Red (2010)

Retired: Extremely Dangerous. Hope to be there soon!

What is NOT to like about this movie? It is dark, funny, violent, twisty, fast, outrageous, and smart. What a fun ride. I really did not know what would happen next. On that alone I can recommend this movie.

Bruce Willis has played many fun, exciting characters, but this one if my favorite so far. DC Comics may have created Frank Moses, but Warner Brothers missed the boat on this one. Kudos to Summit Entertainment for picking up this project and bringing him to life.

This is the Space Cowboys of spy films. I loved it as much as I love Sneakers.

Watch this with someone who does not believe John Malkovich can do comedy.

The Last Station

Set in and around Tolstoy's last days. It is as much about the drama within his inner circle as the author himself.

Christopher Plummer plays Tolstoy and Helen Mirren his wife, the Countess. Paul Giamatti is Chertoff and James McAvoy the young aid who finds himself stuck in the battles between them. The story is as much about the struggles in the mind and heart of young Valentin Bulgakov, Tolstoy's last Secretary, as anything. His struggles represent those of mankind.

Tolstoy is arguably the most celebrated writer in the planet's history. Some see him as a messiah, some a saint. Others see him as a prophet and others as a mad social genius. Regardless of your perceptions, this touching story, ending at the last train station he visited, will at least educate and perhaps inspire.

Watch this movie with someone who knows little or nothing about Tolstoy and see if they strive to learn more after the movie.

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.

State of Play

While some similarities exist, not much other than the character names and the title are carried over from the brilliant BBC series to this very smart movie. You don't need to have seen the series to enjoy this movie. In fact, you may enjoy it more if you are not distracted by the differences.

In the extra features a producer makes the statement to the effect that everyone in Hollywood wanted to be part of this project. And there are huge names aplenty to be sure. Russell Crowe and Ben Affleck turn in very different roles than their norm, and both are great. Helen Mirren continues to be one of the best actors from any country. Robin Wright Penn and Rachel McAdams are both very strong and sexy characters here. Jason Bateman does his best acting to date and was a very pleasant surprise for me.

Set in DC this political murder thriller is good a keeping the audience guessing. The pace is brisk and one has to keep up with plot twists as they happen.

Watch this with someone who like to guess who did what to whom and watch them react at the end when all is revealed.

Inkheart

Fictional license can be a very fun thing. Based on a Cornelia Funke novel, this movie intertwines characters and events from some very famous stories. From Hook's ticking croc to Dorothy's Toto, you should find at something familiar in this movie.

Brendan Fraser plays a "Silvertongue" who brings story characters and events to life when he reads the words aloud. Something goes wrong early in the story and he spends the rest of the movie trying to set things right. As usual the main character needs help from several friends.

In this case the friends come in the form of Eliza Bennett who plays his equally gifted daughter and Paul Bettany who plays one of the story characters. Both do a wonderful job of character evolution and winning the audience over.

Helen Mirren and Rafi Gavron are also essential supporting characters as sister-in-law and story character respectively. Because this story is so rich with characters you have your choice of which to like and which to boo. There is someone here for all ages and all genders.

This is for sure a family movie but mind the PG rating. Some of the conjured-up characters might be a little too scary for the younger crowd especially considering how they are brought to life. We don't want to prevent anyone from reading aloud or wanting to be read to for fear of what might or might not happen.

Watch this movie on a dark and stormy night to enhance the ambiance.

National Treasure: Book of Secrets

More of the same. A little Da Vinci Code. A little Indiana Jones. A little bit predictable.

But, I have to admit it was fun to watch. Nicolas Cage has this role down. His timing is perfect. Jon Voight could be a great actor, or he could be just playing himself. I can't tell. The great surprise in this movie was Helen Mirren as the academic Mom. She is one of my top 10 favorite actresses.

Nevermind the whole premise is whacked, and many of the best funny bits are not even remotely possible. This is a fun watch and a great date movie. Bring lots of popcorn.