Things to Watch on Netflix, Part II

I've finally figured out how to see stats on Blogger (which is horrifying if you know how many techy people are in my family).  Quite amused by which posts seem to be popular.  But it seems like people are always looking for stuff to watch on Netflix, and there are tons of new viewing, so let's get started...

Doctor Who: Series 5

The Premise: The Doctor (Matt Smith) has regenerated and landed somewhere in Scotland.  He meets a young girl, and after a repast of fish fingers and custard, offers to take her for a spin in the Tardis.  Thing is, he's got to be right back.  He leaves and returns to find that young Amelia is gone.  In her place is Amy, Amelia all grown, a girl who grew up with the idea of her imaginary friend, The Doctor, in the back of her mind.

My Take: Stephen Moffat has taken the reins for the series from Russel T. Davies; likewise, Matt Smith has replaced David Tennant as the Doctor.  But the story-telling is so strong, and Smith so winning, that in many ways the series feels re-reborn (especially if you're watching series 6 right now on BBC America. Oh. My. Goodness).  Rory takes a while to become likeable, but (as it always happens on the show), once he does, he's grand.

Masterpiece Mystery: Sherlock Holmes

The Premise: A modern-day take on Holmes and Watson, solving crimes out of 221B.  This time, Holmes mocks the police with text messages and Watson's war wounds are from Afghanistan. 

My Take: Written by Who writers Stephen Moffat and Mark Gatiss, the dialogue is snappy and the plot is twisty.  A Study in Pink is my favorite.  The others aren't quite as tight, but they're still completely enjoyable.  House viewers will particularly enjoy the dynamic between Holmes and Watson, as it's quite similar to House and Wilson at their best.  I'm very much looking forward to the second season.

**P.S. You should know that Watson is played by Martin Freeman, who's also the new, younger Bilbo in Peter Jackson's upcoming adaptation of The Hobbit.  And it makes sense.  He has a proper hobbit-y sort of nose.

Me & Orson Wells

Premise: Young, innocent Richard ((Zac Ephron) gets more life lessons than he bargains for when he finagles himself into a role in Orson Welles' Broadway production of Julius Caesar.  Richard is alternately awed and disgusted by the sheer talent and hubris of Welles, brilliantly played by Christian McKay.  Claire Danes has a supporting turn, but my favorite appearance is Zoe Kazan's short story-writing Gretta Adler.

My Take: Me & Orson Welles should have received more American awards love, but at least Christian McKay received an Independent Spirit nod, as well as a BAFTA nomination for his turn as Welles.  For writers and film-buffs, it's really not to be missed.

Heartbreaker

Premise: In a scenario that's rather like Hitch in reverse, Alex (Romain Duris), his sister, and her husband have tapped into the niche-market of breaking up bad relationships.  But when he's hired to break up the perfect couple (Vanessa Paradis, most famous in America for being the mother of Johnny Depp's children, and Andrew Lincoln, of Love, Actually), Juliette and Jonathan, before their Monaco wedding, he meets his match.  Specifically, his love-match in the spunky, independent, George Michael and Dirty Dancing-loving Juliette.

My Take:  Since Hollywood hasn't released a proper romantic comedy in a while that's managed to be both romantic and funny, Heartbreaker is a breath of fresh French air.  It's spontaneous and light, and while some of the subplots get a bit murky, the comedic high-points make up for it.  Romain Duris, of Moliere and Paris, is charming and funny in a way that most American actors wish they could be.  Vanessa Paradis' Juliette is a class act, whip-smart and winsome as her wedding approaches and she starts to second-guess her choice in a spouse.  There are dozens of hysterically funny set-ups and pay-offs (and trust me, it's even better the second time around), but my favorite is the ongoing tribute to Dirty Dancing as Romain Duris' Alex recreates Patrick Swayze's iconic dance sequence.  He's no Patrick, but he has enough French swagger to make it a memorable cinematic moment.

Dirty Dancing

...and if watching a tribute to the classic makes you want to watch the real thing, you're in luck!  One of my favorite parts? Watching Emily Gilmore shimmy at the end. 

The Fountain

Glass bubbles in space! Angry indigenous peoples! The Spanish Inquisition! Awkward bathtub scenes! Monkey test subjects! Hugh Jackman tattooing himself in space in linen pajamas! Not only is it Darren Aronofsky's worst film, but it was the film Danny and I watched on our first real date.  I highly recommend watching the first twenty minutes, just so you can see how completely bizarre this movie is.  In worst-beginnings-ever, it's up there with Scorpion King; the trouble is, it's sincere.

