Matchstick Men (2003)

Roy Waller is a con artist (and a very good one at that) who lives in Los Angeles and works alongside his partner/protege Frank Mercer. Roy has several disorders that include agoraphobia, mysophobia, obsessive-compulsive personality disorder and a tic disorder which sometimes interferes with his work. Frank suggests for him to see someone about his problems. So Roy visits Doctor Harris Klein where he starts talking about his past relationship with a woman whom he got pregnant. He tries to track her down, but she doesn't want to talk to him. However his fourteen year old daughter Angela wants to meet him. Before long she shows up at his house and starts spending time with him, and going along with him when he's conning other people. I think Nicolas Cage and Sam Rockwell make a great team and give equally great performances in this comedy/drama; as well as impressive newcomer Alison Lohman as Roy's long lost daughter. Starring Nicolas Cage, Alison Lohman, Sam Rockwell, Bruce Altman, Bruce McGill 8/10

Don't Tell Mom The Babysitter's Dead (1991)

When Mrs. Crandell decides to take a much needed two month vacation to Australia, she hires a live-in babysitter Mrs. Sturak to watch her five kids. Needless to say it totally ruins her daughter Sue Ellen "Swell" plans to go to Europe for the summer. As soon as she's gone, Mrs. Sturak turns into the babysitter from hell, ordering them around like a drill sergeant and assigning them to chores. When she discovers to see just how messy the house is, she ends up dying from shock. It's up to the kids to fend for themselves for two months, except they can't find where the money is that their mom gave to the babysitter. So Sue Ellen has to get a job to support the rest of the kids until their mother gets back. A cute and funny movie; the actress who plays the babysitter is really creepy, and Christina Applegate is great as the teenager turned career woman. Starring Christina Applegate, Joanna Cassidy, John Getz, Josh Charles, Concetta Tomei, David Duchovny 7/10

JFK (1991)

It's New Orleans, November 22, 1963. The assassination of the President of the United States, John Fitzgerald Kennedy is shown on television. New Orleans District Attorney Jim Garrison and his team begin to investigate possible suspects who may have been part of a conspiracy to kill the president; including private pilot David Ferrie, alleged assassin Lee Harvey Oswald, and Jack Ruby who killed Oswald. With an all-star cast, this is a very intriguing film about a very significant time that impacted America. It was adapted by director Oliver Stone and Zachary Sklar from the books On the Trail of the Assassins by Jim Garrison and Crossfire: The Plot That Killed Kennedy by Jim Marrs. Starring Kevin Costner, Gary Oldman, Kevin Bacon, Tommy Lee Jones, Laurie Metcalf, Joe Pesci, Brian Doyle-Murray, Donald Sutherland, John Candy, Sissy Spacek, Walter Matthau, Jack Lemmon, Wayne Knight, Vincent D'Onofrio 8/10

Ransom (1996)

Tom Mullen is a millionaire airline owner. He attends a science fair in Central Park with his wife Kate and son Sean one day when suddenly and without any warning Sean mysteriously vanishes. Not soon after Tom and Kate get a message on their computer that their son has been kidnapped and is being held for ransom in the amount of two million dollars. The FBI are contacted and arrive at Mullen's penthouse to help to get back their son. Tom wants to pay the ransom but when he goes to bring the money things go wrong. As the hours go by, tensions rise and Tom risks his son's life by not negotiating with the kidnapper, instead appearing on a live broadcast to tell the kidnapper that the ransom money is now going to be a two million dollar bounty. An intense and chilling thriller, and I think one of Mel Gibson's finest performances. Starring Mel Gibson, Rene Russo, Gary Sinise, Donnie Wahlberg, Lili Taylor, Delroy Lindo, Liev Schreiber 7/10

Smokin' Aces (2007)

FBI Agents Richard Messner and Donald Carruthers are assigned to travel to Las Vegas to get to showman/illusionist Buddy "Aces" Israel before the ex-cons, assassins and hit men bump him off first. It's a race against time between the good and the bad guys; but the agents have no idea that their Deputy Director Locke has other matters on his mind regarding Israel, until one of them is killed and the other discovers the secret that brings the film to a shocking conclusion. With unbelievable stunts, amazing special effects and a smokin' hot cast, this action packed film is one that you won't easily forget. Starring Ben Affleck, Andy Garcia, Alicia Keys, Ray Liotta, Jeremy Piven, Common, Ryan Reynolds 7/10