Who Is Cletis Tout? (2001)

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This is one where note taking will only help the viewing. Oh, wait! Forget the notes. The tale is so convoluted that even notes won’t help. But it’s still kind of a fun, though sometimes tedious, romp.

Critical Jim (Tim Allen) is a movie-loving hit man. When he demands money at gunpoint from Cletis Tout (Christian Slater) –- who is really Trevor Finch, maybe, who assumed Tout’s name after escaping from prison –- he is regaled with a story instead.

The faux Tout tells of a wily jewel thief named Micah (Richard Dreyfuss) who faux Tout met in prison and from whom faux Tout learned about a diamond stash. The faux Tout and Micah escaped together. Add to the mixture Micah’s daughter daughter Tess (Portia De Rossi), who either hates Finch or loves him, depending on various stages of the story.

Also appearing are Billy Connolly and RuPaul.

Written and directed by Chris Ver Wiel.

Run time: 1 hour, 32 minutes

Rated R for language, some violence and sexuality.

My personal rating: C

Lymelife (2008)

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Suburban life. A marriage in crisis. Teenagers coming of age. The ravages of Lyme disease. The loss of the American dream all set on Long Island more than 30 years ago.

Mickey (Alec Baldwin) and Brenda (Jill Hennessy) Bartlett are barely staying afloat in a sinking marriage. Their teenage son, Scott (Rory Culkin), is experiencing the first flutter of love and sex with the neighbor girl, Adrianna Bragg (Emma Roberts) whose father, Charlie (Timothy Hutton) has gone off his nut with Lyme disease.

Others in the cast include Cynthia Nixon as Charlie's wife and Kieren Culkin as Scott's kid brother.

Written by brothers Derick and Steven Martini; directed by Derick Martini.

Run time: 1 hour, 35 minutes

Rated R for language, some sexual content, violence and drug use.

My personal rating: C+

All Roads Lead Home (2008)

."All she sees, in all living things is the potential. God, why would anyone want her to see it any other way."

Young Belle Lawlor (Vivien Cardone) lost her mother in a car accident and her father Cody (Jason London) struggles to raise her alone. Cody works as an animal control officer and comes in regular contact with vet Lillian Cole (Vanessa Branch) and soon a tentative romance blossoms. Belle, however, frequently gets into trouble in town so Cody sends her to spend time on the ranch with her maternal grandfather Hock Banyon (Peter Coyote) who finds it difficult to be around Belle for the child reminds him so much of his lost daughter.

How this family deals with their grief and finds resolution to their relationship problems all centers on animals.

Others appearing are Peter Boyle (in his final role), Patton Oswalt, Evan Parke, and a couple of friends of mine from here in Kansas City, Walter Coppage and the late Peter Fopeano.

This movie was filmed here in the Kansas City area, mostly on rolling ranch land in Lee’s Summit but there are also several views of downtown KC.

Directed by Dennis Fallon.

Run time: 1 hour, 48 minutes

Rated PG for thematic material and brief language.

My personal rating: B

The Other Man (2008)

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"I prefer hotels and heaven."
Lisa (Laura Linney) all but reveals to her husband Peter (Liam Neeson) that she is having an affair. The next day she vanishes. Peter puts together puzzle pieces and finds Lisa’s lover, Ralph (Antonio Banderas).

Ralph doesn’t know who Peter is but Peter is playing a cat and mouse game with Ralph to quell his own despair.

Also appearing is Romola Garai as Lisa and Peter’s daughter.

Directed by Richard Eyre.

Run time: 1 hour, 30 minutes

Rated R for nudity and sexuality.

My personal rating: C

The Memory Keeper's Daughter (2008)

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"She's bright and happy...which is not what you predicted."
Dr. David Henry (Dermot Mulroney) is haunted by images of his mother's pain through the short life of her little girl who had a birth defect. When a blizzard prevents him from getting his pregnant wife Norah (Gretchen Mol) to the hospital, David and his nurse Caroline (Emily Watson) prepare to delivery the baby in his office at home.

