Reviews

"Jailbait" is only a mediocre film from 2014. it is currently available on NetFlix Instant Download Streaming. Anna is a nice girl, a good student, plays the cello and is raped regularly by her old stepfather. Her mother pretends nothing is going on. One day when he again tries to rape her she pushes him away into a window, the pieces sever his carotid and he dies.

Anna ends up in jail. Her cell mate is also nice and just keeps to herself reading books but develops a romantic interest in Anna. Anna attempts to mind her own business and not bother anyone which doesn't go well in jail. But she quickly catches the attention of Kody, the leader of one of the inmate groups. But Kody only has relatively good intentions when it comes to Anna. The leader of the rival group also notices Anna but she is only interested in beating her up.

Reluctantly Anna joins Kody's group as refuge. But they can't help her with the warden who seems fairly nice on the surface but quickly takes advantage of her. Kody introduces Anna to drugs but sticks only to smoking. Anna meanwhile keeps getting herself in trouble, rejects the help of Kody, ends up in solitary confinement repeatedly, and starts injecting hard drugs. Things quickly go downhill for Anna. She becomes addicted, ends up in a longer stint in solitary, tries to commit suicide, ends up in the psych ward, the warden continues to abuse her. To help her though he gives her a cello to practice for the talent show. Anna has a parole hearing coming up and the warden promises to put in a good for her if she continues doing him "favors." When the day arrives, of course, he doesn't keep his word which forces Anna to think of another way out. I was only able to give it 3 stars. Dale Haufrect

"Cleanskin" is a very good film from 2012. It is currently available on NetFlix Instant Download Streaming. The writer and director is Hadi Hajaig. For me, Sean (aka 'Ewan') puts on a fantastic performance, in a film where I was also very impressed with Peter Polycarpou (aka 'Nabil'). The romance between Ash and Kate felt very believable, not all actors/actresses can pull this job off. It was a film that touches on a very serious subject, so for all you rom-com addicts, prob not one for you, lol! However, although a serious topic, you'll find some light hearted humor in parts of the film. Have already recommended to friends and family, purchased on DVD myself, so go and watch too if you already haven't. Overall, a great watch with some excellent action shots and twists and turns throughout. I gave it 8 stars. Dale Haufrect

"The Burning Plain" is an excellent film from 2008. It is currently available on NetFlix Instant Download Streaming. The director is Guillermo Arriaga, and the screenwriter is him as well. It is a complex film that reaches back in time with several stories simultaneously. Cause harm repeatedly to most parts of the body and they eventually grow desensitized, calloused and indifferent to the pain over time. This dispassionate, earthy and very dry aesthetic that film-maker Guillermo Arriaga applies to the world of his first major directorial outing is king; between the barren desert landscapes that permeate within the backdrops of his strangely distant and out-of-sync characters and the sparse narrative that intertwines it all together, The Burning Plain views life as a series of scars—cold and unrepresentative of the pain that brought them to the surface, but a firm reminder as such that nothing ever quite goes away, no matter how far you run. For the characters of Arriaga's story, a central catastrophe of sorts serves as the unfortunate catalyst that will bring them all together whether they like it or not. A burning trailer, housing two lovers sharing a passionate affair behind their families back, exploding in a rage of flames seemingly caused by accident. For them, the movie opens with their death thus absolving them from living with their irrevocable actions, but for those they leave behind the past stays as a constant and dictates largely how each of their futures will develop. I gave this movie 0 stars. Dale Haufrect

Internal Affairs is a good film. It is from 1990 and is currently available on NetFlix Instant Download Streaming. The director is Mike Figgis and it is written by Henry Bean. The subject here (police corruption) is banal, but it gains extra value and weight by Figgis' atmospheric direction and, especially, by Richard Gere's powerful performance in perhaps his most atypical role (and as far as I know, his only truly villainous one). After watching him in this film, I don't know how some people can still doubt that he's a talented actor as well an attractive star. The rest of the cast is also good. The finale, however, is somewhat disappointing. I gave it 7 stars. Dale Haufrect

