On Thursday, a friend and I plan to see Gravity on a long-planned movie date. In the past week, I’ve seen several wonderful films that I must recommend.

indie in theaters:

ENOUGH SAID

–writer/ director Nicole Holofcener [Lovely and Amazing, Friends with Money] creates wonderfully complicated characters. A masseuse [Julia Louis-Dreyfus] begins dating a guy [James Gandolfini] who turns out to be the ex-husband of a new friend. Julia Louis-Dreyfus exudes warmth and charm, James Gandolfini plays insecure and the film is sweet and smart.

on Netflix instant:

WAR WITCH

— intense, amazing film about a girl kidnapped and forced to be a rebel soldier in sub-Saharan Africa. when she develops intuition to where the enemy is she’s deemed a witch and works alongside the leader. that is until one day she meets an unusual boy who might provide her a way out from this terrible existence. brutal and beautiful. this 12-year-old girl’s survival story.

documentary on DVD:

WHEN THE LEVEES BROKE

–Spike Lee’s four-part compelling, heartbreaking, eye-opening documentary about Hurricane Katrina. He digs deeps for answers and interviews a wide patch of people. It’s remarkable and must-see viewing.

foreign on DVD:

LOVE IS ALL YOU NEED

— A surprising and delightful film by Susanne Bier. A young couple intends to marry during a weekend in Naples, Italy they begin to question their relationship and their respective families start to unravel with their own problems. The bride’s mother, Ida, a hairdresser [Trine Dyrholm] who lost all her hair to cancer found her husband cheating on her with a younger woman. She traveled solo to Naples, Italy for the wedding. The groom’s father, Philip, [Pierce Brosnan] misses his wife who died in an accident many years ago and Italy brings back memories. Although Ida and Philip don’t get along at first they soon find themselves quite attracted to each other while their children seem less likely to get married as the weekend progresses.