Drama

Wrecked

Occasionally, you encounter a movie that does not fit neatly into a specific genre because it does not follow a traditional Hollywood formula. “Wrecked” is one of those movies.

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Robin Hood (Director’s Cut)

Director Ridley Scott and screenwriter Brian Helgeland’s version of Robin Hood certainly has all the elements of a dick flick: the rugged hero, his (merry) men, one or two or even three villains on his tail, and the girl he falls in love with. And if you were unfortunate enough to witness the theatrical release, you were slapped in the face with a fairly characterless “Braveheart” replica and a full-on dick flick to boot.


The Director’s Cut, however – and massive props to both Scott and Helgeland for this – simultaneously catapults Maid Marion to an essential leading role and restores the much beloved flavor unique to the Robin Hood legend.

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Rachel Getting Married

The plot could be that of a farce or romantic comedy: a drug addict with a knack for destruction is released temporarily from rehab to take part in her sister’s wedding extravaganza. Jenny Lumet, in her first produced screenplay, chooses instead to investigate the deeper truths beneath family relationships with a poignant realism that may strike too close to home for many.

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Conviction

“Conviction” sounds far too familiar, chronicling the true journey of a bartender and mother who puts herself through law school for the sole purpose of exonerating her imprisoned brother. But with writer Pamela Gray and director Tony Goldwyn at the helm, the same team who crafted the undervalued but beautifully realistic “A Walk on the Moon,” “Conviction” should certainly rise above its Lifetime-esque aura. Throw in Academy Award winner Hilary Swank as heroine Betty Anne Waters, and it can’t go wrong.


And yet, it does.

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Swing Vote

Comedies can make you roar with laughter. Political farce can make you roar with laughter while simultaneously turning your stomach. But comedy is a thousand times more effective when it has something to say, a point that sticks in your brain long after the laughter has faded away. “Swing Vote,” so obviously geared toward grins and satire, sneaks up on you while you’re still snickering and knocks you off your feet.

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Big Fish

Screenwriter John August is well-known for his inventive adventures with director Tim Burton, and their adaptation of Daniel Wallace’s novel “Big Fish,” while more grounded in the real world than one might expect, will not disappoint fans of any of these men’s work.

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A Beautiful Mind

Every once in a while, there comes along a movie so perfect that you don’t want to watch it again for a very long time for fear of dispelling its particular magic. “The Sixth Sense” is one of those movies. “The Beaver” is another.
 
“A Beautiful Mind” makes that list.

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Gladiator

It’s formulaic, it’s shallow, it’s historically inaccurate. And it’s far, far better than it has any right to be. Ridley Scott’s “Gladiator” is Dick Flick in its purest form, and it’s a shining example of how to do it right.

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Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves

I may be in the minority, but I love this movie, flaws and all.
 
Everyone knows the story of Robin Hood, played in this version by Kevin Costner, so only a snippet of synopsis is required: He steals from the rich, he gives to the poor, he’s been banished by Prince John and is adored and aided by just about everyone else. Screenwriters Pen Densham and John Watson give us some of everything here, a bit of origin story, a lively bout with the familiar characters, a good dose of honest thievery and flying arrows, and a few novel twists.

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Pathfinder

Laeta Kalogridis. Famous for “Shutter Island” (screenwriter) and “Avatar” (producer). Writer/producer for the short-lived “Birds of Prey” TV series and the “Bionic Woman” reboot. I mention the last two with regret; I was a big fan of both. So I was excited to see Kalogridis’ take on this spin of the intruder-goes-native flick, based on Nils Gaup’s 1987 script.
 
Don’t get your hopes up.

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