Welcome to the Kitchen Table! It's Friday, time to relax, get ready for a beautiful weekend. If movies on the internet on on your radar, I have some suggestions from my own explorations of Netflix.
This week's subject is:
Funny with a touch of religion/spirit
I offer these in the spirit of exploration, humor, and love. Movies are below the fold!
The Vicar of Dibley
From England, the early 1990s. If you need a belly laugh, you can't do better than to watch an episode or two of the Vicar of Dibley, a BBC series about a female vicar posted to a small village full of eccentrics and characters. Not all want to accept her at first -- but it really is a love match when all is said and done. Since the season is upon us, do check out the episode about the Easter Bunny of Dibley -- you'll be glad you did!
Dawn French of French and Saunders plays the Vicar. Not finding any good trailers so I will leave it at that!
Xala
From Senegal, 1975, from the noted author Ousmane Sembene. This is the story of a Senegalese man, a Muslim, about to marry his third wife. His first two wives are not thrilled by this -- that's a fact. But there is also something going on from an older, indigenous religion -- a curse (the "Xala"). This older man cannot consummate his new marriage because someone has cursed him. Yup, an old fashioned curse is the crux of the story. The film follows his quest to find out who "done it" -- and it turns out there is quite a list of people who don't wish him well. This film is a satiric snapshot of African politics of the time, as well. I saw it in college and was interested to see it on Netflix. In French, with subtitles.
OMG: Oh My God!
From India, 2012, this comedy pokes fun at organized religion. A shopkeeper, a rather skeptical purveyor of religious icons, reels when his shop is destroyed by natural disaster -- leaving all the buildings around absolutely intact. His insurer denies coverage, claiming the loss came from an "Act of God" -- so what does the shopkeeper do? He sues God, including the ashrams and gurus! Enter a handsome man on a motorcycle named Krishna. And he is Krishna, that Krishna. Turns out, God is more interested in having the poor taken care of than having lavish temples...and he rather favors the scrappy atheist of a shopkeeper over the acolytes.
The film is subtitled even though the trailer is not.
Here is a song from the film, showing Krishna among the people:
The Rabbi's Cat
From France, 2011, an animated film based on a graphic novel. It is the story of a Rabbi in Algeria in the 1920s -- and his cat, who can talk. This is funny and lighthearted in parts -- not so funny in others. A Jew from Russia, an artist, arrives as a stowaway of sorts --and the Rabbi and others take him on a tour of northern Africa, encountering other tribes on the way. Yes, there are conflicts, some rather violent. The cat? He just wants to go home and be pampered -- because as we cat lovers know, the cat is the center of everything. Always.
Any weekend plans? Outings? Meet ups? Do tell -- menus included, please! And share any movies you might be watching.
Prior Streaming Movies on a Friday Night subjects:
At the Table
Ghosts
Resilient People
Love
Food and Our Health
Cozy Mysteries
Playing Shakespeare
For Children
Romantic Comedy
Pirates and Thieves
Fantasy Adventures
Spies
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