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A couple of Movies

Duma is as delightful as advertised. Before seeing it, I told people, "it's a movie about a boy and his cheetah." I was expecting there to be a bit more to the plot, but there wasn't too much; family drama causes the aforementioned boy to set out alone into the African wilderness to return the aforementioned cheetah to the wilderness. That may sound overly trite, but the family drama is pretty heart-wrenching, the specific situations that lead the boy and cheetah to wander into the dessert contain healthy amounts of frivolity and good humor, and the events that follow form an excellent adventure story enhanced by the beautiful landscape. Recommended for everyone.

Mysterious Skin is a disturbing foray into the realm of pedophilia, with a focus on the mangled psychology of its victims. Two boys, one molester, very different symptoms, all wrapped into a well-crafted character study with a kind of strangely charming plot. Recommended if you have the stomach for such things.