"Back to 1942" with Adrien Brody, Tim Robbins and Zhang Guoli (2012)

The period of World War Two and the role China played in winning the war against the Japanese is often misunderstood. Since they became our sworn enemies so soon after the end of the war we never really examine the sacrifices the Chinese made in our common cause during this time. This film will help put much of that into perspective for the average viewer.

Chinese director Feng Xiaogang has created a modern epic film with this sweeping tale of China before the days of Mao; when she was still roiled by internal strife, even as she was assailed from without by the Japanese. As if those two forces were not enough of a challenge to a beleaguered people, there came a famine. And with that famine came all the corruption and greed imaginable as people try to keep their own families alive; often at the expense of their neighbors. Complicate that scenario with an occupying enemy force which demands most of the available food reserves and the situation becomes even more of a nightmare.

The Henan Province is where this film is set; the year is 1942. Tim Robbins plays American Priest Thomas Megan, and Adrien Brody plays a very young Theodore White working as a journalist to uncover the truth in a land where the truth is as great a commodity as food itself. Whose truth do you want? 

Watching this film with test your faith if you have any; and make you long for it if you don’t. But whatever your reaction, this film will give you a clearer understanding of how the China of Mao Tse Tung came to be. And that knowledge will help you to understand the China of today. This is a truly remarkable film.

"The Brothers Bloom" with Adrien Brody, Rachel Weisz and Mark Ruffalo

This film, by Director Rian Johnson, of "Brick", is a quirky, offbeat tale about two brothers, Bloom and Stephen Bloom, who spend their whole lives, since birth, as con men, abandoned as children by their con artist father. Bloom, played by Adrien Brody, is the schill, with his role in life always changing along with the scripted movements of the con. Due to that fact, he has no idea of who he really is. Where does the con leave off and the real him begin? With this in mind, after 35 years, he quits.

Three years later his brother Stephen, played by Mark Ruffalo, finds him, asking Bloom to perform one last con that will set them both up for life. The "mark" is an epileptic heiress with a penchant for art and literature. She is a very mysterious, and attractive woman.

When the plans to involve her in a car accident involving Bloom go wrong, the con goes awry, and Bloom comes to the aid of his would be mark, who has had an epileptic seizure due to the accident. Stephen, not wishing to let go of the con, comes up with an alternate plan, which involves a world trip.

When the script becomes the non-script, and the con artist becomes his own mark, things get a bit complicated. The success of any con is judged by each party to the con getting what he, or she wants. Or thinks that they want. In the end, when people go off in search of themselves, it's often interesting to see just whom they find.

An unusual movie, with a great soundtrack, and inspiring acting, this is an upbeat film which manages to stay grounded enough to feel "real." With good direction by Rian Johnson, who also wrote the script, this is a good and carefully nuanced film.