Saturday Night Movie Recommendations with Abe

Welcome back 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 theatres 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

Life Itself (highly recommended): This documentary seemed worthwhile enough to me to rank as the fifth film of my second-ever quintuple feature, and fortunately, it delivered. This retrospective of Roger Ebert’s life and his enthusiasm for movies is a resounding and entertaining endorsement of the whole concept of cinema. Now playing at Landmark Sunshine and Film Society Lincoln Center. Read my review from Sundance.

New to DVD

Nothing of note this week!

Now on Netflix Instant Streaming

The Believer (recommended): This carefully crafted and unsettling film is a powerful look at intense self-hatred as manifested by a neo-Nazi Jew. Ryan Gosling discovers a masterful and disturbing lead performance in this hard-hitting and worthwhile film.

City of God (highly recommended): This film, which my brother might still name as his all-time favorite movie, was a surprise Oscar nominee in a few major categories back in 2003. This is a visually incredible and emotionally involving example of Brazilian filmmaking from director Fernando Meirelles.

The Manchurian Candidate (recommended): This is a solid thriller that I remember wishing had been better, even though it was still a decent of the 1962 Oscar-nominated film about a brainwashed soldier. Denzel Washington, Liev Schreiber, and a hammy Meryl Streep contribute appropriately serious performances.

Perfect Sense (recommended): This romance takes place in the near future, when a chef and a scientist fall in love while humanity is losing their senses, starting with smell, one at a time. It’s a bleak but engaging film with strong performances and a great score, very well-conceived in terms of its execution.