Enough Politics, Now Movies & Books / Judy

In my last post, "When Lloyd& I Started this Blog," I recommended 4 lesser-known films that both Lloyd & I watched. I don't know about your lives, but it's rare that we have time together. So besides those movies that I enjoy, I'm also on the lookout for ones we'll both like. The themes and pace are more for adults than children. "The Big Miracle" from the last post would be one for the whole family.

 Here are five more films that I recommend with shared popcorn 

1. Salmon Fishing in the Yemen

This is a quirky British movie ("quirky" and "British" are often synonymous). Although it's not as funny as the trailer promises, it has more heart. It's about a visionary sheik from Yemen who wants to establish salmon fishing in his country and goes to Britain's Academy of Fisheries, or something, for help. It stars two of my favorite actors: Emily Blunt and Ewan McGregor. No subtitles of course.  Netflix DVD, not instant.

2. Best Exotic Marigold Hotel

Another British entry. This one is longish (2 hrs 5 min) and leisurely, but it builds and by the end has exerted a compelling charm. It's about several British retirees who travel to India to live in an exotic hotel that is not nearly as wonderful as the brochures describe. All their stories are interwoven around the hotel manager and you really care about these people, at least I did. Again, Netflix DVD, not instant.

3. Queen to Play

This one is French and has subtitles. It's unrated, but again it's okay. It's about a motel maid on the island of Corsica who one day sees an American couple playing chess on the balcony of their room. She becomes intrigued with the game and asks an American (Kevin Kline) to teach her the game. She becomes very good at it. In fact, she becomes so good that it changes her life and everything around her. It is available on Netflix instant.

4.  The Women on the 6th Floor (Subtitles)

A French comedy, but bear in mind their comedies are not like our comedies. You never know what's going to happen next. It's about a Parisian couple in 1960 who hire a Spanish maid. All the maids live on the 6th floor, and the husband finds he likes being up there more than in his own apartment. It's unrated, but okay. I have to warn you about one scene where the husband sees the bare back of the maid as she takes a bath in their apartment, but that's it. It is available on Netflix instant.

5. Take Me Home

This is a little gem I discovered under the Watch Instantly column on Netflix. It's obviously an indie film because I've never heard of any of the actors, but they are really good. It's a fun story about a woman in New York who hears her father is in a hospital in California, and she hires a cabby to drive her there. Turns out to be quite a road trip. Also available on Netflix instant.

And that's it, unless I see another intriguing movie I have to talk about. The next blog will be about some books I've recently enjoyed.