"Rabbit Hole" is a well done picture from 2010. It is currently available on NetFlix Instant Download Streaming. The director is John Cameron Mitchell. The writer is David Lindsay-Abaire for both the screenplay as well as the play. John Cameron Mitchell's piece is the most simple film of the year, yet one of the best. Please do not confuse simple with simplistic. It's a rather complex turmoil of emotions that come together to provide an intense account of a couple coping with their son's death. However it is done in such a clean and polished manner that one might wonder if the secret of success lies on the "simple" process of feeling the imagery and capturing the visual style. It's extremely effective and gives room to the actors do what they do best. Rabbit Hole is not about the loss, but how to cope with it and how hard and emotionally heavy it can be. Through day-to-day actions people try to forget, believing that the solution lies on the non-existence, but the truth is that facing reality is much more efficient. Nicole Kidman and Aaron Eckhart prove that point by engaging the audiences in the dimension of their loss through significant and remarkable character development. This is to say that their performances are astounding, but much more important than that they don't feel like performances: they feel real. Though it may be hard to avoid getting into the field of sentimentalism, both actors manage to escape the melodrama and focus on what is real: going to work every day, cleaning the house, going to group therapy, baking, playing squash, reading… In the process there is an intrinsic desire to confront the situation, but it's too hard. It becomes physically painful and intellectually devastating. Men and women are different to the extent of physical appearance since when it boils down to the bare essential, the human being just wants one thing: to cope with their existence. It's not about sex, procreating, loving… it's accepting that people die. I gave it 6 stars. Dale Haufrect

"Welcome to the Punch" is only an adequate film from 2013. It is currently available on NetFlix Instant Download Streaming. It is written and directed by Eran Creevy. Welcome To The Punch made me leave the cinema feeling very confused. Not because of the storyline, no. The tale is set in a blue-tinted, modern day London. Max Lewinsky (James McAvoy) is still pretty hung up over being shot by bad guy Jacob Sternwood (Mark Strong) and gets his one chance at revenge when Sternwood returns to London after his son Ruan (Elyes Gabel) is shot himself and severely injured. Simple enough. Whilst the casting was strong, the acting solid (especially McAvoy's portrayal of a man obsessed with revenge and filled with anger and self-hatred) and the film itself is shot beautifully, I couldn't help but leave feeling I'd been robbed of a real movie, a real ending. Whilst there are moments when unexpected gunshots will cause you jump a good couple of feet out the chair, there are only so many shoot-outs you can sit through before wondering if anyone even knows how to use a gun. Especially when the people using them are supposedly some of the best marksmen around. So whilst there are tales of corruption, unexplained changes of heart and some shocking, upsetting moments, the storyline becomes relatively predictable too early on for my liking and the film seems to come to a sudden, abrupt end. If you're looking to be entertained for just under a couple of hours without questioning too much, this is the film for you. If like me you expect more from a movie with a cast and the budget shown, prepare to leave the screen feeling as if you've been poked a few times in the arm. I gave it only 4 stars Dale Haufrect

"Nobody's Fool" is a good film from 1994. It is currently available on NetFlix Instant Download Streaming. The director is Robert Benton. The novel is by Richard Russo, and the screenplay is by Robert Russo.What a gem! Apparently this film did have a theatrical run, but I had never heard of it until I saw it on cable a few years ago. Paul Newman was, as always, masterful. So was Jessica Tandy. As unlikeable as Bruce Willis is, he is a great actor and does very well here. And even though it was a fairly small part, I think this is Melanie Griffith's best work ever. The script, directing, everything came together seamlessly. I highly recommend this film. I gave it 6 stars. Dale Haufrect

