This week’s top two picks:
- I really liked the absorbing drama Ain’t Them Bodies Saints.
- In A Word… is the year’s best comedy so far – it’s a Hollywood satire, an insider’s glimpse into the voice-over industry, a family dramedy and a romantic comedy all in one.
I haven’t yet seen Short Term 12, the drama set in a group home with a reputedly star-making performance by Bree Larson (Rampart, The Spectacular Now). Same goes for The Family, Luc Besson’s tongue-in-cheek Mafioso-moves-to-France movie. You can read descriptions and view trailers of it and other upcoming films at Movies I’m Looking Forward To.
The powerfully authentic coming of age film The Spectacular Now and the emotionally powerful Fruitvale Station are both on my list of Best Movies of 2013 – So Far.
My other top recommendations:
- Woody Allen’s very funny Blue Jasmine centers on an Oscar-worthy performance by Cate Blanchett.
- The very well-acted civil rights epic Lee Daniels’ The Butler.
My other recommendations:
- Those who enjoy romantic comedies will like I Give It a Year, with its twist on the usual rom com.
- the British farce The World’s End, which has its moments.
- The rock documentary 20 Feet from Stardom, essential for music fans.
- the satisfying shocker The Conjuring.
Check out my new feature VOD Roundup, where you can find my comments on over twenty current movies available on Video on Demand. There are some good ones, some bad ones and some really, really good ones (including Letters from the Big Man).
My Stream of the Week is the documentary How to Make Money Selling Drugs, a dispassionate critique of the Drug War. How to Make Money Selling Drugs is available streaming from Amazon, iTunes and Vudu.
On September 17, Turner Classic Movies will air the very trippy Un Chien Andalou, made in 1929 by the then very young absurdist director Luis Buñuel with surrealist painter Salvador Dali. If you’ve never seen the famous eyeball-slicing scene, here’s your chance.