Parallel Mothers

        The new film from writer/director Pedro Almodovar is an emotionally engaging story of two single pregnant women. Penelope Cruz stars as Janis, a photographer, who gets pregnant after a brief affair.  She becomes friendly with Ana (played by Milena Smit) when they become hospital roommates after going into labor and giving birth at the same time.

        Ana lives with her mother, an actress who was never really close to her daughter, since Ana had grown up with her father, until she became pregnant. Janis becomes pregnant after an affair with Arturo, a renowned forensic archaeologist, who has agreed to help her find and excavate the mass grave in her home village, where her great-grandfather and others were killed and buried during the Spanish Civil War.

        What starts out as a simple story of two different women who bond over a shared experience, becomes more complex as only Mr. Almodovar can tell it. Ms. Cruz rides an emotional rollercoaster and is simply wonderful as Janis. Ms. Smit shares that ride and the two women have great chemistry between them. Mr. Almodovar has a gift for writing complex women's roles and directing the women who play them.

         As a subplot, the story of the mass grave gives Mr. Almodovar a chance to make a subtle political statement and bring light to his audience, a dark chapter in Spain's history.  

Nightmare Alley

    Based on the 1946 novel of the same name, this is actually a remake of the original 1947 film starring Tyrone Power. The new version is directed by Guillermo del Toro with a screenplay by Mr. del Toro and Kim Morgan.

    In this new version Bradley Cooper stars as Stanton Carlisle, a drifter who finds new purpose working in a dustbowl Carnival in the late 1930's. The film co-stars Cate Blanchett as a femme fatale physiologist, Toni Collette as Zeena, a "mind reader" with the carny, who along with her alcoholic husband Pete (Played by David Strathairn) teach Carlisle to be a mentalist, Rooney Mara as Molly, Richard Jenkins, Mary Steenburgen, Willem Dafoe, Ron Perlman, and Holt McCallany.

    Mr. del Toro and his team faithfully recreate the era with terrific sets, costumes, and overall production design. The art deco sets in the latter half of the film are amazing. The atmosphere of the film is creepy and moody throughout, especially early on in the carny scenes. While Mr. del Toro is known for monsters and horror, the only monsters here are human but there is certainly a sense of dread that runs through the entire story.

    The pace is methodically slow but Mr. Cooper is magnetic and keeps the viewer engaged throughout. As Stanton's skills improve, his ambition grows as does his hubris. This is a great exercise in retro film noir that patience will reward.

The Tender Bar

       Based on the memoir by J.R. Moehringer, this coming-of-age drama is about his life growing up on Long Island and is directed with sentimental efficiency by George Clooney.

      It stars Ben Affleck as Uncle Charlie, Ty Sheridan as the adult J.R., Daniel Ranieri as the young J.R, Lily Rabe as his mother, and Christopher Lloyd as his grandfather.  Co-stars include Briana Middleton, Max Martini, and Sondra James.

      Mr. Affleck is excellent, easy and loose as the self-taught bartender worshipped by his nephew. The entire ensemble work well together and young Mr. Ranieri is adorable in his first major film. Mr. Clooney faithfully recreates the look and feel of Manhasset, Long Island in the '70's and '80's. It's a sweet story, small in scale filled with the joys and sorrows that exist within every family.

     After a short theatrical run, the film is available now on Amazon Prime.