Premiered on HBO Max, Now on Prime Video, Loved Binge Watching Them 😊

And Just Like That (9 Dec 2021)

If you loved Sex and the City movies and series in the past and currently you are in your mid 40s or 50s, simply don't miss this comedy-drama series!

Issues like - demise of spouse, teen rebellions, mismatch of energy in partners in old age, relationship with non-binary gender etc. are quite well depicted in this new series.

Personally, I loved Carrie Bradshaw's (Sarah Jessica Parker) wardrobe.

It has a total of 10 episodes.

Raised by Wolves Season 1 & 2 (3 Sep 2020 and 3 Feb 2022)

Dealing with - rehabilitation of human beings on Kepler-22b - a far off planet , robots equipped with both immense care taking and destruction programs, constant war between atheists and followers of Sol and mysterious ways and findings on the new planet, these are extremely well written and innovative sci-fi series with quite good set design, CGI graphics and acting.

If you like to weave your thoughts around humanity, evolution, faith, science etc., then simply don't miss this series.

It has a total of 18 Episodes.

Hats off to Aaron Guzikowski for conceptualizing, writing and creating something like this !!

Persuasion (15 Jul 2022)

 

Released On: Netflix

Genre: Romance Drama Comedy

Language: English

Duration: 109 minutes

Director: Carrie Cracknell

Cast: Dakota Johnson, Cosmo Jarvis, Henry Golding, Mia McKenna-Bruce

If you like the Victorian era elegance and attires, the hints of romance during long walks into a forest or by a beach, the articulate English tea and dinner tables with some soulful quotes and poetries thrown in between, sans any nudity, brutality, conmanship or even overwhelming drama, then do watch this feel-good movie in the safe and cosy confines of your home.

It is based on the novel 'Persuasion' by Jane Austen where Anne Elliott (Dakota Johnson), the protagonist constantly breaks the fourth wall by interacting with the audience.

The plot centres around a titular British family who believes in titular associations (read marriages).

Anne breaks off with Frederick Wentworth (Cosmo Jarvis), her true love, due to her family's strong stance of marrying into similar titular families, only to meet him again after a gap of 7 years when he is a rich and distinguished sailor (read Captain) with high prospects of becoming an Admiral and her father has mounted debts due to his blind spendings !!

For sure, both Anne and Frederick are oblivious to titles and riches and nurse a pining heart for each other.

But will they be able to bury their past and re-unite? Will her family be practical enough to oblige their re-union?

As if the aforesaid dilemmas were not enough, their meet coincides with the emergence of a new suitor in each of their lives!

Will their hearts flutter for fresh love which is absolutely free from the complexities of past baggage?

Watch the movie to know it all.

My friends and myself watched this film on a lazy afternoon with a pot of Jasmine tea, cheese cream topped red velvet cupcakes and a couple of finger sandwiches and absolutely loved the total experience, specially Dakota Johnson's presence and performance.

'When in Rome, Do as the Romans do', What say?

Top Gun: Maverick (27 May 2022)

Genre: Action Drama Adventure

Language: English

Running Time: 171 minutes

Director: Joseph Kosinski

Cast: Tom Cruise, Miles Teller, Jennifer Connelly, Jon Hamm, Glen Powell, Lewis Pullman, Ed Harris, Val Kilmer

As per the storyline, Tom Cruise here is not 'the man' on the mission, but a test pilot (read super pilot) who trains a batch of recent graduates for a special and dangerous assignment.

Given the fact that the protagonist here is an aging star (almost sixty) and  reduced to playing a trainer and not the 'man of the mission', many of us (including me) got the impression that the movie would be sans the Tom Cruise magic (read death defying stunts) and more of an encashment of his brand as the last hurrah.

But please get rid of all such notions, as it's an out and out Tom Cruise movie, made very intelligently with proper business acumen and amazing special effects. Also, not once does the star appears old or jaded.

Herein, he is a maestro of supersonic fighter jets who can test them to record breaking speed and manoeuvre them like a toy with impeccable strategy to meet the concerned mission's need.

Alongside, he also teaches his unconventional albeit highly effective flying methods to a new batch of military graduates bursting with youth, super confidence and passion to do something out of the ordinary.

And he battles the ghosts of his past and rekindles an old flame.

