On the Road: What's for dinner

I'm visiting family and friends in California for a couple of weeks, enjoying the bright sunshine and rather outrageous food. Yes, I went straight to In-n-Out from the airport, and have also had fish tacos most days. Plus an amazing brisket taco at the notorious Heritage Barbecue in San Juan Capistrano and a gorgeous short rib taco at personal favourite Amor y Tacos in Cerritos. And a church potluck. But it's not all about food. I finally saw a film in a cinema, plus catching up with a couple on the plane, and two more besides...

Killers of the Flower Moon
dir Martin Scorsese; with Leonardo DiCaprio, Robert De Niro 23/US *****
Martin Scorsese recounts a true story with a remarkable sense of scale, keeping events intimate while exploring the much larger issues and ramifications. It's a harrowing lesson in American history, highlighting the systemic injustice that peppers pretty much everything that happened once the Europeans claimed North America as their own. Expertly made on every level, the film never boils over, maintaining a riveting simmer of menace so urgent that we don't want to blink.

Moving On
dir-scr Paul Weitz; with Jane Fonda, Lily Tomlin 23/US ***. 

There's a surprising edge to this comedy-drama reuniting Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin in more serious roles than usual. As they confront an awful event from their distant past, they also grapple with where they are now. It's nostalgic, but never overplayed, and writer-director Paul Weitz keeps the film truthful and smart, with occasional hints of a breezy caper that seems a bit out of place with dark theme at the story's centre. Thankfully, strong writing and characterisations add more nuance than expected.  

Full Time [À Plein Temps]
dir-scr Eric Gravel; with Laure Calamy, Anne Suarez 21/Fr ****
With a riveting central performance by Laure Calamy and a nonstop running pace, this French drama has an electric kick in its exploration of the hectic pace of modern life. Writer-director Eric Gravel keeps the audience right with this single mother as she navigates a series of personal and professional issues amid a calamitous national strike. It's sometimes exhausting to watch her flail against these obstacles, but her tenacity is inspiring, and the film includes sharp humour and honest emotion.

Before leaving London, I caught up with William Oldroyd's period-style melodrama Eileen with Thomasin McKenzie and Anne Hathaway, which is finely produced but oddly underwritten. And I also watched Luc Besson's spy thriller Anna, which I'd somehow missed when it was released. Although it's such a familiar plot, even with its plot fragmented into a choppy mess, that it can't help but cause deja vu. Fun turns from Helen Mirren (as a gruff Russkie), Luke Evans and Cillian Murphy.

This coming week, I'll catch up with a few films at AFI Fest in Hollywood, namely Kate Winslet in Lee, Pater Sarsgaard in Memory, JA Bayona's Society of the Snow, and the festival season favourites Evil Does Not Exist  and Io, Capitano.