In case you are looking for some recommendations for your weekend (and I know you are), here are some things I have enjoyed on Netflix over the last few weeks/months. Warning up front: I tend to like independent, quirky things, and I am not at all bothered by cursing or most violence.
Movies:
- Mud- Two Mississippi teens befriend a peculiar drifter named Mud (Matthew McConaughey) and get caught up in his tales of lost love, crimes of passion and bounty hunters. McConaughey gets top billing, but the movie really revolves around the life of one of the teens, Ellis. I thought it was a poignant story of young boys learning about hurt and loss of trust that all of us experience growing up. If you like quirky, emotionally challenging movies with more dialogue than action, you may like this one. Rated PG-13, I assume primarily for language and some violence.
- Unfinished Song- This movie made me cry like a baby, and I'll probably watch it again just to cry again. Arthur is a cranky old man whose wonderful wife, Marion, is terminally ill with cancer. Marion joins an unconventional church choir. Imagine elderly British folks singing "Let's Talk About Sex" a cappella. Yep. When the choir is chosen to perform in a competition, Arthur reluctantly joins. A surprisingly touching movie that shows Arthur struggling with the fear of losing his wife and alternately destroying and rebuilding a relationship with their son. Rated PG-13 for some sexual references and rude gestures.
- Blackfish- This documentary made me extremely sad. I realize this is a very controversial movie and probably neither side is 100% accurate. However, the stories told by former trainers and the man that helped capture whales from the wild are very disturbing. There are also scenes in the movie that were difficult to watch because they showed injuries suffered by the animals as well as the trainers. Rated PG-13.
TV Shows
- Lilyhammer- Steven Van Zandt (of The Sopranos and the E Street Band fame) stars as a New York mobster who goes into hiding in Lillehammer after testifying against his former associates. While I would personally hate the cold in Norway, the snowy landscape in this series is gorgeous. For a highly manipulative person, Steven Van Zandt's character, Johnny, is very likeable. There is a quirky cast of characters that are fleshed out enough to see the good and bad in all of them. There are some clever (and some obvious) nods to both Springsteen and The Sopranos. This was Netflix's first original series and they have renewed it for a third season to be released later this year. It is rated TV-MA. There is a large amount of swearing, violence and more than one instance of nudity, just so you are forewarned.
- An Idiot Abroad- In this hilarious British series, Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant send their "idiot" friend Karl on a different adventure in each episode. He is completing an item off a bucket list in each show, though as Ricky frequently reminds him, this is not Karl's bucket list. Karl is a somewhat grumpy man who isn't too enthused with trying new things, meeting new people, experiencing new cultures- you can see where this is going. He expresses some viewpoint where I think, "Aw, Karl isn't so awful" and then he says something else to make me think, "Idiot". Ricky and Stephen really enjoy putting Karl in some very uncomfortable situations and I thought much of it was funny and interesting. There are two seasons, though I personally thought season one was a little bit more entertaining. Rated TV-14, there is frequent cursing, though some of it is British slang so maybe that doesn't count. FYI- the British use the F word too. There are also a few instances of nudity in a culturally appropriate way (native tribes in traditional dress), not in a sexually charged way.
- Doc Martin- I just started watching this British show about a grumpy surgeon who moves to a small seaside village with eccentric townspeople. Think Dr. House with less overt nastiness. Netflix has seasons two through five, though the details I missed by not seeing season one seem pretty small. I've been able to figure out some of the backstory and enjoy the episodes in season two.
- Parks and Recreation- I'm probably one of the last people in America to watch this comedy because I have never been a huge Amy Poehler fan. After it was recommended to me for the billionth time, I decided to give it a go. I watched all five seasons on Netflix and started watching the current season on TV. I'm still not a big Poehler fan, but the show is entertaining to me. I don't need to take one of those incessant Zimbio quizzes to know that while we aren't in sync on everything, I most closely identify with Ron Swanson. If you haven't watched it before, give it a good two or three episodes to see if you like it.
- House of Cards- Keven Spacey: enough said. Okay, if you need more, this is a seriously suspenseful drama of D.C. political maneuvering. There is something so deliciously evil about Spacey's character, Frank Underwood, that I couldn't stop watching. If you loved The West Wing, but wished it were darker, more sinister, more murdery, and generally made you uncomfortable, this is the show for you. Rated TV-MA for very good reasons- lots of cursing, sexually explicit scenes, drug use and violence.
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