Lady Bird

— I’ll join everyone else in liking this one. It’s an amazing coming of age story where every character is so precisely crafted that you come to understand them all. Christine “Lady Bird” McPherson is a Sacramento high-schooler who wants nothing more than to escape Sacramento…and, probably, her mother. Her world is inhabited not by stereotypical parents and boyfriends and best friends, but by fairly complex characters. We end up with a mosaic of her world that reveals a lot about friendships, family, love and sex, and money and success and happiness. If you don’t go away reminded that everyone is just trying to do the best they can, you’re missing something important. Gerwig’s script is a joy and her direction, with its very crisp edges, counterbalances the glimpse of her free-wheeling mind you can see from the subject matter. It’s one to see if you can. Oh, and Laurie Metcalf is amazing.

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[2017. 94 min. Written and directed by Greta Gerwig. Starring Saoirse Ronan, Laurie Metcalf, Tracy Letts, and Lucas Hedges.]
https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/lady-bird-2017

Wonder

— This is a better film than you might expect given the storyline that seems tailored to tug at your heartstrings. It is a glimpse at the life of a boy with a craniofacial condition who, after many surgeries, still is noticeably different from the rest of his classmates as he enters 5th grade after being home-schooled until then. It ends up being a thoughtful, heartwarming look at his experience told by multiple narrators, allowing for different perspectives. In a way, it’s just a film about being kind, but that’s no small thing. Julia Roberts makes acting look easy and is part of the reason the film stays linked to reality instead of ending up a sentimental mess, and Owen Wilson is both believable and brings a bit of humor to things. The film does what it does well and was a good way to spend a couple of hours and feel better for it.

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[2017. 113 min. Directed by Stephen Chbosky. Starring Julia Roberts, Jacob Tremblay, and Owen Wilson.]
https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/wonder-2017

Mudbound

— “Mudbound” concerns two families, one black and one white, living on the same, muddy, Mississippi farm. Both families have a member returning home from World War II and dealing with the realities of life when they return home. The film sometimes moves a bit slowly, but the conversations are often more telling than actions. It’s a good look at perception, hatred, confusion, and friendship told with heart and detail. Occasionally it drifted a tad too close to melodrama for my liking, but it didn’t take away from a powerful story well worth seeing. [Netflix]

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[2017. 134 min. Directed by Dee Rees. Starring Carey Mulligan, Garrett Hedlund, Jason Clark, and Jonathan Banks.]
https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/mudbound-2017

The Florida Project

— I went to see the film more because I like those Florida colors (stunning violets, bright oranges, Pepto-Bismol pinks, oversaturated blues) instead of those wimpy big city grays and blacks. What I got was all that and much more. I’m not keen on wild kids, spoiled kids, neglected kids, or loud kids, but the kids in this film, often left to wander the environs around their Orlando motel home, have warm souls and a good deal of resourcefulness. The film seems a little long, but it’s made up of scenes in the lives of people living in the cycle of poverty and having few options. They’re treading as fast as they can and making the most of not much. I was won over watching daily events centered around a fairly normal child who doesn’t seem to understand how unsolid her mother’s footing is, managing to embrace what’s available. I’m not sure I appreciated the ending, but getting there was definitely worthwhile. Willem Dafoe is incredible in his supporting role.

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[2017. 111 min. Directed by Sean Baker. Starring Brooklynn Prince Bria Vinaite, Willem Dafoe, and Valeria Cotto.]
https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/the-florida-project-2017

John Wick: Chapter 2

— This may be the worst film [DVD] I’ve seen in a while in terms of body count. It is what I imagine a video game must be like where you get points for killing people. There are more choreographed gunfights and knife fights and fist fights than you can count, and no wall is left without blood splatter. Pretty quickly you start watching the technique as much as anything, and you start marveling at Keanu Reeves’ successful career which seems to exist in spite of emotionless portrayals and minimal acting chops but quite a bit of charisma. If you can get past some of the content and appreciate the artistry, the action, and the presence Reeves brings to the film, you’ll like it. If you're appalled by violence, steer clear of this one.

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[2017. 122 min. Directed by Chad Stahelski. Starring Keanu Reeves, Riccardo Scamarcio, and Ian McShane.]
https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/john-wick-chapter-two-2017

Thor: Ragnarok

— Who can argue with fun? This is one of the Marvel films that knows how to laugh at itself while most the cast members try to save their planet from a few particularly nasty characters who’ll do anything they can to thwart things. It’s nice when superheroes don’t take themselves too seriously and Chris Hemsworth manages to make us all laugh at his human qualities even if he is the God of Thunder! Believe me, earlier Thor films were okay, but this one manages to almost move into the world of “Guardians of the Galaxy” and “Deadpool” and “Ant Man.” Of course, even with the fun, there are lessons to be learned about what makes a home, the strength of family, and the redeeming qualities hidden in almost everyone. Tessa Thompson is a great addition as the Valkyrie , Cate Blanchett is wonderfully evil, Jeff Goldblum is wonderfully wacky.

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[2017. 130 min. Directed by Taika Waititi. Starring Chris Hemsworth, Tom Hiddleston, Cate Blanchett, Tessa Thompson, Idris Elba, and Jeff Goldblum.]
https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/thor-ragnarok-2017