A fine healthy baby boy is born but then a baby girl with Down Syndrome is born. Wanting to spare Norah the pain his mother had, he asks Caroline, without Norah's knowledge, to take the baby to a nearby facility for babies who are retarded. He is certain the child will not live long.

Caroline takes the baby but cannot part with little Phoebe so she raises the child herself as David and Norah raise baby Paul.

But 20-some years later, the whole story is revealed.

Also appearing are Krystal Hope Nausbaum as the young adult Phoebe; Hugh Thompson as Caroline's boyfriend; and Jamie Spilchuk as the young adult Paul.

Directed by Mick Jackson. This movie was made for television.

Not rated by MPAA.

My personal rating: C+

It Runs In the Family (1994)

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"That's what life is...a tie. a lousy tie."

A sequel to the ever popular A Christmas Story, this tale finds young Ralphie (Kieran Culkin) pitted against his new nemesis in dueling spinning tops and taking strides toward coming of age by being included in night fishing trips with his Dad (Charles Grodin) and his Dad's buddies. Meanwhile, Mom (Mary Steenbergen) experiences frustration at "dish night" at the local movie theater and Dad continues his battles with the neighboring Bumpus clan.

Also appearing are Christian Culkin as Ralphie's little brother Randy; Tedde Moore as Ralphie's mother; and Dick O'Neill as the shopkeeper.

The original title of this film was My Summer Vacation and if it had a general theater release, it was certainly limited. Critics generally reviewed it as lackluster and contrived, but I felt it was a decent little film, albeit not as good as the original A Christmas Story.

Directed by Bob Clark with screenplay by the inimitable Jean Shepherd, who also wrote the original novels and narrates this story.

Run time: 1 hour, 25 minutes

Rated: PG

My personal rating: B-

Beautiful Girls (1996)

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”If I'm not mistaken, you've come back here to the house of loneliness and tears, to Daddy Downer and Brother Bummer, to come to some sort of decision about life, a life decision if you will.”
Big city musician Willy Conway (Timothy Hutton) is at a crossroad in his life. Can he continue to live as a musician or should he take a regular job? Should he move forward to commit to his long-time girlfriend Tracy (Annabeth Gish). He takes a bus back to his small hometown for his 10-year high school reunion and for time to ponder his future.

Willy joins up with his old chums who still live in town and are all working in lower level jobs. Tommy (Matt Dillon) has a girlfriend, Sharon (Mira Sorvino), but he still carries a torch for his high school sweetheart Darien (Lauren Holly), who is married and had a child. She also continues to carry a torch for Tommy. Paul (Michael Rapaport) is obsessed with pin-up models and insanely jealous that his ex-girlfriend, Jan (Martha Plimpton) has taken up with a 40-year-old butcher. Mo (Noah Emmerich) is married and has two children but sort of longs for the independence his friends have.

The new neighbor’s next to Willy’s dad’s house have a 13-year-old daughter, Marty (Natalie Portman), who calls herself an “old soul” and gives Willy a lot to think about.

Also appearing are Richard Bright as Willy’s recently widowed father; David Arquette as Willy’s younger brother Bobby who still lives in the family home; Uma Thurman as Stinky’s visiting cousin who curls the toes of the guys; Rosie O’Donnell as the bossy friend who shames the single guys; Pruitt Taylor Vince and Max Perlich as other friends, Stinky and Kev; and Sam Robards as Darien’s husband.

Directed by Ted Demme.

Run time: 1 hour, 52 minutes

Rated R for strong language and nude pin-ups.

My personal rating: B

The Merry Gentleman (2008)

Kate Frazier (Kelly Macdonald) can no longer stand the abuse her husband Michael (Bobby Cannavale) dishes out so she escapes to a new life in Chicago and tells no one where she is. One evening as she leaves work she sees a man about to jump from the roof ledge of a building across the street. She screams and he jumps back onto the roof and disappears. The police come but the potential jumper is gone.

Officer Dave Murcheson (Tom Bastounes) contacts her because the man she saw was probably the one who shot and killed someone by firing into a building from the rooftop. Dave questions Kate a few times but he really doesn't need more information from her. He's interested in Kate romantically and eventually asks her out but he's awkward and she's still healing from the psychological and physical damage her husband had done to her.

