Stripped

Stripped (Dave Kellett and Frederick Schroeder, 2014)

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Rating: DOCQ=7, DOCP=6 / Honors

Scale K=4, Scale L=3, Scale M=3, Scale N=3

Documentary, Comics, Cartoons, Social Commentary, Technology

I've have fond memories of reading the Sunday comics with my parents, laughing at the drawings and silly jokes. My favorites were For Better For Worse, Calvin and Hobbes, Foxtrot, and later Cul de Sac. This is a great documentary that shows the behind the scenes life of cartoonists, the pros and cons of the digital age, and offers thoughts about the future of comics.

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Still Alice

Still Alice (Richard Glatzer & Wash Westmoreland, 2014)

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Rating: Q=5, P=5 / Average OJ

Scale 1=2, Scale 2=3, Scale 3=3, Scale 4=2

Alzheimer's, Grief/Coping, Complex Relationships, Philosophical, Drama

My friend recommended that I read the book this film is based on. I really enjoyed the read and found it interesting how the author put herself into the mind of woman slowly losing her intellect and memories. I was skeptical how this would work in a film, but the directors did a fairly good job. It has a very different tone, though, because the audience does not feel what Alice is going through, like in the book. Instead, they relate more to the children and husband of Alice, watching her rapidly change right in front of their eyes. But it still has a powerful message of awareness and tolerance. Julianne Moore gives an inspiring performance.

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Resistance

Resistance (Michael Graziano, 2015)

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Rating: DOCQ=7, DOCP=7 / Genius

Scale K=3, Scale L=4, Scale M=4, Scale N=3

Documentary, Health, Disease, Antibiotics

Do you eat food? Do you breathe air? Do you buy things from the store? Do you live somewhere? Watch this film.

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Oliver Twist

Oliver Twist (Roman Polanski, 2005)

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Rating: Q=7, P=6 / Can't Get Enough

Scale 1=4, Scale 2=3, Scale 3=3, Scale 4=3

Drama, 19th Century, London, Crime, Adaptation, Orphan

I've seen many versions of Dickens' classic tale and I thoroughly enjoyed this one. The art direction is superb, casting spot on--Ben Kingsley as Fagin? Brilliant!--and Rachel Portman's score is beautiful and fitting. No film version of any Dickens tale has ever truly the intricacies of his characters and plots, in my opinion, but this one comes close.

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All Quiet On The Western Front

All Quiet on the Western Front (Lewis Milestone, 1930)

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Rating: Q=6, P=5 / Average OJ

Scale 1=3, Scale 2=3, Scale 3=3, Scale 4=2

War, Philosophical, Drama

The psychological trauma that faces all people who go to war is real, often total, and unchanging for most of our many centuries of civilization. This film is one of the most important ever made and quite possibly the best anti-war film produced. It is brilliant because it shows instead of telling, it shows that no matter which side of the war (this film follows the Germans) the soldiers are on, they usually have no idea why they are fighting. And they are usually young, keen to experience everything life can offer. This energy is quickly extinguished--long before they are killed by bombs or guns. My takeaway: As long as we have leaders who are hungry for power and--and this is key--people who can be persuaded to fight for them, war will remain.

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