With many of us in lock down (instead of frolicking blithely on Bondi beach) it’s a good time to turn to Netflix, Stan and SBS On Demand for our entertainment. This reminds us all, that when we’re sailing down dire straits, once again, we turn to the arts for our salvation.
Here are some (sort of) recent gems I’ve found that you could add to your long viewing list:
Netflix
Marriage Story is a heartfelt story of divorce with Adam Driver, Scarlett Johansson and Best Supporting Actor: Laura Dern. It’s a well balanced story with powerful acting. 4 toothbrushes. The Irishman was also nominated for many awards, but didn’t win any. It’s a Martin Scorsese film, with Robert De Niro, Al Pacino and Jo Pesci. It’s not very original and I’m not convinced by De Niro and Pacino playing Anglo-Saxons, but they don’t know how to make a bad movie; but it’s not a great one. At 3.5 hours long, the lockdown could be over by the time you finish it. 3.5 bullets.
The Two Popes with Anthony Hopkins and Johnathan Pryce was another Oscar nominated film. It’s good to see great actors playing off each other, but you might struggle at being made to feel sympathy for two Catholic priests. 3 Hail Mary’s. The Post is another rating highly, and it’s Meryl Streep on fire. She plays a newspaper editor from an era when truth had power and before Rupert Murdoch bought editor’s souls with his lies. 3.5 Broadsheets.
If you want to see some of Bong Joon Ho’s (Parasite’s writer-director) early works, Snowpiercer is a very good science-fiction story, about a post apocalyptic population trapped on a train. It has Tilda Swinton, Chris Evans and Ed Harris. Okja is about a friendly big fat pig that corporates want to use to feed big fat human pigs. You’ll see how Bong Joon likes to take a genre and twist it.
Ballad of Buster Scruggs is a collection of western short stories, with a huge ensemble cast (James Franco, Liam Neeson, Brendan Gleeson, Tom Waits) from the Coen brothers. It’s a crazy mixed bag, but even when they’re ordinary, they’re still top class. Their cinematography is always pure excellence. 4 varmints.
Some oldies are appearing as ‘popular’ on my feed, and for the record, I think Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and Birdman are two of the greatest films ever made. The scriptwriting, acting and direction are brilliant in these two and they’re both in my top 10 films of all time. Seven Psychopaths is not far behind them, and Martin Mcdonagh is Ireland’s answer to Quentin and funny as hell. It stars Colin Farell, Sam Rockwell and Woody Harrelson.
Documentaries
Miles Davis: Birth of the Cool played at the Sydney Film Festival, and is an engrossing documentary. Miles wasn’t the nicest guy, but he was genius of jazz and this is a thorough telling of his story, with a lot of it through his own words. I gave this 4 Kind of Blues.
American Factory: This is the story of a US factory being taken over by a Chinese billionaire, and the documentary makers were given unbelievable access. They go into staff meetings, management meetings, witness the cultural divide, the vote over unionisation… it won a well deserved Academy Award. 4.5 cogs.
CON’S SCORES:
The Lives of Others [SBS on Demand] – 5 Bugs
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind [Netflix] – 5 Memories
Birdman [Netflix] – 5 Curtain Calls
Seven Psychopaths [Netflix] – 4.5 Razors
American Factory [Netflix] – 4.5 Cogs
Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll [Stan] – 3.5 Rhythm Sticks
Miles Davis: Birth of the Cool [Netflix] – 4 Kind of Blues
Capernaum [SBS on Demand] – 4 Ice Cubes
Death of Stalin [Stan & SBS On Demand] – 4 Comrades
Marriage Story [Netflix] – 4 Toothbrushes
Ballad of Buster Scruggs [Netflix] – 4 Varmints
The Irishman [Netflix] – 3.5 Bullets
The Post [Netflix] – 3.5 Broadsheets
Snowpiercer [Netflix] – 3.5 Opal Cards
Rolling Thunder Review [Netflix] – 3.5 Porkies
Loving Vincent [Stan] – 3.5 Sunflowers
Ali’s Wedding [SBS On Demand] – 3.5 Bouquets
Okja [Netflix] – 3.5 Bacon rashers
The Two Popes [Netflix] – 3 Hail Mary’s
A Fantastic Woman [SBS on Demand] – 3 Solos
Rolling Thunder Revue – follows a Bob Dylan tour across America is part myth, part documentary but always entertaining. Scorsese directs and there are lots of characters who tag along, including Alan Ginsberg, Joan Baez, Joni Mitchell and a young Sharon Stone… or does she?
On my list: Uncut Gems had lots of good wraps last year and was a shock omission from the award nominations. Eddie Murphy is apparently back in form in Dolemite Is My Name. I also see that Crazy Rich Asians and Tarantino’s Hateful Eight are recent releases as well. Ladybird is directed by Greta Gerwig, who also directed Little Women, which apparently should have been nominated for a director’s award, so I’ll see what the fuss is about.
Tiger King looks crazy for a reality show and the reports are good.
Stan
I have to say the range on Stan is much more limited and a little disappointing, but there are always some gems amongst the rough.
Loving Vincent is visually venerating, as every frame has been painted over in the style of Van Gough. It looks at the great painter’s last days and considers the alternative theory behind Vincent’s death as an accident rather than suicide. It’s well worth a look. 3.5 Sunflowers. Death of Stalin is a great farcical comedy, drawn from real stories and top class actors like Steve Buscemi and Michael Palin. 4 Comrades. (Also on SBS)
An undiscovered little gem is Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll, which is colourful little biopic about Ian Dury, the 70s punk rocker. It’s interspersed with bright animation and is a quirky little film about the feisty Dury, played by Andy Serkis. Precious!
Amongst the oldies Wake In Fright is a suitable pick for Anzac Day and a seminal movie in Australian film making. It helped kick off our industry and you can feel the sweat dripping off you. Breath is based on a Tim Winton book and is a coming of age story. Simon Baker does good work here as actor-director.
Stan also has every Bond film plus a few documentaries. Redemption is here.
On my list: A True History of the Kelly Gang, although the reports aren’t strong and I think George McKay is a little over rated.
SBS On Demand
Capernaum was on the best movies of 2019. It’s about a particular fiesty boy, who lives on the streets and tries to survive on his wits and heart. It’s like the first third of Lion, but goes all the way. It really moved me. A Fantastic Woman is an interesting low budget Spanish movie about a woman who loses her lover and isn’t treated very nicely by his family … all because she’s transgender. The Lives of Others is set in East Germany and is about how an agent who is tasked with listening in on a couple becomes entwined. A brilliant film. Ali’s Wedding is an Australian movie about a Muslim boy falling for an Australian girl, just as he’s being promised to another. It’s actually very funny and takes the Achmed out of both cultures, has some daring scenes and a lot of fun. The Other Side of Hope is from Finland and is one of those dead pan comedies with a lot of heart and some social commentary. It’s hilarious without reaching for any laughs.
There are lots of sparkling golden oldies here, such as Wim Wenders Wings of Desire, Delicatessen, The Diving Bell and the Butterfly, Lantana, Incendies, A Separation (which won an Academy Award) and Buitiful, directed by Alejandro González Iñárritu (Birdman), starring Javier Bardem is a gut wrencher. It might deplete your supply of tissues.
Take this time to explore and enjoy some great films. Expand your mind, hold your loved ones close and stay the feck away from everyone else. Take care every body.
