U.S. Movies That I Saw in 2018 That I Can Recommend

The popcorn aisle

1.  Allied.  2016.  Brad Pitt is a Canadian in World War II who meets and marries a French woman (Marion Cotillard) who is later accused of being a German spy.  Is she?  Isn't she?

2.  Brooklyn.  2015.  From the book by Colm Toibin.  A romance about a young Irish immigrant who lives in 1950's Brooklyn but then has to decide between two different men--one back in Ireland and one in the U.S.  Beautifully done.  Many subtleties plus intelligent acting.

3.  Chef.  2014.  This is the kind of movie I love--fun, nice music (Cuban), good food, no one's hitting anyone, good story line, good actors including Robert Downey Jr. in a playful role.  A chef leaves the restaurant where he works and goes back to basics opening a food truck which proves to be the perfect work for him to get back on his feet and spend time with his 10-year-old son.

4.  Darkest Hour.  2017.  US and UK.  Historical war drama.  How words can inspire--the "we will fight them on the beaches" speech when Churchill, as someone said, "mobilized the English language and sent it into battle."  Through words, spirit, courage, at their darkest hour, the English were able to prevail and Churchill was able to speak for the people and carry out the country's destiny through those words which astonished everyone and brought them to a new place--a place they hadn't really tapped but that he tapped for them.  Gary Oldman is Churchill.  Excellent.  Joe Wright is the director.  Look him up; he's done some beautiful work.

5.  A Dog's Purpose.  2017.  I loved this movie--a comedy-drama directed by Lasse Hallstrom.  Wonderful.  In realizing that he's being re-incarnated, a dog begins to wonder what the purpose of his life is.  "Here we go again," he says to himself at the beginning of each new puppy-hood, " ... but just what is this life stuff all about?"  He decides it all boils down to "Be here now."  A charming film.

6.  Gifted.  2017.  Whether to let a 7-year old girl who is a mathematical genius be a child or send her off into an adult's world to solve some of the Millennium Problems, as they are called.  Her uncle has taken her in on the death of her mother and hopes he is doing the right thing by letting her enjoy her childhood and learning to socialize with others her age.  Her grandmother has a different vision for her.  Mostly set in Florida.

7.  Inside Job.  2010.  Documentary narrated by Matt Damon about the 2008 financial meltdown.  Wonderfully executed.

8.  Mark Felt.  2017.  A biopic that mostly seems to hit the high spots of the Watergate affair.  Liam Neeson plays Mark Felt, aka Deep Throat.  The film is okay but very superficial.  It's also very dark, very hard to see as if the whole thing was taken at night with no extra lights.

9.  The Post.  2017.  Same era.  A well-done rendering of That Time.  But, again, this movie seems to have been filmed at night, everything is dark and hard to see.  Okay for an effect and metaphor but not easy to watch.  Tom Hanks is always good.