Captain Phillips (2013)

 

The true story of Captain Richard Phillips and the 2009 hijacking by Somali pirates of the U.S.-flagged MV Maersk Alabama, the first American cargo ship to be hijacked in two hundred years. 

Superior hijacking drama based on a true event remains realistic and suspenseful throughout and even avoids political bias; great, intense performances by Hanks and Abdi make it work.

Maltin***: "Gripping, believable account of the true-life hijacking, which extends to some understanding of the Somalis themselves. Director Greengrass' trademark vérité style serves the action, though the film (until its final moments) never quite transcends the status of a very well-done re-creation. Hanks' performance as Phillips builds intensity as it goes along, matched by newcomer Abdi, excellent as the pirate leader."

 

 

Synecdoche, New York (2008)

 

A theatre director struggles with his work, and the women in his life, as he creates a life-size replica of New York City inside a warehouse as part of his new play. 

Fascinating, assuredly made, but over-ambitious drama is multi-layered and delves into serious issues on life, death and creativity (and monomania) however, not just so deep; nonetheless, a remarkable debut and a great vehicle for Philip Seymour Hoffman's genius.

Maltin**: "Screenwriter Kaufman (in his directorial debut) incorporates many of his darkly comic, non-sequitur trademarks at first, then grows melancholy and downbeat as his hero confronts the futility of his quest to understand what his life is all about. Clever and original but wearying, not unlike its main character. The cast is uniformly fine."

Get Out (2017)

A young African-American visits his white girlfriend's parents for the weekend, where his simmering uneasiness about their reception of him eventually reaches a boiling point.

A bit reminiscent of The Stepford Wives, the satire seamlessly turns into outright horror; the movie is at its best conveying the ominously 'liberal' white community.

Peace, Love, & Misunderstanding (2011)

An uptight NYC lawyer takes her two teenagers to her hippie mother's farmhouse upstate for a family vacation.

Despite some good performances this lowbrow and only slightly humorous dramedy never misses a cliche; with hippies and squares like these, no wonder punk was a necessity.

Maltin**!/2: "Amiable fluff...Superficial and predictable, to be sure, but pleasant enough to watch given the cast and the lovely setting."