Watching: CRAZY RICH ASIANS

Year: 2018
Rated: PG-13
Director: Jon M. Chu
One of the best romantic comedies to hit the screen in a long time, Crazy Rich Asians opens to find New York-based economics professor Rachel Chu (Constance Wu) crazy in love with fellow professor Nick Young (Henry Golding), being asked to accompany Nick to his best friend's wedding in Singapore. American-born Rachel, bowled over even with the idea of such a trip, agrees ... but from their arrival at the airport, where Nick is treated like royalty and the couple end up with their own sleeper suite on the airplane, Rachel soon begins to realize how little Nick has told her about himself and his family. Turns out, not only are the Youngs richer than God and one of the most powerful, preeminent families in Asia - let alone Singapore - but that Nick himself is very much a celebrity on his home turf; the handsome, popular man-about-town bachelor set to inherit a dynasty one day, with every female eye under the age of 50 in all of Asia turned in his direction. And it's those same women who now find their gazes shifting to Rachel, many of them plotting the best way to get rid of the low-class ABC (American-Born Chinese) before Nick and Rachel's plane even hits the ground. Crazy Rich Asians is that rarity of a film - a movie that's actually better than the book - with the slower parts of Kevin Kwan's international bestseller edited, combined and refined to make not only a good romance story, but also one damn funny comedy. The cast is terrific, particularly Michelle Yeoh as Eleanor Young (Nick's mom), who can't help but always look at Rachel as though she's trying to set fire to the girl with her eyes - and in particular Awkwafina as Peik Lin, an old college chum of Rachel's who is from/lives in Singapore; seriously, every word from Peik Lin's mouth is hilarious, the screen bursting with life every time she's on it. But the romance is there as well as the humor, and thankfully it's not done in such shades of pink and syrup that you'll feel like a toothache is coming on from all that sugar. How terrific to finally see an all-Asian big-budget film get made, let alone do so well, but truth be known Crazy Rich Asians was one of my favorite films of 2019, so full of heart and humor and just the right moments of awe, it might bring a tear or two to the eye. And again: SO damn funny!  9.5/10 stars

   

Watching: BIRD BOX

Year: 2018
Rated: R
Director: Susanne Bier
Though the book resides unread on my Kindle, fear of spoilers accidentally hitting me in my face like firecrackers made me watch the Sandra Bullock horror-thriller soon as it started blowing up on Netflix. Bird Box opens with what appears to a mother (Sandra Bullock) and her two young children - one boy, one girl - fighting their way to get up a river to safety in a small rowboat. All three are blindfolded, and upfront Malorie (Bullock) almost cruelly reminds the children that to remove their blindfolds means they will die. Malorie does, in fact, even hide the kids under a blanket on the boat for warmth and extra protection, rowing upstream while wearing her own blindfold under an iron-gray sky, the only people seen so far in a world where things appear to have gone very, very wrong. Flashback five years, to a pregnant Malorie on the way to her doctor's appointment with her sister Jessica (Sarah Paulson). At the hospital, various news sources playing in the background warn of a strange phenomenon breaking out on the other side of the world: suddenly and for no reason, people by the thousands over in Europe and the Ukraine are committing suicide without warning, usually by whatever means at hand. Within minutes Malorie learns first-hand the thing have already gone local and - suddenly on her own - hurries on foot through the streets until finally finding a home where a small band of (so-far) survivors have gathered against what appears to be an alien invasion where the invaders can't be seen - or, at least when you do see them, you wind up dead by your own hand. A terrific supporting cast backs up Bullock as other survivors - John Malkovich, BD Wong, Jacki Weaver, and Moonlight star Trevante Rhodes (whose star continues to shoot higher than a bottle rocket), to name a few - but one thing to consider is that whether you like Bird Box may well depend on how you like your horror. This is a film relying much more on a slow-burn playing out/reveal of events, and though with its share of violence the GQ (Gore Quotient) remains low overall.  And while the film has its own sense of closure, it may not be enough for viewers who want everything spelled out for them - all questions answered - by The End. For me, Bird Box was kind of awesome; a fun, taught, well-put together suspense thriller that kept me hooked beginning to end, tense and well-acted and sometimes sad - but certainly worth the hype.  8/10 stars