"Leon: The Professional" is a great movie from 1994. The director and the writer is Luc Besson. It is currently on NetFlix Instant Download Streaming. Luc Besson's movie Léon (The Professional) gives us an intense story which is maximized in potential by the casting of the movie done by Todd Thaler. Every aspect of the movie delivers to the audience and makes an impressive overall package. Jean Reno plays a character named Léon who has learned to repress his emotions in order to perform his job as a "cleaner", or hit-man. His secluded world is shattered by the young girl named Mathilda who lives on the same floor as he does in an apartment building. When she turns to him for help, he learns about living a normal life, even if the circumstances which unite them are far from normal. The performance delivered by then twelve-year old Natalie Portman as Mathilda is nothing short of brilliant. Her ability to relate to others with body movement and facial gestures is matched by few, she really brings raw emotion and believability to a difficult role. Mathilda and Léon are unexpectedly thrown together, but learn to value life from their chance encounter, and how valuable a friendship can be. Jean Reno as Léon gives us a solemn and calculated character who sets all of his energy on his assignments until her is given something else to care about. Mathilda gives him the daughter that he never had, while Léon serves as a father and friend to her. Gary Oldman, as the corrupt DEA Agent Norman Stansfield, offers the viewers an amazingly wired and electrical performance which pushes the envelope. He moves the story along by his actions. Oldman offers us a memorable portrait of a sadistically obsessed man who stops short of nothing to get what he wants. The Professional is what movie-making is all about. Without the overuse of special effects, a large shooting location, or a commercially star studded cast, we are given all that could possibly be asked for in a movie. Portman, Oldman, and Reno, along with Danny Aiello as the hit-contractor Tony remind us that there is no substitute for great acting. There are elements of comedy, drama, and action, and great original music by Eric Serra adds to the energy the film already encapsulates. The most impressive thing about the movie is its story which is basic but is maximized by all the other elements which go into the making of the movie. Simply put, an intense and impressive movie. I gave it 10 stars. Dale Haufrect

"Kiss of Death" is a great thriller from 1995. It is directed by Barbet Schroeder. And it is written by Eleazar Lipsky with screenplay by Ben Hecht. It is currently available on NetFlix Instant Download Streaming. Ex-con Jimmy Kilmartin agrees to drive a truck of stolen cars as a favor to a friend. Whilst on the job he gets caught but refuses to role over on the others involved. Whilst in prison his wife is killed in a car crash and Jimmy leaves prison, bitter but with a determination to move on. However NYPD officer Calvin wants to use Kilmartin to get close to Little Junior Brown and get evidence to shut him down. This was one of several vehicles that was planned to turn David Caruso from a TV hit to a big screen star - as we know, it didn't work out that way. However the story is pretty solid, it doesn't break new ground and there's nothing outside of the usual crime thriller plot to surprise you but it's really quite good. At times it's a little dull because it is so straight forward but it's mostly entertaining. Caruso, for all his current lack of success, is actually very good. The problem is that he's good by doing the same "NY Irish tough but fair" role that he did in NYPD Blue, King of New York, Bodycount and most films he's done! It's good but I don't think he can do anything else. Jackson has presence as he always does and the support cast is really well filled out with people like Helen Hunt, Stanley Tucci, Rapaport, Philip Baker Hall, Ving Rhames. Nicolas Cage's Little Junior is a mixed bag. At some points he is effective but for the most part he's horribly OTT and hammy. His character is full of ticks and eccentricities that at the end of the day that's all Cage has to do. Overall this is a solid thriller with no surprises. Caruso fans (like me) will like it regardless because it's Caruso doing his usual role. But others may not be so easily made to overlook the weaknesses.

"Rush" is another cinematic success for its director, Ron Howard. It is a 2013 film written by Peter Morgan and is currently available on NetFlix Instant Download Streaming. The film is just over 2 hours long, but when it was over it seemed like I had been in the cinema about 30 minutes. The film centers on the battle for the 1976 Formula 1 World Championship, and the rivalry between the Austrian "professor" Nikki Lauda and the British playboy James Hunt. The two are depicted as enemies, but in actual fact they were good friends who trusted and respected each other on, as well as off- track. This bit of artistic license does not spoil the film and is reasonable in order to make the battle between the two for the F1 crown more intense. The film is nicely paced. We are introduced to both characters through their own narrative and scenes that leave the watcher in no doubt as to their background and philosophy on life. The two are first seen in competition in 1970 at a Formula 3 race at Crystal Palace (where they have a coming together) and sets the scene for the rivalry throughout the film. I'm not sure if this is further artistic license. The two definitely did race each other in F3, but I am not convinced as to whether this actual incident occurred. After that we are given a whistle stop journey between 1973 (when Hunt came into F1) to 1975. We are shown the dangerous nature of F1 at the time with the Francois Cevert accident at Watkins Glen in gory detail – although this does not seem like gratuitous, but necessary to bring home just how unforgiving the sport was back then – and it truly was (of the top 12 points scorers in 1976, F1 cars were to claim 3, 1 ended up in a wheelchair and 1 had his career ended by a leg crunching crash). I gave it 9 stars.

