Familiar with the term arthouse film? ­As examples, think of the works of past directors Bergman, Fellini and Goddard and, in contemporary times, Sofia Coppola, Terrence Malik, and Jane Campion. An arthouse film “strays from the mainstream commercial path to create a unique artistic expression. These films are typically characterized by their serious, often experimental […]

In keeping with an annual (since 2018) tradition, and since many people spend their evenings in front of a television, I outline several of Glen’s and my favourite shows of the past year. In our viewing we like to get attached to one or more of the characters, to get immersed in their world, so […]

Because several readers appreciated the recommendation of Informer last Thursday, I now invite you to turn your attention to a riveting Indian drama, Dahaad, an eight episode series also on Prime. Cowritten by two women, their show studies patriarchy and caste politics through the lead character of Anjali Bhaati, a police inspector proving herself in a […]

Informer, a little known gem on Prime, is one of the most satisfying dramas we’ve watched in a while. The show opens with an anonymous public shooting in a coffee shop in London, England. Cut to a courtroom with Witness K unable to reveal much about the incident or the accused, given issues of security […]

Given a fallow year of viewing, both on TV and in cinemas, I did not easily compile a list of recommendations. However, in addition to Undercover 3 and Borgen — Power & Glory that I reviewed on TV Thursdays in 2022, you may appreciate the following: NETFLIX Borderliner (Norwegian) During a visit to his hometown, […]

The challenge in watching the best TV series is finding the next best. Several years ago Glen and I rued the conclusion of Borgen (the Castle), a nickname for Christiansborg Palace that houses Denmark’s Parliament, the Prime Minister’s Office and the Supreme Court. In three seasons we became well acquainted with Birgitte Nyborg, the (fictional) […]

You don’t need to watch seasons 1 and 2 of “Undercover” to appreciate its riveting 3rd, but why wouldn’t you? Both are reasonably satisfying viewing and lay the foundation for the best season in this Belgian/Dutch series on Netflix. The conceit: undercover agents infiltrate drug trafficking organizations to bring the kingpins to justice. While the […]

Given my introduction in November 2020 of TV Thursdays, I thought periodic reviews rather than an annual summary of shows would cover our viewing recommendations. However, since Glen and I watched several excellent shows last year, I decided to give a list of unreviewed ones, organized by streaming service, in this New Year. HBO The […]

Having sampled PBS Masterpiece for free through our Prime membership, we’re now paying $6.99/month for continued access to this rich library. Through it we happened upon shows from Walter Presents. According to Wikipedia, Italian TV producer Walter Iuzzolino set three criteria in selecting foreign language dramas and comedies to stream: the show must be popular […]

A friend or a critic recommended “Torn” so it was on my ‘to watch’ list, but Glen and I couldn’t find it in our streaming services. Through Prime we signed up for a 30 day free trial of PBS Masterpiece; “Torn” is in this library of shows and movies. TORN (Soupçons) ♦♦♦♦½ The six-episode French drama […]