Yesterday I watched yet another incredible movie that’s on the list of “40 Very Best Movies on Netflix Canada You Haven’t Seen Yet”. Thank you, thank you to whomever posted that website link on Facebook a while back. I’ve been going through the list methodically, only shying away from the ones that look too troubling for my tender conscience.

I, like many others during Covid, have been utilizing technology far more than I have my stack of books. I know it’s lazier on the brain to consume a movie than a book, but you can multitask, and that’s my rationalization right there. I’m all about the multitasking. Right now I’m knitting mittens for Christmas, whatever the hell that’s going to look like …

So back to yesterday’s movie. I watched Capernaum. A riveting Lebanese film that is so real, so well done, that you don’t remember that it’s a movie. I woke up this morning thinking about it.

The main character is a 12 year old boy who is facing judge because he is suing his parents for having him. The movie looks back on the events leading up to the courtroom scenes, starting with him running away from his overcrowded home in Beruit after his parents married off his 11 year old sister for a couple of chickens. Honestly, the most riveting movie.

Capernaum came out in 2018 and won tons of awards, including a couple at Cannes. It was made with a $4million budget (seems like a lot to me, but whatever), grossed $68million ($54million of which was in China … hmmm…). The director is Nadine Labaki, which makes me happy too, given that she’s a successful woman in a male dominated industry and an uber talented actor to boot (she plays Zain’s lawyer in the movie, incidentally).

Go watch it. When I get the chance I’m on the next movie: System Crasher. If it’s really good I’ll let you know.

End notes: I’m not saying that Netflix is the one and only source of good movies / content – I tried out CBC gem last spring when I decided that it really was time to watch Corner Gas. I ended up paying the monthly fee ($4.99) to get rid of the pesky ads. (Can’t even imagine how I suffered through them back in the days of TV.) Since that time I tried to rid myself of the habit of watching “series” … it’s way too tempting for me to watch episode after episode of baking show. Holy jesus! The things that they make!! However, I really must get over myself because Gem has Trickster – a series based on Eden Robinson’s Son of a Trickster, which I loved.

I also learned that I have a free subscription to Amazon’s Prime Video since Liam inadvertently signed me up when he thought the free shipping option on a purchase looked like a good idea. I still haven’t yet used the damned Prime Video since I’m too ashamed that I’m supporting Amazon on a monthly basis when I should be shopping local ALL THE TIME. But that’s another blog post, now isn’t it??