7 Current Video On Demand Movies To Watch This Month

This past weekend saw the release of House of Cards, and so, if you’re anything like me, you plan to expend a serious amount of bandwidth on binge-watching Netflix’s slick political thriller. If you’re looking for a break, an alternative, or something to sate your appetite for further on-demand viewing though, here are 7 more video on demand movie options that are totally worth your time. Let’s not waste any more words and just get to it. 1) Mitt It’s important to identify a central question or set of questions at the heart of any documentary, and from the reviews I’ve encountered of Mitt so far, most writers seem to be either misidentifying the film’s principal concern or had hoped for it to be a different—and maybe impossible—movie entirely. Their wish was for a more explicitly searing documentary of sorts, one that more blatantly exposed Mitt Romney as a calculated and power-hungry politician that sneered at the media’s depiction of him and wanted the presidency so he could enforce his Mormon principles on the entire country. Or something. I invite anyone to go ahead and try to make that movie, but this one is probably better than that one would have been. Mitt has been called an attempt to humanize the Romney family, but it’s probably more accurate to call it a recognition that behind any cultural caricature lies people whose families consider them to be smart and decent individuals. The Romneys come off as a close-knit group of people who are immensely supportive of each other. At the same time, it points to the fact that they are always aware of the cameras that are around them, and there are plenty of moments where their actions come off as awkward showmanship. This just makes the actual candid moments more valuable and revealing, like Josh Romney demonstrating the difference between what he tells reporters and what he actually thinks, or Mitt and one of his sons arguing over details of airport terminals. It may not be as interesting politically, but personally, this is a fascinating glimpse of a public figure and his family. Continue reading on the next page... 2) Tomorrow Night Louis CK is widely hailed as an internet hero for his decision to independently produce and distribute his 2011 comedy special, Live at the Beacon Theater, by releasing it on his website for a mere $5 to download. He succeeded because he was, and arguably is, the most celebrated stand-up comedian of the moment, and because the special itself was fantastic. Since that release, his FX series has earned him even more respect as a cinematic storyteller, and so the recent release of his 1998 low-budget film Tomorrow Night—also available on his website for $5—is intriguing both as a commercial venture and as a glimpse into the earlier creative output of the comedy favorite. In promoting the film, Louis has repeated what is essentially a suitable tagline for it: “It’s not for everyone.” This is a weird little movie. It looks and sounds like it could have been made in the 1950s, or by a John Cassavetes type in the 1970s, or as a student film in the 1990s, which it basically is. The acting is awkward in places where it’s probably not meant to be, and it is a drag to get through in spots. And yet amidst the kinks that come with an inexperienced filmmaker, there’s something bizarrely pleasant about Tomorrow Night. There’s hints of the style Louis would carve out more effectively in Louie—the jazz soundtrack, the meandering plotlines and obscene humor. On top of that, you get to see a young Steve Carell completely steal his scenes and the film ends on a comedically surreal note that is simply and nicely done. It’s often easy to forget the process today’s masters had to go through to get to their high level of craftsmanship. Watching this movie is a neat reminder of process and progress in comedic storytelling by one of the greats. Continue reading on the next page... 3) The Square Another documentary available on Netflix that may be worth checking out before or after Mitt is the streaming service’s first original production to be nominated for an Oscar (definitional ambiguity of Netflix’s “original programming” notwithstanding). This movie took last year’s festival circuit by storm, premiering at Sundance in 2013 and playing Toronto in the fall, earning audience awards at both venues. It has been edited further since its festival screenings to include new developments in its story. The story it brings to us is an inside look at the Egyptian Revolution that’s been ongoing since its beginning in Tahrir Square back in 2011. News outlets have provided relatively extensive coverage of the events throughout, but never before has there been a look at this revolution, or probably any revolution in history, that is so deeply entrenched in the center of the protests and organizational meetings. Many of the major players are followed over the course of the three years, and the desires of the protesters are never clearer than they are here. Especially compelling are the scenes in Tahrir Square, where anti-Mubarak demonstrators engage in friendly (and occasionally not as friendly) debates with their detractors. The relationship between initial protests and the eventual apparent exploitation and political