Three opening this week: ALL THAT'S LEFT OF YOU, SERIOUS PEOPLE and OUR HAPPY PLACE

ALL THATS LEFT OF YOU
The Oscar entry from Jordan is the story of a Palestinian family over the course of 70 years. Its a heartbreaking tale of the pains suffered the people of Palestine. 

I was moved.

As good as the film is on it's own terms I wish this film was being released earlier in the year or some time down the road since I beleieve this is the fourth film using the history of Palestine to tell the story of the current situation. 

SERIOUS PEOPLE
A video director hires a man to direct families in his stead so he can spend time with his family. Unfortunately, things go sideways.

Mannered inde comedy is one you are either going to love or hate depending upon how you connect to it. Long takes and a desire to be more than just a comedy make this film something atypical. For example, the whole opening sequence of what seems like an actual casting session gives the film a sense of documentary, that drifts in and out of the film that made it feel a bit odd.  I never clicked with the vibe and not all of the humor worked for me. At the same time, I know people who saw this on the festival circuit who loved it.

Worth a try for the adventurous.

OUR HAPPY PLACE
A woman caring for her husband keeps waking up in the woods with no memory of how she got there and vague sense of disturbing visions.

Released on VOD, Ive revisited this film because I didn't think I had seen it and I was in the mood for a good thriller.  Almost instantly I realized I had seen it before (though never wrote it up) but decided to stay with it because I needed a palate cleanse from all the awards films I'm watching.

This is a small little thriller that doesn't reinvent the wheel but simply entertains. While that may not sound like much, consider that I chose to stay with it a second time despite having some of the biggest films of the year waiting in a pile demanding my attention to be seen.

Recommended