Wendy and Lucy (2008)

 

 

Over the summer, a series of unfortunate happening triggers a financial crisis for a young woman and she soon finds her life falling apart.

Intense and gripping drama of isolation and loneliness amidst smalltown American settings is very well observed, and Michelle Williams' performance is extraordinary.

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."

The Greatest Showman (2017)

Celebrates the birth of show business and tells of a visionary who rose from nothing to create a spectacle that became a worldwide sensation.

Top-notch production, excellent cast and good songs all combined for - a musical glorification of a historically dubious character; just like in the heyday of the Hollywood musical, no more, no less.

Suite Française (2014)

During the early years of Nazi occupation of France in World War II, romance blooms between Lucile Angellier, a French villager, and Bruno von Falk, a German soldier.

Well-made period melodrama with a good cast is more successful depicting a French community under Nazi occupation than with its romance, but does so with some suspense.

Mammoth (2009)

While on a trip to Thailand, a successful American businessman tries to radically change his life. Back in New York, his wife and daughter find their relationship with their live-in Filipino maid changing around them. At the same time, in the Philippines, the maid's family struggles to deal with her absence.

Ambitious, beautifully made and well cast, but not quite successful attempt to say something about globalization and what it means for individual human beings.

Maltin**1/2: "Complex, ambitious, but flawed account...Overlong, meandering film still offers astute commentary on how all children are not created equal."

All the Money in the World (2017)

The story of the kidnapping of 16-year-old John Paul Getty III and the desperate attempt by his devoted mother to convince his billionaire grandfather Jean Paul Getty to pay the ransom.

A well-made movie with little suspense, since the actual events are so well-known; Christopher Plummer is excellent as the miserly and heartless billionaire.

Blue Valentine (2010)

The relationship of a contemporary married couple, charting their evolution over a span of years by cross-cutting between time periods.

A feast for the stars who deliver extraordinary performances, but there's not much coherence in the development of the relationship, and it certainly doesn't help by constantly switching time levels.

Maltin***: "Compelling look at the beginning and end of a relationship...Film seamlessly hops back and forth in time...Sparked by striking, emotionally raw performances from its stars in a Cassavetes vein. Longish but well done."

Manchester by the Sea (2016)

A depressed uncle is asked to take care of his teenage nephew after the boy's father dies.

Meticuluosly performed and produced slice-of-life drama, at times heart-wrenching, but also a bit drab, espacially as the plot keeps piling up the blows of fate.

Oz the Great and Powerful (2013)

A frustrated circus magician from Kansas is transported to a magical land called Oz, where he will have to fulfill a prophecy to become the king, and release the land from the Wicked Witches using his great (but fake) powers.

Likable and entertaining fantasy offers some nice moments, but doesn't have the magic one would expect considering all the credentials, and it's a bit too long.

Maltin**1/2: "Elaborate, eye-filling production...can't be compared to the 1939 THE WIZARD OF OZ, aside from some winks in its direction. Fairly entertaining on its own terms but overlong and, frankly unmemorable. Braff provides consistent laughs as a talking monkey."

Michelle Williams

(ph: Yelena Yemchuk)

Species (1995)

A group of four specialists are given the task of tracking down Sil. "She" is part human, part alien, beautiful, strong, very dangerous and desperate to mate with a human.

I'd suggest to avoid this one unless you're desperate and have nothing better to do...