The Ledge (2011)

Are you willing to die for your beliefs?  Charlie Hunnam (of Sons of Anarchy fame) and Patrick Wilson face off over both religious differences and the love of Liv Tyler's character.  The great Terrance Howard is trying to keep his world from spinning out of control and his target from jumping from a ledge.  Twisted and odd as this story seems to some, it's all very plausible.

The characters are compelling and the story works even though it may feel way off base to many of us.  Hunnam's character may have been played by an older guy but Charlie makes it work, and makes us like him.

Although this movie was shot in Baton Rouge, Louisiana there are not discernible southern or creole accents.  Perhaps that made it an easier sell on the coasts?

Watch this movie with someone who needs to learn to tell stories faster.

Crash

Everyone is guilty of, and everyone is a victim of, racism. Regardless of who we are and what we deny, this applies to all of us. If you have not yet seen this movie, you should. Watching this movie with a group of people is far more effective than any diversity training I've been exposed to.

Nominated for 6, it won 3 Oscar's in 2006 - Best Picture, Best Editing, Best Writing. All are deserved.

Talk about an all-start cast: Matt Dillion, Terrance Howard, Thandie Newton, Sandra Bullock, Brendan Fraser, Don Cheadle, and Michael Peña just to name a few. There are more for sure.

The acting is superb and just about everyone should be able to relate to at least one of these characters. That is what makes this movie so special - it's easy to put yourself in the place of at least one character. Lessons should be learned.

Watch this with someone who is, in one way or another, different from you.

The Brave One

My expectation was that this movie was just a remake of 1974's Death Wish. I was wrong.

Director Neil Jordan (The Crying Game, Interview With A Vampire, and The End of the Affair) is more known as a teller of creative, artsy, independent films. In a very real way, he tells this story with more creativity, and more art, than one might expect in your typical revenge genre movie. But, therein lies the catch. This movie is atypical.

Jodie Foster (Taxi Driver, Silence of the Lambs, and The Inside Man to pick just a sample) was also Executive Producer, is a complete character here. Totally believable. Totally real. It is oh so easy to put ourselves in her position. Could you?

When her fiance (Naveen Andrews - Sayid of TV's Lost) is killed and she is beaten senseless, Foster's character, a public radio show host, struggles with how to carry on her life. Does she hate what she becomes, or does she love it?

Terrance Howard (Ray, Four Brothers, Crash, and The Hunting Party) plays the cop trying to catch whomever is killing bad guys in Manhattan. This is some of his best work, and in my opinion, he has done some great stuff.

Yes, there are certainly elements of your average revenge genre movie. But there is much more to the characters here. A good person does bad things to bad guys. The difference is how she reacts and how she evolves.

Another interesting thing is the relationship between the cop and the vigilante. The diner scene is very very smart cinema.

Also of interest is how lovingly this movie portrays New York and New Yorkers. Thank you Neil Jordan, for reminding us what a great city this is.

Watch this movie with someone who loves Manhattan, the safest big city on the planet.

The Hunting Party

Only the most ridiculous parts of this story are true. What a great way to start telling a story. It's almost as if Sam Clemens had returned to write a screenplay. Hey, let a guy dream.

Richard Gere (An Officer and a Gentleman, Pretty Woman, and Shall We Dance) picks up a fairly preachy script and, by not taking it too seriously, pulls off a very entertaining movie. This tongue-in-cheek story is well done. Even the sound track will surprise you. Ugly things happen in beautiful places.

Terrance Howard (Ray, Crash, and Four Brothers) has a knack for picking good projects. This one must have been fun for him. As both narrator and strong supporting role, he is not only the only sane character in the story, but a solid common thread.

The question is, can a small group of under-funded, badly prepared journalists, acting on bad information, find one of the world's most wanted war criminals while a host of international military organizations cannot? Remember, only the most ridiculous parts are true. The donuts are fictional.

Let's just say that this story is a conspiracy theorists flight of fancy.

Watch it with someone who "gets" international irony.