Allied

— “Allied” is a beautifully crafted and perfectly structured film that’s a joy to watch. Much of the film is a nod to another age of filmmaking but adjusted for today’s adult viewer. The action scenes and special effects are amazing, but they don’t leave you with a sore neck, and the dialogue doesn’t spell out every feeling and thought, leaving room for the actors to earn their keep. This is an unexpected love story in a wartime espionage film. Every scene is carefully constructed to advance the story and keep viewers captivated. The colors throughout are always the perfect tone and complement each other flawlessly. If I had any criticism it would be that the Pitt/Cotillard pairing isn’t as passionate as I would have liked but, with their undercover history, it may be believable. All I know is that I liked watching the story unfold and I'm reminded again of what a great director Robert Zemeckis is.

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[2016. 124 minutes. Directed by Robert Zemeckis. Starring Brad Pitt, Marion Cotillard, Vincent Ebrahim, Xavier De Guillebon, and Camille Cottin.
http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/allied-2016

Harry & Snowman

— A nice little underdog story told thanks to interviews, home movies and archival footage from the 1950s and 1960s. Immigrant Harry DeLeyer rescues an Amish plow horse on it’s way to slaughter and a bond forms between them. The horse, Snowman, shows an affinity for jumping and Harry trains him to win against thoroughbreds, becoming a back-to-back Triple Crown Show Jumping champion. The Cinderella story is as much about the bond between Harry and Snowman as it is about their rise to fame. Although it also provides an interesting look at Harry's family's story, I was left wanting more information about the cost to Harry’s marriage and to his eight children. Even so, this is a well-made, touching film that should appeal even to those who aren’t part of the horsey set.

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[2015. 83 min. Written and Directed by Ron Davis. With Harry DeLeyer, Harriet DeLeyer, Andrew DeLeyer, Marty DeLeyer, and Willy DeLeyer.]
http://www.wsj.com/articles/in-harry-snowman-a-humble-plow-horse-becomes-a-star-1475163037

Moonlight

— This is a film to see for its unexpectedness and its intimate tone as well as some fine acting and directing. It is a coming-of-age (and beyond) film, sampling the main character's life at three stages, first at about age 9, then as a teen, and finally as a 30-ish adult. Along the way, it touches on lots of issues since the main character, Chiron, is black and gay, growing up in Miami without a father but with a mother who’s high much of the time. The actors all leave much unsaid but they have the talent to extend the story line even in the wordless moments and the director has the sense to let a scene play out even if it’s a little uncomfortable. Little is as it seems or as we think it should be—A father figure whose tenderness helps save Chiron is a drug dealer and, as it turns out, is his mother’s supplier. His one high school friend ultimately betrays him. Somehow the film doesn’t let any one attribute dominate, so it isn’t a film about being Black in America or about being gay, about growing up poor or about living in a drug culture. It’s lyrical and personal and it’s about the human experience and moving forward. And it really is very good.

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[2015. 111 min. Directed by Barry Jenkins. Starring Alex Hibbert, Jaden Piner, Mahershala Ali, Janelle Monae, Naomie Harris, Ashton Sanders, Jharrel Jerome, Revante Rhodes, and Andre Holland.]
http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/moonlight-2016

Allegiant

— The “Divergent” series started off in great form and continues to be well made even if the story’s getting a little tired by the third film. Knowing the third film, "Allegiant" (DVD), should have been the last film but is really only the first half of the end of the story, makes me a little angry. Was there really any reason behind the move except profit? I miss Kate Winslet as part of the cast and, although Woodley and James are competent, I’ve seen about enough of her looking reluctant and him looking hunky. It’s got good production value and the plot continues to move along, but I’m not sure I’ll make through a fourth installment.

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[2015. 120 min. Directed by Robert Schwentke. Starring Shailene Woodley, Theo James, Jeff Daniels, Octavia Spencer, Naomi Watts, and Miles Teller.]
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/review/divergent-series-allegiant-film-review-872436

A Man Called Ove (En man som heter Ove)

— Based on Fredrik Backman’s best seller, this is a very enjoyable film as well as a decent story of redemption. Ove is the typical curmudgeon who lives the neighborhood, but this film really has some great dark humor amidst some fairly conventional poignancy without insufferable sentimentality, along with a cat that deserves a best acting award. Running throughout is a thread on the importance of community and diversity, of acceptance, and of moving forward, but as much as anything, it’s really just a fun story even if it uses multiple suicide attempts to move the story along. It’s easy to laugh out loud at some of the film’s situations, something I’m all for in this kind of film.

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[2015. 116 min. Directed by Hannes Holm. Starring Rolf Lassgard, Bahar Pars, and Zozan Akgun.]
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/review/a-man-called-ove-review-932604

The Arrival

— “The Arrival” is much more than Amy Adams meeting a hulking ET. This is a lovingly crafted sci-fi film even if the basic story line—extraterrestrials hover just above ground while earthlings wonder about their intentions—seems formulaic at first. Amy Adams manages to add a softness to the film that’s needed, given the direction it takes where linguistics and communication of all forms are center stage. While the masses may panic and plot in the background, this film looks at one set of interactions and, ultimately, at life, love, nonlinear time, and our dependence on each other. Oh, and there’s also plenty of suspense building as the story develops and we are reminded once again of our fragile place in an amazing universe.

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[2016. 116 min. Directed by Denis Villeneuve. Starring Amy Adams, Jeremy Renner, Forest Whitaker, and Michael Stuhlbarg.]
http://leonardmaltin.com/arrival-a-puzzle-worth-solving/

Dr. Strange

— I’m always surprised as Marvel moves toward world screen domination how much fun it is for the powerless. Each of these franchises has its own flare and, while I seem to prefer Deadpool and Ant Man and Guardians of the Galaxy, I keep going to all the others too. “Dr. Strange” joins the ranks of my favorites, mostly because the special effects really are necessary and Benedict Cumberbatch and Tilda Swinton could read the phone book and keep me mesmerized. This is a strange story of healing and love, and of the journey from selfishness to selflessness. But mostly, it’s just fun with the bits of humor we’ve come to expect and the expectation of another yet to come in the series.

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[2016. 115 min. Directed by Scott Derrickson. Starring Benedict Cumberbatch, Chiwetel Ejioffor, Rachel McAdams, and Tilda Swinton.]
https://www.theguardian.com/film/2016/oct/30/doctor-strange-observer-reveiw