You know, for getting another long weekend for the end of the year, I didn’t really out-do myself. Kind of disappointing, but I’m sure with the Sundance Film Festival hitting at the end of the month, I’ll more than make up for it.
Far More – Prime Video really tries to pull a fast one on its watchers. Rather than note when the film was originally released, it uses the date of when the streaming service acquires it. Thus, a movie that I thought quietly got released this year in fact got released in 2015 under an entirely different name! To be fair, Sex, Death and Bowling is almost just as terrible as what they went with. In this movie though, star designer Sean McAllister is back in his hometown because his brother is dying of cancer. He hasn’t been back since his mother passed because his father seemed to make it clear that his sexuality was an issue. Sean’s nephew, Eli, is going through a rough time trying to deal with his father’s imminent death, but is determined that they will win an upcoming bowling tournament that his father loved. Lots of miscommunication, tears, and oddly, laughs in this quiet indie film.
Copshop – I knew as soon as I watched this that I had to get my dad to see it because he’d love it. I was right. Teddy is a con man on the run and manages to get himself locked up to protect himself against a slew of headhunters out to get him. Too bad Bob Viddick and Anthony Lamb are hot on his tail. Unfortunately for everyone involved really, they don’t expect a young cop to put all the pieces together, ready to foil their plan at every turn. Lots of guns, action, and hilarious dialogue. Almost as surprisingly entertaining as the first time I saw it.
Cold Pursuit – Thankfully it didn’t take my friend much convincing to watch this Fargo-esque film about a father who’s trying to find out who killed his son. Nels Coxman’s got nothing to lose, so it’s quit entertaining when you start seeing more and more “RIP” plaques pop up on the screen. This film expertly intertwines Nels’ plight, a spoiled white man, and a lucrative Native American ski resort to come up with something so darn genius that even the creators of Fargo would be impressed. I love this movie every time I watch it.
The Lost Daughter – This movie was compelling, but a little slow moving at times. Leda is a college professor on a working vacation when she runs into a very in your face family. She’s drawn to a young mother named Nina and her daughter Elena. It brings back flashes of her owned terse and somewhat failed time as a young mother. Leda bites off more than she can chew though, when she decides to take Elena’s doll, as it reminds her of one she had growing up. Look, this big, very New York family made me uncomfortable with how much they interacted with Leda. Just getting weird and personal right off the bat. Leda though, seems as if she’s just one step away from spiraling the whole film and part of me wonders if the last scene of the film isn’t just a hallucination.
Man in an Orange Shirt – Technically speaking, this is a “show.” A two episode show. Clocking in at the same amount of time as most movies these days, I decided to count it as a film. It comes distinctly in two parts. The first focuses on the doomed romance between two World War II veterans, Michael and Thomas. Michael wants a normal, front-facing life, while Thomas really can’t bear the thought of being hidden behind a family. After Michael marries and has a child with Flora, Thomas is sent to jail for “public indecency.” Flora soon finds out about Michael’s proclivities, but learns to live with it. Sixty years later she learns her grandson is also gay, leading her pent of feelings to come lashing out at Adam. Adam seems to be facing somewhat similar obstacles as Michael did, but finding an old painting from Thomas inspires him on a new path. Very moving.