[Mashiro]

Magnolia / 1999 / United States / 8 out of 10 Rating on IMDb

An epic mosaic of interrelated characters in search of love, forgiveness, and meaning in the San Fernando Valley. 24 hours in L.A.; it's raining cats and dogs. Two parallel and intercut stories dramatize men about to die: both are estranged from a grown child, both want to make contact, and neither child wants anything to do with dad. Earl Partridge's son is a charismatic misogynist; Jimmy Gator's daughter is a cokehead and waif. A mild and caring nurse intercedes for Earl, reaching the son; a prayerful and upright beat cop meets the daughter, is attracted to her, and leads her toward a new calm. Meanwhile, guilt consumes Earl's young wife, while two whiz kids, one grown and a loser and the other young and pressured, face their situations. The weather, too, is quirky.

A bit of a crazy and weird movie. A chaotic trip through the lifes of many different people during their search for a meaning in life and someone to love, too. And it literally rains frogs in the end! Insane.

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The Hurricane / 1999 / United States / 7.6 out of 10 Rating on IMDb

The story of Rubin 'Hurricane' Carter, a boxer wrongly imprisoned for murder, and the people who aided in his fight to prove his innocence. This film tells the story of Rubin "Hurricane" Carter, an African-American man who rose above his troubled youth to become a top contender for the middle-weight boxing title. However, his dreams are shattered when he is accused of a triple murder, and is convicted to three natural-life terms. Despite becoming a cause celebre and his dogged efforts to prove his innocence through his autobiography, the years of fruitless efforts have left him discouraged. This changes when an African-American boy and his Canadian mentors read his book and are convinced of his innocence enough to work for his exoneration. However, what Hurricane and his friends learn is that this fight puts them against a racist establishment that profited from this travesty and have no intention of seeing it reversed.

A very interesting film about a real character from that times (where racism in the U.S. was the most normal thing).

Worth a watch. Danzel Washington is playing the main role very well.