Roofman (2025)

An escaped convict makes his home at a Toys 'R' Us store where he lays low during the day and comes alive at night. Meanwhile, he develops a relationship with an employee there and must juggle two separate lives while keeping on the down-low. Channing Tatum makes the performance, in a sometimes sad and wistful comedy, which I also found quite charming. Based on a true story.

3 peanut M&Ms out of 5

BLUE VALENTINE [2010]

Director Derek Cianfrance's Blue Valentine is about the strength of new love and how fragile it can become with age.
Watching their love grow is so well done and realistic it makes watching it all fall apart quite a difficult and often uncomfortable experience.  It's well acted, starkly shot and wonderfully written even if it is a bit too bleak to want to revisit again.  We complain about the phoniness of silly rom-coms but do we really want them all to be like this?

3½ motel rooms of the future out of 5

THE PLACE BEYOND THE PINES [2013]

The Place Beyond The Pines is a hypnotizing, slow-burning crime drama from director Derek Cianfrance.  

These are the characters Bruce Springsteen writes about in his songs.  Troubled Americans backed into a corner facing moral dilemmas and despair on the wrong side of the tracks.  The three lead actors, Ryan Gosling, Bradley Cooper and Dane DeHaan deliver some haunted and effective performances as always, while the cinematography, eerrie music courtesy of Mike Patton and wonderful narrative provide a memorably melancholy backdrop.   It will probably deter audiences simpy looking for a good time but comes highly recommended for lovers of great cinema.  

4 tastes of ice cream out of 5