Going Back - some of my favorite movies of the past six months

It may seem like a strange time to be doing a retrospective, but I've run out of movies for the moment, and didn't want to leave you waiting around for me. August will be the fifth anniversary of the blog; so far it's the longest relationship I've had in a while. (ba-dum-bump)

Anyway, there are a lot of movies that I have seen, some I like, some I don't and some I just love. Here are a few (links provided to the reviews):

Captain Fantastic with Viggo Mortenson was one of my absolute favorite movies of the awards season. I try to mention it whenever someone asks me for a recommendation. If you enjoyed Little Miss Sunshine, then I think you will enjoy this one. It's one of those quirky family movies (not family like for kids family movie) that shows a man and his kids, warts and all. I laughed, I cried and I cheered (I do that in the comfort of my home, mind you). Sure, some of the story may seem far-fetched, but I don't care; it looks at death, mental illness, family squabbles in a real way. A must-see.

Dark Horse is a documentary about a...horse; not just any horse, but a horse that was essentially owned, raised and cared for by a Welsh mining village that invested its hopes and dreams in Dream Alliance. Some people love their animals (and things) for only as long as they get a return on their investment, but Dream Alliance gives something intangible and powerful to his owners/family. This is a good family movie (see what I did there?).

The Eagle Huntress is another documentary that I have been recommending to anyone who will listen. It's the story of a young girl in Mongolia who wants to learn the traditionally-male skill of training eagles. Most of the people in her community frown upon this, but her parents, especially her father, is supportive and he is more than willing to train her and defend his daughter's right to try. She works with her eagle, that she has to capture, and then enters a competition; this isn't a competition where everyone gets a trophy, you have to earn it. I loved so much about this movie: the scenery has me looking at Mongolia and Kazakhstan as my next big vacation; a story about 'girl power' is so inspirational; Aisholpan is a delight to watch, she's still a young girl, but she has a way with her eagle that is beyond her years. The film is subtitled, but Daisy Ridley provides narration that is engaging and makes the movie accessible to kids, who, I think, will enjoy it.

I am a Promise: The Children of Stanton Elementary School is another documentary, and this one made me cry with sadness and joy, and I cheered the kids, and truly wonder how they did in the following years (the documentary is form 1993). Being a teacher can be a thankless job, but it is made difficult by drastic budget cuts and inequitable situations (classrooms, equipment, teacher/student ratio). If you are able to find this film, I hope it inspires you.

13th, OJ: Made in America and Life, Animated These three nominated documentaries from 2016 were all so powerful and moving, in the case of 13th and OJ, I got angry, but also educated in our fallible justice system (in many cases, a failed justice system). Life, Animated was joyful and emotional, and showed me a little bit of the world of autism and the love of a family. I have recommended all three of these films.

Hidden Figures was a movie that got a lot of buzz and created a lot of interest in girls' education in math and science, which was great, but it was also a fabulous movie. It showed us a part of history that has been hidden and ignored for too long. It didn't fare well at the Oscars, which made me sad, but I hope the enthusiasm for those women of the past and the girls of the future continues.

I have heard mixed reviews on Fences from different people, and I think I understand that; it's a tough movie to say "I love that!", I mean I hated Denzel Washington in that movie. And who wants to hate Denzel Washington? That's crazy talk. But, it was raw, and a view into a time (the 1950s) that seems to get overlooked a lot, and into a Black American family that also often gets overlooked. My favorite, Viola Davis, is fearsome and vulnerable and strong. She has speech where she goes off on Denzel's character, and I wanted to applaud right there in the theater. The words (by August Wilson) are wonderful, but her delivery was awesome. She did win the Best Supporting Actress, and if you're turned off by the less than cheery tone of the film, I guess I would say, give it a try.