Mrs. Brown (1997)

Last night, we watched Mrs. Brown, which Da Man had really been wanting to see for awhile.

Grieving widow Queen Victoria (played imperiously by Judi Dench) withdraws into sadness for years, until plainspoken manservant John Brown (Billy Connolly) disrupts her mourning. Their friendship grows, resulting in personal and political ramifications for both. Funny, exquisitely shot and featuring sparkling performances, Mrs. Brown brilliantly portrays the woman behind an empire and the man who helped her live again.

I didn't expect to like this movie as much as I did. I thought it would be dry and slow, and it was at a few moments, but it was also pretty compelling. Judi Dench and Billy Connolly are great together. And it is a visually beautiful film, too. A fine couple of hours, for sure. Four out of five stores.

Bad Education (2004)

Almodovar rocks, but I haven't seen all of his work. Last week, I finally sat down with Bad Education.

Film director Enrique (Fele Martinez) is visited by his childhood Catholic school friend and lover, Ignacio (Gael Garcia Bernal). Ignacio gives Enrique a short story he's written that's a factual account of the molestation he sustained at the hands of their teacher, Father Manolo (Daniel Gimenez Cacho). But as Enrique adapts the story, he uncovers a dangerous web of deceit and revenge in this stark film from Spanish auteur Pedro Almodovar.

I felt the push to see this movie after reading Nic Sheff's Tweak, which I wrote about on my main blog. Nic sees the film and wants to write a review of it. Ignacio is a heroin addict, which is why Sheff responds to it. It is an amazing film, full of twists and turns. It weaves fiction and nonfiction together at times. The story is compelling. Gael Garcia Bernal is amazing. I don't have a lot to say about this movie except that I loved it. Five out of five stars.

Back Sheep (2006)

Okay, yes, we do see pretty much every zombie movie ever made, which is why we saw Black Sheep.

On a quiet New Zealand ranch, a genetic experiment has gone horribly wrong, transforming a docile flock of sheep into killers hungry for human blood. Those they bite become ravenous were-sheep. As the body count rises, a desperate handful of outnumbered survivors take a last stand against the ovine onslaught. Who will live, and who will be the next victim of the vicious killer sheep?

Yeah, okay, it was bad. Some reviews on the Netflix site love this movie, but it was as bad as it sounds. I mean, you see a sheep driving a truck at one point. Well, kinda, sorta. People turn into sheep after they are bitten, which was bizarre to watch. And the guy who owns the sheep farm? Let's just say he really, really likes the one genetically-altered sheep he created. I mean, he really likes her. As in, there's a scene where he's with her and doesn't wear pants likes her.

Yeah, that says it all. One star because you can't give none.