Suggestions 41 - latest Suggestions 21 - 40 Suggestions 1 - 20

Fortieth Suggestions

Here are some, as usual, eclectic finds worth watching. Bruce 26 May 2023

Tom Waits

If you like Tom Waits (or even if you don't know his work here is a primer):

The Beautiful Maladies - LIVE At Herman's Jazz Club 2022.

These guys are genius. These 2 hours give a terrific overview of Waits' work from the early days to Rain Dogs and beyond.

Thanks to Beck Peacock for this sweet record of their performance.

Part One and Part Two The Maladies are performing more Tom Waits at Hermann's Saturday May 20.

Glass Workers

These glass workers are ultimate artisans - magicians really:

Raven Skyriver Glass Sculptor

Here are two 4 min Youtube clips of the work of a San Juan islands artist. I'm fascinated, mesmerized, with glass work. You may go off on some glassy Youtube travels yourselves.

Meet the Artist: Raven Skyriver and Raven Skyriver Glass

and

Jason Christian Red Dragon, 36 min

process of making another elaborate glass sculpture

Space Explorers: Moonrise On The ISS, 44 min

"Life on the space station is a proving ground for humanity's next step toward the stars." Spend some time observing some truly remarkable people and incredible technology that have been circling around above our heads for years. This 44min piece gives just a glimpse of the 2020 version of a quarter century's evolution of this program.

Free on Gem

Judy Blume Forever, 97 min, 2023

"Known for her radical honesty, Judy Blume's books revolutionized the way millions of readers understood themselves, their adolescence, and their sexuality. Her fearless mission to openly discuss taboo subjects paved the way to real debate and conversation around book banning, censorship, and teen sexual discovery."

Free if you have Amazon Prime.

Lunana: A Yak In The Classroom, 109 min, 2019

A young man with a dream of moving to Australia finds himself teaching a classroom of eager children — and a yak — in a remote Bhutanese village. This film is based on the real stories of a teacher in Lunana, Bhutan, and was shot on location with a cast of mainly local inhabitants. G Thanks to Gail and Carolyn for the tip on this one.

On Netflix.

Yak in the classroom trailer.

Lost In Paris, 97 min, 2015

"A Canadian, Fiona, visits Paris for the first time to assist her myopic Aunt Martha." Wonderful physical comedy in this quirky treat. Pg

Trailer

$3 through AppleTV but free to watch through GVPL on Kanopy.

Edwin Boyd: Citizen Gangster

Here's a Canadian film that didn't get its due. A great story, a piece of notorious Canadian history (note the Lorne Green and other references), terrific acting and fine cinematography.

"Canada's most notorious postwar bank robber, Edwin Boyd, broke out twice from Toronto's Don Jail, leading Canadian police on two of the biggest manhunts in the country's history.

[First-time feature director Nathan Morlando, inspired by Boyd's story and having met him in later years, rather than a literal retelling, made his movie] less a gangster film than an existential allegory of choices and limitations." Globe and Mail

There is a great Victoria hook to the story. Check out Boyd's Wikipedia site after watching - it'll surprise you. 14A Rentable on AppleTV or available at the GVPL - one copy, no holds.

Boyd's 1952 capture article.

Carol Burnett and company, 9 min

.... and here's a skit, a perfect piece of Carol Burnett and company funniness, about a bank robbery not going so smoothly. Thanks Dan! Bank Teller Trainee Meets Bank Robber Trainee. view

Thirty-Nineth Suggestions

Bruce 15 Apr 2023

Marianne & Leonard: Words of Love , 102 min, 2019

"In 1960, 26-year-old Canadian writer Leonard Cohen fled his home town of Montreal and ended up on the Greek island of Hydra. There he met Marianne Ihlen, the Norwegian woman who would become the lover and muse he immortalized in his song "So Long, Marianne."... British filmmaker Nick Broomfield spent time on Hydra as a 20-year-old student and had a brief affair with Marianne. He traces the tragic love story of the artist and his muse through personal archive material, interviews and poetic voice-overs by Cohen and Ihlen. A melancholy, intimate and dreamlike film about fame and its darker side, about sexual freedom in the 1960s, and undying love." trailer more

The Godfather - Commentary by Francis Ford Coppola, 130 min

I found this commentary fascinating about this now over-half-century-old masterpiece. Over stills from the film, Coppola talks conversationally and very modestly about about this mini-budget, incredibly successful and influential film ($6 - 7.2 million dollar production that went on to make over 1/4 Billion! at the box office according to IMDB). And think what it has earned since!

Brando, at a low time in his career was paid 120K for his role as the Godfather but made up for it particularly with a fun takeoff in his role in TheFreshman* (1990) at $3million. Coppola talks often about his being under the threat of being fired in the first week, having to fight for so many aspects of the production, about the thrifty shoot, the mistakes that worked, the authenticity of the Italian/American experiences portrayed. 130minutes about the 175min film. trailer

can be found on AppleTV.

And if you liked this there is The Godfather Part II Director’s Commentary which I’m sure is equally entertaining oin Coppola’s warm voice: more more

The Freshman, 102 min, 1990

Brando and Mathew Broderick have a great time in this Godfather comedy/caper take off with some hilarious footage of Broderick learning from the Don and wrestling a Komodo dragon.

The Freshman trailer Rent from AppleTV

Matilda, 98 min, 1996

The Matildas

Both Matildas, on Netflix, are films with a strong sense (and send up) of bullying and punishment of kids in school in Britain, and parental neglect. About a bright little girl who struggles to survive difficult grownups but discovers some magical powers that help her prevail. Watch both and compare:

1. Roald Dahl’s Matilda The Musical (last time’s suggestion)

A bit tough to watch in the early going but good prevails in the end. It’s a visual delight and Emma Thomson is outrageous as the head mistress. Netflix and:

2. Matilda

Danny DeVito directed and starred in this version, without the songs but just as much fun! On Netflix.

Remastered: The Two Killings Of Sam Cooke Gulman, 74 min, 2019

I really found this documentary entertaining and insightful. Sam Cooke was at the top of his game when he died violently at 33. He was a charismatic entertainer who became increasingly influential in the racial struggles of those 60s times, (the doc overlaps with the 2020 docudrama film, One Night In Miami when he and Mohammad Ali, Malcolm X, and footballer Jim Brown, four of the most powerful Black men in America came together)

On Netflix.

trailer more

Killer Of Sheep, 80 min, 1978

Stan works in drudgery at a slaughterhouse. His personal life is drab. Dissatisfaction and ennui keep him unresponsive to the needs of his adoring wife, and he must struggle against influences which would dishonour and endanger him and his family.

"[Charles] Burnett serves up a slice of life where every day, typical occurrences are the focus….a deceptively simple film with a passionately-beating heart at its core." Adam Grinwald - Collider Made while Burnett was still in film school, 45years ago, for $10,000, a micro budget even at the time (for the 2007 the rights to the soundtrack music cost 150K), this one really stands up. It is considered a US national treasure. Available on Kanopy, free with your library card

more

Thirty-Eighth Suggestions

Bruce 28 Mar 2023

Georgie Girl, 69 min, 2001

RIP Georgina Beyer

Strange that it was just in January that I sent out the suggestion of a wonderful documentary about Georgina Beyer. She died this last Monday. Showing the film and speaking with her and the MM audience was a highlight.

Her obituary: "Sex worker, survivor, Mãori TV star: world's first transgender MP remembered as trailblazer" more (you can peak over the paywall).

The Georgie Girl documentary again: more

Les Paul - Chasing Sound, 90 min, 2007

Lester William Polsfuss (June 9, 1915 – August 12, 2009), known as Les Paul, was an American jazz, country, and blues guitarist, songwriter, luthier, and inventor. Here's the guitar genius at 90 years old and loving it, still playing and looking back fondly at his career.

