Mary Queen of Scots (2018)

There were some things I liked: the color blind casting and the ravishing costumes. The movie is otherwise really boring. I fell asleep in the middle and when I woke up, I did not bother going back. I couldn't even tell quite how much I had missed.

Loving Vincent (2017)

Loving Vincent is lovingly painted by over 100 artists in the style of Vincent Van Gogh in painstaking detail. You know how difficult that must've been? It is a mesmerizing movie. The rain and smoke are so beautifully rendered on the paintings with discernibly caked on brush strokes. The plot is a Rashomon-style piecing together of Van Gogh's final days before his suicide. But is it everyone's different version of the truth we're getting? Or is it actually just village gossip designed to throw us off? It's all speculative of course, but it's inspired by a the life and death of a troubled genius. In loving admiration.

Lady Bird (2017)

What a beautiful little film about growing up. Saoirse Ronan is delightfully quirky as are all her friends and family. The writing is brilliantly hilarious. The relationships are authentic. The movie overall is just so refreshingly honest about adolescence. The ending maybe needed a little bit more closure for Lady Bird. Lady Bird's story is done but Christine's continues. I'm not really sure what specifics I want to say about this movie, but I loved everything about it. I think maybe it's the movies for which words escape you that are the most affecting--to literally be speechless.

Brooklyn (2015)

Brooklyn is a beautiful film about the immigrant experience in 1950s Brooklyn. It is tough at first but life gets better for Ellis Lacey, no doubt a reference to Ellis Island. The movie feels authentic. It paints a picture of Brooklyn that is diverse, with the Irish (played by Irish actors) and Italians interacting daily (and I love the accents). Despite the big city feel, she finds an immigrant community that is supportive. The costumes and the sets look like they come straight from the the middle of the century. It is a very believable story--Ellis has problems that an immigrant girl would have being homesick and missing her family and feeling alone. Saoirse Ronan plays Ellis brilliantly. She comes into her own as a strong young woman, growing up with her character in the span of the film.

What is perhaps most extraordinary about this movie is that it is simultaneously heartbreaking and heartwarming. Nick Hornby wrote a very emotional screenplay that is deeply moving and sometimes quite funny. It is a story about home (it's where the heart is) and community and love. Overall, it is a gorgeous story that is really well done.

The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014)

Right from the beginning as the film opens with a yodel, you can tell that this film is something special.  Wes Anderson must be one of the most stylish directors out there and his storytelling ability is superb.  From his use of miniatures for wide shots, to the colorful costumes and ornate sets, Anderson gives this triumphantly fun adventure his distinctive signature stamp.  He presents an intriguing whodunnit that builds layers of mystery in a unique world of his own creation.

Ralph Fiennes is perfectly cast as the mustachioed concierge.  He delivers Anderson's trademark fast-paced, witty humor effortlessly.  Newcomer Tony Revolori shines as the dutiful young lobby boy Zero among a fantastic ensemble cast.  This movie has serious Oscar potential.  Maybe Wes Anderson will even land his first nomination for Best Picture.