In the Loop (2009)

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"This is the problem. Civilians wanted to go to war. Once you've been there, once you've seen it, you never want to go there again unless you absolutely have to. It's like France."

Set in a time when the United States and Great Britian are proposing war in the Middle East, this film follows the underlings--who are generally quite young--as they try to come to terms with it and try to get things right to present to media and the public. What results is a comedy of errors and then some in this award-winning film.

Foul-mouthed Malcolm Tucker (Peter Capaldi), the Prime Minister's Director of Communication, has trouble keeping doofus Simon Foster (Tom Hollander), Minister for International Development, walking the line after Foster alluded to impending war on a radio interview. Toby "fetus boy" Rice (Chris Addison), the new, young advisor to Foster, arranges for Foster to be in on the Foreign Office meeting with U.S. Assistant Secretary of State, Karen "an excitable, yapping she-dog" Clark (Mimi Kennedy).

Chad (Zach Woods) and Liza (Anna Chlumsky), young American aides to Karen Clark, are at odds with each other as they both vie to get on the upward ladder.

Also appearing are: James Gandolfini as General George Miller, Pentagon Senior Military Assistant and David Rasche as Linton Barwick, U.S. Assistant Policy Secretary.

Directed by Armando Iannucci.

Run time: 1 hour, 46 minutes

Not rated by the Motion Picture Association of America.

My personal rating: B+

Gifted Hands: The Ben Carson Story (2009)

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Based on true incidents

"Dedication and intelligence are the easy part."

Wirh the sacrifices and determination of his mother (Kimberly Elise), young Ben Carson (Jaishon Fisher as the young Carson, Gus Hoffman as the teenaged Carson) makes his way through the tough life of a fatherless child and shines in academics despite discouragement from the rest of the world. He graduates with his M.D. from Yale and becomes Dr. Ben Carson (Cuba Gooding, Jr.)--world class pediatric neurosurgeon and head of the department at Johns Hopkins.

Aunjanue Ellis plays Carson's wife.

Directed by Thomas Carter.

Run time: 1 hour, 30 minutes

Not rated by the Motion Picture Association of America.

My personal rating: B

Boy A (2007) .

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My personal rating: B-

Departures (2008) .

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My personal rating: B

In a Day (2006) .

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My personal rating: C+

The Accidental Husband (2008)

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"Don't settle for a boyfriend when you can demand a manfriend."
R = Is he responsible?
E = Is he your equal?
A = Is he an adult?
L = Is he loving?
Relationship therapist Emma Lloyd (Uma Thurman) has always been sensible and had the right career and fiancé, Richard (Colin Firth). But when she discovers that she is already married to another man and Emma finally meets her "accidental husband," she reexamines her decisions and her impending marriage.

Also appearing are Sofia (Justina Machado) and fireman Patrick Sullivan (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) as an engaged couple whose plans were thwarted by advice Sofia got from Emma on Emma's radio call-in show. Sam Shepard appears as Emma's father; Ajay Naidu plays Patrick's best friend. Isabella Rossellini and Keir Dullea also appear.

Some great shots of NYC.

Directed by Griffin Dunne.

Run time: 1 hour, 30 minutes

Rated PG-13

My personal rating: B-

The Emerald Forest (1985) .

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My personal rating: C

Eve's Bayou (1997) .

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My personal rating: B-

The Man Who Cried (2000).

Inglourious Basterds (2009) .

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My personal rating: A-

Snatch (2000)

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"You should never underestimate the predictability of stupidity."
After Franky Four Fingers (Benicio Del Toro) and his crew, disguised as Hassic rabbis, steal a flawless 86-carat diamond in Antwerp, he flees to London to sell the goods. Doug "The Head" Denovitz (Mike Reid) in London and his Cousin Ari Denovitz (Dennis Farina) in NYC, want it -- want it bad -- but then Four Fingers goes missing.

Ari flies to London to find him, hiring Bullet Tooth Tony (Vinnie Jones) as his goon. Meanwhile, Boris "The Blade" Yurinov (Rade Sherbedgia) hires incompetent thugs (Lennie James, Robbie Gee, Ade) to find Four Fingers and retreive the diamond.