"Tsotsi" is a truly unforgettable film from 2005. It is currently available on NetFlix Instant Download Streaming. The director is Gavin Hod. The novel is by Athol Fugard and the screenwriter is Gavin Hood. Actors include Presley Chweneyagae, Terry Pheto, Kenneth Nkosi and Mothusi Magano. Tsotsi is gorgeous, riveting, poignant, and thrilling. Not only is it a first-rate piece of storytelling, but it also takes the viewer into a world of South African poverty and crime that he has never seen before. Director/writer Gavin Hood offers us a tale of tragic redemption and uncommon poetry in a subculture of the most abject immorality. Truly unforgettable. The only work in recent times to which this movie can be compared is City of God. There, too, the viewer is brought into a world of poverty and crime he probably never knew existed. It is a world so bleak that it forces the viewer to examine his own morality and wonder how much of the civility he takes for granted in his life is merely the luxury of the well fed and comfortable. These characters live on the edge and their primary passion is survival. I gave it 8 stars. Dale Haufrect

"Iris" is a beautiful film from 2001. It is currently available on NetFlix Instant Download Streaming. The director is Richard Eyre. The writers are John Bayley and Richard Eyre. Actors include Kate Winslet, Hugh Bonneville, Judi Dench and Jim Broadbent. This film succeeds where the overrated "A Beautiful Mind" fell short. It puts its subject's life into perspective and gives a sense of her worldview and, needs, and desires--as opposed to just focusing on the illness. I think it is also more effective in its use of different actors to portray the main characters at different ages, rather than using distracting age makeup, like in ABM. I came away from this with a profound admiration for Iris Murdock, whereas I felt like I hardly got to know John Nash at all. But enough with the comparisons. This film stands well on its own as a tribute to the companionship shared by Iris and her husband John Bayley throughout their long, complex, relationship. Broadbent deserved that Academy Award, although I would say he plays more of a lead character than supporting. Seeing Iris through Bayley's loving eyes is what makes the film an enriching experience. He is the one who must adapt to her unconventional lifestyle, and their journey together is a rewarding one. I gave the film 8 stars. Dale Haufrect

"Knife Fight" is a brilliant film from 2012. And it is currently available on NetFlix Instant Download Streaming. The Director is Bill Guttentag. The writers are Bill Guttentag and Chris Lehane. Actors include Rob Lowe, Amanda Morrison, Julie Bowen, Jamie Chung, Carrie-Anne Moss, Saffron Burrows, David Harbour, Frances Shaw, Eric McComack and Vanessa Ross. Brilliant! An awesome political movie; if you didn't like Rob Lowe before this, you will! This isn't a political drama where the stage is set on the candidate being in your face; the main focus. You won't see all the bells and whistles, big budget fight & gun scenes, and worn action dialog. Rather, this is a political drama built around dialog and characters. The main characters aren't the machine; moreover, the main characters are the cogs that run the machines. The reason comparisons to Primary Colors or Game Change doesn't work is because only thing in common/related is the political storyline. After watching there is a slight bias; however, Worth a DEFINITE watch! Dale Haufrect

"Collateral Damage" is a predictable Arnold Schwartzenegger film form 002. It is currently available on NetFlix Instant Download Streaming. The writers are Ronald Roose and David Griffiths. The cast includes Arnold Schwartzenegger, Francesca Neri, Elias Kotaeas, Cliff Curtis and John Leguizamo. 'Collateral Damage' was, of course, one of those films whose original release date had to be postponed in the wake of the September 11th terrorist attacks. In this case, the sensitivity arose as a result of the film's storyline, which revolves around a group of Colombian terrorists determined to strike at targets on American soil. Schwarzenegger plays fireman Gordy Brewer, whose wife and child are killed in an explosion at the Colombian consulate in Los Angeles. Brewer, feeling that the U.S. government has little concern with exacting revenge from the terrorist leader responsible for the explosion, decides to mount a one-man crusade to see that justice is ultimately done. The film, obviously indifferent to its own need for plausibility, sends this virtually unarmed fireman into the unfamiliar jungles of South America to take on what appears to be the entire Colombian police force as well as the guerilla fighters whose actions resulted in the deaths of Brewer's family. Brewer, of course, despite his own inexperience and the formidable odds against him, manages to talk and/or fight his way out of every dire predicament before rescuing his nemesis' wife and their adopted son. I gave it only 5 stars. Dale Haufrect

