The mixed-race daughter of a Royal Navy officer struggles against social norms to find her own identity in Belle. A curious portrait from 1779 was the inspiration behind the story of Dido Elizabeth Belle (Gugu Mbatha-Raw). When Dido’s mother passes away unexpectedly, word is sent out to her estranged father, Captain Sir John Lindsay (Matthew Goode), an […]

Thankfully I got a chance on Saturday to catch the art house film The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel. Here’s a film that boasts a bevy of European and Asian heavyweights that seemed too good to be true. The story involves several retiring Brits who, due to varied circumstances, are either drawn-to, or driven to retire in a […]

This is yet another movie that got rave reviews (Roger Ebert used the word “perfect” in his description of it) that were so positive that I feared there was little chance I would like it. I find this happening all the time with movies that have “universal” appeal. This meant I went into the movie […]