Frank Logan (Michael Keaton, who also directed) is a depressed tailor -- who also happens to be a hitman. He helps Kate get her Christmas tree into her apartment and she's intrigued. The see each other a few times and when he collapses on her doorstep from pneumonia, she gets him to the hospital and visits him over Christmas. They slowly begin building a relationship.

A quiet, gentle, curious film, perhaps a tad too quiet and a bit self-absorbed, but there were some warm and tender scenes, too.

Run time: 1 hour, 50 minutes

Rated R for language and some violence.

My personal rating: B-

Jagged Edge (1985)

"I need to see your face."

When newspaper publisher Jack Forrester (Jeff Bridges) is accused of murdering his heiress wife, attorney Teddy Barnes (Glenn Close), defends him even though she hasn't handled a criminal case in years. As she works the case, Teddy begins to fall for Jack.

Peter Coyote plays the prosecutor Krasny; Guy Boyd as Teddy's ex-husband Matthew; John Dehner as Judge arrigan; Leigh Taylor-Young as the late Mrs. Forester's best friend Virginia Howell; and Robert Loggia as Teddy's friend, a former cop who does some private investigation on the case.

Taut courtroom mystery with a powerful ending.

Directed by Richard Marquand.

Run time: 1 hour, 48 minutes

Rated R.

My personal rating: B

Billy Bathgate (1991)

"What do you think the odds are I’ll beat this rap?"

Billy Bathgate (Loren Dean) is an ambitious young man. He's drawn to money, power, and glamour and falls in with gangster Dutch Schultz (Dustin Hoffman) and his gang of thugs during Schultz's rise and eventual fall and finds himself struggling with issues of trust, brutal death, and survival.

The all-star cast includes Bruce Willis as Schultz's main man Bo who betrays Schultz; Nicole Kidman as Mrs. Preston who was first Bo's girlfriend and then Schultz's; Steven Hill, Steve Buscemi, Kevin Corrigan, and Billy Maye as some of Schultz's goonies and henchmen; Stanley Tucci as gangster Lucky Luciano; and Frances Conroy as Billy's mother.

Directed by Robert Benton from a screenplay by Tom Stoppard based on a book by E.L Doctorow.

Run time: 1 hour, 46 minutes

Rated R for gangster violence, nudity and language.

My personal rating: B

High Crimes (2002)

"You have no idea what it's like to see somebody you love killed right in front of you."

High profile San Francisco lawyer Claire Kubik (Ashley Judd) finds her world shattered when her beloved husband Ron (James Caviezel) is arrested and charged with the murder of Latin American vilages when he served as a Marine 12 years prior. He'd been living a lie with a false name and history ever since.

Claire persuades lawyer and former member of JAG Corp Charles Grimes (Morgan Freeman) to help with the case.

Eyewitnesses have died or disappeared mysteriously and the whole case seems to be a set-up.

Adam Scott appears as the young military lawyer first assigned to the case; Amanda Peet plays Claire's sister Jackie; and Bruce Davison appears as Brig. Gen. Bill Marks.

Directed by Carl Franklin.

Run time: 1 hour, 55 minutes

Rated PG-13 for violence, sexual content and language.

My personal rating: B

The Valet (2006)

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Billionaire Pierre Levasseur (Daniel Auteuil) is having an affair with young supermodel Elena (Alice Taglioni) but must gain time to arrange a divorce from his wife (Kristin Scott Thomas) that might cost him a big hunk of his fortune.

Meanwhile, a simple parking valet François Pignon (Gad Elmaleh) loves Émilie (Virginie Ledoyen) who is deep in debt due to opening a bookshop. She also doesn’t feel that François is her ideal mate.

To keep the paparazzi and his wife’s attorney off his trail, Levasseur pays his mistress and the valet to pretend to be a cohabitating couple for a month.

Within days, the bookshop owner and the billionaire are jealous, the supermodel enjoys life with a nice guy, and the valet finds status and self-confidence. And when Levasseur’s wife discovers the truth, she sets out to play head games.