"Rabbit-Proof Fence" is a 2002 film and it is a real winner. It is directed by Phillip Noyce. The book is by Doris Pilkington and the screenplay is by Christine Olsen. The cast includes Evelyn Sampi, Tianna Sanbury, Laura Monaghan, David Gulpilil, Ningali Lawford, Myann Lawford, Deborah Mailman, Jason Clarke and Kenneth Branagh. The film is told in a steady, unsentimental tone that allows the film to be powerful without the typically Hollywood use of sweeping music or other such lazy tools. Instead the circumstances of the story create the emotion. The story is a little weak at some points – once the children escape the film has a touch too many scenes of near-capture and escape to sustain the drama. Also the film (understandably) lends a lot of respect to the Aborigines – giving them a sense of mysticism that they maybe don't deserve. This is a slight problem when a key action involves a hawk that is supposedly summoned by their mothers (or something!). However these are minor complaints given the sweeping emotion of the film and the sheer power of the story. I gave this film 9 stars.

American Psycho" is a thrilling film currently available on NetFlix Instant Download Streaming. It is directed by Mary Harron. And it is written by Bret Easton Ellis with the screenplay by Mary Harron. Set in the 1980s, the book follows the story of a 27-year-old Harvard graduate named Patrick Bateman, who goes on a killing spree and murders "twenty, maybe forty people." It was originally slated for circulation in 1990, but Random House pulled out of distribution, fearing backlash. It was later released as part of a Vintage Series, and quickly sold over 250,000 copies, becoming one of the most popular (and, to some, important) literary works of our time. In the movie, Welsh actor Christian Bale portrays Bateman gleefully tongue-in-cheek, whether it's confessing to manslaughter over the phone ("…I just had to kill a lot of people!") or dancing to Huey Lewis and the News' "Fore" album before hitting an associate over the head with an ax. Patrick is a troubled guy. On the surface, he appears to be normal – he's a Wall Street broker with a secretary, an expensive apartment suite, his own limo and a fancy business card. But on the inside, he's a monster – complete with an insatiable blood lust and lack of empathy for fellow human beings. (If he can indeed be classified as one.) As a film and a novel, "American Psycho" is an attack on the absurdities of the '80s yuppie era – sometimes the satire isn't very subtle, in fact it's often made very clear, but I liked it. Because the movie is so eccentric and over-the-top, and Bale is so loony and maniacal, the satire needs to be equally strong – and it is. Whether it's business men drooling over each other's fetishistic business cards or Patrick discussing the nuances of modern pop music before killing more victims, "American Psycho" hits strong and hard – this is a great, overwhelming cinematic and visual experience. It cannot be condemned for being unsubtle – it never was. The performances are wonderful. Bale is superb as Bateman, totally embodying the character. As a man bewildered by his environment, and wanting only desperately to fit in, Bateman listens to Genesis and "Hip to Be Square"; finally we have proof that too much Phil Collins and Huey Lewis will turn you into the next Ed Gein. Perhaps some fans of the novel will dislike Bale's performance (at times, it almost seems comical, such as when he murders his coworker Paul Allen, played by Jared Leto). But I thought it was the perfect mix of introspection, self-hatred, outer-loathing, lust, conformity and schizophrenia. Bale manages to capture all of this perfectly, and by the end of the film, I could not imagine anyone else in the role. Willem Dafoe, Chloe Sevigny and Reese Witherspoon all have co- starring roles, but at the end of the day it is Bale who really drives this film home – he's the reason it's worth seeing, and in part the reason it exceeds beyond the typical restraints of its genre.

