Feast on these five Netflix finds in May

Netflix, worth the price for Daredevil alone, has some tempting choices this month that makes its $8 a month price totally ten-buck-worthy.

SOMM (2012)

Pair this insightful film with a quiet night at home and a nice bottle of red. If you’re curious about what it takes to be a sommelier, rent this documentary and watch four sommeliers as they attempt to pass the prestigious Master Sommelier exam, a test with one of the lowest pass rates in the world. It had me at merlot. (Available now.)

Fruitvale Station (2013)

This drama from two years back mirrors what is probably going on in your newspaper today and is worth a look if you’ve never heard the story of Bay-Area resident Oscar Grant (played by Michael B. Jordan) and his mother (Octavia Spencer). This film took both the Grand Jury Prize for dramatic feature and the Audience Award for U.S. dramatic film at the 2013 Sundance Film Festival, but never got the Oscars attention it deserved. (Available May 12.)

Fed Up (2014)

The title reads like “fed up,” but it’s clear that this documentary from Katie Couric and Laurie David (Oscar winning producer of An Inconvenient Truth) is talking about our f’d up nutrition system and food industry. It’s not as clever, well produced and insightful as  Super Size Me (2004), but it’s an engaging film and is certainly food for thought. Plus it's a great kick-start to healthier eating for the month before swimsuit season. (Available now.) 

Muscle Shoals (2013)

Need some good music before summer? Put in this documentary that celebrates Rick Hall, the founder of FAME Studios in Muscle Shoals, Alabama, and the signature sound he developed in songs such as Brown Sugar and When a Man Loves a Woman. Who would have thought so many magical songs would have come from a place that's not Motown. And who would have thought that place would be my sweet home of Alabama? (Available now.)

Terminator 2: Judgment Day (T2) (2002)

Ready, set, action films! It’s the beginning of blockbuster summer movie season and the way I see it, there’s no better way to celebrate it than by watching the biggest and Arnold-est of them all, baby!

Dirk Nowitzki, The Perfect Shot (Der perfekte Wurf )

Mav-elous!

Dirk Nowitzki, The Perfect Shot  (Der perfekte Wurf ) premiered September 2014 in Germany, and the U.S. version of the German documentary premiered this week in Dallas. (It opens wide in July 2015.)

At one point during the 105-minute film, we see Dirk's reaction to being told that the NBA did a study where he came out as the “most marketable player.” It’s not surprising. Dirk is a relatable guy that you instinctually root for, even if you don’t want his team to win.

The documentary captures the highs and lows of Dirk’s career and (surprisingly) personal life. Balancing both stories is a difficult task for high-profile biography, but with Dirk these things are so connected that it could be no other way. His relationship with mentor Holger is the heart of the film and unlike anything you’ve ever seen.

Although biased as a Dirk and Mavericks fan, I think that the access to Dirk’s story will thrill any basketball fan. Anyone can benefit from seeing Dirk’s commitment to excellence up close. I found the whole film inspiring.

Simply put: Power forward to this inspiring documentary that gets up close to an approachable but previously mysterious sports hero.

Award potential: Unlikely. As any fan of Hoop Dreams will tell you, sports docs are overlooked at the Oscars.

The ten buck review: Worth ten bucks.

Insurgent

What a nightmare.

Shailene Woodley, Miles Teller, Ansel Elgort and Theo James are unquestionably the dream cast for any teen movie; this one is a nightmare.

With two misses in her Dauntless outfit’s belt, it’s now safe to say that the extraordinary Shailene Woodley has clearly been miscast. I just can’t understand her version of the strong Tris character from the books. Like Divergent, I never knew what her quiet character was supposed to be thinking and her few words didn’t help.

Kate Winslet is back for another chance to do something with her worst career role by miles; she delivers another one-note performance.

And the film’s plot will make anyone not familiar with the books wonder what the big deal is. Fans should be insulted.

Divergent, was a pale comparison to any of the Hunger Games films. Insurgent, the sequel and bridge in the series, manages to make Divergent look like an award-winning film.

Simply put: A bridge over a troubled series.

Award potential: Dream on.

The ten buck review: Not worth ten bucks.

Five enchanting Netflix finds in April

Netflix offers a couple of golden eggs this month if you know where to look. Here are five choices that are totally ten-buck worthy.

Enchanted April (1991)

Four British women rent a chateau on a remote Italian island in this sophisticated romantic comedy. I watch this breezy gem every April. Trust me; it’s charming enough for you to do the same. Available now.

Chris D’Elia: Incorrigible (2015) 

This Netflix original features an edgy comic who will be on everyone’s radar soon. You may know him from his sitcoms: Whitney, Workaholics and NBC’s rising hit Undateable. But a lot more people are going to clue in to his fine brand of funny now that he roasted Justin Beaver on Comedy Central. Available April 17

A Five Star Life (2014)

Hop into the life of Irene, a luxury hotel critic for about two hours (please!). A five star hotel is the height of luxury, of course. Although this film isn't a five star story, the settings are breathtaking and it's fun to see Irene simply doing her job — and learn a little about that industry. It's worth the trip. Available now.

Bound (1996)

If you haven’t seen all fifty shades of Wachowski Brother’s (Matrix) film starring Jennifer Tilly and Gina Gershon, now’s your chance. Netflix adds this surprisingly good erotic thriller on April 1, no foolin'.

