Instant Gratification: “Digging For Fire” and four other good movies to watch on Netflix and Amazon Prime

digging-for-fire-rockwell-johnson-birbiglia-berg

“Digging for Fire” (Amazon Prime)My full review is here. Writer-director Joe Swanberg assembled an all-star cast (Jake Johnson, Rosemary DeWitt, Sam Rockwell, and new Oscar winner Brie Larson) for this comedy about an L.A. couple who start digging into their marriage a little more deeply than they should, after the husband finds an antique gun buried on the property of the mansion they’re housesitting. The film has Swanberg’s loose, improv-heavy style, ending up becoming a generous and witty film about middle-aged ennui.

Continue reading

Sundance Film Festival: In “Digging For Fire,” some things in a marriage should stay buried

digging-for-fire-rockwell-johnson-birbiglia-berg

Why isn’t Joe Swanberg doing a TV show? I say this without intending the slightest dis whatsoever. Swanberg’s improv-heavy, character-driven stories, done quickly, seem to be perfect for the new Golden Age of television. I would so watch “Drinking Buddies” every Sunday night on Showtime.

Continue reading