Reading: THE JOLLY REGINA (THE UNINTENTIONAL ADVENTURES OF THE BLAND SISTERS BOOK 1) - Kara LaReau (writer) & Jen Hill (illustrator)

Kale and Jaundice Bland are a pair of sisters who couldn't live up to their last name more. Since their parents disappeared some time ago on a mysterious errand, the girls have managed to make a living by repairing socks, and never leave the house; even their groceries are delivered in a basket left by the mailbox, and when the normal cheese they use for sandwiches is changed to a difference kind - well, for the Bland sisters this is as shocking as their young lives get.  That is, until a band of all-female pirates shows up at their front door, and the girls are kidnapped and forced to work swabbing the deck of the Jolly Regina, a pirate ship sailing the high seas on a quest to de-throne the current pirate queen ... and may also be a way for the sisters to find their parents again. I read the second book, The Uncanny Express, first and fell in love with author Kara LaReau's homage to Agatha Christie in that book. What showed through like a beacon here in book one is how much I've also come to care about and love Kale and Jaundice themselves - not to mention LaReau's dry wit and sarcastic humor that makes these books as much a joy for adults to read. Though never fear, for young ones there are wonderful messages here about friendship, being yourself, forgiveness, and how to never - ever - eat a stew made by a pirate cook if you don't know what's in it (OMG, seriously Ms. LaReau??). Jen Hill's endearing illustrations only enhance the mood of the story; I always find myself reading along hoping to get to the next one soon. And though I think I might like The Uncanny Express a touch more (maybe due to my lifelong Christie obsession), The Jolly Regina was a marvelous first adventure only solidifying my love for the series - one that culminated with the squeal of glee I couldn't contain upon learning books three, Flight of the Bluebird, releases in January.  4.5/5 stars 

Reading: MIRACLE ON 34TH STREET: A STORYBOOK EDITION OF THE CHRISTMAS CLASSIC - Valentine Davies Estate/Susanna Leonard Hill (writers) & James Newman Gray (illustrator)

From childhood, my favorite Christmas film has remained the original Miracle on 34th Street. For this reason alone, it was a surprise to learn that it took so many decades later for a picture book to come out retelling the story of a sensible little girl (and her even more-sensible mother) who learns to believe again when she meets a man who may - or may not - be the real Santa Claus. This book is a delight to just thumb through; James Newman Gray's illustrations greatly reflect the old-fashioned, peaceful beauty of Christmas so prevalent in the original film (only in bright, beautiful purely-Christmas colors here not found in the original film). And while the story has been, of course, greatly pared down to the very basics for a children's picture book, I still felt it a bit lacking especially in the character of Susan's mother - who, in fact, is only called Mother throughout, which for me made the story feel unbalanced, even awkward, when compared to the film I love so much. That said, this beautifully-presented book makes effective use of the small time and space it has to re-tell the story of how Kris Kringle taught a little girl that you must always have faith, even when common sense tells you not to.  3.5/5 stars

NOTE: I received a free ARC of this title via NetGalley and the publisher, in exchange for an honest review.

