Room (2015) R - 4½ Stars

Here is a little movie that sounded interesting to watch. Its the story of a woman who has been trapped in a small one room shed for over 7 years. In this time she's had a child, a young boy she named Jack, who has never experienced anything outside of the 4 walls. His mother, has created their entire universe inside consisting of games, exercise, stories to tell all while confined to their small captive room. But things cant stay this way forever, Jack is growing up and as mom decides to enlighten his world with the tales of outside which just might be the scariest part of all.

The acting is superb and Brie Larson won the academy award in 2016 for her role along with a numerous list of other awards too long to list. Young Jacob Tremblay was excellent and so believable for such a tiny tot. I was amazed at just how well he adapted to this role. The movie will tug at your heartstrings watching the bond between mother and child in such a horrific situation.

Jack (Jacob Tremblay), wakes up each morning in a 10x10 room saying hello to everything inside of it. The sink, the refrigerator, the plant, even the toilet. His mother, Joy Newsome (Brie Larson) has spent the last seven years locked in this shed raising her small son to the best of her ability. The shed consists of a TV with poor reception and when Jack and she watch it, she explains that everything in the box is make believe and not real as it's the only way to keep this inquisitive boy to his confinements. The two spend their endless days and nights drawing, telling stories and home schooling. The only other person Jack knows of is Old Nick (Sean Bridges), an old man that brings them food and other necessities. Old Nick comes at a specific time some Jack knows he must hide in the wardrobe cabinet until he leaves, never making contact with him.

Joy turns Jack's entire world on end when she decides he is old enough to help her escape from these walls. Now she must convince hi that everything he has taught him up to this point was a lie and there really is a world outside of the four walls. But the enormous outside world is just too scary for Jack
and Joy and with the help of grandma Nancy (Joan Allen) and grandpa Robert (William H. Macy) who can't even look at his innocent face, they must find a way to come together.

Element Pictures, Film 4
Director: Lenny Abrahamson
Producers: David Gross, Ed Guiney
Writers: Emma Donoghue

Lost Girls (2020) R- 3 Stars

When it seems like police aren't doing nothing regarding the disappearance of Mari Gilbert's (Amy Ryan) daughter Shannan, she decides to take matters into her own hands. Based on a true story, "Lost Girls" enlightens viewers to the 12 murdered sex for hire hookers that went missing and no one seemed to care. The murderer became known as "LISK", the Long Island Serial Killer, but was't enough to keep these women off the streets.

Mari files a missing person report on the daughter she gave up at birth, but she feels Detective Richard Dormer (Gabriel Byrne), is not doing nearly enough to find her. Along with her other daughter, Sherre Gilbert (Thomasin McKenzie), Mari starts her own investigation learning of Shannan's last known whereabouts.  Joseph Brewer, living in a gated community of Long Island, was the last person to see her alive and Mari vows to not give up on her daughter for a second time, uncovering the field where the bodies were eventually discovered.

Langley Park Pictures Netflix

Director: Liz Garbus

Producer: Archer Gray

Writers: Robert Kolker, Michael Werwie

A Fall From Grace (2020) TVMA - 4 Stars

Gosh a lot of people didn't like this movie at all but I found myself wrapped up in it. Yes there are flaws like - Sarah and Grace are friends for 6 years but the new love relationship takes 42 days to set up - The baseball bat to the head and fall from stairs surely must have caused more damage - Jasmine's cop husband witnessed the woman jump from the roof but never makes any association while watching his wife prep for the case. However, the movie has enough strong acting for me to overlook the obvious flaws and get lost in the story line instead. The film focuses on the vulnerability of an older woman's yearning for love and attention.

Grace Waters (Crystal Fox), sits in jail for the murder of her husband Shannon (Mehcad Brooks). She will sign a plea bargain to save her from death row while keeping her son Malcom (Walter Fauntleroy), to take the stand in a trial or be involved with anything to do with her case.

DA Jasmine Bryant (Bresha Webb), shows up to have Grace sign the paperwork and be over and done with it. But after meeting Grace, Jasmine feels compelled to dig deeper into the case to free Grace of the charges against her. But when Jasmine calls Grace's best friends Sarah (Phylicia Rashad), to the stand, things take a turn for the worse.

Netflix
Director: Tyler Perry
Writer: Tyler Perry

Rainman Sisters (2008) NR - 3½ Stars

You'll fall in love with this incredible set of identical twins who just happen to worship Dick Clark. Flo and Kay at age 52, are the worlds only set of identical autistic savant twins. Savant meaning "A person affected with autism who exhibits exceptional skill or brilliance in some limited field (such as mathematics or music), unusual cognitive abilities, such as a photographic memory and excellent spatial skills." (Webster)

Flo and Kay are special with their extraordinary memories where they can name the day of the week for any date past or future. They can tell you what the weather was that particular day and what their favorite game show hosts we wearing. The girls has documented, in crayon, 30 plus years of color schemes their favorite stars were wearing on a particular day.
The girls have established routines in their brains that deviating anything upsets their world.Their lives are disrupted when the Ten Thousand Dollar Pyramid was abruptly taken off the air. Flo and Kay would watch every night to keep track of how many buzzers and bells sounded as well as the archiving every questions and answers that was used. Brain scans show almost identical normal brain activity for both left and right parts of the brain.

Guber-Peters Company

Producer: Mark Johnson