Barefoot Gen (1983)

Japanese Animation - based on Keiji Nakazawa's autobiographical comic book series. A six-year-old boy fights to survive following the detonation of the atomic bomb in Nagasaki. Gen is the eldest boy in his family and must take care of his pregnant mother in times of fire, famine, disease, and poverty. Brilliant story-telling here, as the author sketches contrasts - occasional daily joys amidst hellish post-bomb circumstances. 83 min.

The Beat That My Heart Skipped (2005)

French Drama (English Subtitles) - Tom, son of concert pianist mom and crime business father is trapped between his love of music and his dad's business. After years of giving up piano he meets an old family friend who remembers his talent and encourages him to revive his piano expertise. Working nights for the mob and days on the piano, Tom struggles intensely with opposing obligations. Great acting, fast pace, some romance, some violence, and lovely music. 1 hr 47 min.

Grave of the Fireflies (1988)

Japanese Animation (languages/subtitles available) - World War II Japan - Seita, a 14-year-old boy struggles valiantly to provide for his 4-year-old sister after the death of their mom and dad during the bombing of Japan by US forces. The children roam from shelter to shelter and strive with great difficulty to stay healthy and fed. The artwork is fantastic and the 2 characters are loveable. Unusual and interesting animation. 90 min.

Indochine (1992)

French drama (English subtitles) - Vietnam under French rule from 1930 to 1954. Wealthy French woman plantation owner adopts a Vietnamese child (born of deceased friends). The girl (Camille) grows up to be a lovely educated bilingual lady. Severe conflicts begin when the girl falls in love with her mother's lover, a French naval officer (Jean-Baptiste). With her political influence, the wealthy mother has the officer transferred to a very remote part of Indochine. BUT the daughter - very much in love - finds a way to locate Jean-Baptiste, and the two unite. And here another chapter begins - Camille and Jean-Baptiste fight French injustices perpetuated on the Vietnamese peasant populations and both are forced to flee the French establishment. Superb photography, lovely locations, and excellent performances made this a fascinating movie to watch!! 2 hrs.38 min

Mr. and Mrs. Iyer (2002)

Indian Drama/Romance - Conservative South Indian Brahman woman Mrs. Iyer is escorted on a long exhausting bus ride by remote family acquaintance Muslim man named Raja. Along the way the bus is nearly hijacked by radical Hindus at war with Muslims. Raja's life is in danger and Mrs. Iyer saves it by saying he is her husband and is Hindu. From here, the story really gets interesting as Mrs. Iyer and Raja must share lodging, food and travel for the next few days as the Hindu-Muslim riots rage on. The two fall in love gradually despite the intense and necessary care for Mrs. Iyer's one-year-old boy, and/but it is the subtlety of the acting that really rivets you to the screen. SO believable, so many conflicting emotions and the love burns beneath. Very well crafted movie, though the beginning of the film is boring, but once these 2 actors start to fall in love, it really simmers ! 2 hours.

Madea's Family Reunion (2002)

Comedy - Is this funny? in a strange way. Tyler Perry (writer, director, main actor) dresses in drag and creates a strong disciplinarian old-fashioned black woman with values. Not nearly as crazy as Eddie Murphy, this film aims to present a strong dose of Christian family values. Three sisters struggle to find themselves in a web of social pressures. Fancy sets, nice costumes and some good performances made this an interesting film to watch. 2hrs.

Antwone Fisher (2002)

Human Drama - based on true story and book Antwone Fisher. Navy man prone to violence is sent to psychiatrist (Denzel Washington) for help. Through skilled guidance he confronts his horrid childhood (molestation, abandonment, etc) and moves on to a balanced emotional life. Acting is most REAL and the dialogue SUPERB. Such a finely constructed film - each scene spoke volumes of truth. Directed by Denzel Washington. 2 hours

Magnolia (1999)

Human Drama - a single day in Los Angeles - with several parallel stories. Lonely policeman falls in love with a cocaine addict. TV game show host collapses on the set while contestant boy genius pees his pants. Radical workshop leader teaches men how to seduce women. Overall lots of pain, illness, death and tears. Moving performances from an excellent cast of actors. (Tom Cruise's character is very interesting) Towards the end there is a scene that doesn't fit (when the sky begins raining frogs). What was that? 3 hours. and 8 min.

Pride (2007)

Sports Drama - set in 1973 - based on the true story of Jim Ellis, the charismatic coach of an African-American swim club in one of Philadelphia's rougher neighborhoods. Big breakthroughs for his team as they blast through self-doubt, prejudice, poverty, and other obstacles. The acting (Terrence Howard, Bernie Mac) is well done, though the script is full of sports cliches. And though the characters are very likable I felt manipulated by the production (last minute this and that to evoke emotion, overly dramatic musical scores, etc) Educational though, black swimmers are a rarity and have received insufficient recognition over the years. One hour 49 min.

The Hours (2002)

Human Drama - inspired by Virginia Wolf's classic novel Mrs. Dalloway and The Hours by Michael Cunningham. Film covers one day in the life of 3 women over 3 eras of time (Virginia Wolf in 1920's England, an unhappy housewife in 1950's Los Angeles, a lesbian lover of literature in current day New York). All three women struggle with depression and mental instability. The acting is incredible - Nicole Kidman got an academy award for Virginia Wolf, and Julianne Moore is unbelievably believable as the unhappy housewife. Meryl Streep is great as the intellectual New Yorker. Movie is both philosophical and very dramatic. 1 hr. 56 min