Category: Movies

FIRST:  TODAY is ELECTION DAY!  If you have not already done so, PLEASE VOTE!

As you vote, please remember these words:

“Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that.  Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.”  Martin Luther King, Jr.

Can You Ever Forgive Me

There is so much “background” to this story about a celebrity biographer, Lee Isreal, that never makes it to the screen we are not sure where to begin.  So we will skip the real story and focus on the film we actually viewed.

Melissa McCarthy delivers a stunning portrayal of a down and out biographer struggling to find work in New York when she slips into a pattern of embellishing letters and soon creating her own letters she then sells as original documents.

It is also a heartbreaking story of loneliness and despair.  There are also lots of surprises for the viewers.  There are solid performances by Christian Navarro, Dolly Wells, Ben Falcone, Jane Curtain and Tim Cummings.  The pivotal character Jack is given life by Richard E. Grant.

The film is rated R for language including some sexual references and brief drug use.  It is listed as a Comedy, Drama.  We say light on Comedy and heavy on Drama.  The run time is 107 minutes.

Rating  

Tea With the Dames

What can you say about four British icons gathered at the estate of Joan Plowright (and her late husband Lawrence Olivier).  Life long friends and peers Eileen Atkins, Judi Dench, Joan Plowright and Maggie Smith spend an afternoon reflecting on lifetimes of performances and friendships.  Collectively these close friends add up to 342 years old!

No surprise the banter and reflections are warm, spontaneous recollections of four stunning careers spanning decades.  They are pretty candid, often transparent about what was good, bad, their tears and fears, including love lives.

The list of archival footage is a virtual who’s who of stage, film and television.  Audience response has been exceptional with approval ratings ranging from 60 to 100%.

The film is not rated.  It is listed as a Comedy/Documentary with a run time of 1 hour, 34 minutes.

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Colette

While this was an interesting story of the author Sidonie-Gabrielle Colette who wrote a provocative novel under her husbands name and later struggled for years to regain ownership of her work, it is also a reminder of the legal and social limitations imposed on women of the late 19th and early 20th century.

The acting is quite good featuring Keira Knightley as the wife and author, Dominic West as the wheeling, dealing husband, Fiona Shaw as the mother along with dozens more in lesser roles.

While the acting and production are highly entertaining, there is an undertone that is pervasive and annoying.  We did come away from the viewing with a warm fuzzy feeling.

It’s rated R for some sexuality and nudity.  There is a fair amount of conflict and discontent.  Nonetheless it is a good period piece about a tumultuous time in history.

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Good day to all!  WE ARE BACK!  We felt like we dropped off the movie planet entirely and now are scrambling to catch up on so many that are quickly dropping out of the theaters.  Life can be so complicated for globe trekkers you know…

Nonetheless, we managed to squeeze in a few films this weekend.  Enjoy!!  J&J

A Star is Born

This is the fourth remake of A Star is Born.  The original from 1937 starred Janet Gaynor and Fredric March.  It was groundbreaking for its time.  Next came Judy Garland and James Mason in 1954.  And most recently Barbra Streisand and Chris Kristofferson in 1976.  All were excellent.

The current version closely follows the original story line.  That said, everything else feels fresh, honest, plausible resulting in a contemporary update that was exciting and heartbreaking at the same time.

Bradley Cooper is the seasoned rock star struggling with alcohol, drugs and interpersonal family issues.  Lady Gaga headlines as the up and coming superstar.

The rest of the cast is a who’s who of the entertainment industry.  Sam Elliott, Andrew Dice Clay, Rafi Gavon, Anthony Ramos, Dave Chappelle and Alec Baldwin all deliver great performances.

That said, the chemistry between Lady Gaga and Mr. Cooper is amazing. The story is not always easy to watch.  There is a fair amount of conflict and heartbreak.

This film is rated R for language, sexuality, nudity and substance abuse.  We are on the fence regarding viewers.  The film is not suitable for young children.  The film is listed as a drama with a run time of 135 minutes.

There is little doubt in our minds this film is headed for a great awards season.  See it on a premium screen with a good sound system if you haven’t seen it already.

Rating  

Boy Erased

This is a true story about a 19 year old man in Arkansas whose parents plan to banish him from their lives unless he agrees to a ‘conversion therapy program’ designed to “fix” young gay/lesbian/transgender men and women into “normal” people.

It’s not a perfect film on the topic but it is absolutely relevant given that 39 states continue to allow such practices and estimates of 700,000 young men and women have been subjected to such programs.

