This French film is one of best of the year!

Blue Is The Warmest Color is a deep and honest movie about 3 or so years in the life of a young girl played to nth degree by the astounding young french actress, Adele Exarchopoulos, in the performance of a lifetime, even though she is only 19!  The camera is on her constantly and she doesn't miss a twitch.  It's reminiscent of Ingmar Bergman's Autumn Sonata, with similar camera focus on the great stars, Liv Ullman and Ingrid Bergman.  It seems much of the publicity for Blue is on the intimate and lengthy love scenes between the two main actresses, an important part of the story certainly, but far from more than a part of the arc of this woman's young life, which is so well set out in a long (nearly 3 hours), but most compelling film.

3 Documentaries You Should See

Watching Mohammed Ali's Greatest Fight is to see Ali in his prime.  That incredible combination of brashness and ability with footage of some of his fights and a focus on his battle with the government and his claim of conscious objector status, is something not to be missed, especially for diehard Ali fans.
Muscle Shoals documents the recording studios in Muscle Shoals, Alabama in the 70's that were sought out and used by so many of the music stars of the 70s and 80s.  Great music and good interviews with many of these stars.
After Tiller deals with the stories of the few doctors in the country who offer third trimester abortions still, in the face of serious threats and possible death since the brutal killing of George Tiller in Kansas in 2009.

Robert Reich

Inequality for All is a documentary about this extraordinary man.  As far as I'm concerned this guy should be on the public airways once a week telling us all the way things are in this country and the world.  This movie truly "tells it like it is", more so than just about anything else I can think of.  It is engaging to the max.  The realities he so clearly articulates border on the horrifying, but this is where we are.  This movie has to get an Oscar nomination for Best Documentary. 

Prisoners

Two young girls disappear.  The detective on the case is Jake Gyllenhaal.  (What hair! - Gavin Newsom's got nothing on this guy.)  One of the fathers (Hugh Jackman) is pushing for more progress.  When the lead suspect is released for lack of evidence, the father goes rogue and ballistic.  This is such a performance by Hugh Jackman that I think maybe it is a lot closer to his real personality than the song and dance man we've been seeing lately.  Jake Gyllenhaal is also extraordinary as is the entire cast.  This movie is a wholly engaging drama.

Blue Jasmine

This is one terrific film.  Another snappy Woody Allen script. It is edited seamlessly as it moves from Cate Blanchett's current life to her former life.  She is the down, blue dame, who has lost it all, thanks to the criminal acts of her husband, Alec Baldwin.  She moves across the country and in with her sister, Sally Hawkins, in San Francisco.  She can't help putting down Sally's life and her boyfriend, Bobby Carnavale.  This guy,... I couldn't wait until he was back on the screen.  Funny, tough, outrageous and lovable.  How could Sally not go for him, but in Jasmine's eyes, they were both losers.
Not this movie, though.  Don't miss it.
I love Alec Baldwin, but here, he has an insignificant role.  I'd like to see the sequel, with him as the star, so that we could be treated to the shenanigans that he must have pulled.

Trayvon

I've been traveling for awhile, and I now find I'm compelled to comment on the most horrific, tragic, and disgusting nightmare of a case in my adult lifetime.  George Zimmerman stalked Trayvon Martin, provoked him into an encounter and killed him and wasn't even arrested until there was a massive public outcry.  Trayvon was executed for walking while black.  The horrid case of Dan White murdering George Moscone and Harvey Milk and getting away with it while being convicted of manslaughter comes to mind, but at least he was convicted of something.  The Trayvon Martin case is an indictment of our so-called system of justice.  It exposes in the most acute way how much racism, profiling, fright and anger exist in our society, deeply in our society, even now in 2013. I think George Zimmerman wanted to kill him and provoked the encounter so he could do it, and he's been judged innocent, completely innocent.

20 Feet From Stardom

OH MY GOD!!! This film about back up singers is mesmerizing.  They are back ups to many of the big stars and groups. This documentary is one not to miss.  The film itself is so well shot and edited and the sound quality is tops.  Of course, the music is also some of the best with many all-time classics.  The singers are a very interesting bunch.  Call it an A+, 5 stars, man jumping off the chair clapping (and screaming with joy).  I think this movie will win the Oscar for best documentary and may even get an Oscar nod for Best Movie!