Collective. 113+ min. Magnolia Pictures. In Romanian w/English subtitles. 2020. DVD UPC 7696401698. $17.99.

Unconscionable corruption in the Romanian health care system exposed millions of people to deadly bacteria and led to the deaths of thousands. After a 2015 fire at a concert, more people died from infection afterward than died in the terrifying blaze. Then a dogged team of journalists began to uncover layers of corruption and fraud that allowed hospitals to significantly dilute disinfectants, creating unsafe, unclean, and ultimately deadly hospitals. Directed by Alexander Nanau and nominated for a 2021 Academy Award, this film is quietly devastating, as the survivors of the fire face down the institutions whose unchecked greed put them and other Romanians in peril. VERDICT As much a celebration of the importance of journalism as it is a gripping, heartbreaking tale of medical corruption, this work is highly recommended.

 

Cowboys. 80+ min. 1922 Films. 2019. DVD UPC 6318476202. $18.99.

Viewers who think being a cowboy is a job of the past will be surprised to learn that the profession is still alive in the 21st century. Filmed across eight U.S. states and concentrating on the “big outfits” of up to a million acres, Bud Force and John Langmore’s film follows the seasonal responsibilities of a number of cowboys, whose difficult work comes with long hours, low pay, and isolation. Several of the film’s cowboys say that they think of their job as a calling. Full of terrific slang, beautiful shots of open skies and horses in slow motion, and the sound of jangling spurs, Cowboys is a pure treat from start to finish. VERDICT Featuring interviews with plainspoken cowboys and incredible shots of empty Western landscapes, the film is a gorgeous tribute to the cowboying life.

 

Some Kind of Heaven. 83+ min. Magnolia Pictures. 2020. DVD UPC 6318476679. $26.98.

What is the Villages? Senior citizens might consider the sprawling Florida enclave a retirement utopia with endless opportunities for socializing (they have more than 3,000 organized clubs to keep busy), but while some residents thrive, others struggle. Many residents are open about living in a fantasyland bubble, but director Lance Oppenheim’s film peers as well into the lives of people grappling to fit in amid all the buzzing activity. By focusing on the individuals who haven’t really found their place, the film has more depth than if it had simply captured the sun-drenched positivity that seems to exist on every street corner. VERDICT A quirky trip to one of the more unique places to retire in the United States.

 

The Story of Plastic. 85+ min. Outcast Films. 2019. DVD UPC NA $29.95.

Plastic: once, a futuristic, affordable product for the post–World War II masses; now, part of a global pollution catastrophe. It takes only a glimpse of mountains of trash or oceans filled with floating debris for viewers to become infuriated. There are many topics to dig into in Deia Schlosberg’s examination of the subject: how plastic was sold to the public; transparency in plastics recycling; the unfathomable amount of money linked to plastic production; and the industry’s damaging effects on humans and animals. All are addressed in the film, some more effectively than others, owing to the vastness of the subject. VERDICT Although this eye-opening journey into the complex world of plastic tries to end on a hopeful note, viewers worried about the environment might end up wondering if the pro-plastic infrastructure can ever truly be stopped.