Rog's Movie Viewpoint

On stage, David Copperfield (Dev Patel) recounts his life from birth to aspirations of becoming a writer. His carefree countryside youth with his widowed mother Clara (Morfydd Clark) changes after she marries the cruel Mr. Murdstone (Darren Boyd). The new stepfather beats him and eventually sends the boy to work in his London bottle factory. Bad working conditions and news of his mother's death send the young Copperfield escaping back to the country. Living with his wealthy Aunt Betsey (Tilda Swinton) and eccentric distant relative Mr. Dick (Hugh Laurie), life improves. But there are many ups and downs before his dream can be realized. Charles Dickens' novel gets a refreshing cinematic revamp in this lively period piece. Director/writer Armando Iannucci ("The Death of Stalin" and TV documentary "Armando's Tale of Charles Dickens"), with screenplay help from Simon Blackwell, manages to satisfyingly condense the lengthy book. The essence of Copperfield rem

A group of young Islamic terrorists from Pakistan attacked Mumbai, India in 2008. Part of this horrendous event included a siege at the Taj Hotel. Staff members, including Chef Hemant Oberoi (Anupam Kher) and waiter Arjun (Dev Patel), risk their lives to protect guests. Among those trapped are American David (Armie Hammer), his wife Zahra (Nazanin Boniadi), their newborn child and nanny Sally (Tilda Cobham-Hervey). Desperation leads to sacrifice. Even though the outcome is known, tension throughout makes this a riveting thriller. After a quick setup with the arrival of the terrorists, director Anthony Maras maintains