State of Play (BBC Series - 2003)

The US movie version of this was very good and base on this, but this series is much, much better. Because it is done as a mini-series there is much more detail, more character development, more fun.

John Simm is brilliant as the character played very differently in the US version by Russel Crowe. Bill Nighy is the scheming editor and friend of Simm's character. Kelly Macdonald is outstanding as the young reporter written totally differently for the US audience. Much better here. And James McAvoy is delightful as the son with something to prove. These are the newspaper folks.

The politician and wife are played by David Morrissey and Polly Walker. He is stiff and she is sultry. Both as perfect in their roles.

If you like a political murder mystery thriller, this is one of the highest sort. Well written, perfectly acted, deliciously photographed, with a good mix of funny, sad, and thought-provoking material.

Watch this with someone who will enjoy each cliff-hanger episode ending.

This Is It

Jackson fans will love this. If you are not a fan you may still at least enjoy it. The music, the moves, and the behind-the-scene peeks are priceless. Make sure to watch ALL the special features. This would have been one amazing event. No wonder over 50 shows were already sold out. Did you have tickets?

Watch this footage with someone who will sing and dance along with you.

Tennessee

First and foremost this is a story about coming home. Secondly it is a story about fleeing abusive relationships. That is an odd combination, but it works fairly well here.

Adam Rothenberg and Ethan Peck play brothers who, with their mother, run from Tennessee to New Mexico. The brothers stay together for 15 years outside Albuquerque barely surviving. When the younger brother discovers he has leukemia they decide to head back to Tennessee to see if the father is a possible bone marrow donor.

Along the way they meet a singer-songwriter waitress played by Mariah Carey. She helps them continue their journey when their car breaks down and they help her get on stage in a Nashville music contest. They all help each other deal with the drama in their lives. Bottom line, the message is that caring for someone else helps you feel better about yourself.

The plot has a couple of gaping holes which I could not get past however. The waitress's husband played coldly by Lance Reddick chases them across 4 states in his Texas state patrol car. Jurisdictions? What jurisdictions? Problem # 1.

When he finally catches up to the trio, Carey's character is on stage singing about how badly she has been treated. The song softens the heart of the heretofore stone cold wife-beater and he turns heels and goes back to Texas without a word to his wife. Problem #2. Have you ever met a guy from Texas?

After the brothers get to Knoxville the older brother rents a car to run all over the place doing things for his hospitalized brother. How does a guy with no cash, no job, and no credit card rent a car? Problem # 3.

Any one of these by itself might have been overlooked. But since the audience insults keep on coming I feel compelled to say something.

That said, now I feel I must say some nice things. Mariah Carey does a credible job acting. The sweet surprise ending works. The music is great as is the scenery.

Watch this movie, if you must, with someone who will not be bothered by any of the above.

Rocket Singh: Salesman of the Year

It is all worth it, but be prepared. This movie is in about 60% Hindi and 40% English. The dialogue is very fast as are the English subtitles. Running time is about 2 hours and a half including a good old fashioned intermission. Be prepared. This is not your typical Bollywood movie except for the incredibly happy ending.

All the main characters of believable and lovable. Even the bad guys are not all that rotten. Except for a little strong language there is nothing to fear in this non-rated film. You'll hear worse at the grocery store.

Ranbir Kapoor is great as the main character. Every recent college grad, especially those with business degrees, should see this movie and relate to the character.

Watch this movie with someone who is either looking for a job, or gave up looking, or is thinking about what they want to be when they grow up.

Door to Door

This made-for-TV movie is both funny and inspirational. Never-mind that the characters are based on real people and the story on real events. That only adds to the feeling of the story. I did win the Emmy for Best Movie and at least 4 others, back in 20030

William H. Macy aided in the writing of this story plus stars in a role that won him a Best Actor Emmy. His transformation is complete. He is almost unrecognizable.

Helen Mirren and Kyra Segwick play the two women in the life of Bill Porter who make his life work. They are both fantastic as the ladies they portray.

If you not comfy watching movies about other-abled people, you may want to skip this one. On the other hand, if you like against-all-odds stories, or just great acting, you should like this one.

Watch this movie with someone who sells for a living.

Gamer

This is a cross between popular Sim games, first person shooter (FPS) games, and extreme ultimate fights. When a mad genius gets richer than Bill Gates on technology that allows some people to pay to control other people via the Internet, what is the reasonable level to take it to?

Yup, you guessed it, prisoner on prisoner warfare with live rounds. Survival means freedom. Oh, that is not what you thought? No worries, that's what Hollywood is for. Put thoughts in our heads we would not otherwise get. Ha!

The makers of the audience-assault Crank series take the above-mentioned fan favorites to levels beyond our imaginations. And I have to say "well done". This is an interesting story told as only they would do it. Thanks guys.

