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A straight, simple story about the connections needed in human life. No matter how far apart, or how much time there is between them. The connections remain. David Lynch's most human film, with none of the fascinating strangeness we know from his more popular work. There's some stunning cinematography by Freddie Francis, but it's the great Richard Farnsworth --in his last film, before he ended his own life as he was about to reach age 80--who makes this wonderful film what it is.

Based on a real life story, the movie follows Alvin Straight, who travels 240 miles,from Laurens Iowa, to the town in Wisconsin for a visit with his terminally ill brother. His mode of travel is an old lawnmower, towing a trailer. Midway, he's required to replace the mower with another on, also second hand. Straight had left his daughter (Sissy Spacek) behind in Iowa. Along his road, he meets several people who add variety and interest to the journey, most memorably Danny, a man who rescues Straight when the mower threatens to crash going down steep incline, and invites him to live on his property. There is a scene with a stranger in coffee shop, where Straight tells a revealing story story that scarred his past. We have a partial understanding of Straight by the end, but the basic theme of brotherly love shines through. In its way, this is a perfectly realized work of art, a major part of Lynch's legacy.

Visually stunning at times, and opening credits that rival the best of Saul Bass (VERTIGO and many others). With a solid, original concept BRAINSTORM should have been a huge success. Why wasn't it? A fine cast of well-known names mixed with some good lesser-known ones. The dramatic conflict in the plot is clear. There is at least one disturbing scene midway, well carried out, that has strong implications for the rest of the film. It's not confusing, at least not to me. And (NO SPOILERS) the ending works pretty well, even if you don't buy it completely. Probably better known as Natalie Wood's final film than for its own considerable merits.

Vividly drawn characters indelibly played by a brilliant cast. Most boxing films see the sport as a metaphor for the struggle of life and THE SQUARE RING is no exception. Winning is everything to these men (and to at least one woman). The fight against more odds than their opponent in the ring. What becomes of a fighter who's had enough--one who never got rich,or became a "star" to be commemorated in retirement? A couple of these characters face those questions and more. The rest are young and fit enough keep the fight going. It's schematic in the ways that most in the sub-genre are: representative characters--they're aging, or too young to know better, delusional, infantile, vain, but some are also good-hearted. Jack Warner, Robert Beatty and the great Bill Owen stand out, but no one can be faulted, not even the very young Joan Collins. The film is based on a stage play and dialog sometimes gives that away, but it's good dialog--sharp and insightful, while Basil Dearden's direction is equal to his better-known work. Finally now widely available on blu-ray. It deserves a place beside BODY & SOUL, THE SET-UP, CHAMPION or any others one could name.