Watching: SKYSCRAPER

Year: 2018

Rated: PG-13

Writer/Director: Rawson Marshall Thurber

There is something so insanely stupid about Dwayne Johnson's Skyscraper, you have to applaud its sheer gall to exist. Like Die Hard mixed with The Towering Inferno with a dash of "Gilligan's Island" (because every time you think Johnson and/or his family is going to escape, something else happens) thrown in, Skyscraper is a brainless, fun, over-the-top live-action loony tune that - thankfully - keeps a toe-hold in reality thanks to the chill, effective performance of Neve Campbell (we've missed you, Neve!) as Mrs. Rock - er, Dwayne Johnson's wife. The plot is simple: Will Sawyer (Johnson) is a war vet and former FBI hostage rescuer who now helps companies big and small to assess/beef up their security systems, when he's all but handed the gig of a lifetime as he and his family are flown to Hong Kong to assist the billionaire creator of the world's tallest, safest skyscraper, rising 225 stories above the city. Will's there to help finalize the one-of-a-kind structure's security but alas, some stock company terrorists finesse access to the system first, the bulkier, more military-looking ones entering the building itself to start a fire on one of the upper floors - one floor away, of course, from where Will's family are staying, making them trapped. As if Will's day isn't going badly enough, the baddies also frame him for the crime, so with no help from the authorities and live news feeds painting him a criminal, how does a big, bulky ex-military hostage rescuer gain access to the building ... get all the way up to his family ... thwart the terrorists ... and find out what the hell's going on in the first place, so he can stop it? The film is merciless in what it puts Will Sawyer through in trying to save the day (and his wife and kids), the resulting action and suspense sequences so over-the-top nuts you can't help but sit back in awe, your brain safely tucked away in a desk drawer somewhere. The film most definitely has its moments, a little silly for me and I thought the ending too drawn out and anti-climactic, but for Rock fans seeking a more serious, Bruce Willis-y Rock than your usual smug, smiling slab of beefcake, Skyscraper makes for a suspenseful little rollercoaster ride.  6.5/10 stars

Watching: HALLOWEEN

Year: 2018

Rated: R

Director: David Gordon Green

For those of you (aka most of us) who feel the story of Michael Meyers jumped the shark with anything after Halloween II, never fear; this sequel to John Carpenter's classic masterpiece Halloween changes the game and picks up four decades after the events in the first film, ignoring everything else. The fortieth anniversary of "The night HE came home" is coming up, and Michael Meyers remains institutionalized, not uttering a word since committing his crimes. Meanwhile, Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis, wonderful as a broken warrior) has confined herself to her own private hell; twice-divorced and estranged from her daughter Karen (Judy Greer), Laurie lives outside town in an isolated part of the woods, where she's spent decades honing her own fighting and killing skills in preparation for the day when Michael comes for her again, while simultaneous trying to keep a fragile relationship with her teenage granddaughter, Allyson (Andi Matichak). When a former student of the late Dr. Sam Loomis, Dr. Sartain (Haluk Bilginer), arranges a transfer for Michael and some other patients to another facility - on Halloween night, no less (cue creepy music) - Michael escapes (duh!) and the killing starts again as he cuts a path toward Haddonfield and The One Who Got Away all those years ago. First off, I have to say this film has one KICK-ASS ending I didn't see coming, and for that alone I recommend it. That said, Curtis is fantastic as always, wholly believable as a recluse just waiting to take down the devil. But one thing that made the original Halloween work so perfectly is that Michael Meyers was "The Shape" - an evil, omnipotent, almost supernatural presence who was just ... there; forever after you, and not stopping until it gets you. Here he's sadly been reduced to a standard slasher flick killer, that essence of pure, incarnate evil somehow lost in translation. The fact that director Green also has much of the killing happen off-screen removes some of the mystique from Michael as well, not to mention weakening the most suspenseful scenes when they are suddenly cut short of watching the victim actually buying it (NOTE: John Carpenter's death scenes, in the original, were shocking and terrifying without the gore; the same could equally have been done here). Good but not great, this Halloween (without giving spoilers) still feels like a fitting wrap up chronicling Laurie Strode's dance with the devil; closure of some kind, at last, for that poor, awkward babysitter who just wanted to carve a pumpkin, get a date for the dance, and watch The Thing all those years ago.  7/10 stars

Watching: I STILL SEE YOU

Year: 2018
Rated: PG-13
Director: Scott Speer
It's been a decade since an "apocalyptic event" killed off millions from the world's population  - though "killed off" might not be a wholly accurate phrase, as ghost-like versions of many remained behind - remnants - repeating the same actions over and over every day before evaporating, as if waiting for permission to fully cross to the other side. Ask high school student Veronica (Bella Thorne), who goes downstairs every morning to still see her see-through father reading the paper, until he evaporates in a wisp of smoke, like vapor, at the same moment every morning. It's just another day for the goth-like teen ... until a young, handsome "rem" actually makes physical contact with Veronica - a phenomenon that's never happened before - and she has to team up with her school's social outcast (Richard Harmon), whose been tracking these spectral entities for his own purposes, to try and find out who is after her from beyond the grave. A decent script but wholly predictable story - right up until the supposed "surprise" ending that any fan of thrillers will see coming miles away - should have made this film worse than it actually is, but I Still See You held my attention throughout with a few edge-of-your-seat moments of suspense that (along with the somewhat original premise, and a finale that plays out on an icy lake at night) turned it into a genuine guilty pleasure for me.  Thorne is good as the put-upon Veronica, Harmon even better as the misfit Kirk, with Dermot Mulroney effectively rounding out the headlining trio as a concerned teacher.  7/10 stars