As an exceptional dancer makes the toughest of steps appear like a child's play, the combo of good direction, acting, cinematography and special effects in the movie, ably simplifies the world of supersonic jets, their architecture & manipulation and their limitation on different terrains and altitudes !!

Everything is easily understandable and this is no mean feat.

You will find the movie thrilling & entertaining and around midway, you will start predicting it's end, but it will surprise you with an interesting climax.

In spite of woven around a top class military assignment, the movie is not gruesome to watch, as the bullet and bomb firing scenes are more on the lines of a hi-tech video game. 

Also, it's a family entertainer with no nudity or intimate scene.

Top Gun: Maverick is a Tom Cruise Special giddy cocktail of - adrenalin rush, emotions and nostalgia, which needs to be watched in a theatre for full entertainment of the senses.

Please don't wait for it's OTT release.

Last but not the least, though the movie is a sequel of Top Gun (1986), a huge commercial hit by Tom Cruise and team, it can be watched as an independent film.

Christmas Movies 2021 On Netflix 😊

Same date last year, I presented you my collective info and review of 7 feel good Christmas Movies.

http://angrezipicture.blogspot.com/2020/11/6-feel-good-christmas-movies-1-reality.html?m=1

But this year, till yesterday I could spot only 2 such new releases on Netflix and coincidentally both are about getting back something on Christmas. 

While the former is about getting back an estranged father, the latter is about getting back a stolen relic.

Story backdrop in both the movies is european uber rich, so there is enough eye candy pertaining to massive Christmas decor, high end designer clothing & accessories and the likes.

1. Father Christmas Is Back (7 Nov 2021)

Genre: Comedy

Duration: 105 minutes

Plot: Four feuding sisters get a crash course in family togetherness when their long lost father shows up for Christmas at their posh ancestral manor.

Review: It's an out and out British comedy featuring Elizabeth Hurley as one of the aforesaid sisters. The concerned manor is vast beyond expectations. Most of the movie is about family bickering and melodrama.

I found the movie a tad bit boring.

2. The Princess Switch 3: Romancing the Star (18 Nov 2021)

Genre: Romantic Comedy

Duration: 106 minutes

Plot: When a priceless Christmas relic is stolen, royal look-alikes Margaret and Stacy turn to audacious doppelgänger Fiona and her dashing ex for help.

Review: It is the third film in 'The Princess Switch' series, featuring Vanessa Hudgens in triple role like it's prequel. 

But herein, even Fiona shows her humane side. 

It's not easy to skillfully play triple role in a movie while maintaining clear distinction between all the three roles, but Vanessa manages to do that.

In fact in some scenes, Margaret and Stacy are required to play Fiona and even that distinction is clear!

It's a happy movie with high dose of fashion.

Other Christmas Movies 2021: 

Today, I could spot these 3 additional movies but I have not viewed them yet -

- A Boy Called Christmas (24 Nov 2021)

- A Castle For Christmas (26 Nov 2021)

- Love Hard (5 Nov 2021)

7 Christmas Movies scheduled for Dec 2021 release are:

- Single All the Way (2 Dec 2021)

- Shaun the Sheep: The Flight Before Christmas (3 Dec 2021)

- David and the Elves (6 Dec 2021)

- StarBeam: Beaming in the New Year (14 Dec 2021)

- A California Christmas: City Lights (16 Dec 2021)

- A Naija Christmas (16 Dec 2021)

- 1000 Miles from Christmas (24 Dec 2021)

6 Feel Good Christmas Movies + 1 Reality-TV On Netflix 🙂

Would you like some Christmas cheer to engulf your abode?

Ginger cookies, mistletoes, Christmas trees, bells and abundance of red, green, gold and silver - do they make you happy?

Would you like to look away from the gloom around you into a happy world of dreams and wishes which eventually come true?

If yes, then dunk into the world of feel good festive movies brought to you by Netflix.

Here is my datewise list of such movies with short reviews -

1. Holidate (28 Oct 2020)

Genre: Comedy Romance

Duration: 103 minutes

Plot: Fed up with being single on holidays, two strangers agree to be each other's platonic plus-ones all year long, only to catch real feelings along the way.

Review: It's fun to see the lead cast play each other's 'holidate' for a series of festivals!

