War Horse
Steven Spielberg has enchanted us once again with a beautifully crafted drama about the horrible cost of war as seen through the eyes of a young man and his horse. It begins with the story of Albert (Jeremy Irvine), the young farm boy who trains a beautiful, courageous colt, Joey, only to see the horse sold by his father to the British cavalry. From there the story concentrates on the remarkable journey of the horse and his adventures until the inevitable reunion between Albert and his beloved companion. This film packs an emotional wallop that had me both crying and laughing through my tears.
The Descendants
Alexander Payne’s dysfunctional family dramedy features the same subtle wit and interesting character dynamics that were found in other Payne films including
Election and
Sideways. George Clooney stars as a man whose wife is on life support after an accident. Dealing with this tragedy means acting like a responsible parent to his two girls, a role for which he has no previous hands-on experience. Clooney is wonderfully anguished, angry and at moments hilariously clueless.
The Artist
From writer-director Michel Hazanavicius,
The Artist is a black & white French film about the era of silent
