So it has been my pleasure to see two really good movies with 24 hours of each other. Here are my brief thoughts on each.

The Witch. When the trailers for this film appeared on my radar it intrigued me as a movie that I may want to see. Sadly anything you get into the horror genre you almost certainly get stuck with dreck, garbage, and only occasionally, gold. The Witch is gold. I was convinced to risk the theater prices when in an email conversation with one of my agents discussing the 1972 The Wicker Man, (It’s the first day of spring today so that means The Wicker Man is tonight’s movie.) she highly recommended The Witch.

The story and setting are simple. A mid 17th century Puritan family in new England is exiled from their colony and struggle to survive on the edge of a vast forest where an evil force possibly lurks. The periodness of this film looks perfect to me. The language, the characters, the modes of thought all strike me as dead one. The film works on what is suggested versus what is shown. It is a story steeped in atmospherics and mood. It is not for every and it is not an ‘accessible’ movie. If you go expecting lots of gore, combat, and special effects you will be very disappointed. If you liked the original The Wicker Man as  a thoughtful film about culture and religion, then this may work for you.

One final thought on The Witch. The story approaches witches and witchcraft from the perspective of Puritan Christians. There is no neo-pagan aspects to this story or its presentations and those inclined towards that path for their spirituality are likely to be offended by the film and its presentation of the subject matter.

Eye in the Sky. My wife and I went to see this film principally because it is one of the final feature films with the late Alan Rickman. Going into it a film cold is something I have not done in a very very long time. I think the last film I walked into without seeing a trailer was The Hudsucker Proxy. As with The Hudsucker Proxy, I was thoroughly happy with the result.

This film is about the modern war on terror, how it is fought, and the very difficult questions that arise from that conflict. It is not an action film. This is not about Heroic figures defying death and saving the day with a well-placed spray of bullets. This move is very realistic, dealing with a difficult situation in which there are no easy answers. The screenwriter played fair, no one is presented as a strawman, from enlisted military personnel to the high ranks of government people are drawn as fully realized characters with compelling points of view. The cast is uniformly fantastic, Helen Miren, Alan Rickman, Aaron Paul, and many many others bring you into their characters with performances that realistic and grounded. The technology is as far as I can tell spot on. The details of how such mission work are well presented and the cost for everyone involved is laid bare.

If you like your modern film filled with serious questions, no easy answers, and real people grappling with nasty choices, then this film is for you.