The Experience Driven Life

  This drama/romance has a light, epic yet credible quality to it. There was a lot of good acting (I liked Antonio Banderas as Mr. Saccione especially), and the plot was satisfyingly unpredictable right up to the end. Recommend.  https://www.imdb.com/title/tt5989218/

This extremely dark indie masterpiece is seared into our cultural unconscious. Billy Bob Thornton won an Oscar for best screenplay but arguably should have won for his nomination as best actor as well. The film is profoundly unpredictable, and there are moments of understated brilliance. Second time viewing; first time in 1996 I missed a lot. Darker than dark, though.

This was a really powerful, inspiring story about Jackie Robinson who in 1947 despite opposition became the first African-American to play in Major League Baseball. Chadwick Boseman who recently passed away was pefect in the role of the brave 1st baseman, but I thought that Harrison Ford stole the show with maybe his best perfromance ever as Branch Rickey, the forward-thinking manager of the Dodgers who signed Jackson. Great, timely movie for the whole family.  https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0453562/?ref_=tt_mv_close

This was excellent and moving. Directed by the guy who brought us American Beauty. Wonderfully acted all around, but I especially appreciated Peter Macdissi who brought exceptional energy to the film. Highly recommend.  https://www.imdb.com/title/tt11327514/

This Netflix series was not perfect, but I rank it as one of the best ever. You will be addicted, and it will stick with you. Was Sam Shepard's last role, and it was a good one.  https://www.imdb.com/title/tt3520702/

  Scary low budget thriller. A little like Misery. I recommend.  https://www.imdb.com/title/tt8633478/

Enjoyed this more than expected. It has a social conscience/clash of generations edge to it. Patrick Schwarzenegger was pretty good, but Michael Shannon really ruled the film. Recommend. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4353270/

This was a good, fresh take on the disaster thriller theme. Excellent acting from the leads. A little Cormac McCarthy dark at times, but it always hits an uplifting note. Definitely recommend.  https://www.imdb.com/title/tt7737786/

  I'm pretty sure my first viewing of this very honest depiction of American politics. So little has changed. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0068334/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_2

This was a really clever and charming film. Definitely had Jon Stewart written all over it. Good acting all around. Highly recommend. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt9076562/

Interesting action adventure offering from Ang Lee. Good performances all around. Script was well crafted. Pretty good moral dilemma. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1025100/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_6

This was better than I expected, mainly because of Yifei Liu. Settings were spectacular. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4566758/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_1

Subversive masterpiece by Paul Verhoeven. Hasn't lost a moment of its power since 1997.  https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0120201/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0

This movie was a lot better than I expected based on the reviews. It was nice to see Liam Neeson playing a sensitive artist rather than a vigilante for a change. Micheál Richardson, Neeson's son and Yolanda Kettle stole the show though. It was actually really moving, and the Tuscany setting was spectacular. Highly recommend.  https://www.imdb.com/title/tt9207700/

  Quite a good, intelligent thriller with an excellent finish. Definitely recommend.  https://www.imdb.com/title/tt10003008/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0

Second time seeing this one since catching it during the theater release back in '99. Loved watching it again. Stone captured the whole American football zeitgeist perfectly with his typically unflinching, critical, counter-cultural eye. So many excellent performances, especially from Diaz, Foxx, Quaid and especially Pacino, whose pep speech toward the end is one of the finest in contemporary film history and worth the price of admission. The whole has a feel of a racially-charged war zone, but never lacks a redeeming, sardonic, fun and ultimately uplifting sense of humor. Highly recommend, although it was absurdly ignored at the Oscars.  https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0146838/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0

As Robert Redford put it aptly in his forward to the beautiful novella by Norman Maclean, "I was not sure River could be made into a film. The story is slight and relies heavily on Norman’s voice as narrator. It is a maddeningly elusive piece, dancing away from the reader like the boxer Norman had once been, then coming in fast to whack you between the eyes with the beauty of its language or in the solar plexus with the depth of its emotion." Indeed the film only superficially lives up to the book, but that isn't to say that you shouldn't see it. It was well cast, and the scenery is as I imagined it to be -- it won the Oscar for Best Cinematography, which is a kind of consolation prize if you make a movie like this. In short, if you read the book, which you should, then you will certainly want to catch Redford's take on it. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0105265/

Very powerful anti-war film, despite being a powerful war film, if that makes any sense. Andrew Garfield was absolutely phenomenal. Honorable mention to Vince Vaughn as the Sergeant. My fav bit of dialogue: "You're a conscientious objector, and you joined the Army? Well, no, sir, I'm a conscientious cooperator." That's the message in a nutshell. Highly recommend, if you can stomach the raw brutality of war. At least my second viewing.  https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2119532/

I'd forgotten how good, funny and poignant this one is. Great acting all around, especially from Zellweger and Cuba Gooding Jr., who hands down won best supporting actor for the role -- his performance in some of the final scenes is moving and hysterical. It has an indie, counter-cultural feel to it. Highly recommend.  https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0116695/

