This weekend was dominated by Guardians of The Galaxy, but if you're looking for two powerful films I recommend THE DINNER & FINDING OSCAR. Click through for my full review of the films.
In a forgotten massacre during Guatemala’s decades-long civil war, a young boy was spared, only to be raised by one of the very soldiers who killed his family. Nearly 30 years after the tragedy, it will take a dedicated team – from a forensic scientist to a young Guatemalan prosecutor – to uncover the truth and bring justice to those responsible…by finding the missing boy named Oscar.
From Finding Oscar Website.
The powerful documentary by Writer/Director Ryan Suffern tackles the "disappeared" from the Guatemalan civil war that raged over nearly 3 decades. As a child born in 1982 a month prior to the Dos Erres massacre this film hit me especially hard. America's impact on the South American continent in the 20th century showcase the terrible ramifications of Cold War fear. The brutality of the civil wars that raged in multiple countries paled compared to Guatemala history. When the film finally reaches the damning testimony of one of the Soldier's the horror completely gains it's pinnacle. The film is tastefully done and go a long way in highlighting one of histories more forgotten massacres.
Israeli Writer/Director Oren Moverman has the talent to create his own work and to adapt wonderfully off short stories and novels. The Dinner is another fluid and seductively creepy adaptation from Moverman. His stellar cast sparkle with Moverman's jabbing anger that bubbles in each and every character. The tension of life and it's worst elements makes The Dinner all the more delicious. The plot itself is rooted in a larger issue of appearance that Herman Koch's novel dives deeper into, but the at the moment anger is what engulfs The Dinner. Oren's DP Bobby Bukowski is as usual intimate and bold throughout. The intensity gained from the tense cinematography and musical score make for a real treat. Steve Coogan shines most of all with his bi-polar father figure where Richard Gere once again relishes his Moverman experience with another fun character. Busy weekend for Moverman and Gere with Norman out in theaters as well. The Dinner is the more tense and harder hitting of the two films.