Lucas Hedges delivers an outstanding lead performance as the 19 year old Jared.  Nicole Kidman and Russell Crowe are also excellent as the religious parents.  Other stand out performances include Joel Edgerton (the Writer, Director and star), Cherry Jones and Flea (yes, the Bass Player for the Red Hot Chili Peppers) as the “policy enforcer”.)

The film is rated R for sexual content including an assault, some language, and brief drug use.  It is arguably suitable for youngsters 14 and above.  The run time is 111 minutes.

Rating 

Bohemian Rhapsody

It’s finally in the theaters as of yesterday, the much touted release of the Freddie Mercury biopic titled as the rock group’s trademark recording Bohemian Rhapsody. 

We will be the first to say the story line drifts way off the factual history course right from the get go.  The production was plagued by casting issues that stretched over three years.  Fortunately Rami Malek was hired for the Freddie Mercury role.  His performance is exceptional and inspired.  Soon after the production changes sprouted new energy and a clearer focus.  These changes in place make the story flow smoother and script feel more natural.

There is a fair amount of time spent on Freddie’s sex life, straight, gay, bisexual…  This didn’t really add to the story but in fairness it didn’t detract either.  While we learn a lot about the leading character in this film, it is obvious there is still a whole lot more to the story.

This film is rated PG-13 for thematic elements, suggestive material, drug content  and language.  The run time is 134 minutes.  The music and the characters are extraordinary.  We see Oscar written all over this film!

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Greetings to all!

These two movies bring our year to date total to 175 films!  That’s a new year to date record for us!

Today is also the beginning of our big Fall trip to Europe.  In a few hours we will be on our way to the airport for our flight to Rome and six weeks in and around Italy.

As always, we’ll keep in touch with posts on our travels and discoveries.  Our theater time will be reduced to near none but we often manage to squeeze in a screening or two.  We will try to catch up when we get home at the end of October.  We send best wishes to all!!

J&J

Inventing Tomorrow

This is an interesting and inspiring documentary about high school teenage innovators who identify environmental threats in their own regions of the world and develop potential solutions.  They then present these ideas to scientists from around the world at the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair in Los Angeles.

While the topics are reminders of the environmental devastation our world faces, it is also an inspiration to see thousands of students working together, sharing their knowledge and passion for a healthier planet.

Director Laura Nix chose to focus closely on the teenagers, their commitment, enthusiasm, perspectives and energy on their projects.

This film is not rated.  This is a story children of all ages should see!  The run time is 87 minutes.  English, Spanish, Hindi, Indonesian with English subtitles.

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The Predator

This edition of the Predator is the 4th in a series. The first was in 1987, then 1990, and then again in 2010.  This one features “genetically upgraded” creatures from across the universe accidentally summoned by the son, played by Jacob Tremblay (from The Room).

The acting was just so so.  The script bounced around quite a bit.  A little slap stick, a little creature feature, a lot of military combat.  Lots of ‘shoot em up’, blow it up, and such.  Visually this is a very dark film.

The rating is R for strong bloody violence, language throughout and crude sexual references.  It is listed as an Action & Adventure, Horror, Science Fiction & Fantasy.  Clearly, it is not appropriate for children.  The run time was 1 hour, 58 minutes.

Rating  

A Simple Favor

Oh my!  This is a romp through suburbia we did not see coming.  It quickly becomes a dark mystery thriller set in a small Connecticut town where everyone knows each other.  It’s based on the 2017 novel by the same title authored by Darcy Bell.

It’s not perfect.  Some of the antics are a bit corny, borderline slapstick.  Other scenes reveal way more than we were expecting but overall its clever, intriguing and unique.

The acting makes it work.  Blake Lively is the sexy wife who befriends Anna Kendrick as the single Mom.  Henry Golding is Blake’s husband.  Youngsters Ian Ho and Joshua Satine play the children.  Another 60 plus actors play bit parts to round out the cast.

It’s rated R for sexual content, language and some graphic nude images, drug use and violence.  We do not think it is appropriate for children.  It’s listed as a Mystery & Suspense running 116 minutes.

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White Boy Rick

Once again, some true stories are better than fiction.   Fresh from the Toronto Film Festival, it’s set in Detroit in the 1980s when crack and drug wars were everyday events.  Rick Wershe Jr. was a street hustler, FBI Informant, and Drug Kingpin as a teenager.  We won’t say anymore because there is a stunning ending.

