Sherlock

Again, it's not a movie. But it's good. And streaming (dvds, available) on Netflix. And British.

Sherlock is a 2010 BBC mini-series (each episode is 90 min) - but only 3 episodes?? I want more! - created by 2 guys who wrote a bunch of (the new) Dr Who shows.

It was critically acclaimed, according to the number of Emmy's it was nominated for (4) and it also won a boat-load of other (FOREIGN, OH NOOO!) awards. Sherlock was so well received that they're filming a new set of 3 due to air next year!

This is a cool update of the classic set in modern day London. Yet it has all the hallmarks of Sir A.C. Doyle: incredible observation and deduction by Holmes (on the borderline of too incredible but hey: it's Sherlock Holmes, the greatest detective ever! Sit back and have fun.); great cases, including a famed "locked-door murders"; Holmes is as inept and awkward socially as he is utterly brilliant; and, most importantly, it's genuinely suspenseful.

This show has great writing, acting... maybe a few glitches with directing here or there, but I really enjoyed it! ...Until the ending of the last episode. I'd like to hear other people's opinions but I thought it was a bit contrived.

However, this detraction did not dissuade me from really liking the series. I was riveted throughout. Rent, watch, lemme know what you think.

Bunraku

Again, sorry for the hiatus. I haven't been super-excited about any movies that I've seen recently. Everything seems to be just ok.

I wasn't even super-excited about this movie. But mostly-excited works.

Bunraku (2010) is an odd mix of genres, with an odd mix of visuals (a bunch that are cool), a bunch of talented actors and a whole bunch of good action.

This movie is not to be taken very seriously. It's an amusing action film that takes itself lightly. From the opening annimation to the pseudo-noir narration (by Mike Patton, lead singer of Faith No More!) to the overly obvious art direction - where everything looks like a set - (and a few others examples I could rattle off), this movie purposefully crosses lines and pokes fun at more serious films.

This, besides the great action scenes, is what I liked about this movie. It doesn't fit neatly into a box. And for good reason.

Writer/director Guy Moshe fittingly named it Bunraku, which is an ancient Japanese version of puppetry where you can see the puppetiers on stage all dressed in black as they manipulate their puppets.

But even more, it's a pop-up book movie. You've seen comic books turned into movies (like Sin City or 300 that tried to convey that medium into the movie) but Moshe may be the first to do this with pop-up books. And it actually works.

Oh, I totally forgot to give the plot synopsis. And I don't think I will. Moshe does a great job of taking the viewer for a good, long ride with a pretty simple premise.

So, if you're a fan of action movies but are tired of the norm (especially out of Hoolywood) and you 're open-minded enough to bend genres, Rent Bunraku!