Amour

Amour (Michael Haneke, 2012)

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Rating: Q=8, P=3 / Rubs Me The Wrong Way

Scale 1=4, Scale 2=4, Scale 3=2, Scale 4=1

Death, Grief, Aging, Illness, Love

This film was beautiful, raw, difficult to watch, silent and so very real. I found myself turning away from the screen many times because so many scenes reminded me of the troubling years when my grandmother struggled to understand anything in her environment. Stroke and dementia are common and so I'm sure this film touched many viewers. I assure you the low P rating comes only from the fact that the film is so tough to handle. That doesn't mean we should avoid watching.

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TV series: Midsomer Murders Season 1 & Heat of the Sun

Midsomer Murders (Caroline Graham, 1997-present)

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Rating: DSQ=9, SP=7 / Sweet Treat

Scale A=3, Scale B=3, Scale C=3, Scale D=3, Scale E=4

Mystery, TV Series, Detective, Crime, Suspense

I can't believe it took me so long to start watching this series. On the air for 13 seasons? It's no wonder that the show has been on the air for 13 seasons. It's a delight to watch the competent and somewhat funny Inspector Barnaby as he investigates interesting and quirky characters in deceivingly quiet villages. My favorite episode from the first season is The Killings at Badger's Drift--what a way to start.

Heat of the Sun, Mini-Series (BBC, 1998)

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Rating: DSQ=10, SP=7 / Decadence

Scale A=4, Scale B=3, Scale C=3, Scale D=3, Scale E=4

 

Mystery, TV Series, 1930s, Africa, Detective, Crime

I loved this mini-series when I first watched it on PBS many years ago, quite possibly when it was new. Wonderful scenery of Kenya, beautiful costume design bringing the audience back to the era between the great wars. Each mystery is complex and Inspector Tyburn does his best to uphold truth and justice in a land that is foreign to him. Hide in Plain Sight is my favorite two-part story.
 

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Busting Out & This Film is Not Yet Rated

Busting Out (Laurel Spellman and Francine Strickwerda, 2004)

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Rating: DOCQ=4, DOCP=3 / It's All Scribbly To Me

Scale K=2, Scale L=2, Scale M=2, Scale N=1
 

Breasts, Cancer, Culture, Psychology, Sexuality
 

I wasn't amazed by this short documentary but it was a nice re-visiting to the decades old discussion of why our culture is so breast-obsessed. Some moving conversations from cancer survivors but overall the film is a little lacking in anything new.

This Film is Not Yet Rated (Kirby Dick, 2006)

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Rating: DOCQ=5, DOCP=5 / Quite Legible

Scale K=2, Scale L=3, Scale M=3, Scale N=2
 

Censorship, Film Rating, MPAA, Investigation
 

What a fun investigative film! Right away I was hooked--I've never understood our terrible, clunky film rating system. And -yes, you guessed it- now I want to create my own rating system. Look for that in the near future.

Kirby Dick does a wonderful job finding out about the secretive and strangely uncooperative MPAA. He also includes great commentary from filmmakers and writers about their experiences with having films rated and those ratings not explained. Eye-opening.
 

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Unforgiven

Unforgiven (Clint Eastwood, 1992)
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Rating: Q=7, P=4 / Can't Get Enough

Scale 1=3, Scale 2=4, Scale 3=3, Scale 4=1

 

Western, Good vs. Evil, Masculinity, Redemption, Myth

It is amazingly difficult to write such a simple narrative about such familiar issues and characters. Clint Eastwood's elegy to the western is moving, disturbing, and intricate. I found myself intrigued, as I usually am, with the complex male characters who struggle with reputation. Reputation is everything to men in the western genre. What does it mean to be true to yourself? And what if your true nature is cold-hearted and ruthless? Better to ride out into the storm with your guns blazing and the folks telling your story for decades to come than to have your image kicked and bloodied in a jail cell. Far worse to be a living sham than a dead legend. As the late Roger Ebert wrote in his spot on review, "deserve has everything to do with it."
 

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Tales of the Night

Tales of the Night (Michel Ocelot, 2011)

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Rating: Q=7, P=5 / Can't Get Enough

Scale 1=4, Scale 2=3, Scale 3=3, Scale 4=2

Animation, Fairy Tale, Vivid, Visual, Folklore

What a treat! Michel Ocelot never fails to amaze me with his remarkable animation styles. This film is a series of folktales from the Caribbean, Africa, South America, Europe, Tibet, etc. Each one has a moral and is presented in fantastic visual style. Great for lovers of animation and folklore. Also great for kids!

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TV series: Are You Being Served? Season 1 & 2

Are You Being Served? Seasons 1 & 2 (David Croft & Jeremy Lloyd, 1972-1985)

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Rating: CSS=8, CSQ=6 / The Guffaws

Scale F=3, Scale G=2, Scale H=3, Scale I=3, Scale J=3

British Comedy, Witty, Situation Comedy, Workplace, Satire

Such a great and timeless comedy. I remember watching this show when I was little and not understanding anything of the subtle jokes, play on words, wit and wackiness. Rewatching now has been a delight. Nothing compares to the satire of workplace rules and regulations, class and rank, and political correctness. The early seasons are fun to watch as the characters are still developing and winning you over with their own quirks.

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