Subtitled.

Written and directed by Francis Veber.

Run time: 1 hour, 25 minutes

Rated PG-13 for sexual content and language.

My personal rating: B-

Dreamer (2005)

Inspired by a true story
”You're taking your kid and your horse to the Breeder's Cup tomorrow. 'Cause that's the dream of every real horseman.”
Ben Crane (Kurt Russell) has a Kentucky horse farm. Only problem is, he has no horses. He works as a trainer for horse businessman Everett Palmer (David Morse) who oversees the horses of Prince Sadir (Oded Fehr).

One day, Ben doesn’t feel a mare is quite up to a race but Palmer insists she runs. Half way through the race the mare’s cannon bone snaps. When Palmer orders the mare be put down, Ben fights back and is fired. He hauls the mare back to his farm intending to save her and make her a brood mare.

Soñador, the mare, becomes the love of Ben’s daughter’s life. Young Cale (Dakota Fanning) and serves as a way of mending the strained relationsip between Ben and Cale and the fractured relationship between Ben and his father (Kris Kristofferson).

Also appearing are Elisabeth Shue as Ben’s wife; Freddy Rodríguez and Luis Guzmán as the barnmen; Ken Howard as a fellow horseman; and Holmes Osborne as the vet.

Written and directed by James Gatins in his debut.

Run time: 1 hour, 46 minutes

Rated PG.

My personal rating: B+

Inventing the Abbotts (1997)

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Narrator: "The end of my innocence began in 1957. It is remarkable to me now just how little I knew then about the people around me. It took me years to figure out exactly what the truth was, especially given my brother's knack at inventing himself."
When two brothers (Joaquin Phoenix, Billy Crudup) from the wrong side of the track court three aristocratic sisters (Jennifer Connelly, Liv Tyler, Joanna Going) in the 1950s, fireworks fly.

The boys' mother is played by Kathy Baker and Will Patton appears as the girls' father. Shawn Hatosy also has a small role.

Directed by Pat O'Connor.

Run time: 1 hour, 52 minutes

Rated R for sexuality and language.

My personal rating: B-

25th Hour (2002)

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"You had it all, and you threw it away, you dumb ####!"

Brooklyn boy Monty Brogan (Edward Norton) is heading to prison for dealing heroin. He'll be locked up for at least seven years. The last 24 hours of his free life is spent with his girl friend Naturelle Riveria (Rosario Dawson), his two best friends, high school teacher Jakob Elinsky (Philip Seymour Hoffman) and bond trader Frank Slaughtery (Barry Pepper), his father James (Brian Cox), and his friend Kostya Novotny (Tony Siragusa).

Monty and others take a hard look at their lives as the twenty-fifth hour approaches.

Also appearing is Anna Paquin as Mary D'Annunzio.

Shows the rough, raw and racist reality many live daily. Intense.

Directed by Spike Lee.

Run time: 2 hours, 15 minutes

Rated R for strong language and some violence.

My personal rating: B

A Kiss Before Dying (1991)

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When Jonathan “Jay” Corliss (Matt Dillon) finds out his rich girlfriend Dorothy (Sean Young) is pregnant. He’d planned to use her to get to her wealthy daddy’s (Max von Sydow) money without the entanglement of a child. Jay murders Dorothy but makes it look like a suicide.

Soon Jay is wooing Dorothy’s identical twin sister Ellen (also played by Sean Young) even though Ellen is sure her sister was murdered and is actively trying to find out who Dorothy’s secret boyfriend was.

Diane Ladd plays Jay’s mother and James Russo as Dan Corelli, the cop and later private investigator who worked the case.

A thriller without a thrill. I didn’t care about any of these characters.

From a novel by Ira Levin. Screenplay and directed by James Dearden.

Run time: 1 hour, 36 minutes

Rated R.