(Though it should be noted, the last ten minutes are really something as well.  Especially if you garden.)

So! There you have it.  What are you watching, especially now that network TV is wrapping up for the season?

Odds and Ends

When I put together the Things to Watch on Netflix, I had on my list (but somehow neglected to write about)...

1.) Departures

The winner of 2009's Best Foreign Film, it only played at one film festival.  That was enough, though, to get it onto the Oscar ballots.  

Like the best of films, it's both funny and tragic.  Like Cameron Crowe's Elizabethtown, it explores death and burial, this time within the context of Japanese culture.  When he is let go from the orchestra - after purchasing a very expensive cello, musician Daigo returns to his hometown where he answers a job ad to make ends meet.  The job is to be an assistant to the town's nakanshi, who prepares the dead for burial (there's a sequence involving the filming of an instructional DVD that's completely hilarious).  Social taboos regarding the handling of the dead, however, threaten Daigo's marriage even as he finds in the nakanshi, Ikuei, the father figure he never had.

2.) We're headed to Nashville this weekend! It's out little Danny's Birthday / Valentine's getaway; we're excited.  It'll only be a short trip, but it'll be fun to get out of town.  The biggest piece of the itinerary is a trip to the REI store in Brentwood; Danny's North Face jacket, after 13 years of honorable service, is going to be ...upgraded.

Not quite replaced.  Just upgraded.  And there aren't a lot of REI stores in the area.

Go figure.

3.) I'll admit, we skipped the Super Bowl.  Neither of us were much interested in the game, and with this newfangled thing they call the "internet," commercial watching has never been easier.  Our favorite?  It is (not surprisingly, the Audi Ad.

I love it all - the Kenny G, the Russian Wolfhounds (gorgeous dogs, actually - I totally want one), the spleen complaint...it's just glorious.

BUT, you've got to see the BMW commercial too.  Watch it!  The Spartanburg factory?  That's where we were last summer.  Remember the Big Giant Robots I kept going on about?  THOSE ARE THE ROBOTS!!!



THE ROBOTS!!!!

4.) The one downside to missing the Super Bowl was that I missed the advertising blitzkrieg revealing the Glee episode afterwards.

I was probably the only American with a TV who didn't know.  But hey, there's hulu.  And it was a good episode.  The season's struggled with consistency; the writing at times just not as sharp and perfect as we know it can be.  This episode?  Sue's taking raccoon hormones?  Of course she is.  And now I totally want to watch 13 Going on 30, if only for the Thriller sequence.  And Katie Couric at the end?  Wow.  So great.

5.) Danny's birthday chocolate is, like, 18 inches away from me, and that's too close.

6.) There's a geeky guy with dark, curly hair in The Social Network in one of the Harvard scenes, and I've totally seen him in something, but for the life of me (and even with the help of imdb.com) I can't figure out where I've seen him.  If you have insight, share please.

7.) Naptime approacheth.

8.) I think I'm going to make the Pecan Pie Muffins again soon...

Things to Watch on Netflix

We're all about Netflix Instant Watch these days.  With DVD rental being what it is (essentially obsolete), and the fact that mail is tricky when you live in a hotel, we're glad that watching things online has been an option.  And, thankfully, there have been some pretty great things to catch up on.


Doctor Who

The Premise: The Doctor, a 900-year-old Time Lord, travels through time and space to keep universal peace.  He is joined by an assistant; there are adventures.  The show will appeal to viewers ages 13+, particularly ones who enjoy shows by JJ Abrams and Joss Whedon.


My Take: I didn't think much about watching this BBC production until I found out the writers responsible for the new Masterpiece Mystery! Sherlock Holmes series were writers for Doctor Who.  It took me a few episodes to get into it, but once the plot started coming together, both Danny and I were completely hooked.


The writers are great at setting up future plot points and making sure the pay-offs work in the end.  They also have a better sense of sequencing and remembering what happened in earlier episodes than most other sequential shows.  They also are incredibly skilled at writing characters you love, even when you start out thinking this isn't going to go so well.  The Doctor's Assistant Donna in the fourth series? Incredibly annoying.  But...she grows on you.  You get to like her.


One of the trickinesses of the show is that the Doctor is 900 years old; when he is mortally wounded, he regenerates.  This means you've got a different actor playing a different facet of the same character, which is not easy to write when that character is the central character.  The writers pull it off, though.  I was really not sure when Matt Smith took over from David Tennant (to be fair, I wasn't a fan of David Tennant after Christopher Eccleston).  But by the end of the series, I really did think bow-ties had the potential to be "cool."


