Week of Nov. 27 - Dec. 3 (Rhoades)

Tropic Overview

Four Films at Tropic Remind Us What We Love About Movies

Reviewed by Shirrel Rhoades

Film Critic, Key West Citizen

 
We love movies about movies. And “Trumbo” gives a glimpse of the old Hollywood when ten screenwriters were blacklisted for having Commie sympathies. Foremost among these scribes was Dalton Trumbo, who won two Academy Awards while writing under a pseudonym to subvert the system. Bryan Cranston (TV’s “Breaking Bad”) nails the title role.  Philadelphia Inquirer says, “It’s a period piece full of colorful characters, natty costumes, jaunty music.” And Tri-City Herald gushes, “Just hand Bryan Cranston the Oscar, the Golden Globe, etc. The acting and the story about the importance of protecting the First Amendment is the year’s best movie.”

Almost as much as we like movies about movies, we like movies about newspaper reporters -- those hard-hitting journalists determined to bust the town wide open. “Spotlight” is such a story, about an investigative team at the Boston Globe that uncovered the child abuse scandal within the Catholic Church. Mark Ruffalo, Michael Keaton, and Rachel McAdams headline this ensemble cast. Blu-Ray.com calls it “Sharp and flawlessly performed.” And US Weekly advises, “Don’t miss this crackling -- and deeply important -- film about the power of the press.”

We also are fascinated by spy stories, and “Bridge of Spies” is Steven Spielberg’s telling of the ‘60s prisoner exchange of Russian spy Rudolf Abel for US U2 pilot Gary Powers. Tom Hanks portrays the real-life lawyer who negotiated the deal. Radio Times says, “Spielberg should be applauded for coherently imparting a convoluted, international story and for skillfully showing how ideals can be compromised by the grip of paranoia.” And Wow247 calls it a “richly rewarding and thoroughly entertaining Cold War drama with Spielberg and Hanks both at the very top of their game.”

Another winner is boy-meets-girl romance -- or in the case of “Brooklyn,” it’s boy-meets-girl-meets-boy as an Irish lass must choose between Ireland and America. Saoirse Ronan (“Hanna”) plays the girl caught in the middle. Advocate sees it as “a beautifully staged and acted immigrant drama.” And Miami Herald concludes, “With compassion, a touch of melancholy and a sense of wonder, ‘Brooklyn’ reveals the profound truths in a simple, familiar story, ending on a note that’s achingly bittersweet, no matter where you’re from.”

Movie lovers have great choices this week at the Tropic Cinema!

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