Dragon Tiger Gate Disc 1

2006

1 hr 34 min

NR

Chinese/English subtitles

Martial Arts

5 stars

I really enjoy this. Pure brain candy, lots and lots of eye candy, and great kung fu. If you're looking for an intellectually challenging movie, keep looking. If you're looking for something to totally distract you from your current reality, look no farther! I think you can watch it in English, but I prefer one of the Chinese languages and English subtitles. The subtitles were excellent. If you like wuxia movies, you'll love this one. Don't worry about the plot. Don't worry about the story. Just make a bowl of popcorn and enjoy the movie!

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pJLkfGlAViE

Children of a Lesser God

1986

1 hr 58 min

R

English

Romance

4 stars

I'm having trouble with this movie. I thought it would be more about teaching deaf kids to speak, with maybe a subplot of romance. Uh, no. It's a love story with a subplot about teaching deaf kids to speak. This movie is very well acted (which is why it gets 4 stars), it's just not my cup of tea. As to the movie proper, the kids in the deaf school who spoke didn't sound, to me, like deaf kids. If you like romance with a bit of sex (germane to the story) this is probably a good movie. William Hurt is, well, mighty easy on the eyes. If you don't like romance, even with comedy tossed in, pass on this one.

Trailer https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E0AMKG31wME

Theeb

Theeb

2015

1 hr 41 min

Arabic / Excellent English subtitles

Drama

5 stars

Theeb (Wolf) is a Jordanian coming of age film set in the outback of the Ottoman Empire in 1916. This is not a gentle movie, as our young hero follows his elder brother into the desert to guide another Arab and an Englishman. The trip goes seriously awry, and the Bedouin culture of hospitality plays into the story as Theeb comes of age brutally and fast. The scenery alone is worth the time to watch, filmed entirely in Wadi Rum, southern Jordan. Clint Eastwood would feel right at home there, I think. Wikipedia says it is called a Bedouin Western. There are no women in the movie, and the only professional actor is Jack Fox, as the British officer.  The actors are all, except Fox, Bedouin. The language authentic. Possibly too intense for young children.

trailer https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pnEd_WSGtWQ

A Late Quartet

2012

1 hr 45 min

English

Drama, Classical Music

5 Stars

The Fugue, a string quartet of 3 men and 1 woman, has been together for 25 years. They play well together; two are married to each other with a college-aged daughter. Christopher Walken is wonderful as the cellist who, for health reasons wants to leave the quartet. Philip Seymour Hoffman is tired of playing second violin and wants to play first violin, his wife thinks he should leave well enough alone. Drama ensues as they all face their own midlife crises, and have to decide if the sum of the parts is greater than their individual selves. Are they professional musicians in a quartet, or soloists? Note, this is not related to the movie Quartet, in any way, other than both play marvelous classical music. A beautiful movie, well worth your time.

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NX66lRnNmqs

Quartet

2012

1 hr 39 min

English

Romantic Comedy for the Silver Haired 

5 Stars

What a fun movie! The acting was superb, the direction spot-on. Like many British movies, I had to turn the volume up to hear (what is it with their sound systems?), but it was oh-so-worth it! The story takes place in a home for retired musicians, and I understand many of the actors are retired musicians, which just adds another depth of delightedness. Pauline Collins (Shirley Valentine) is wonderful as are the rest of the cast. There is a love story in the background (yes, Victoria, old farts and fartesses still love), as the home is trying to set up a concert for the locals to earn enough money to keep the home going, and not have to charge residents. And the sound track is to die for. This is a movie to own and to watch more than once.

Trailer: http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi2051843097