Streaming Weekly July 2016 4.0

July 22, 2016Joshua Crabb Streaming Weekly0

This weekend, if bustin’ has already made you feel good, and you’ve already boldly gone where no man has gone before, might we suggest relaxing at home with a movie recommended by one of our contributors? We promise you’ll not regret sitting down with one of these recommendations this weekend.

via The Film Avenger

We Were Soldiers (Netflix) – This movie was very much overlooked by both critics and audiences when it was first released in 2002. But We Were Soldiers is definitely one of the best war films made in the modern era. Written and directed by Braveheart scribe Randall Wallace, the film tells the story of one of the first major battles of the Vietnam War. One of the film’s endearing qualities is that it doesn’t get bogged down in the politics of the Vietnam War, but is simply a film about soldiers and the sacrifices they make for one another and their country. Too many modern war films depict the American soldier as a sadist, a dimwit, or a desperate soul (or all of the above), and this film does none of that. The men have their flaws, but their noble hearts and motivations are clear. However, there is also no effort made to glorify the violence; it’s visceral and uncompromising in a way that is fair. And there is a definite spiritual component to the story, with Lt. General Hal Moore (Mel Gibson at his intense and charismatic best) openly looking to God for protection for himself and his men. Positive in its message yet honest in the portrayal of war, We Were Soldiers is a film you should definitely take a look at.

via Blaine Grimes

The Wave (Netflix) – Norway’s first disaster flick—and the country’s official submission to the Foreign Language Film category of the 88th Academy Awards—The Wave is a film that is intimately familiar with the well-worn tropes of its genre, a film that, instead of trying outdo its American counterparts by going louder, and more explosion-y (à la Michael Bay), shamelessly embraces the narrative beats and stock characters that have made disaster films so widely popular, showing that there is no reason to reinvent the wheel if there is still some magic left in a tried-and-true formula. After seeing the film, make sure to check out my review of the film from a couple months ago.

via Josh Crabb

Embrace of the Serpent (Amazon Prime) – For a little peek behind the Reel World curtain, this movie has long been a running joke between members of the RWT staff at the expense of Blaine. The official submission for Colombia to this past February’s Academy Awards, when Blaine put this down on his list of movies he was looking forward to, a couple of us were convinced it wasn’t a real movie. Well, now that the movie has made its way to Amazon Prime, Blaine finally has easily accessible proof he did not make up a movie.

Joking aside, Embrace of the Serpent is a must see foreign film. It was one of the five movies selected for the Best Foreign Film category, eventually losing to the very worthy Son of Saul. The movie recalls Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness and provides a truly unique cinematic experience. While the somewhat stilted narrative might not be for everyone, this movie is moving, visually stunning, and leave you thinking and days after the movie is done.