Gerard Butler plays a convicted murderer plays a live-action full-battle game called Slayers. If he survives a few more battles he'll gain his freedom. Multiple twists come into play as well. The designer of the game, played perfectly evil by Michael C. Hall, does not want to let him win. There is also a group of underground tech-pirates who hack the system.

So, is this movie for YOU? If you are any two of the following: male, 17 to 20-something years old, into video games, into ultimate fighting, into cutting edge digital imaging, or have the hots for either of the stars, in a word, yes, you will like this movie. The rest should watch at their own risk.

Watch this movie with someone who matches as much of the above list as you can find and then watch their total delight.

Ocean's Thirteen

Enough already? Lots of big stars - way more than 13. Some great lines. The sights and sounds of Vegas. What could go wrong? Its been done before, twice, and not just by these guys.

Yes, it keeps you guessing, and yes it is interesting. But it is also predictable and follows the formula set back in 2001. Professional cons, grifters, and thieves with seemingly endless means pull off impossible jobs. Change the characters and it's really still the same story.

Don't get me wrong, I liked this, but the first one is still the best of the bunch.

Good to see the old and the new here. Elliott Gould and Carl Reiner still know how to spin a story. Casey Affleck and Scott Caan do their better-known family members proud. All the regular guys are up to par. Al Pacino and Ellen Barkin are the marks this time around and both are great.

For those who know Vegas well this can be a fun watch to see the familiar and the imaginary. For those who don't know the difference, it's also a fun movie. Vegas is a place of make-believe and false advertising. This movie lives up to that standard.

Watch this with someone who remembers who all the old characters are.

Amazing Grace (2006)

Sometimes a little music history goes a long way. When you look into the history of this very famous christian hymn you find it was written by a repentant slave trader in England in the late 1700s. You also find that this same poet was the personal preacher of one William Wilberforce. This Willberforce was the best friend of one William Pitt who was the Prime Minister of England from 1783 to 1801.

In part this movie is about that friendship. It is mostly about the career-spanning crusade of Wilberforce against the slave trade. See the connection? At one point Wilberforce, played superbly by Ioan Gruffudd, actually sings the hymn to his peers in Parliament.

Three cheers to the producers and director of this film for keeping it real. British history portrayed totally by Brit talent. What a novel concept. Hollywood should take notice and follow suit.

Albert Finney and Michael Gambon play the reformed slave trader and Lord Fox, both older spiritual and political advisers of Wilberforce. Both film veterans are still powerful in action.

Benedict Cumberbatch and Romala Garai round out Wilberforce's inner circle as Pitt and spouse. Many other very familiar faces from English screen and stage are present.

Bottom line, this movie tells a story of truly heroic politicians in an age of major change. As Pitt puts it early in the story, they were "too young to know what was impossible".

Watch this movie with someone who loves the song.

The Hurt Locker

According to the urban dictionary a hurt locker is an intense period of emotional or physical pain. It is also the place wherever you happen to be when you experience that pain. Yikes.

This movie is about so many different kinds of pain that it's hard to describe. This movie is about ordinary people doing super hero things. This movie is about the amazing things soldiers go through on and off the battlefield. One more thing this movie does very very well, perhaps unintentionally, perhaps on purpose: it shows the huge difference between the war depicted in Saving Private Ryan and the war being fought now in Iraq and Afghanistan.

This movie will most likely touch you in a variety of different ways depending on your generation, your gender, your political views, your religious leanings, and your sense of adventure. But it will touch you.

Jeremy Renner, Anthony Mackie, and Brian Geraghty are the real stars of this show. Right, who? I am very impressed with how the bigger names have smaller roles, fewer lines, and shorter lives. Guy Pearce and especially Ralph Fiennes usually are headliners. Here, they are in a total support role and are outstanding. Hats off to both for taking on these characters. David Morse is also in the picture but I'm not sure why.

Watch this movie with someone who is not sure if we're winning this particular war.

Mr. Brooks

Creepy good. Kostner is cold, calm, calculating, and creepy good in this role. I like him as a bad guy. And who would not want William Hurt as an evil genius voice in their head. Okay, maybe some people. My evil genius voice is not half as cool.

Demi Moore is spot on perfect in this role as a gutsy gotta-prove-something-to-everyone cop.

Picture this; a button-down business leader in the community with the a great wife and kid, has a great life except for one thing. He is addicted to murder along with his smooth-talking alter ego. Together "they" leave a string of unsolved crimes. Enter one additional quirk, this addition might be hereditary.

The only thing that spoiled this movie for me was one over-gory scene towards the end. I like HOW the story ended, but I'm didn't think the mechanics of the last scene was necessary. But I always say a good movie is one people keep talking about. And we are still talking about this movie in my house - 3 days after we watched it.

Watch this movie with someone who hears voices in their head.