2. Operation Christmas Drop (5 Nov 2020)

Genre: Comedy Family Romance

Duration: 95 minutes

Plot: Congressional aide Erica Miller lands at a beachside Air Force base, where she clashes with Capt. Andrew Jantz over his pet project - Operation: Christmas Drop. The Captain knows that her assignment is to find reasons to defund the facility!

Review: Nice storyline with average performance but good message.

3. Jingle Jangle - A Christmas Journey (13 Nov 2020)

Genre: Musical Fantasy

Duration: 119 minutes

Plot: Decades after hus first apprentice betrayed him, a once joyful toymaker finds new hope when his kind and curious granddaughter comes into his life.

Review: Clean, beautiful, colorful and magical!

4. Holiday Home Makeover With Mr. Christmas (18 Nov 2020)

Genre: Reality-TV Lifestyle

No. Of Episodes: 4

Running Time: 35-40 minutes

Plot: Equipped with lights, garland and tinsel, interior designer Benjamin Bradley and his team of elves work around the clock to bring holiday cheer to families and communities deserving of a home makeover for the most joyous time of year.

Review: An authentic and creative, fun-reality show.

5. The Princess Switch - Switched Again (19 Nov 2020)

Genre: Comedy Drama Family

Duration: 96 minutes

Plot: It is a sequel to The Princess Switch. When Duchess Margaret unexpectedly inherits the throne to Montenaro and hits a rough patch with Kevin, it's up to her double Stacy to save the day before a new lookalike, party girl Fiona foils their plans.

Review: A silly but cute and full of Christmas sequel. 

6. Dolly Parton's Christmas On The Square (22 Nov 2020)

Genre: Family Musical

Duration: 98 minutes

Plot: A woman who plans to sell a small town without regard for the people who live there receives a visit from an angel.

Review: An inspirational story with great cast but over the top acting.

7. The Christmas Chronicles 2 (25 Nov 2020)

Genre: Comedy Adventure

Duration: 112 minutes

Plot: Kate Pierce, now a cynical teen, is unexpectedly reunited with Santa Claus when a mysterious troublemaker threatens to cancel Christmas - forever.

Review: The movie is clearly a no match to it's prequel, but still watchable to keep live the Christmas spirit.

Binge Watch Suggestion List - Part IV 🙂

I am sharing below my pick list with short reviews of 4 international Amazon Prime Video web series showcasing strong, liberal, talented and entertaining lady protagonist(s) -

1. Covert Affairs (13 Jul 2010, 7 Jun 2011, 10 Jul 2012, 16 Jul 2013, 24 Jun 2014)
Genre: Action Thriller Espionage Drama
Country of Origin: United States
Seasons: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
No. of Episodes: 11, 16, 16, 16, 16
Running Time: 45 minutes

Short Review: Annie Walker (Piper Perabo) is a young CIA field agent who works in conjunction with August "Auggie" Anderson (Christopher Gorham), an extremely talented blind CIA tech operative. Throughout the series, she comes across a lot of life threatening missions, a couple of love angles and betrayals. She speaks seven languages and is multi skilled.

Not particularly beautiful, but quite an impressive and agile personality, Annie Walker lights up the screen whenever she appears in a frame. In spite of being a hard core result oriented spy, she is a humanitarian in her approach.

The series is quite engaging and relaxing.

2. Nikita (9 Sep 2010, 2011
Genre: Action Thriller Espionage Drama
Country of Origin: United States
Seasons: 1, 2, 3, 4
No. of Episodes: 22, 23, 22, 6
Running Time: 42 minutes

Short Review: The series is an adaptation of the Luc Besson's French film 'La Femme Nikita'.

The lean and athletic Nikita Mears (Maggie Q) is rescued from death row by Division, a secret government organization, wherein she is trained and hired to do off-the-book assassination of dangerous and threatening personnels.

With the course of time, Nikita realizes that Division has been created and is managed by Oversight, a black operations centric organization and ever since it's first director and founding member has gone rogue, Division is actually undertaking private killing contracts!

First she goes into three years hiding, then surfaces with the resolution of terminating the entire aforementioned net of black operations.

It's an ultra complex series with a lot of layers and a bevy of important characters. The series is quite well scripted and manages to keep the audience guessing till the end. Maggie Q is simply fantastic in action scenes.