Meanwhile, an unlicensed boxing promoter named Turkish (Jason Statham) and his parter in crime Tommy (Stephen Graham) are pressured by one ruthless bookie, Brick Top (Alan Ford), to throw a match. When their boxer, Gorgeous George (Adam Fogerty), gets KO'd in a brawl with the pikey (Irish gypsy) named Mickey O'Neil (Brad Pitt), Turkish recruits Mickey to be the bare-knuckled boxer to go down in the ring to satisfy Brick Top.

Before long, everyone's after the diamond in this wild ride by writer/director Guy Ritchie.

Run time: 1 hour, 44 minutes

Rated R for violence and language.

My personal rating: B

Life as a House (2001)

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"Truth doesn't set us free."
George (Kevin Kline) hates his job as a model maker for an engineering firm. He lives in a hovel of a seaside cabin surrounded by nice houses. His neighbors don't like him and he feels the same about them. His life has been full of anger starting with his hatred for his father. His estranged teenage son Sam (Hayden Christensen) is into drugs and gives his mother no end of grief.

When George is fired from his job and learns he has a terminal illness, he sets about to demolish his cabin and build a fine home in its place with the help of his son and ex-wife Robin (Kristin Scott Thomas). What he finds is a metaphor for his life, a renewed relationship with his son, and an understanding with his ex-wife.

Also appearing are Mary Steenburgen as George's judgemental neighbor and Jena Malone as the neighbor's teenage daughter. Sam Robards and Scott Bakula also appear.

Terrific Mark Isham music.

Directed by Irwin Winkler.

Run time: 2 hours, 5 minutes

Rated R for language, sexuality and drug use.

My personal rating: B

One Night at McCool's (2001)

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"Suddenly, my whole life changed."
Jewel (Liv Tyler), a trampy knockout, has only ever wanted a house full of all the best. On one single night at McCool's Bar, she manages to mesmerize three men -- the horny bartender Randy (Matt Dillon); his cousin Carl (Paul Reiser), an arrogant lawyer; and Dehling (John Goodman), the guilt-ridden detective who comes to McCool's after-hours to investigate the shooting death of Liv's boyfriend and partner in crime, Utah (Andrew Dice Clay).

Each man finds his own advisor. For Randy, it's the seedy bingo playing hit man (Michael Douglas); Carl talks with his psychiatrist (Reba McEntire); and Dehling visits his brother, the priest (Richard Jenkins). And, of course, each man has his own perception of the situation.

A black comedy that works on most levels but has a few missed beats.

Directed by Harald Zwart.

Run time: 1 hour, 33 minutes

Rated R for violence, sexuality and language.

My personal rating: B-

Taking Woodstock (2009)

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"They think that 5,000 people are going to buy tickets."
Elliot Teichberg (Demetri Martin) returns for the summer to his small hometown of Bethel in the Catskill Mountains to help out his parents (Imelda Staunton [who is hysterical in this!], Henry Goodman) who run a cheap, seedy motel. He promptly gets elected president of the Chamber of Commerce and sets about to get his parents' motel and the deteriorating tiny town on track.

He's asked to continue the summer concert series he ran when he lived at home -- basically Elliot playing music on his stereo. But he continues to look for opportunities to bring tourists to the area. When the neighboring town of Wallkill cancel the permit for the Aquarian Festival that was scheduled to be held there, Elliott decides this could be his town's summer concert.

And thus was born the historic Woodstock.

Others in the cast include Eugene Levy as Max Yasgur, who offered his dairy farm as the venue; Emile Hirsch as a young, disillusioned, drugged out local; Jonathan Groff as Mike, the laid back organizer; Mamie Gummer as Mike's assistant Tisha; Liev Schreiber in drag as Vilma who offers security; Richard Thomas as the Reverend Don; and Paul Dano as a hippie.

Based on Elliot Teichberg's memoir.

Director Ang Lee did an amazing job getting all the details. Some scenes are nearly identical of photos taken at Woodstock.

Run time: 2 hours, 1 minute

Rated R for nudity, language, and drug use.

My personal rating: B+