Review: "Piggy" is a visceral nightmare

by Cláudio Alves

© Magnet Releasing

Somewhere in the Spanish countryside, in a small town of Extremadura, Sara lives the kind of earthly hell familiar to many of those who grew up as fat teens. Judgment comes from every direction, shame inflicted upon her until it curdles the spirit. It's not just strangers that hurt, for a casual remark from one's mother can be so lacerating it leaves a scar. Still, there's nothing worse for Sara than her peers, cruel kids who couch their hatred in vacuous assertions that they mean well, that it's for her own good. A trip to the pool for Sara becomes another opportunity for torment at the hands of mean girls, including former friends.

Nearly drowned, her clothes stolen, a humiliated Sara walks home half-naked under the summer sun. It's then that a mysterious van appears, looming ominous in her path. Inside, the girl's tormentors lay powerless, victimizers turned victims at the hands of a kidnapper cum killer. Sara sees it all, the man in charge sees her, and they both do nothing – the van drives away…

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Film Review: Downton Abbey: A New Era

The sprawling cast of "Downton Abbey" goes to France and gets into the movie business in this new sequel.By Christopher James

Martin Scorsese described Marvel movies as theme park rides, not films. As derisive as that is, there’s some truth to it. What are theme park rides other than rushes and thrills, zooming through a theme or story with the sole purpose of making you react and cheer? If Marvel movies are a roller coaster, Downton Abbey: A New Era is an ornate, hundred year old Merry-Go-Round. It’s a theme park ride in that it exists solely to take fans through the hallowed halls of Downton, rather than to make a grand cinematic statement. That’s what makes this installment much better than the previous film. It cycles through the greatest hits with tremendous efficiency and spirit. The large ensemble is all smiles as they sip tea and gossip. Penelope Wilton and Maggie Smith land every sassy remark with a knowing grin. Girls just want to have fun, and my is Downton Abbey: A New Era low thrills fun!

Like a schoolyard dodgeball game, Downton Abbey: A New Era sets up two sides and divides its characters up between the two plots hastily. No sooner does the wedding between Tom (Allen Leech) and Lucy (Tuppence Middleton) end before Violet Crawley, the Dowager Countess of Grantham (Maggie Smith) decides to upstage them with her own revelation.... 

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