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.

JACK REACHER: NEVER GO BACK

JACK REACHER: NEVER GO BACK:  Tom Cruise returns as the investigative title character in this action-adventure flick.  When the new head of his old unit, Army major Susan Turner (Cobie Smulders) is arrested and accused of espionage, Reacher suspects foul play and jumps into action to prove her innocence.   After crossing paths with the law, he must go on the lam to uncover the truth.
Breaking her out of jail is only the beginning.  Chases and fights and gun battles abound.   And there is literally never a dull moment.   At times you are on the edge of your seat as the two take on the "bad guys.  Into the mix, a young teen (Danika Yarosh) who may or not be Reacher's daughter is thrown.  And we meet a superb villain name Hunter (played beautifully by Patrick Heusinger.  As the mayhem continues it all comes to a whiz-bang finale at the New Orleans Halloween parade.  So it was a perfect movie for today.   No deep message here just a fun ride with some laughs now and then.   I loved it.  Pure escapism.

DENIAL

DENIAL: Another film based on a factual case, this courtroom drama involves two historians.  The first, American Deborah Lipstadt (Rachel Weisz), has written a book in which she accuses a fellow historian, British David Irving (Timothy Spall) of being a Holocaust denier.  Mr. Irving promptly sues Ms. Lipstadt and her publishers for libel.  British courts are very different from ours, in that the defendant must prove his or her case. (No innocent until proven guilty here)  She is aided in the trial by a brilliant team of solicitors (who map out the strategy) and a team of lawyers headed by Tim Wilkinson.  If all of this sounds confusing, be assured that the film keeps you fascinated by the procedures in the different jurisdictions.   Why would you not want Holocaust survivors to testify? It's all heady stuff and brought to life by the three wonderful performance of Weisz, Spall and Wilkinson. I'm a sucker for courtroom dramas and there is no denying this is a good one.

THE GIRL ON THE TRAIN

THE GIRL ON THE TRAIN:  Where to begin?  This "thriller" based on a book, tells the story of Rachel, a commuter getting over her divorce, but still riding daily by her one-time home now inhabited by her ex-husband and his new wife.  On those rides, she becomes obsessed with the neighbors two doors down, thinking they have the perfect life.  And then her world is shattered.   Emily Blunt plays Rachel, who has become an alcoholic to ease her pain....And thus, she has blackouts and can't remember what has happened in her life.  SO, when one of the neighbors comes up missing and she had been spotted in the premises....the plot start to take hold.   All of the performances (Justine Theroux as her ex-husband, Rebecca Ferguson as his new wife, Haley Bennett and Luke Evans as the neighbors) are first rate with kudos to Allison Janney as Detective Riley and a meaningful "Cameo" by Lisa Kudrow.  A bit hard to follow at times....with title cards telling us where we are in time....(Two months earlier....Today....One week ago) It all works out in the end and was a most satisfying afternoon at the movies.  And as my friend, Yvette, who takes tickets, told me  "I hated the book but I loved the movie."  I hope you will also.  It's a fascinating film and Ms. Blunt may get some nominations out of this.

QUEEN OF KATWE

QUEEN OF KATWE:   Based upon a true story, this lovely, inspirational film from Disney and director Mira Nair, revolves around an 11-year-old Ugandan girl named Phiona played by a natural born actress if ever I saw one, newcomer Madina Nalwanga.  When she meets a missionary, Robert Katende, (a brilliant performance by David Oyelowo) who teaches her to play chess, her world changes forever.  The film opens with Phiona on the brink of attaining a chess championship and then it flashes back to the story of how this impoverish girl made it this far.   Her mother Harriet (A radiant Nupita Nyong'o) is a woman of such fire and determination that you long for her to be on the screen as much as possible.  (And this Oscar winner for "12 Years a Slave" deserves a film all her own)  At times, at odds with her daughter while trying to merely cope with their life in the "slums" while raising four other children as well, Nupita brings quite strength to her performance and it is a joy to watch.  Beautiful photographed with eye-popping costumes, this is a feast for the eyes. and worthy of your attention.   Yes, the ending is predictable but I still wept tears of joy.  See it.

MISS PEREGRINE'S HOME FOR PECULIAR CHILDEN

MISS PEREGRINE'S HOME FOR PECULIAR CHILDREN:   Director Tim Burton brings us this adventure fantasy from a novel by Ransom Riggs.  Asa Butterfield plays the young protagonist who is left some clues about the stories of monsters his grandfather (Terrence Stamp) has left him.  It's all about finding a loop (i.e. some king of portal to an earlier time and a home for "peculiar" children.) Yes, it's a bit hard to follow at times.  Eva Green is Miss Peregrine and would seem to be Mr. Burton's latest muse.  Supporting roles are given to Samuel Jackson (one of the baddies) Rupert Evert, Allison Janney and Judi Dench.  They turn in their customary good performances but nothing to write home about. In short, while I liked the film and always enjoy Mr. Burton's demented vison of things, I didn't find it brilliant or up to his standards of the past....Give me "Sweeny Todd" anyday.  Still, all in all, it's has it's moments (thank to CGI.)  And the "Peculiar children" are great  (Loved the boy who had bees living within him) But, be forewarned, this is NOT for young children.  It is not in the least bit loveable and downright scary at times.  And although I did not read the book, the ending felt a bit strained for a happy one.