A little bit hopeless

Halfway through the film Another Year, I was really tempted to turn it off.  There's so much loneliness in it, and that's not necessarily good watching for me at the moment. 

However, I couldn't stop watching because it was all so well done.  The actors and dialogue are so normal that it doesn't feel like much is being conveyed, but I think it really was.  The character of Mary was worth spending the time with all by herself and there were many others who were interesting to watch.

Sad and a bit hopeless, yes, but still a pretty wonderful film.

Unlocked

Graceful

Diving giraffes

Crossed

 

 

Doctors' Diaries was a special on PBS that followed med school students and then revisited them later in their career.  It was really good.  The doctors had a variety of focuses and their ultimate directions was really surprising in some cases.  It felt like watching the real-life version of Scrubs (a show I absolutely adored) crossed with the 7 Up documentaries (which I also deeply into). 7/10.  

Sweet

Loving Lampposts is a documentary with a sweet and insightful look into people on the autism spectrum.  It felt like a labor of love by the director. 

Nada

Did I just wait to long to check this one out?  'Cause Muriel's Wedding did not delight me at all despite my fondness for Toni Collette and all things Australian.  3/10.

Not enough

The Invisible War is so hard to watch.  It tells the story of women in the military who've been the victims of sexual assault.  It made me see red.  It broke my heart.  It was horrifying. 

Since the film was released, some positive changes have happened but not enough.  Not nearly enough.  8/10.

Infuriating

We're Not Broke is a documentary taking a hard look at the tax breaks and loopholes allowed for corporations.  It's seriously infuriating.  The courts give companies the rights of a citizen, and the legislative branch allows them to get away with welching on what they owe.  Crazy-making! 6/10.

Cute and apt

Ask

Amanda Palmer's TED talk is worth listening to.

Last mile

Unlikely

Dreams of a Life documents the story of a woman who died in her apartment and wasn't found for three years.  It's very sad, but what's amazing is how unlikely her end was.  The telling of the story was a little outside of the box as well.  5/10.

Weirdly awful

P.S. icked me out a bit.  It's about a professor who meets a student who looks and sounds and is named just like her long deceased high school boyfriend.  The story line is both kinda weirdly awful and super predictable.  Hated it. 1/10.

Shattering

Melancholia is gorgeous, shattering, and hard to shake.  It follows two sisters on two days - one of their wedding days and a day when a planet threatens to collide with earth.  So many frames look like paintings that I was awed at times.  Really amazing!  8/10.

Pitiful

The Queen of Versailles is a documentary about an insanely wealthy couple building the largest home in America and what happens when their finances take a turn.  It sounded fascinating and it kinda was.  However, I feel uncomfortable watching documentaries where the people have no concept of how they come off.  The couple in this film are oblivious monster types - and it's their unawareness that makes them monsters not that they are bad people per se).  I felt much like when I watched Grey Gardens - more pitying than entertained.  4/10.

Pissing you off

Hot Coffee is a documentary that raises questions and will very likely piss you off.  I'm a fan of pissing folks off in the best ways - ways that lead to action.  Tort reform sounds like a dry subject until you see the folks screwed over by it.  This film explains a few cases in which people are hurt by award limits and shows how business interests have changed local elections.  It's something that shows how important it is to take part in every election to make a difference locally.

Silly-ish

I think I just don't get Pedro Almodovar most times.  I watched Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown the other day and did not get any amazingness.  It's a silly sort of story that didn't translate itself to much humor.  I much prefered Volver.  2/10.

Crochety

I love a good BBC mystery series, and was psyched to stumble upon another one that fit the bill.  Vera is about a crochety investigator in Northumberland.  The murders are interesting and complicated.  The scenery is lovely and the characters are really interesting and multi-faceted.  It hits all the right spots for me.

Lovely to scale

The Secret World of Arietty is another gorgeous animation from Studio Ghibli.  I confess that I never read The Borrowers, but I remember it sitting on my grandma's bookshelf.  I love how non-formulaic the Studio's movies are.  The animation is fabulous - all those plants and details.  Really lovely to watch. 6/10.

Dark and sweet

Bernie was an interesting watch.  Based on a true story, the film is told with a mix of actors and the real townsfolk who knew the people involved.  Jack Black is perfectly cast for the first time ever.  It's a bit of a black comedy with a bit of sweet ridiculousness.  I just love things that get the small town feel right, and this fits that bill.  6/10.