Alison She was raped, beaten, stabbed, disemboweled and nearly decapitated. This girl literally had to grab her head and hold it up so she could see where she was walking and yet this is not a story of hopelessness and horror. Alison recounts her story and her choice to survive in an almost fairytale fashion, making her story inspiring and unique. The interviews with the doctor, policeman, friends and others crystallize what Alison herself never stop to contemplate; how magnificently miraculous, understated and intelligent she is! To read more about Alison among other things, click on the link below.
The Forgiven South African Desmond Tutu, Bishop of Johannesburg was appointed by President Mandela himself in 1994 to chair the Truth and Reconciliation Commission which investigated past human rights violations committed by pro and anti-apartheid groups. This movie explores the fictitious relationship between Tutu and Piet Blomfeld, an ex South African Defence Force Officer, who applies for clemency from Prison. The conversations are heartfelt and riveting. Forest Whitaker's performance is a tour de force who breathes depth and life into Tutu. Eric Bana chills you to the bone as Blomfeld and yet manages to bring some understanding of his nature to the forefront. The trial at the end left me bereft and uplifted. You must experience this flick for yourself. It's a cleansing of the soul.
Annihilation The shimmer is like the roach motel. People are checking in and nobody's checking out. As we West Indians are known to say, "what a gwan?" Annihilation plot peeks the interest and the visuals are vibrantly striking. We are introduced to another variation of demise by an alien form. The perspective of those involved and how that transitions their being is the most interesting thing about this flick. Some "horror" scenes were unnecessarily included distracting the audience from comprehending the mystery of what was really happening and why. All in all it's worth a watch, but maybe just once.
Lady Bird It's genuine and hysterical. Ah the McPherson's! Mom, dad and Lady Bird. Wait, what? A teen who wants nothing more than to be able to get out of her small town of Sacramento, away from her overbearingly critical mother and everything that seems familiar and boring. Nothing terribly original there but the story is weaved in such a relatable way that we can't help but be charmed by the nostalgia of it.
Conflict Are you really even asking? It's a film noir starring Boggie, who at the time of filming was actually going through a nasty divorce with his first wife because he was head over heels in love with Bacall. Now that's the backstory. Conflict is about a man who wants to murder his wife because he's really in love with his sister-in-law. One can only imagine the real life media firestorm circling this little number! Run, don't walk.