The cast is impressive.  Matthew McConaughey plays the dad.  Richie Merritt plays the son.  There are scores of other actors, most notably are bit parts by Jennifer Jason Leigh, Eddie Marsan, Bel Powley, Piper Laurie and Bruce Dern.

It’s not easy to watch.  There is conflict, violence, criminal activity, undercover operations, family conflict, and drug use.  It is rated R.  It is absolutely not appropriate for children.

It is listed as a drama/mystery.  The run time is 1 hour, 56 minutes (it felt longer!).

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Kusama: Infinity

This is a fascinating Documentary film about the Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama, now the top selling female artist in the world.  It covers her entire creative life from childhood to today.

She left Japan and settled in New York City in the 1960’s.  Her art challenged all conventional standards for decades and she ultimately became a world renowned artist.  She has spent the last 30 years living in a mental institution in Japan.

The film is not rated and parents should be cautioned there are clips of nudity, drug use and news clips from the 60’s and 70’s that may not be suitable for children.  The run time is 85 minutes.  English and Japanese with English subtitles.

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The Apparition

This is a fascinating peek at what might happen or has happened when an apparition occurs somewhere in the world, in this case a remote French village.  The Vatican recruits a respected French journalist to conduct a committee to determine the legitimacy of an apparition of the Virgin Mary.

It doesn’t take long before the many and varied interests present themselves.  There are believers and skeptics abound with both awe and angst.

The core cast is small.  Vincent Lindon is perfect as the journalist.   Galatea Bellugi delivers a powerful role as the novitiate nun.  Anatole Tauman did a good job as the opportunist.  Romanian actress Elina Lowensohn is excellent as the Doctor.

All that said, while interesting, the film falls short.  It simply does not deliver a conclusion one way or another.  That is frustrating when you have invested 2 hours, 24 minutes.  This film is listed as a Drama and is not rated.  French and Italian with English subtitles.

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Pick of the Litter

Here is a charming Sundance documentary film about five puppies who are selected and groomed from birth and trained on several levels to be guide dogs to the blind.  The story spans an intense two years of training and the many stages of evaluation for these pups.  Not all of them make the grade.

It is a delight to watch as these little critters grow, learn, fail, and overcome the challenges before being matched with blind persons.  Equally interesting is the process.  At eight weeks the pups are farmed out to “puppy raisers” for their initial training and onward to 16 months of training and development.

This documentary is not rated with a run time of 81 minutes.

Surprise note:  Our screening was followed by a Q & A with the Writer/Director Dana Nachman, and two of the people in the movie and two of the dogs.  We learned all the puppies were born in San Rafael, CA.  Raised and trained in the Bay Area.  It is clearly our “pick of the week”!  J&J

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The Nun

The film is set in 1952 Romania.  Humm…Romania…home of Transylvania, Dracula and a host of dark stuff dating back centuries!  The film itself is super creepy, disturbing, often frightening and consistently intense.  This story is a spin off of the 2016 Conjuring 2 and the fifth installment in the The Conjuring Universe.

The acting is pretty good.  The cast includes Taissa Farmiga as Sister Irene and Bonnie Aarons as Sister Victoria.  Demian Bichir plays the male lead as Father Burke.  Belgian actor Jonas Bloquet is excellent as the character Frenchie.  The next dozen actors fill in the rest of the cast.

The film has been rated R for terror, violence, and disturbing/bloody images.  It is absolutely NOT appropriate for children!  We do not recommend viewing it alone or late at night.  It’s listed genre is Horror running 96 minutes.

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Kin

This film is about a disconnected family coming together…with more than a few twists.  Overall, it toggles between good and not so good, believable and not so believable.  Much of the story is unique, different and imaginative.  Some of it is implausible and far fetched.

That said, the acting is pretty good.  Dennis Quaid plays the tough father.  Jack Reynor plays the ex-con son.  James Franco plays the bad guy really well.  Myles Truitt plays the young son.  Zoe Kravitz (Lenny Kravitz’s daughter) plays the exotic dancer.  Michael B. Jordan has a bit part from another world.

It is listed as Action & Adventure, Science Fiction & Fantasy.  It is surprisingly rated PG-13 given the gun violence and intense action, suggestive material, language, thematic elements and drinking.  It runs 102 minutes.

Footnote:  We think this movie is designed for a sequel.

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Note for this next movie: You will get a chuckle when telling you we thought we were going to see an Indian Bollywood film by the same name.  Imagine our surprise to see a Chinese Action/Drama instead!  Oye!