He revolutionized guitar playing an even the technology; inventing over-dubbing, making classic recordings at home on portable gear, the solid body guitar, all these years playing brilliantly. Nearly losing an arm at 30 years old, his 90s find him every Monday playing in a small jazz club as he has for 15 years. With testimonials by an amazing roster of guitar legends, he tells some great stories.

Thanks to Bert for bringing this one to my attention.

Free to watch on Youtube.

Surviving Paradise: A Family Tale, 78 min, 2022

I don't know how they do it! Incredible, intimate wildlife cinematography and engaging story-telling. Animals of the Kalahari Desert are followed closely through a year of extremes.

"Okavango Delta, a vast oasis, is isolated from the rest of the world by unforgiving desert. It's also a refuge, built and maintained daily by its inhabitants; in return, it caters for their every need. Big cats may appear to reign here, but in reality, the fate of every creature, great and small, is intertwined." more

Sword Of Trust, 88 min, 2019



"A cantankerous pawnshop owner and his man-child employee team up with an out-of-town couple who are trying to hawk a Civil War-era sword inherited from a recently deceased grandfather. The sword comes with a convoluted report claiming the relic is proof that the South won the war." It's all in the telling. I think this is brilliant. A small budget film with a big heart and a fun story. R (language)

Trailer, $6 to rent on Apple TV but worth the investment.

Thirty-Seventh Suggestions

Harry & Snowman, 84 min, 2015

A true Cinderella story, Harry & Snowman follows Dutch immigrant Harry deLeyer and Snowman, a rescued Amish plow horse that was headed to a glue factory. After just two years, the dynamic duo of Harry and Snowman went on to win the Triple Crown of show jumping, beating the top jumpers in the nation. The pair quickly gained the attention of the media and became sweethearts of America.

From a $80 rescue horse to a champion show jumper, the film documentary of Harry and his beloved Snowman is truly inspiring.

GVPL has both Bluray and DVD versions.

Google Play has it as well. ("Just Play" is a good way online to find something that is a little scarce).

Matilda, 98 min, 2022

Live action telling of a Roald Dahl story about a precocious young girl facing some mean bullies including an incredibly mean head mistress played wildly by Emma Thompson. Turns out Matilda develops some special powers that win out in the end. Good fun.

on Netflix

Check out the trailer Matilda trailer 2022.

Gap Toothed Women, 31 min, 1987

Documentarian Les Blanc's ode to women with a gap. A classic from 1987.

We've Lost a Sorcerer: Jeff Beck Remembered, 8 min, 2010

This great article, about the recently passed Jeff Beck, included a link to an incredible concert at this famous (usually) jazz venue, Ronnie Scotts, in 2008 - Jeff Beck - Performing Live at Ronnie Scott's. Here's a band backing a brilliant instrumentalist, all playing at their best and loving it. Eric Clapton sits in toward the end of the 100 minute set, in 2007. Thanks Greg for the heads up on this one.

Georgie Girl, 69 min, 2001

The life and times of trailblazer Georgina Beyer, the first indigenous trans woman elected into national office - former drug user, sex worker and a remarkable orator - voted in by a rural usually right-wing conservative electorate.

Born George, she was raised on a farm by a stern grandfather, where she learned to fish and shoot. In her late teens Beyer discovered the LBGT scene in 70s and 80s Wellington, and became for a time, a sex worker and drug user. Taking the unusual step of leaving the city, she achieved rapid ascendency, taken to the heart of the conservative rural town of Carterton, elected first as a local councillor, then as mayor, before finally becoming a Member of Parliament in 1999. on youtube

We talked to Georgina Beyer MP, in 2006 from her government office in NZ, after watching this documentary about her life at MM. She was great, even mentioning her go in Dance With The Stars and her relationship with an athlete who was away competing at the games in Australia at the time. She planned to step down from her MP position at the end of her first term but was so aghast at the head runner on the other party, a far right evangelist, she ran again and won another term.

Thirty-Sixth Suggestions
Best of the Season! Some good watching lately. Winter is a great time to hunker down with great stories. I went on a bit of a horse whisperer jag (I haven't ridden a horse in 50 years) but all three at the bottom of this list are terrific watches, complimenting each other and greatly appreciated at Movie Monday in their day..
Bruce 18 December 2022

Ghost, 126 min, 1990

Good old 1990s entertainment. "Sam Wheat is a banker, Molly Jensen is an artist, and the two are madly in love. However, when Sam is murdered by his friend and corrupt business partner, Carl, over a shady business deal, he is left to roam the earth as a powerless spirit. When he learns of Carl's betrayal, Sam must seek the help of psychic Oda Mae Brown to set things right and protect Molly from Carl and his goons."

Patrick Swayze, Demi Moore who are pretty easy on the eye (and do some very suggestive potting). And Whoopi Goldberg won an Oscar for her work as Supporting Actress in this one. From Wikipedia: "Ghost was theatrically released on July 13, 1990, to commercial success, grossing $505 million against a budget of $22–23 million and emerging as the highest-grossing film of 1990 and at the time of its release, was the third-highest-grossing film of all time." 16+

The trailer almost tells you too much. Just watch, you'll enjoy.

Rent from Prime.

Birth Of The Living Dead, 76 min, 2013

The making of the one that started the whole zombie cinema industry, Night Of The Living Dead (1968). The director, George A. Romero, is great: "I don't think there's such a thing as a bad zombie, ya know, I love them all". It really puts the film in the context of the life and times of the late 60s when we were in our late teens. And in the context of the films of the times too. Well worth a look. Pg trailer

Free through the library on Kanopy.

My Life As A Rolling Stone, 4 episodes, each 60 min, 2022

"This docuseries tells the story of one of the world's greatest rock bands by examining the band through the musical lens of each member, delving deep into their memories from the past 60 years." 4 hour-long pieces on each of the long-time band members. On CBC Gem

We've found worthwhile to pay the modest fee for Gem Premium to avoid commercial breaks in shows. And it's supporting programming like this in Canada.

Mountain Men, 89 min, 2015

It's not new but it's fun and, being BC made, probably was missed by many. It's now free to watch on Hoopla though your local library. Good fun with some heart.

"...brothers travel to the family's remote cabin [near Revelstoke] to oust a squatter, but unresolved issues and a blizzard coalesce, forcing Toph and Coop to take stock of their lives while battling the elements." R Read about

Find it at our library's Hoopla. There's a great trailer there but it gives too much away. Just watch.

The Big Short, 130 min, 2015

Again older but a great watch you may have missed or might rewatch. A really unique storytelling style with quick editing montages to give a feeling of the times and some dropping of the forth wall, the actor speaking directly to the audience, to help explain some of the reasons for the economic crash that was the 2007 housing market crash that caused a world wide financial disaster. And a huge windfall for a few. Who would have guessed Margot Robbie would at least try to explain some of the finer points from her bubble bath? The film stars Christian Bale, Steve Carell, Ryan Gosling and a host of great supporting actors. R

Netflix if you have it.

Wild Horse Redemption, 90 min, 2008

One of John Zaritski's masterpieces. John was a guest several times at Movie Monday, a Canadian documentarian who died just last March ( obituary )

This was one of his favourites. Stunning cinematography! Rich storytelling.

'At a prison in the high desert foothills of the Colorado Rocky Mountains, hardened criminals are taught the training methods of "horse whisperers" and given 90 days to tame wild mustangs taken from the herd that roams government lands. Failure means one more defeat for the inmate; success could save both lives.'

Free if you have Prime.

