ALLIED

ALLIED:  Brad Pitt and Marion Cotillard star as WWII spies, he (Max)...from Canadian intelligence... she (Marianne)...with.the French Resistance....Thrown together on a dangerous mission, posing as husband and wife, they naturally fall in love.   When the mission is completed, they decide to get married for real and settle down in England.  But all is not idyllic for long.   Sources investigate her past and discover she may not be who she says she is.   In fact, she may be a German spy.  Well, Max sets out to prove his wife's innocence and..... no spoilers, in this review!   If you like those movies of the forties in the style of "Casablanca," this is one you will enjoy.   It keeps you guessing what the outcome will be and the two leads are flawless.  Matthew Goode does a virtual cameo role as an acquaintance of Marianne's that throws another obstacle in Max's quest for the truth.  This Robert Zemeckis film is old-fashioned movie making at it's ultimate best and these two "movie stars" have never shown brighter.

FANTASTIC BEASTS AND WHERE TO FIND THEM 3D

FANTASTIC BEASTS 3D: From the pen of J. K. Rowling, this is the story of Newt Scamander (the wonderful Eddie Redmayne, delightfully awkward in this portrayal) and his quest to document an array of magical creatures that takes place seventy years before Harry Potter read the book he is writing  in school.
I opted to see this in 3D, thinking it would add to the enjoyment of this fantasy world and it does.
The visual effects (New York in the 20's) are dazzling and unlike anything you have seen before.  The "beasts" alone are worth the price of admission, particularly a kleptomaniacal badger sort of thing.   And they all live in a magical suitcase belonging to our hero.   The supporting cast is stellar (among them John Voight, Colin Ferrell and a surprise cameo by Johnny Depp....but don't blink or you'll miss him.)  The plot is easy enough to follow but too complicated to go into in this space. Suffice it to say,  I was very impressed with this outing by Ms. Rowling and her screenplay and if the wizarding world is your cup of tea, don't miss it.  It is FANTASTIC.