Big Brother

What an interesting yet perplexing story start about a Chinese High School set in Hong Kong, one of its teachers and the drama that unfolds soon after.  On one hand its cheesy if not corny.  On the other hand there are other messages that are encouraging and quite entertaining.  Ultimately, it turns into an action story with martial arts, lots of action, drama, and surprises.

The main characters number only a few.  The rest of the cast includes over two dozen actors ranging from children to the elderly.  The prolific martial arts expert Donnie Yen is the new teacher.  Taiwanese actress Jo Chen is one of the other teachers.  Kang Yu is one of the bad guys and does battle with Mr. Yen.

The film is not rated but there is significant prolonged violence, some extreme action and exaggerated scenes that make this film inappropriate for children.  It is listed as an Action & Adventure, Art House & International, Drama.  It has a run time of 101 minutes.  Mandarin with English subtitles.

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Peppermint

Every once in a while a film is released that turns out to be an unexpected surprise.  This one is from French Director Pierre Morel of the Taken franchise.  It is a dark story (literally).  It’s a story about justice, not revenge.  It’s about a wife and mother who loses her family to drug violence and ends up in jail because of the corrupt system.  It’s a pretty heavy plot to be sure.  It’s incredibly realistic and speaks to a wide range of social, political and emotional elements of society.

Jennifer Garner is perfect in her role.  Tyson Ritter plays her husband Sam with the adorable Cailey Fleming as their daughter.  Chris Johnson is the husband’s friend.  Juan Pablo Raba is the cartel ringleader.  John Gallagher is the really bad cop while Annie Ilonzeh is great as the FBI agent.  Another dozen actors round out the core cast.

We were a bit shocked to hear many disappointing reviews from the critics.  It is hard to tell what those critics are looking for these days.  The lead character experiences a horrific set of circumstances and loss where just about any horrific response would seem justified.

The film is rated R for strong violence and language.  This film is not appropriate for children.  It is listed as an Action & Adventure, Mystery & Suspense running 102 minutes.  We think this will become a classic and might even muster some Oscar chatter for Acting.

Rating 

Warm greetings to all!

Movie buffs may recall this holiday weekend was one of the biggest weekends of the year with Telluride, Venice and the Toronto Film Festivals launching their programs.  Two Documentary hopefuls include the yet to be released Pick of the Litter and Active Measures.  Critics also noticed The Little Stranger.  We were fortunate to catch a showing this weekend.  Our review is below.

Enjoy!!

J&J

Searching

This film is focused on a missing 16 year old San Jose girl.  After 37 hours with no leads, her father decides to investigate via his daughter’s lap top.  This approach yields an ever expanding number of communicating options on the daughters smart phone and laptop all with little or no tangible results.  Soon a detective is assigned to the case but the progress is slow and frustrating.

The leading actors are John Cho as the father and Debra Messing as the detective.  Both give solid believable performances.  Michele La plays the daughter Margo, while the center of the story, her screen time is quite short.

The suspense factor gradually becomes more intense as the story unfolds.  Overall, the tone builds and tension grows and grows.  The surprise ending is executed nicely.  It’s clever and inventive.  Overall, it’s a unique movie.

It is rated PG-13 for thematic content, drug use and sexual references, and for language.  The numerous and continual computer screen shots became tedious after a while.  It’s listed as a Mystery & Suspense with a run time of 101 minutes.

Rating  

The Little Stranger

Opening in Telluride Labor Day weekend, this film yielded poor box office receipts elsewhere.  Our theater had less than 10 ticket holders.  That was a bit of a surprise given the Director, Lenny Abrahamson, of Room.  It is an odd story of class and privilege set in 1948.  There is a creepy undercurrent to the plot that ebbs and flows.  It is subtle and unsettling.

The cast is quite good.  Domhnall Gleeson is excellent as the Doctor.  Will Poulter plays the son.  Ruth Wilson, Josh Dylan and Charlotte Rampling, who plays the mother, rounds out the key characters.

Unexpectedly the house and its occupants incrementally get weird.  Is the place haunted?  Are the characters all nuts?  We never really know!  One critic said it best  “an elegant, cold-to-the-touch blend of drama and gothic horror.”  We say it was slow, confusing and unsatisfying.

It’s rated R for some disturbing bloody images.  It’s listed as a Drama, Horror, Mystery & Suspense.  It runs a long 1 hour 51 minutes.

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Gabriel and the Mountain

One part travel story, one part documentary, and one part fiction.  The total is apparently ‘all of the above’.

