ParaNorman 2012

      Developed by animation company LAIKA.  A small town comes under siege by zombies and Norman, local boy, is able to see people who are dead.  He can see his Grandma on the couch and talk to her.  He has only one friend, the other kids, people of the town and his parents think he is “odd.”  The zombies rise out of the graveyard one day a year because of a curse put on them by a little girl.

    This is easy to watch without being too scary with a lot of good animation.  You can indulge viewing all the paranormal threats without having to peer through an opening in your fingers.  3 ½* (I liked this movie)

93 min, Comedy directed by Chris Butler, Sam Fell with voices by Kodi Smit-McPhee, Tucker Albrizzi, John Goodman, Casey Affleck, Jeff Garlin, Bernard Hill, Anna Kendrick, Leslie Mann.

Note:  Blockbuster 3 ½*, imdb 7.1 out of 10, 86% critic 75% audience on Rotten Tomatoes.

The Silence 2010

     Sinikka is 13 years old, she had a fight with her parents and bicycled away in July 2009.  Her bike is found in the same wheat field where another bike was found 23 years ago on the same date.  Pia was also riding her bicycle in July 1986, she was murdered and her body was later found in the lake.  The killer was never found and retired police detective Krischan believes the two crimes are connected.  This time he is determined to find the killer.  With the help of ambitious young officer David, he may solve both of these cases.

     This is a film with two facets, psychological character study and police procedures.  The story unfolding is one of obsession, the permanence of loss, and the haunting of our past deeds.  Very heavy material only lightened by the beautiful cinematography of the Bavarian countryside.  3 ½* (I liked this movie)

119 min, Mystery directed by Baran bo Odar with Ulrich Thomsen, Wotan Wilke Mohring, Katrin Sab, Sebastian Blomberg, Burghart Klaubner, Karoline Eichhorn.

Note:  Blockbuster 3 ½*, imdb 6.7 out of 10, 87% critic 78% audience on Rotten Tomatoes.

Loose Cannons 2010

     Vincenzo has devoted most of his life to the family’s successful pasta company founded by his grandfather.  He plans to turn the business over to his sons, Antonio and Tommaso.  Antonio has been working beside his father for years but Tommaso has been living in Rome.  He is supposed to be attending business school but he has really been studying literature and he wants to be a writer.  They have a new business partner and plan to have a large family dinner to discuss business details. 

     In Italy family is everything and it’s expected you will work in the family business.  The sons don’t want this job but the daughter would love to work in the business.  There are a lot of surprises before, during and after the dinner.  This is supposed to be a comedy but it is not at all funny?  A slow pace and it's difficult to care about most of the characters.  They think only about themselves and their sheltered family life.  3* (This movie is OK)

110 min, Drama directed by Ferzan Ozpetek with Ennio Fantastichini, Alessandro Preziosi, Riccardo Scamarcio, Carmine Recano, Bianca Nappi, Lunetta Savino.

Note:  Blockbuster 3 ½*, imdb 6.9 out of 10, 71% critic 74% audience on Rotten Tomatoes.

Shun Lie and the Poet 2012

     Shun Li is a Chinese single mother in her 30’s.  She has relocated to Italy to provide a better life for herself and her son.  Unfortunately, she works for an employment agency that charged her a large sum of money to bring her to Italy.  The agency moves her from job to job, which makes it difficult for her to pay her fees and save the money bring her son to Italy.  She works in a garment factory and then moves to a job as a barmaid in a waterfront tavern in the fishing village of Chioggia.  She meets Bepi, he is a Yugoslav fisherman exile.  He likes poetry and writes some himself.  Shun Li and Bepi become friends but the community doesn’t approve because she is Chinese.  Shun Li tells Bepi stories about Qu Yuan, he is China’s most famous poet.

     This film is a story of unlikely friendships, cultural prejudice and life in a small fishing village.  Slow moving, sensitive and understated.  Also a focus on unscrupulous people preying on others who want to improve themselves but they are poor.

98 min, Drama directed by Andrea Segre with Tao Zhao, Rade Serbedzija, Marco Paolini, Roberto Citran, Giuseppe Battiston, Giordano Bacci, Spartaco Mainardi.

