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 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 Theatres

Because I Was a Painter (recommended): This documentary features artwork created in concentration camps during the Holocaust along with interviews with the survivors who created them. Its strongest asset is its theoretical exploration of finding beauty in something truly hideous. Now playing at Lincoln Plaza. Read my capsule review from yesterday.

24 Days (mixed bag): This harrowing dramatization of the kidnapping and murder of a Jewish man in Paris in 2006 has an important and relevant point to make about the resurgence of anti-Semitism in modern-day society, but this film doesn’t offer much that a documentary about the subject wouldn’t have. Now playing at Quad Cinemas. Read my review from yesterday.

New to DVD

Cake (mixed bag): All the buzz for this film has been about Jennifer Aniston getting snubbed for an Oscar nomination after looking like a pretty good sure thing. Truth be told, she’s the best reason to see the film, delivering a mature and hardened performance that demonstrates considerable range for the actress usually known for comedies. The film isn’t nearly as strong, unfortunately.