Watching: INCREDIBLES 2

Year: 2018
Rated: PG
Director: Brad Bird
While Marvel and DC consistently try to one-up each other with special effects, explosions, and dissolving superheroes, Pixar snuck in and created as close to perfect a superhero film as mere mortals are likely to get. Incredibles 2, coming along fourteen years after its predecessor, starts off with a bang as Bob and Helen Parr - aka Mr. Incredible and Elastigirl - manage, along with their three children, to defeat the Underminer ... but are then are arrested for doing so, as superheroes are still illegal. Enter the brother/sister team of Winston and Evelyn Deavor, richer-than-rich siblings behind the multi-billion dollar company Devtech who are determined to rebuild the public brand of superheroes, with the ultimate goal of making them legal again. When the siblings choose Helen to work with over Bob (Elastigirl, who tends to save people without destroying public or personal property, has the better image), Mr. Incredible suddenly finds himself the stay-at-home dad - just in time for the baby, Jack-Jack, to start developing (and showing off) a variety of potentially destructive powers of his own. But sinister plots abound, and when a new supervillain - Screenslaver - threatens to not only destroy the world but all the superheroes, it will take the entire Parr family to don the red suits one more time and - along with Frozone and a slew of new heroes of wannabes and veterans - give their everything to save the world from a menace hidden under their very noses. Though I guessed the Big Reveal early on, everything about Incredibles 2 - the story, humor, fight scenes, visuals, social messages, family dynamic - it all worked for me, without a sour note in the entire film. Exhilarating, thrilling and funny as heck right up until the end, it was my favorite film of 2019 - and will remain a favorite film of mine for a long, long time.  9.5/10 stars

Reading: SUPER CHILL: A YEAR OF LIVING ANXIOUSLY - Adam Ellis

Embarrassed as I am to admit it, this collection was my introduction to cartoonist Adam Ellis - but hopefully it makes up for my tardiness that I was hooked immediately going in, becoming an instant fan (I have since found him on social media/seen much more of his work).  Pretty much anyone who lives the kind of life where dumb things go wrong daily (aka the human race) can relate to Ellis, who in his crisp/animation-level artwork (seriously, Adam the oft-put-upon character would make for a great animated TV series) shows his one-of-a-kind level of snark in the saga of a young man who, regardless of what life deals him (healing through crystals? a disturbing breakdown from "Anceztry.com"?), tries to keep things positive. Funny and relatable, my only critique: at 120 pages the collection is just too short, reading very fast until I didn't realize it was over until it was - and was left wanting more.  4.5/5 stars

NOTE: I received a free ARC of this title from NetGalley and the publisher, in exchange for an honest review.

Reading: LEARN TO DRAW MICKEY MOUSE & FRIENDS THROUGHOUT THE DECADES - Disney Storybook Artists

Far more than just the how-to-draw manual it may first appear, this retrospective of the world's most famous mouse and his friends covers how Mickey, Minnie, Donald and Daisy Duck, Goofy and Pluto evolved over the decades from simple line drawings to characters that remain fresh today. Not only are detailed step-by-step illustrations provided, so aspiring artists can learn the subtle differences of drawing each iconic character as he or she traveled from the 20's through WWII, the 60's and 70's to the new century, the book is also filled with entertaining, informative information about what was going on in those times to influence any changes made to each character, as well as vintage illustrations of comics, film posters and other character artwork of the period. Kids will enjoy being able to recreate their favorite Disney characters themselves, but it's the adults who will want to make this gem a permanent addition to their shelves as an anecdotal history of some of the world's most beloved animated characters, and how they came to grow with the times and remain fresh today.  5/5 stars   

NOTE: I received a free ARC of this title from NetGalley and the publisher, in exchange for an honest review.