Brazilian student Gabriel Buchmann decides to spend a year traveling around the world before continuing his education at a prestigious American University.  After 10 months he finds himself in Kenya.

He is intelligent, educated, resourceful, adventurous and likable.  He is also naive, impulsive, persistent and stubborn.

His girlfriend joins him for some of the remaining weeks before she returns to Brazil to finish her education as Gabriel decided to climb his last conquest, Mount Malawi in Malawi.

Travel film, check.  Adventure film, check.  Love story, check.  Happy ending?  You’ll have to discover for yourself.

This film is not rated.  It is listed as an Art House & International, Drama.  The run time is 127 minutes.  English, French, Portuguese with English subtitles.

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Operation Finale

This film is about the pursuit and capture of Adolf Eichmann, the Nazi officer that masterminded the logistics and the killing of 6 million innocent Jews during World War II.  In researching the background on this film, we discovered numerous details that were not quite accurate.  None of the disconnects really alter the content of the film much but is valued information for those seeking only the facts and the truth.

The cast includes 20 key characters.  Ben Kingsley plays Adolf Eichmann.  Oscar Issac plays the kidnapper.  English Actor Joe Alwyn plays Eichmann’s son.  Peter Malkin plays an Israeli Agent who spent 27 years with Israeli Intelligence tracking down Nazi criminals.

The movie is intense, with a quick pace and constant tension.  It feels real.  It is sometimes difficult to watch.  Much to our surprise it is rated PG-13 for disturbing thematic content and related violent images and some language.  We do not recommend this film for children under 14.  It is listed as a Drama/Thriller running 2 hours, 3 minutes.

Rating 

Alpha

This film is enjoyable, quite unique and ultimately satisfying.  It’s set 20,000 years ago, apparently in Europe, although it would be hard to confirm or deny from the available information.

The beginning of the film is a bit awkward, early man and its primitive culture immediately prompts imagining early Native Americans and early buffalo hunts.  That said, we decided not to share more of those opening scenes because they are pivotal to the rest of the story.

The small international cast is impressive.  The 22 year old Australian actor Kodi Smit-McPhee is excellent as the tribe leader’s son.  Chilean actress Leonor Varela plays the Shaman Mom.  Swedish actor Jens Hulten play a tribal leader Xi.  Less than a dozen actors fill in the gaps.

Overall, the cinematography is front and center.  The focus on man and wolf is second next in line.  Survival is pivotal but third in line.  And there is a surprise ending that warms up the whole experience.  To be fair, this film will not be a threat to National Geographic but it is good film making and deserves an audience.

It is rated PG-13 for intensity but we think its fine for children.  It’s genre is noted as Action & Adventure, Drama, Mystery & Suspense running 97 minutes.

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The Bookshop

This is an interesting film if for no other reason than the tumultuous array of feedback on the internet.  It’s not a blockbuster or a major cinematic release, yet the posts on the web seem to create a major controversy.

In our opinion, it is a charming film loosely based on the 1978 novel by Penelope Fitzgerald.  The story is set in 1959 in an English coastal village in East Anglica.  It is about a war widow who decides to open a bookstore only to discover the forces of old money wealth and influence are in play to replace the bookstore with an art center.

The main reason to see this film is the cast.  Emily Mortimer plays the widow.  Patricia Clarkson plays a wealthy operative.  Bill Nighy is brilliant as the neighbor.  A half a dozen other actors fill out the remaining characters.

It is rated PG for some thematic elements, language and brief smoking.  It is listed as a drama and runs 113 minutes.  It is worth a watch if it fits your interest.

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Papillon

So much to share about this movie!  Many of us will recall the instant classic film from 1973 by the same name staring Steve McQueen and Dustin Hoffman.  More important, Papillon is based on the real story of the French convict Henri Charriere who was imprisoned in 1933 in French Guiana (then Northeast South America) and later escaped in 1941.

The cast is exceptional.  Charlie Hunnam plays Papillon.  Rami Malek is equally good as the counterfeiter and fellow prisoner.  Danish actor Roland Moller plays the prisoner Celier.  Scottish actor Tommy Flanagan plays the cruel Masked Breton.  Dutch actor Yorick van Wageningen is the ruthless warden.

The film was shot in several locations around Europe including Montenegro, Malta, and significantly in Belgrade Serbia.  The story is gritty, violent, intense and sometimes difficult to watch.  It is rated R for violence including bloody images, language, nudity and some sexual material.  It absolutely is not appropriate for viewing by anyone under 18.  It is listed as a drama with a run time of 136 minutes.  DO NOT miss this film.

