Elina

Saw Elina, a clash of wills between a Professor Umbrage-esque smug school teacher and an adorable little blond girl who spends most of her time traipsing through postcard-ready vistas and mourning her dead father. Guess who wins. The execution of the story is quite satisfying (who doesn't want to see the stuffing get knocked out of scheming teachers?) and although the broad strokes can be seen a mile away, the details are not quite as predictable. I found the magical-realism of the dead father to be very nice. 'Very nice' is a good way to describe this whole movie. A touch too saccharine for my tastes but not overwhelmingly so. The film is sweet and toothless, like a grandmother.