3. Diablo Guardian (3 May 2018, 12 Apr 2019)
Genre: Comedy Drama
Country of Origin: Mexico
Seasons: 1, 2
No. of Episodes: 10, 8
Running Time: 45 minutes

Short Review: The series is based on the 2003 novel 'Diablo Guardián' by Xavier Velasco.

Violetta (Paulina Gaitán) is a sucker for luxurious and materialistic lifestyle and leaves her ordinary Mexico life for the glittery life of New York, with $217,000 in hand, that she had stolen from her disapproving parents.

Initially, she revels in luxurious - hotel stay, clothing, wine, dine and the likes. But eventually, the money runs out and she resorts to high end conning and prostitution, till it lasts.

Herein, the protagonist is kind of amoral but child like and gleeful and continuously experiments with everything fashionable and luxurious, which makes for an interesting watch.

4. The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (17 Mar 2017, 5 Dec 2018, 6 Dec 2019)
Genre: Comedy Period Drama
Country of Origin: United States
Seasons: 1, 2, 3
No. of Episodes: 8, 10, 18
Running Time: 43-76 minutes

Short Review: Mrs. Miriam "Midge" Maisel (Rachel Brosnahan), is a beautiful, poised, witty and Jewish housewife of the late 1950s and early 1960s, in New York City, who out of the blue realises that she has the talent and urge to be a stand-up comedian and goes on to pursue a career in it with full force and focus. This includes separating from Joel Maisel (Michael Zegen) her loving, gentleman but cheating husband and leaving her two children under her mother's care, while she goes out or travels for work.

Most of Miriam's bold and brazen standup-comedy acts are funny and interesting.

The series also gives a sneak peek of the then inferior treatment meated out to women in the work arena.

Binge Watch Suggestion List - Part I -
http://jaimaadurga.blogspot.com/2020/03/binge-watch-suggestion-list-part-i.html?m=1

Binge Watch Suggestion List - Part II -
http://jaimaadurga.blogspot.com/2020/03/binge-watch-suggestion-list-part-ii.html?m=1

Binge Watch Suggestion List - Part III -
http://angrezipicture.blogspot.com/2020/04/binge-watch-suggestion-list-part-iii.html?m=1

Binge Watch Suggestion List - Part V -
http://jaimaadurga.blogspot.com/2020/05/binge-watch-suggestion-list-part-vl.html?m=1

Binge Watch Suggestion List - Part VI -
http://jaimaadurga.blogspot.com/2020/05/binge-watch-suggestion-list-part-vi.html?m=1

Binge Watch Suggestion List - Part III 🙂

I am sharing below my pick list with short reviews of 7 international Netflix web series showcasing strong, well groomed, talented and entertaining lady protagonist(s) -

1. Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries (24 Feb 2012, 6 Sep 2013, 8 May 2015)
Genre: Crime, Mystery Costume Drama
Country of Origin: Australia
Seasons: 1, 2, 3
No. of Episodes: 13, 13, 8
Running Time: 60 minutes

Short Review: Miss Phryne Fisher (Essie Davis) is a well groomed, glamorous, stylish but bold and risk loving lady detective, often found snooping around jazz clubs and dubious people's properties. The time period is of 1920s.

She is extremely observant and loves good life and never shares her woes or weaknesses in public.

The series is simple and clean with old vintage charm.

2. Cable Girls (28 Apr 2017, 25 Dec 2017, 7 Sep pop2018, 9 Aug 2019, 14 Feb 2020)
Genre: Thriller, Period Drama
Country of Origin: Spain
Season: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
No. of Episodes: 8, 8, 8, 8, 10
Running Time: 41-63 minutes

Short Review: Originally titled as 'Las chicas del cable' in Spanish, the series is about the personal and professional lives of the four cable operator ladies, who got employment in the first national telephone company of Spain, in the 1920s.

It's interesting to watch the working mechanism of the then telephone company, including the pride, politics and crisis around it. The series also depicts the dawn of the times when the society started considering women equal to men and women started taking their life decisions and complex matters into their own hands.

The series in totality is an engaging watch and much more than just the cable operating system.