  Dark, terrifying horror film based on a Stephen King novel. No punches pulled. Highly recommend if you are into the genre. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0884328/

This was entertaining in an absurd, Monty Pythonesque way, but not as funny as I recall it being in 1988 while I was living in England -- in other words feels a little dated. Great performances all around though. Sort of recommend if you are in the mood.  https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0095159/

This one exceeded expectations, although I regret not seeing it on an IMAX screen. Hanks was excellent but a little older than I imagined the Captain Krause of the Forester novel. Most of my little complaints with the film stem from having just read the page-turning classic, e.g. why didn't they just keep the original boat names? -- was an unnecessary distraction. Anyway, the best thing this film/book achieved for me was a vivid and patriotic depiction of a slice of naval operations during WWII -- my dad as a commanding officer on various ships was to the best of my knowledge in situations like these from time to time during the war. The movie was an excellent, faithful depiction of that, even if it was impossible to really capture the cerebral, solo quality of the novel and a lot of the psychological/moral nuances that drove its absolutely gripping plot. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6048922/?ref_=tt_mv_close

  This is arguably the best of the Jack Ryan films to date thanks to Tom Clancy. A great plot and lots of excellent acting. That is, how do you nuke Baltimore and still have a happy ending?   https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0164184/

Second time viewing this dark masterpiece by David Cronenberg. Viggo Mortensen is a natural resource. The title is pregnant with truth and the film laden with the power of the subtext from beginning to end. There is no non-crucial supporting acting here as well, including stellar performances by Maria Bello, Ed Harris and William Hurt. If you haven't seen this classic, buckle up and do so soon. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0399146/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_8

First movie in the Jack Ryan franchise. Working through them for fun. This one has aged well. Sean Connery struck me as fairly comatose until the last scene. A young Alec Baldwin was a pretty darn good Ryan. Definitely recommend. It's a good ride overall.  https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0099810/

Very amusing, absurd film. Jim Carrey at his zaniest. He has an art form all of his own. Some of his expressions are positively inhuman. Second viewing. Watch if you want to forget everything for a couple of hours. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0109040/

Coming of age masterpiece by John Hughes. Forgotten how good this one is. Struck me as the teen version of Who's afraid of Virginia Woolf. Indeed it is playlike. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0088847/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0

As Peter Bradshaw from the Guardian put it, this shaggy-dog stoner LA noir may be the Coens’ comic masterpiece. I really enjoyed it the second time around. Amazing performance by Bridges, but it's a real team effort, e.g. Turturro was hillarious.  https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0118715/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_3

Solid, fun action thriller. Lots of good scenes in the Annapolis area. Both Ford and Archer were excellent.  https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0105112/?ref_=tt_urv

Good thriller. Jodie Foster was nominated for best actress for this one -- I miss her on the big screen -- she was a fine presence and carried this one. Kristen Stewart in an early role was credible. Forest Whitaker was predictably good as well. One of those ones definitely worth seeing again, although the ending was a bit of tidy dud.  https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0258000/  

Good, fast-paced Afghanistan war flick. Not a happy story -- eternal recurrence of the same. At one point one of the Afghan elders has to be reminded that it's the Americans in his country not the Russians -- wonder why he would have made that mistake?  https://www.imdb.com/title/tt3833480/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0

This one from Scorsese is really dark. Great performances all around and a tight script. Hard to believe De Niro did not win an Oscar. It was his most demonic role ever and in a league with Joaquin Phoenix's Joker. Nolte and Lange were excellent as well. Juliette Lewis, who was also nominated for a supporting role, was perfect as the rebellious teenager almost seduced by the villain. Second viewing. Looking forward to re-seeing the sixties original with Peck and Mitchum, who both have cameos in this excellent remake.  https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0101540/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0

Really enjoyed this one. Destined to be a classic. Andy Samberg and Cristin Milioti were great. Pure imaginative fun with a Zen-like take on life. It's like an updated Groundhog Day. Highly recommend.  https://www.imdb.com/title/tt9484998/?ref_=tt_urv

Wonderful, engrossing film and a great story. Viggo Mortensen shined and carried the whole thing. Remains one of my all time favs, particularly as it succeeds in bridging at least in the imagination the gap between West and East. Second viewing.  https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0317648/

Charming action comedy with a tight script. Genuine fun all the way to the ending credits. Chloe Coleman was brilliant as the precocious child.  https://www.imdb.com/title/tt8242084/

This great piece of animation genius is about coming to terms with our mortality. Nominated for best screenplay. Tim Allen and Tom Hanks were perfectly cast. So much fun and poignant too.  https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0114709/

Haunting existentialist film by the Coen brothers who won the Oscar for best screenplay. Frances McDormand earned best actress for her unforgettable portrayal of a cool, pregnant local detective. William H. Macy was excellent as a pathetic car dealer. You want to laugh at this quirky, brutal film noir. Second viewing. Highly recommend -- with viewer discretion for some scenes.  https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0116282/