The Experience Driven Life

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/