——THE ESSENTIALS—–
—–JEFF’S PICKS—–
JACKIE (Pablo Larrain)
Natalie Portman is mesmerizing as Jackie Kennedy in this historical drama dealing with the events before and after the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. Compassionate and compelling, the film takes us to new places on paths that many of us had already tread. Hypnotic score by Mica Levi.
MOONLIGHT (Barry Jenkins)
The breakout hit of 2016, MOONLIGHT received immediate critical praise upon release and soon wooed a diverse audience through word of mouth. An achingly real and compassionate portrait of a man in three stages of his life, each one portrayed by a different actor. Director Jenkins guides us through his troubles and triumphs as a black homosexual struggling to find his identity, with so much insight that the experience is almost transcendental. Mahershala Ali won a much-deserved Oscar as the boy’s mentor, as did the film for Best Picture and the screenplay, also by Jenkins.
