"Hunt for the Wilderpeople", directed by Taika Waititi

Movie, 2016

Touching and funny buddy story with a non-cloying performance by a child actor on the run from an over zealous child protection team in the New Zealand wilderness. While this is in no way a radical breakthrough film, the humour is well-balanced and the characters work well together, even if aside from the main protagonists, they tend to be very crudely drawn. The film delivers poignancy within something of a riotous framework, which is quite a feat, given the set up and the concentration on the two main actors and characters.

"Sideways", directed by Alexander Payne

Movie, 2004

Effective buddy and road type movie, in which old friends at very different stages of their personal journeys seek out wine and women. This is an effective, gentle film which prods away at some pretty hefty themes around infidelity and loneliness, while fitting in a decent number of laughs and capers along the way. The warmth towards all the characters shines through, however, as middle age is approached through different perspectives. The film isn't especially novel, with most viewers probably feeling they're covering some relatively well trodden ground, but this is, nonetheless, a generous, funny and watchable film.

Image: https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=1390847