Summer is coming to an end, so it is time to get serious. That’s why this week’s recommendations are “Hotel Beau Séjour” and “The Mask You Live In.” The first is a fictional Dutch crime drama that follows the missing Kato, the concerned family, the ambivalent friends and the inconsistent detectives on the case. The second recommendation is a documentary that follows both boys and men who are navigating the world and tip toeing around society’s definition of masculinity.
Description: Kato, covered in blood, wakes up without any recollection of what happened the night before. In her search to uncover the truth, Kato will discover that a lot of secrets lie dormant under the surface of her supposedly peaceful village community.
Average Duration: ~ 50 min
Reaction:
Before- I don’t know how to pronounce “beau séjour,” but I am going to watch it anyway.
After- It is one of my favorite television shows from another country along with “3%.”
Analysis:
- Underexposed
- Abides by the rule of thirds
- Shot variation
- Camera angles from above, at eye-level and from below
- Use of panning
- Located in the village of Lanklaar which is part of the city Limburg, Maasland.
- Props and costumes are used to clarify and blur the life and death of Kato, the main character.
- Desaturated
- Occasional blue hue
- Framed around the search for the truth
- Body language serves as an indicator of either grief or guilt.
Breakdown:
- Crime
- Drama
- Mystery
- TV-14
- Dutch
- deMENSEN production company
- One season and ten episodes
- Keywords: guilt, investigation, grief, alcoholic, jealousy, corruption
Description: The documentary explores how culture’s narrow definition of masculinity is harming boys, men and society at large and unveils what we can do about it.
Duration: 1 hr 37 min
Reaction:
Before- I was interested in watching some documentaries and I remembered “The Mask You Live In” from when it was first added to Netflix.
After- I have a whole new understanding of how society impacts men.
Analysis:
- The rule of thirds is strictly upheld.
- Close-ups and medium shots
- Photographs illustrate the interviews and clips embellished the documentary.
- Graphics and statistics throughout
- Camera angles from above, at eye-level, and from below
- No costumes, hair or makeup
- Diegetic lighting
- Some interviews are lit with artificial light.
Breakdown:
- Documentary
- News
- Not rated
- Netflix
- The producer of “The Mask You Live In” is Jennifer Siebel Newsom (“In the Valley of Elah”)
- The editor of “The Mask You Live In” is Jessica Congdon (“Race to Nowhere”)
- Keywords: masculinity, social stigma, manhood, introspection
TV series from other countries or documentaries may not be your first choice, but Netflix has so many great options. From Brazil, “3%” shows the juxtaposition of a dystopia and utopia. From Belgium, “Tabula Rasa” tantalizes its audiences with special effects. More great documentaries are “Take Your Pills” about the student drug of choice, adderall, “13th” about the prison-industrial complex and “Happy” about the search for happiness.
