Aftermath (2019)

Keira Nightly being sad in a beautiful wintry Hamburg country house at the end of 1945. A non-Nazi German architect gives her a happy new beginning.

On Chesil Beach (2018)

A newlywed couple has a fight on the beach. She's the one who's been lying all along, who takes her stuff and leaves, but somehow he's the one that gets punished by fate. I can't figure out if it's supposed to be a classical tragedy or if its some kind of twisted Puritanism.

My Cousin Rachel (2017)

A rich young man fails to clearly express his intentions and causes the death of his cousin.

Hacksaw Ridge (2016)

A story about heroism so compelling that not even Mel Gibson could f*ck it up.

The East (2013)

A pretty and capable investigator infiltrates a environmental terrorism cell called The East. She assists in some of their activities, and kind of falls in love with the leader.

A most satisfying ending. The spy turns non-violent activist.

Anomalisa (2015)

A not-very-nice guy travels from LA to Cincinatti to give a talk at a conference. He stays at a swanky hotel. He sees and ex-girlfriend, then he picks up two women, take them for drinks, and takes one to bed. During the night he has a nightmare. The next day he goes back home to his wife and kid.

I'm kind of sorry to say that, but I didn't really 'get' this movie. I had to read the plot on Wikipedia to understand what it was about. I'm still not impressed. It's not a story, it's just life.

OK, the fact that it's 90 minutes of stop-motion puppets is pretty impressive.

Begin Again (2014)

A movie about music.

It's wonderful that they didn't write Gretta to fall in love with Dan.

Catherine Keener and Mark Ruffalo makes the sweetest married couple in film history.

Broken Circle Breakdown (2014)

Belgian Bluegrass. If that sounds mind-twisting, it is!

Also about loss, atheism and tattoos.

All is Lost (2014)

Our Man (Robert Redford) goes to sail single-handedly and collides his yacht with a shipping container. A storm follows, and because he has no EPIRB, he almost dies.

Gravity (2013)

Ninety minutes of bad orbital mechanics, bad radio communications and bad physics finally rewarded with Sandra Bullock in a wet t-shirt.

Shadow Dancer (2012)

A UK Film Council movie, which always, it seems to me, bodes well.

A woman deeply involved in the terrorism of Northern Ireland in the 1990's is made an offer she can't refuse, in exchange for a new life. In the end she makes the new life herself.

It is a good thing that the main character has so few words, for her accent makes them almost unintelligible. I was hoping for subtitles.

The movie illustrates a director's problems. In one scene it is supposedly raining hard, but it obviously a sunny day. In all the other scenes the skies are Belfast grey, and would have fitted pefectly, but the one day they needed a rainy sky, it was sunny.

The Quartet (2012)

A funny, serious movie about growing old. It is never too late to forgive.

Jack Reacher (2012)

Ah, a cowboy movie. Long time since I saw one. But this one is not set in the West, but in the Midwest. (Is Pittsburgh in the Midwest? I don't know. :-s )

Drifter man rides into the city after he got some bad news - a killer he has known before has struck again. So he meets up with the girl with the inside info. He puts together all the pieces, and he exposes the crime for the conspiracy it is. He then proceeds to wipe out the guilty and save girl, with the assistance of an old-timer. Throw in a car chase through the Pittsburgh tunnels, a comedy scene with some bumbling idiots with baseball bats failing to crush mr. Reacher's skull.

Cleverest boy in the movie is poor mr. Barr, who spends most of the movie in a coma. He doesn't open his mouth in front of the police.

Ruby Sparks (2012)

A serious, funny movie about a writer that falls in love with his dream girl. With Annette Bening and Antonio Bandeiras cast in supporting roles. Yes, it's really that good.

Five-year engagement. (2012)

A series of comic scenes stitched together illustrate the relationship between Violet and Tom, academic and chef respectively, whose lives in San Francisco is upheaved when she gets a job in Michigan. They have a tough time and break up. They get together again. It's not clear how, because nothing changed. Perhaps they learned to communicate.

The Hunger Games (2012)

Ah, a famous movie, seen fresh on the circuit.

The story concept is not a particularly new idea, it being preceded by Stephen King's The Long Walk and Running Man, although this one adds some modern spice by admixing the Survivor reality TV concept.

One of the reasons I went to see it, apart from it being recommended, was Jennifer Lawrence. I was amazed by her acting in Winter's Bone, and I wished to see more of her. I was slightly disappointed, though, because she played practically the same character in both movies. She's serious and diligent, and takes care of her family, girl alone.

Contrast this to the actress I saw last week, playing a serial killer in Monster, and a thirtysomething in Young Adult, both challenging characters. I'm talking of our dear Charlize Theron, of course.

OK, Comparisons are odious. I should not compare the rookie with the veteran. I just hope Jennifer Lawrence gets to play a wider repertoire than just girl heroes.

Albert Hobbs (2012)

A helpful little man works in a hotel. He tries to woo a serving maid, but in a scuffle with her lover he gets a head injury and dies. The hotel owner gets his saved-up money, and a house painter gets the girl.

Young Adult (2011)

For some reason this movie is sold as a comedy. I guess the premis allows for comedy. But funny it is not. It is a dead serious movie, about how a young person can get depressed, although she apparently has everything going for her. Charlize does not do comedy. But she's an outstanding actress.

The premise of the movie is not about 'growing up', but more about 'reconstructing a life derailed at an early age.'

Material (2012)

The inefficiency of the South African Post Office causes the reunification of a family.

A great South African movie. Clean, serious, funny.

Midnight in Paris (2011)

A group of rich Americans find themselves in Paris. Their different interests make their paths through the city diverge. Gill meets a famous old writer who gives him some terce advice, and then he gets to meet this old writer's friends and the friends' friends. The champagne flows, and inevitably some cheating happens. Cheating is cheating, no matter the century, and the engaged couple splits up. He gets a girls that's too young for him, she gets a man that's too old for her.

I wonder why I didn't find the movie really enthralling, even though it's quite well done. Well, Wikipedia reminds me it was directed by Woody Allen. Excuse me for not fawning.