The Horse Whisperer, 169 min, 1998

Robert Redford's take on working with horses and people who own them. Seems a story made for him. He directed it too. "The mother of a severely traumatized daughter enlists the aid of a unique horse trainer to help the girl's equally injured horse."

Starring Robert Redford, Kristin Scott Thomas, Sam Neil, and a young Scarlett Johansson. more

The VPLibrary has DVD and Blurry versions.

Buck, 88 min, 2011

"A Sundance award-winning film, documenting the heartwarming triumphs of real life horse whisperer & cowboy Buck Brannaman & his transformative approach to horse training." Redford's fictional story (above) was based on and assisted by Buck. Not just about horses but deeply into Buck's back story.

Rent it on Prime.

The VPLibrary has the DVD.

Thirty-Five Suggestions
A favourite film of mine, STRICTLY BALLROOM is screening Monday Nov 7 at the EMP Theatre.
Bruce 7 November 2022

Queen Mimi, 76 min, 2016

Here's documentary that is quite similar to my "Chomavision", by a youngish man curious enough about an older person's storied life to cobble together a film.

"This heartwarming documentary profiles Marie Haist, a formerly homeless Los Angeles woman who lives in a laundromat and has befriended celebrities. She fled an unhappy marriage, lives in a laundromat and has no home or money. But to know her is to adore her.

Marie "Mimi" Haist defied her adulterous husband and moved onto the streets in her 50s, living in parking lots and doorways until finding her "home" one stormy night between rows of washers in a Santa Monica laundromat. Encouraged to stay by a more than generous laundry owner, Mimi's 'the past is the past' philosophy endeared her to regular fluff and fold clients and, after more than 20 years, Mimi has made some unlikely friends, ranging from local loves to Hollywood A-listers Zach Galifianakis and Renee Zellweger. Filmed over 5 years by barista/actor/director Yaniv Rokah while he worked at a cafe across the street, QUEEN MIMI is the story of an unlikely hero. Now 89, Mimi reminds us to never give in and never give up, and that if you ever find yourself in the gutter, to never stop looking at the stars." Pg

On Kanopy through GVPLibrary

Show Me The Pictures: the story of Jim Marshall, 92 min, 2019

"An outsider with attitude, Show Me The Picture: The Story of Jim Marshall chronicles the infamous photographer's life behind and outside the camera. A child of immigrants and a life battling inner demons, Jim fought his way to become one of the most trusted mavericks behind a lens throughout 60's history. A passion for music led him to capture some of the most iconic figures in music history from Bob Dylan, The Rolling Stones, to the infamous image of Jimi Hendrix burning his guitar. It was his abrasive but honest approach to his subjects combined with incredible skill to build trust that expanded his portfolio beyond celebrities, documenting history across the ages." trailer

A portfolio & words ( 7min ) from the filmmakers

Watch the doc on Kanopy

His House, 93 min, 2020

This is a really affecting story about the immigrant experience in England, with some scary house-haunting thrown in. Well-developed characters - you really get to care about them. It's interesting to try to understand what are PTSD flashbacks and what is "real" supernatural action.

on Netflix

Island Of The Sea Wolves, 4 min, 2019

A local doc, big on Netflix - about the island we live on and the amazing animals that live here. Stunning cinematography! How long do they filmmakers have to wait and how do they get such intimate shots of the animals? They can be excused for giving the animals names and anthropomorphizing a fair bit. It makes for good storytelling. more

trailer

On Netflix

The Good Nurse, 123 min, 2022

"In The Good Nurse, adapted from Charles Graeber's non-fiction book The Good Nurse: A True Story of Medicine, Madness, and Murder, just released on Netflix, Eddie Redmayne portrays Cullen. Jessica Chastain portrays coworker Amy Loughren, a nurse who helped implicate Cullen." It's all in the telling, and this one is well-told. more

The Wikipedia on the real Cullen is a good read for after you've seen the film.

Primal Fear, 131 min, 1996

When a young man, Aaron, is charged with the horrific murder of Archbishop Rushman, hot-shot Chicago lawyer, Martin Vail, takes on his defense at no charge. With Richard Gere and Edward Norton, Laura Linney, even Frances McDormand all in their prime (1996), and Norton's breakout role. Not the usual MM fare, a little gruesome but a real great plot. R more

Thirty-Fourth Suggestions
It's been a while, so here are a bunch; old and new and where to find them.
Bruce 7 August 2022

Ken Burns: Horatio's Drive: America's First Road Trip, 107 min, 2003

A very engaging history piece that Ken Burns does so well. The first cross-USA road trip. Think of this one when you get into your "horseless carriage", turn on the A/C and Google maps to go on any kind of road trip. In 1903 there were few road maps, (crumbs, in many cases no roads! They sometimes went cross-country), gas was bought in hardware stores, repairs in blacksmith shops. No windshield, no roof! G

Free on Hoopla through GVPLibrary.

Searching For Sugar Man, 86 min, 2013

In case you missed this great documentary... This one took home the Academy Award for best documentary feature. It follows two music fans from Cape Town, South Africa, as they investigate the mysterious whereabouts of musician Sixto Rodriguez. You'll get the warm buzz from the obscurity-to-fame story and great music. But the doc did mislead from the actuality. Check out this - but only after you watch the film. It's a heck of a good tale. Pg13

On Prime and also on TV Ontario and copies at GVPL.

In Bruges, 102 min, 2008

Ray and Ken, two foul-mouthed Irish hit men, are hiding out in Bruges, Belgium. For Ray, Bruges is a place where you can spend a year in a weekend, while Ken finds the ancient town calming and contemplative. Ken and Ray work for Harry, a crime lord who eventually materializes in Bruges, and ends up proving that even professional hitmen have their feelings. A loopy, violent fable that is part thriller, part spoof, with a dash of dark comedy, leavened with intellectual conceits and religious allegory - but in no way is 'In Bruges' long, boring, or slow. 18A

Amazon Prime and at GVPL on DVD disc.

The Snow Walker, 103 min, 2003

A film by our Charles Martin Smith based on a Farley Mowat story - A pilot and his passenger struggle for survival after crashing in the Arctic tundra. When Smith presented it at MM he talked about flying into some of the remote airfields in the north and seeing numerous pieces of debris from crashed planes littering the approaches. A well-told tale. Pg

On Netflix.

Still Mine, 102 min, 2013

Based on a true story. An exquisitely mounted and deeply affecting story about one man's determination to create a home for his ailing wife as they enter their twilight years. With Genevieve Bujold, James Cromwell. 102min 2013 Pg

GVPL has it on Bluray and DVD.

Everybody's Talking About Jamie, 116 min, 2021

Inspired by true events, Everybody's Talking About Jamie follows Jamie New (Max Harwood), a teenager from Sheffield, who dreams of life on stage. While his classmates plan their livelihoods after they leave school, Jamie contemplates revealing his secret career ambition to become a fierce and proud drag queen. 16+

The trailer gives you an idea of this fanciful production. On PRIME.

If I Were You, 114 min, 2013

Academy Award Winner Marcia Gay Harden forms an unconventional pact with her husband's sexy mistress in this very funny look at the unexpected places life can take us. It's all in the telling and this one works well. Harden is just brilliant! 18A

On Prime.

House Of Gucci, 143 min, 2021

Inspired by the true story of the family behind the Italian fashion empire. When Patrizia Reggiani marries into the Gucci family, her unbridled ambition begins to unravel the family legacy and triggers a spiral of betrayal, decadence, and murder. With Lady Gaga, Adam Driver, Al Pacino, Jeremy Irons - all great - directed by Ridley Scott. 18+

Now out on Prime.

