Southcliffe (2013)

I have become a fan of well-written contemporary British police procedurals, esp. River, Broadchurch, Vexed, and now Southcliffe (listed in order of how gripping and memorable they are). Southcliffe is very good but the nonlinear editing, meant to draw you into the mystery, only distances me from the characters. The journalist, and later, two others, have their individual regrets and meltdowns, which I intellectually know are connected to the reverberations of the tragedy, although I do not empathize with them as closely as in, say, Broadchurch. Aside from the journalist's tirade gone viral, the best line in the show may be "We are just looking for closure." "Come on, we are not Yanks!" Enjoy! 4.5 stars. (7-28-2017)

Therese (2004)

Therese (2004) is slightly more cinematic than the average "orthodox Catholic saint's biography" film, edging into the same upper-class aisle as The Letters (2015). It is solidly Catholic though still somewhat formulaic, since you can all but set your watch by some hagiographic films: the saint-to-be professes a personal call to holiness, which in the next scene is thwarted by authorities, yet in the next scene a letter of permission arrives, and so on (check check check down the list of life events). This film also falls into the classic faux pas of "She was constantly coughing and occasionally collapsing for 3 months, maybe it should have occurred to someone to call for a doctor sooner than the 'incurably advanced case of tuberculosis' stage." Some predictability aside, this film may move you for its humanity, humility, and hope. Enjoy! 4 stars. (7-27-2017)

Chris D'Elia: Man on Fire (2017)

Chris D'Elia is handsome, articulate, energetic, and inspired. He goes on a tear of fast-paced riffs on a range of topics, mingled with a perfect mimicry of poses, postures, gestures, and voices. He seems remarkably self-aware as a comedian, freely acknowledging his flaws (as a divorced man in his 30s who no longer wants to pretend, just do what he wants) while telling his audience that none of them are stars in their own show either. His language is peppered with vulgarity and references to male genitalia and man-on-man sex (whether gay or not), even while telling his closing story about his "former" best friend's four-year-old daughter, a little princess who (in his mind's eye in the story) he struggles to not be changed by her sweetness and innocence. This guy delivers more antic, intelligent comedy in 5 minutes than some comics do in an hourlong show. Enjoy! I'd rate this show 4.5 stars but for the language, so 4 stars. Enjoy! (7-13-2017)

The Standups (2017)

The Standups is a mixed salad. Two out of six comedians got me chuckling pretty good, two were passably funny, and two I did not like. Nate Bargatze is deadpan (that's his thing) but passable. Fortune Feimster is a large lesbian (and makes a big deal about it) who is passable at best. Deon Cole was the funniest, in my humble opinion; I'd give him 4 stars. (His best line: "Is anyone here over 30 years old?" [Audience whoops.] "Remember when you were the hope of the future? When people actually cared about what you did?") Nikki Glaser was appallingly scatological (in the female sense); at least Amy Schumer goes on for 20 words, not 20 minutes, about how skanky she is "down there." Beth Stelling is entirely deadpan but, I thought, the second-funniest comedian. Dan Soder is a 33-year-old stoner who went steadily downhill until the last few minutes, which were redemptive and funny. Enjoy! 3 stars. (7-13-2017)

Heaven Must Wait (2001)

Heaven Must Wait (original title Diggity: A Home At Last, also known as Diggity's Treasure) comes off as a Hallmark made-for-TV movie. It probably got into my queue because it is loosely related to Christmas, since an annual village fete (show) nearly gets cancelled. The plot in this movie bangs around like loose game pieces in a box, trying to be a number of things and not always connecting. Still, it does often get its message through, sometimes clumsily and sometimes deftly, and this will be enough for viewers who prefer family values and even an understated Christian message. I was not bothered by Andrew McCarthy's accent; sure, it was a pastiche of Boss Hogg, J.R., and Forrest Gump, but the show must go on. I paid much more attention to all the movie's quizzical circumstances. (In the first scene, Andrew's character, Raymond, is apparently an incompetent yutz who loses his apartment and livelihood. In the third scene, seemingly within the hour, he learns he has inherited property in England, and accepts a passport and a one-way air ticket. Supposedly the "long-lost" and "sole surviving" heir to a deed that goes back 500 years, he bumbles into the English country town and promptly strikes a gentleman's agreement with their version of Jimmy Stewart's scheming Mr. Potter. However, as he develops instantaneous bonds with the townsfolk, esp. the kindhearted Gypsy family that lives on his property, he considers kinder alternatives that keep them guessing.) Most interesting is Max Dolbey as Diggity, an "orphan boy" who lives in the church but talks to an angel named Felicia about becoming an angel himself. From the first moment, he has to point out the obvious attraction between Raymond and his bed-and-breakfast hostess, Rachel, to the pair. (This movie is very circumspect about attraction: The couple never kisses, embraces, or even proposes in so many words before Rachel says Yes, and then all happiness breaks loose.) Aside from the movie's climactic scenes, some tense moments occur as a bully repeatedly threatens two boys (and a guinea pig), but no animals (or boys) are harmed. Mild comic moments occur throughout the film, redeeming the cookie-cutter story with originality. I liked it, and even got emotional during the climax, but then I am a parent. Enjoy! 3 stars. (7-9-2017)

101 Reykjavik (2000)

First off, let me be clear: Churchgoers and family values folks should keep moving; there is nothing you will (or your kids should) want to see here. A chief draw for most viewers will be the film's setting in Iceland, in and around its capital city -- assuming you can appreciate the appeal of bleak frozen mountain and urban landscapes where there is little more to do than shiver, or stay indoors drinking, partying, and "hooking up" (having lots of that sex you hear they have in Europe). For the prurient at heart, the film has about four total minutes of nude and sex scenes, including two extended scenes of heterosexual rutting and one extended scene of lesbian writhing. The film stars Hilmir as Hlynur, a 30-year-old man who smokes a lot, watches porn on his computer, and does "nothing" else but collect his unemployment check for "disability." He lives with his mother in a small apartment: the couch is a hideaway bathtub right next to the kitchen table. He may have an Electra complex, though he has a girlfriend he treats like dirt. You could assume he is a slacker or a welfare-state mooch, which is a thing in Iceland, but I assumed his "disability" was medically documented, and probably Asperger's (high-functioning autism), esp. given the obnoxious way he banters and argues, and is clueless about social cues like expressing thanks for a Christmas gift (which he never conceived of reciprocating). His mother takes in Lola, a passionate Spanish flamenco teacher, for the holidays, and soon afterwards, she announces two momentous decisions (and his girlfriend announces a third). Some say this film is boring and moves too slowly; I felt it moved too fast, skipping weeks and months without notice. The best scene is when he tries to commit suicide by glacier (sort of). The last minute is a bit upbeat but the rest of the movie is basically living out the threat in Princess Bride: "Do you want to go back to where you were -- unemployed, in Greenland?" You will want English subtitles; my Icelandic is not good but the translation seemed fine from what I could tell. Enjoy! Rounding up to 3 stars. (7-7-2017)