The Room Next Door

(PG) ****

Last Rites!

Death is hard. No one likes to die or be sick. Feel the pain of a person in pain in The Room Next Door. Settle in for quite the ride as Sony Pictures Classics and Mongrel Media present a serious look at a serious subject that sooner or later everyone faces. Check in to see this first class drama at select Cineplex Cinemas and Landmark Theatres across B.C.

Friends matter. So does family. When your family deserts you or you never were close to your clan then your pals take on greater relevance. This at least is the dilemma facing elderly Martha. Accomplished actress Tilda Swinton rises to the occasion and then some as a woman with major health concerns. Not happy with the results of her cancer diagnosis and given some unhealthy choices to get better she seeks out advice from her friends.

Thanks to a chance encounter old time pal Ingrid reappears from out of nowhere. Over 40 dynamo Julianne Moore (Boogie Nights) does her best to soothe Ingrid’s pain but not before long she must face some demons her own.

The Room Next Door is all about friendship. And the fine line between living and dying. Trust notable Spanish director Pedro Almodovar to again take on a harsh subject and embrace all sides of the issue. Above all else casting matters immensely with this sort of story. It’s hard to think of any two actors who could connect as well with each other and audiences. Both Tilda Swinton and Julianne Moore pull off tremendous performances that are heartfelt and sincere. And highly relevant.

Impressive on all counts Almodóvar again delivers another tour de force movie. Oh, and the icing is on the cake comes with the inclusion of John Turturro as a go-between friend.

Carry-On

(PG) *****

Bon Voyage!

Running time: 1h 59m

We all know travel can be unpredictable. So many factors can lead to delays – or worse – when going on a trip. Whether it’s the weather, a mechanical breakdown or some other unscheduled event it may add to both the anxiety and cost associated with leaving on a journey. Buckle up for the ride of your life in Carry-On. Hint: it will be a bumpy ride. Now out on Netflix this heart-pounding thriller is the ultimate joy ride.

Remember Steven Spielberg? How well do you know the maestro of cinema and ost successful director in history. Not happy with inventing the summer blockbuster by way of Jaws Spielberg was not one to rest on his laurels. Spielberg created his own studio: Dreamworks after first starting his Amblin production company. One of the earlier success of the studio that Steven built was a film called Red-Eye which helped launch the careers of Academy Award winning Cillian Murphy (Oppenheimer) and Canadian crown jewel Rachel McAdams (The Notebook). Someone at the studio must have a thing for flying since Carry-On is all about the joy ( and perils) of taking off. All aboard!

Perfect timing with the holiday season fast approaching sees the release of Carry-On. Anyone whose gone on a plane in recent years has seen the delays at getting bags checked to prevent hijackings or madmen like the shoe bomber. Even the news of a two time stowaway can’t compare to the determined efforts of a madman (or two) with ill designs on a flight.

Caught in the middle of a man on a mission to do harm to many is rookie TSA screener Ethan Kopek. Besides being sort of new on the job Taron Egerton is on edge throughout as a maniac targets him to let a bag go unchecked. You can feel the heart pounding and smell the sweat as this novice somehow must talk down a lethal lunatic who will stop at nothing to create chaos and get his way.

Funnyman turned high teck terrorist Jason Bateman is icily cold (and bold) as the master manipulator known as stranger ( or traveler). In a race against time these two men duke it out mentally and physically in this non-stop thriller.

Sure Carry-On is a bit far-fetched. So what? Set on Christmas Eve at LAX thanks to strong acting here’s a great thriller that is an action fan’s wet dream. Forget about reading other reviews on IMDB or the like. Take my word for it: Carry-On is a lot of fun and a rock ‘em sock ‘em affair, fans of classics like Speed and Die Hard and countless Liam Neeson films will feel right at home boarding this movie. And that’s a sure bet and great use of your time.

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By Robert Waldman