4 Netflix TV Discoveries

Obviously I haven’t seen all of the TV on Netflix, that would make me one of the annoying American characters on their adverts, or Abed from Community. I’m just going to recommend five shows that I’ve discovered and devoured since signing up. There's a mixture of drama, comedy and crystal meth - so hopefully something for everyone's tastes.

Breaking Bad - Seasons 1-4.5

The reason why I originally got my free trial: to jump on the Walter White bandwagon. Bryan Cranston (yes, the dad from Malcolm in the Middle) plays the overqualified chemistry teacher who is diagnosed with cancer. Walter teams up with former student Jesse (Aaron Paul) to cook and sell crystal meth, in order to pay medical bills and provide for his family. The episodes are perfectly executed, locating the momentous in the unflinchingly authentic characters and their dark actions. Audacious writing and cutting-edge production are complemented by the exceptional leads and truly terrifying villains. Similar to TV classics like The Wire, Breaking Bad challenges the viewer in favour of greater truths over cheap thrills. With the final eight episodes (EVER) now scheduled for August, this is the best time to catch up with what you've been missing.

It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia - Seasons 1-8

This is easily my most-watched programme on Netflix. Raucous, wonderfully self-referential and outrageously satirical, this Philly sitcom is one of funniest (and smartest) shows around. If 'the gang' think it's funny, they'll go there - no matter how controversial. I've watched all and re-watched many of the 93 episodes about the self-obsessed owners of Paddy's Pub (including Charlie Day of Horrible Bosses) and they never disappoint. There's a good reason why these guys have recently been renewed for an incredible tenth season; they continue to churn out truly hilarious episodes, from season one's Gun Fever to season eight's Reynolds vs. Reynolds: The Cereal Defense.

Justified - Seasons 1-3
Based on the Elmore Leonard short story 'Fire in the Hole', this Kentucky-based gunfest is brilliantly entertaining. Deputy U.S. Marshall Raylan Givens, played by a thrilling Timothy Olyphant, is forced to return to his hometown and face his father, along with the many other criminals that have sprung up over the years. The writing expertly balances Southern wit with the deep seated issues of small-town America and, although the playful back-and-forth between the characters is great, Justified is worth watching just for that Southern drawl. Everything is cooler when speaking with that accent, while wearing a cowboy hat (and holding a gun). 

The League - Seasons 1-4
The premise of sitcoms is rarely where the comedy is found and that is especially evident in this show about a group of friends and they're NFL fantasy league. I have zero interest in American football, and comedy is always subjective, but I love The League. The dialogue is largely improvised by the hugely talented comic actors, including sketch specialist Nick Kroll, YouTube comedian Jonathan Lajoie and, one of my favourite actors, Mark Duplass. Guest cameos are also used to good effect, with Seth Rogen (pictured), Jeff Goldblum and Jason Mantzoukas having especially funny turns. I challenge you to watch the first episode, listen to Jonathan Lajoie's 'Birthday Song' and keep a straight face.

Reviews

Iron Man 3 (SPOILERS)

Cast: Robert Downey Jr., Guy Pearce, Ben Kingsley, Gwyneth Paltrow, Don Cheadle, Rebecca Hall, Jon Favreau, James Badge Dale

Director: Shane Black

Genre: Action, Thriller, Sci-Fi

My Rating: 5/10

So I'd just given in a 5,000 word essay and completed my university degree (fingers crossed). I felt like I'd earned the handmade burger I'd just wolfed down and to collapse into my seat, ready to be thrilled by the opening summer blockbuster. Instead, the third installment of the Iron Man franchise landed with a resounding thud; somehow making me feel hollow and unsatisfied, while still in a food coma. Sounds contradictory? Well, there's plenty more where that came from.

