"Sweet Bean"

What a beautiful film. A young man operates a small dorayaki pastry store in Japan. He's approached by a 75-year old woman to help him run his shop. He ends up hiring her, and because of her amazing ability to make a tasty bean paste, attracts people from all over. But, she's hiding a secret which changes everything. What a sensitive film, with great acting, incredible cinematography, and perfect musical score.
4.5 out of five stars

"Freedomland"

What a powerful movie. Julianne Moore gives one of her typical disturbed woman performances. And what a job she does.  Her son is kidnapped in a carjacking. Enter Samuel L. Jackson--one of the most baddass cops who ever joined the force. If he's on your side, you're okay. This movie keeps you guessing until the very end. What a great cast.
4 stars out of 5

"Abandoned"

A very powerful movie based on a true story. It's about an inexperienced sailing crew who leave New Zealand for a pan-Pacific journey. When their boat meets a huge capsizing wave, they have to deal with survival. The crew members have their quirks, fight, but eventually come together to help each other survive. It's a great film. I've seen many comments from people who didn't like the shaky camera work. Huh? It's on a sailboat out in the ocean. Get over it. It totally makes sense. Anyway, I thought the actors and cinematography were great.
4 stars out of 5

https://youtu.be/dVRbHEmfQwY

"Margarita, With a Straw"

What a beautiful and touching film. It's about a young Indian woman with cerebral palsy who moves to New York to attend school. There she falls in love with a blind female activist. It's a story of pure love. Brilliantly acted, simple yet well written, and great cinematography. This is one of those movies you'll remember for a long time. I rarely puddle up over a movie, but this one brought tears to my eyes.
5 stars out of 5

"Backtrack"

If you like 'em creepy, you'll love this movie. The hair on the back of my neck stood up several times while watching this. The plot s about a psychiatrist who begins to see ghosts after his daughter is killed. He doesn't know what they have to do with him, but he starts to make a connection with something that happened to him twenty years in his past.  It stars Adrien Brody and, since it's an Austrian movie, has to feature Sam Neill.
4 stars out of 5

"The Fundamentals of Caring"

If I describe the plot of the movie, you probably won't watch it. It sounds so cliche. But this is quite a decent indie flick. I was especially skeptical because it was a Netflix original. So here's the plot: a thirty something guy who's going through a divorce takes a caregiving course and ends up with a teen who has a rare form of MS. The kid has a wicked sense of humor. They inevitably go on a road trip. The movie has its ups and downs, but mostly ups. The acting, scenery, and dialogue were all exceptional.
4.5 out of 5 stars

"The Looking Glass"

A young girl is sent to live with her grandma in rural Indiana, after her mother dies and here father remarries. At first she's reclusive and spends most of her days surfing the web on her iPad. But when her grandmother encourages her to try out for a play, she begins to come out of her shell. The story is somewhat predictable, but it's so well done, you really don't mind. And based on her debut performance, Grace Tarnow has quite a promising future. Remember her name!
4 1/2 stars out of 5