A Real Pain (2024)

Two estranged cousins take a tour of Poland following the death of their Jewish grandmother. Benji (Kieran Culkin) is the driving dominant personality, outgoing and intense, while David (Jesse Eisenberg) is more buttoned-up and tries to keep his emotions in check. It's hard to sell this movie to others, but I found it very relaxing despite the tough thematic issues at hand. It's very open, honest and raw, and I can relate with both characters in different ways. It's a nice break from movies that have so much going on in them, to just take some time out and give yourself a breather from the grind of life.

4 stones on the grave out of 5

Criminal Justice (1990)

A slow-burning TV drama about a father with priors (Forest Whitaker) accused of assaulting a Brooklyn prostitute (Rosie Perez) who was someplace she ought not to have been, doing something that would land her behind bars for the night. The viewer doesn't see the woman's assailant, so it comes down to her world against his, and only one of them puts any value in truth.
The story would hold its own ordinarily, but the passion and believability of both Whitaker and Perez take it to another level. It shows both sides of the argument, as the months roll by. But more than that it examines the justice system itself. Presented as something that isn't just broken, it never functioned to begin with, as anything other than a self-serving entity that prioritises saving time and money over the thing for which it was named.

3½ burdens of proof out of 5

Ferris Bueller's Day Off (1986)

Fourth-wall breaking Ferris is a confidently cocky role model for liars and phonies. He decides to take a day off school, but needs others to share in his fun lest his calculated brilliance go unnoticed. Enter the reluctant Cameron (Alan Ruck), the film's best character. On the surface Ferris is well-presented, but surface is all he is, whereas Cameron has depth and learns from his experiences. The third member of the group is Ferris' girlfriend (Mia Sara), whose role is mostly to smile wryly or sympathetically in reaction shots.
The determined school Principal (Jeffrey Jones), an authority figure that's mocked not just by students but by his own ill-considered actions, serves as a counterpoint to Bueller's carefree cleverness, but he's borderline slapstick. All in all, FB is an entertaining but much overrated John Hughes flick.

3 close calls out of

IN YOUR EYES [2014]

In Your Eyes is a delightful romantic fantasy from director Brin Hill and written by some guy called Joss Whedon.
A young woman and man, living on different sides of the country, have a connection by being able to see through each other's eyes which leads to feelings and choices they never thought they'd make.  The film starts off with a lot of promise, mostly thanks to the warmly charismatic leads and Whedon's clever dialogue but it soon falls short about half-way through as it steps into the genre's usual tropes.
Still, it's a fine film that is incredibly cute, occasionally quite funny, flavored with just a hint of melancholy and generally harmless all around.

3 double-whammy pool cues out of 5