"Executive Decision"

I know it's been around for a while, but I've never seen this until recently. What a well done, nail-biting hijacking movie. In the film, a group of hijackers takes over a flight from London heading to Washington, D.C. Mid-flight, the plane is surreptitiously boarded by a group of Navy Seals. The terrorists have a bomb and a huge cache of nerve gas on board. When their demands are met, they decide to go rogue and are determined to unleash the lethal gas on D.C. So it's the usual race against the clock. But there are so many twists and turns, the movie keeps you guessing until the final few minutes. And while some 20-year old movies of this genre might be dated, I think this one has held up pretty well.
3.5 out of 5 stars

"Frank & Cindy"

Not an easy movie to describe. And definitely not your typical Hollywood fare. At first I thought it was going to be a mocumentry like "Spinal Tap", not knowing it was based on real life. It's billed as a comedy, but, while there are funny parts, I'd hardly call it a comedy. It's about a dysfunctional couple, whose son comes home after college. The stepdad, Frank was a pop singer in his teens and is now a fat, hard drinking slob who lives in the basement. The mom is a recovering alcoholic who's full of zany ideas. One of her ideas is to have her son make a documentary about them. Rene Russo and Oliver Platt are absolutely great. It's painful to watch them bicker, which they do so well. Overall, this was a well made, very entertaining movie.
4 out of 5 stars

"187"

One powerful film. Right off you should know that "187" is the police code for a homicide. That sets the tone for this film. It stars Samuel L. Jackson as an idealistic high school teacher. After he's brutally attacked by a student at the rough high school where he teaches in NYC, he relocates to Los Angeles. There he accepts a substitute teaching job in a gang-riddled school. Naturally, trouble follows him. When one of his students is murdered and another attacked, you wonder if the perpetrator was a student or was it him. The movie is unsettling and keeps you on edge the whole time. As you'd expect, Jackson gives a noteworthy performance. This is a film that will stick with you, long after the end credits roll.
4 out of 5 stars

"The Water Diviner"

Russell Crowe stars in this epic drama set just after the First World War. He's a farmer in the Australian outback. When the war breaks out, his three sons volunteer and then are killed at Gallipoli. This heartbreaking news causes his wife to commit suicide. He then decides it's important to him to find the remains of his sons and make sure they have a proper burial. He travels to Turkey, which is not only still suffering from the aftershock of war, but is in the early stages of  political upheaval. It's based on a true story and I found it extremely moving. It's hard to imagine the loss of not just one, but three children. I don't know why this movie isn't better known. Well worth watching.
4 out of 5 stars