I wish it were easier these days to find movies after they have left the theaters. Even on Netflix, they only list the movies that WON the Oscar, not the ones that were nominated. Sometimes the nominated movie is better than the one that actually won (as was the case for one of the most gorgeous movies ever made, “Atonement.”-I won’t bore you with the movie that won that year.)
These are in no particular order, just films that my husband and i have seen recently and enjoyed. 1) “No Escape” takes place in a fictional Asian country with an American businessman (Owen Wilson, who I must say, every time I see this guy, I love him more) is coming with his family to live while they somehow improve the people’s water. But they land right smack into a political uprising. There may be a subtext here about how a company’s employees go in thinking they’re helping, but they may not be helping the people, only the rich & powerful. That’s definitely how I saw it!
2) “The Prophet” is an animated film, though not recommended for kids, UNLESS they have been allowed to experience the death of a loved one. Kahil Gibran’s story of a writer who is imprisoned by a dictator, comes to life with beautiful scenes that go into Fantasia-style/hippie scenes. Although the ending is sad, there is hope, when the little girl and her mother that came to love the prophet, see his ghost flying away.
3) “The Judge” is a bit older movie that, once again, I missed because it wasn’t a “top of the charts” movie. Robert Downey Jr. plays an attorney who goes home to discover his father (Robert Duvall), who is the town judge, has been arrested for a murder. The son decides he has to help his dad, but Dad wants some other lawyer, any lawyer, rather than have his own son. This is one of those tear-jerker films if you are like me and get all sentimental about father/son stories. (I have no idea why I am like that since I am a daughter who is very close to my dad, but hey, it is what it is.)
4)” The Grand Budapest Hotel” is a gorgeous movie about a hotel owner and the Indian boy that helps him keep the hotel running. It is funny and political, and heartbreaking as it takes place during the Nazi invasion of Europe. All I can say is it will leave it’s mark; it is not a film you will easily forget.
5) “Bridge of Spies” has gotten a lot of attention, but it’s hard to tell from the ads what it’s about. All I can say is it shows how everyday people get caught up in the world’s BS, and sometimes things actually work out. Tom Hanks is the star, of course, playing an everyday insurance investigator who gets in over his head. But he’s the kind of guy (like many Americans & people all over the world) who is only going to do his best. Nothing else will do! And he does! The film is as visually beautiful as the story. Best movie I’ve seen in a while!
I could write a lot more about all of these movies, but then I would have to do a separate post for each one. And who knows when I would get around to that!
Sherrie Miranda’s historically based, coming of age, Adventure novel “Secrets & Lies in El Salvador” is about an American girl in war-torn El Salvador:
http://tinyurl.com/klxbt4y
SherrieMiranda1 