Gloria Bell:

Julianne Moore stars as the title character in this delightful study of a woman in her '50s, divorced for a decade, saddled with a pair of adult children who basically ignore her, and who is looking for an escape from her mundane insurance job.  Gloria finds that escape on the dance floor ... when she isn't belting out '70s-era disco tunes while driving in her car, she's at the disco where she loses herself in the lights, the music, and the celebration of her freedom and joie-de-vivre.  It's here where she meets an ex-Marine named Arnold (John Turturro), who is divorced less than a year, and who is a paintball instructor, using a smidgen of his military skills.  As their relationship develops, we, the audience, learn ahead of Gloria, that perhaps Arnold can't quite be totally trusted.  His ex-wife is on the phone to him constantly, as are his adult daughters, and he seems unable to refuse to do their bidding, even when their requests are outrageous.  Things melt down for Gloria at a family gathering of her adult children (Michael Cera, Caren Pistorius) where her ex-husband is in attendance (Brad Garrett).  He has remarried happily, and has no interest in Gloria other than the fact that they had two kids together ... they laugh, they talk about old times, and the move on ... but hey, where is Arnold?  He was Gloria's escort to the party, and now he's gone, overcome by jealousy.  The movie is a character study, it's a celebration of Gloria's live, and it's probably going to be one of the highlights of Julianne Moore's career.  Rated 14A.

A Madea Family Funeral:

Although this Tyler Perry film didn’t play in most Canadian cities, it did very well at the box office in the U.S. where it stayed in the top five for three weeks, as is often the case with Madea films. Tyler Perry once again plays Madea, a tough, older Black woman who has a criminal record, who often uses a hammer when a gentle hand might do, and who has a way of finding justice for all by the end of the film.  Here, she stumbles across a funeral that may reveal family secrets in the backwoods of Georgia.  Tyler Perry plays a second character too, a man who is a Vietnam veteran.  This is the 11th, and according to Tyler Perry, the final movie in the Madea series.  The movies do very well at the American box office, but often get limited distribution in Canada and are often not seen until they show up on DVD or on a streaming service.  For those who like the character, they will find this one of the best of the batch. But ..., I really don't like the character, so where do you think that leaves me?  Rated 14A.  

The Kid:

This small movie with a big cast takes an interesting, semi-biographical look at the last year in the life of the outlaw Billy the Kid who was killed at the age of 21 after a crime spree that spread far and wide.  The entire event is seen through the eyes of a boy named Rio Cutler (Jake Schur) whose sister has been kidnapped by a notorious gang leader, actually his uncle, played by Chris Pratt who is normally a good guy in his films such as the Jurassic movies and Guardians of the Galaxy.  Ethan Hawke plays Pat Garrett, the sheriff on the hunt for The Kid, who forms an unusual alliance with young Rio who just wants his sister back. Vincent D’Onofrio co-stars and also directed. Dane DeHaan plays Billy the Kid. Rated 14A.

The Staircase (2019):

This Netflix original walks in the footsteps of the documentary "The Making of a Murderer" in which a death-row prisoner's innocence is tested by investigative journalists.  Same situation here, with an actual case in which Michael Peterson who, in 2001, called police to report that his wife had fallen down the stairs and injured herself fatally.  The investigation quickly turned to Peterson himself when it was learned that he had a number of liaisons with other men, and that his wife had found out.  The investigation also found that, while living in Germany, Peterson was present when a woman, a family friend, fell down the stairs, dying of a cerebral hemorrhage, which created more suspicions.  Guilty or innocent?  That's what this 12 part series sets out to determine.  Rated 14A. 

November 13: Attack on Paris (2018):

This Netflix original is a documentary that looks, from a French perspective, at the terrorism that reigned on that terrible day in 2015 when three coordinated suicide attacks occurred in a soccer stadium during a match.  At the same time, attackers went after nightclub patrons killing 70.  130 people in all died that night and 413 were injured.  Those responsible said that the attacks were retaliation for French airstrikes in Syria and Iraq.  A chilling look at a dreadful event.  Rated 14A.