Note:  Imdb 7.1 out of 10, 94% critic 68% audience on Rotten Tomatoes.

Snitch 2013

     Jason Collins is 18 years old and accepted into college for the next year.  He agrees to accept a package with a large quantity of Ecstasy from his friend.  Agents have been tracking the package and they immediately handcuff Jason and take him to a federal prison.  He can reduce his lengthy sentence by setting up someone else to take a fall for drugs.  This is what his friend did to him.  Jason refuses to do this and his father steps in to try to infiltrate a powerful drug cartel.  John runs a trucking business and he offers to take a big load of drugs in one of his trucks.  He says the economy has brought his business down and he needs some way to bring it back up.  He assures them that there is less risk moving the drugs in a big truck.

     OK, this is the Rock, he knows his wrestling, he knows his punching and he has the muscles but he doesn’t know anything about the underbelly of the drug cartels!  They have plenty of high-powered guns and they don’t care who they have to take down!  This film does stretch believability concerning the drug dealers accepting John and his story at face value with minimal checking. 

112 min, Action directed by Ric Roman Waugh with Dwayne Johnson, Rafi Gavron, Susan Sarandon, Jon Bernthal, Michael Kenneth Williams, Benjamin Bratt, Barry Pepper.

Note:  Blockbuster 3 ½*, imdb 6.5 out of 10, 55% critic 64% audience on Rotten Tomatoes.

Special Note:  The director of this film is a professional stuntman.  The premise of this film is based on fact.  If you are charged with felony drug possession, you can sometimes make a bargain.  You can reduce your sentence or go free if you help bring in a major drug player.

The Bletchley Circle: Cracking the Killer's Code 2012

    This is three-part murder mystery series from the UK.  Susan, Millie, Lucy and Jean are ordinary women but they have a natural ability to break codes.  They sharpened this skill during WWII when they were undercover at Bletchley Park.  This is the site of the UK’s main decryption area.  The time is 1952 and they have returned to civilian life but they are required to keep their intelligence work a secret from everyone, including their families.  They reunite as a team to solve a series of murders targeting women.

     This is good, Susan detects patterns, Millie was the supervisor of the team, Lucy has a photographic memory and Jean is a whiz at organization.  They have never received credit for their special talents because they can’t reveal their former work.  The women know the police will not be able to solve these crimes and speed is of the essence, every day there may be another victim.  Susan tries to talk to the Police Commissioner but what she is telling them is so over his head he can't understand.  He also cannot see beyond the fact that she is a woman, a wife and a mother who should not be involved in any police work?  4* (I really liked this movie)

135 min, Thriller directed by Jamie Payne with Anna Maxwell Martin, Rachael Stirling, Julie Graham, Sophie Rundle, Ed Birch, James Bowers, Matthew Cullum, Mark Dexter.

Note:  Imdb 7.6 out of 10.

11 Flowers 2011

     This film is an autobiographical coming-of-age story set in the final days of China’s Cultural Revolution.  Wang Han is eleven-years old and he lives with his parents and younger sister in a remote village in Guizhou province.  Wang is selected to lead his school in their daily gym routine from a raised stage.  His teacher tells he him will need a clean white shirt to reflect the honor of this important position.  The teacher does not realize the pressure this will put on the poor family to come up with a new shirt.  During this time in China, ration coupons are given out to families for fabric.  They are only allowed a certain quantity for a year and most of the fabric is used to make for clothing for the New Year celebration.  Also, the family must come up with the additional money for the shirt.

     The cinematography of this region is beautiful!!  The boys and Wang’s friends at the school are funny.  They pinky promise for 100 years or to be turned into a dog about a secret but one boy breaks the promise right away!!  There was tremendous pressure on the people of China during the years of Chairman Mao.  Propaganda broadcasts, messages and pictures were everywhere from 1966 to 1976.  3 ½* (I liked this movie)

110 min, Drama directed by Xiaoshuai Wang with Wang Jinchun, Jinchun Wang, Liu Wenqing, Ni Yan, Zhang Kexuan, Zhong Guo Liuxing, Lou Yihao.

Note:  Imdb 6.8 out of 10, 92% critic 64% audience on Rotten Tomatoes.