"What Maisie Knew" is a very touching dramatic film from 2012. It is currently available on NetFlix Instant Download Streaming. The directors are Scott McGehee and David Siegel. The screenplay is by Nancy Doyne and Carroll Cartwright.The mother might be seen as the main actor here, Julianne Moore, and this is the best I've ever seen her, I think. She gives a slightly fiery performance, and "slightly" is perfect, avoiding an overacting job suggested by her role as a slightly successful rock and roll star. She's terrifically awful and you come to hate her, appropriately. The father (Steve Coogan) also puts in a sharp performance playing the lively, fun parent who is a selfish womanizer, hiding, sometimes, his flaws from his daughter. His relationship with the mother is not detailed very far because it is mostly one of distance and disdain. And mutual abuse. The real star here is the girl, an utterly charming and beautifully effective actress, Onata, Aprile. She succeeds not by her delivery of great lines, but by her expressions. It's all because Henry James understood something delicate about children in these situations: they know what's going on and don't say it. And they also don't let it affect them because they simply can't afford to, or because they become hardened in some little ways, making them withdraw or act out. That Maisie maintains a delicious sweetness without playing the victim is quite remarkable, and Aprile is brilliant. Dale Haufrect

"No Tears for the Dead" is a modern day thriller set in Korea. It is partly in English and the rest is in Korean with subtitles. The film is from 2014 and it is currently on NetFlix Instant Download Streaming. It is written and directed by Jeong-beom Lee. The actors include Dong- gun Jang, Min-hee Kim, Brian Tee, Hee-won Kim, Jun Sung Kim, Jennifer Buttell, Yo-han Byeon, Alessandro Cuomo, Darell M. Davie, Anthony Diio, Christopher Hackney, Alexander Stephen Kabel, Dana Lee, Sung-wok Min, Kang Han Na, Tich Ting, Alex Wrath. The movie is about a hit man from America's mid-west who is of Korean decent. When he botches what was supposed to be his last job by killing an innocent kid, he is sent to Korea to fix what he screwed up by killing the kid's mother. It sounds a bit like a fish out of water story, but the movie only proves that the crime world is the crime world no matter what country you are from. Some of the criminals were speaking up to three different languages, but in the crime game there are only two languages in you really need to know …money and guns. I gave it a score of 6 stars. Dale Haufrect

"The World Made Straight" is a well made film from 2015. It is currently available on NetFlix Instant Download Streaming. The Director is David Burris. The story and screenplay were written by Shane Danielsen. Actors include Noah Wyle, Jeremy Invine, Minka Kelly, Adelaide Clemens, Steve Earle, Haley Joel Osment, Marcus Hester, Colin Dennard, Alex Van, Robin Mullins, Frances Burnett, Robert Haulbrook, Sandra Ellis Lafferty, Ryan Taylor Harris, Anne O'Shea, Tom Gilroy, Stephen Gevedon, Deacon Dawson, Danielle Leaf, Christopher Nathan Miller, Harp Sanddman, Don Young, Tim Ware, Doug MacMillan, Mike Mitschele and Mike Kennedy. The story is complex and involves the Appalachian people and marijuana and many flashbacks to the civil war era. I gave it 6 stars. Dale Haufrect

Just another Mel Gibson thriller, but it is still exciting to watch. And "Payback" is now available on NetFlix Instant Download Streaming. The director is Brian Helgeland. The writer of the novel is Donald E. Westlake, and the writer of the screenplay is Brian Helgeland. The actors include Mel Gibson, Gregg Henry, Maria Bello, David Paymer, Bill Duke, Deborah Kara Unger, John Glover, William Devane, Lucy Liu, Jack Conley, Kris Kristofferson, Mark Alfa, Kwame Amoaku, Justin Ashforth, Len Bajenski, Kate Buddeke, Price Carson, Roddy Chiong, Art Cohan, Andrew Cooper, James Deuter, Doc Duhame, David Dunard, Nathan Effron, Tom Equin and Brian Heinberg. The story of a bank robber and his encounters with the law as well a gangland. There are many twists and turns and there is also much comic relief. I gave it 8 stars. Dale Haufrect

"The Honorable Woman" is very well done. It is a 2014 thriller from the BBC currently available on NetFlix Instant Download Streaming. Centers on Nessa Stein, a woman who inherits her father's arms business and finds herself in a international maelstrom when as she continues to promote the reconciliation between Israelis and Palestinians. Her son is kidnapped and there are many twists and turns in this well woven plot. The actors include Maggie Gyllenhaal as Nessa Stein, Stephen Rea, Lubna Azabal, Katherine Parkinson, Andrew Buchan, Janet McTeer, Eve Best, Hugh O'Brien, Igal Naor, Martin Hutson, Genevieve O'Reily, Lindsay Duncan,Paul Herzberg and Nicole Lopes. There is much to be gained by these films which attempt to meld the Israeli Palestinian conflict in an imaginative way. Ms. Stein is trying to do her part by building a fiber optic cable throughout the Palestinian territories in order to increase communication between the two sides. I give it a full 10 stars. Dale Haufrect

