Inception (Sam)

SAM'S RANKING: 10 out of 10

Ever since "The Blind Side" left theaters, there hasn't been what you'd call a "good movie." With the disappointment of "Toy Story 3," it looked like the movie industry had gone down the tube.

Then along comes "Dark Knight" director Christopher Nolan, with quite a surprise up his sleeve!

"Inception" centers around Dominic Cobb (Leonardo DiCaprio), who we find washed up on a beach in the opening scene. He's taken to see an old Chinese man, and then he wakes up in what appears to be Iraq, and then he wakes up again.

Gradually we learn Cobb and his loyal companion (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) has the ability to enter people's dreams to extract information, presumably from a person suspected of a crime. A high-powered businessman (Ken Watanabe) wants Cobb to perform an "inception"--plant a dream in someone's head. And that someone is the son and supposed successor (Cillian Murphy) of a dying rival businessman.

Cobb hires some new members of the team, including an architecture student (Ellen Page) who takes particular interest in him. She soon learns that Cobb has another motive behind the inception--he's falsely accused of a crime, and performing the inception will somehow clear his name so he can go home to his children.

But it's best to stop there before too much is revealed. Using dazzling visual effects, director Nolan has created a film that is completely in its own category. There's even some humor thrown in. And for once it's not the acting that's the highlight, though the acting is top-notch.

In "Inception" we find the same complexity and creativity that we found in Andrew Davis's "Holes." Director Nolan makes no attempt to simplify the story for the audience, poses questions which are answered during the course of the movie, and leaves the viewer deep in thought at the end.

But there's really no need to simplify the story. One critic suggested that the viewer let the film go over your head, figure it out, and then see it again. But while there are still some confusing elements of the film, the viewer should have most of the film figured out by the end.

Possibly the year's best movie, "Inception" is a mind-blowing phenomenon.

The Fugitive (Sam)

SAM'S RANKING: 9 out of 10

In Chicago, Illinois, Dr. Richard Kimble (Harrison Ford) is falsely convicted of killing his wife. When he escapes from prison, he sets out to find out the real killer, with U.S. Marshall Sam Gerard (Tommy Lee Jones) and his team hot on his trail.

Director Andrew Davis combines elements of action, thriller, prison movie, and murder mystery, with a phenomenal result. The plot may seem ordinary, but this movie is far from ordinary! There are suspenseful scenes throughout, as well as well-staged action and stunts.

But the cat-and-mouse game between Ford and Jones (who won an Oscar) is what makes this movie work. It's a rare instance where you're rooting for both sides. Another rarity is that the movie is undeniably long but keeps the viewer occupied every minute.

If you need to escape, rent "The Fugitive."

Home Alone 2: Lost in New York

SAM'S RANKING: 4 out of 10

Disappointing sequel has Kevin (Macaulay Culkin) stranded in New York during Christmas after getting on the wrong flight. He comes face-to-face with the two burglars (Joe Pesci and Daniel Stern), who have broken out of prison, and prepares to defend a toy store.

This is basically an exact duplicate of the first film, as it goes exactly where the last film went. This time Brenda Fricker is in Roberts Blossom's place as a homeless woman who feeds pigeons in Central Park. She manages to keep the story afloat, but it's still a disappointment.

Even the slapstick, while funny, goes extremely over-the-top. In fact, some of it is not funny! This is a sequel you'll want to miss!

Home Alone

SAM'S RANKING: 9 out of 10

Kevin McAllister (Macaulay Culkin), the youngest child in his family, is often seen as a pest by his family, and as a result wishes that his family would go away. His wish comes true when his family accidentally leaves him home alone during Christmas. However, with two bumbling burglars (Joe Pesci and Daniel Stern) and a creepy old man (Roberts Blossom) in the neighborhood, Kevin soon discovers that being alone is not as fun as he thought.

The world's highest-grossing comedy plays out in an interesting way, keeping the humor at a minimum during the first half of the movie, and then letting it all out toward the end. The final half hour of the movie contains some of the funniest scenes ever filmed, as the kid fends off two burglars with booby traps.

