Hot Fuzz

A very creative satire about an overachieving cop who is transferred to a "boring" village. A series of "accidents" lead to events that will have you shaking your head, biting your nails, laughing out loud, and shaking your head some more. Highly entertaining. Thanks for recommending it, Alex. 4. Joe

The Bourne Ultimatum

Great flick! In a summer of less than stellar "three-quels," The Bourne Ultimatum came through big time. Great action, acting, and a good story.

Matt Damon has become the new James Bond since the new James Bond, in my humble opinion, is a James Bond wannabe. David Strathairn, aka Noah Vosen, plays a great "bad guy." Julia Stiles, aka Nicky Parsons, is as deadpan and entertaining as Damon. What do I give it? 4, which means "I really liked this movie." Joe

Downfall

This 2004 movie about Hitler shows the side we all know and DON'T love but also shows another side of him. It was unique to see the other side. He ended up destroying Germany and himself anyway, but it is worth the watch. I rate it a 4. JP

You Can Count On Me

I loved this movie from the year 2000. Laura Linney plays a single parent, Sammy, who works hard, takes care of her son, and has a perfect routine when she gets a new boss (Matthew Broderick). His management skills are as bad as his husbanding skills. Her totally irresponsible brother, Terry (Mark Ruffalo) shows up. He creates havoc in her life but also is the conduit by which she learns something valuable about herself. It is a 4.5. Joe

AMORES PERROS

This movie, from the year 2,000, is awesome. It is bloody, violent, and not for the faint of heart, but offers an outstanding story, outstanding action, and tremendous twists and turns. It is almost three hours long and is in Spanish with English subtitles. But, hey, if you have nothing better to do on a rainy night, it is tremendous! A guy flick of the guy flicks. A very strong 5 out of 5. Joe

Hero

This is the story about a Chinese hero. The story is very good, although you will really need to follow it closely about 2/3rds of the way through. The film won the 2004 Chicago Film Critics Association and New York Film Critics "Best Cinematography" awards and definitely deserves it. The cinematography is outstanding! The sword fighting is cool too. 4.25 out of 5. Joe