"Break Up" is a Miramax production from 1998. It is currently available on NetFlix Instant Download Streaming. The director is Paul Marcus, and the writer is Anne Amanda Opotowsky. Actors include Bridget Fonda, Kiefer Sutherland, Hart Bochner, Steven Weber, Penelope Ann Miller, Tippi Hedren, Leslie Stefanson, Mike Hagerly, Tom Harrison, CharlesNoland, Muse Watson, Martt O'Toole, Abraham Venduzco, Anna Getty, Zack Tiegen, Gina Aponte, Tommy Townsend, Robin Thomas Grossman, Susan Barnes, Joe Spano, Jack Shearer, Cynthia Geary, Hal Landon Jr., Srah DeVincertis, Alan Schwartz, Alan Schwartz, Robert Peters and Brent Briscoe. The story is about a couple with severe anger issues. Anger management may have helped, but it would also help the audience which had to sit through the wife beating scenes in this less that perfect film. I was able to only give it 2 stars. Dale Haufrect

"The Humbling" is a cinematic masterpiece. It is a recent film from 2014. And it was superbly directed by Barry Levinson. The writers are Buck Henry and Michal Zebede. The fine cast includes Al Pacino, Charles Grodin, Greta Gerwig, Kyra Sedgwick, Dianne Wiest, Nina Arianda, Dylan Baker, Dand Hedya, Maru Louise Wilson, Billy Porter, Li Jun Li, Jennifer Regan, Maria De Angelis, Victor Cruz, Ricky Paul Goldin, Emily Dorsch, Andrea Barnes, Peter Grancis James, Richard Hughes, Maria-Christina Oliveras, Otoja Abit, Steve Rosen, Katrina E. Perkins, Derrick Arthur, Zack Robi, Angela Cohen, Suzan Perry, Karah Seine, Tim Falter, Andrew Polk and Dennis Lauricella. The story involves a retired Broadway actor who is losing his memory and has his sexuality challenged by the daughter of an old trysting partner. The twists and turns in this comedy drama are worth the time. It is now on NetFlix Instant Download Streaming and I gave it 9 stars. Dale Haufrect

"Sunset Strip" is a weak film, an independent cinema from 2000. It is currently available on NetFlix Instant Download Streaming. The director is Adam Collis. The writer is Randall Jahnson for both the story and the screenplay. The actors include Simon Baker, Anna Friel, Nick Stahl, Rory Cochrane, Adam Goldberg, Tommy Flanagan, Darren E. Burrows, John Randolph, Stephanie Romanov, Jared Leto, Mary Lynn Rajskub, Maurice Chasse, Mike Rad, Josh Richman, Sebastian Robertson, Don Brenner, Krista Allen, Mathew Frauman, Justin Ashforth, Robin Moxey, Rainbow Borden, Maques Johnson, Ande Roberson and Dave Lafa. The story revolves around the lives of various rock band members, their sex lives, drug habits and it is sprinkled with some modicum of comedy. I gave it only 3 stars. Dale Haufrect

"Straight A's" is a wonderful romantic comedy from 2013. It is an excellent product from Millennium and it is currently available on NetFlix Instant Download Streaming. The director is James Cox and the writer is Dave Cole for both the screenplay and the original script. The cast includes Ryan Phillippe, Anna Paquin, Luke Wilson, Riley Thomas Stewart, Ursula Parker, Amparo Garcia-Crow, Augustin Solis, Tess Harper, Powers Boothe, Christa Campbell, James Carrol, Josh Meyers, Kristen Williams, Johnnie Brannon, Sporty Cordell, Lance E. Nichols, Holly Gene Dorsett, Odessa Sykes and Leticia Jimenez. The story is of a romantic interlude with a man and his sister in law and it twists round and round from there. I gave this film a score of 8 stars. Dale Haufrect