Won't You Be My Neighbor? (2018)

A lovingly-made tribute to one of the greatest Americans of the twentieth century, a television pioneer, and a decent man at a time such people are hard to find. You cannot overstate the number of lives Fred Rogers touched, teaching young children how to navigate the world by treating them like people, acknowledging their feelings and helping them understand the complex world around them. I hadn't realized how much thought he put into this show to really get a message across to the kids. Children's programming today is totally devoid of content and this would appall Mr. Rogers. Maybe I would emote better had I watched Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood. Maybe I would have watched it if it was a little less creepy. Something as simple and mundane as puppets, but they're some creepy looking puppets. At the beginning of television, Mr. Rogers was there. All in all he filmed over 1500 episodes. Some iconic highlights that are featured in Morgan Neville's documentary: RFK's assassination, Francois Clemmons and Fred Rogers soaking their feet in the pool, Koko the Gorilla, quadriplegic Jeff Erlanger, the Challenger disaster, and 9/11.

Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000)

This Chinese classic is one of the best martial arts films I have ever seen.  The choreography is complex, fast-paced and mesmerizing. Action choreographer Yuen Wo Ping is returning to direct the sequel.  It is very impressive that these actors do their own fighting sequences.  Attached to invisible strings, the actors fly through the air in fantastical chase sequences.  Consider this film an introduction for the western world to the Chinese wuxia genre, which follows the adventures of heroic martial artists in ancient China. And a good one at that, mostly free from the cheesiness that westerners might perceive from Asian films. As an introduction to China, the film does an unusual tour of the vast country, from the well-known regal courtyards of Beijing to the lesser-known barren deserts of China's western region, to the majestic temples of the mountains straight from a painting.

The story is not particularly unique, but it is engaging and under Ang Lee's direction, the story is told beautifully.  Lee creates a grand fantastical world full of wonder, supported by very likable characters in Chow Yun-fat and Michelle Yeoh.  Tan Dun takes traditional Chinese sound and gives it searing melodies and a driving force in Yo-Yo Ma's beautiful cello solos.  Altogether, Lee strikes a perfect balance between action, emotion, beauty and substance.