Amazon is the second biggest streaming service in the UK. With an overall better selection than Netflix, plus the opportunity to rent more recent movies, it would be the one I would keep if I had to choose only one. Here is a quick round-up of some films that have been released in 2017 and are now available on the site:
Lost City of Z
A largely old fashioned costume drama about the British explorer Percival Fawcett who disappeared while searching for a mysterious city in the Amazon in the 1920s. At 2 hours 21 minutes, it is over indulgently long and really struggles to maintain much interest. It has just been made available for free with a prime subscription:
Rating: 4.5 out of 10
The Vault
Two sisters robbing a bank have a disappointing haul until one the employees they have taken hostage tells them there is another vault containing millions of dollars. What he doesn’t tell them is that it seems to be haunted…
This basic idea of changing from a heist movie to a horror part way through was done better in From Dusk ‘Til Dawn, but this is decent low budget genre movie featuring a game performance from Taryn Manning as one of the thieves.
Rating: 6.5 out of 10
Dough
Dough is billed as a comedy drama, and in fact it lacks both. A struggling Jewish baker, played by Jonathan Pryce, takes on a Muslim apprentice. When the young lad adds cannabis to the recipes, the sales soar. Its all a bit plodding, and this sort of thing was done much better in Saving Grace, incidentally the film that introduced the character of Doc Martin way back in 2000.
Rating: 4 out of 10
Kedi
The pick of the bunch and one of the best documentaries of the year. Various residents of Istanbul are shown caring for and talking about the street cats that live in their city. Very touching and life affirming, it is illuminating to see the positive effect the cats have had on the humans as well as the other way round. Simple but charming.
Rating: 8.5 out of 10