Watching: HOTEL ARTEMIS

(2018) Jodie Foster, in one of her best performances in years, stars in this odd, totally intriguing film as The Nurse, who overseas the Hotel Artemis somewhere near or in downtown Los Angeles. Basically a members-only private hospital occupying the penthouse floor of an otherwise abandoned hotel, the Hotel Artemis caters to stitching up and saving criminals - the film taking place in 2028 on what proves to be the busiest night of the Artemis's 20+-year history. Los Angeles has fallen to riots, see, because water is now available only to those who can pay for it outright, and as the city burns and falls - the rioters making their way to the corporate offices that hold the water rights (a building only blocks away from The Nurse and her establishment) in the dark - not only does The Nurse have to contend with a full house of patients (a couple of whom with questionable motives for being there), she also learns that possibly the most powerful criminal figure in all of Los Angeles is wounded ... and on his way to the hotel to have her save his life.  The film is dark, gritty, set in a near-future dystopian L.A. but feeling more like a contemporary gritty crime drama with occasional touches of humor. Foster is brilliant, Dave Bautista perfect as her one and only nurse/protector, and though for me Charlie Day overacted a bit and became annoying, Sterling K. Brown as a thief trying for one last job with his brother is a standout, as well as the amazing Sofia Boutella as a take-no-prisoners kick-ass assassin who won't stop until her job is done. The Hotel Artemis has but three rules: No guns. No cops. No Killing the Other Patients. For the first time this night all of these will be tested - some broken - in a film that gets under your skin, leaving you days later still thinking about what the heck you watched. (rated R)  8.5/10 stars

Reading: IT'S YOUR PARTY, DIE IF YOU WANT TO - Vickie Fee

Having fallen for the characters and sure-footed writing (especially for a debut novel) of the first adventure of party planner Liv McKay and her best friend Di, part two of this well-plotted, humorous cozy mystery series finds Liv with her hands full not only prepping for a riverboat-themed wedding ... but also the town-wide Halloween fundraiser taking place in her hometown of Dixie, Tennessee, which involves a hayride/bonfire, murder mystery dinner, and keeping the little ones occupied while the adults enjoy themselves, as well. Which is why a local businesswoman's retreat seems the best break from the stress, especially when Liv learns the event is drawing back to town a former Dixie resident who has now made a name for herself on television as a ghost hunter. This special guest, Lucinda Grable, is courtesy of Morgan Robinson, daughter of one of the big-shot families in town who is chairing the event. But even money and power can't change Morgan's man-crazy past - or present, it seems, when the affluent bank executive is poisoned at the event and a local herbalist appears to have been framed for her murder. With her own plate already full - beyond work, Liv is also helping Di play matchmaker for their favorite town deputy, while trying to figure out if she can help with what seems a rocky patch in Di's own relationship with the sheriff - but circumstances and ghost hunter/diva Lucinda somehow keep reeling Liv back into the case, through which readers get even more access to some of Dixie's colorful, quirky yet very real residents, the mystery building to a climax that could potentially turn the fundraising murder mystery dinner into the real thing. It was such a pleasure visiting Liv and Di again, and the book's insights into how party planners operate was informative and fun. But what really sets up a great cozy series are characters you love and well-plotted mysteries, and book two of the adventures of Liv and Di keeps you debating on the killer until the end - with, most importantly, the whole story set in a world that feels refreshingly and comfortably real. Onto book three!  4.5/5 stars

Book-to-Screen: "A Discovery of Witches"

TV series debuting in the UK ... and even if here in the States, this behind-in-his-TBR-Mountain boy can't watch it until I finally get to the book first. But WOW!

