The Way

— I tend to shy away from films that are called “inspirational”, worried they’ll be too sugary and filled with too many odds overcome. I took a chance with “The Way” (DVD), the story of 4 people brought together on the Camino de Santiago. I was interested in “El Camino”, the centuries-old pilgrimage from the foothills of the Pyrenees in France to Santiago de Compostela in Galicia Spain. I was fascinated by the trek and by the actors who managed to convey their inner transformations without heartrending specificity or religious fervor.

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[2010. 123 min. Directed by Emilio Estevez. Starring Martin Sheen, Emilio estevez, and Deborah Kara Unger.]
http://www.csmonitor.com/The-Culture/Movies/2011/1007/Martin-Sheen-Emilio-Estevez-in-The-Way-movie-review

Looper

— Saw "Looper" today and really liked it. If you're okay with traveling between past and future, check it out.

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[2012. 119 min. Directed by Rian Johnson. Starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Bruce Willis, and Emily Blunt.]
http://www.loopermovie.com/

The Master

— I survived all 137 minutes of “The Master”, only because the images were gorgeous, the music and sounds perfect, and both Joaqin Phoenix and Philip Seymour Hoffman turned in outstanding performances. Sadly, I left a bit bewildered, thinking I’d experienced film as high art but not as good storytelling. Maybe seeing it again would help but, honestly, it’s still too fresh to even consider squirming through it again.

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[2012. 144 min. Directed by Paul Thomas Anderson. Starring Philip Seymour Hoffman, Joaquin Phoenix, and Amy Adams.]
http://www.newyorker.com/arts/critics/cinema/2012/09/17/120917crci_cinema_lane

Argo

— I can’t believe more people went to see “Taken 2” over the weekend than went to “Argo”. “Argo” was so well done – Ben Affleck’s directing gets better with each film, and he certainly does a good job of acting in this one too. All that and a gripping, true story as well. Definitely worth a gander! Plus, you’ll find out what “Argo” is…

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[2012. 120 min. Directed by Ben Affleck. Starring Ben Affleck, Bryan Cranston, Alan Arkin, John Goodman, and Victor Garber.]
http://www.rollingstone.com/movies/reviews/argo-20121011

End of Watch

— Saw “End of Watch” this afternoon (retired people can do that sort of thing). It’s one of those somewhat gritty, sort of riveting, pretty violent looks at LA cops, complete with very good acting and editing. It’s easy to see why critics seemed to like it – I liked it myself!

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[2012. 109 min. Directed by David Ayer. Starring Jake Gyllenhaal, Michael Pena, Natalie Martinez, and Anna Kendrick.]
http://whatculture.com/film/london-film-festival-2012-review-end-of-watch.php