Ten Canoes

It's a story told to us, about a story told to the teller, about a story told to someone else.  The intricacies of the narratives and their relationship don't really matter, because really it's a timeless story that reveals everything we need to know about humanity.  The times have changed, but the love, loss, revenge, and peace have not.  The process of the storytelling was so engaging, as we were invited to recognize that we were now a part of the saga that has been passed through generations.  It was an affirmation of stories, the simplest sometimes the most moving and everlasting.  

four.

Ghost Town

Gervais is always funny to watch, and this film was no exception. He had me laughing out loud throughout the entire thing, which rarely happens in traditional rom-coms. They did, however, keep to the traditional elements of the genre, both visually and narratively. The story held the familiar set-ups and pay-offs, and the next-thing-coming was usually guessable. I give the film credit, though, for surprising me on more than one occasion--for subtle twists that delivered just the right amount of innovation to the conventional.

three and a half.