Thirty-Third Suggestions
Search under "Movie Monday" at the GVPLibrary. Most of the videos there are ones tried and true at MM and donated to the library from the MM collection. They're ones hard to find elsewhere. See examples below.
Bruce 22 May 2022

Here Are The News: A Crow's Eye View: the life of Miss Edith Josie, 51 min, 2009

[DVD video]

Edith Josie, was an Aboriginal elder whose News in the Whitehorse Star in 1953 was the voice Old Crow, Yukon (pop. 300), for more than 50 years. Her column was widely read and loved for its folksy style and Gwit'chin world view. It won her a Life Magazine feature and numerous visits on air with Peter Gzowski. She was loved for her winning laugh and her dogged work to preserve her language, her people's traditional way of life, language and values. She died January 31, 2010, at 88. We showed the documentary at MM that May and it was one of the best received ever.

Her friend, Cathleen Smith, a non-Aboriginal (although they were "honorary sisters") made this tribute to her friend from a trunk full of gathered media clips, films, photos, clippings and interviews. Cathleen was with us for Q&A and was a great raconteur!

Metal Lords, 97 min, 2022

"The only two kids who care about heavy metal in their high school want to form a heavy metal band but fail to find a bass player. They do, however, find a girl… and eventually appease the metal gods heading up to a Battle of the Bands. A refreshing take on an old formula."

Great performances from unknown-to-me young actors and, although you know roughly where the plot will end up, the getting there has lots of unexpected turns. Netflix

Reel Injun, 88 min, 2010

"Cree filmmaker Neil Diamond takes an entertaining and insightful look at the portrayal of North American Indigenous people throughout a century of cinema. Featuring hundreds of clips from old classics as well as recent releases, candid interviews with celebrities like Clint Eastwood, Robbie Robertson and Jim Jarmusch, the film traces the evolution of the Hollywood Indian." 13+ On Prime video.

Hope Gap again already, 101 min, 2020

One I suggested early on, Oct 2020, did you notice it years go? Worth watching again.

"Grace lives an idyllic life in a British seaside town, but her world soon comes crashing down when her husband of 29 years tells her he's leaving her for another woman. Through stages of shock, disbelief and anger -- and with support from her son -- Grace ultimately regains her footing while learning it's never too late to be happy." Annette Bening, Bill Nighy and Josh O'Connor are all mesmerizing. Pg13

Free from your library on Hoopla

Cinema Verite, 90 min, 2011

Here's an 11 year old HBO dramatization of the infamous "An American Family" 10 hour reality documentary that in 1971 held audiences enthralled as it revealed cracks in the veneer of an "all American family". In this hour and a half the essence of the Loud family drama is revealed with Diane Lane, Tim Robbins as Pat and Bill Loud and James Gandolfini as the producer/manipulator Craig Gilbert. But this dramatization also includes key moments of the real footage and aftermath, immediate and long term, for the family. 14A. trailer

Available from HBO, Crave and I got it from GVPLibrary on DVD.

Everything Will Be, 85 min, 2014

"Julia Kwan's feature-length documentary Everything Will Be captures a significant moment of time in Vancouver's Chinatown, with the influx of condos and new, non-Chinese businesses. The film follows a year in the life of several Chinatown denizens, including a 90-year-old Chinese newspaper street vendor and a second-generation tea shop owner, as they navigate this community in flux." Beautifully shot, the saturated colours add to the richness of this experience of a tradition in transition.

Free to watch here.

Thirty-Second Suggestions
Here are a few more films and episodes we (sometimes I) have enjoyed in the past month or so and where to find them. The last, Street Cat that is now on Prime Video but, as well, our library also has multiple copies and it's available too streaming on Kanopy through your library.
Happy viewing! Bruce 9 May 2022

Still Standing, 22 min episodes

Here's a promising looking series. We very much enjoyed the Banfield BC episode "Comedian Jonny Harris is on a mission to find humour in, well, the funniest of places. He's taking a journey across Canada to explore small towns on the ropes and to meet the people."

Jonny explores these small Canadian places and people and then does a standup presentation to an audience of the locals, intercut with his explorations. more

Looks like they are concise 22 min episodes. Free to watch, if you can stand the commercial breaks on CBC Gem



Tick, tick… BOOM, 115 min, 2021

"tick, tick... Boom!" a love letter to Broadway musicals and the artists who create them. It's a musical about making a musical based on an autobiographical one-man show by Jonathan Larson, the astonishingly talented writer/composer of Rent, who died just before the show's opening night.' Roger Ebert review

From Wikipedia: For nine and a half years Larson worked as a waiter at the Moondance Diner on the weekends and worked on composing and writing musicals during the week...

His...work, completed in 1991, was an autobiographical "rock monologue" entitled 30/90, which was later renamed Boho Days and finally titled tick, tick... BOOM! This piece, written for only Larson with a piano and rock band, drew on his feelings of rejection caused by the disappointment of Superbia (his work on inspired by Orwell's 1984)

A film adaptation of tick, tick... BOOM!, directed by Lin-Manuel Miranda and starring Andrew Garfield (in an Academy Award nominated performance) as Larson, with a rewritten script by Steven Levenson.

A great watch. Be sure to watch the credits roll to see the real Jonathan Larson. Pg on Netflix

Loving Vincent , 95 min, 2017

Here's a film I saw and didn't appreciate so much when I watched it on the big screen - perhaps I drifted off during it, a victim of the Odeon's comfy reclining chairs. Watching it now, on GVLP's Hoopla https://www.hoopladigital.com/play/12026023 and on my laptop, I realize what a brilliant achievement it is. Every image was hand painted based to live action footage and in the style of vanGogh's later paintings. It's the story of Vincent's life through the frame of someone investigating his possible murder - or was it a suicide as most accept was the case?

more about it at

The Magnitude Of All Things, 92 min, 2021

"Jennifer Abbott's new documentary merges stories from the front lines of climate change with recollections of the loss of her sister, drawing intimate parallels between personal and planetary grief. What do these stories have in common? The answer, surprisingly, is everything." It's a film to watch when you're in a certain mood, but if you are it is a masterpiece of story-telling, cinematography, editing and sound design. more

C'mon C'mon, 109 min, 2021

Here's a quiet, and thoughtful one. And such great performances! While a mum deals with her husband's mental health crisis, her brother helps out by taking on her boy (Woody Norman, in an amazingly natural performance). The uncle (Joaquin Phoenix) and his precocious nephew get to hang out, have some adventures together and really get to know each other.

"C'mon C'mon" is the kind of movie that invites reflection. It's not building towards a larger cinematic event or full of explosions. It's a sincere drama about relationships, told from the perspectives of different members of one family." - Monica Castillo, Roger Ebert's site trailer ~ On Prime Video.

A Street Cat Named Bob, 102 min, 2017

Based on the international bestselling book. The true, feel-good story of how James Bowen, a busker and recovering drug addict, had his life transformed when he met a stray ginger cat. A real crowd pleaser at Movie Monday.

Also on (and other services mentioned above) Prime Video also: The real story.

Thirty-First Suggestions

1 Mar 2022

Rolling Stones Super Fan, 89 min

Here's a talk that we found quite intriguing, "Here's the link to the library talk I told you about, who as a teenager produced an amateurish Rolling Stones fan magazine and then got invited into their inner circle. He's a great story teller, charmingly nerdy and self-effacing" Thanks Chris Miles.

Another version of the Almost Famous (2000) story:

Catch it on Youtube: more (skip the 2:50 intro)

Fever Pitch, 104 min, 2005

"When relaxed and charming Ben Wrightman meets workaholic Lindsey Meeks she finds him sweet and charming, they hit it off and when it is winter Ben can spend every waking hour with Lindsey, but when summer comes around the corner Lindsey discovers Ben's obsession with the Boston Red Sox. She thinks it is perfect until she realizes how serious he is about the game." The Endorphin Report is a fun podcast, something son Daniel and friends put together to analyze the effectiveness of romantic comedies - do they stir the endorphins? A fun post-game study.

