Cry Macho

An old man goes to Mexico in search of a boy and finds himself. And a rooster—so, you know, the usual story. And story it is here; this one is all about the tale and its telling, without much to dress things up. There are no special effects, little in the way of violence (a few rough scenes, but nothing like the city-destruction showcases that are par for movies these days), and only one body on screen who is recognizably a movie star: Clint Eastwood. He serves as lead, producer and director here, thus proving he still has plenty of life in him even this far along. Eastwood’s veteran status comes in handy with this flick’s direction; only an experienced hand would have the assurance to make such a restrained work in today’s environment. Then again, his experience also works somewhat to his disadvantage here, too. There are multiple scenes of women basically throwing themselves at Clint’s old cowboy character, as they did in movies multiple decades ago. An honest assessment would have to say that's a stretch regarding the lead's current appeal. Beyond that incongruity, the story relies upon some rather large-sized assumptions on more than a few characters’ parts—displaying either a fault in the source material, or perhaps the kind of loss of big-picture vision that can come with advancing age. Fortunately, most of the questionable stuff is overcome by that quiet, steady, confident storytelling, so the viewer ultimately experiences an absorbing if not riveting tale of broken people making their way to healing, if not wholeness once more. And kudos to the rooster, who plays his part with cocksure professionalism; hopefully he eventually escaped the broiler. If you’re in an introspective mood—and who isn’t these days?—I think this film fits in the recommended category. Take this trip; it's worth it.

J. Edgar

An oddly sympathetic portrait of a personage who had, by the time this film was made, largely become a punchline to various jokes and a symbol of some of the problems of his period of American history. The factuality of this account is destined to remain outside of true knowledge; this is mostly about looking through a prism, and what you see is more about who you are rather than any quantity of legitimate truth. What is undeniable is Leonardo DiCaprio's chameleon-like ability to fill whatever role he pleases, and to do so with such a natural-seeming ease that he remains, perhaps, under appreciated for his talent, even with a career full of plaudits behind him. This is his show, and his almost peerless ability as an actor makes this film worth the viewer's time.

Richard Jewell

The premise of this film, at its core, is that a couple of pretty people conspired to destroy a fat, ugly guy. Sounds about right. Perhaps I take that lesson away for personal reasons; but for my lack of a Georgia accent, I could be this guy’s cousin, and I watched this flick keenly aware that, had I ever been in the wrong place at the wrong time, I could easily have gone through what the late Mr. Jewell did. Paul Walter Hauser does good work as the title character, but it’s really Sam Rockwell and Kathy Bates who deliver the tour-de-force performances here. His outrage and her emotional depth drive home the personal dimension to a story that has a much larger scope: every time the government abuses its power, there is at least one individual who suffers terribly for that. It’s well worth taking the time to watch this movie and take that reminder to heart.

Sully

Reliving one of the most extraordinary events of recent times -- the water landing of US Airways flight 1549 on the Hudson River -- certainly makes for an interesting time at the movies. But that's not all that's going on here; the investigation of the incident, which forms the bulk of the movie's plot, raises the interesting philosophical question about just how much we should rely upon analysis by our computer tools -- especially in light of the fact that, like Captain Sullenberger's skill piloting an aircraft, a computer's knowledge is only as extensive as the human experience of the person who programs it. Perhaps AI will change that equation, but, as this film emphatically makes clear, we're not there yet, and sometimes it's human intuition that must rule the day for everything to work out OK. Tom Hanks gives a solid yet restrained performance in the title role, while Aaron Eckhart gets in most of the good lines as his co-pilot Jeff Skiles; and excellent supporting work is done by everyone portraying the first responders who got out to that plane and drew the dramatic story to its happy ending. Good stuff, important stuff, and worth thinking about long after the film's relatively short running time comes to a close.

American Sniper

1. Sometimes it’s good to be behind the times. Like, for instance, when you watch a movie a year after it hits theaters, and all of its accompanying controversy has receded into the background. This film would probably have been hard to judge when it first arrived, given the heated atmosphere surrounding it then. When viewed with some perspective, you can judge this film clearly: a very good movie featuring an excellent performance by Bradley Cooper, and not nearly as much jingo as its harshest critics believed. As usual, director Clint Eastwood brings much more nuance to a potentially propagandistic subject than the casual observer might expect. Certainly, he clearly shows that, for all his gung-ho, Chris Kyle paid an enormous price for his time in Iraq--and as such stands as an appropriate metaphor for the nation as a whole. Definitely worth a look.

Flags Of Our Fathers

An unusual mix of reverence and iconoclasm, featuring powerful direction and meticulous reproduction of period details, plus an outstanding performance by Adam Beach as a tormented, not-quite hero. One can see where this film isn't quite everyone's cup of tea; at such a distance in time and temperament, the movie's theme and theory might not generate a response in some. But thoughtful viewers will find a rewarding experience in this work.

Letters From Iwo Jima

This mirror image of Flags of Our Fathers is, clearly, the superior, more effective movie. Director Eastwood serves up a contemplative, sympathetic portrait of the island's Japanese defenders that makes transparent some things that are otherwise opaque. Even so, there are still nuances of character, concept and culture that are impossible to convey, especially in subtitles. It is, then, a testament to the strength of the performances that they shine brilliantly despite the language and cultural barriers. Highly recommended.

Million Dollar Baby

A great film for gruff humor. But then again, its calm and reflective tone casts a spell over the viewer, slowly drawing you in to its hidden world. The constant voice over narration gets irritating after a while, though it's forgivable when you get to the end and realize there was a reason for it all along. The story does take too long to get to its point at the climax, but the strength of the tale and solid performances overcome any issues. Worth a look.

Mystic River

Taken solely for its content--a smart and well-drawn yet ultimately standard story--this movie would not be particularly special. But the cast is so talented, and their performances so professional and dead on, that their work raises this film to a higher level. Watch it and wish that you could do your job so well.

Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil

Not so bad for the performances, but overly long, tepid in execution, and unfocused. The strongest part of the story centers on the relationship between the two main characters; when John Cusack and Kevin Spacey are on the screen together, the movie is much more interesting. Unfortunately, there's way too much sideshow here.

Space Cowboys

I guess it's OK if the geezers get to go for a ride once in a while. It's all very predictable, but Eastwood, Jones, Garner, and Sutherland deliver performances you expect from seasoned professionals. If you've got nothing else to do, you could sit down and watch this one and not feel like the time's been wasted.