Saturday Night Movie Recommendations with Abe

Welcome to a weekly feature here at Movies With Abe. I'm going to be providing a handy guide to a few choice movies currently playing in NYC as well as several films newly released on DVD. I’ll also aim to comment on those films I have not yet had the chance to see, and I invite you to add in your thoughts on any films I haven’t seen in the comments below. Understandably, some weeks will have considerably fewer releases to address than others.

Now Playing in NYC

Nothing of note this week!

New to DVD

Footnote (highly recommended): The Israeli Oscar nominee for Best Foreign Film is a delightful and endearing story about a father and a son, both professors, with a complicated relationship made even more complicated by an unexpected turn of events. It’s a wonderful film that works well both as a comedy and a drama.

Jiro Dreams of Sushi (highly recommended): This heartwarming documentary played at last year’s Tribeca Film Festival and finally arrives in theatres today. It’s impossible not to like, and may even make you hungry!

Now on Netflix Instant Streaming

The Future (mixed bag): Miranda July’s oddball follow-up to “Me and You and Everyone We Know,” which became available on Netflix last week, is more of a narrative, less of an ensemble, and ultimately an unsatisfying second film from this creative filmmaker.

The Messenger (recommended): This affecting, intimate 2009 Oscar nominee features excellent performances from Ben Foster, Woody Harrelson, and Samantha Morton and features a stark and moving look at war and death notifications.