Affairs Of The Art, 16 min, 2021

The NFB's nomination for Animated Short Film in the upcoming 76th Oscars. "How many obsessions can one family have? In Joanna Quinn and Les Mills' Affairs of the Art, we reconnect with Beryl, the working-class heroine who not only reveals her own obsession with drawing but exposes the addictions of her eccentric family, which include pickling, screw threads and pet taxidermy." more

Tinder Swindler, 114 min (3 x 40min), 2022

Speaking of affairs of the heart…. If you have Netflix you may be all over this already. We found it quite engrossing, really engaging interviewees. It's all in the telling. "Posing as a wealthy, jet-setting diamond mogul, he wooed women online then conned them out of millions of dollars. Now some victims plan for payback." Mature Netflix ~ Trailer

You'll find "the rest of the story" (and other Netflix true crime projects) at the "you can't make this up" podcast.

Marty, 90 min, 1955

"Bronx butcher Marty Piletti (Ernest Borgnine) remains as shy and uncomfortable around women today as on the day he was born. So when he meets Clara (Betsy Blair), a lonely schoolteacher, Marty's on top of the world. But when his friends and family continually find fault with Clara, even Marty begins to question his newfound love - until he discovers the courage to follow his heart. Winner of 4 Academy Awards including Best Picture, Director, Actor, and Screenplay." This oldie really stands up, I think.

Free from the library.

Onward, 102 min, 2020

"In Disney and Pixar's ONWARD, two teenage elf brothers, Ian and Barley Lightfoot (voices of Tom Holland and Chris Pratt), get an unexpected opportunity to spend one more day with their late dad and embark on an extraordinary quest aboard Barley's epic van Guinevere. Like any good quest, their journey is filled with magic spells, cryptic maps, impossible obstacles, and unimaginable discoveries." This one really appealed to us. Pg

On the Disney+ channel, the GVPL has 14 copies Bluray and DVD or worth a rental.

Thirtieth Suggestions

Hoping you enjoy some of these: Happy New Year! Bruce - 9 Jan 2022

Georgie Girl, 69 min, 2001

"Born George, one-time prostitute-turned-politician Georgina Beyer was elected to New Zealand's Parliament in 1999, becoming the world's first transgender person to hold a national office. Amazingly, a mostly white, conservative, rural constituency voted this former sex worker of Maori descent into office. Chronicling Georgina's transformations from farm boy to celebrated cabaret diva to grassroots community leader, Annie Goldson and Peter Wells' Georgie Girl couples interviews and images of Beyer's nightclub and film performances with footage showing a day in the life of this New Zealand Member of Parliament. The film presents a remarkable account of Beyer's precedent-setting accomplishment, revealing her intelligence, charisma and humour." Watch it in four parts Pg

Georgina Beyer now

Here's a great interview from June '21 with Georgina Beyer about her life and views I found out about Georgie through the documentary about her life, "Georgie Girl". In March 2006 I called her for an interview/Q&A after we screened the film at MM. She was in her MP's office in NZ the next day's afternoon. A career highlight! view

Arctic, 98 min, 2018

Here's the perfect film for anyone feeling sorry about being stuck indoors this winter. "Arctic" is a spectacular tale of endurance against the elements after Mads Mikkelsen's character, Overgard, crash-lands his tiny plane in the snowy wastes. It reminded me of Charles Martin Smith's "Snow Walker" - but with fewer bugs and an amazing polar bear scene. Pg

GVPL has this on dvd or Netflix

The Taking Of Pelham One Two Three (1974), 104 min, 1974

"A gang hijacks a subway train and threatens to kill the hostages one by one until their demands are met. Forced to stall, transit chief Lt. Garber (Walter Matthau) must outmaneuver one of the craftiest and cruelest screen villains (Robert Shaw) ever." A ripping good thriller with comedy touches, an underground Jaws. Pg

The GVPL has it Otherwise iTunes

The Goes Wrong Show Nativity, 29 min, 2020

Now that Christmas is in the rear view mirror you might still enjoy this skit by the Goes Wrong crew. Here's an earnest attempt to tell the nativity story while everything is going wrong. Great physical and other kinds of komedy.

Youtube

The Green Man, 81 min, 1956

"An irreverent black comedy adapted from the play Meet a Body. A scintillating Alastair Sim [who we all love from A Christmas Carol] plays Hawkins, a timid watchmaker with a part-time job—he is also a professional assassin who bumps off the people we love to hate. But when pompous MP Sir Gregory Upshott is the intended target, bungling vacuum cleaner salesman gets in the way…. A perfect companion piece to The Ladykillers, THE GREEN MAN is an enormously entertaining farce that dutifully ticks all the genre's expected boxes (mistaken identities, compromising positions, much panicking and slamming of doors). Co-starring comedy legend Terry-Thomas." Great old fashioned comedy. G

Kanopy through GVPLibrary

Rocky Horror Picture Show - Behind The Music, 44 min, 1999

Here's a doc about the film that bombed at the box office at first but as Susan Sarandon says, of all her movies, this might be the one that will most likely go in a time capsule. She also reports, "when we started shooting it was just the weather and underwear situation that was tough." The Great cult film. There's good reason I never showed The Rocky Horror movie at MM. It would have been rice, toilet paper and water everywhere. (nasty words bleeped out) YouTube

Twenty-Ninth Suggestions

Seasons Greetings! Bruce - 13 Dec 2021

Count Me In, 81 min, 2021

"Every song you've ever heard has begun with a count-in. It's where the film gets its name. As we meet the various musicians featured in the Count Me In, we learn their beginnings... While Count Me In is made for, about and by drummers, you don't need to be one to enjoy it. The discussion never gets mired down in details that only a drummer would understand and a love of music, not just drumming, lies at its very core." Benjamin H. Smith, The Decider. I agree. more

Mystic Pizza, 104 min, 1988

Three teenage girls come of age while working at a pizza parlor in the Connecticut town of Mystic. A light drama with some great performances. "A romantic comedy with the works". Here's where Julia Roberts first got noticed - and keep an eye out for Matt Damon around the dinner table, his first tiny role. 14A more

Overboard, 112 min, 2018

"After a spoiled, wealthy yacht owner is thrown overboard and loses his memory, a mistreated employee convinces him that he is her working-class husband."

A fun watch. Pg We got our copy from GVPL on Bluray more

7 Days Out, each about 47min, 2010

Season 1: Westminster Dog Show

Here's a series, each of 6 episodes leading to a climax after following participants for seven days. Series trailer

The first is so much like the send-up of dog showing culture, "Best In Show", the characters are just as colourful, charming and eccentric. This is the best of the bunch.

Try Netflix

Sticker, 19 min, 2019

A short film from Macedonia. "Dejan, a young father, just wants to make it to his daughter's school play on time but the entire Macedonian bureaucracy seems to have decided otherwise."

A great example of great story-telling in short format. more

Harry Chapin: When In Doubt Do Something, 93 min, 2020

"The inspiring story of Grammy Award-winning singer/songwriter/activist Harry Chapin ("Cat's in the Cradle"). Chapin sold over 16 million albums and was one of his generation's most beloved artists and activists before his tragic passing.

The film features Bruce Springsteen, Billy Joel, Pete Seeger, Sir Bob Geldof, Kenny Rogers, Graham Nash, Pat Benatar, Darryl"DMC" McDaniels, Robert Lamm, Richie Havens, and Harry Belafonte intimately reflecting on Chapin's larger-than-life impact on music and the world including his founding, along with Bill Ayres, of WhyHunger - the nonprofit organization leading the movement to end hunger and advance the human right to nutritious food in the U.S. and around the world."

