More films

Grace and I don't watch much live TV. Whenever we're back at the house, we watch any series we've had automatically recorded for us while we were away. And we might use one of the catchup facilities both on Kantara and in the house for the odd one-off we want to see. But live TV is something of a rarity. Over the years, we've missed some really good cinema films, and we're making up for that now by buying used DVDs at silly prices on Amazon or Rakuten on the web.

These are some we've watched recently.

Silver Linings Playbook

"After losing his job and wife, and spending time in a mental institution, Pat Solatano (Bradley Cooper) winds up living with his parents (Robert De Niro, Jacki Weaver). He wants to rebuild his life and reunite with his wife, but his parents would be happy if he just shared their obsession with the Philadelphia Eagles. Things get complicated when Pat meets Tiffany (Jennifer Lawrence), who offers to help him reconnect with his wife, if he will do something very important for her in exchange."

Fascinating, engaging, amusing, poignant. We liked this a lot.

The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen

"A team of extraordinary figures culled from great adventure literature (including Alan Quatermain, vampiress Mina Harker from Dracula, the Invisible Man, Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde, an American secret service agent named Sawyer, Captain Nemo, and Dorian Gray), are called to stop a villain intent on turning the nations of the world against one another."

Strange, fantastical, dramatic, though slow in places. Not one of the best films we've seen recently. 

Submarine

"Oliver (Craig Roberts) is a Welsh teen who has some things on his mind. First is losing his virginity before his 16th birthday. He sets out to woo his feisty classmate Jordana (Yasmin Paige). Then Oliver focuses on holding his family together. His father (Noah Taylor), a depressed marine biologist, seems unequal to the task of preventing Oliver's mother (Sally Hawkins) from succumbing to the dubious charms of a spiritual guru (Paddy Considine) from down the road."

Very comical, but surely more than a little inspired by Sue Townsend's Adrian Mole. Which wouldn't be a problem if you've not read any of those books, nor seen the film or play! I'm in the process of reading the books.

Mud

"While exploring a Mississippi River island, Arkansas boys Ellis (Tye Sheridan) and Neckbone (Jacob Lofland) encounter Mud (Matthew McConaughey),a fugitive who needs their help. Though Mud killed a man in Texas and has bounty hunters on his trail, he is most concerned about reuniting with Juniper (Reese Witherspoon), the love of his life. Ellis, who is suffering the pangs of his first crush, agrees to help Mud. He and Neckbone do all they can to protect Mud and help him reunite with Juniper."

We enjoyed this a lot. The acting is first-class, especially that of the lead boy. The story's a good one, and well told, and a good mixture of emotions are stirred.

Last and most certainly least, RIPD

"Veteran lawman Roy Pulsifer (Jeff Bridges) works for the R.I.P.D., a legendary police force charged with finding monstrous spirits who are disguised as ordinary people but are trying to avoid their final judgment by hiding out among the living. When Roy and his new partner, Nick Walker (Ryan Reynolds), uncover a plot that could end all life, they must discover a way to restore the cosmic balance or else watch the tunnel to the afterlife start sending angry souls back to the world of the living."

Very silly, but it knows it. Funny at times, but really too focussed on the blasting to bits of almost anything that moves, with big guns.