But the movie also sends out a good message. It portrays the youngest child in the family as the victim, as some members of his family say some pretty mean things to him. Probably the best scene is where Old Man Marley, a creepy neighbor, reveals his destroyed relationship with his son to Kevin in a chapel.

Either way, "Home Alone" is a movie that will have you keeling over from laughter.

Frost/Nixon (Sam)

SAM'S RANKING: 9 out of 10

In August 1974, disgraced president Richard Nixon (Frank Langella) resigned to avoid impeachment, becoming the only president ever to do so. Three years later, British talk show host David Frost (Michael Sheen) proposed a series of interviews, which Nixon reluctantly agreed to. Frost's producers want to get a public apology out of Nixon, while the ex-president's loyalists want to rebuild his reputation, and it soon turns into a heated battle of wits.

Director Ron Howard and screenwriter Peter Morgan adapt the play so well that you'd never know it originated onstage. It stays believable and interesting all the way through, and never seems long or boring, something for the future political dramas to follow. It sticks to the facts from beginning to end, and shows no signs of bias or prejudice.

Perhaps Langella wasn't the best choice for the role of Nixon (he doesn't look a thing like him), but at least he turns in a phenomenal performance. By contrast, Sheen was the perfect choice for Frost.

But the film's biggest highlight is the portrayal of the interviews. I've seen the actual interviews, and there were points during the interviews in the movie where I couldn't tell the difference between them, which shows the film's loyalty to the facts. You have to have seen the interviews to truly appreciate, "Frost/Nixon."

Kramer vs. Kramer (Sam)

SAM'S RANKING: 9 out of 10

Ted Kramer (Dustin Hoffman) is a workaholic advertising executive who finds himself taking care of his young son Billy (Justin Henry) when his wife Joanna (Meryl Streep) leaves him. Ted finds himself trying to balance work and family, but overtime he makes it work and he and his son begin showing love for each other. Then Joanna returns, and wants her son back.

This landmark film of the late 1970s has been duplicated several times, but none of the films with the similar plot can live up to this. "Kramer vs. Kramer" emotionally portrays a parent trying to make time for work and his child, as well as the effect divorce can have on a child.

Much of the credit goes to the performances. Hoffman, in an Oscar-winning role, gives one of the most defining performances of his career as Ted Kramer. Streep has been nominated for multiple Oscars, but no performance could top her role in "Kramer vs. Kramer."

The film does drag a bit, and has one scene which I thought was pointless and unnecessary, but "Kramer vs. Kramer" is a movie everyone has to see.

Won Oscars for Best Picture, Actor, Director, Supporting Actress, and Adapted Screenplay.

Good Night, and Good Luck

SAM'S RANKING: 9 out of 10

In 1954, TV newscaster Edward R. Murrow (David Strathairn) makes a risky decision to confront Communist-hunting Senator Joseph R. McCarthy on the air, especially having already been suspected of Communist activity himself. However, instead of backfiring, the confrontation is a contributing factor to McCarthy's eventual downfall.

Director George Clooney uses black and white cinematography and 50's makeup, hairstyles, and attire, along with real archival footage of McCarthy to keep the viewer's attention all the way through. Clooney, who also stars in the film, delivers a vivid (if curiously agoraphobic) portrayal of the time and place, even though the '50s appear depressing at times. The ending is a bit unsatisfying, but when you consider that this is based on a true story, you'll cut it some slack.

Strathairn leads an all-star cast as Murrow, with a mastered grim tone that's music to our ears. Clooney is equally good as Murrow's assistant, and Frank Langella is towering as the president of CBS.

The film may not be for all tastes--people who could care less about what happened fifty years ago will likely fall asleep. On the other hand, for history buffs, or for people who remember that time period, it is a vivid recreation of a time when fear gripped the nation. As Edward R. Murrow would say, "Good night, and good luck."