I wished I knew all this about this man when he was here. more

The Apartment, 125 min, 1960

And one with a Christmas/New Years background.

"Ambitious insurance clerk C.C. 'Bud' Baxter (Jack Lemmon) attempts to climb the corporate ladder by loaning his apartment key to his superiors for their extramarital affairs... "

It swept the film awards in 1961. It's nice to see how a really solid film, more than just a comedy, from the 60s can stand up. You have to give a pass on the pandemic of philandering in the office place to see how a great cast, led by Jack Lemmon and Shirley MacLaine and solid script and direction, B&W cinematography etc. can make a story work. more

Twenty-Eighth Suggestions

More good watches. Bruce - 31 Oct 2021

Maid, 10 episodes about 50 mintues each, 2021

Maid is an American drama, with Victoria locations playing Port Townsend, a 10 part series shot in our area. It is inspired by Stephanie Land's memoir Maid: Hard Work, Low Pay, and a Mother's Will to Survive, created by Molly Smith Metzler... It's a hard watch in places, as a single mum, trying to leave an abusive relationship, trying to support herself working for a cleaning maid agency a lot goes wrong for her. But the lead performance, Alex, played by Margaret Qualley, is so empathetic it's hard not to be drawn into her chaotic world. Great story-telling style. Times Colonist Article

On Netflix

Cuckoo, 30 minutes episodes, 2012-2019

"Ken and Lorna Thompson are proud parents who are looking forward to seeing their daughter, Rachel, again upon her return to England after spending a year abroad. Their joy quickly turns to dismay, though, when she introduces them to her new husband, Cuckoo. As is befitting such a name, Cuckoo is a little too crazy for the elder Thompsons' tastes; he is an American hippie who is full of outlandish New Age ideas." A long running British series now on CBC Gem. Quite Broad humour but a fun watch if it tickles you. on Netflix

Sort Of, in 21 minute bite sized episodes

Sort Of is a big-hearted series about Sabi Mehboob, a fluid millennial who straddles various identities. New episodes weekly. Stream eight episodes of season 1 now with CBC Gem. It's a feel good series with some insights into genre fluid culture. It's a proudly Canadian series shot in Toronto, as Toronto, and created and produced by Bilal Baig and Fab Filippo. About the Show ~ more

Buddy, 87 min, 2018

"In Buddy, Heddy Honigmann tells the story of six extraordinary dogs that are indispensable for their owners. They are specially trained to assist them in lives that aren't always easy, but thanks to the incredible skills of their dogs, they are as independent as possible. Buddy is an ode to the fighting spirit of the main characters and a loving portrait of the deep bond between man and dog."

A MM choice, now available on Kanopy more

Push, 132 min, 2019

Housing prices are skyrocketing in cities around the world. Incomes are not. Push sheds light on a new kind of faceless landlord, increasingly unlivable cities, and an escalating housing crisis. A truly scary documentary about housing, gentrification and livability of cities. The film follows Leilani Farha, the UN Special Rapporteur on Adequate Housing, as she's travelling the globe, trying to understand who's being pushed out of the city and why ."...that's what differentiates housing as a commodity ... Gold is not a human right - housing is." It's happening here... G (some language)

Free from TV Ontario: more

Arranged, 89 min, 2007

"Rochel is an Orthodox Jew, and Nasira a Muslim of Syrian origin. They are both beautiful young teachers at a public school in Brooklyn. They also have something else in common – they are going through the process of getting "arranged marriages" through their respective religious and traditional customs. With both family pressure on the one hand, and the rejection of traditional values by the outside world on the other, Rochel and Nasira will have to rely on each other and their friendship to pull through this difficult time of their lives, striving to be strong women in charge of their own happiness, while keeping their deep religious and cultural convictions." Not a perfect film but really sweet. Pg

Available free from GVPL Hoopla more

Rita Moreno: Just a Girl Who Decided to Go for It, 91 min, 2021

"Over a 70+ year career, Rita Moreno defied both her humble upbringing and relentless racism to become one of the rare EGOT (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, Tony) Award Winners of our time. Her resilience and talent triumphed over adversity and broke barriers for generations of artists who refuse to be pigeonholed." What A life!

On Kanopy more

Twenty-Seventh Suggestions

Here are a few more things we've enjoyed watching lately. Hoping you will find some of these entertaining too. Best, Bruce - 2 Sep 2021

Distant Island, 6 min, 1981

A very clever and pains-taking piece, perfect for a summertime watch.

"This short animation uses appliqué and embroidered tapestries to recall a young girl's happy summers spent sailing with her family off the coast of British Columbia. Each tapestry, meticulously stitched by hand with brightly coloured yarns, evokes the memory of leisurely days at sea, drifting among the islands."

Free from NFB

9to5: The story of a movement, 85 min, 2020

Sounds a little dry? Well, this movement inspired the movie 9to5 and Dolly Parton's. This 2020 doc is fun to watch. It chronicles the waves of 'uppity' office workers, starting in Boston, who in the 1970s and ‘80s fought to create impactful changes in their workplaces. Their ideas spread rapidly, eventually leading to a nationwide movement at the intersection of the women's movement and the labor movement, and changed the American workforce forever.

Netflix

Starbuck, 105 min, 2011

"At 42, David lives the life of an irresponsible adolescent. He coasts through life with minimal effort and maintains a complicated relationship with Valerie, a young policewoman. Just as she tells him she's pregnant, David's past resurfaces. Twenty years earlier, he began providing sperm to a fertility clinic in exchange for money. He discovers he's the father of 533 children, 142 of whom have filed a class action lawsuit to determine the identity of their biological father, known only by the pseudonym Starbuck." A MM fave that stands out for its charm and originality. R French Canadian with subtitles.

On Kanopy

Boxing Girls Of Kabul, 52 min, 2011

"In this feature documentary, a remarkable group of young Afghan women dream of representing their country as boxers at the 2012 Olympics, embarking on a journey of both personal and political transformation." This is a very poignant piece in light of the recent reversal of fortunes with the Taliban taking back Afghanistan. Made 10 years ago this hopeful endeavour could put all involved in jeopardy.

NFB

Love In The Time Of Cholera, 139 min, 2007

"In the lush tropics of South America, an innocent desire blossoms into a romance for the ages in this stunning epic. At the turn of the 20th century, youthful romantic Florentino Ariza spots the stunning and sheltered Fermina Daza and immediately falls in love. Denied by her father, Florentino refuses to give up his dream of winning her hand... even if that means waiting decades to fill the passion in his heart." A randy romp, a lavishly filmed melodrama. R

Free on Kanopy

Waiting For Guffman, 84 min, 1996

Here's an oldie but really entertaining mockumentary, well worth a revisit.

"An aspiring director and the marginally talented amateur cast of a hokey small-town Missouri musical production go overboard when they learn that someone from Broadway will be in attendance."

A terrific cast: Christopher Guest (who also directed), Eugene Levy, Catherine O'Hara, the late Fred Willard, Parker Posey, Bob Balaban. 14A

On Kanopy through our library.

Twenty-Sixth Suggestions

Here are a few more things to watch on the small screen. Kanopy seems to be source of most satisfying watches these days.

I hope you like them, Bruce - 21 Jul 2021

Styx, 94 min, 2018

"ER doctor Rike embarks on a one-woman solo sailing trip to Ascension Island in the Atlantic Ocean. When Rike comes across a sinking ship of refugees, she is quickly torn out of her contented and idealized world and must make a momentous decision." A microcosm of the ongoing crisis of refugees coming by boat to Europe. Gripping cinema! trailer ~ Watch it free on Kanopy

In And Of Itself, 90 min, 2020

"....Self-described "storyteller and conceptual magician" Derek DelGaudio's beguiling show 'In & Of Itself,' now preserved in a mystical and poignant feature directed by Frank Oz, rejects dime store wizardry in favour of a soulful approach that redefines the form from the inside out." IndieWire

Rent from Youtube .

