The Gift is a 2015 American-Australian psychological thriller written, co-produced, and directed by Joel Edgerton (Academy Award nominated for his role in “Loving”). This is his directorial debut, and it is a winner!
Darkly unnerving, The Gift first conveys a vibe of horror, but then the narrative moves in the direction of...
An Inspector Calls–Nothing Will Ever Be the Same
The BBC mystery An Inspector Calls (2015), based upon the 1947 J.B. Priestley play by the same name, is a morality tale for our time. Set in 1912 Arthur Birling, a wealthy self-made industrialist, has hopes of a knighthood and implicit social elevation through the engagement of his daughter to an aristocrat. Inspector Goole (the superlative...
“Unforgotten”–The Power to Recall
This British crime drama (PBS Masterpiece Mystery), comprised of three episodes in two seasons, focuses on one stone-cold case per season. Each involves a murder at least three decades old. The detective team– Cassie Stuart (the wonderful Nicola Walker of “Last Tango in Halifax” and Sunny Khan (the perfectly cast...
“The Look of Silence”–Beyond Words to Forgive
This film (2015) is a companion piece and powerful account of the 1960’s genocide in Indonesia, a follow-up to Joshua Oppenheimer’s debut and Oscar-nominated documentary “The Act of Killing” (2012). Less horrific but more emotionally compelling, “The Look of Silence” is a haunting revisiting of the killing...
“In Secret”–Family Casualties
In Secret depicts the desperate life of an orphaned girl as she becomes a sexually repressed young woman. This 2013 American erotic thriller (previously titled Thérèse), is based on Émile Zola’s classic novel, Thérèse Raquin.
In 1860s Paris, Thérèse Raquin (Elizabeth Olsen) is trapped in a loveless and sexless marriage to her sickly...
RBG–Truth to Power
RBG movie poster
Regardless of your political tastes, the documentary RBG offers an insightful peek into the life and work of a lifelong advocate for equal rights for women and minorities.
As one of three female Supreme Court justices serving on the nine-judge bench, Ruth Bader Ginsburg has become a cultural icon and something of a...
