Cinderella Liberty (1973)

Human Drama - James Caan plays a sailor who falls in love with a prostitute. With almost unconditional love, he supports her and her son through some very hard times. A roller coaster of joy and anguish, strong performances make this movie "realer" than life. Nearly 2 hours.

Forty Shades of Blue (2005)

Drama - Russian girl living with a former Rock & Roll legend who has grown rich and famous. She is coping well enough, not in love but loved. But then the old man's son arrives at the house. Serious love triangles begin. Inspiring performances and long silent takes set this film apart. Filmed in Memphis, Tennessee. Starring Rip Torn, Dina Korzun, Darren E. Burrows. 108 min.

Dan in Real Life (2007)

Romantic Comedy - Advice columnist falls in love with his brother's girlfriend. Really funny family reunion features him dying to be with the girl but fighting with himself furiously. Meanwhile, he is single parenting his 3 daughters who are coming of age. Steve Carell stars and proves he can do drama as well as comedy. Fun movie. Juliette Binoche plays the hot young woman of his heart. 99 min.

Letters From Iwo Jima (2006)

World War II Drama -humanistic- The Battle of Iwo Jima (seen from a Japanese point of view). Awesomely realistic depiction of the horrific 5 week battle ending in 27,000 deaths. Unlike many Island battles, here the commanding Japanese General had the troops surrender the immediate beaches while digging trenches and tunnels deep into the mountainous hills allowing them to fight until the bitter end. Many (most) of the Japanese died in defence of the Island, or committed suicide. Though the U.S. declared it "secured" some sources say several thousand Japanese troops remained on the Island refusing to surrender. Excellent performances (Ken Watanabe as the General), superb direction by Clint Eastwood. 2 hrs.21 min.

From Here to Eternity (1953)

WW II - Drama/Romance - Hawaii - army barracks prior to Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. Politics and daily life obscure the tropical paradise. Sergeant falls in love with the General's wife, a retired boxer is severely pressured to return to the ring, a happy-go-lucky Italian soldier does jail time, and an over-zealous General is forced to resign. All brilliantly portrayed by fine actors (Burt Lancaster, Deborah Kerr, Montgomery Clift, Frank Sinatra, Ernest Borgnine, Philip Ober, Donna Reed) 2 hrs.

The Book of Eli (2010)

Denzel Washington stars as Eli, a lone survivor of total devastation. Remaining is chaos, evil, and greed. Eli holds the last remaining King James Bible, with which he hopes to redeem society. Plenty of violence and special effects. Gary Oldman plays the villain who would slay Eli if he could. Entertaining with good performances. The story is a bit formulatic. About 2 hrs.

Friendly Persuasion (1956)

Oldie but Goodie ! Indiana during the civil war. Will the Quakers fight or just stand by as their homes are ransacked by rebel troops? Awesome performances and Gary Cooper is perfect as the man who DOES NOT want to fight but WILL if absolutely necessary. Starts slow but builds nicely. Comedic elements spark this classic. Anthony Perkins (Psycho) plays Gary Cooper's son! Dorothy McGuire as the mother. Most entertaining. 2 hrs. 29 min.

Bustin' Loose (1981)

Comedy - Richard Pryor plays an ex-con whose parole officer assigns him the job of transporting delinquent kids across the United States in a school bus. Story starts slow and formulatic but warms up to a joyous climax. Fun performances by all. 104 min.

Sólo con tu Pareja (1991)

Mexican Comedy - promiscuous bachelor falls in love with his next door neighbor. But he must face the wrath of several former lovers. Fine photography and music. The acting is enjoyable though the story is kind of dumb. Entertaining though. 94 min.

Gone with the Wind (1941)

Epic Drama of Civil War - based on the novel by Margaret Mitchell. Starring Vivien Leigh as Scarlett O'Hara, daughter of wealthy Irish land owner. And Clark Gable as Rhett Butler, a world-wise and wealthy admirer- he courts Scarlett though she is obsessed with another man. Awesome acting and a fine representation of life in the South as it was before the civil war. A classic worth seeing many times. Nearly 4 hours in length.