The Current Cinema 24.5

 The Remarkable Life of Ibelin

I never played World of Warcraft, but as someone who grew up alongside the burgeoning Internet, the idea of a faceless community turning into a curated online family is something I certainly experienced. Hours of my teenage life were spent making friends through various chat rooms and online message boards where the words (and subtle meanings expressed behind them) generated pathos and appreciation for people I never, and would never, actually meet. But the sense of fraternity was always present. Benjamin Ree's "The Remarkable Life of Ibelin" is the best film to ever document what it felt like to be a part of a very small corner of that dot-and-blip universe. Following the short life of a young disabled man and his immersion into the computer gaming world before his death, the documentary then takes an affirmative turn when his parents send an innocent message out across the web. What comes back to them is recreated in animated form as the film shows just exactly how valuable and powerful even the smallest actions can be..... whether it's in the real or virtual world.

The Order

Based on the real-life case of an FBI agent's cat-and-mouse investigation into the crimes of a white supremacist organization who've split from a larger community, Justin Kurzel's "The Order" is lean, grizzled, and bolstered by strong performances. Kurzel has always been fascinated with true crime stories (see his "Snowtown" and "Nitram"), but "The Order" is his most accomplished and clear-eyed exploration yet, complete with robbery shoot-outs and a barn-burning finale that understands the tension of logistics. Granted, Jude Law (as the agent obsessed with the policeman bringing along fresh eyed Tye Sheridan) isn't a largely complex character, but "The Order" succeeds becasue it feels like something ripped out of the no-nonsense 1970's where back story is just a marginal reason for guilt and the real complexity lies in the compulsive need to maintain law in an orderless wild west. I doubt this film will be in theaters long, so seek it out when you can.