The Necessities of Life (MOD), Lion's Den (DVD) and Sherlock Holmes

I will say a few (and I mean a few) words on three movies that I just saw. Sorry, but I just don't have the time to write a lot.

I saw The Necessities of Life on IFC in Theaters on Demand. I must say that they have many good films and I recommend them highly. I believe that The Necessities of Life was Canada's entry for the Oscars a year or two ago. It is a very moving film. The film is directed by Benoit Pilon and the script is written by Bernard Emond. Tivii is an Eskimo who has tuberculous. He travels with his wife and children to a hospital in Quebec City but they have to go home. He is lonely and feels isolated because no one speaks his language and he doesn't speak French. He is befriended by a sympathetic nurse named Carole (Eveline Gelinas). And eventually he is introduced a young Inuit boy named Kaki (Paul Andre-Brasseur) and that cheers him up. The film is very well acted and very touching. Highly recommended.

I saw Lion's Den on DVD. It is directed by Pablo Trapero and takes place in Argentina. The protagonist Julia (Martina Gusman). Her ex lover is dead and her other ex lover Ramiro (Rodrigo Santoro) is badly wounded. Julia is sent to jail because the authorities blame her for the murder. She denies it but has no real recollection of what happened. She is also pregnant but does not think that Ramiro is the father. Lion's Den shows prison life of women who are mothers. When the children are four years old they are taken away. It so happens that Julia's mother Sofia (Elli Mederros) wants to take Julia's son away from her but Julia will not hear from it. Julia has a shoulder to cry on in Marta (Laura Garcia) who she met in prison. Lion's Den is a powerful look at prison life and how the justice system works in Argentina. All of the actors are good and Gusman is outstanding. I won't say more about the plot or what happens regarding the murder. I just recommend that you see the film.

Guy Ritchie's Sherlock Holmes is more of an action film than a mystery. Robert Downey Jr. plays a disheveled Holmes who can't get his act together. Jude Law plays his faithful sidekick Dr. Watson. The look of the film is great and it is actually quite well done. But I prefer my Holmes without all of the violence. However, I am not the audience that the filmmakers wanted to appeal to. Rachel McAdams plays Irene Adler who is an ex lover of Holmes and (and who has lots of baggage). Eddie Marsan is an inspector and Mark Strong is the villain. Fine work by all and it is an entertaining film. But I prefer the old style Holmes myself.