The Quick Take for August 1, 2014

What the critics are saying about the mystical, whimsical “Magic in the Moonlight” and “Mood Indigo.”

Streaming Picks

New to Netflix this week is the crime drama Out of the Furnace. Our friends over at Indiewire wrote a great review of the film starring Christian Bale and Woody Harrelson—read it here.

If you're looking for a show to start watching with your kids, but can't find anything good on TV, check out Amazon Prime's original live-action children's show. Annedroids "combines comedy, mystery and action in a low-key style," says The New York Times' Mike Hale, with young actors who are actually funny. Read Hale's full review here.

Amazon Prime users can now instantly stream Annie Hall, Woody Allen's classic 1977 rom-com starring Diane Keaton and the director himself. It will make you homesick for New York City, even if you've never lived there.

Netflix recently released The Saratov Approach, a self-proclaimed "inspirational true story." This film follows what happens to two missionaries in Russia who are abducted and held hostage.

Critics Roundup
Mood Indigo "is quirky, but quickly runs out of steam," says Crosswalk's Christian Hamaker. He believes the film is more of a romance in the sense of a Wes Anderson film, and although this is not a bad thing, his approach "undercuts the emotional investment that should make us care deeply about Chloe's (Audrey Tatou) affliction." Variety's Boyd van Hoeij agrees that although the film is whimsical, it doesn't quite make the cut. "The film frequently privileges art direction over emotion and a constant sense of wonder based on visuals alone proves impossible to sustain." One of director Michael Gondry's (Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, The Green Hornet) …Continue reading…