Tag: Police Drama

What To Watch Now

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On Netflix:

Broadchurch – Veteran Brit powerhouse actresses (Charlotte Rampling; Marianne Jean Baptiste) join the strong ensemble cast as dueling barristers (lawyers) in S2 of the crime drama set in the quiet, beautiful, close-knit town. It’s time for the trial, BUT there is still suspense. We learn more re: another crime from the past of DI Alec Hardy (David Tennant). I’ve seen the first 3 eps so far.

Orange is the New Black – This show continues to grow (new guards and inmates come in, incl. a young/hijabi/black/Muslim woman and a celeb akin to Martha Stewart, played by Blair Brown). How will Sophia deal w/ being in isolation?  What will Piper do next now that she has the rep of being a badass?  Will Crazy Eyes ever find real love?  The jail is overcrowded now, w/ a large pop. of  Latinas bused in.  I have only seen 3 eps- need to get back into it soon!  

In Theaters:

Finding Dory – My mom (big fan of Finding Nemo) & I saw this yesterday afternoon (TOO hot to be out)- we LOVED it! The short film (Piper) was SO cute/well-made/touching!  The octopus, Hank (Ed Oneill) was my fave; it was esp. cool how he blended into the environment around him (like a chameleon).  Gorgeous Brits Idris Elba & Dominic West play two seals. Veteran comedy actors (Eugene Levy & Diane Keaton) voice Dory’s kind/encouraging parents.

Free State of Jones – The McConaughssaince  continues w/ this (based on a true story) historical drama set during the Civil War. But I must admit that the first 5 mins are tough to watch (bloody/gory/realistic); the diverse audience I saw it w/ gasped and cringed at some scenes. There is absolutely NOTHING glam re: war, and boy does this film show us that! The pitch-perfect Matthew is joined by luminous Gugu Mbatha-Raw (Belle) and Mahershala Ali (who MANY will know from House of Cards on Netflix). In his role as Moses, an escaped field slave separated from his wife and young son, Ali gets to show us a LOT more of his talent. Even in the quiet moments, he is a strong screen presence.

No man outta tell another man what he’s gotta live for or what he’s gotta die for!  –Newton Knight declares to his small band of followers- runaway Confederate soldiers, poor white farmers (including widows w/ children), & runaway slaves

I can’t believe that history like this is NOT taught in schools!  I’m SO glad that I got to see it for free at a pre-screening. Unlike what Col. Robert Gould Shaw (played by Matthew Broderick in Glory) said in one his letters to his mother (“I do not know these men, their jokes, their songs”)- Knight can relate to the blacks around him. He lived in the swamps w/ them, foraged for food/fished w/ the men, etc.  Check this film out if you can!

On TV:

The Night Of – This is an HBO limited series starring British-Pakistani actor, Riz Ahmed, and veteran actor, John Turturro (who had to take over after the death of James Gandolfini). The story centers on a Pakistani-American college kid from Queens, Nas Khan, who is questioned, then arrested, for the murder of a young woman he picked up in his father’s cab one night while on the way to a party.  The original story comes from across the pond (England), where the accused suspect was played by boyish/waifish Ben Whishaw; that story was focused on class from what I’ve heard.  This version doesn’t shy away from the fact that the suspect is a Muslim male, or the inherent suspicions that come w/ that in post-9/11 era. 


AFI Latin American Film Festival: Marshland (Spain)

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NOTE: This is a SPOILER-FREE review.  DC area folks can see this film tomorrow (SAT, 9/19/15) at 9:15PM at AFI Silver.

Marshland shows us a world where everyone is out for themselves.  -Gareth Wood (Maverick Film)

We’re quite familiar w/ the set-up already: missing girls, small town w/ secrets/corruption, and two VERY different homicide detectives (from the big city) brought in to help solve the case.  However, this film is set in Spain in 1980, soon after General Franco was overthrown and the country (struggling economically) became a democracy.  The missing teens are two sisters, Carmen and Estrella, who were known to “have a reputation.”  The cops from Madrid are idealistic father-to-be, Pedro (Raul Arevalo), and jaded, hard drinking Juan (Javier Gutierrez). 

