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Lilting (2014) dir. Hong Khaou prod. Dominic Buchanan prod. BBC Films, Film London Microwave, Skillset dist. Artificial Eye, Strand Releasing drama/romance - UK runtime 1:26:00

“Language is the source of misunderstandings.” —Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, Le Petit Prince

After losing her Anglo-Chinese son, Kai (Andrew Leung) in a tragic accident, sixty-year-old Junn (Cheng Pei-Pei) attempts to cope with her grief and come to terms with her guilt in this poignant story of love, loss, loneliness, longevity, and the search for meaning. Through interwoven scenes of isolation, interaction, and intimacy, the characters not only develop genuine enduring relationships, but profound connections.

8.5/10

tags: family, honor, belief, denial, anger, bargaining, depression, acceptance, approval, belonging, cultural assimilation, communication, commonality, contradiction, conflict of interests, meddlesome intermediaries, getting in between, talking through it, dependency, dimples, rooted differences, sympathy, inflection, in translation, "盼望" - teresa teng

Recommended viewing: I Killed My Mother (2009) Tom at the Farm (2013) And probably Mommy (2014), though I haven't seen it yet

Boyhood (2014) dir. Richard Linklater prod. Richard Linklater, Jonathan Sehring, John Sloss, Cathleen Sutherland dist. IFC Films coming-of-age/family drama - USA runtime 2:45:38

"I really enjoy making poor life decisions and keeping you guys on the brink of poverty."—Olivia (Patricia Arquette)

After twelve years in laborious production, Richard Linklater has sired Boyhood, a compelling coming-of-age story that captures and distills the spirit of the 00s into a charming portrait of modern America.

Of note are the outstanding performances by Patricia Arquette, Ethan Hawke, and leading man Ellar Coltrane as well as the movie's soundtrack—although there are moments the nostalgia seems forced, the music is usually so spot on, it's sublime.

9.2/10

tags: family, parenting, single parenting, life choices, boys/girls, kids, grown-ups, growing up, chores, who dusts anymore?, war on terror, pedagophilia, child psychology, video games, Star Wars, technically no elves, deadbeats, democrat dads, divorce, profound bitching

Recommended viewing: The Kings of Summer (2013)

Calvary (2014) dir. John Michael McDonagh prod. Chris Clark, Flora Fernandez-Marengo, James Flynn prod. Reprisal Films, Octagon Films, Protagonist Pictures dist. Entertainment One (UK), Fox Searchlight (USA) comedy - Ireland/UK runtime 1:41:30

"I think there's too much talk about sins... And not enough talk about virtues." —Father James

The movie begins in a confessional, with a stranger's threatening promise to murder whiskey-drinker, widower, and Catholic priest Father James (Brendan Gleeson). It then follows his harrowing final days interacting with the often unscrupulous parishioners in his community and reuniting with his estranged daughter. keywords: lost causes, cynicism, nihilism, priests talking about felching, pornography, penitence, abuse, the act of killing, supercilious pricks, spiritual revelations, doctrine, dogmatism, littlefinger snorting cocaine, expiation of guilt, damnation, absolution 8/10 Recommended viewing: Philomena (2013)

Locke (2013) dir. Steven Knight prod. Guy Heeley, Paul Webster prod. Shoebox Films, IM Global dist. A24 drama - UKruntime 1:24:49Ivan Locke (Tom Hardy) tries to keep a steady grip on his slowly unraveling life as he drives himself to face the consequences of his decisions all the while struggling with issues of culpability, (re)liability, and inherited faults.8/10

tags: tom hardy man tears

Recommended viewing: Buried (2010)

Blue Ruin (2013) dir. Jeremy Saulnier prod. Macon Blair, Tyler Byrne, Alex Orr, Richard Peete, Vincent Savino, Anish Savjani revenge thriller - USA runtime 1:30:24

"A good archer is not known by his arrows, but by his aim."

Bizarre (but brilliant) crime thriller that goes from homeless bum to shattered home with plenty of shots fired in between. keywords: crowdfunding, arms race, mobility, vehicles, cycle of violence, paranoia, privacy, property, security, invasion, territory, keeping it in-house, family drama, gun ownership, flensed, shanked, lynched, retribution, reason, justice, reminiscence, reconciliation, "no regrets" - little willie john 8.5/10 Recommended viewing: Oculus (2013) You're Next (2013)

Life Itself (2014) dir. Steve James prod. Garrett Basch, Steve James, Zak Piper dist. Magnolia Pictures documentary - USA runtime 2:00:32

"The movies are like a machine that generates empathy... it lets you understand a little bit more about different hopes, aspirations, dreams, and fears. It helps us to identify with the people who are sharing this journey with us."

—Roger Ebert

Insightful biopic about Chicago Sun-Times writer and film icon Roger Ebert based partly on his similarly titled memoir. Essential viewing for fans of cinema and critical thought.

keywords: life itself, legacy, love, relationships, point of view, connection, communication, conversation, disease, mortality, leonard cohen

10/10

Recommended viewing: Up series [Seven Up! (1964) to 56 Up (2012)] Beyond the Valley of the Dolls (1970)