Come Fly With Captain Abu Raed

21  Captain Abu Raed

Arabic, English subtitles

1002 Minutes, 2009

5 Stars

Too bad The Hedgehog couldn't have been done like this! Abu Raed is a widower with no children other than his books. He works as a janitor at the Amman airport who finds a Captain's hat in the trash. He brushes it off, and wears it. One of the neighborhood boys sees it, and insists Abu Raed is a pilot, even though he says otherwise. The next morning, several children are at his door to hear his adventures; and so begins a delightful story. Of course, there is some sadness to be expected, but the beauty of the story far outweighs it. This is a movie the whole family can enjoy. And I understand the children were locals. My only complaint is the DVD is so far out of my price range I can't afford it.

Trailer 

Eat Drink Man Woman - Foodie's Delight

Eat Drink Man Woman

Mandarin, English Subtitles

1994, 124 minutes

5 Stars

A "foodie" movie of pure excellence; the inspiration of Tortilla Soup. Eat Drink Man Woman is director Ang Lee's masterpiece. A delightful story of an aging widower who still has his adult daughters living at home with him and how they all find love and get on with their lives. You won't need hankies in this comedy, but you will need bibs! The food sequences are phenomenal (be sure to watch the 'extra' where Ang Lee talks about the preparation and filming of the sequences;-) This is a complex film where the stories are brought together at the end, and tied with a beautiful bow. Winner of several awards, and deserving of each and every one, this movie is a "must see" if you like comedy, food, romance! Some sexual content.

Trailer of opening scene http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zs5WiddD7i0

Shower

Shower

Mandarin, English Subtitles

1999, 94 minutes

5 Stars

A 'feel good' movie about Da Ming who left his small, provincial town to seek his fortune in the big city, who, when he receives a postcard from his developmentally disabled brother Er Ming, returns home thinking his father was ill. Dad and Er Ming run a bathhouse where the local men come to get a bath, right crickets, and enjoy life at a leisurely pace. However, Modernization rears its ugly head, and the neighborhood is to be destroyed to make way for high-rise buildings and shopping malls. There is much humor and the acting is uniformly excellent. This is a film the whole family can enjoy (there is nudity, but not frontal or sexual). Even if you are not a fan of subtitles, these are so well done they seem to disappear. Da Ming realizes the meaning of family.

We Were Here

We Were Here

English

2011, 90 minutes

5 Stars

This well-done documentary on the AIDS epidemic is neither morbid nor morose. Rainy Day remembers and wasn't sure she wanted to watch, as she thought it would take at least a case of tissues. It didn't. There were a few tears here and there, but Rainy Day would not classify it a Tear Jerker. Rainy Day thought there was a great deal of hope in the movie. One of the men interviewed became HIV positive during the first wave, and he is still alive and appears to be fairly healthy. The men and woman interviewed lived through it and tell their stories in a straightforward manner, and this documentary clearly belongs to them, not the director or the producer. If you remember the time, you will like this movie. If you are too young to remember it, you will learn.

For a trailer, click here.

Little Big Soldier

Little Big Soldier

Mandarin, English Subtitles

2010, 96 minutes

5 Stars

Jackie Chan and Leehom Wang star in this movie. Chan also wrote and produced it, while Ding Sheng directed it. If any of you wonder if Jackie Chan can really act – he can! He plays a simple farmer conscripted into the army of Liang who manages to survive a horrendous battle and finds and captures the only other survivor, the young general of Wei, his enemy. Jackie is determined to return his captive to Liang, alive, for the reward of five acres of land, and some cash. A well done comedy, well acted, and well, just great fun to see Chan, the simple farmer, with his educated and somewhat condescending captive, as they struggle to stay alive; one to maintain the status quo, the other to escape and change it. Set against the background of the Warring States period.

For a trailer, click here.

Another Directed by Yoji Yamada!

The Hidden Blade

Japanese, English subtitles

2004, 132 Minutes

5 Stars

One of Rainy Day's all time favorite Japanese movies is The Twilight Samurai. The Hidden Blade ranks right next to it; both were directed by Yoji Yamada. This movie begins quietly, and builds as a low caste samurai must come face to face with his honor, his caste, and the woman he truly loves. Loyalty, honor, and virtue carry the day as the tension builds, and the battle must be won. The Way of the Sword shown at it's best, and most humane. This movie will appeal to both men and women. Though not one continuous sword fight, the ones there are fabulous. Dare Rainy Day say it? This is a thinking person's samurai movie;-)

 
Click here for a trailer.
Have you seen this one? What do you think? (Rainy Day has seen it twice and is considering buying it.)