‘The Final Year’ fills the screen with grace and a ticking clock

“The Final Year” – If a doctor said that you had one year left to live, what would you do?    Just before that moment, you might believe that time is a forever-companion, and after it, realize that it is an extraordinarily precious commodity.  Whether attempting to experience previously-evasive fruits of life, tether distant relationships or write the next great American novel, the clock is ticking.  It is counting down, impossible to ignore. Conversely, a high school student enters a scholastic institution with a clearly-defined, four-year construct, and even though an…

Haneke’s ‘Happy End’ illustrates that money can’t buy happiness

“Happy End” – Money can’t buy happiness. After watching writer/director Michael Haneke’s new movie, one could easily picture the aforementioned, famous saying as the film’s title, because the wealthy family featured – the Laurents – lumber in a constant state of dysfunction.   Most Haneke fans – who appreciate this filmmaker’s frequent and wholehearted dives into cynical, offputting material – will embrace “Happy End” and leave the theatre satisfied, but not necessarily happy. With Haneke, that’s generally the point. Rather than driving home his points through a specific, sweeping story arc,…

‘Forever My Girl’ does not last

“Forever My Girl” – Eight years.  A lot can happen in eight years. A fourth grader will become a high school senior. A U.S. president can spend two terms in office. The French could build four more Eiffel Towers. Americans built a manned rocket that landed on the moon, and actually, it only took seven years from JFK’s famous “Moon Speech” to Apollo 11. The point is a lot can happen in eight years.   For Liam Page (Alex Roe), he left the love of his life, Josie (Jessica Rothe), at…