Unlike American television, the end of a season (or "series") is typically not left as a cliff-hanger.  So at the end of the series, you're not miserable.  I like that.


The other great thing about Doctor Who?  It's one of the few smart, witty shows that's appropriate for family viewing.  Just be aware that though there's no gore, sex, language, drugs, or Rock n' Roll, it can still be genuinely scary.  Scary, but there is always - always - a happy ending.


Top Gear (Series 9-12)

The Premise: Three white, middle-aged British men test and review high-performance sports cars, host celebrities, and perform "challenges" such as turning a Renault Minivan into a convertible (which ends in flames), going on an RV trip (which ends in flames), trying to make an inexpensive car faster with their own impressive lack of engineering skills (which makes Danny giggle).  Oh, and there's The Stig.  Some say..his favorite film of 2010 was Nanny McPhee Returns, and that he washes his hair with liquid nitrogen.  All I know is he's called The Stig.


And if you've watched the show, you know why that's funny.


My Take: This is the best kind of reality TV, because each of the hosts are fantastic characters is their own right.  Series 9-12 are available on Instant Watch.  The highlights include:


9.1: Richard Hammond reviewing his harrowing accident in the Vampire jet-car; Richard, James, and Jeremy try to resurface roads better than the city.  It goes badly.
9.3: Jeremy, Richard, and James try to buy (rather than rent) a car in Miami for $1000. It goes badly.
9.5: The Kristin Scott Thomas episode - one of my favorite "Star in a Reasonably-Price Car" segments.
10.5: The Challenge?  To find out the fastest way to cross London.  The Stig takes public transport (hilarity ensues), Richard Hammond rides a bike (sweat ensues), James May drives a Mercedes-Benz GL500, and Jeremy Clarkson attempts a powerboat down the Thames.
10.8: James Blunt in the Star in a Reasonably-Priced Car - one of my other favorite SIARPC bits.
10.10: The David Tennant episode! I've never seen anyone handle Jeremy Clarkson so gracefully.
11.1: Police cars are built. It doesn't end well.
11.6: Germany vs. Britain (a personal favorite).
12.1: Jeremy, Richard, and James attempt to drive semi-trucks (aka "lorries").
12.6: The Communist Car episode.  One of my very favorites. Also includes extensive testing of the Ford Fiesta.


Not available on Instant Watch but worth mentioning:


8.1: The Renault Espace Convertible Challenge.  You can watch it here.





And, last but not least, episode 13.6, the Mallorca Time Trial Rally, the first part of which can be viewed below.





Or, as I like to refer to the episode, "The Blond, the Spaniard, and the Midget."


It's glorious.


Also available for your viewing pleasure:


Tell No One


On of the best thrillers I've ever seen.  It shares similarities to The Fugitive, but the plot is even more twisty and mind-blowing.  In French with English Subtitles.  If you're not a foreign film watcher, this is one to watch anyway.  The star, François Cluzet, is reminiscent of a dialed-down Dustin Hoffman.  Actor François Berléand (The Choir, The Transporter), also plays a key character, and Kristin Scott Thomas shows off her French.


Bottle Shock


My favorite wine movie.  Stars Alan Rickman, Bill Pullman, and Chris Pine.  You may not have thought that a movie about wine could be suspenseful, but this one will surprise you.  Centered around the wine-tasting competition in 1977, you may consider moving to wine country after viewing.


Or France.  It's a toss-up.


Possession


Starring Gwyneth Paltrow, Aaron Eckhart, Jeremy Northam, Jennifer Ehle, a literary mystery and romance based on the A.S. Byatt novel.  It may not measure up to the novel's pedigree, but the film is well-written and acted.  One of my new favorite films.


The September Issue


Basically, it's The Devil Wears Prada: The Documentary.  Though in reality, Anna Wintour is surprisingly less demonic than she's made out to be - watch how she interacts with her daughter.  No joke, she's tough, but if she were a man, I have a hunch she'd be revered for notoriety rather than snickered at.  The woman knows her stuff, there's no denying it.


Outsourced


American employee has to go to India to train the phone team who's replaced his stateside department.  It's a classic fish out of water scenario, but this romantic comedy is surprisingly sweet and occasionally insightful when it comes to analyzing cultures.


There are other great finds, but I'm running out of steam.  What are you watching?