The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind

 

The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind 2019

• Director: Chiwetel Ejiofor
• Cast: Chiwetel Ejiofor, Maxwell Simba, Lily Banda, Aïssa Mäiga, Noma Dumezweni
• Why? Ejiofor, group watch with FB group Film Nerds
• Seen: 30 August 2026                 

 

          Trywell (Ejiofor) and Agnes ( Mäiga) are farmers in Malawi. They want to send their son William (Simba) to school and their daughter Annie (Banda) to university, but harvests are failing, food and money are scarce and there is political unrest and violence.

          William is a bright boy. He figures out things. He builds a windmill, pumps up water, and his family and the village are saved. That’s not really a spoiler, we sort of knew that it would end well from the beginning.

          Based on a true story.

          Ejiofor is always terrific. They’re all good.

 

4* of 5

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

9 to 5

 

9 to 5 (1980)

• Director: Collin Higgins
• Cast: Dolly Parton, Jane Fonda, Lily Tomlin, Dabney Coleman
• Why? In Dolly Parton’s memory. Also it’s a classic.
• Seen: once before. Now 28 August 2026         

 

          Judy (Fonda) has never had a paying job before. It’s her first day. Violet (Tomlin) is her supervisor and knows more about the company than anybody, especially the bosses. Doralee (Parton) is Frank’s (Coleman) secretary. He hits on her, tells everybody he’s having sex with her so the others shun her, calls all the women ‘girls’, promotes an incompetent man before Violet, orders Violet to bring him coffee and run private errands for him.

          Good start. Sadly it becomes very silly and only manages towards the end to make some good points. It could have been so much better.

          But Parton, Tomlin and Fonda are great.

 

3 ½ * of 5

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Gone Baby Gone

 

Gone Baby Gone 2007

• Director: Ben Affleck
• Cast: Casey Affleck, Michelle Monaghan, Morgan Freeman, Ed Harris, Amy Ryan, Amy Madigan, Titus Welliver, Michael Kenneth Williams, Edi Gathegi
• Why? Dennis Lehane, author of the book
• Seen: 27 August 2026                 

 

          A little girl is missing. Private eyes Patrick (Affleck) and Angie (Monaghan) are hired by the girl’s aunt Bea (Madigan) to use their local contacts to find the girl.

           It gets complicated and grim.

          Angie isn’t given the role she deserves. She’s a much deeper character in the book.

 

3* of 5

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Soloist

 

The Soloist 2009

• Director: Joe Wright
• Cast: Robert Downey Jr, Jamie Foxx, Catherine Keener, Tom Hollander
• Why? Music
• Seen: once before. Now 26 August 2026         

 

          LA Times reporter Steve Lopez (Downey Jr) discovers that homeless Nathaniel (Foxx) not only plays the violin under a statue of Beethoven, but that he had studied at Juilliard. And that, to Steve, is great stuff for his column.

          Which leads to unexpected consequences.

          It’s based on a true story and has lots of nice Beethoven music.

 

3 * of 5

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fractured 2019

 

Fractured 2019

• Director: Brad Anderson
• Cast: Sam Worthington, Lily Rabe, Luci Capri, Adjoa Andoh
• Why? Possibly interesting
• Now 25 August 2026                  

 

          Ray (Worthigton) and Jo (Rabe) bring their daughter to the hospital after the little girl falls and hurts herself. Things there are weird, including Jo and the daughter disappearing, with no record of them having been there. Is Ray crazy, guilty? Or is there an organ donor conspiracy at the hospital?

          Not a bad thriller.

 

3* of 5

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Quiet Hour

 

The Quiet Hour 2014

• Director: Stéphanie Joaland
• Cast: Dakota Blue Richards, Karl Davies, Jack McMullen, Brigitte Millar
• Why? Sci fi
• Seen: 20 August 2026                 

 

          Earth has been invaded by aliens and most humans are dead. Sarah (Richards) and her blind brother Tom (McMullen) struggle to survive. It’s not just the aliens who are dangerous, but other human survivors.

          It could have been better, but it could have been worse.

2 ½ * of 5

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Diva

 

Diva 1981

• Director: Jean-Jacques Beineit
• Cast: Wilhelmenia Fernandez, Frédérik Andre
• Why? Recommended in a book, I’ve forgotten which one
• Seen: 19 August 2026                 

 

          Opera, bootleg recordings, gangsters, police, murder. Not really my thing.

          Some French films are very good, of course, and most viewers have given this a lot of stars. Sorry, not me.

 

2* of 5