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We the Animals

This is an unusual yet poignant film about a young family with volatile parents and three children who adore their Mom and Dad who are barely adults themselves.  The youngest struggles to keep up with his brothers and often isolates himself in a self made world of his own.

The acting is surprisingly good.  The father is played by American actor and playwright Raul Castillo.  The mom is played by the American actress known for here role in Argo, Sheila Vand.  The boys are played by Evan Rosado as Jonah, Isaiah Kristian as Manny and Josiah Gabriel as Joel.  Their performances are  well beyond their years thanks to the skills of Writer/Director Jeremiah Zagar.

It is rated R for strong sexual content, nudity, language and some underage drug and alcohol abuse.  It is often difficult to watch, heartbreaking at times.  Children should not see this film!  For that matter, adults with challenging upbringings may find this movie uncomfortable.  All that said, it is uniquely executed and deserves an audience.

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Support The Girls

It is a pretty straight forward plot.  Double Whammies is a Sports Bar with minimally dressed waitresses.  It is managed by a tough and tender woman who is kind, encouraging, positive, realistic and optimistic.  On the flip side her personal life is a train wreck.

The cast has a handful of actors:  Regina Hall is the manager, the waitresses include Haley Lu Richardson, Shayna McHayle, Brooklyn Decker, Jana Kramer and Amanda Michalka.  There are a handful of male characters but no notable performances beyond “sports bar patrons”.

It is supposed to be heartwarming and charming, uplifting and positive.  We found it depressing and borderline annoying.  Comments like “rough around the edges” and “truthful but not cynical” are hardly compliments.

It is rated R for language including sexual references and brief nudity.  It’s listed as a comedy but we heard little to chuckle about.  Children should not see this film.  The run time is 90 minutes.  Pass on this one, there are plenty of worthwhile films out there worthy of your patronage.

Rating 

Breaking and Exiting

This is a bit odd as story lines go.  Man and sidekick rob houses for a living.  Sidekick bales and man goes to rob house alone.  Robber discovers a suicide in progress while robbing home.  Robber saves victim and romance/comedy plays out.  Geez, that happens every day…right?!

That said, the acting is not half bad.  Milo Gibson (yes, father Mel…) plays robber #1, Jordan Hinson plays the attempted suicide victim, Adam Huber plays robber #2, James Kyson plays the ex, Lily Ann Harrison is the new girlfriend.  Colin Ferguson plays the local policeman, and Spanish actor Joaquim de Almeida has a cameo part.

It probably won’t attract any major industry awards but it was interesting and clever, just unique enough to keep your attention, real enough to hold your interest, with a very good execution to make it satisfying.

It was a surprise to find the film Not Rated.  It is listed as a comedy. (Go figure?!) The run time is 78 minutes.

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The Wife

Let’s get serious.  Glenn Close delivers one of her most stunning performances ever!  Jonathan Pryce is the husband about to be awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature.  But there is a dark undercurrent that runs though this story that starts tepid, builds to a boil and ultimately bursts for all to see.

We will step out and predict Glenn Close will undoubtedly have a nomination for Best Actress for her portrayal as the wife.  In addition to Close and Pryce, the cast includes Christian Slater, Max Irons, Harry Lloyd, Elizabeth McGovern, Annie Maude Starke and a dozen more.

The story is great, the production world class, and it is an excellent example where the concept, script and acting converge to deliver a satisfying experience for the audience.

It is rated R for language and some sexual content.  It’s probably not appropriate for audiences under thirteen years old.  It’s listed as a drama with a run time of 100 minutes.

Rating 

Juliet, Naked

This film is based on the 2009 novel by Nick Hornby.  It is a quick paced romantic comedy about a couple living together for a decade in coastal England.  Annie works in a museum, her boyfriend Duncan is an Arts Professor and steadfast fan of a ’90s rocker, played be Ethan Hawke.

The couple have a unique relationship.  In fact, the story is about self realization and personal fulfillment run a muck and an attempt to right the wrongs in their lives.

The actors that make it believable include Rose Byrne as Annie, Ethan Hawke as Tucker, Chris O’Dowd as Duncan, Johanna Thea as Rosie and several more in small (extended family) roles.

This film is listed as a comedy/drama and rated R for language.  In our opinion it is suitable for mature teens, adult content not withstanding.  It is a complex story that is often humorous and heartbreaking at the same time.  It runs 98 minutes.

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