Searching for Bobby Fischer – 1993 – Steven Zaillian

An endearing look at a little boy’s precocious chess talent interwoven with the larger-than-life tale of chess grandmaster Bobby Fischer. For a ‘based-on-a-true story’ flick threads a fine path between senetinmentality and drama. Superbly acted by the kid and a great supporting cast. One for all the family.

The Air I Breathe – 2007 – Jieho Lee

It must have been a slow day in Hollywood for this to have got the green light. Think Crash/Babel – the director most certainly did – convince a few well-known actors to come on board and then proceed to make one of the most awful films of the decade.  JJ

The Fighter – 2010 – David O. Russell

A working class boxer beset by his working class family tries to succeed in the world of professional boxing despite his crack addict-trainer brother who once knocked out Sugar Ray. Based on a true story. Brian Murray

When I think boxing and movies it goes something like “den-nen den, den-nen den” followed by running up the steps of that Museum in Philly in a tracksuit – not crack and Massachusetts white trash. Sweet camera work, great cast and punching. Poi-fect. JJ

The Next Three Days – 2010 – Paul Haggis

Paul Haggis makes slick popular movies – Crash, In the Valley of Elah.  TNTD is adapted from a French flick, reworked as a two-hour long advertisement based on a prison break starring a Toyota Prius, Google and an iPhone amongst other things you should have/buy. An entertaining featuremercial. JJ

Defendor – 2009 – Peter Stebbings

An under the radar superhero film starring Woody Harrelson as a deranged but hopeful vigilante. Armed with a jar of angry wasps and a trench club, he takes to the streets and encounters crooked cops, whores, and the mob. A solid flick but not as good as the similar but better Special starring Michael Rapaport. Bill Hill

Airplane! – 1980 – J. Abrahams and D. Zucker

Never saw it till Leslie Nielson died. Before this movie, Leslie was an unsuccessful dramatic actor but this role redefined his career. I assumed the humor would be dated. Wrong! There are too many great one-liners to list. If you’re a diehard comedy-fan, then you should love this one. Bill Hill

Brother – 1997 – Aleksei Balabanov

Mesmerizing despite the poorly translated subtitles. Two brothers who become hit-men in St Petersburg. Oddly surreal in that despite the violence in the foreground, the story is in the background – immigration, sub-cultures, castes, and more. People that try to disconnect from their reality create a distorted sense of morality. Bill Hill

Kick-Ass – 2010 – Matthew Vaughn

This is the under-the-radar comedy of the year. Even Nicolas Cage couldn’t sully this gem. Einstein said genius is 90% perspiration and 10% inspiration. A lonely high-school student takes similar logic in reasoning why can’t he be a superhero. Before long he finds out that he isn’t alone. Bill Hill

A Prophet – 2009 – Jacques Audiard

If film reviews are sometimes a roll call of adjectives then A Prophet is grim, brutal, brilliant. The eponymous prophet,  a Machievellian prototype,  serving six years in a Paris jail, gets played and plays.  The soundtrack, plot, production and acting – all magnifique. Audiard just gets better.  More please. JJ

The Killer Inside Me – 2010 – Michael Winterbottom

Winterbottom sets off a shit storm with that scene – extreme violence meets Jessica Alba’s pretty face – and the camera never looks away. Casey Affleck is a piece of work as Texas lawman Lou Ford who kills the things he loves, but he can’t explain it and neither can the film. JJ