"The Bookshop"

 Just a delightful, offbeat movie as only the English can do it. It stars Emily Mortimer, Bill Nighy, and Patricia Clarkson. A young widow buys an old house in a small East Anglian town and is determined to open a bookshop there. She's met with some resistance from the townsfolk who want to turn it into an arts center. It's an amusing look at small town life in the late 1950s in Britain and features a charming cast of eccentric characters. I thoroughly enjoyed it--how can you not like a movie that features Bill Nighy?

4 out of 5 stars

"This Beautiful Fantastic"

In spite its title, which looks like a typo, this is a truly delightful movie. It's one of those rare films where nothing really bad happens. The story is about a young librarian, played by Jessica Brown Findlay, who's working on a children's book She gets in trouble when she neglects her backyard, letting it turn into a total jungle. Her next-door neighbor, Tom Wilkinson, befriends her and agrees to help her clean it up before she's evicted. In the meantime, she falls heads over heels in love with an eccentric young inventor. All in all, a thoroughly charming story that will have you smiling for days. 

4.5 out of 5 stars

"The Other Guys"

Not your typical buddy/cop movie by any means. Which is what you'd expect with Will Ferrell and Mark Wahlberg. Ferrell is a nerdy pencil pusher who's happy doing his desk job. He's teamed up with Wahlberg, who is just itching to get back on the street and solve a crime. It appears to be your average and predictable cop film, but it's anything but. Just when you think you know what's going to happen, it zigs and zags. I found myself laughing out loud several times, which is quite rare for me. If you're in the mood for something wacky, you'll enjoy this. 

3.5 out of 5 stars

"Everything Beautiful is Far Away"

 A boy, a girl, and a robot head enter the desert. Sounds like the opening line of a joke. It's actually the plot to an off-beat, slow-moving indie film that I recently saw. It takes place in the near future, and the plot is pretty much the way I described it. The unusual trio is in search for a mythical lake, while trying to survive their harsh environment. I don't recall ever seeing a movie quite like it. It hooked me right of way and I couldn't stop watching it. It's a quiet, pretty movie that I think I need to watch again. I found it quite by chance by doing a search on Hoopla for sci-fi movies. 

3.5 out of 5 stars

"In Your Eyes"

You've been warned: You're either going to love it or hate this movie. Iy's the story about two people wo can communicate telepathically. Growing up, they have occasional encounters, but don't really understand what's happening. As adults, they learn to talk to each other and form a close bond. It's a bit sappy, but I enjoy an occasional romantic film. The chemistry between Michael Stahl-David and Zoe Kazan is terrific and helps move the story along. What a pleasant surprise! It's currently streaming on Kanopy.

4 out of 5 stars

"Shot Caller"

 Lousy title. Great movie. How a prison movie ended up in my queue, I have no idea. But I'm glad I took a chance with this one. A successful stockbroker and family man ends up in prison after he accidentally kills a friend while drunk driving. In order to survive, he becomes a total badass. The transformation from a decent, caring guy into a hardened criminal is absolutely astonishing. Nikolaj Coster-Waldau is brilliant in this award-worthy performance. I figured I'd give this about ten minutes but couldn't stop watching.  An undiscovered gem. 

"The Old Guard"

 I started watching this movie, thinking it was a superhero movie, which I'm not a fan of. As it turns out, it marginally falls into that category. While it's about a group of five immortals, they really don't have any superpowers, other than the fact that they can't be killed, and they're great fighters. There are two storylines in the film. One is about the introduction of a newly found immortal, a young black female Marine. The other is about an evil head of a pharmaceutical company, who wants to capture and experiment on them to discover the secret to their longevity. The head of the gang is played by Charlize Theron, who literally and figuratively kicks ass. I really enjoyed the smart writing, great cinematography, and of course, phenomenal fight scenes. 

4 out of 5 stars