Adam

Allegedly we are all supposed to learn something from every relationship we have. This movie is about learning from relationships. Actually it's more about 2 odd people working at making a relationship succeed, but in the end, each has learned from the journey.

We should be so clever and fortunate to learn so much so well from our relationships.

Hugh Dancy plays a young electronics engineer suffering from Asperger's Syndrome. He meets and falls for only-child-syndrome sufferer, Rose Byrne. The two strangers become neighbors, then lovers, then friends. Each is better for the experience but each hurts as well.

As Indie romantic dramas go, this sets the bar very high. There is a wide range of emotions for both characters and audience. The supporting cast is totally believable and easy to relate to.

Peter Gallagher plays the girl's gregarious father. Amy Irving the faithful mom. My favorite however is the Frankie Faison character. I've liked Faison's work since his very funny performance in the remake of The Thomas Crown Affair.

Watch this movie with someone who really really likes mac and cheese.

Eid milad Laila (Laila's Birthday)

This movie is best for patient people. It is slow. There is not much dialogue. It could be depressing for some people. Do I sound like a medical commercial? That last 3 minutes make the wait well worth it. I watched this a few days ago and I still smile when I think about this ending. Brilliant.

Any Daddy of daughters should relate to the main character played perfectly by Mohammed Bakri. Anyone who has struggled against the odds with little or no perceived success will see a bit of themselves in this character.

This movie is a bit of a cross between Falling Down and O Horton (I heartily recommend both by-the-way). Not as violent as Falling Down and not as long or funny as O Horton, this story strikes an endearing balance.

If nothing else this movie gives a very interesting look into daily life in Palestine. Of course I have no idea how realistic this view is, but I found it riveting. Really.

Watch this movie with a daddy or a daughter.

Zwartboek (Black Book)

Dutch bad-boy director Paul Verhoeven (RoboCop, Basic Instinct, and Hollow Man) does a great job here with a twisted, clever, untold story of WWII espionage, betrayal, and desperation.

In Dutch, English, German, and Hebrew, all with English subtitles, this movie is fast and loose. It earns it's R rating for sex and violence. It is also quite long but there are few, if any, wasted, unnecessary scenes.

Carice van Houten, Tom Cruise's wife in Valkyrie, is the center of attention here from the beginning. Her family tricked and slaughtered she spends the rest of the story trying to survive and revenge them. And van Houten does all her own singing here. Impressive.

This fast-paced movie keeps one guessing as to whom the bad-guys are and are not. And then they keep changing, but credibly. If you like spy thrillers, this is a worthy entry. If you like WWII stories told from a point of view we Americans rarely get to see, this is a wonderful movie.

Watch this with someone who like skating on thin ice.

Shooting Dogs (Beyond the Gates)

This movie was released as Beyond the Gates here in the US, but most other places had the original, far more fitting, title. This is a fairly similar story to Hotel Rwanda without the happy ending. Not that the story of 1990s Rwanda had ANY happy endings.

John Hurt and Hugh Dancy are brilliant together as differing generations dealing with the same crisis of conscience. Dominique Horwitz, new to us Yanks, but well known in his homeland, plays the head of a French delegation of UN troops in Rwanda at the time to observe the peace. His own struggle is as much a part of the story as any one's.

Based on actual events as told by the few survivors, this is a touching story with all too real action on both sides. As a resident of different African nations 20 years prior to this story, I observed the tribe-on-tribe violence and hatred that this story brings to light. Far worse than the racism most of us are familiar with, this movie shines fresh light on why the word genocide was used in this case.

This movie is not for everyone. There are strong religious and political themes. If you are not comfortable with your own beliefs in light of what others think, you may want to watch something less challenging. Otherwise this movie should prove entertaining, informative, thought provoking, and possibly even lead to action on your part.

Watch this with someone who as has lived in Africa and see if they recognize anything or anyone.

Inside Man

This is a very smart movie. I love the formula. A great script. Big names clearly having a good time doing their jobs. Set with classic New York characters. All on top of a good story that keeps the audience guessing until the end. Oh and the end - I love an end that "winks" at the audience. This one has a realistic, smart ending.

Denzel Washington plays a jaded New York Detective called in to work an unusual bank robbery. Clive Owen plays an uncommon thief. Jodie Foster plays one of her more interesting characters as a "fixer" for the rich and famous of New York. Christopher Plummer plays the banker who calls in Foster's character to help make things go away.

The supporting cast is equally impressive. Willem Dafoe and Chiwetel Ejiofor are also detectives working with Washington. Kim Director is among the gang of robbers, interestingly all named Steve.

Can there be a bank robbery if nothing is claimed stolen? If the bank robbers stay in the bank with all the hostages and nobody knows who is a good guy or a bad guy, who can the cops chase? This movie reinforces the idea that success is not based so much on 'what you know' or 'who you know', but more on 'what you know about who you know'.

Watch this movie with someone who thinks a good guessing game is delicious.