CODA, which stands for child of deaf adults, follows a high school senior named Ruby. The only one in her family who can hear, she interprets for her deaf parents, Frank and Jackie, and brother Leo. Frank is a third generation fisherman, and Leo is following in the family business as well, but Ruby has to go along to interpret for the fish buyers at market, rising every morning at 3am to fish with family, before going to high school from there. She’s faced a lifetime of bullying because of her deaf family and the smell of fish the follows her around. Her biggest joy in life is singing, something that her family obviously does not understand. When her choir teacher recognizes real talent in her and pushes her to audition for Berklee College of Music, Ruby is torn between pursuing her own dreams, and fear of abandoning her parents when they need her most, as an interpreter for their new fishing business which is just getting started. It’s a wonderful film, about the struggles of the deaf in a hearing world, the toll it can take on family members, and the love that still binds them together. The actors of the family, Troy Kotsur, Marlee Matlin, and Daniel Durant, are all deaf in real life, and give amazing performances top to bottom. ★★★★½
Wet Season is a quiet, subdued film, of the like that you’d normally see out of China, though this one comes from Singapore (a country with a very high percentage of people of Chinese descent, including this film’s director). The main character is a late 30’s high school teacher who’s been struggling with infertility with her oft-absent husband. At home, she takes care of the house, including her husband’s father, who is bed- and wheelchair-ridden after a stroke. Her life is a dreary routine until she starts tutoring a young man in her class. The student has a big crush on her, and she doesn’t do anything to quash the feelings. In fact, she lets them continue, maybe subconsciously, for some excitement in her life. When she sees her husband outside his work one afternoon with another woman, this surprises no one but her. But she uses this knowledge to ramp up her relationship with the student. The movie is filmed in a wonderful way, everything speaks to great cinema here, but the story falls flat, with few surprises, and it feels too contrived at the end. Despite some great moments and fine acting, it adds up to just a hair above average for me. ★★★
Riders of Justice is a Danish film starring the great Mads Mikkelsen as Markus, a husband and father, called home from fighting in Afghanistan when his wife is killed in a train accident. He is approached by a nerdy scientist named Otto with news that the train collision was no accident. Otto was on that train too, and in fact, had let Markus’ wife sit in his spot on the crowded train; had he not, he would have died instead of the wife. Otto is a mathematician, and does not believe in coincidences. He saw a shadowy figure get off the train just before the accident, and recruits his friends, who are trained in computers and facial recognition, to find out who the mystery man is. Armed with the knowledge that it was a local biker gang leader’s brother, and their target was an informer killed on that train, they go to Markus for justice. Markus is all too willing and able to kill some bad guys that the government can’t charge. Some great action scenes, with lots of levity in the form of the bumbling trio of computer nerds, it’s a fun and unexpectedly different kind of picture. ★★★½
Non-Fiction is one of Olivier Assayas’ more recent films, a director whom I enjoy quite a bit. This film didn’t do it for me though. The film has a thin plot involving a few love triangles, a “who’s sleeping with who” kind of thing, but mostly, it is just a commentary on the evolution of how people now get their information, and specifically, in regards to the decline of the printed book. And by commentary, I mean very literally, as the majority of the movie is people sitting around socially, having conversations. Talking about how no one reads books anymore, the importance of online presences, etc. In all walks of life. As interesting as some of the chats are, it’s all pretty dry stuff. The characters are, for the most part, well thought and intelligent people, and they are able to engage in thought-provoking dialogue. Whether that is your cup or tea or not will determine if you like the movie. I prefer a little more action, even in my dramas. ★★
Peter Rabbit 2 on the other hand gives you exactly what you are expecting: no more, no less. The followup to the surprise hit a couple years ago (which I wasn’t going to bother with, but ending up watching on a cruise ship back in 2018 and enjoying), it brings back the gang for another hoppy adventure. After Bea has written a book about Peter and his friends, a book that is gaining traction, she is approached by a publisher who wants to commercialize it. Teased with dollar signs, Bea is prompted to “modernize” Peter, and the company begins a campaign to portray him as a bad boy. Peter Rabbit doesn’t like it at all, and runs away, only to end up with a new set of friends who aren’t such a great influence. Family friendly fun, which will elicit plenty of chuckles from both adults and kids. Not great cinema or anything, but it will make you smile. ★★½
- TV series currently watching: Stranger Things (season 2)
- Book currently reading: Children of Dune by Frank Herbert
Jons Movie Takes 