From the outset, Downey Jr.'s Tony Stark is suffering from what seems like a very intermittent form of PTSD, brought on by the traumatic events of The Avengers. This is never fully explored and sets a precedent of assembling interesting ideas without ever capitalising. The billionaire playboy can't sleep either, which is convenient for his 24-style investigation and efforts to capture the mysterious terrorist, The Mandarin (Ben Kingsley). The amount of plot-holes in this movie is astounding and the driving force behind the story, the motive of villainous mastermind Aldrich Killian (Guy Pearce), is never convincing or believable. This is partly down to there being far too many characters. The film's majority obviously has to be spent with its protagonist, leaving the rest of the fantastic cast out in the cold. Rebecca Hall (The Prestige, The Town) is especially underused (and discarded), as well as the uninteresting 'henchman' role that James Badge Dale (The Departed) has to deal with. 

The Mandarin or Trevor Slattery?

The one area that Iron Man 3 excels in is its humour. The playful banter that writer-director Shane Black is famous for from his Lethal Weapon franchise and the excellent Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang, is back in full force. Downey Jr, who had a lot of influence in getting Black the gig, seems very at home with the zingy dialogue. The most outrageously funny scene though, is when The Mandarin is revealed to be a comically lackluster English actor called Trevor Slattery, employed to front Killian's 'masterplan'. The twist is perfectly executed and comes out of nowhere as Kingsley revels in the 'bumbling idiot' role - his King Lear was apparently "the toast of Croydon". The only downside to the stunt is that the build up of The Mandarin's terrorist persona, which makes the joke so effective, sacrifices and overshadows Guy Pearce's real villain, leaving the last third empty and under-cooked. 

I could forgive Iron Man 3 all these sins, but it fails to deliver the most vital part of any action film: excitement. The final climactic set-piece becomes an uncoordinated blur as the countless unmanned suits that Stark has flying around defeat Killian's deputies with ease. The most potentially thrilling scene, in which Stark struggles to escape the falling debris from his bombed house is ruined by incoherent underwater shots that sporadically jump around with the control of an ADHD meth addict. These missteps mean that the coda, where he ditches the arc reactor and removes the shrapnel inside his body (explained by a clichéd voice-over), holds no dramatic weight, rendering Stark, and the third film, heartless.

Reviews

Like Crazy (2011): An ode to long distance love

Cast: Felicity Jones, Anton Yelchin, Jennifer Lawrence, Charlie Bewley

Director: Drake Doremus

Genre: Drama, Romance

My Rating: 8/10

I've never understood why romantic movies have always been inextricably linked to comedy. Love isn't that funny, especially when it doesn't work out. Rom-coms are fine for date night, but Like Crazy confesses truths that even Hugh Grant can't skate over with a cheesy grin.

Anna (Jones) falls in love with Jacob (Yelchin) while studying in Los Angeles. When she chooses to overstay her visa and is subsequently banned from reentering the U.S., the lovesick pair are forced into a detrimental long distance relationship. This is a tale that we've seen many times before, but Doremus and his actors inject the story with genuine emotion that will draw you in.

Felicity Jones is painfully vulnerable, without ever being pathetic or trying. Her naked aura is mesmerising and, on this evidence, she's destined for much bigger things. Yelchin, an unconventional romantic leading man, is less impressive - paling in comparison opposite Jones - but still effective. All of their dialogue was improvised, making the chemistry between them more intimate and believable. As the rather under-written love interests, Jennifer Lawrence stretches her limited character as far as possible and Charlie Bewley (a newcomer to any non-Twilighters) is adequate.

Anna - "I didn't realize it would sometimes be more than whole, that the wholeness was a rather luxurious idea. Because it's the halves that halve you in half. I didn't know, don't know, about the in-between bits; the gory bits of you, and the gory bits of me."

The most exciting aspect of Like Crazy though, is Drake Doremus's direction. The film is crafted to perfection with intimate camerawork and beautifully intricate editing. He seeks to find the momentous in the small instances, rather than building up to "the big scene", like in Blue Valentine. The film also doesn't descend into the same pessimism, electing to shy away from melodrama altogether.

As if Doremus being only 27 when he made the film wasn't impressive enough, I then learn that it was made for less than $250,000. That is staggering. The visionary elegance that he was able to achieve with these constraints highlights a great potential in the AFI graduate. The writer-director's latest project, Breathe In, again featuring Jones in the lead role, as well as Guy Pearce and Amy Ryan, played at this year's Sundance, two years on from Like Crazy's Grand Jury Prize win. It's scheduled for a July UK release.