W.E.

I enjoy this movie because I got to learn about a great love story. I think many people recall that King Edward VIII gave up his crown for the love of his life... American divorcee Wallis Simpson, but have never thought about the details. What kind of people were they? What did they give up? In this movie the humanity and devotion of the two are represented with grace and elegance. In W.E. the love story of Wallis Simpson (played by Andrea Risenborough) and King Edward VIII, who goes by David (played by james D-Arcy) is mirrored by the the life of a modern day woman, Wally (played by Abby Cornish). Wally is fascinated with the lives of Wallis and David. She visits the museum exhibit about them everyday. This is where she meets Evgeni, the security guard. Slowly they form a friendship and a bond over their attraction to the famous couple's lives. The museum and Evgeni seem to be her only escape from her abusive husband. I really love the contrast of the past and present day. The two female leads, Abby Cornish and Andrea Risenborough,  were truley  oustanding. Risenborough was hypnotic and charming and Cornish was compellingly tender. I recomend W.E. to everyone.

King of Devil's Island

King of Devil's Island was a movie that hit me hard. It's rough, tough, and very powerful. The movie is based on a true story of a home for trouble making boys on the Island of Bastoy, Norway. The story begins when a new boy Erling (played by Benjamin Helstad) arrives on the island. I don't remember what Erling's crime is but it's made obvious that he won't be broken easily. He exudes tenacity and fearlessness. The first to greet him is Bestyreren (played by Stellan Skarsgard) who runs the boys home. Bestyreren explains the rules and the consequences of breaking them. On the Island of Bastoy power is abused and justice is non-existent. After an accumulation of oppressive torment Erling and the other boys are pushed past their limits and form a rebellion that results in 150 soldiers sent to gain control. The acting of  Stellan Skarsgard is stellar, but I was blown away by Helstad's performance as the young delinquent Erling. His unflinching portrayal of this boy is empowering. This is an exceptional movie! It's difficult to imagine what these boys endured... but their stories deserved to be told and those who abused their authority and put those boys through hell deserve to be exposed.