Everybody Knows

        Written and directed by  Asghar Farhadi ("A Separation", "The Salesman"), this new drama stars Penelope Cruz, Javier Bardem, and Ricardo Darin. It takes place in a small town outside Madrid. Working for the first time outside his native Iran and with a Spanish speaking cast, Mr. Farhadi explores his  familar themes in a new setting.

          Ms. Cruz stars as Laura, a woman living in Argentina, who travels back to her home town with her two children to attend the wedding of her younger sister. Unexpected events reveal old secrets that impact Laura, her family and friends.

            I wouldn't call the film suspenseful but more of a tense mystery. Mr. Farhadi is more interested in using the turn of the plot as a device to explore his themes of class and family dynamic rather than turn the film in a different direction to create a typical thriller.

            The acting is first rate and the film is beautifully shot in a lovely Spanish setting. The story itself gets overly complicated involving too many characters but eventually does come to a resolution that leaves broken lives in it's wake. 

Cold Pursuit

   It's February and traditionally time for a Liam Neeson "action" film. But before you roll your eyes and say "again", this one sneaks up on you and is not what you usually have come to expect.

    Based on a 2014 Norwegian film, "In Order of Disappearance", the original director, Hans Petter Moland, directs this American version with the same action and dark humor that made that film so much fun.

    While Mr. Neeson does set out for revenge once again, this time, he unknowingly sets off a drug turf war and the high body count isn't all his fault. The film is set in the winter in a small ski town outside Denver. Mr. Neeson is a snowplow driver and model citizen. Of course things begin to go off the rails and it isn't long before bodies start piling up. To give away more would ruin the fun.

            The film co-stars Laura Dern, who is wasted in a small "blink and you miss it" role as Mr. Neeson's wife. Also co-starring are Emmy Rossum, Tom Bateman, William Forsythe, Domenick Lombardozzi and John Doman. And I must also credit Mr. Neeson's snowplow, which is a character unto itself.

            The film moves at a leisurely pace but has enough dark humor between killings to keep you involved. The action sequences are plentiful and spread evenly throughout the film. The snowy mountain locations make for a beautiful backdrop for a film with its share of bloody violence.

Hush

"Hush"

       A short film, you can find on Vimeo, written and directed by Joseph McGovern.

       "Hush" tells the story of an obsession taken to it's extreme, done without dialogue. The acting is a bit exaggerated to make up for the lack of dialog but the story flows well.

        The music really helps create the mood and propel the story forward. The cuts between reality and fantasy are important and work very well to convey the obsession.

        While the climax of the film is deliberately shocking but necessary, the aftermath should have had a stronger response by the actors. There is a nice little twist though that I thought added a new element to familar themes.

          The short film is not hardcore but definitely for mature audiences only.

         

Starting Over Again

    You can find this short film on Vimeo. It's written and directed by Joseph McGovern.

     It tells the story of Greg, a guitarist in his younger days who has lost his passion for playing. He goes to a cafe night after night listening to amateur performers on open mike night and eventually finds his mojo to play again.

      As a short film, the concept works well. The various cast members do a good job with the material and I enjoyed the spoken word pieces and the song at the end.

       The camera work is well done but some of the editing is cut too quick and the flashbacks  don't quite convey why Greg lost his passion in the first place. But as a short, the story works and Greg is an engaging personality and musician. 

They Shall Not Grow Old

      Peter Jackson produced and directed this amazing documentary about World War One.  Combing through a hundred hours of original film footage stored in the Imperial War Museum in London, Mr. Jackson and his team narrowed it down to two hours, restored visuals, added sound and colorization.

       It is truly a riveting experience that brings the war to life in a completely new way. The film is narrated by the actual voices of surviving veterans from the war that was recorded in the 1960's. Using the stories of these men, Mr. Jackson is able to create a flowing narrative that is just fascinating to watch and hear. Be warned, however, that the film does contain some horrific images.

      Mr. Jackson introduces the film at the start and tells us that should we be interested, at the conclusion,  there is a thirty minute "behind the scenes" of how the documentary was put together. It is definitely worth the extra time to watch true movie magic being made.