Quick Hit:  An HBO film, this is a fascinating look at Winston Churchill, just after WWII has ended and he is not re-elected in spite of having saved England with his brilliant and dogged leadership.  The film presents various scenes during the war, and shows the strain on his marriage.  I am not very familiar with Churchill and can only assume this is an accurate portrayal.  It’s a very good movie!

Quick review of this one.  Bruce Willis, James Cromwell and Ving Rhames star in this sci-fi look at what would life be like if we all lived sort of vicariously through computer controlled robot beings that never age, are owned and controlled by us from within the confines of our homes, which we never leave.  It’s the ultimate extension of a virtual society.  This is a decent movie and an interesting look at the dark side of technology.

Quick review: Laura Linney, Liam Neeson, and Antonio Banderas star in what I found to be a very difficult movie to watch.  After his wife is no longer in his life, he discovers she was living another life he had no knowledge of.  In an era when trust seems to be impossible to achieve, this scenario is just a bit too real.  Good acting, beautiful scenery in some shots.  It’s a decent movie.

It’s generally well known that I enjoy Civil War era films, especially those based on historical events.  Of course the battle at the Alamo predates the Civil War by about 25 years, but it’s in that general time period, when people had to be strong in every way.  When life was a real challenge to simply eat as opposed to our modern challenges of getting our iPhone to connect to the network.
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At some point in the future helium-3 is discovered on the moon in massive quantities along with a method of mining it and shipping back to earth that eliminates all worries of power generation and consumption on the planet.  The technology allows for an entire mining facility to be operated by a single man on a 3 year contract and a computer.

To say any more would ruin what ends up being a very interesting twist in this movie.
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Quick Review.  Tis the season where I turn to holiday classics and search for new offerings.  This is a 2007 release that I hadn’t seen yet.  Tom Berenger plays Jonathan Toomey, a hermit of a man trying to find himself after losing his wife and child.  Joely Richardson plays the mother of a young boy who slowly befriends Toomey by his mother’s arrangement.  To say more would give too much away.  If you enjoy holiday movies or specials this should be one you see.  It’s touching, and Berenger is excellent.  I’ll be adding it to my collection.

A quick review.  Definitely on par with The Da Vinci Code, from the writing/story line, to the directing, to the photography, to the acting.  The only thing I feel that detracts from excellence is in how it almost too closely parallels Da Vinci Code, meaning it wasn’t completely unpredictable and so therefore didn’t seem as fresh.  But it is a sequel, and considering that it’s one of the best sequels out there.  A must see.

Quick review of this one.  Denzel Washington who rarely gives a bad performance, and John Travolta who can be hit or miss, but he hits this one.  Not your typical action movie but there’s plenty of action.  It’s more of a psychological thriller.  It’s a remake with some new twists, of the hijacking of a NY City subway train.  This is a really good movie.  A definite see!