ldquinn

I really enjoyed this quaint little film about a widow opening a bookshop in a small East Anglian town against the wishes of the self appointed doyenne of the town.

Emily Mortimer, did an excellent job portraying Florence, the bookshop owner; playing the part with great, yet powerful understatement.

Patricia Clarkson, as the doyenne Violet, does here regular excellent portrayal as the uppity, wealthy and powerful woman trying to dash Florence's dreams.

Bill Nighy, as Edmund, plays the role of a recluse who, over time, befriends and tries to assist the shop owner in her travails with Violet. As usual, he can own a scene without a word, just a subtle eye movement can drive the plot forward and show the depth of his character.

Perhaps the best performance is by 15 year old Honor Kneafsey, as Christine, Florence's young shop assistant. Sharp tongued and wise beyond her years, she proves a perfect foil for all the other characters and is quite central to the entire plot.

I did have one slight quibble. I would have liked to have had the backgrounds of Edmond and Violet fleshed out a bit more; which I feel would have led to a better understanding as to their prior relationship and why they acted the way they did.

That said, if you enjoy British films, take the time to see this one. I would suggest in a theater as the cinematography is quite excellent.

Patriots Day is a well told story of the 2013 bombing at the Boston Marathon. I have seen many reviews that criticized the movie for various reasons - too soon after the event, too slow in the beginning, stony acting by Mark Wahlberg, etc. I disagree, respectfully, with all of them.

No, this movie is not great art, it's probably not award winning in any category; but, were it not for the subject matter, I'd say it was an enjoyable film and a great way to spend an couple of hours. Rather, it is a solidly built movie that tells a story that makes us remember and think about an important event in history.

I did not think this movie was made too soon. I felt it brought to the forefront that only a couple of years ago, we experienced an event of terrorism that is all too frequently still occurring in places both far and near.

I found the beginning of the movie well done, cutting back and forth, introducing characters, making us see the normalcy and, in the case of the bombers, their warped vision. As for Mark Wahlberg, Mark is Mark - this is the character he plays - stony and solid - whether it be in this movie or in Deep Water Horizon or Lone Survivor. One dimensional, perhaps, but made for this type character and he delivers a fine performance in the role.

I thought there were some directing and script lapses at times; but, they passed quickly.

As for the ending, I thought it was very well done - an excellent ending for this movie. Softly said, but quite powerful. As we exited, one of the people in the hallway of the theater, just outside the auditorium said that this movie had to be quite good because everyone exiting was very quiet. She was right, there was no talking between people. I imagine they may have been remembering, sadly, as was I.

Hidden Figures is the story of three little known women who played a crucial role in the early days of the US space program. Taraji P. Henson, Octavia Spencer, and Janelle Monáe were all wonderful in their roles; each bringing specific personalities to their characters.

Taraji P. Henson is a mathematics wunderkind who is called upon to assist in calculating the math requires for launches and recoveries. A single mother of three daughters, she graciously and calmly works through the difficulties of being a lone black woman in a department full of white men in the racially segregated state of Virginia. Her calmness breaks in one scene and she wonderfully states, quite loudly, the obstacles she is forced to endure and overcome. This is quite a contrast from her normally calm dignity. As a side story, she is also involved in a burgeoning romantic relationship and she shows another totally side of herself - that of a shy, demure woman, which she carries off perfectly.

Octavia Spencer, a very strong actress, does a wonderful job as a black woman with the responsibilities of a supervisor that she is not allowed to have the title or compensation for. She deals with her supervisor, Kirsten Dunst, with patience and tolerance and delivers what I think was the finest line in the film in response to Dunst's comment that, "I have nothing against y'all." Spencer replies, "I know you probably believe that." Surrounding me in the auditorium was a subdued murmur of knowing assent and acknowledgment from the audience. Clearly, the black moviegoers all have had that thought, probably more often than one would like to think. As a white male, the sounds of the audience gave me pause and had great impact. That line, alone, made this movie worth seeing.

Janelle Monáe plays a woman with the talent to be a NASA engineer, who has to jump through hoops to get there. She provides the bit of lightness that keeps this film lighter than the topic may generally have dictated.

Without exception, the supporting cast excels - from Kevin Costner, the boss who just wants to get the job done and tolerates no impediments; to Jim Parsons, the engineer who always insists on following the rules - NASA's as well as his personal rules based on his biases; to Mahershala Ali, who plays Henson's love interest.

This movie is well worth viewing on many levels - as history, as a treatise on segregation and race relations, and as an example of how determination can overcome the most difficult of obstacles.

Not only was this an excellent film; it was also a film that I was glad I saw.