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Birds of Passage,

directed by Cristina Gallego and Ciro Guerra

(not rated, 2 hours, 5 minutes)

If you watched the first two seasons of the Netflix series Narcos, you may think you're up to speed on the decades of criminal drug enterprises in Colombia. But there's more to the story -- and the players -- than Pablo Escobar.

Birds of Passage comes in from a different angle, concentrating on the country's indigenous Wayuu people in the 1970s. At the center is Rapayet (Jose Acosta) who, wedged between a desire to be powerful and a duty to uphold his culture's values, enters and quickly finds success in the drug trafficking business.

Defying the disapproval of his tribe's matriarch Ursula (Carmina Martinez), Rapayet and his family get caught up in a conflict where honor is the highest currency and debts are paid with blood.

What starts out as a dream for a better life ends up with morality in tatters in this tense and compelling tale, enhanced by the stunning cinematography of David Gallego.

With Natalia Reyes, Jhon Narvaez. Subtitled.

Apollo 11 (G, 1 hour, 53 minutes) An inspiring documentary that chronicles the astonishing event, which took place 50 years ago, of NASA's Apollo 11 mission to land on the moon. Directed by Todd Douglas Miller.

Cold Pursuit (R, 1 hour, 59 minutes) Yet another violent portrayal by Liam Neeson of an aging tough guy seeking revenge for one reason or another. This time he plays a snowplow driver on the vigilante trail of drug dealers he suspects of having killed his son. If this sort of story appeals to you, well, have at it. With Emmy Rossum, Laura Dern, Tom Bateman, Julia Jones; directed by Hans Petter Moland.

Fighting with My Family (not rated, 1 hour, 48 minutes) A cheerful gotta-have-it sort of comedy, raucous and rowdy, in which a former professional wrestler and his family travel around, performing at small venues, while his kids dream of joining the World Wrestling Entertainment. Based somewhat on a true story. With Dwayne Johnson, Lena Headey, Vince Vaughn; directed by Stephen Merchant (The Office).

Field of Dreams 4K (PG, 1 hour, 46 minutes) Here's a chance for kids who never saw this sentimental 1989 sports drama to understand the meaning of the often-repeated phrase "If you build it, he will come." The 30th-anniversary release tells the tale of an Iowa farmer (Kevin Costner) who hears a voice saying those words in his cornfield. He decides it's meant to get him to to build a baseball diamond at which disgraced players from long-ago eras can redeem themselves. With Amy Madigan, Ray Liotta, Timothy Busfield, Burt Lancaster, James Earl Jones; directed by Phil Alden Robinson.

Never Look Away (R, 3 hours, 9 minutes) A handsome, sometimes horrifying historical drama in which German artist Kurt Barnert, who escaped East Germany and now lives in West Germany, can't escape the effects of growing up in the Nazi regime. With Tom Schilling, Sebastian Koch, Paula Beer; directed by Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck. Subtitled.

Never Grow Old (R, 1 hour, 40 minutes) A cruel, violent, and effective tale of redemption in which Irish undertaker Patrick Tate (Emile Hirsch) profits -- for a while -- when outlaws, controlled by Dutch Albert (John Cusack) take over Garlow, a peaceful American frontier town. Then the threats start rolling in. With Antonia Campbell-Hughes; directed by Ivan Kavanagh.

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Birds of Passage dvd

MovieStyle on 05/17/2019

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