Noah (2014)

After watching Bound, you may feel the need to check out this epic film from last year (2014). I expect this bloated, big budget film, starring Russell Crowe, Jennifer Connelly and Anthony Hopkins, will play better in the comfort of home versus than it did in the theater. Save it for a rainy day. Available April 18

Worth ten bucks: All are ten-buck worthy.

Bonus unseen film, but a good bet: Marvel’s Daredevil (2015)

I’m not suggesting you watch the Ben Affleck bomb, but I think Netflix’s new series with Marvel is a good bet; Daredevil was always one of the more interesting super heroes. The first three episodes will be available to stream beginning April 10^th.

Woman In Gold

Bronze at best.

Woman in Gold is a film based on the true story of a Jewish refugee’s battle against the Austrian government to reclaim a family painting stolen by Nazis. It’s not just any painting. It’s Klimt's 1907 The Lady In Gold, the Mona Lisa of Austria.

It’s a fascinating 60-year story. And although the movie is not 60-years long, Simon Curtis, the director of the memorable My Week With Marilyn, tells it in the most boring fashion one could imagine.

It doesn’t help that the snooze-inducing and soulless Ryan Reynolds plays the key lawyer role. I don’t know why he was chosen — I suppose someone thought he looks cute in glasses? He is matched well with Katie Holmes, who generated unintended laughs by playing his wife in a tone that seems like she's doing another film. On the positive side, she does have some cute outfits to showcase.

Helen Mirren was obviously up for the emotional task of playing the elder Jewish refugee with a claim to the painting, but she has too much depth to play such a passive character to the action of the film and does not pair well with Reynolds.

I'm left to wonder what this film might have been with Mark Ruffalo or Eddie Redmayne.

Simply put: The Monument’s Woman: another non-masterpiece about seized art from the WWII era.

Award potential: A Weinstein film about art, starring Helen Mirren — released in March? Obviously no one is expecting any awards.

The ten buck review: Not worth ten bucks.

The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel

Second is not good enough.

While it was a joy just to see these fine British actors onscreen in their charming roles from the original The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (2011), the sequel offers zero of the inspirations found in the original film.

At best, the new film’s plot mirrors an episode of The Love Boat. Character’s stories are re-introduced, broken up and put back together with the time and care given to a 1980’s TV show.

Unfortunately for those of us fond of the first one, this is a painfully meandering two hours and two minutes long film. I believe those two minutes are the amount of time that the characters actually are in the hotel. The film is obsessed with moving. Everyone is constantly in a cab, motorcycles, trams, planes, convertibles, a new hotel, a convention hotel — or wandering aimlessly around the market. I’m not sure where all these characters were going; I just wish the film went somewhere.

Simply put: The title says it all. If you simply must go despite anything I say, I understand. You’ll enjoy zingers by Dames Maggie Smith and Judi Dench — plus the fun of a totally disruptive music video sequence.

Award potential: No awards for Second Best.

The ten buck review: Not worth ten bucks.

Survive the first Downton-less Sunday of 2015

It's fitting we should lose an hour this Sunday because it's the first Downton-less Sunday in a few months and we hardly need that hour. But if you can't stand the thought of waiting until January 2016, get your fix and feed your Downton Addiction with these five-plus films that even the Dowager Countess of Grantham would approve of.

1. Gosford Park (2001)
Gosford Park is a 1930’s period film, written by Julian Fellowes, the creator of Downton Abbey, and directed by the legendary Robert Altman. Upstairs guests and downstairs servants are assembled for a hunting party weekend when one of the group is murdered. It’s a high-class whodunit with a dream ensemble cast including: Helen Mirren, Kristin Scott Thomas, Emily Watson, Clive Owen, Ryan Phillippe — and Maggie Smith as Constance, a dependent countess with a quip for every occasion.

2. The Remains Of The Day (1993)
If you think Mr. Carson is uptight, then it’s time to meet Mr. Stevens. Anthony Hopkins (Mr. Stevens) and Emma Thompson (Miss Kenton) star in this moving story of a butler's steely devotion to his master (Christopher Reeve) and the high-spirited young woman who threatens to crack his reserve. The Remains of the Day received Academy Award nominations for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Screenplay and more.

3. Cranford (2007)
Cranford, a BBC mini series, is a charming period drama set in northwest England in 1842. Dame Judi Dench leads a cast of quirky, snarky and lovable characters who live in a place governed by etiquette, custom and above all, an intricate network of ladies. Jim Carter, Downton’s Mr. Carson, appears in many episodes.

4. Anna Karenia (2012)
Set in late-19th-century Russia high-society, the aristocrat Anna Karenina (Keira Knightley) enters into a life-changing affair with the affluent Count Vronsky (Jude Law). Michelle Dockery, Downton’s Lady Mary Crawley has a role as Princess Myagkaya.

5. The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (2011)

Both Maggie Smith (The Dowager Countess) and Penelope Wilton (Isobel Crawley) are featured in this film set in India and based on the book by Debora Moggach.

The film also features British actors like Bill Nighy, Judi Dench and 

Tom Wilkinson. See the original; avoid the pale sequel.

6. The Secrets of The Manor House Series
Secrets of the Manor House, a PBS documentary series, looks at many ancient British houses, and how mounting financial, political and social pressures brought momentous changes to both the wealthy and their servants. 

The Secrets of Highclere Castle explores the home that is the setting to Downtown Abbey, The Secrets of Althorp –The Spencers navigates viewers through the childhood home and final resting place of Diana, Princess of Wales and The Secrets of Henry VIII's Palace: Hampton Court Secrets of Chatsworth visits the Tudor palace. All are perfectly charming.  
 

All are worth ten bucks.