Q’s Reviews – February 24, 2020

Portrait of a Lady on Fire.  Two young women meet on an isolated island off the coast of Brittany in the late 18th century.  The island is beautiful and raw as are these ladies.  Marianne is a painter who has been commissioned to do the wedding portrait of Héloïse – but without Héloïse knowing the portrait is being made.  Marianne creates a marvelous portrait on the sly.  They spend a lot of time together and of course they fall deeply in love.  The film takes its sweet time getting them into one another’s arms.  It is obvious from the beginning where the story is going, but we have to endure a tortuous path to forbidden love.  The film is French so can be forgiven.  Rated R for some nudity and sexuality.  In French with English subtitles.

Las Piladores de Mi Novio.  This is a Mexican comedy that may play well to another audience.  It is hardly funny; it is mostly sad.  Jaime Camil and Sandra Echeverria star in this movie, which translates to My Boyfriend’s Meds.  Jess (Echeverria) is a successful Tequila marketing executive.  She falls for Hank (Camil), a charming mattress store owner.  He has every mental illness known to man and relies on his meds to remain charming.  They head off to an Island retreat for her Tequila Company, but he forgets his pills and goes nuts on the island.  This is the funny part but really is sad as he needlessly ruins everything.  But not to worry, they do sort it all out.  Rated R for sexual content, drug material, and language.  Mostly in Spanish with English subtitles.

The Call of the Wild.   The Jack London classic tale is back on the Big Screen.  This time with Harrison Ford as John Thornton and an animatronic dog, Buck.  A film with Harrison Ford, dogs, nature and beautiful scenery can’t miss and this one does not.  The story takes some liberty with the original tale but does so to create a family friendly film.  Adventure in the wilds of the Yukon and the tough folks who live there are themes that complement the story of a man and his great dog.   Rated PG for some violence, peril, thematic elements and mild language.  Grab and kids and grandkids and go.  It is a Peggy’s Pick.