Silence (2016)

A pair of Jesuit priests travel to Japan to rescue (?) their mentor, who they’ve heard has turned his back on the faith. When they get there, they find entire villages begging for spiritual nourishment. Because the Christian faith has been outlawed in Japan, they must keep their ministry on the down-low. I really got into the gritty depiction of the hardship of giving when you’re drained yourself.

While the story was interesting, it was also very long -- unnecessarily long -- Scorsese long. Also, I wish they’d have switched the two priest role assignments around. Garfield didn’t seem to possess the range necessary to hold the screen for nearly 3 hours.

C+

Blockers (2018)

Parents of three best-friend daughters discover that their kids have made a pact to lose their virginity on prom night, so they determine to stop that from happening by any means possible.

This was tons of silly fun and we both laughed a lot. I quite enjoyed the fact that none of the girls actually needed protecting, though.

B

Coco (2017)

I’d categorize this as a “lesser” animated film, but it still made both Gary and me cry like fools. I don’t know enough about the Day of the Dead celebrations to know how accurate this depiction of it is, but wow. What a beautiful tradition if what we're told here is anywhere near to its practice/symbolism. It's a sweet film that is unlikely to stick with me long-term.

B-

A Quiet Place (2018)

The world has been overrun by aliens that attack sound. The survivors have been able to get through by learning the art of silence.

Yes, there are a lot of lingering questions the answers to which could make the story collapse in retrospect, but the storytelling is so strong that I wasn’t picking it apart while I was watching. It was fast-paced and engaging and so satisfying. Great thriller.

B+