3. Locked Up (20 Apr 2015, 31 Mar 2016, 23 Apr 2018, 3 Dec 2018)
Genre: Crime, Thriller, Serial Drama
Country of Origin: Spain
Season: 1, 2, 3, 4
No. of Episodes: 11, 13, 8, 8
Running Time: 70 minutes

Short Review: Originally titled as 'Vis A Vis' in Spanish, the series starts with the admittance of Macarena Ferreiro (Maggie Civantos), a victim of corporate fraud and lover's betrayal, into high security women's prison and follows up with the mechanism of the prison system and Macarena's life amongst the medley of both caring friends and ruthless enemies.

Eventually, the series focuses on different individual stories, leading to prison escape by few hardened criminals and their re-capture by the concerned authorities.

It's an extremely well researched and filmed series with apt casting and excellent direction and acting. There is more than required nudity in the garb of body searching and the likes.

4. House of Flowers (10 Aug 2018, 18 Oct 2019, 1 Nov 2019)
Genre: Satire, Comedy, Drama
Country of Origin: Mexico
Season: 1, 2, Special Episode
No. of Episodes: 13, 9, 1
Running Time: 27-37 minutes

Short Review: Originally titled as 'La Casa de las Flores' in Spanish, the series is about a dysfunctional family with a prestigious flower business front but a problematic and full of secrets reality.

The first season is exclusively filmed in Mexico, while the second one's filming shifts between Mexico and Spain and the Special Episode is filmed on the Texas-Mexico border.

The series has a modern and liberal approach on LGBT lifestyle and consists of enough scenes constituting the LGBT characters.

It's a non-serious, funny and full of drama series.

5. Three Days of Christmas (6 Dec 2019)
Genre: Classic Drama
Country of Origin: Spain
Season: 1
No. of Episodes: 3
Running Time: 53-66 minutes

Short Review: Large, well built, secluded and surrounded by beautiful snow capped mountains - this is the family home where four sisters joined by a childhood secret, celebrate Christmas at three distinct phases of their lives i.e. during their - teens as daughters, adulthood as mothers and elderly age as grandmothers.

It's a well made classic series, showing the conservative and anticipatory atmosphere post World War II. Interpersonal relationship and antics of the kid sisters is a gleeful watch.

6. Queen Sono (28 Feb 2020)
Genre: Crime Action Thriller Drama
Country of Origin: South Africa, Congo, Nigeria, Zimbabwe
Season: 1
No. of Episodes: 6
Running Time: 32-47 minutes

Short Review: It is Netflix's first African original series. It is about a young but extremely well trained African spy, who has a knack for successfully completing her missions but no policy of adhering to any rule. Alongside working for her nation, she is also on the continuous look out of finding her mother's assassins.

It's quite educative to watch an African series with an African protagonist in her local backdrop. Usually, we as the international audience are used to see Africa as a visiting or migrated location from other developed countries' protagonist's point of view.

It's also refreshing to hear dialogues in Zulu and Swahili. It's an interesting series.

7. Self Made (20 Mar 2020)
Genre: Classic Drama Biography
Season: 1
Country of Origin: United States
No. of Episodes: 4
Running Time: 45-49 minutes

Short Review: Based on Madam C. J. Walker's biography 'On Her Own Ground' by A'Lelia Bundles, the series depicts the strugglesome and inspiring life of the aforesaid great lady, the first African American self-made millionaire, who made her empire out of hair care products and salons.

The short and voluptuous but beautiful and talented Octavia Spencer is a treat to watch as Madam C. J. Walker.

The well made rags to riches story along with it's vintage charm will keep you hooked till the end.

Binge Watch Suggestion List - Part I -
http://jaimaadurga.blogspot.com/2020/03/binge-watch-suggestion-list-part-i.html?m=1

Binge Watch Suggestion List - Part II -
http://jaimaadurga.blogspot.com/2020/03/binge-watch-suggestion-list-part-ii.html?m=1

Binge Watch Suggestion List - Part IV -
http://angrezipicture.blogspot.com/2020/04/binge-watch-suggestion-list-part-iv.html?m=1

Binge Watch Suggestion List - Part V -
http://jaimaadurga.blogspot.com/2020/05/binge-watch-suggestion-list-part-vl.html?m=1

Binge Watch Suggestion List - Part VI -
http://jaimaadurga.blogspot.com/2020/05/binge-watch-suggestion-list-part-vi.html?m=1