"H is for Happiness"

 Another feather in the cap of the Australian film industry, this quirky little indie movie is thoroughly delightful. A precocious12-year old girl (think Anne of Green Gables) befriends a new student who claims to be a visitor from another dimension. Her home life is somewhat unsettled--her mom suffers from depression due to losing her infant daughter and her father is a recluse, because of a fallout with his fabulously rich brother. The story takes a number of amusing twists and turns as she tries to reunite her family.  It's pretty offbeat while remaining just this side of being campy. 

4 out of 5 stars

"The Pier"

A middle-aged Irish American man is called home because his dad is allegedly on his deathbed. When he gets back to the small village where he was raised, he finds out his father had tricked him to get him to visit. As the story unfolds, we discover his mom had died when he was a child and his dad never talked about her. And he and his cantankerous dad haven't gotten along for years. As luck would have it, he meets an American woman who's visiting the village to discover her roots and they strike up a friendship. The story plays out slowly, and some may find it boring. But the scenery is so beautiful, it's worth watching just for that! There were numerous times where I said to myself, "That would make a great painting!" And the Celtic influenced soundtrack is gorgeous as well. 

4 out of 5 stars

  

"Ride Like a Girl"

 If a film has Sam Neill in it, you can bet it'll be worth watching. And this one is no exception. The film, based on a true story is about a widower raising his six children. They raise race horses and all his children train to become jockeys. His youngest daughter, played brilliantly by Teresa Palmer,  is a smart, strong-willed girl who is determined to become the first female jockey to win the coveted Melbourne Cup. We follow her through life trials and tribulations as she strives to reach her goal. Everything about this film is great--the cinematography, acting,  and writing. My only negative comment would be that it seems to skip over parts of the story. I'm sure the director had a hard time deciding what to cut to pare it down to an acceptable viewing length. It could easily have been a three-hour movie. 

"The White Tiger"

I remember thinking while reading "The White Tiger" years ago, "This would make a great movie!" It did. This is one of those epic rags to riches movies that I thoroughly enjoy. It begins with the hero reading his letter to the president of China telling him that now is the time for the Red and Yellow people to conquer the world. Then the story returns to his early days growing up in abject poverty in a poor, rural village. You empathize with him, even though he certainly isn't all good, by any means. But fighting a lingering caste system makes you do things you wouldn't normally have to resort to. If you enjoyed "Slumdog Millionaire" I think you'll like this. 

4 out of 5 stars