Notable Netflix, 2006 (Part Deux: Boogaloo Electrique)

The Squid and the Whale: There’s a reason this film feels like a Wes Anderson project: it’s written Noah Baumbach, who co-wrote The Royal Tennenbaums and The Life Aquatic. The way he develops the characters and the feel of some of the dialogue show this connection, but The Squid and the Whale tries (successfully) to be much more realistic. It portrays a dysfunctional family falling apart. There’s no way you can make a film like that without it being tragic, and this movie is. But there are also funny parts, too, and they not only temper the sadness but make the story feel less like a story and more like a record of real life. That is, a record of one person’s (Baumbach’s) real life—thank God it wasn’t mine. I’ve never been a Jeff Daniels fan (has anyone?), but he’s quite good in this film.

The Dinner Game (Le Dîner des cons): This is the closest thing to French slapstick I’ve ever seen. A group of snooty Parisians hold a regular dinner party, and each one tries to bring the stupidest guest they can find. The film focuses on Pierre and his guest, François, who is sure to prove himself “king of the idiots.” Unfortunately for Pierre, his plan backfires as François’ bumbling stupidity makes a mess of Pierre’s life before they can even get to the party. At first, I didn’t think it was going to be funny—François is such a sincere, sweet character that I expected to be put off by the sophisticates’ mocking him. But Pierre gets his comeuppance, et plus! It’s hilarious. Apparently, there’s an English version in the works starring Sacha Baron Cohen (aka Borat). See the original first.

Duma: If there’s one thing Watoosa likes, it’s baby animals. Especially, baby felines. She still jumps up and down and breaks into spasms when I remind her of our visit to the San Diego Zoo, where we saw some baby cheetahs innocently sleeping on their little beds. So when she found out about this movie, which is pretty much all about a boy and his cheetah, she wasted no time putting it on the queue. There’s nothing really remarkable about it; it’s just a well-made, family-friendly movie. So when you need something to watch with the kids, this will be a good choice. It’s rated PG, but that’s for “mild adventure trauma.” But even for grown-ups, this makes for a nice change of pace.

Daniel Deronda: This is a television adaptation of a novel by George Eliot, who is better known for Silas Marner, which I believe was originally subtitled A Novel So Boring it will Make You Eat Your Own Fingers. Suffice it to say, I found Daniel Deronda more interesting. The running theme is the orphaned Deronda’s wrestling with his identity—individual, familial, and ethnic. I found it absorbing. Romola Garai gives a typically fine performance and her character is very interesting, but Hugh Bonneville steals the show with his portrayal of the wonderfully malevolent Henleigh Grandcourt.