Boogie Nights (1997)

Boogie Nights (1997)

[9] Writer/director Paul Thomas Anderson's ode to the '70s porn industry brings poignant depth to its sensational subject matter. It's also an amazing showcase of top-notch acting and directing. Anderson is a rare creative talent, as skilled with actors as with the…
Hotel Rwanda (2004)

Hotel Rwanda (2004)

[8] Don Cheadle stars as Paul Rusesabagina in the true story of a Rwandan man who saved over a thousand lives by harboring refugees in his hotel during the Hutu slaughtering of the Tutsi in 1994. Hotel Rwanda takes about ten or…
Bulworth (1998)

Bulworth (1998)

[8] Warren Beatty co-wrote, directed, and stars in this dark comedy about a suicidal politician who puts a hit out on his own life before ending his political campaign with a blunt truth-telling tour that enrages his donors but thrills the general…
Avengers: Endgame (2019)

Avengers: Endgame (2019)

[8] Marvel Studios chief Kevin Feige and writer/directors Joe and Anthony Russo hit a home run that should satisfy all Marvel fans with Avengers: Endgame, the climactic finale to what is essentially an 11-year story arc. It begins with the Avengers --…
Avengers: Infinity War (2018)

Avengers: Infinity War (2018)

[8] I've been hard on Marvel movies for being cookie-cutter and devoid of surprises, but Avengers: Infinity War stops that trend dead in its tracks. Directors Anthony and Joe Russo (Captain America: The Winter Soldier and Civil War) are downright masterful at…
Captain America: Civil War (2016)

Captain America: Civil War (2016)

[7] It's the third Captain America movie, but since most of the Avengers cast is reunited, it feels more like Avengers 3. Not that it matters -- these movies all start to feel the same anyway. I like how this one starts,…
Iron Man 2 (2010)

Iron Man 2 (2010)

[5] A so-so sequel with a few decent action set pieces to offer, but Robert Downey Jr is the real set piece here. Without his snarky persona, the franchise wouldn't have much to hang their hat on. The biggest weakness here is…
Flight (2012)

Flight (2012)

[6] Denzel Washington stars in this Robert Zemeckis (Forrest Gump, Back to the Future) film about an airplane pilot who makes a 'miracle landing' after a mid-air collision, saving over a hundred lives from almost certain death. But here's the rub: he's…
Mission to Mars (2000)

Mission to Mars (2000)

[5] Brian DePalma (curiously) directs this wonky sci-fi action flick about a team of astronauts sent to Mars to look for survivors after the first manned mission to the Red Planet encounters a mysterious storm. There's also something about the giant face…