John Carter

John Carter is a science fiction adventure film based on the John Carter of Mars series of books written by Edgar Rice Burroughs.

My jaw dropped the first time I saw the upcoming previews  a year in advance.  My first "grown up" book that my father gave me was A Fighting Man of Mars which was the seventh book in the series.  I enjoyed the books and they remain special to me for the time and circumstances of my first reading.  I still remember the time and place where my father gave me the book and his comment that he had read them as a young man as well.

The movie was well done with a good mix of dialog and acting.  The sets were amazing and the special effects brought the characters to life.  The movie was faithful to the world and stories that Burroughs depicted.  I saw the movie with my daughter a week following watching the Hunger Games.  I thanked her for agreeing to see the movie with me as I really wanted to share the experience with someone.  She had never read the books, let alone seen them.  She said that she enjoyed the movie.

If you like action and adventure and don't mind a bit of science fiction thrown in then you should find this movie entertaining.

Beasts of the Southern Wild

Beasts of the Southern Wild is a very different movie.  I first heard of it on NPR.  In searching for the setting the interviewee stated that he went as far out in Louisiana as he possibly could until he came to the end of the road and the setting of the story.  A small, displaced community out of step in both time and setting.  The story is about a young girl searching for her mother and a father who is trying to do his best to raise his daughter in the only way he knows.  My friends have described it in different ways including "I loved it but won't watch it again" and "it is a brutal movie."  To me it had many qualities including the harshness of living in a very poor rural southern community to how that community really was a community; a collective of disparate souls trying to make the best of life.  It could be that in some ways I was not as sensitive to the darkness as I grew up at one time in the rural south in poverty though not as bad as depicted in the movie.

On NPR the interviewee described their surprise at how deep the girl was who would end up with the leading role.  They asked her what she would do if the world was to end tomorrow.  She responded that she would brush her teeth and clean her room.

The movie is stirring, deep, liberating, inspiring and magical while every once in a while dipping into a more dark side of growing up with pain, loss and separation.

Paperhouse

Paperhouse is a British movie filmed in 1988.  I first saw this movie when it came out and searched for it again over the years.  It is about a young girl who becomes ill.  In the process of healing she draws a house and begins to dream what she draws including a boy that shows up and the story progresses from there.  Dream and reality become blurred.

It is described as a dark fantasy but it is a deep movie that stays with you long after you watch it.  It is available through Amazon and Itunes.  The movie will not disappoint
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Luther

Luther is a British crime show staring Idris Elba as a detective with issues. The plots are edgy and at times push the limits.  The supporting cast is excellent as well, especially Ruth Wilson as Alice.  Luther consists of three seasons with the promise of movies to follow.

Of all the British police shows I have seen this ranks up at the top of the list along with Sherlock.  If you like good acting and edgy police shows then this one will not disappoint.

Gattaca

Gattaca is a movie from 1997 which is set in the not too distant future.  It involves a disadvantaged person who is trying to simply make a dream come true.  His disadvantage is he is not genetically engineered.  The movie is clearly about working hard to attain your goals in spite of all odds.  The acting is stellar with great performances by Ethan Hawke, Uma Thurman, Jude Law, Gore Vidal, Alan Arkin and Tony Shalhoub among others.

Gattaca ranks high on the list of my favorite movies.  The film relies on the quality of acting and story line. The sets are subdued but effective.  Both Ethan Hawke and Jude Law perform at their very best.  I watch this movie often and can't help but be moved by it.

Derek

Derek is a Netflix original series filmed in Great Britain.  It stars Ricky Gervais as an orderly in a small nursing home in England.  I was hesitant to watch the show at first but gave it a shot.  I saw the first episode and was so taken that I watched the whole first season in one shot.  It was well acted and heartwarming.

The series finds you following the staff and to a degree the residence of the home.  The characters seem over the top at times but the overall fit works.  The older folks are quite convincing in the role of the residents.  I found myself laughing and at times brought to tears.  Ricky Gervais had fallen a bit for me with his obnoxious twitter posts but this show redeemed him for me.  He plays a very endearing role.

Oblivion

Oblivion is a science fiction movie that did not do as well at the box office as it was expected to.  It stars Tom Cruise and Morgan Freeman as the leads.  There are Tom Cruise movies and movies staring Tom Cruise.  This is a movie staring Tom Cruise.  The story is tight and well thought out.

Each actors performance is solid and though Tom Cruise plays the lead he plays it well without overpowering the story.  I know people who have not seen the movie simply because Tom Cruise is in it but I think they would be surprised at this one.  The movie was quite entertaining and left me feeling quite positive at the end.