A DOG'S PURPOSE

A DOG'S PURPOSE: This rather sugary look at the bond between animals and their owners does garner tears and memories of American as it once was.  Dennis Quaid is the name actor attached to this project (he's only in the last half hour) that relates the re-incarnation of a dog over five decades and how it's owners were affected.  While there was a bit of controversy about animal cruelty regarding one of the dogs in roaring waters, the producers eventually pointed out that the dog in question was computer generated.  Hopefully, that is true.  That being said, this is truly a family film and I'm afraid a little tame.  Plus, some of the best moments were give away in the trailer (I hate that). So if you want to shed a tear,  I suggest you go see "Lion" and leave this one to the dogs.

LION

LION:  When a five year old Indian boy named Saroo is lost on a train and ends up miles from home and family, he must learn to survive.  And that is the plot of this tear-inducing film about his journey and ultimate adoption by an Australian couple (Nichol Kidman and David Wenham).  As the years pass, the adult Saroo (Dev Patel) falls in love (Rooney Mara) but begins to long to find out about his past and his real mother.  This film based on a true story grips you from the very beginning. The young Saroo (non-English speaking actor) Sunny Pawar will melt your heart.  And Dev Patel ("Slumdog Millionaire" and the "Exotic Marigold Hotel" franchise) gives his best performance to date.  Ms. Kidman in a lesser role shines, as usual, with great understanding of her character.  But this film belongs to the author (the real Saroo) who has brought life to a world most of us have never seen that is both sad and mesmerizing.  And there is a wonderful coda, seeing the real people that the film is based upon and learning the reason is it called "Lion"  It's on my ten-best list.est list.

MANCHESTER BY THE SEA

MANCHESTER BY THE SEA:  Golden Globe winner Casey Affleck stars in this drama about a tortured and angry man.   At the outset, it seems to be an idyllic life in a seaside community with two brothers on a fishing boat with a young man who is a nephew and son.   Then we switch to a janitor fixing faucet leaks, shoveling snow and hiding anger.  The brilliance of this film is the bonce between reality and the past, catching us up with how the Affleck character came to be who he is.  I will not give you any plot twists and turns.... but, be forewarned, this is not a pleasant film, although it has moments of sheer beauty filming the Manchester seaside.  And there are a few smiles and chuckles along the way. The major supporting characters are Michelle Williams as the wife,  Kyle Chandler as the brother, and Lucas Hedges as the son/nephew with a cameo by Matthew Broderick (which I found a bit jarring)   I usually write these "reviews" right after I see the movie, but this one gave me pause...I had to think about it....I guess it falls under the category of a "character study."  There is no real ending to the film except the one that will keep you thinking about it for days to come. It will get some Oscar nods.

HIDDEN FIGURES

HIDDEN FIGURES: The year is 1961 when racial segregation and sexism in the workplace were a common occurance.  At NASA, three African-American women help to launch John Glenn into space. This film chronicles their struggle to gain acceptance in a predominately white man's world.
With stellar performances by Taraji P. Henson, Janelle Monae, and Octavia Spenser (A Golden Globe nominee for Best Supporting Actor), you are witness to the hardships and ignorance that they endured without ever losing sight of their dreams and goals.  Kevin Costner plays the head of NASA with dignity and aplomb (and dare I say, a heart of gold?)  Kirsten Dunst and Jim Parsons round out the supporting cast, playing against type and rather prejudiced in their thinking..   If this sounds too depressing, be assured there are many funny moments and even a love story thrown into the mix.    All in all, it's a feel good movie, particularly so because we know longer live in that time...or do we?