Always At The Carlyle, 91 min, 2018

"While the walls at The Carlyle Hotel don't talk, they definitely whisper. Always At The Carlyle brings to life the untold stories of the legendary hotel from its own employees and top guests George Clooney, Jeff Goldblum, Wes Anderson, Jon Hamm & [many] more." A fun look at where the really rich and very famous people go to be cool in NY.

Free on Kanopy

Queen Of The Sun: What Are The Bees Telling Us?, 83 min, 2010

"Here is a profound, alternative look at the global bee crisis from award-winning filmmaker Taggart Siegel, director of
Real Dirt On Farmer John. Taking us on a journey through the catastrophic disappearance of bees and the mysterious world of the beehive, this engaging and ultimately uplifting film weaves an unusual and dramatic story of the heartfelt struggles of beekeepers, scientists and philosophers from around the world including Michael Pollan, Gunther Hauk and Vandana Shiva. Together they reveal both the problems and the solutions in renewing a culture in balance with nature."

Borrow on DVD from GVPL or Free on Kanopy

Gordon Lightfoot: If You Could Read My Mind, 90 min, 2019

"[This] is an exploration of the career, music and influence of legendary Canadian musical icon, Gordon Lightfoot. With unprecedented access to the artist, the film takes audiences from high school auditoriums in straight-laced, small town Ontario in the 50s to the coffee houses of Yorkville and Greenwich Village in the 60s, through Lightfoot's turbulent, substance-fueled arena shows of the 70s, and finally to the artist in present day.... Following Lightfoot's evolution from Christian choirboy to troubled troubadour to international star and beloved Canadian icon, [the film] is an intimate and emotional examination of the artist's profound relationship to his music and his Canadian roots."

Major events in Lightfoots recent life not mentioned at all is a ruptured aneurysm that nearly killed him in 2002 and then a stroke in 2006 that for a while cost him the use of some fingers of his right hand. Those things seem worthy of mention. But otherwise it's a satisfying watch.

Free on Kanopy

Outsourced, 103 min, 2006

A light and entertaining offering. "A Seattle manager from a call centre is sent to India to fine tune the Indian centre that is replacing his operation." Refreshingly starring folks you probably haven't seen before.

From the review on the Ebert site: "Outsourced" is not a great movie, and maybe couldn't be this charming if it was. It is a film bursting with affection for its characters and for India."

Free on Kanopy


Twenty-Fifth Suggestions

Best, Bruce - 6 Jun 2021

A Man, A Woman And A Bank, 100 min, 1979

"The two least likely bank robbers in the known universe plan and execute... kind of... the ultimate heist." Donald Sutherland and Paul Mazursky make very funny odd couple in this heist with a very homegrown feel. It is, again, all in the telling and this quirky screenplay really stands up to the decades gone by. Shot in Vancouver BC, featuring backdrops like English Bay, the PNE, Hasting Street (as itself) and 1978 skyline. Brooke Adams, who starred with Sutherland in Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978) plays his girl in this one too, with Donald at the top of his suave game. Comedy

Beautifully restored, on Kanopy, courtesy of our Public Library.

From Harling Point, 40 min, 2003

(A tip from John) "This documentary tells the story of a Chinese cemetery in BC that became a National Heritage site. For Chinese pioneers who died in Canada, Victoria's Chinese Cemetery at Harling Point was a temporary resting place until their bones could be returned home. (Traditional Chinese belief says that the soul of a person who dies in a foreign place wanders lost until their bones are returned home.) This film traces the rich history of the Vancouver Island cemetery from controversy and neglect to its revival as a historic site. Told by those closest to it, the story of Harling Point is a metaphor for Canada, a country still working on making a home for all who live within its borders." With heartfelt recollections from Councillor Charlayne Thornton-Joe and others about discrimination in our city's history.

Free from our National Film Board

Woman In Motion, 105 min, 2019

"Nichelle Nichols' daunting task to launch a national blitz for NASA, recruiting 8,000 of the nation's best and brightest, including the trailblazing astronauts who became the first African American, Asian and Latino men and women to fly in space." This is a whole other amazing role after her stint as Nyota Uhura in Star Trek: The Original Series.

Free from our Greater Victoria Public Library

A Private War, 110 min, 2018

"Celebrated war correspondent Marie Colvin and her renowned photographer embark on life-threatening assignments as they journey to the frontline of conflicts across the globe." This biopic give some insights into the kind of people who are brave enough, and idealistic enough to go to these hot spots to bring us the truth about what is happening there. And of course the awfulness of modern warfare.

Rosamond Pike is quite amazing in this, a role very different from a recent more sophisticated role as swindling professional guardian in I Care A Lot(2020).

A Private War is on Amazon Prime

Tajmo: The Taj Mahal & Keb' Mo' Band, 87 min, 2017

This well produced and amazing concert shows Taj Mahal at his best, playing everything from harmonica to 8 string ukulele banjo and numerous guitars, with Keb' Mo' on guitar, new to me but quite fine too. Backed up by their brilliant bands, all great and comfortable musicians, and Taj's two daughters singing backgrounds. Everyones having fun. You will too.

Free on Youtube

Twenty-Fourth Suggestions

Best, Bruce - 9 May 2021

Gun Runners, 89 min, 2016

"When [two] warriors suddenly disappear from the bush, many of their peers assume they are dead or have been arrested. Instead, they trade in their rifles for sneakers—in the hopes of making it big as professional marathon runners." Ever wonder where those lithe Kenyan runners dominate the sport? It's also a tale of two very different trajectories. more

Attenborough's Ant Mountain, 52 min, 2016

Featuring incredible macro and slo-mo, Attenborough tracks the fascinating and unique life of wood ants. Particularly the life of a super colony in meadows in the Jura Mountains of Switzerland is closely observed. Attenborough's macro and big picture way of interpreting these observations I found quite engaging. "Are we witnessing, perhaps, the next stage of social conquest of the Earth?" on Amazon Prime

Caution: this may start you off on an Attenborough journey.

The Painter And The Thief, 107 min, 2020

A very odd relationship develops as a woman painter befriends and a junkie who, with an accomplice, stole a couple of her large, ultra-realistic works. You might not care for either of the characters but the arc of this story is amazing and they will stay with you for a long while. lots of coarse language, some subtitles trailer ~ On Prime

End Of Sentence, 97 min, 2020

"Frank Fogle embarks on a journey to honour his wife's last wish of spreading her ashes in a remote lake in her native Ireland and a promise of taking his estranged son, Sean, along for the trip." This sounds like an oft told story but it's all in the telling. This is one I'd love to be sharing in our sweet little MM theatre with a live crowd. Enjoy.

On Kanopy free through our public library.

Twenty-Third Suggestions

Best, Bruce - 20 Apr 2021

Watermark, 90 min, 2013

Jennifer Baichwal and Edward Burtynsky's Watermark collects diverse stories from around the globe about our relationship with water: how we are drawn to it, what we learn from it, how we use it and the consequences of that use. We see massive floating abalone farms off China's coast, the construction site of the world's biggest arch dam and Dhaka's water-intensive leather tanneries. We're immersed in a world defined by a magnificent force of nature that we all too often take for granted - until it's gone. 19+

"Watermark is most memorable for its elegant, eye-widening 5K ultra-high-definition video visuals that astonish by showing us the world in a particularly immersive way." Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times * Best Documentary, Canadian Screen Awards 2014 *

Jennifer Baichwal is a Victoria-raised filmmaker whose several excellent docs including three with Burtynsky: Anthropocene: The Human Epoch, Manufactured Landscapes and Watermark have put her in the big leagues and made her a MM fave. $5 each or 3 for $10 at VIFF - available till May 6 trailer ~ VIFF details

The Marsh Family sings pandemic songs, 3.5 min, 2019

"Goodbye Pandemic Road" - "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road" adapted by a new age Swiss Family Robinson more

The family talking about their sensational popularity of their edition of one day more.

