Spotlight

Spotlight (Tom McCarthy, 2015)

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

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

Drama, Journalism, Media, Scandal

In a world that seems to no longer value facts, truth, and objective reporting, Spotlight is an incredibly refreshing film. I thought it would be too heavy, given the subject matter of child molestation and religious scandal. But seeing the active, investigative journalists doing there thing--not sleeping, powering through long days of interviewing, needling their way into courts, scouring over records--is powerful and energizing. And they do it not to win awards or be recognized. There are no selfish, egocentric people on the screen. All the journalists are motivated by their principles and belief that the people should know the truth and the system should change. Simple as that. A very worthy Oscar Best Picture winner.

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Room

Room (Lenny Abrahamson, 2015)

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

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

Drama, Based on True Events, Complex Relationships, Parenting, Kidnapping

Love is stronger than fear. And the bond of love can save us, even from the most horrific and traumatic experiences. Because love creates trust. And it can be a trust so powerful we will risk our lives or run straight into the terrifying unknown without looking back.

This film is intensely powerful. It is a reminder that children are amazingly strong. And with love and encouragement they can be heroic. Room is about the vital need for hope in a dark world. It is about the importance of perspective. The world beyond the door can be non-existent or it can be vast. Sometimes it can be scary, sometimes magical. One room can be suffocating and isolating, but it can also be a home.

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Mad Max: Fury Road

Mad Max: Fury Road (George Miller, 2015)

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Rating: Q=6, P=4 / Average OJ

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

Fantasy, Post-Apocalyptic, Survival, Neo-Western

This film is all about action, movement, and more action. It's so fast-paced it's hard to focus on anything else. It's fun to watch, even with moments that are seriously creepy or horrific. The overarching theme of environmental degradation and the underlying message of "We must prevent this from actually happening" is great and important, but the logic in the world of the story is often missing. For example, the lack of water is so severe--how are any of the people capable of exerting such energy? Surely not by adrenaline alone... I was reminded many times of Larry Niven's machine people in the Ringworld series. I wonder what will come next.

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Grey Gardens

Grey Gardens (Ellen Hovde, Albert Maysles, David Maysles, Muffie Meyer, 1975)

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Rating: DOCQ=5, DOCP=1 / It's All Scribbly To Me

Scale K=2, Scale L=3, Scale M=1, Scale N=0

Documentary, Comedy, Biopic, Nostalgia

I had a hard time focusing during this classic documentary. Edith and Eddie, Jackie Kennedy's eccentric relatives, are strange, funny, and their relationship is touching and bittersweet. But this type of film is just not my style. The meandering conversations and free-form of it all can be tedious at times.

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