This week on The Movie Gourmet – I’ve been covering the San Francico International Film Festival, now underway: First look at the 2023 SFFILM and Under the radar at the 2023 SFFILM. But I still have new reviews of the enjoyable Sally Hawkins vehicle The Lost King and the Kazakh neo-noir (yes, a neo-noir from Kazakhstan) A Dark, Dark Man. The best movie in theaters remains Return to Seoul.
CURRENT MOVIES
- Return to Seoul: brilliantly crafted and emotionally gripping. In theaters.
- Roise & Frank: therapy dog and hurling coach. In theaters.
- The Lost King: not all cranks are cranky. In theaters.
- A Dark, Dark Man: rounding up the usual suspects in Kazakhstan. MHz.
- Reggie: it’s not just about Reggie. Netflix.
- I’m an Electric Lampshade: the final score is Doug 1, Expectations 0. Amazon, AppleTV, Vudu, YouTube.
WATCH AT HOME
The most eclectic watch-at-home recommendations you’ll find ANYWHERE:
- The East: how do we punish corporate crime? HBO, Amazon, AppleTV, redbox.
- Radio Dreams: stranger in a strange and funny land. Amazon, AppleTV.
- Mustang: repression challenged by the human spirit. Amazon, AppleTV, Vudu, YouTube.
- Truman: how to say goodbye. Amazon, AppleTV, Vudu, YouTube.
- Love & Mercy: a tale of three monsters and salvation. Amazon, AppleTV, Vudu, YouTube.
- Searching: A ticking clock thriller that captures the Silicon Valley vibe. Amazon, AppleTV, Vudu, YouTube, redbox.
- Venus: Meeting your kid for the first time while transitioning. Amazon, AppleTV.
- The Sapphires: Here’s a crowd pleaser: Motown meets Aborigines. Amazon, AppleTV, Vudu.
- Wind River: “This isn’t the land of backup, Jane. This is the land of you’re on your own.” Amazon, AppleTV, Vudu, YouTube, redbox.
- Little Dieter Needs to Fly: an unimaginable escape and a quirky guy Project Nim: .Amazon, AppleTV, Vudu, YouTube.
- We Believe in Science: denying science on a monumental scale. Amazon, Vudu, YouTube.
ON TV
On April 17, Turner Classic Movies presents Humphrey Bogart as Raymond Chandler’s hard-boiled LA detective Philip Marlowe in The Big Sleep. Bogart’s performance is iconic, and The Big Sleep is famous for its impenetrably tangled plot. It’s also one of the most overtly sexual noirs, and Lauren Bacall at her sultriest is only the beginning. The achingly beautiful Martha Vickers plays a druggie who throws herself at anything in pants. And Dorothy Malone invites Bogie to share a back-of-the-bookstore quickie.
Speaking of the plot, I recently heard Eddie Muller say that, after filming, the studio bosses had more scenes written for Bogart and Bacall (and we thank them for that); to make room for those new scenes, some exposition was cut, leaving at least one loose end. I have to say, though, that I enjoyed watching The Big Sleep many times over the decades before I learned about the supposed hanging plot thread. You probably won’t notice it, either.
