That’s What I Am
{4.5/5} “It took maybe 30 seconds for word of Mary Clear and my impending union to cover the school ground like a suffocating fog. If only our fire drills were that organized.” Andy is in grade 8 in the 1960s — his favourite teacher is Mr. Simon. But then Mr. Simon pairs Andy with “Big […]
Killer Joe
{2.5/5} “Your eyes hurt.” Chris owes money that he can’t pay, to someone who will kill him. He learns that his mother, whom everyone hates, has a life insurance policy whose beneficiary is his sister Dottie. Chris hires Joe to kill his mother. Chris’s father Ansel, Ansel’s wife Sharla, and Dottie are all in on […]
The Go-Getter
{4/5} “You’re a jerk, jerk, jerk. But I like the sound of your voice.” Mercer’s mom has died so he decides to steal a car and go find his half brother so he can tell him. His half-brother is a bit of a drifter, though, so it might be tough to find him. But Mercer […]
The Straight Story
{4/5} “At my age I’ve seen about all that life has to dish out. I know to separate the wheat from the chaff, let the small stuff fall away.” Alvin’s brother has suffered a stroke. Even though the two of them said unthinkable things to each other 10 years ago, he decides he needs to […]
Everybody’s Fine
{4.5/5} “Facing up to the truth ain’t always easy.” Frank is retired and his wife passed away a few months ago. His four kids were supposed to all visit on a particular weekend but they all cancelled. So he decided to take a trip across the US and visit them all — as a surprise. […]
Salmon Fishing in the Yemen
{4.5/5} “It’s theoretically possible in the same way as a manned mission to Mars is theoretically possible.” A fabulously wealthy sheikh wants to bring salmon fishing to the desert of Yemen. On the surface, it seems an implausible project. But the British prime minister’s office was looking for a good news story involving Britain and […]
Crazy Heart
{4.5/5} “Those are the ugliest… boots I’ve ever seen in my life. Did the salesman threaten to shoot your dog?” Bad Blake is an aging country singer who now plays mostly in smaller venues. He hasn’t written any new songs lately, but he still has some fans from the old days. When Jean, a music […]
Unstoppable
{4.5/5} “Hey, don’t get sentimental on me. Makes me think I’m gonna die.” There’s a runaway train going at 70 miles per hour and it’s going to derail when it hits a curve in a large Pennsylvania town. Along with fuel, it’s carrying several cars of toxic chemicals. The only people who can stop it are Frank and Will, train […]
State of Play
{5/5} “‘I see you redecorated.’ ‘Yeah, I moved the couch a couple of feet.’” Cal is a well-known and well-liked newspaper reporter, and Della is a young reporter who writes a blog for the same paper. They’re thrown together on the story of a congressman caught in a scandal — the congressman, Stephen, happens to be […]
Sleeping Beauty
{3.5/5} “Rise up and walk, none of your bones are broken.” Lucy is a university student — she works several jobs in order to pay tuition and rent. Even though she lives with her sister and brother-in-law, they get upset when she doesn’t pay the rent on time. Lucy is always ready to try something […]