Month: March 2021
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Sentinelle, a revenge action thriller from France
Sentinelle is a standard issue violent revenge flick. The only difference between this and most revenge stories is the main character is a woman. The film is mostly in French and is streaming on Netflix. There are some spoilers in this review.
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Genius: Aretha strikes a chord for genius
Genius: Aretha is the third season of a National Geographic series about geniuses. The first two seasons were about Picasso and Einstein. Now we have Aretha Franklin. The series isn’t a traditional biopic. It’s more about the music than anything else. After streaming on the National Geographic channel, it’s now on Hulu.
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Promising Young Woman, a revenge story like no other
Promising Young Woman is a brilliant new treatment of the revenge movie. It’s fresh and funny and barbed and full of heart. A masterwork. Written and directed by Emerald Fennell, the film is available to rent on Prime Video.
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Kid 90 explores the celebrity past of Soleil Moon Frye
Kid 90 is a nostalgic look at the 90’s from Punky Brewster star Soleil Moon Frye. Frye grew up among a group of famous kids in Hollywood. In her teens she recorded everything in diaries and on videotape. Her documentary using this material is streaming on Hulu.
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When They Left (Cuando Ellos Se Fueron)
When They Left (Cuando Ellos Se Fueron) is a documentary from Ecuador about a mountain hamlet where no one is left but some elderly widows. The film is available from the website as a DVD, but I don’t see it available on any streamers yet. It’s worth buying or keeping an eye out for it.
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The One provides mystery combined with a sci-fi look at love
The One begins with the sci-fi premise that DNA can be used to match you up with your one true love. It uses that premise to tell a complex story about power, greed, love, murder, and corruption. This series from the UK is streaming on Netflix.
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Yes Day earns a big YES!
Yes Day is a family comedy that should bring a laugh and a smile to viewers of every age. This brightly colored romp is streaming on Netflix.
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The Attaché brings themes of home and belonging
The Attaché is an Israeli series about a family that moves to Paris for a year. It begins streaming on Acorn TV today (March 22). I had the impression from the promos and constant references to a terrorist attack that this would be a political thriller. In fact, it’s a story about the immigrant experience…
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The Sense of Wonder (Le goût des merveilles) is a sweet French film
The Sense of Wonder (Le goût des merveilles) is a sweet story about a struggling mom of two, Louise (Virginie Efira), and a neurodivergent man she accidentally hits with her car. It’s streaming on Prime Video.
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Maria (and Everybody Else) brings comedy from Spain
Maria (and Everybody Else) ( María (y los demás)) is an energetic comedy of errors from Spain. The film was directed by Nely Reguera and stars Bárbara Lennie as the Maria everything swirls around. You can see this 2016 release on Prime Video for a small rental.