Films: March 10 - 16

Wandafuru Raifu (After Life) (1998)

Je suis un soldat (I Am A Soldier) (2015)

The Raging Tide (1951)

Before Sunrise (1995)

Tight Spot (1955)

The Painted Veil (2006)

Elsa And Fred (2013)

Knight Without Armour (1937)

Ride (2014)

Grace Is Gone (2007) ///

Wandafuru Raifu (After Life) (1998) As simple as it is poignant, the dead are transitioned with the prospect of one human memory to embrace forever. The docu style and natural performers persuade as the eternal is placed within anonymous settings, affirming the specialness of memory and living.

Je suis un soldat (I Am A Soldier) (2015) Distinctive subject of European dog smuggling becomes tipping point for drifting Louise Bourgoin to find strength. Fuzzy focus and tone between social politics, family drama and thriller menace held together by emotionally compelling lead.

The Raging Tide (1951) Bookended by atmospheric noir murder and action in a raging ocean, redemptive melodrama sees criminal Richard Conte hide out on principled Charles Bickford's fishing boat, while dogged detective Stephen McNally pressures loyal Shelley Winters. Minor, sometimes effective.

Before Sunrise (1995) Infused with romantic spontaneity and generous spirit, Julie Delpy and Ethan Hawke are two hopeful souls who find a connection during a long night in Vienna. Unaffected style accentuates the earthy intelligence, gentle humor and sense of fresh possibilities.

Tight Spot (1955) Crisp, confined melodrama mostly played out within a hotel suite as brash, reluctant witness Ginger Rogers is manipulated by attorney Edward G Robinson to testify and Brian Keith is the gruff detective keeping guard. Easy balance between tart dialog and budding suspense.

The Painted Veil (2006) Evocative visuals conjured in expansive, burnished locations immerse the narrative in a rural 1920s China of revolution and disease. Conflicted Naomi Watts joins principled doctor Ed Norton, changing her perspective. Despite hurried ending, finely honed, effective drama.

Elsa And Fred (2013) Eccentric fantasist Shirley MacLaine and grouchy loner Christopher Plummer spark enjoyable comic timing and feed dramatic potential, let down by predictable story beats. Support cast strains with thin characters, not helped by wavering tone and soft resolution.

Knight Without Armour (1937) Reluctant hero Robert Donat is a persuasive presence, weaving and suffering through Revolutionary Russia as he saves and falls for icy Marlene Dietrich. Sweeping action drama shines with scale even if story resolves into set pieces rather than fluid narrative.

Ride (2014) Smart dialog and sharply drawn mother and son New York dynamics devolve into California ease and awareness, with well played humor. Helen Hunt's bluntly shoehorned past tragedy fits awkwardly and drama is sometimes forced, yet there is resonance in the silences of the ocean.

Grace Is Gone (2007) Quiet, reflective take on coping with grief and family loss with a gripping, fragile John Cusack unable to tell his young daughters of their army mother's death. Unfussy style accentuates rawness, a road trip with cathartic emotion of final scenes well earned.