poets are dull boys, most of them, but not especially fiendish

Average score = 7. A good week.

The Grand Seduction (2013) - "A small harbor town is in dire need of a doctor so that the town can land a contract to secure a factory which will save the town from financial ruin. Village resident Murray French (Gleeson) leads the search, and when he finds Dr. Paul Lewis (Kitsch) he employs—along with the whole town—tactics to seduce the doctor to stay permanently."
length: 1 hour, 53 minutes

source: streamed on PlutoTV
I watched it because: I'd seen it before (reviewed here) and liked it, and wanted something light for a workout movie
IMDB: 7.0/10  -  Rotten Tomatoes: Tomatometer: 61% Audience: 66%
my IMDB: 8/10

notable quote: "'It's... it's... it's nowhere nears bein' a done deal.'

    'I didn't say "done deal."'

    'Yeah, you said "done deal."'

    'Well, I need people to believe in this.'

    'Yep, but it's a lie.'

    'Well, right now, lies is all we got.'"

MPAA rating: PG-13

directed by: Don McKellar

my notes: sweet and funny, this movie is a terrific alternative to romantic comedy. The scenery is beautiful, the cast is a who's who of Canadian character actors, and the story is deceptively simple.

overall:  recommended

Spellbound (1945) - "When Dr. Anthony Edwardes (Gregory Peck) arrives at a Vermont mental hospital to replace the outgoing hospital director, Dr. Constance Peterson (Ingrid Bergman), a psychoanalyst, discovers Edwardes is actually an impostor. The man confesses that the real Dr. Edwardes is dead and fears he may have killed him, but cannot recall anything. Dr. Peterson, however is convinced his impostor is innocent of the man's murder, and joins him on a quest to unravel his amnesia through psychoanalysis."

length: 1 hour, 51 minutes

source: I borrowed the DVD from the public library
I watched it because: it's been on my watchlist for a while, and I finally found it
IMDB: 7.5/10  -  Rotten Tomatoes: Tomatometer: 86% Audience: 82%
my IMDB: 5/10

notable quote: "If there's anything I hate, it's a smug woman."

MPAA rating: Approved

directed by: Alfred Hitchcock

my notes: the reproduction of this film that I saw, despite being published for the Criterion Collection, had the worst sound of any commercially-produced DVD that I have ever heard. Long swathes of dialog were completely unintelligible. 

    That said, this is a slow, slow movie. Lots of talking, anguished thinking, and talking again. Bergman and Peck are undeniably attractive—seriously, there oughta be a law—and the adorable Michael Chekhov as Freud-alike Dr. Brulov is a joy to watch, but seriously. SO much talking. Too much.

Academy Award winner: Best Music, Scoring of a Dramatic or Comedy Picture—Miklós Rózsa
Academy Award nominee:
• Best Picture

• Best Supporting Actor—Michael Chekhov

• Best Director—Hitchcock

• Best Cinematography, Black and White—George Barnes

• Best Effects, Special Effects—Jack Cosgrove (photographic)
overall: marginally recommended

What We Do Next (2022) - "When Elsa Mercado (Michelle Veintimilla) is released from prison after serving 16 years for killing her father, New York City Councilwoman Sandy James (Karen Pittman) and corporate attorney Paul Jenkins (Corey Stoll) are forced to grapple with their involvement in the original crime. This is a timely emotional thriller sitting at the intersection of race, class and criminal justice."
length: 1 hour, 17 minutes

source: streamed on Amazon Prime
I watched it because: I'm a big fan of Corey Stoll
IMDB: 7.2/10  -  Rotten Tomatoes: Tomatometer: 90% Audience: 81%
my IMDB: 8/10

notable quote: "'Maybe you were just upwardly dallying....'

    'You can't upwardly dally.'

    'You can dally every which way.'"

MPAA rating: NR

directed by: Stephen Belber

my notes: this film is billed as a thriller, and it satisfies completely. Tense, twisty, fraught, and oddly, painfully sexy. Veintimilla's Elsa is terrifying. Pittman's Sandy is slimy and imperiled. Stoll's Paul is smart, feckless, and morally gray. Stirred together, they're all a damned mess. I couldn't look away, disgusted and fastinated.

overall:  recommended

The Paradise (2012-2013) - "Country girl Denise adapts to survive in her new job at The Paradise, a glamorous department store, and catches the eye of its owner."
length: 16 one-hour episodes (2 seasons of 8 episodes each)

source: streamed on Peacock
I watched it because: I'd seen it before (reviewed here) and was looking for something reliable
IMDB: 7.7/10  -  Rotten Tomatoes: Tomatometer: 64% Audience: 81%
my IMDB: 7/10

notable quote: "Will you be part of this? Will you show your faith?"

MPAA rating: TV-PG

directed by: David Drury, Marc Jobst, Susan Tully, Bill Gallagher, Kenneth Glenaan

my notes: beautifully set, lit, and shot. This show is a pleasure just to watch. The characters are interesting, quirky and well-drawn, and also well-acted. Charming and fun.
Primetime Emmy Award nominee: Outstanding Music Composition for a Series (Original Dramatic Score)—Maurizio Malagnini
overall:  recommended

 

[the title quotation is from Spellbound]