"I'm going very, very far away to the land of my dreams."

Travellers and Magicians - set and filmed in the beautiful country of Bhutan. There are no super stars in this film. There are, however, many non-actors from Bhutan - a local principal, a politician, and local farmers.

This film is about journeys. Or more to the point as the title states travellers and magicians. A young officer is desperate to leave the small village where he is stationed and move to the U.S. He misses the bus that is to take him to meet his connection who will assist him in getting a visa to the U.S. He is stranded and must hitch hike his way to the meeting place. Along the way he meets fellow travellers, and in particular a monk who tells a story about a magician.

The journey of the travellers follows the path of the magician in the story. The young officer is akin to the magician who goes on his own journey to avoid the path laid before him by his parents. The magician is led to a house in the woods days away from his family home and he meets a man and his young wife. As the story progresses a love springs up between the young wife and the magician. Similarly, the young officer meets a father and his young college age daughter who are from the village he is trying to escape.

The magician storyline is very engrossing and I liked it more than the young officer storyline. But I think I only enjoyed the magician storyline because it was dolled out slowly and deliciously. The characters are developed just enough. The film acts as life and does not end perfectly. The beauty of this film is breathtaking. An overall excellent, albeit slightly slow, film.

"To a mere child anything over twenty might seem old."

To Catch a Thief -a classic movie starring Grace Kelly and Cary Grant. While this movie had an interesting plot: a former cat burglar trying to clear his name regarding a string of recent robberies he did not commit. Cary Grant befriends an insurance man who gives him a list of rich folk staying in the area, the French Riviera, whose jewels he is insuring. This is where Grace Kelly enters the picture, she is the daughter of a wealthy American widow. The two are drawn to each other, Grace Kelly figures out that Cary Grant is the Cat.

This movie while interesting was not as engaging as I would have liked. The story did not grip me, I only half watched the movie. Usually I start doing something else on the computer or in my home only to be arrested by the movie. That did not happen while watching this film. Parts of the film were captivating - mostly moments between Cary Grant and Grace Kelly (also some fun scenes with her mother) but this movie left much to be desired especially in the french actress category. Worth a watch for historical value, but maybe try to catch it on TMC or AMC.

"When I was 9, I was done. So I lay down behind a truck and waited."

Quinceañera - a interesting inde flick centered around the Mexican tradition of the Quinceanera - the fifteenth year when a girl is welcomed into the world. In this movie there are two, one for each cousin. The story centers around Magdalena a fourteen year old who discovers she is pregnant only months before her Quinceanera. Her father, the preacher, kicks her out because she denies having slept with a boy.

Magdalena is taken in by her bachelor great uncle who is sheltering her cousin Carlos who was kicked out of his parent's house when it was discovered that he is gay. He is also a thief and not the best role model for his sister or his cousin. Tio Thomas is a sweet man. He has made a home for himself and is willing to take in the wayward offspring of his nephews and nieces.

This is a very inde film - some of the dialogue was improvised, or as I like to say, not very good. A few scenes were a little painful to watch since the actors seemed to be given little more direction than here's a scene where we need you to talk like teenage girls and "action." This movie had an interesting idea, it just need a few screenwriters who knew what they were doing. Overall a sweet movie about trust, family, and growing up.

"You love words don't you?"

Iris - a biopic about the writer Iris Murdoch. The film stars Judi Dench and Kate Winslet as the older and younger version of Iris respectively. The story is told in a very non-linear fashion. Iris Murdoch ended her life suffering from Alzheimer's disease and the film intermingles the present and the past.

Although the viewer is not sure which Iris or John will appear, whether present or past, the movie is not that difficult to follow. The one linear element is Iris' progression toward non-memory and the inability of her husband of 40 years to care for her on his own. Iris was a prolific writer, an Oxford Fellow, and a kindred spirit to Frida Kahlo in her love. John, unlike Diego, was a shrinking violet who shown in Iris' presence. As she aptly puts it, he is her world because he knows her - he is her world.

This movie was on the short side only an hour and a half. I felt a little cheated. It's not that I wanted salacious details of her life I just wanted more. Maybe a bit more of the past to bring home the point even stronger of feeling the loss of memory. I want to know more, so maybe the movie is better than I am giving it credit. Worthwhile view even if it is a bit sad.

"I saw two women fall in love today. And the thing is no one noticed."

Feast of Love - starring Morgan Freeman, Greg Kinnear, and Jane Alexander. This film was based a novel, is set in Portland, Oregon, and is a drama. Greg Kinnear plays Bradley a coffee shop owner who is also a painter. He is married to Selma Blair who ends up leaving him for a woman. He then promptly falls in love with his real estate agent.

Morgan Freeman is married to Jane Alexander. Morgan plays Harry, a professor at the local university. He is Bradley's confidante, is happily married, and is recovering from the loss of his one and only son.

Two unknown actors play Chloe and Oscar. Oscar is a barrista at Bradley's coffee shop. Chloe is a girl he sees through the window and the two fall in love. They are the sweet solid note throughout the film. Theirs is the young love full of hope and promise.

This film had some problems, as most films do that are based on novels. Things have to be left out and while the choices are mostly likely just the viewer feels cheated. Still I enjoyed this film, and let me stress that this film is a drama with hints of humor, but make no mistake this is a drama. It was nice to see Morgan Freeman explore a new role. It fit him so well. Greg Kinnear was also richly rewarded with his role. I say go and see it. It will be a nice rainy afternoon treat.