The Breadwinner Movie Review

Simply put, The Breadwinner is a must-see hauntingly beautiful movie, both in story and experience.

An adaptation of the acclaimed 2000 novel, the movie depicts Parvana's story so honestly, that every character feels as human and real as if I'm watching a documentary. Director Nora Twomey masterfully weaves together this earnest tale of a young girl, her love for her father, their family, their struggles under the Taliban-run Afghanistan, female empowerment, the horrors of war, the importance of peace, the importance of stories and the stories of all the other characters who share in Parvana's journey.

But it is a hard story, and yet I can't say the last time I felt so moved by a movie. Let alone an animated one. Let alone a kids movie!

And I love it.

It's everything animation can be - gorgeous visuals combined with fantastic audio design. The beautiful score by Jeff Danna and Mychael Danna perfectly accentuates the movie, transporting me to all the locations and emotions they want me to experience. Even the lack of music is perfectly executed.

I'm so glad that animation has had a great run of more "indie" productions (not Pixar, Disney, Dreamworks, etc.), with movies like this, The Little Prince, My Life as a Zucchini and the Laika productions, among others).

CONCLUSION: HIGHLY RECOMMENDED - To me, this is absolutely a must-see movie, but it's one that covers harsh topics. However, stories like this are important to experience, because these are exactly the kinds of stories that help build empathy, and hopefully with more empathy we can come together faster. So, my sincerest "thank you" to everyone who worked on The Breadwinner, and author Deborah Ellis, for crafting this. This has displaced Get Out as my top movie of 2017. Go watch this ASAP.

Barry Season 1 Review

HBO's Barry thoughts... (no real SPOILERS, but some comments on the season)

After getting past the pilot (which I didn't entirely care for, and glad they didn't entirely go down the path I didn't want)...

There's a very poignant show about a military vet-turned-hitman striving to reclaim his humanity and emotions via acting. It's a wonderful bridge of left and right ideologies, with plenty of commentary on both sides (e.g. how Hollywood can be trapped in a bubble away from the horrors of the world, how blindly following orders isn't the best thing to do / that it's good to question things, how vets are/can be abandoned by the system that uses them).

It also has a relatively unique tone, that darkly blends action, comedy and realism, with some generally great direction (Hiro Murai, director of "This is America" directed an episode, along with Hader). Episode 4, directed by Maggie Carey, is the one that really sold me with some great goofiness and play, mixed in with serious.

No character is particularly good, but there are ways to empathize with each.

Scratch that, Paula Newsome's Det. Janice Moss is probably perfect, though TBD on how realistic (but a fun character, regardless).

Similarly, there's such fantastic acting. Bill Hader really shines as Barry, rediscovering... life (and happiness) in this current season's journey. Sarah Goldberg is great as the passionate-but-flawed Sally, who lives in an unfair world but also doesn't see her own issues. Henry Winkler is great as the acting coach Gene Cousineau. Stephen Groot is his wonderful self as Barry's "coworker" Fuches. And both Glenn Fleshler and Anthony Carrigan are just a treat.

SUMMARY: Barry is a great showcase of acting talent (and acting direction), as well as how acting helps people get in touch with their humanity, regardless of the background. Emotions are a journey for everyone.

CONCLUSION: RECOMMENDED - It reminds me of a reimagined remix of Dexter, with more comedic talent. Particularly the early, better seasons.