One Movie to See and Another to Skip (No. 77)

Movie to See: The Wind That Shakes the Barley

This is a pretty decent historical drama. Best of all (especially for the genre), it's easy to follow, well plotted, well acted and usually well paced. The setting is a very "firey" part of the world, which is always interesting. It did get a little confusing towards the end trying to figure out what each side of the central conflict was trying to accomplish, but that's probably more due to the nature of the region and the situation than anything else. Ultimately, a good watch. It had some slow moments, but still a quality film.

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Movie to Skip: Black Water

Inspired by true events, eh? Well, perhaps some of it I actually believe could have happened. It definitely rings true. But there are some elements of luck that I just don't buy - and probably for very good reason (you'll know what I mean when you see it - after all, there is only so much you can compile from coroner's notes, right?). This has a very strong "people are stupid" theme that makes this movie very believable. It makes you kind of wonder how the hell we ever got to the top of the food chain when we are clearly at the bottom in certain environments. But despite the gritty reality of it, it is too slow overall, which is why it doesn't quite make the cut for films to watch. I mean, if I want to see two people argue for 10 minutes straight about the best way to do something that they probably shouldn't be attempting anyway, I'll turn of the television and ask my significant other to help me plan our landscaping... I don't need to watch it on television. Ultimately, skipable.