If you have never heard Sean Connery sing, then you have your first reason to see this film. If you want to work on your Irish accent and refine your understanding of leprechauns, pots of gold, banshees and other magical elements of lore from the Old Country, then you have two. [pullquote align=”right” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””]Sean Connery was only twenty nine years old and, believe it or not, he sings pretty well. [/pullquote] Darby O’Gill and the Little People (1959) is pure Disney, pure Irish, and a perfect delight–especially on March 17th.  Sean Connery was only twenty-nine years old and, believe it or not, he sings pretty well. As I am one quarter Irish–my grandmother a Murphy clan matron–all credit for whatever creativities

My reaction after the first 20 minutes of this film was that it had a lot in common with Room (see review MoviesMarketsandMore.com). The comparison fades soon enough, but this low-budget cousin of the original Cloverfield does well to keep to the suspense within the enclosure of a bunker and a very limited cast of three. Speaking of which, Mary Elizabeth Winstead as Michelle is superb and more or less carried the film for me; we can expect to see a lot more of her in the future. [pullquote align=”left” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””]The mystery is finally resolved, and every viewer will have to decide how satisfied they are. I was left with some questions, but you can rely on a sequel where it

The Lady in the Van is the archetypal British indie film. It focuses on a small group of eccentrics who live in an artsy and fashionable neighborhood of Camden Town. Their placid and refined existence is invaded by an unseemly new arrival. The “lady” in the van is at first a kind of bag lady who drives when she’s not parked at the curb, living in her van. She’s eccentric and evasive about her affairs–even when people go out of their way to do her kindnesses. A local playwright (Alex Jennings), feigns disaffection but is slowly drawn to assist her and wonder about her past. British Maggie Smith is captivating in her role as “Mary” and you feel as though she has to get a

As I contemplate the Oscar winners, I find myself confronting a modern irony. The nature of today’s politics is more like entertainment, and today’s entertainment has become political. Donald Trump is now the star of the largest reality TV show ever, and Hollywood (along with TV content) is being driven by race and gender issues of equal representation and compensation. Heaven forbid that the politics and entertainment are converging and we will soon be unable to distinguish between them. But the more likely truth may be that we are too easily bored today, and need to be entertained while we consume our politics, and are willing to digest some political cod-liver oil with our entertainment. And so back to the Academy Awards. . . Some

This film brought something fresh to the superhero genre. While there were already superpowered “antiheroes” galore in the Marvel canon, this one has a kind of A.D.D., thought-broadcasting style where he’s practically running a stand-up act during the fights. He’s witty, self-deprecating, ruthless, down-to-earth, and fearless at the same time; he has a heart, but if you have any connection to hurting the people he loves, you’re toast. [pullquote align=”left” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””]The film is entertaining and manages to parallel the personality of its main character: it’s quirky, unpredictable, and doesn’t take itself too seriously; but it manages to be true to itself and lovable–to a special audience.[/pullquote] The title comes from a very tough bar where mercenaries hang out. The deadpool is

After the film, my biggest regret was that—despite the selection of great seats—there was almost no one in the theater. And anyone who lived near me would have had to have driven 40 minutes to see it. Okay, it was a weekday evening, but my regret was that people weren’t watching this film because they were watching “Deadpool,” for example, instead. And I am among the guilty because I saw Deadpool first, though that film played much closer to home. [pullquote align=”left” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””]Would you let convicted murderers live in a prison with few constraints? How about letting people use drugs when and where they like?[/pullquote] Michael Moore presents ideas in a very effective way. Despite the often oversimplified and deliberately selective

Hail, Caesar, the new Coen Brothers film, is not so much a story to enjoy as it is an experience to savor. I marvel at how in each their films the setting, costumes, and characters (actors) are impeccable. Every scene is a sublime creation. I am trying to convey the idea that you could get more from this film if you simply relish the marvel and spectacle of each scene rather than wait for some larger impact. It is not unlike walking through a gallery of masterworks; you pause before each one, feeling awe before the highest levels of Art and craft. If someone asks you later what you thought, you are likely to describe the effects on you of specific artists (or periods or

Review: The Finest Hours This film is another based on a true story from the 1950s (Bridge of Spies, Brookyn). As I mentioned in an earlier post, settings in this era are very popular right now. In the Finest Hours, everyday people rise to the occasion and demonstrate the right stuff in the face of calamity and for the sake of others. I was pleasantly surprised by this film. Even though the two hours I spent watching it were not the “finest hours” I have spent in a theater, it was an enjoyable look into what is considered the most daring sea rescue in Coast Guard history. I like the way that two actors in particular showed some range. Chris Pine, who starred as a

Michael Caine can deliver as much to a role as anyone. He has as much screen presence as anyone. Time has seemed unable to change that. “Youth” as a film fits into a few categories that it will serve to describe. This is an “art” film–which broadly means that it is stylized enough such that not everything is explicit. You might have questions. Heaven forbid that this prompts conversation or discussion later (he said with a snicker directed toward today’s overstimulated virtual society). It is also, despite the plain English, a foreign film more than an American or UK film. It is set, mostly, in the Swiss Alps and the sensibilities are European (it was directed by Pablo Sorrentino, an Italian). This is not to

The movie “Room” is going to win its share of awards at the Oscars. If it were named Best Picture, I would not be surprised–nor would I disapprove. It has already won prizes at the Golden Globes and the Critics Choice Awards (to name only two). It’s exactly the kind of independent movie I love: it’s relatively simple, thought-provoking, inspiring, and balanced: at once sweet and somber. There’s a long-haired five-year-old boy, Jack, who has never seen the outside of a fortified garden shed. His only experience of the outside world is the sky through a skylight, and his mother’s explanations of the images on a cheap TV. They are captives. In an early scene, Jack begins his day by greeting the fixtures. “Good morning sink,