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Some frames of the film are based on photographs of Atín Aya, whose work impressed the filmmakers when they knew his work in a retrospective exhibition. -IMDB

I recommend this film for fans of Southern Gothic stories, character dramas, and those who like suspense (NOT only action).  Don’t worry, there are a FEW well done action scenes. On the way, the cops are assisted by Jesus (a local guide), who provides some of the humor in his dark tale.  Jesus gets caught hunting a deer (“Bambi,” he jokes) w/o a license.

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The cops work together, BUT also on their own following different leads.  The cinematography in this film is VERY good, as my friend commented.  The location is almost like a character in the story- we see desert, marshes, rivers, and (in the climax) a rainstorm.  If you liked HBO’s True Detective (S1), this is for YOU. 

 

Spoiler-Free Review: Broadchurch (Series 1) starring David Tennant

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DS Ellie Miller (Olivia Colman) & DI Alec Hardy (David Tennant)

Broadchurch is a marvel.  I have never seen a TV drama that explores the emotions of so many characters so convincingly.  Crimes are traumatizing.  Broadchurch gets this perfectly.  Nor have I have ever seen a crime drama that packs a visual punch in so many scenes.  The Dorset coast is a character in Broadchurch.  It plays its role as effectively as any of the brilliant actors in this piece.  And that brings up the acting.  You won’t find a weak performance and some are unforgettable.  –Excerpt from an IMDB review

As in The Fall and Happy Valley, Broadchurch‘s lead character, Detective Inspector Alec Hardy (David Tennant- using his real Scottish accent),  is a troubled individual (a past case gone wrong, mysterious health matter, etc.)  He is brought in to a lovely/small town on the Dorset coast to investigate the mysterious death of young Billy Latimer, who was the best friend of Detective Sergeant Ellie Miller’s (Olivia Colman) son, Tom.  DS Miller, the local top cop, is (of course) shocked by this death.  Also, she thought that she was getting the promotion given to Hardy, which causes tension/awkwardness in the squad room. 

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The Latimer family headed by Mark (Andrew Buchan from Cranford, Garrow’s Law)

The insider, Miller, tries to investigate her close friends and many community members in a respectful manner, but Hardy (the outsider) has an abrasive personality that almost everyone chafes against.  The media can be used for good, or cause a LOT of problems, with a police investigation.  Miller’s reporter nephew, Olly (Jonathan Stevens, who resembles Hugh Dancy), is eager to learn all the details for the local paper.  Olly is a good guy who makes a BIG rookie mistake on Twitter.  The seemingly happy/picture-perfect Latimers are NOT all what they seem.  Suspicion falls on several individuals, including the recently-arrived/young Anglican priest, Rev. Coates (Arthur Darvill).  He was one of the most interesting characters in the show- thoughtful, spiritual, yet also a BIT mysterious. 

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Two journalists, an eager local & a more experienced outsider, show of the power of the news media

Writer Chris Chibnall was inspired by two American crime shows- Twin Peaks and Murder One (which I watched and really liked).  Unlike The Fall and Happy Valley, this show has a broader scope (think soap opera, but much more sophisticated/intelligent).  You get to know about MORE people, several of whom dwell in the gray areas of life.  Check it out (Netflix).  I just learned that Series 2 (BBC) has Charlotte Rampling and Marianne Jean-Baptiste- WOW! 

  

Spoiler-Free Review: Happy Valley

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Sgt. Catherine Cawood (Sarah Lancashire) tries to crack down on drug dealers (& other criminals) in her small/rural Yorkshire community.

After watching The Fall, I noticed that MANY fans of that show recommended this one, so I decided to take a look.  After the first two eps, I was hooked.  Sgt. Catherine Cawood (Sarah Lancashire, who played a supporting role in The Paradise) is the type of cop you’d never see on network TV in the US, or perhaps never as the lead.  She’s a grandmother, no-nonsense, passionate (esp. about her family), and looks like a REAL middle-aged woman!  And when she gets beaten up on the job, the injuries are not quickly covered up w/ makeup. 

Catherine is motivated to be a good cop b/c of her (complicated) family/personal life and an inherent sense of fairness.  She is raising her grandson, Ryan, a good-hearted kid who has been acting out in school recently.  Ryan’s mother was Catherine’s only daughter. 

