Dead Poets Society

If this movie does not make you want to be a teacher, watch it again. This one is on my Top 10 list, but don't confuse that with my idea of the best movies ever made. This is just one of my favorites to watch.

Just 18 years ago, this movie was nominated for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, and Best Screenplay. Sort of a movie grand slam for you baseball fans. It won for only Best Screenplay however.

Robin Williams was at the height of his career, or at least one of the peaks. I believe his character there to be his most noble to-date. Some of his lines from this movie are now part of pop culture. Carpe Diem?

And if you look closely at the supporting cast (pretty much everyone NOT named Robin Williams) you should recognize a few faces that are now part of today's most popular TV shows and movie.

While the ending may break your heart, it is still a very inspirational movie. There is something in this movie for everyone. See how many of the literary misquotes you can catch?

Watch this movie with someone. Thats it. Don't watch this alone.

Reservation Road

If you want a statistics lesson in the small number of hit and run crimes which are solved in this country, you may want to watch this movie. If you are looking for a reason to take the law into your own hands, this movie might give you some inspiration. On the other hand, if you find very realistic suffering caused by the loss of a child, maybe this is not the best revenge story for you. If you enjoy a flashy uber-violent ending where the bad guy is eviscerated by the very weapons he used to impose suffering on his innocent and lovable victims, this movie is not for you. No, I did not just spoil the ending.

Now that my warnings are out of the way, and you have a better idea of where this movie fits in the scheme of things, I can get to how well done it is, and how well Director Terry George gets his points across without shouting at us from a soapbox. His work in Hotel Rwanda proved that point as well.

Joaquin Phoenix and Jennifer Connelly do a masterful job of taking us through the range of emotions parents would go through after an accident like this. They also demonstrate how tough it is for a relationship to survive any traumatic experience that, while being the same on the outside, is internalized differently by each individual. Sometimes that difference cannot be emotionally reconciled by others.

Mark Ruffalo may be the bad guy here but his acting is so good it's almost hard to not like his character. Almost. I like how well he portrayed all the conflicting emotions that would be going on in the mind and soul of such a guilty person.

While the ending is not all that satisfying, it is tidy and believable.

Watch it with someone who will enjoy all the ironies of conflicting emotions and complexities of parent-child relationships.

Music Within

This is basically the story behind the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA). It is also a very funny story and a very well told story.

Once again, the supporting cast of relative unknowns upstages and outshines the "box office". Ron Livingston is a much better actor than his work indicates. Except for his great work in Band of Brothers, he is almost always cast as the same basic character. Shame on his agent.

The real stars of the story are Yul Vázquez, Michael Sheen, and, though she has very few lines and is almost unrecognizable, Rebecca De Mornay. Melissa George also does a wonderful job as the only main character without a significant disability.

If you have ever walked past a disabled person and ignored them, you should see this movie. If you have ever looked the other way instead of making eye contact with a disabled person, you should see this movie. If you worry about your ability to employ, work with, or work for someone with disabilities, you should see this movie.

Just as I've recommended the movie Crash be used to conduct diversity training in every workplace in the US, I now recommend Music Within be used to train every employer and employee in the US in sensitivity training. Tilting At Windmills should also be read by everyone, regardless.

This movie is instructive without being preachy. It is funny without being disrespectful. It is heart-warming without being saccharine. It tells a real story with feeling like a documentary.

Watch this movie with someone who may be made uncomfortable by the message, and you will have done your part in helping make a difference in someones life.

There Will Be Blood

Have you seen this one? Both Oscars; Best Cinematography and Best Actor, were well deserved. Based on an Upton Sinclair novel "Oil", this is a period piece written very close to the period it covers. Sinclair captured and exposed his prey in his classic style. Paul Thomas Anderson adapted this screenplay and directed. This film fits in nicely with Anderson's other works of oddness, Magnolia and Punch Drunk Love.

There Will Be Blood is a very slow-moving art film. If that is your thing, you should really enjoy this. If you enjoy very detailed close-ups without dialogue, or sweeping vistas of some very nice central California scenery, you may really like this film too. If you have close to 3 hours to watch this, consider it an investment. It will give you plenty to think about.

Daniel Day Lewis plays some very unlikeable characters, and you may notice some similarities between his tyrannical character in Gangs Of New York and his role in this film. He is almost unrecognizable as the driven oil baron of early California. It is a masterful performance.

I liked this film because it did not fit any typical Hollywood formulas. I didn't like it because it moved painfully slow. I liked it for all the strong performances of deeply flawed individuals portrayed. I also liked the way it does not tell us as much as it does tell us about what is going on in the minds of the characters. I didn't like it because it's difficult to watch how rotten people can treat each other knowing how close to the truth is could be. In a romping thriller it's easy to tell oneself that real people don't behave like this. That was not possible in this movie regardless of how outrageous one thinks the behavior is. I just couldn't shake the feeling that these are very realistic characters; painfully believable.

Watch this movie with someone who will be patient enough for the big pay off and will commiserate with you when you think it is not delivered.

The Water Horse: Legend of the Deep

Harmless family fun. If you are a fan of Loch Ness lore and related movies, this will not disappoint. If you are not a fan or believer or even curious, I suggest you skip this movie. While there are a few familiar faces and some great movie moments, some of the acting is over-the-top and a bit of a distraction.

Alex Etel is as fun to watch here as here as he was in Millions. Her barely looks the 3 years older, but his acting is still great. Brian Cox is also wonderful though his role is small. He is a very welcome face on the screen. Emily Watson rounds out the most familiar faces, but if you are a fan of British theater, you will no doubt see more.

Don't expect to be overwhelmed with amazing CG monsters. Think Alf or ET or Pete's Dragon. Please don't misunderstand. The "monster" is very convincing and kids will love this story.

This is a great family movie. Watch it with a family that will let you join them for the evening.

The Bank Job

Yet another Jason Statham movie you might ask. Yes, is the answer. It appears Mr. Statham is on a tear to catch up to Michael Caine's record for making more movies in one lifetime than a body ought to. Since Statham plays basically the same character in each film however, I predict either he or the viewing public will get bored and give up. Statham has a head start however; Caine did not start making movies until he was the same age as Statham is now.

This movie is a bunch smarter than the average Statham movie. Perhaps being based on a true story helped? Despite that there are a couple of scenes which did not help the credibility of the script. Not to spoil anything, but not all post-heist residences were equally covered by the police or the thugs, which is a mystery to me. If it happened that way, so be it, but I find that very difficult to believe.

The characters in this story are so real, and the acting so good, that I found myself talking to the screen and telling them how stupid they were be behaving. I usually talk about them, not TO them. This was fun. Nevermind and the skin scenes, this was fun to watch.

Watch this movie with this someone who enjoys a good heist movie and can keep up with the unexpected twists.