The Book of Henry

The movie is not a masterpiece; but it is solid piece of cinematic work acted wonderfully by Naomi Watts and Jaeden Lieberher with a cameo by indomitable but stereotypical Sarah Silverman. Its pathetically low ratings on rottentomatoes reflect the stupidity of groupthink (an oxymoron) of a modern critical blogosphere. The movie must have some of the three components of movie success: gay rights--especially in Chechnya but (G-d forbid!) not in Saudi Arabia or emirates, racial, gender and/or confessional equality--especially for Muslims--and racist attacks on the Russians sometimes totally unrelated to the plot to get high ratings these days (Mars, Bridge of Spies, Gravity). Because "The Book of Henry" touches none of these issues, in the view of American critical universe it falls flat.

Origins: The Journey of the Humankind.

Because too much excitement is prohibited for us the senile loons, we are left with a few options (see the "Young Pope" review), NG is among them. "The Origins" is a brilliant concept, which is pitifully executed. The series are scientifically shallow and jingoistic politically; all human progress since antiquity is attributed to the Americans. In a politically correct fashion, even the plate
tectonics (discovered by A. Wegener, a German) is credited to an obscure American geologist who shamed that "frenchy" Cousteau.