My personal rating: C

Funny Bones (1995)

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"Why do all the best things in life belong to the past?" Comedian Tommy Fawkes (Oliver Platt) has a hard act to follow. His father, George (Jerry Lewis), is a zany comic beloved by all. At Tommy's debut in Las Vegas, he fails miserable and disappears. He's gone off to Blackpool, England, where he spent summers as a child, in search of funny material and a parter for comedy routines.

What he finds is his father's former comedy partners, the Parker brothers, and a whole bag of family secrets that suddenly frees him from the muck of being the son of a celebrity.

Also appearing are Lee Evans as a tragic young comic, Jack Parker; Leslie Caron as Jack's devoted mother; George Carl and Freddie Davies as Bruno and Thomas Parker; Richard Griffiths as the manager of the seaside resort; and Oliver Reed.

A strange, at times surrealistic, little film that often reminded me of some of the Coen brother's work.

Written and directed by Peter Chelsom.

Run time: 2 hours, 8 minutes

Rated R for some language and a scene of tragic violence.

My personal rating: B

Monk: 7:3 (TV Series)

Season 7
Episodes 9-12
Disc 3

My personal rating: B

Another Woman (1988)

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"I wondered of a memory is something you had or something you lost."
Marion Post (Gena Rowlands), director of undergraduate studies in philosophy at a women’s college, is on leave writing a book. Her husband Ken (Ian Holm) is an accomplished cardiologist.

Because of construction next to her home, Marion rented an office downtown to do her work. On the first day, she discovers that she can hear every word spoken in the psychiatrist’s office next door.

Over time Marion becomes enmeshed in the story one of the psychiatrist’s patients tells. The patient, Hope (Mia Farrow), a pregnant woman, is in deep despair and considering suicide. Pondering the young woman’s plight causes Marion to examine her own life.

Betty Buckley as Ken’s first wife Kathy; Blythe Danner and Philip Bosco as Marion and Ken’s friends Lydia and Sam; Sandy Dennis as Marion’s childhood friend Claire and Jacques Levy as her husband Jack; Gene Hackman as Larry who Marion had been tempted to have an affair with years before; John Houseman as Marion’s father as an old man; Martha Plimpton as Ken’s teenage daughter Laura; David Ogden Stiers as Marion’s father when he was young; Harris Yulin as Marion’s brother Paul and Frances Conroy as his wife Lynn.

Thought provoking. Terrific music. Subtle NYC background.

Written and directed by Woody Allen.

Run time: 1 hour, 21 minutes

Rated PG.

My personal rating: B

The Boys and Girl from County Clare (2005)

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"Ready, one, two..."
Growing up in County Clare, Jimmy and John Joe McMahon grew up learning ceili music. Now, forty years later, Jimmy (Colm Meany) lives in Liverpool and leads a ceili band. Brother John Joe (Bernard Hill) still lives on the family homestead in Ireland and also leads a ceili band.

With the big Ceili Championship at hand each brother attempts to sabotage the arrival of the other at the competition. But the bad blood between the brothers only intensifies when both arrive late -- but just in time to register.

John Joe's piano player Maisie (Charlotte Bradley) is the love of the old bachelor's life but she's very upset that Jimmy has come back to County Clare. Meanwhile, John Joe's angelic top fiddler Anne (Andrea Corr) and Jimmy's piper Teddy (Shaun Edwards) fall in love.

Also appearing is Patrick Bergin as the third McMahon brother, Padjo.

Terrific Celtic music all over the place.

Directed by John Irvin.

Run time: 1 hour, 34 minutes

Rated R for nudity, scenes of sexuality, and language.

My personal rating: B+

Such a Long Journey (2000)

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Twelve centuries ago, the Persian Empire was conquered by Arabs. When forced to choose between Islam and death, a small group of Persians fled to India, taking with them their ancient religion of the prophet Zarathustra. These Parsis peoples prospered and became leaders in Bombay under British rule.

This film, set in 1971 when India and Pakistan continued their conflict and Bangladesh became a focal point, follows the story of one devout Parsi –- Gustad Noble (Roshan Seth).

Gustad joyously sings his way through life as he deals with the day to day living and supporting his family as a bank clerk. He is asked by a dear friend (Naseeruddin Shah), a freedom fighter, to help transfer a parcel needed to battle the Pakistanis.

