I < 3 Netflix Suggestions

Netflix's instant play offerings are a bit sparse in the "Hollywood blockbusters made in the last 20 years" category.  However, it has a phenomenally good suggestion system.  To date, I have rated only 167 movies, yet probably 65% of the suggestions I get are  spot on.  My favorite part of Netflix, in fact, is going to my suggestion page and finding new favorite movies that I've never heard of before I clicked "play now".  Here are 5 of my favorites that I have discovered in the last six months since I got Netflix:

(1) The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo  I don't live under a rock, so I had heard of the books, but frankly, I didn't think they were my thing at all.  I still haven't read them, but this movie and the sequal, The Girl Who Played With Fire were so terrific that I wanted to go see The Girl Who Kicked The Hornet's Nest while it was in theaters. Unfortunately, the nearest showing was 6 hours away, so I'll have to wait until the 25th to get it on Netflix.  They're just basic action flicks, but done with such style and panache that you forget that you are watching them in Sweedish with English subtitles.

(2) Departures Set in modern Japan, it tells the story of a cellist who discovers that he doesn't quite have what it takes musically to make it as a professional, and ends up on a career path that requires him to decide what is really important in his life.  It won the 2009 Academy Award for best foreign film; in Japanese with English subtitles.

(3) Timer In a world where almost everyone knows how much time remains before they meet their soul mate, Oona's timer remains stubbornly blank.  Although it's billed as a rom-com, it was more thoughtful than I expected, and the amorous adventures of Oona and her family kept me riveted.

(4) A Walk To Beautiful Produced by NOVA, this documentary about women seeking treatment for obstetric fistula uses no camera tricks to pull your heartstrings, but is no less moving than Born into Brothels.  Due to the nature of the medical condition the women depicted suffer from, I can't recommend this movie for children or those with weak stomachs.  It's mostly in English, with subtitles when the women speak in their local dialects.

(5) Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog I confess that, as a fan of The Guild, I had heard of this before I saw it on Netflix.  But I hadn't gotten around to seeing it when it was free (and I don't visit pirate websites), so I had pretty much forgotten about it until it popped up in my suggestions queue.  Dr. Horrible struggles to get into the evil super-villians' club and win the love of Penny, despite his arch-nemesis Captain Hammer.  It's both hilarious and thought-provoking.  Side effects can include singing the "Bad Horse Chorus" sotto voce all day.