"Belfast"

A fine piece of story telling - the pathos and pain of Belfast, the poverty, the conflicts, the power struggles and violence - Protestants and Catholics - background to the life of a young boy - a child full of hope and love, surrounded by a kindly neighborhood, and a family, caught up in its own struggles. 

Father, Grandfather, the Boy

The young boy is a cheerful bundle of energy; but sensitive to the times, and to the family undercurrents.

Fascinating use of Van Morrison music and Country Western.

Fine acting, great script - some really humorous lines, but it's not comedy.

I was the only one in the auditorium, so I missed what might have been audience-reaction.

The dedication at the end says it all - to those who left, to those who stayed, and all those who were lost.

The showing I attended had captions; helpful for the music lyrics, and some of the Irish brogue. But if captions aren't your thing, the sound quality is such that everything was clear. I closed my eyes a time or two to listen rather than "watch."

Yes, this a movie to see.

"In the Heights"

Incredible - story, music, dance; every human emotion: joy, delight, inspiration; sadness, sorrow, tears; hope, laughter, love,  and then some ... and some surprising SFX ... music, dance, everything, superbly done. Yes, yes, yes ... and yes, again. Don't miss it.

And, and, and ... a post-credit trailer ... I mean, post-credit ... right at the very end ... a lovely little moment!

"The Tribes of Europa"

Finished the series yesterday - wow ... so very good ... lots of commentary about the present state of affairs in Europe ... and some darn good story telling - it's all about power, what we do with it, how it affects us, how some go crazy with it, while others know how to limit its allure. In the midst of it all, family - it is, for better or for worse, our origin.

Yet, we have other origins, too - our tribe.

Special effects, superb. Cast, terrific. Violence? Of course - life is violent, but here in this series it's handled well. It's all part of the story, like it or not. It's the kind of world in which we have to live and work, and find our way.

At the end, I was hooked on the three main characters, siblings, separated from another, striving to be a family again ... each with their own story ... I cared about them, wanting to know more, wanting to see how it works out.

There has to be another season.

Don't miss it.