Columbus (2017) If you find architecture boring and character-driven movies slow, then you should probably skip seeing Columbus. If on the other hand, you are interested in a well-constructed drama with top-notch acting and beautiful visuals, then you should hurry to the theatre before it is gone. Jin, played by John Cho, is called to Columbus Indiana where his famous architect father has fallen ill. While stuck in the limbo of waiting for his sick father to recover he meets…
Wind River (2017) Frikin Awesome! That’s the best description for this smart drama from writer/director Taylor Sheridan. A possible murder on the Wind River Indian reservation requires FBI Agent Jane Banner (Elisabeth Olson) to lend a hand to the local police department. Being short-handed, she enlists the assistance of the local game and hunting official Cory Lambert (Jeremy Renner) to help her investigate in the inhospitable Wyoming outback. This mystery unfolds in such a way as to keep you on…
Housebound (2014) Kylie is an angry, destructive, juvenile delinquent who gets sentenced to house arrest after a botched ATM robbery. She is forced to move back into her childhood home with her mother and stepfather, and to make matters worse the house might be haunted. Kylie is placed under house arrest with an electronic ankle bracelet enforcing her confinement. This turns out to be every bit of a bad punishment for her mother and stepfather as it is for her….
Before I Fall (2017) Before I Fall is a cross between Mean Girls and Groundhog Day with a dash of suicide prevention thrown in. Now that I write that, it doesn’t sound too appealing, but this tight little teen drama held my attention and had me almost liking even the meanest mean girl. And that’s a real trick when you make the antagonist somewhat likable and completely understandable. I’ve seen time loop movies before. This one jumps into a familiar genre and makes each loop…
Get Out (2017) Meeting your girlfriend’s parents for the first time is usually the stuff of romantic comedies. First, you meet her parents, then her siblings, and maybe a few close family friends, and then you add in a few comical misunderstandings, and by the third act, not only does everyone love the new boyfriend, but the girlfriend has a new appreciation of what a real jewel she has. But first-time writer/director Jordan Peele (of the comedy duo of Key…
Sully (2016) I was probably about 12 when my friend Al first took me for a ride in his four-seater Cessna airplane, and I was hooked. Since then, I have taken every opportunity to fly, go to an airshow, or watch movies about flying. So it was predestined that I would see Sully and probably be predisposed to like it. You then add that it was directed by Clint Eastwood and starring Tom Hanks; there is even more of a…
Mustang (2015) Five school-age sisters living in Turkey play at the beach with friends, which includes boys. This innocent fun turns into neighborhood gossip, which changes the trajectory of their lives forever. The five sisters live with their grandmother and uncle after the death of both their parents. While the terrible situations that ensure are foreign to westerners, they are understandable and mostly done by people who love them and want the best for them. This slice of life story…
The Little Death (streaming on Netflix) Taken from the french “La Petite Mort” which describes “the brief loss or weakening of consciousness” or for my American movie going audience “I’ll have what she’s having”. I’m glad I don’t have to try and pronounce the “La Petite Mort” because I sound stupid when I speak french correctly, and a complete idiot when I get it wrong, which is most of the time. And speaking of stupid, there is nothing that makes…
Wildlike (2014) Netflix Streaming While her mom is off-line in an in-patient treatment center Mackensie must move to Alaska and live with her uncle whom she hasn’t seen since she was little. Unfortunately living with her uncle is less than ideal and being a teenager she decides to forgo civilization and try roughing it in the Alaskan outback. Luckily for her she finds an older male hiker that she latches unto and forms an interesting relationship. This is a fun little…
Hidden Figures (2016) Hello my name is Sam and I am a nerd. I have been in the closet for years but I am ready to come out. Because of the many brave nerds who came before me and have paved the way by their courage and their financial and commercial success, I too can step into the light. With trail blazers like Bill Gates, Stephen Hawking, and Albert Einstein, being a nerd is no longer a thing of derision, but…