Also appearing are Soni Razda as Gustad’s wife Dilnavaz; Vrajesh Hirjee as his son Sohrab; Sam Dastor as Gustad’s office mate; Ranjit Chowdhry as the pavement artist; and Kurush Deboo as the mentally challenged neighbor Tehmul.

Based on the novel by Rohinton Mistry. Directed by Sturla Gunnarsson.

Run time: 1 hour, 53 minutes

Not rated by the Motion Picture Association of America.

My personal rating: B

Class (1983)

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Sophomoric
Jonathan (Andrew McCarthy), a naive country boy, earns a scholarship to a classy prep school. His roommate, the handsome prankster Franklin “Skip” Burroughs IV (Rob Lowe), decides that Jonathan needs to learn his virginity so he sends Jonathan to Chicago, where Jonathan meets Ellen (Jacqueline Bisset), a beautiful mature woman. They begin a passionate affair but when Ellen discovers Jonathan is only 17 years old, she disappears.

Skip invites Jonathan to spend Christmas break with his family and Jonathan discovers that Ellen is Skip’s mother.

Others in the cast include Cliff Robertson as Skip’s father; Stuart Margolin as Balaban who is investigating possible cheating on the SAT; John Cusack, Alan Ruck, Virginia Madsen, Deborah Thalberg, Anna Maria Horsford, and Joan Cusack as Skip and Jonathan’s friends; Lolita Davidovich as a wasted girl; and Dick Cusack as the chaplain.

Directed by Lewis John Carlino.

Run time: 1 hour, 38 minutes

Rated R.

My personal rating: C+, but fun to see the debut roles of several young actors who continue in the industry today

Don't Come Knocking (2005)

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"Where is Howard? Who is Howard? He's long gone, he's long gone." Howard Spence (Sam Shepard) is a washed up cowboy actor who probably has been given his last chance to shape up and fly right in a film. But he blows it. Big time. He disappears from the set. The director (George Kennedy) is instructed to continue shooting around Howard's scenes. The film's bonding company sends Sutter (Tim Roth) to locate Howard, drag him back to the set, and make him complete his contractural agreement.

Howard has wandered off with purpose, first to see his mother (Eva Marie Saint) who he's not been in contact with for many, many years, then to locate his old girlfriend (Jessica Lange), and then to find his son Earl (Gabriel Mann). Along the way he connects with a young woman named Sky (Sarah Polley) who is trying to decide what to do with her mother's ashes.

Also appearing in the cast in small roles are James Roday, Julia Sweeney, Tim Matheson, James Gammon, and Fairuza Balk.

All star cast but pretty much a wasted effort. Story was a missed opportunity. I didn't care enough about the characters to make this store work for me. But the music was interesting.

Story by Sam Shepard and Wim Wenders; screenplay by Sam Shepard; directed by Wim Wenders.

Run time: 2 hours, 2 minutes

Rated R for language and brief nudity.

My personal rating: C

All the Pretty Horses (2000)

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"I guess country lasts forever. People ain’t but for a little while."
All John Grady Cole (Matt Damon) ever wanted to do was ranch on his grandfather’s land in west Texas. But his father had signed over the future of the land to his ex in the divorce so when the grandfather died, John’s mother sold the land leaving John quite devastated.

John sets off with his friend Lacey Rawlins (Henry Thomas) set off for Mexico. Early in the journey, they hook up with young Jimmy Blevins (Lucas Black), a runaway who ends up going his own way.

ucas BlackJohn and Lacey find work on one of the last great ranches in Mexico, the 27,000 acres owned by Hector de la Rocha y Villareal (Rubén Blades). John wants to prove their worth by breaking 16 wild mustangs in four days –- a task accomplished with all the ranch hands and their families looking on and which impressed Hector. John is given the job of working with Hector on the program to breed fine Mustang mares to the new Thoroughbred stallion Hector has just purchased.

