Movie Review by Fr. Tom Condon, O.P.

Roma refers not to the Italian city, but to a middle-class neighborhood of Mexico City, where Oscar winning director Alfonso Cuarόn (Gravity) grew up. In this semi-autographical movie, Cuarόn takes us to the home of Antonio, a doctor, his wife Sofia, and three children (Paco, Pepe, and Sofi) in the 1970’s. As the movie opens, Antonio tells his Sofia that he is going away to a conference in Canada. Sadly, it soon becomes apparent that he will not return to his family.

The main character in the movie is Cleo, a young maid, beautifully played by Yalitza Aparicio.  Cleo gets the children ready for school, cleans the house, and does the laundry, and other chores. Cleo is the one who holds the family together while they cope with Antonio’s departure. 
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Movie Review by Fr. Tom Condon, O.P.

The Favourite is the story of England’s Queen Anne (Olivia Colman) in the early 18^th Century. The Queen was eccentric, suffered terribly from gout, and grieved her 17 children who died at childbirth or in early childhood. As the movie opens, Queen Anne’s constant companion is Lady Sarah (Rachel Weisz). Queen Anne depended upon the counsel of Lady Sarah in state and personal matters. The two were inseparable.

One day a young woman named Abigail (Emma Stone) arrives at the Queen’s palace. Abigail informs Sarah that she is her cousin, looking for a position in the palace. Abigail’s father had fallen on hard times. Sarah hires Abigail as a kitchen maid.
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Movie Review by Fr. Tom Condon, O.P.

Green Book is a likeable movie which is emerging as one of the favorites for the Oscars this year.

Green Book is based on the true story of the unlikely friendship between Tony “Lip” Vallelonga (Viggo Mortensen), an Italian-American New York nightclub bouncer, and Dr. Don Shirley (Mahershala Ali), an African American pianist. In 1962, Dr. Shirley is scheduled to embark on a two-month tour with his trio that would take him into the Deep South. Dr. Shirley hears about Tony, and his reputation for toughness, which he may need in the segregated South. The club where Tony works is closed for renovations, so he goes to meet Dr. Shirley. Tony is hired. The two set out on their journey.
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Movie Review by Fr. Tom Condon, O.P.

Can You Ever Forgive Me tells the true story of Lee Israel (Melissa McCarthy), a writer of biographies in the 1980’s-1990’s. Lee was moderately successful in her writing. As the film opens, she is planning to write a biography of entertainer Fanny Brice, although her agent and publisher show no interest in the project.

Lee is running out of money, and needs to find some way to pay the rent. In her research on Fanny Brice, Lee comes across a letter written and signed by Fanny. She takes it to a book store. The owner tells Lee she will buy it for a modest amount. However, the letter would be worth a lot more if it was more substantial. Lee forges a P.S. on the letter, and sells it to the book store. Seeing this as an easy way to make some money, Lee begins to forge other letters by literary celebrities, including Noel Coward and Dorothy Parker. She soon is selling these forged letters and signatures for several hundred dollars apiece.
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Movie Review by Fr. Tom Condon, O.P.

Robert Redford has said that The Old Man and the Gun would be his final movie. At 80, Redford still has a great face, and a quick smile. Despite the wrinkles, he still has star quality. This would be a fitting final movie for his legendary film career. But it has so much charm, I hope he changes his mind.

Redford plays Forrest Tucker, a 74 year old bank robber in a story that we’re told is “mostly true.” Although he carries a gun, he never shoots it. He robs banks for the fun and the thrill of it, and never intends to hurt anyone. He smiles during his robberies and is described by witnesses as being “nice” and “polite.”
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