"The Kindness of Strangers"

2020 1h 52 min  Streaming on Kanopy

Let me preface this review by saying I haven’t seen a movie this wonderful in ages. That said, how could a movie titled “The Kindness of Strangers” not be charming? It stars Zoe Kazan, Tahar Rahim, Bill Nighy and a few other lesser-known actors. It opens with a mom and her two children against the backdrop of a spectacular view of Manhattan. They’re there ostensibly on vacation. However, we quickly learn they’re escaping an abusive dad, who happens to be a cop. We then encounter several other characters that are dealing with various personal problems of their own. Serendipity is the underlying theme here, as their lives intersect in mutually beneficial ways. I enjoyed everything about this film. It’s rare when great writing, natural acting, and remarkable cinematography converge in a movie. I just wish there were more movies like this being made. It almost seems like something from the Golden Age of movies. The films of Frank Capra come to mind. Hope you enjoy it as much as I did. And if you happen to know of any other films like this one, please let me know!

5 out of 5 stars

 

 

 

"Peppermint"

 Every once in a while, I'm up for a good revenge movie. And this one was pretty satisfying. It stars Jennifer Garner, who usually stars in lighter romcoms, so I was surprised to see her take on a role like this. But she did a credible job playing a badass, I must say. When her husband and young daughter are brutally murdered by a drug cartel, she's out to get even. She goes off the grid for five years, to train for her mission. And she comes back with a vengeance, aiming to knock off anyone remotely related to the death of her family. She amasses an over-the-top arsenal, but when that's seized, she uses her physical strength and wits to carry out her revenge. As you'd expect, things get bloody. So if you're at all squeamish, you may want to take a pass. I found myself totally on her side, rooting for her every time she went after someone on her hit list. 

3.5 out of 5 stars 

"Snowden"

I only knew peripherally about the case of Edward Snowden while it was occurring. I just knew that many folks were passionate about their opinion of him. While my wife thought he was a trailer, my father regarded him as a hero. In this film, starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Shailene Woodley, Zachary Quinto and others, we witness all the events that led up to his whistle blowing. It's a tense drama that beautifully (I use this term loosely), unfolds. We witness a young man who truly loves his country become disillusioned with the overreaching surveillance our government is engaged in. The film jumps back and forth in time to great effect. I had mixed feelings before seeing "Snowden" but by the time it was over I wanted to tell everyone who had negative feelings about him to "just see the movie!" It sure made a believer out of me. 

4 out of 5 stars

"Captain Fantastic"

Based on its title, you'd think this was a movie from the Marvel Comic universe you'd never heard of. It's far from it. Viggo Mortensen plays a middle-age hippie who's raising his family off the grid. somewhere in the Pacific Northwest. He's training them survival techniques while giving them a home education that's light years ahead of anything they'd get in a conventional school system. When he learns that his institutionalized wife has committed suicide, he has to decide whether to attend her funeral in New Mexico or not. After he's warned by his father-in-law (Frank Langella), that he's not welcome, he opts to make the trek. This film is much more than a fun road trip adventure. It's about relationships, redemption, being true to one's self, and much more. As an aging hippie myself, I could totally relate to the lead character. And I enjoyed it so much, when it ended, I was tempted to start it over again. As a bonus, much of the soundtrack featured music from one of my favorite groups, Sigur Ros. My only beef is with the title. But after ruminating on it for a while I decided, what else could it be called?! 

5 out of 5 stars

"Term Life"

Vince Vaughn can actually act. Who knew? This is the first film I've seen of his where he's not playing a nutty character in a screwball comedy. Here he plays a guy who implausibly plots heists, then hires criminals to do the job for him. He's a negligent and absent dad, who takes out a huge life insurance policy on himself, so his daughter will be taken care of after he's gone. But he has to live long enough for it to be valid. When he robs a vault that contains evidence against dirty cops along with some significant cash, both drug lord and a bevy of corrupt police are after him. The movie contains enough over-the-top action scenes to keep a fairly predictable plot moving along. Not a bad way to kill an hour and a half. 

3 out of 5 stars