"Tortilla Soup"

What a charming film. It has just about everything in it: comedy, romance, family dynamics, and best of all, cooking. If you're a fan of foodie movies, you'll love this movie. I enjoyed Babette's Feast and Chocolat. I'm adding this one to my list. The story is about a single dad living with his three grown, headstrong, Latina daughters. The dad, Martin is a serious cook of all things Mexican. The close-up shots of him preparing all the food (and there's lot's of it), made me drool. The storyline involves his relationship with his daughters as well as their romantic encounters. Martin, (Hector Elizondo) was simply marvelous--charming, funny, and understated. His facial expressions cracked me up. Raquel Welsh plays a gold digger who has her sights on Martin--although her acting was a little over-the-top for my taste.  All-in-all, this is just a delightful feel good movie.

4 1/2 out of 5 stars

"My Life So Far"

What an absolutely wonderful movie. It's about a 10-year old boy, Fraser Pettigrew growing up in a mansion in Scotland in the 1920s. His family includes a bunch of characters, especially his dad, played by Colin Firth. His dad is a moss farmer and inventor. Not only is it a charming story, the photography and scenery are remarkable. This is what great storytelling is all about. I could watch this movie over and over.

"The Way Back"

One of the best movies I've seen in a long time. During WWII, a group of prisoners escape a gulag in Siberia in the middle of winter. Their goal is to walk through Siberia, the Gobi Desert, and the Himalayas to freedom. It's an astonishing, inspiring, true story. I loved the scenery and the acting. The story is loosely based on the book, The Long Walk by Slavomir Raqwicz.  Just amazing how strong the will to be free is.

"Welcome to the Rileys"

This is one powerful film. It's dark and slow paced. But what a story and what great acting. A couple, who've been married for almost 30 years, have drawn apart after the death of their 15-year old daughter. The husband goes to New Orleans for a convention and ends up befriending a young stripper. He's not sure what he's doing, but he moves in with her. The performances by James Gandolfini, Kristen Stewart, and Melissa Leo are all subtle yet excellent. Warning, this is an adult film with lots of swearing. But it's a film that you'll think about for a long time.
3 1/2 stars out of 5.

"Adventureland"

An excellent little movie starring Jesse Eisenberg before he made it big playing in "the Social Network". He plays a recent college graduate who planned on spending his summer before grad school in Europe with his friends. Because of his family's financial woes, he's forced to take a job at Adventureland, the local amusement park. He makes friends with a bunch of smart Alecs and has plenty of adventures of his own, including romance. The dialog is smart and the characters are all believable. I can't stand movies like this where the characters are way over the top. About the only one is the manager of the park. The writing is pretty funny with lines like: "Check our her butt. It's the Plutonic ideal of what an ass should be." Plenty of laugh out loud moments. If you enjoyed "Middle of Nowhere", you'll love this movie.
4 1/2 stars out of 5.