So, you’d rather stay in tonight? It’s easy to get lost in the plethora of films ready to stream at our disposal. The movie world is our oyster, and, having already settled into the fashionable choice of Chinese take-out alone on a Friday evening, it may be difficult to narrow your options down to just one.
This is where I come in! Having spent plenty of night’s myself enjoying the peace of solitude, I’ve had time to go through the endless titles that Netflix and Hulu Plus offers us. So, each week I’ll be posting five films, television shows, etc that I believe would befit your couch potato needs.
Blancanieves (2013) Directed By: Pablo Berger – It’s a Gothic retelling of the story of Snow White and it’s also a silent film. It was overlooked last year but it’s a wonderfully twisted look at a familiar tale. Shot in black and white and presented as a classic silent film it gives the story an edge from the onset, one that isn’t going to be doused in color or fantasy. There’s a magic realism to the film but it’s subtle and it’s grim. It’s more out of the vein of the classic Brothers Grimm tales then the Disney version. Maribel Verdu gives a marvelously theatrical performance as Encarna and Macarena Garcia as Carmen is charming as the lead.The story isn’t new, but the way it was told is certainly unlike many films released in the past few years.
Happy-Go-Lucky (2008) Directed By: Mike Leigh– Mike Leigh’s newest film Mr. Turner is hitting theaters soon so why not take the time to either re-watch or see fresh for the first time the joyful little film Happy-Go-Lucky. Sally Hawkins plays Poppy, a teacher living in North London who goes through life seeing the positives, with an optimism that the people she surrounds herself with don’t seem to fully understand. It’s hard to digest just how she manages to keep such a cheerful disposition,but it’s admirable and it makes for a dynamic lead. It’s rare to see such a content character as a lead and even when she hits her wits end (really only once) it’s manageable. It’s a feel good movie with a cheerful character set in a colorful town. Watch it.
Sherlock Jr. (1924) Directed By: Buster Keaton – To me, Buster Keaton is an undisputed great with a visionary eye for directing with sequences that hold up today, and more guts than any other actor around. He’s also sadly a cautionary tale of what happens when off-beat directors with particular visions sign up with big studio names (see Edgar Wright for another example). Sherlock Jr. is my favorite film of his that I’ve seen. For people who love silent films it’s great because of how much energy he sparks and how well he frames shots, tricking the eye despite the minimal tools at his disposal in comparison to what he’d have now. For those who tire easily of older films, especially silent films, it’s great because of it’s abundance of humor including some fantastic physical comedy for which he was well known for, matched with his noted stone face, and also the brief running time. It’s a great introduction to a legend.
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The 100 (2013-present) Created By: Jason Rothenberg -Okay so, full disclosure, I just started this show last weekend and have binge watched eight episodes and I’m hooked! Who knows, maybe it all goes down hill from here but I can say that if you’re looking for an addicting new show to power through, this is it. It’s on it’s second season now with only the first on Netflix. I am always looking for new quality shows in the science-fiction genre and let me tell you, they are rare which makes this find so exciting. If you can get past the rocky first two episodes you’re in the clear and I assure you you’ll fall for the Clarke, Bellamy and the rest of the crew both in space and on earth. Go support!
I Wish (2011) Directed By: Hirokazu Koreeda – This is a quiet, introspective film that you’ll need to be in the right mood for but it’s very much worth your time. It’s very internal film about two brothers who are separated by their parent’s divorce and one of the boy’s wish for the two of them to reunited, believing that a new bullet train being built will be the catalyst to the miracle he’s hoping for. Director Hirokazu Koreeda knows how to get to the heart of the matter and his heartfelt direction mixed the exuberance of the youthful energy makes for a very moving film.
