie left. I must now help you escape." In 2001: A Space Odyssey, a dissonance in programming sets HAL on a course to get rid of humans. I wanted there to be some kind of neat exploit for Julia to befriend him or pique his interest in the outside world.

If I was kidnapped and placed in this situation, I'd surmise my chances of survival are slim. Even if I live, the outlook doesn't seem pleasant. I would be making things as difficult as possible for my captor as death seems better than the prospective fate. Maybe I'm too cynical, but I would have liked to see Julia's hope slowly fade. There is no struggle or progression.

Maika Monroe plays Julia.

My biggest issues is that she holds all the chips. In an early scene after capture she's hitting her head against the wall and he stops her. I thought that was going to be a turning point where power shifts, but it doesn't. She's got nothing to lose and no reason to comply. She's threatened with torment, but she could have threatened to tamper with the experiment and the implant in her head. Her kidnapper also has a deadline. Julia had plenty of leverage. Alex, her kidnapper, tells her if she doesn't do her daily tasks that will help the implant map her brain he will hurt her. All she has to do is call that bluff. If she doesn't complete the tasks, his experiment fails. Why does she give in? The simple answer is to play into the plot

I like this concept, an imprisoned woman befriends an AI and teaches it about the world, but that's all there is to like. Wouldn't Alex have some kind of safeguard? He's thought of everything else, even a self destruct button that you know will play into the conclusion as soon as we're told of its existence.

This is too predictable, and then there's Alex. He's a cookie cutter villain, a sociopath tech engineer. I don't get how that hasn't manifested outside of his home. I thought maybe the movie was going to throw shade at software engineers, but no.

This plays at a few good moments but squanders them. The relationship between Julia and TAU could have been better. There's a point where TAU's "memories" of Julia are erased. I liked that idea that Julia would have to sacrifice her 'friend' for freedom and that TAU sacrifices its memories of her to help her, but the movie doesn't go there and it concludes with a safe ending.