In the process, a romance blossoms between John and Hector’s daughter Alejandra (Penélope Cruz) but Hector’s sister Doña Alfonsa (Miriam Colón) does not approve. Alejandra is sent to live with her mother and John and Lacey are arrested and sent back to a little town north of the ranch. When the are thrown in the jail there, they find young Jimmy who is charged with three murders and apparently he’d implicated John and Lacey.

Also appearing are Sam Shepard as the lawyer who explains to John how the sale of the grandfather’s land can’t be blocked; Bruce Dern as the judge.

Beautiful cinematography in a beautiful land. Heartfelt music including Marty Stuart’s touching “Far Away.” And love those horses!

Based on the novel by Cormac McCarthy. Directed by Billy Bob Thornton.

Run time: 1 hour, 54 minutes

Rated PG-13 for violence and some sexuality.

My personal rating: B+

Chrystal (2004)

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Involved in a high speed chase, Joe (Billy Bob Thornton) loses control of his car and wrecks. In the process, his young son is killed and his wife Chrystal (Lisa Blount) is permanently disabled.

After serving 20 years in prison, Joe returns to the Ozarks to try to make amends with Chrystal.

Also appearing are Grace Zabriskie as Chrystal's mother Gladys; Kathryn Howell as Miss Mabel the spiritualist; Walt Goggins as Joe's slimy cousin Larry; Harry Lennix and Johnny Galecki as Kalid and Barry who came from Chicago to record the regional music; Colin Fickes and Max Kasch as Hog and Shorty, a couple of teenagers; James Intveld as Charlie the cop; Harry Dean Stanton as Pa Da; and Ray McKinnon (who also wrote and directed) as Snake who carries an old vendetta against Joe.

Some fine bluegrass pickin' and singin'.

Run time: 1 hour, 46 minutes

Rated R for sexuality, nudity, drug content, violence and language.

My personal rating: B-

Solas (1999)

Alone

Maria (Ana Fernández), a Spanish woman in her thirties, walks through life without passion or love. She'd left her parents home in a small village and now lives in the big city and works as a housekeeper, but she has trouble pulling her life together largely because of the after effects of her father's (Paco De Osca) drinking and brutality when she was young. Maria also lacks respect for her mother (María Galiana) for staying in the relationship.

When her father needs heart surgery in the city, Maria's mother comes to stay with Maria in her small apartment in a rough part of town. Maria displays bitterness toward her mother but in time, she finally begins to see her mother as fine, helpful, and caring woman. In turn, her mother gets a glimpse of what a good relationship with a man could be like when she befriends the elderly and lonely Vecino (Carlos Álvarez-Nóvoa) who lives downstairs from Maria.

Meanwhile, Maria is facing a big dilema heself -- an unwanted pregnancy and a boyfriend who she realizes is shockingly like her uncaring father.

Also appearing is Antonio Pérez Dechent as the doctor.

A very touching film about the need for loving relationships, this film garnered numerous top awards internationally.

Written and directed by Benito Zambrano. This was Zambrano's debut as both a scriptwriter and director.

Subtitled.

Run time: 1 hour, 41 minutes

Rated R for language and sexual content.

My personal rating: B

State of Play (2009)

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When the mistress and top research aide of Congressman Stephen Collins (Ben Affleck) dies on the train tracks, he recruits his old college chum, Cal McAffrey (Russell Crowe), an investigative reporter for the Washington Globe, to get the facts on what may have been a murder while protecting Collins’ name and career. With the assistance of Della Frye (Rachel McAdams), a Globe blogger, McAffrey delves into a complex scandal that stretches from the bed to the boardroom to beyond.

Also appearing are Helen Mirren as the Globe’s editor, Cameron Lynne; Robin Wright Penn as Collins wife, Anne; Jason Bateman as the slimy PR agent, Dominic Foy; Jeff Daniels as Congressional Majority Whip George Fergus; Harry Lennix as Detective Bell; Josh Mostel and Michael Weston as Globe reporters who run down leads; and Viola Davis as Dr. Judith Franklin.

Based on a BBC television series.

Directed by Kevin Macdonald.

Run time: 2 hours, 8 minutes

Rated R.

My personal rating: B