Reading: LOUCA, VOL. #1: KICKOFF - Bruno Dequier

Louca, a high school student, seemingly has nothing going for him. He's failing his classes, has no real friends, and can't gain the attention of his long-term crush Julie, who seems to have a thing for jocks instead. His only shining light - a younger brother who worships him - is also a source of guilt and shame for Louca, who feels he could never live up to his kid brother's image of him. With upcoming final exams spelling the potential finale for Louca's school career, Louca suddenly meets a handsome, athletic, intelligent, funny and good-natured jock at school named Nathan, who offers to help Louca get over his awkwardness by turning the gangly, clumsy teen into a soccer legend. The only issue? Nathan is a ghost, and neither he nor Louca know why he's there - why Louca is the only one who can see him - or what happened to Nathan in the first place (though a group photo at school seems to hint at possibilities). Volume 1 of this well-written, energetic and sweetly-drawn comic ends with Louca's first game, and while giving away no spoilers all I can say is that I wish I had known the volume ended when it did because I anxiously turned the pages waiting for more ... when there was no more to come. Bruno Dequier, in Louca, has created a lovable, can't-get-out-of-his-own-way nerd whom anyone with an awkward high school life in their background will identify with, and a plotline that ends, cliffhanger-style, with readers wanting more. A charming debut.  4/5 stars

Note: I received a free eARC of this title from NetGalley and the publisher, in exchange for an honest review.

Reading: EXIT STAGE LEFT: THE SNAGGLEPUSS CHRONICLES - Mark Russell

Having previously read the first graphic novel volume from Mark Russell giving an entirely new (and wonderfully grounded) face to my favorite animated series as a child - "The Flintstones" - I was prepared for anything upon finding out he was tackling another Hanna-Barbera idol from my youth, Snagglepuss. Comprising of volumes 1-6 of the comics, this heavy-in-tone graphic novel re-imagines our stagestruck hero as a Tennessee Williams-ish playwright in the early 1950's, a southern gentleman and closeted gay male with a wife who has become a legitimate Broadway star and mentor ... and what happens when he and his friends are targeted as potential communists during the Blacklist era, when McCarthyism took the American population's fear of Russia and the bomb and used it to silence/destroy anyone they deemed unworthy. Even at his height Snagglepuss was never a laugh-riot on TV, exactly; here he's not only a model for the lives and careers ruined in the name of hate - but thanks to the incredible writing skills of Mr. Russell, also an all-too-familiar reminder of what this country is dangerously close to turning into again. Exit Stage Left, with one foot in today's world as surely as it's grounded in 1950's America, is a touching, heartbreaking, important warning against history's repeating itself. It's also, especially the last half, a damned riveting read, worthy of a tear or two, even.  4.5/5

Note: I received a free ARC of this title from NetGalley and the publisher, in exchange for an honest review. 

Reading: COUNT DRAWCULA'S CARTOON FUN - Frank Rodgers

Frank Rodgers's charming, old-world illustrations drip ghoulish fun for kids wanting to learn not only how to draw their favorite monster (vampire, Frankenstein's monster, mummy, werewolf), but also any other manner of bat, bug or creepy-crawly - with even trolls, witches, goblins and the like getting their due. Illustrations are super-easy for kids to trace or follow, not to mention colorful enough to even make just a read-through fun. And for those of us adults old enough to remember the days or Rankin-Bass and Mad magazine, Rodgers illustrations lends more toward the quirky, messy-edges cartoon characters from Saturday morning TV of yore than the clean, polished-looking computerized characters of today. Nostalgic for adults and spooky (without being scary, even for the young ones) fun for the kids, Count Drawcula's Cartoon Fun is a quick, entertaining introduction to learning to draw your favorite creature of the night.  4/5 stars

Note: I received a free ARC of this title via NetGalley and the publisher, in exchange for an honest review.

