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‘Eye in the Sky’ probes the responsibility of morality

“Eye in the Sky” (2015 production, 2016 release). Cast: Helen Mirren, Alan Rickman, Aaron Paul, Barkhad Abdi, Phoebe Fox, Iain Glen, Aisha Takow, Armann Haggio, Faisa Hassan, Babou Ceesay, Francis Chouler, Richard McCabe, Monica Dolan, Jeremy Northam, Michael O’Keefe, Laila Robins, Gavin Hood, Lemogong Tsipa, Vusi Kunene, Emmy Weyime, Lex King, Ahmed Mohamed Ali, Mondé Sibisi, Ali Mohamed, Abdilatief Takow. Director: Gavin Hood. Screenplay: Guy Hibbert. Web site. Trailer. Balancing the needs for security and morality often means walking a razor’s edge. In an age where the threat of terrorism looms in the shadows, this is an especially important concern. But who is going to take the responsibility for making such difficult decisions? Such is the debate that frames the story line in the suspenseful new military thriller, “Eye in the Sky.” When British military commander Col. Katherine Powell (Helen Mirren) is tasked with gathering credible intelligence concerning the whereabouts of a suspected terrorist in advance of a pending raid on a Kenyan radical safe house, the intent is to create conditions enabling the insurgent’s capture. The person in question, Susan Danford (Lex King), a radicalized British citizen, is believed to have recently arrived in Nairobi to collaborate with Somali ...
‘Marguerite’ wrestles with passion, truth and denial

‘Marguerite’ wrestles with passion, truth and denial

“Marguerite” (2015 production, 2016 release). Cast: Catherine Frot, André Marcon, Michel Fau, Christa Théret, Denis Mponga, Sylvain Dieuaide, Aubert Fenoy, Sophia Leboutte, Théo Cholbi, Astrid Whettnall, Vincent Schmitt, Boris Hybner. Director: Xavier Giannoli. Screenplay: Xavier Giannoli and Marcia Romano. Web site. Trailer. It would be great if we could all realize our most cherished dreams, wouldn’t it? In many ways that’s entirely possible. But, in others, it can be a pipe dream, a frustrating exercise in wishful thinking – unless, of course, we figure out how to miraculously beat the odds. Those determined souls don’t know the meaning of failure or unrealistic expectations, as seen in the quirky new French comedy, “Marguerite.” Marguerite Dumont (Catherine Frot) adores the opera and longs to serenade audiences with her singular vocal renditions. There’s just one catch – she can’t hit a right note to save her life. But that doesn’t deter the wealthy baroness, especially since she’s convinced she’s a virtuoso just waiting to be discovered, one performance away from gracing world stages with what she sees as her stellar intonations. That notion gets fueled by the polite applause of others, most notably the members of her aristocratic music club, which she freely ...
‘Midnight Special’ explores finding ourselves

‘Midnight Special’ explores finding ourselves

“Midnight Special” (2016). Cast: Michael Shannon, Joel Edgerton, Kirsten Dunst, Jaeden Lieberher, Adam Driver, Sam Shepard, Bill Camp, Scott Haze, Paul Sparks, David Jensen. Director: Jeff Nichols. Screenplay: Jeff Nichols. Web site. Trailer. We all possess our own special talents and abilities, and managing them is generally feasible with the right guidance. But what would happen if we were to start exhibiting capabilities that are literally alien to this world? That can be especially complicated when the individual in question is a child, one who has his own challenges with learning how to fit into a world he barely knows – let alone one in which he is decidedly different from everyone else around him. Such is the scenario that plays out in the enigmatic new sci-fi adventure, “Midnight Special.” Who exactly is Alton Meyer (Jaeden Lieberher)? The sometimes-gifted, sometimes-troubled young boy is seen by some as a savior (especially by his adoptive father (Sam Shepard), a cult leader who considers the child an avatar), while others (particularly those in the government, such as NSA analyst Paul Sevier (Adam Driver)) view him as an unknown enigmatic force, possibly even a weaponized human. But to Roy Tomlin (Michael Shannon), the boy’s ...
‘Everything Is Copy’ honors an artistic visionary

‘Everything Is Copy’ honors an artistic visionary

“Everything Is Copy” (2016). Cast: Interviews: Jacob Bernstein, Tom Hanks, Meg Ryan, Meryl Streep, Mike Nichols, Steven Spielberg, Barbara Walters, Liz Smith, Gay Talese, Barry Diller, Rob Reiner, Rosie O’Donnell, Bob Balaban, Carl Bernstein, Delia Ephron, Amy Ephron, Hallie Ephron, Reese Witherspoon, Rita Wilson, Lena Dunham, Gaby Hoffman, David Geffen, Marie Brenner. Archive Footage: Nora Ephron. Directors: Jacob Bernstein and Nick Hooker. Web site. Trailer. Moviegoers are truly blessed when they’re able to screen the films of an incredible talent. They’re especially fortunate when that talent is prolific, producing many worthwhile creations in many different milieus. It’s regrettable, though, when the creator of those works doesn’t always receive the recognition that’s genuinely deserved. So it was to some degree with writer-director-playwright Nora Ephron (1941-2012), who produced an impressive repertoire over the course of her career. Thankfully, Ephron finally receives the kudos she so rightfully earned, as depicted in the new made-for-cable TV documentary, “Everything Is Copy.” As the eldest daughter of Hollywood screenwriters, Ephron grew up in the shadow of the movie business, though she did not immediately follow her parents’ path. She initially worked as a reporter and columnist at The New York Post and then as an essayist ...
This Week in Movies with Meaning

This Week in Movies with Meaning

Reviews of “Marguerite,” “Midnight Special” and “99 Homes” are all available in the latest Movies with Meaning post on the Blog Page of The Good Radio Network, available by clicking here. Photo courtesy of Cohen Media Group. Photo by Hooman Bahrani, courtesy of Broad Green Pictures ...
‘Hello, My Name is Doris’ celebrates starting over

‘Hello, My Name is Doris’ celebrates starting over

“Hello, My Name is Doris” (2016). Cast: Sally Field, Max Greenfield, Tyne Daly, Peter Gallagher, Beth Behrs, Stephen Root, Wendi McLendon-Covey, Elizabeth Reaser, Isabella Acres, Caroline Aaron, Natasha Lyonne, Kumail Nanjiani, Rebecca Wisecky, Rich Sommer, Don Stark, Kyle Mooney. Director: Michael Showalter. Screenplay: Laura Terruso and Michael Showalter. Short Film Source Material: Laura Terruso, “Doris & the Intern.” Web site. Trailer. For those who feel life has passed them by, the onset of one’s golden years can be demoralizing. It’s easy to embrace regrets, feeling as though there’s no hope for the future. But need it be so? Can we realistically start over late in the game? Those are some of the questions put to an aging eccentric spinster in the quirky new independent comedy-drama, “Hello, My Name is Doris.” Doris Miller (Sally Field), a sixty-something accounting clerk who recently lost the mother she lived with all of her life, leads a rather lonely existence. She spends most of her free time with friends Roz (Tyne Daly) and Val (Caroline Aaron) or secludes herself in the home that, over time, has become a hoarder’s paradise. That starts to change, however, when she has a somewhat flirtatious crowded elevator encounter with ...
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