Handsome Devil, 95 min, 2016

A British school boy movie, a teen student coming to terms with his sexuality, bullying and his hate of the obsessive fixation on the sport of rugby. Sounds familiar, I know, but this film is thoughtful and well-written and acted. more

74 Gear Youtube series, segments vary from about 8 to 25

Here's a YouTube series I found while searching for a fabulous EDS commercial Building Planes In The Air. Up popped 74 Gear, an endless series of debriefs of flying situation analyses from Kelsey, a 747 captain. Makes you feel confident that there is probably a geeky, brilliant, incredibly confident guy flying your plane (if we ever get to travel that far again). He watches an incident with us and then takes it apart step by step as he talks us through mishaps and recoveries, communications between pilots and control tower - from a real pilot's point of view. He seems to be doing it from any layover hotel room he happens to be stuck in. intro

Here's the one that got me started where Kelsey takes apart (he calls it a viral debrief) a video The most dangerous airports in the world

Herding Cats

Another terrific, funny EDS commercial. Just a minute long. more

Andrea Dorfman

from Halifax NS animator and filmmaker and MM Fave

Flawed (2009) (12:36 min, 2009) "Follow along as a colourfully sketched protagonist learns to accept the flaws that make her unique. What results is far beyond her expectations." more

How To Be At Home (2020) here's one for COVID times. "'Lean into loneliness—and know you're not alone in it'. Filmmaker Andrea Dorfman reunites with poet Tanya Davis to craft tender and profound animation on the theme of isolation, providing a wise and soaringly lyrical sequel to their viral hit How to Be Alone." more

Twenty-Second Suggestions

More good on line stuff. Best, Bruce - 16 Mar 2021

The Last Blockbuster, 87 min, 2020

All about the Blockbuster video store history, from the start to the last holdouts. And it's about the love of the video store experience (not that BB was the greatest) that has, sadly, all but disappeared. Sharply edited with lots of fun interviews, it is a fond farewell to the mega chain, once 9000 stores strong, that elbowed out many "mom and pop" stores before Netflix and streaming tech generally killed the video store experience. more

Genghis Blues, 88 min, 1999

Even when you've used up your 10 per month quota of free Kanopy plays (through GVPLibrary) there are a bunch of free titles still available, including a favourite of mine:

This Oscar nominated doc won awards and hearts everywhere it played. It's about a blind San Francisco bluesman and composer, Paul Pena, who learns throat singing and, with the help of some buddies, travels to remote Tuva to compete in a remarkable competition. It's about taking chances, the universal power of music and the resilience of the human spirit.

Academy Award nominee. Official Selection at the Sundance Film Festival and the San Francisco International Film Festival and twice shown at MM, once with Paul Pena on the phone! That's how good it is. Just watch the first 16 minutes and you'll be hooked. more

Worn Stories, 8 - 30min segments, 2021

Here's a very entertaining series about what clothes, or even lack of them, mean to people.

"What are you drawn to when you open up your closet? It's a question at the center of artist and curator Emily Spivack's work. In 2014, Spivack collected over 60 stories that celebrated the meaning that clothes bring into our lives in her book Worn Stories. The narratives inside featured a range of garments and the memories behind them to illuminate how clothes shape us in ways both big and small. Three years later, Spivack debuted her follow-up Worn in New York. Now, she continues her mission to inspire us to consider the role clothes play in our lives with the television adaptation of her first book." PG13 more

Some Kind Of Heaven, 83 min, 2020 & Stray, 72 min, 2020

with special Q&A Just available till 15 April 2021with VIFF

Florida's biggest retirement community, The Villages, is a seniors' wonderland. It offers all the amenities you can imagine, but things aren't entirely right. Pg more

and Stray, about the large dog population in Istanbul, particularly a portrait of Zeytin and two more street dogs who roam the Turkish city as if they own it. Pg more

These two documentaries come with a terrific Q&A with the two bright young filmmakers, Elizabeth Lo, director of STRAY and Lance Oppenheim of SKOHeaven. Each show is $9 but the Q&A is free with either feature and well worth the toll.

Twenty-First Suggestions

Here are a few more of my good watching experiences. Best, Bruce - 16 Mar 2021

The Australian Dream, 105 min, 2019

"The remarkable story of Indigenous AFL legend Adam Goodes. Through the backdrop of Goodes' journey, the feature documentary explores race, identity and belonging in Australia today." Goodes was an incredible Australian rules footballer but when he started calling out systemic racism in Australian life things went sideways... more

Rumble: The Indians Who Rocked The World, 88 min, 2017

Rumble tells the story of a profound, essential, and, until now, missing chapter in the history of contemporary music: the Indigenous influence. Iggy Pop, Marky Ramone, Robbie Robertson and a host of others reflect on the power of Link Wray's instrumental, Rumble - "[Wray] is the only person who has an instrumental to be banned for fear it would incite teenage violence". more

Bernie, 100 min, 2014

Bernie is a gently told and dark but unexpectedly amusing true-crime comedy that features Jack Black's best performance ever. In the tiny, rural town of Carthage, TX, assistant funeral director Bernie Tiede was one of the town's most beloved residents. He taught Sunday school, sang in the church choir and was always willing to lend a helping hand. Everyone loved and appreciated Bernie, so it came as no surprise when he befriended Marjorie Nugent (Shirley MacLaine), an affluent widow who was as well known for her sour attitude as her fortune. How could things go so terribly wrong?

Richard Linklater cleverly tells this story using actors mixed with colourful real-life characters. Pg13 (you must stay for credits on this one!) Kanopy

The Weather Underground, 92 min, 2002

"Outraged by the Vietnam War and racism in America, the organization waged a low-level war against the U.S. government through much of the 1970's, bombing the Capitol building, breaking Timothy Leary out of prison, and evading one of the largest FBI manhunts in history. How did American citizens come to adopt terrorist tactics against their own country? Looking back at their years underground, the former members paint a compelling portrait of troubled times, revolutionary times, and the forces that drove their resistance."

We showed it at MM in 2007 but it's still a slice of history worth considering. R Some disturbing scenes on Kanopy. more

Robin Williams Remembered, 56 min, 2014

This one-hour special features highlights from Robin Williams' last full-length television interview, tributes from those who knew and worked with him closely, and clips from iconic moments throughout his career. more

Dying Laughing, 88 min, 2017

"Featuring Chris Rock, Jerry Seinfeld, Amy Schumer, Kevin Hart, Bob Saget, Jamie Foxx, Sarah Silverman, Jerry Lewis, Steve Coogan, Bobby Lee, & the late Garry Shandling, Dying Laughing is a candid look inside the agony and ecstasy of making people laugh for a living. A stand-up comedian must be the writer, the director, and the star performer. There is no rehearsal, no practice, and no safety net when you're in front of a live audience." free on Kanopy through your Public Library more

Borealis: Seeing the Forest Through the Trees, 90 min, 2020

A Zoom discussion on Borealis sponsored by Hotdocs and NFB. A film I suggested in the seventeenth suggestion group (posted below), on NFB's site.

Borealis: a talk about some of the issues, 102 min, 2020

Here the maker and guests talk about some of the issues presented in the feature documentary. I found it quite fascinating. Are the trees communicating with each other? more