Watching: DUNKIRK

(2017) Christopher Nolan's epic depiction of the evacuation of Dunkirk - when 400,000 soldiers from England, France, and Belgium were surrounded by the German army during WWII and herded to the open beaches of Dunkirk, France to be picked off - is a curiously bloodless war film that, by far, concentrates more on the war through the eyes of the young, inexperienced soldiers who lived (or didn't live) to tell about it. Fionn Whitehead is ideal in the lead role of Tommy, an idealistic and wide-eyed young British soldier losing more of his innocence every day, but in truth the film's strength lies in its exceptional ensemble cast: from Mark Rylance and Tom Glynn-Carney as a father-son duo hauling their asses - and small civilian cruiser - to Dunkirk to help with the evacuation; to Tom Hardy and Jack Lowden as RAF pilots heading to Dunkirk to keep the German Luftwaffe from picking off Allied soldiers, but find problems of their own on the way; to Kenneth Branagh and James D'Arcy as officers stuck in the middle of it all, having to make impossible decisions that will both save and cost lives - the screen is awash in top-tier talent sharing the screen with equally gifted newcomers who match them stride for stride. Even knowing how things turn out (if you know your history), and a lack of blood and guts normally found in war pictures, doesn't harm the emotional or visual impact of Nolan's vision on the viewer; in fact, quite the contrary. Somehow, again, the one-of-a-kind writer/director has tossed a bunch of balls in the air, juggling them with ease while creating a symphony of sight, sound and story on-screen - and never drops even one. (rated PG-13)  9.5/10 stars

Watching: LION

(2016) In a small village in central India, five-year-old Saroo (a remarkable Sunny Pawar) happily lives with his mother and sister, whom he loves, as well as his older brother Guddu (Abhishek Bharate), whom he idolizes and wants to be like. Wide-eyed and innocent, Saroo can also be stubborn, pushing his brother to take him along to his overnight job ... and soon Saroo is separated from his brother and lost, trapped on an empty express train traveling thousand of miles across the country. Scared and alone, the boy ends up on the urban streets of Calcutta, surviving hunger and kidnappers and worse, until finally drawing the attention of a kindly female social worker who, when her efforts to find his family fail (illiterate and too young, Saroo doesn't know his mother's real name or family surname, and can only pronounce his village's name phonetically), sets up an adoption - and soon Saroo is whisked off to Tasmania where his new mother Sue (Nicole Kidman) and father John (David Wenham) await. But two decades later, the college-aged Saroo (Dev Patel) is haunted by memories of his home, his mother, and the brother who meant the world to him. Family he knows must still be haunted, as well, wondering what happened to him; if he is still even alive. So what starts as an online search becomes a years-long obsession, the adult Saroo giving up the present to find his past - to see his brother and beloved mother again - at all cost. To go home. Based on a true story, Lion was the best film I saw in 2017; a compassionate, heart-tugging, brilliantly (and beautifully) told story of finding where you belong in this world, no matter the odds. With a universally spot-on cast, A-listers like Kidman and Patel step aside to give young Sunny Pawar the film's spotlight all the way; he is the heart of the film, and one look at that kid's soulful gaze will both mend and break your heart, every time. Have tissues handy, lots of them, for this beautifully-rendered masterpiece. (rated PG-13)  10/10 stars

Watching: LOEV

(2015) Sahil (Dhruv Ganesh) is a gay music producer living with his handsome but immature slacker boyfriend Alex (Siddharth Menon) - whom Sahil treats rather more like his child than his partner - when he gets word that his old friend Jai (Shiv Pandit), now a big-shot Wall Street success living in New York, is coming to Mumbai on business. Dropping everything to spend time with his long-term buddy, Sahil takes Jai out to the country for a relaxing get-back to nature, prior to Jai's meetings, and it soon becomes apparent that, in the time they've been apart, an electricity - an attraction - between the two exists that is hard to ignore (and comes off very palpable on-screen). Jai knows Sahil is gay - has even met and knows Alex - but it's particularly obvious his teasings have turned to flirtations, and as the two spend time hiking and enjoy the beautiful countryside the tension builds with the question many of us have asked ourselves over time: can long-term friends turn that corner and become more? Should they? And if so, what might it cost the friendship? Loev answers the question slowly, building up the relationship of these two long-term best friends who know and care for each other, but also know how to push each other's buttons until an explosive, impetuous act changes things forever. Ganesh (who, tragically, died at age 29 just prior to the film's release) and Pandit are perfectly cast and have brilliant chemistry on-screen, in a love story that depicts "loev" very much as it is in real life: messy, imperfect, unpredictable - sometimes even devastating. (not rated)  8/10 stars