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TV & Films Recommendations for the week of November 15th - November 21st
Films
TV & Films Recommendations for the week of November 15th - November 21st
Films
#Soft Flex
Movie: Shadow (2018)
Genre: Action, Adventure, Drama
Description: Another praiseworthy wuxia film gracing us from China, Shadow is an action/drama with stunning visuals and political intrigue surrounding the goings-on of the city of Jingzhou. We learn that prior to the onset of the story, two neighbouring kingdoms competed for control of the city in the form of a duel between two of their best warriors. The loser of the duel (Ziyu) challenges Yang Cang (the winner) to a rematch without his kingdom's permission and is stripped of his rank and authority by the kingdom's cowardly ruler. Afterwards, it is revealed that Ziyu is not the real Ziyu, but a look-alike adopted at a young age due to his uncanny resemblance and potential use as his "shadow" (hence the title inspiration) - the real Ziyu was nearly fatally wounded in the original duel and is recuperating in a cave while plotting the recapture of Jingzhou.
While the story is well-written, the immediate draw of the film is its visual aesthetic. The entire movie is shot with a filter that dulls the majority of the natural colours and renders characters and backdrops in near black and white. In addition, much of the dialogue is soft spoken making the whole experience nearly hypnotic at times. A very strong title for fans of cinematography and action alike!
@ Saburo
Movie: The Foreigner (2017)
Genre: Action, Thriller
IMDb Synopsis: A humble businessman with a buried past seeks justice when his daughter is killed in an act of terrorism. A cat-and-mouse conflict ensues with a government official, whose past may hold clues to the killers' identities.
%IWouldPreferNotTo
Movie: Source Code
Genre: Sci-Fi
Description: Groundhog Day but with high stakes. Source Code presents an incredibly thrilling situation: What if you died, but you had the chance to stop an event that killed hundreds? It stars Jake Gyllenhaal so you know it's a good movie.
+yackback
Movie: Incendies
Genre(s): War, Thriller, Mystery
Description: Before he did Blade Runner 2049, before he did Arrival, before he did Sicario, Denis Villeneuve made Incendies. The film's title is French for "Scorched" and based on a play that in turn was based in part on a real person's experience in the Lebanese Civil War. I don't want to say too much more about the plot, but I'll just say this is probably my favorite Villeneuve film of the 4/6 I've seen.
Television
#Celestial
Show: Hell's Kitchen
Genre: Reality
Description: A show known for Gordon Ramsay yelling at cooks in a kitchen, the show is much more than that and truly shines. It's a great look into what it takes to run a high end restaurant. From preparing foods for a dinner service, to being able to work together with multiple chefs, to being able to deliver multiple different dishes simultaneously and more. Don't want to give too much away here, so definitely watch it if you haven't yet!
%Fragments
Show: Into the Badlands
Genre: Drama, Action
Description: In a dystopian future, civilization has resorted to a feudal landscape where factions are led by rival barons. A prestigious warrior named Sunny aims to escape the Badlands with the help of M.K., a strange and mysteriously powerful teenage boy. One of the best martial arts-based dramas I've seen, it's got plenty of action, drama, comedy, and even heartbreak.
Bondie
Show: Toast of London
Genre: Comedy, Sitcom
Description: Written by Arthur Matthews and Matt Berry, starring Matt Berry as the lead character Steven Toast, an actor living in London with his best friend Ed. A very British comedy following Toast through his unsuccessful acting career and love life.
