DVD Voice

This slow moving (romantic) drama is a little strange and it’s called Don McKay after the leading character played by Thomas Hayden Church (the Sandman from Spider-Man 3). It also stars the lovely Elisabeth Shue along with the man-does-he-look-old M. Emmet Walsh. It’s good to see Emmet working, good for him, you know?

Basically Don McKay is a high school janitor who has been living in his dead end job for 25 years when he receives a letter from Sonny, his high school sweetheart. Turns out she says she’s dying of an incurable disease and wants him to be with her the rest of her life. The two haven’t been in touch since it “ended badly” those 25 years ago.

It is pretty easy to realize that Don McKay is being played, but you wonder how can he be that dull to not notice? Or does he notice and he’s just playing along, pretending to be dull. His character is dull, however, a stiff guy. But really, who is fooling who, and why? I can’t tell if the movie is supposed to be a comedy, a romantic infactuation piece, or what! It boggles the mind.

And perhaps since I’m sort of in the same place in life, with a gorgeous girl who I can’t understand what she wants with me or from me, or exactly what — and I too feel that I’m not getting straight answers. Oh well, that’s not your worries.

“Some things are better left buried” the film tells us. And to a large extent that’s true, when somethings over and done, why dig it up? Another nugget is that you can’t live in the past – and that is very true too. The past is gone and done with, yes there are consequences to what has happened in the past, but you can’t change it, so pick up the pieces and move forward trying to make the most of your life from today forward.

Things learned from this movie: In small towns everyone knows your name and history about you from almost 30 years ago. In small towns no one has an answering machine or caller ID or cordless phones/cell phones and busses run whenever you want them. Old men found locked in a car trunk are subject to arrest. Always have an epi-pen handy. Love letters to former flames are like the Field of Dreams – go ahead, pour your heart out, it will at least get you laid in the future.

Rated R (why? I’m not so sure). 87 minutes (1 hour 27 minutes). Profanity, some. A little violence as someone is killed with a broken milk bottle, and more are killed with frozen meat. Zero nudity aside from a little temptation from Elisabeth Shue’s cleavage.

The Maid, or La Nana, is a one and a half hour picture about the ever fascinating life of a maid. You’ll get to follow Catalina Saavedra, as Raquel, around the house as she cooks, cleans, washes, takes her shower, serves breakfast in bed, and more. The trouble starts when the family hires a second maid, despite Raquel’s insistence that she can still do all the work – she’s been there for over 20 years.

Raquel responds to these new maids with hostility – locking them out when they go outside, not letting them back in, disinfecting anything the other maid uses, and so on. Why some of this would be troubling, well, I guess I’ve never been in that situation.

The problem for me with this movie is that it is in Spanish. I don’t speak it. So, I had to read subtitles. It’s hard to put on a movie from Netflix that maybe you are only mildly interested in when you have to stare at the screen the entire time. I mean I usually do that, but having to read subtitles wears on you after a while!

The movie was interesting if you look at it from the perspective of how do you treat those who you consider to be beneath you. For instance, perhaps the janitors at work or school.

Things learned from this movie: If you lock other help out of the house and scrub the shower after they’ve used it, they will eventually quit. As soon as you get to like someone they will also quit. If you get locked outside its ok to take off all your clothes and sunbathe. If your dad has spent a year working on a tiny sailing ship model, you can glue it back together in a few hours and he won’t notice – unless he gets home earlier than you expect.

Not Rated. 94 minutes (1 hour 34 minutes). Mild profanity, if any. Non-violent. Nudity, you get to see all the maids (except one, thank you!) nude or topless in the shower or sunning. The “man” of the house also is surprised like a deer in the headlights and stands momentarily spread-eagle like totally nude — avert your eyes! Another man’s butt makes an appearance.