THE SOPRANOS: SEASON 6 - This is the final chapter in this great show. The final season is extended with 9 extra episodes, so the last season is divided into two parts. This was the only season that Jenny and I thought the overall story dipped a bit. But still though...a dip with this show is a zenith for others. The final episode left me scratching my head a little...but I won't spoil the end for anybody. You'll have to figure it out for yourself. Anyway...Jenny and I were a little sad to be done with this one. We got used to the characters and even a little attached to them. Great show...great series. Highly recommended to everyone.
NO END IN SIGHT - This is a documentary about the war in Iraq. It came out in 2007, so some of the information is a little dated. Still though this is a great documentary. Watching this you get a detailed account of what went wrong with the war, and who made what decisions and why. This film plays a lot like the great FRONTLINE show on PBS. Dry journalism with no cute packaging. Great documentary.
LAST KING OF SCOTLAND - This is the story of Idi Amin...the african dictator of Uganda back in the 70's. Forest Whitaker won best actor for his role as Amin...and rightfully so. While the story drags a bit in some areas, Whitaker's performance makes the film worth watching. Another strong performance here comes from James McAvoy as Amin's doctor-turned-advisor. Both actors play off of one another tremendously, and both make up for an otherwise average story. Good film.
DEADWOOD: SEASON 3 - Alas...the story of Deadwood comes to a close. This is the final season of this show (unless they decide to bring it back again someday) and the 3rd installment is probably the best of the three. In this final season saloon operators, lawmen, and town bullies all play a chessmatch for control of the town. Most of the season gives a sense that violence is just around the corner. But in the end the show stays true to its dramatic roots and stays clear of the expected gunplay and rampage. This show was never as good as THE SOPRANOS, but some of the characters here are just as memorable (most notably Ian McShane as Al Swearengen.)
RENDITION - Reese Witherspoon, Meryl Streep, and Jake Gyllenhaal all star in this film that explores controversial CIA tactics when it comes to suspected terrorists. Most of the story here is based on a case of mistaken identity...as Witherspoon's character discovers her Egyptian husband has been mistakenly detained overseas on a suspected terrorism charge. The story is mildly interesting enough to make it worth checking out, but the ending had Jenny and I laughing and scratching our heads. Overall...this is a disappointing movie with a lot of flaws.
THE WATCHMEN - Based on the popular graphic novel from the 80's, THE WATCHMEN is the story of a gang of super heroes in a society that doesn't necessarily want them around anymore. Set in an alternate universe in the United States in the late 80's, Nixon is still president and super heroes are to be gotten rid of. The film opens as one of the popular Watchmen is murdered in his apartment and the rest of the troop must find out who did it before they themselves are knocked off. This is a movie that the die-hards are going to praise, and the rest of society are going to scratch their heads at. I myself liked it a lot, but I would also add that I had a good idea of what it was going to be like going into it. Good movie...but definately not for everybody.
DEADWOOD: SEASON 2 - In season 2 of Deadwood I noticed a noticeable rise in quality from season 1. Whereas the Sopranos often delivers a steady stream of high quality drama, I thought season 1 of Deadwood was laborous to watch at times. However, season 2 is a strong improvement. The stories are more interesting, the characters all find their voices, and there's even a touch of humor that's absent in the first season. Overall...a great show worth checking out.
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