LOVING VINCENT

I can not rate this movie because it excels on so many techniques--from art to video to acting.  It is an animate biopic that recounts the life and last days of tormented Dutch artist Vincent van Gogh,  Each frame of the film, consists of an oil painting executed in the master's style and a plot based on letters he penned.  The great art will mesmerize you and it is hard to concentrate on the story which is fascinating.  There has never been a film like this.  You walk out of the theater in awe.  Stars Douglas Booth, Jerome Flyn, Robert Gulaczyk.

THE FLORIDA PROJECT

THE FLORIDA PROJECT tells the story of precocious six year-old Moonee who lives with her unemployed single mother Halley in an extended stay motel on the outskirts of Disney World.  The film delves into impoverished America through the eyes of Moonee and her friends,  whose summer break is filled with childhood wonder and possibility, while the adults around them struggle to make ends meet.  The movie is a real eye opener and not just in Florida.  The movie finds reality in a real social situation.  Many kids do not have homes and a stable life  with socially functioning adults in charge.  I give it an 8.  Stars Brooklyn Prince and Bria Vinaite.

LUCKY

This wry character study follows Lucky, a lonely 90-year-old living in a dusty desert town, as he meditates on his inevitable death.  Despite his strong belief  that God does not exist, Lucky isn't ready to make the jump into nothingness.  Lucky played by Harry Dean Stanton is the movie.  He died the month before this movie was released.  Kudos for his performance.  My age group will love it.  I give it a 7.  Also stars David Lynch.

VICTORIA AND ABDUL

Kind of a true story about Queen Victoria and her unexpected friendship in the later years of her rule with a young clerk named Abdul who travels from India to participate in the Queen's Golden Jubilee.  He is surprised to find favor with the Queen herself.  As she questions the constrictions of her long-held position, the two forge a devoted alliance with a loyalty to one another that her household and inner circle all attempt to destroy.  As the friendship deepens, The Queen begins to see a changing world through new eyes.  Just a delightful movie and true Judi Dench performance.  I give it a 7.  Stars Judi Dench and Ali Fazal.