Movies that Moved Me

This weekend I saw two movies this weekend that will stick with me for a long time.

The first is Creed. I haven't seen any of the Rocky movies for years, but I went because I love Michael B Jordan, and the movie was well reviewed. Creed fully exceeded my expectations. It broke stereotypes by having Michael B Jordan's character not come to boxing through necessity, but for pure love. He is a fully developed character who left a corporate job and life in a mansion to pursue his passion. He is a young black male who finds a mentor in an aging Rocky. It is particularly beautiful because their relationship is reciprocal. And - spoiler alert - the phenomenal ending includes the lesson that even in losing one can be a winner. It is a story that truly spoke to me. It had so much heart.

I also watched Tangerine, which is a film shot entirely on iPhones. It is a story about transgender prostitutes in LA. It leads its audience into a fully realized world that most of us don't know very much about. The movie challenges our expectations. Again, spoiler alert, I love that the main character is made to seem silly for thinking that her boyfriend, a pimp, genuinely cares about her, but then at the end she is vindicated as his feelings are revealed to be just as enthusiastic as hers. What dynamic characters! In scene after scene, we are introduced to new transgender women with whom the main characters are friends. It's fabulous that so many of the women are transgender actresses being provided with opportunities, and that the two lead actresses are being nominated for awards. The film and its accolades are a sign of the world becoming more accepting and I love it.