Me Before You, 2 Stars

Emilia Clarke

This is a mostly fluffy movie that we rented for $0.99. It deals with a couple of difficult topics, somewhat awkwardly (sometimes deliberately, sometimes not). The trailers show most of the movie.

Emilia Clarke (new to me but big Game of Thrones star) and Sam Claflin (Hunger Games series) perform adequately, as does the supporting cast.

It's not very good, but it's not horrible.

Lion, 3.5 Stars

Dev Patel

I really liked this movie. The story is fascinating, moves along dramatically and well, has interesting characters, beautiful scenery and evokes strong emotions.

I continue to be impressed by the abilities of Dev Patel (TV's The Newsroom) and my admiration grows each time I see him. Nicole Kidman (Moulin Rouge) and Rooney Mara (The Social Network) are moodily good. And newly introduced Sunny Pawar is stunning as he conveys his raw emotions, often without words, to great effect.

I will definitely see again and urge you to see it.

La La Land, 3 Stars

I enjoyed this movie and think it will win this year's Oscar but it is Hollywood being (consistently) narcissistic (both the film and the Academy voting). (Yeah, yeah, it's tough making it in movies but those aren't the only topics that deserve the spotlight...)

Having said that, it's a good story. It drags in places and, as I exited the theatre, I wasn't sure I liked it. But it was memorable and stayed with me for days.

Some of the scenes are exceptional, especially the opening and, of course, the dancing. Ryan Gosling (Ides of March) continues to develop and show his acting 'chops', and his performance is superb. I really like Emma Stone (EasyA) and she is very good, but I wonder if her acting range and development have stalled? The two do dominate the screen throughout.

I think I'll see this again but...

Hidden Figures, 3.5 Stars

Taraji P. Henson

I liked this movie a lot. It is my hope for this year's Best Picture Oscar, but I don't think the Academy is ready to reward it that way. (See La La Land review.)

It is a compelling story about the space race in the 1960's that, for the most part, moves along well (it seems to falter when personal background stories are being told).

The casting is superb and the acting is excellent: Taraji P. Henson (Benjamin Button) and Janelle Monae (new to me) dominate their scenes and, along with Octavia Spencer (The Help), are the focal points who drive the movie. Jim Parsons (Big Bang Theory) surprised me with his range, while Kevin Costner (McFarland USA) played his more recent 'congenial' persona.

I highly recommend this and look forward to seeing it again.