organization of anti-government protests by the Muslim Brotherhood is laid bare for all to see. This is one of those documentaries whose very existence is hard to fathom. It’s a must-see. Continue reading on the next page... 4) The Broken Circle Breakdown Chances are when you hear “Belgium,” “bluegrass music” is not the first thing to enter your mind, and yet Flemish filmmaker Felix Van Groeningen unites the two beautifully in The Broken Circle Breakdown, the terrific and devastating Academy Award nominee for Best Foreign Language Film this year. The title is a reference to the old Christian hymn “Will the Circle Be Unbroken,” a peppy little ditty easily translated into the bluegrass style. It’s one of those songs that creates a disconnect between relatively happy sounding music and pretty macabre lyrics—it’s essentially about the desire to reunite with loved ones after death. The film is a gorgeous interpretation of this sentiment, centering on a family, whose circle is broken by some pretty tragic life events. It captures the devastation and shock of this beautifully, and it’s heartbreaking, particularly because of the non-linear editing that splices the past and present together to drive home the sense of loss. The opening performance of the aforementioned bluegrass-infused hymn sets a tone that’s quickly undermined by scenes in a children’s hospital, which hit me particularly hard based on personal connections to such an environment, and likely will for many others as well. And yet beneath the sadness is this gorgeous soundtrack that offers an element of coping to the worst curveballs life and throw at you. If there’s one title on this list that I would strongly recommend to anyone, it’s The Broken Circle Breakdown. Continue reading on the next page... 5) At Middleton There’s nothing particularly flashy about At Middleton, and it’s even enough to make you roll your eyes at times. The concept is both novel and cliché: two parents of high school seniors meet at one of those college campus visit days and, as many descriptions have it, fall in love! So many romantic comedy tropes are exploited here, but at the same time kind of subverted. A number of the scenes are contrived, but playfully enough to make them not necessarily profound, but very sweet. Vera Farmiga and Andy Garcia also possess more than enough charm to make up for some of the schmaltz. The film exudes a quiet but silly humor that’s unusual to see between two characters of this age, frankly. Its opening sequences establishes this tone rather nicely, as the two sets of parents and children are shown driving to the fictitious Middleton College, and we get to see their differing dynamics. The relationship between the mother and daughter is especially amusing due to the meta element of Farmiga’s daughter being played by her real life younger sister, Taissa. Not every movie has to move mountains; At Middleton has enough nice little details going for it to make it a worthwhile watch. Continue reading on the next page... 6) Alan Partridge I’ve really enjoyed everything I’ve seen Steve Coogan do. I have yet to discover his early work, but his break into American movies like Ben Stiller’s Night at the Museum and Tropic Thunder and finally his own starring performance in the criminally underrated Hamlet 2 made me realize what a unique comedic talent he is. More recently, The Trip and Philomena have exhibited his range and depth as both an actor and a screenwriter, the latter of which earned him a couple of Academy Award nominations. Not that this newfound repute has made his most famous character, Alan Partridge, any more high-minded. After playing the role in various radio and television productions, Coogan finally brought him to the silver screen in Alan Partridge (also known as Alan Partridge: Alpha Papa), a wonderfully bonkers story revolving around Partridge’s radio studio being held hostage by a disgruntled ousted disc jockey, with Alan being called upon to try to save the day, at least in his mind. Hilarity ensues, aided by Coogan’s mix of verbal and physical humor. There’s a lot of his physique on display too, in case that sells you on seeing it. Continue reading on the next page... 7) Run & Jump In a recent, startlingly in-depth interview with Charlie Rose, Bill Murray offered a fairly straightforward and seemingly obvious explanation of why actors known for comedy so often fare just as well in dramas: “you have to be able to play straight to play funny.” This is something that is almost so obvious that it evades us, but it makes perfect sense. The latest example of this is former Saturday Night Live cast member Will Forte, whose relatively serious performance in the relatively serious Nebraska has drawn wide praise. He’s in equally fine form in Run & Jump, a story of a family trying to keep it together in the midst of more health-related hardship, although this one is far lighter than The Broken Circle Breakdown. February is notoriously a bad month for new releases, although with The LEGO Movie and Robocop turning out surprisingly strong, this year may buck that trend a little bit. Nevertheless, there are plenty of alternatives for a night in at the movies thanks to a steady stream of nice little video on demand selections like the ones I've covered here.