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Do you recognize her? Clare (Siobhan Finneran from Downton Abbey) is Catherine’s sis!

At home, she has her sister, Clare (Siobhan Finneran), is a recovering drug addict who provides an ear and a lot of emotional support (in lieu of rent).  Drugs, particularly heroin, have affected MANY of the young people of this valley.  Catherine’s ex-husband, a journalist, remarried years ago, but they still have a connection.  In time, we meet Catherine’s son, Daniel, and learn about their strained relationship. 

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Ashley – left (Joe Armstrong)

There are several well-developed supporting characters, including Joe Armstrong (BBC’s Robin Hood).  I was pleasantly surprised to see that many of the cops (in the background, recurring characters) were British Asians (or South Asians, as we say here).  The show is definitely a vehicle for Lancashire, who shows the many sides to a complicated individual.  Her big, expressive blue eyes and authoritative tone are great assets.  I loved ALL the scenes she had with her grandson! 

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Tommy Lee Royce (James Norton)

Catherine is stunned when she sees an ex-con, Tommy Lee Royce (James Norton from Grantchurch), from her daughter’s past walking the streets.  She MUST find out more!  To fans of the movie Fargo, the awkwardly-planned/amateur kidnapping will be especially interesting.  Check out this show (Season 1 is on Netflix)- you won’t be disappointed!   

Spoiler-Free Review: Top of the Lake starring Elisabeth Moss

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Three of the ensemble cast: Thomas M. Wright, Elisabeth Moss, & David Wenham

I really wanted to like this show, but alas, it was not to be!  I read a BIT about it’s ardently feminist viewpoint (it was co-written by Jane Campion, the New Zealand-based director who gained much acclaim in Hollywood with The Piano).  I was interested in seeing David Wenham (also a New Zealander), who many of you know as Faramir in The Lord of the Rings trilogy.  Here, he plays a detective who somehow manages to dress well, live in fancy house, and sail on a boat. 

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A group of women set up a sanctuary (named Paradise) by the lake.

The premise is interesting- Tui Mitchell, a 12 y.o. pregnant girl, leaves home w/o a word or note for her family.  Detective Robin Griffin (Elisabeth Moss from The West Wing and Mad Men), who is visiting her ailing mother from Australia, gets on board this case, having special training w/ youth.  Moss is simply miscast here- she’s the opposite of what I’d expect a cop to be, but she has a few nice scenes with Tui and her mother. 

Top of the Lake has been compared with The Fall and Happy Valley, but it falls short for several reasons. Though the remote New Zealand setting can be beautiful, mysterious, and captivating, it doesn’t make up for the one-dimensional supporting characters and dialogue that often seems removed from everyday life.  The presence of the guru-type figure, GJ (Holly Hunter), and her group of rag-tag followers doesn’t add much to the story.  

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GJ (Holly Hunter) is a willing ear for a group of diverse/troubled women.

As for those looking for romance, you’ll be disappointed, since Robin and her main love interest, Johnno (Thomas M. Wright, who is Australian), have very little chemistry together.  We learn that they dated in high school; he’s also one of Tui’s older half-brothers.  About 15 years ago, Robin and Johnno went to a dance together, shared a kiss, but then the night took on a horrible turn (especially for her).  Robin’s personal history w/ a few of the (not so straight-laced) inhabitants of this insular community cause complications during the investigation.

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Matt Mitchell (Peter Mullan) lives by his own rules… and gets away w/ it!

Tui’s father, Matt Mitchell (Peter Mullan), is probably the most troubled/complicated characters of the series.  You JUST don’t know what he’ll do next!  Is he a villain or simply a hothead?  Mullan (who is Scottish) is a talented actor, but I got the sinking feeling that he was TOO good for this show.  As a few critics have written, men are NOT heroes in this story, or even tolerable.  Almost every teen boy or man is a coward, violent domestic abuser, rapist, or potential rapist!  There is a sense of foreboding throughout the episodes that just gets boring after a while.  Worst of all, I just didn’t care about ANY of the characters!  I guess this is what happens when a writer’s/director’s “vision” gets in the way of the story.