Philomena (2013)

A world-weary political journalist picks up the story of a woman's search for her son, who was taken away from her decades ago after she became pregnant and was forced to live in a convent.

Heartbreaking story about a personal tragedy is told with subtlety and wit and a true sense of the drama of everyday life; the two leads, but Judi Dench especially, give extraordinarily convincing performances.

Maltin***: "Wrenching real-life drama is told with restraint and even humor. Dench's warmth suffuses the film, and the script (cowritten by Coogan) never becomes mawkish."

Dangerous Liaisons (1988)

Tamara Drewe (2010)

A young newspaper writer returns to her hometown in the English countryside, where her childhood home is being prepped for sale.

Meandering country town satire, only sporadically amusing.

Maltin***: "Constantly surprising lark of a film...Well cast and filmed on a beautiful location."

The Hi-Lo Country (1998)

Two cowboys have their friendship tested when they fall for the same girl.

Revisionist Western is beautifully made, especially concerning cinematography and score and the male lead performances, and the depiction of the buddy friendship works, but the romances don't convince at all.

Halliwell*: "Elegiac, overlong movie of the decline of Western traditions that occasionally hints at more complex matters, of men trapped by their own situation, before settling for nostalgia."

Maltin**1/2: "A paean to the cowboy way of life and the joys of true friendship, this film has so much going for it (including Harrelson's terrific performance and Oliver Stapleton's cinematography) that it's a shame it doesn't hit the bull's-eye...and Arquette is so dull."

Dangerous Liaisons (1988)

On the set: John Malkovich, Uma Thurman and Swoosie Kurtz
(ph: Brigitte Lacombe)

Chéri (2009)

The son of a courtesan retreats into a fantasy world after being forced to end his relationship with the older woman who educated him in the ways of love.

Good production value and a worthy cast hardly prevent that the result is only vaguely compelling and somewhat sterile.

Maltin**: "...but this costume dramma...goes awry...Bates stretches patience as Chéri's mother, but Pfeiffer still has enough aging luminosity to suggest what the movie might have been."