Two not-to-be-missed movies

I think you know this about me already. I’m a movie freak. I’ll go anytime anywhere. Besides the interesting things and wonderful acting I see on the screen, I like the diversion – one of the things that helped save me after our son, Paul, died. So with a date with friends on Saturday night and a completely open day on Sunday I had two opportunities to go the movies this weekend. And I felt we really lucked out. Saturday night we saw Official Secrets and on Sunday we saw The Goldfinch. I highly recommend both.

Official Secrets tells the true story of British Intelligence whistle-blower Katharine Gun who, during the immediate run-up to the 2003 Iraq invasion, leaked a top-secret NSA memo exposing a joint US-UK illegal spying operation against members of the UN Security Council. It stars Keira Knightley, who plays the whistle-blower Katharine Gun; Ralph Fiennes, her attorney, and Matthew Goode, a sympathetic reporter. All were terrific. If you don’t know the story you’ll find a real twist at the end. I’ll leave it to you to see it for yourself.

My take is that Official Secrets is a timely movie with a lot of hidden references to the way our current administration is controlling the goings on in the US and  abroad. Remember the influence of Trump et al on NOAA’s weather reporting during Hurricane Dorian.

The Goldfinch, based on the 2014 Pulitzer Prize winning novel by Donna Tartt, which I read a couple of years ago, is a real gem. It’s a tragedy, mystery, and a coming of age story with an enthralling musical background byTrevor Gureckis.

For those of you who have heard nothing but bad reviews about this film, take it from me, it is well worth going to see. And I’m not the only one. here’s a ten-star review by another very satisfied movie goer.

“Beyond My Expectations. Where do I start? All of the characters were amazing and so wonderfully written. Although the book was so much more detailed at 770+ pages, the movie did its best to bring it full circle. Both the main character Theo and his friend Boris had such messed up childhoods, and still they both found strength in each other. I loved their relationship as they both struggled for love. This movie is like none other, full of twists you cannot imagine. Nicole Kidman played her role perfectly, and so did all four actors playing the younger and older versions of Theo and Boris. Jeffrey Wright is especially memorable in this film as Hobie. Having just finished the book before seeing the film, I was very pleased with the adaptation.”

 

 

Speak Your Mind

*