Year: 2017

Reviews of “The Journey,” “Jim: The James Foley Story” and “The Lobster,” all in the latest Movies with Meaning post on the web site of The Good Radio Network, available by clicking here ...

Reviews of “The Big Sick,” “Letters from Baghdad” and “Embrace of the Serpent,” as well as a radio show preview, are all in the latest Movies with Meaning post on the web site of The Good Radio Network, available by clicking here ...

“Maudie” (2016 production, 2017 release). Cast: Sally Hawkins, Ethan Hawke, Gabrielle Rose, Zachary Bennett, Kari Matchett, Billy MacLellan. Director: Aisling Walsh. Screenplay: Sherry White. Web site. Trailer. When life seemingly sidelines us due to various limitations – be they personal, physical, economic or otherwise – we may easily become discouraged, reconciling ourselves to our circumstances. But need we be saddled with such hindering conditions? Can we lead a meaningful existence in spite of those obstacles? Might we be able to successfully draw upon impulses that lead us to believe to the contrary? Such is the experience of a challenged young woman who manages to build a creative and fulfilling life for herself in the thoughtful new biopic, “Maudie.” Canadian folk artist Maud Lewis (nee Dowley) (Sally Hawkins) (1903-1970) faced a number of challenges in her life. As a child, for instance, she was severely afflicted by juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, a condition that left her body contorted and prevented her from engaging in many everyday activities, a condition that carried on into adulthood. Given her physical state and a perceived inability to care for herself, Maud was faced with having to move in with her Aunt Ida (Gabrielle Rose) after the ...

“Beatriz at Dinner” (2017). Cast: Salma Hayek, John Lithgow, Connie Britton, David Warshofsky, Amy Landecker, Jay Duplass, Chloë Sevigny, John Early, Enrique Castillo. Director: Miguel Arteta. Screenplay: Mike White. Web site. Trailer. Some say that, fundamentally, we’re all connected, even if we don’t realize it. In an age and in a society in which seemingly inherent division and separation are taken for the norm, we may not be aware of our interrelatedness, perhaps even denying it when others attempt to point it out to us. But, if we’re ever to resolve this misguided sense of disconnectedness, we need to be reminded – perhaps even cajoled – about our innate linkage. Examples of such reminders surface in highly pointed ways in the new, dark, sociopolitical satire, “Beatriz at Dinner.” Healer and massage therapist Beatriz (Salma Hayek) gives her all to her patients. She freely offers up her ample compassion to others, spontaneously hugging everyone she meets, be they clients, strangers or the pets she so lovingly adores. But, when it comes to the fulfillment of her own needs, she’s totally without demands or expectations, willingly deferring to whatever others have to give and gratefully expressing her thanks for their offerings. Beatriz ...

Reviews of “Beatriz at Dinner,” “Maudie” and “The Family Fang” are all in the latest Movies with Meaning post on the web site of The Good Radio Network, available by clicking here ...

“Tanna” (2015 production, 2016 release). Cast: Mungau Dain, Marie Wawa, Marceline Rofit, Charlie Kahla, Albi Nagia, Lingai Kowia, Dadwa Mungau, Linette Yowayin, Kapan Cook, Mungau Yokay, Mikum Tainakou. Directors: Martin Butler and Bentley Dean. Screenplay: Martin Butler, John Collee and Bentley Dean. Web site. Trailer. Who we love is something we should be able to decide for ourselves, but it hasn’t always been that way, especially in many of the world’s traditions-based cultures. With arranged marriages the norm – relationships frequently driven by considerations having nothing to do with love – those who choose to step outside that custom engage in what’s looked upon as radical or even taboo. But, given the power of love, sometimes even tradition can’t withstand such pressure. What it means to take such a drastic step – and the consequences that come from it – provide the focus of the fact-based, Oscar-nominated romance, “Tanna,” now available on DVD, Blu-ray disk and video on demand. On the Melanesian island of Tanna in the remote Pacific nation of Vanuatu, time seems to have stood still. The ancient tribal nature of the local culture continues to thrive to this day, one of the few places in the world ...