Nothing Like the Holidays (2008)

The Rodriguez family is coming together for Christmas. Bodega owner Edy (Alfred Molina) and his wife Anna (Elizabeth Peña) are eager to see their three children back in their Chicago home.

Young Jesse (Freddy Rodríguez) is just returning from a tour of duty in Iraq and release from the Army. He's grappling with his guilt about the death of his best Army buddy in an attack upon both of them by the insurgents. He's also struggling with the fact that he still loves his former girlfried Marissa (Melonie Diaz) even though she is now happily married.

Son Mauricio (John Leguizamo) arrives with his Jewish wife Sarah (Debra Messing), a successful NYC career couple. Sarah feels the family pressure to get pregnant and Mauricio is eager to start a family.

Sister Roxanna (Vanessa Ferlito), an actress from LA, is trying to decide whether or not to continue acting. Her roles have been small and she can't seem to break through.

Mother Anna breaks the news to the family that she is leaving Edy because she is sure he has been having an affair. Meanwhile, Edy has his own secret that he's not ready to share with the family.

Also appearing are Luis Guzmán as Edy's nephew and Jay Hernandez as Jesse's best friend.

While this film is typically billed as a comedy, it is really a very tender drama about a loving family's dynamic. Rich in Puerto Rican culture and traditions. I'd like to see a sequel to this one as I came to care very much for these characters.

Directed by Alfredo De Villa.

Run time: 1 hour, 38 minutes

Rated PG-13 for thematic elements including some sexual dialogue, and brief drug references.

My personal rating: B

The Brothers Bloom (2008)

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"See, you've reached an unethical conclusion. You think you want out, but you don't. One last con. "

The quirky little tale of Stephen (Mark Ruffalo) and his brother Bloom (Adrien Brody), two life-long con men who decide to retire from the biz. But Stephen urges Bloom to join him in one last “big one” –- swindling money from heiress Penelope (Rachel Weisz). The only problem is, Bloom begins to fall in love with the wealthy young woman and appears to be torn in his allegiance.

The romp takes place all over the globe: Japan, Mexico, Prague, New Jersey.

Also appearing are Rinko Kikuchi as the beautiful but mysterious demolition expert Boom Boom; Robbie Coltrane as the curator; and Maximilian Schell as the evil Devil Dog.

Written and directed by Rian Johnson.

Run time: 1 hour, 53 minutes

Rated PG-13 for violence, some sensuality and brief strong language.

My personal rating: B

Rope! (1948)

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"We've killed for the sake of danger. And for the sake of killing. We're alive. Truly and wonderfully alive."
Inspired by the Leopold and Loeb murder case, this thriller originally was on stage as Rope's End and director Alfred Hitchcock opted to film it as a play with continuous 10-minutes takes. Many consider this film one of the very best films centering on homosexuality, a brave topic for this era in film.

Prep school teacher and housemaster Rupert Cadell (Jimmy Stewart) taught Nietzsche's Superman and two of his students-- Philip Morgan (Farley Granger) and Brandon Shaw (John Dell)--took the lesson well. On a whim, they strangled their friend David Kentley (Dick Hogan) just to see what it felt like. They then hid his body in a chest in their NYC apartment. Brandon is sadisticly cavalier after the fact while Philip is wrenched with guilt.

There's the game of risk involved, too, as the men are hosting a party that evening and there's that body in the chest in the middle of the room. Guests include Kentley's father, Henry (Sir Cedric Hardwicke) and aunt, Mrs. Atwater (Constance Collier), his girlfriend, Janet Walker (Joan Chandler), his former best friend, Kenneth Lawrence (Douglas Dick), and Professor Cadell. Along with the busybody housekeeper Mrs. Wilson (Edith Evanson), they are oblivious to the evil in the room.

The bonus material included with this DVD gives wonderful insights into the production.

Hitchcock was notorious for always having some tiny role in each of his films. In Rope, he appears simply as a pedestrian walking with a woman on the street in the opening sequence. This was Hitchcock's first Technicolor production. The film's treatment was done by Hume Cronyn.

Run time: 1 hour, 21 minutes

Rated PG.

My personal rating: B+