Go in skeptical, come out enchanted

Brooklyn (United Kingdom/Ireland/Canada, 2015, Fox Searchlight) surprised me. I went in not expecting much aside from enjoying one of my favorite actresses, Saoirse Ronan, but I came out truly enchanted. The story of a young Irish girl trying to find happiness and love in America seems a simple tale, but the heightened emotional reality and the beautiful cinematography really did an excellent job of capturing my attention and my investment in the characters. Available on YouTube and iTunes.

I recently decided to marathon all of the Pirates movies, and I’m glad I did! It had been a while since I’d seen them, and I forgot how awesome they are, but in particular the first one, Curse of the Black Pearl (USA, 2003, Buena Vista Pictures). I think what really makes this movie so iconic is the cast that was assembled. Johnny Depp, Orlando Bloom, and Keira Knightly have such great on-screen chemistry. The score is also a big reason why I love this movie! Available on Amazon Video and Google Play.

• Summer Blinco
• Film aficionado