Three Films to See:

Three films to put on your ‘to see’ list.  The first is in most of the major theaters now. The second is harder to find, but if there’s a theater that shows foreign films, catch it when it comes. The last is not currently in the theaters but is supposed to be in a couple of months. Keep your eyes open for it.

Win Win ****

This film kinda grows on you as it develops.

It’s the story of a likable, small town lawyer whose law practice is failing. A series of improbable events occur, and he, and we, get drawn into his decisions and the ensuing consequences.

Each of the main characters, led by Paul Giamitti, is a bit quirky but believable, and you find yourself hoping all will turn out well. 

Good acting makes the film worth seeing.

Incendies **** ½

Based on a play by Wajdi Mouawad, this Canadian film grabs you and keeps you engaged almost from the beginning.

It’s the story of twins who are instructed by their mother’s will to search out their past in a mid-east country (probably Lebanon) that has been torn apart by war. As the search progresses, we’re drawn into the past of a woman who has lived through the hell of war and man’s inhumanity to man (and woman).

The film moves back and forth between the present (the twins’ search) and the past (their mother’s almost unbelievable story) and was nominated for the 2010 Best Foreign Language Film.

See it if you can.

The Whistleblower  ***** (Ellen Miller’s rating)

I haven’t seen this as it was shown in our Sunday morning Cinema Club a month or so ago when I was away. Ellen says it’s not perfect, but “it’s damn good.”

The story comes from the experiences of a female Nebraska cop who worked in Bosnia as a peacekeeper following the war there.  The drama is based on what happens when she finds some of her UN colleagues involved with and covering up a sex trafficking scandal. It’s based on Kathryn Bolkovac’s book The Whistleblower.