Movies
GOMORRAH– looks at the Camorra in Naples. By intertwining five stories of low level actors in the syndicate, it makes the point that life is brutal and short for the bottom feeders in this chain. It was frightening, realistic, surprising. It demythologizes all the movies and TV shows that came before it by never showing us the lives of those at the top. I was stunned by the violence, yet riveted.
JERICHOW initially appeared to be another version of THE POSTMAN ALWAYS RINGS TWICE. But the story plays out differently. The cuckolded husband is more complex; the lovers more desperate. Loved the setting, the dreary isolation of its three characters.
STAR TREK-I’m not that much of a trekkie although I have seen most TV episodes of the first two series. I never really liked any of the movies—until this one. How did the writers/director manage to reinvent the story so gracefully and yet be true to previous incarnations? And can they continue it?
TV
In Treatment-In some ways, season two was superior to season one, despite what my husband claims. Five strong stories that seemed to reverberate more to me. Paul, the psychologist becomes less god-like, more human. My only complaint was running the episodes over two nights rather that five each week. I didn’t want to wait and yet watching three in a row detracted from my ability to absorb it.
ON DVD
Season One of TRUE BLOOD. I wonder if Season One seemed better than Two because I watched it in bigger chunks on DVD. Or if the religious subplot and nightly orgy scenes bogged Season Two down. Season One seemed to get it all right—expertly cast, and the romance between Sookie and Bill seemed more captivating and urgent.
Patti Abbott
Patti Abbott writes crime fiction short stories. She hosts a look at Forgotten Books every Friday with readers, writers and reviewers at pattinase.blogspot.com. She hopes you’ll join in.
Check out the rest of the 5 for 2009 entries.