A Man Called Ove (2016)

We first meet Ove as he is losing his temper in a shop over a coupon. We then watch him stomp around his neighborhood, checking for the infractions of residents and we think "OK -- this kind of guy." But, with the help of some new neighbors and ample flashbacks, we are reminded that no one's born a grumpy old man and grumpy old men don't have to remain so.

I watched this alone and, though I long to discuss this with someone, I'm glad I had the freedom to stop and ponder (and also, on more than one occasion, cry my eyes out). It's a beautiful story told really well.

A+

Good Time (2017)

Connie and Nick are brothers in the vein of George and Lennie: they're close, but Nick -- due to his slowness -- fully trusts and depends on Connie to make decisions. Well, Connie's latest idea is to rob a bank so they can get their own place. It doesn't go flawlessly. The rest of the movie is Connie trying to do whatever he can to get Nick out of custody, getting into situations that are each weirder than the previous, but never slapsticky or unbelievable.

It's a hell of a ride and one that made me realize that Pattinson's got some chops.

B+

Even the Rain (2010)

A movie crew goes on location to impoverished Bolivia to shoot a film, enlisting locals as extras and set workers. While there, the "Cochabamba Water War" is gearing up -- a true-life response by the population to the attempts to privatize the municipal water supply. The local cast in a key role as the leader of the rebellion against Columbus is, ironically, also at the forefront of the real-life uprising, which jeopardizes the film.

This is just a "wow" of a story. One of those rare films that really made me question how I'd respond in the same situation.

B+

The Winning Season (2010)

Rockwell is an alcoholic former high school basketball coach slumming it as a busboy and struggling to connect with his daughter who lives with his remarried ex-wife. He takes on the task of coaching a girls' team, thinking not much will be expected of him. But -- no surprise -- things don't turn out that way.

Though the film has heart, it didn't have a decent DP or -- apparently -- the budget to keep rolling until Emma Roberts delivered a half-decent take. Even the blooper reel that ran during the first part of the credits wasn't worth putting in. The director clearly doesn't know the meaning of "funny."

C-

Won't You Be My Neighbor? (2018)

An eye-opening portrait of someone I've always suspected was lovely. So nice to have that assumption confirmed and expanded. I used up an entire purse-pack of Kleenex.

A-

Ocean's Eight (2018)

Danny's little sister, just paroled, loses no time putting into action the heist she's been planning for her entire five-year prison stint. She quickly recruits a few of her old crew and a few newbies and gets to work. And... it's no fun. Like at all. Anne Hathaway is the only one who gets laughs -- and those are at her expense. Most of the movie's dialogue is rapid-fire quips that are more like quick mumbles about stuff for which we have little to no context. Deb Ocean's got some weird in-code list she's working through, but it's never explained to us so who cares.

Also, I was incredibly distracted by the half-inch of makeup that was caked onto the faces of Sandy, Cate, and Paulson. Bullock even came to her parole board hearing with raccoon eyes, artfully tousled hair, and stage-level foundation. It was ridiculous and distracting.

C-

And Justice for All (1979)

This is a bang-up story. Pacino plays Arthur, a defense attorney with a pesky conscience. He actually cares about his clients, especially those whom he deems to be too fragile for the punishments they're being given. Unlike Arthur, Judge Fleming has no compunctions about following the "letter of the law" and would even like to try extreme consequences for crimes -- at one point suggesting hangings for armed robbers. Arthur and Fleming don't get along, obviously. So, when the Judge is accused of a brutal rape, he taps Arthur to defend him, calculating that this will make him look super innocent.

There's definitely a tragicomic vibe as we watch Arthur scramble and (mostly) fail to protect his clients. The people around him aren't doing much better, and I'm not even talking about the clients. His partner's having a nervous breakdown, his judge friend has a death wish, his grandfather suffers from dementia, and his girlfriend is a member of the ethics committee. His frustration is palpable and we can't help but hope he'll come through it intact.

B+

Step Brothers (2008)

A man with an adult son still living with him marries a woman who has an adult son living with her and voila -- dysfunctional Brady Bunch.

I wasn't expecting much, so it feels weird to be disappointed, but there ya go.

C-

One of Our Aircraft Is Missing (1942)

The crew of a British Bomber have to jump when they take damage over the Netherlands. Once on the ground, they aren't sure how they will make it to the ocean, but they soon find out that the Dutch underground is loyal to the crown and ready to help.

A little bloodless and fearless for a war movie, but sometimes that's alright with me. I was charmed.

B-

Sadece Sen (2014)

Blind woman and sullen ex-con meet when she assumes he's the old guy who usually mans a parking booth and with whom she has a standing "date." They fall in love, she needs surgery, the only way he can get the money is in a to-the-death boxing match, you know -- just the normal run-of-the-mill obstacles to romance stuff.

This is basically a soap opera stretched to full length. Everything that can happen does: sexual harassment, presumed death, fateful twists, puppies, and lots of musical interludes where characters stare into the distance with tears in their eyes. At least all of the characters are pretty.

C-