Having a sibling is always a great source of amusement. One can do just about anything reasonable and be forgiven. But strains can show at the oddest times. George Wade (Hugh Grant) is a slacker. He’s unwilling to take the family business seriously and chooses to hire his lawyer models who graduate from caribbean law schools. Howard Wade (David Haig) is getting fed up and he wants George to get his act together George, in an act of brotherly retribution, pays him back for this dressing down by flushing the toilet while Howard is in the shower. I still chortle every time I see this. But then I’m a softie when it comes to fart jokes. Sigh…

Director:  Marc Lawrence; Lawrence Writer:  Marc Lawrence; Lawrence Cast:
Sandra Bullock -  Lucy Kelson Hugh Grant -  George Wade Alicia Witt -  June Carter Dana Ivey -  Ruth Kelson Robert Klein -  Larry Kelson Heather Burns -  Meryl Brooks David Haig -  Howard Wade Dorian Missick -  Tony		Joseph Badalucco -  Construction Foreman Jonathan Dokuchitz -  Tom Veanne Cox -  Melanie Corman Janine LaManna -  Elaine Cominsky Iraida Polanco -  Rosario Charlotte Maier -  Helen Wade Katheryn Winnick -  Tiffany Jason Antoon -  Norman

I’ve has bosses who want results, no if, ands or buts. Just do it and don’t bother me with details. So I gave them results, albeit fabricated results but they never figured it out. Why would they? They didn’t care. They were pressured from above just like me. But mine didn’t have any impact on people’s lives, no losses for anyone came about. It was about filling out bureaucratic paperwork.

Andrew Osnard (Pierce Brosnan) is in the same boat as my boss. Except he’s a British spy in Panama and he picks Harry Pendel (Geoffrey Rush), an supercilious tailor serving the Panamanian elite. Harry claims to be a transplant from Britain’s renowned Saville Row, but he is really an ex-con who served five years in prison for an insurance scam and up to his nose in debt. Osnard will pay for information Harry has gathered from his upscale clientele. When he has run out of info, Harry starts concocting tidbits to keep the cash coming but makes the mistake of getting too grandiose in his lies which include his wife, Louisa (Jamie Lee Curtis), an aide to the Canal director. All of a sudden, London and Washington are interested and Harry is sweating.

Director:  John Boorman Writer:  John Le Carré; Andrew Davies; John Boorman Cast:
Pierce Brosnan -  Andrew ‘Andy’ Osnard Geoffrey Rush -  Harold ‘Harry’ Pendel Jamie Lee Curtis -  Louisa Pendel Leonor Varela -  Marta Brendan Gleeson -  Michelangelo ‘Mickie’ Abraxas Harold Pinter -  Uncle Benny Catherine McCormack -  Francesca Deane Daniel Radcliffe -  Mark Pendel		Lola Boorman -  Sarah Pendel David Hayman -  Luxmore Mark Margolis -  Rafi Domingo Martin Ferrero -  Teddy, A Reporter John Fortune -  Maltby Martin Savage -  Stormont Edgardo Molino -  Juan-David Jon Polito -  Ramón Rudd, The Banker

Jazz fans are a fevered lot. I’ve met a couple who travel the world to find particularly obscure recordings and hear their faves play live. Such musical dedication should be rewarded for it is keeping music alive and well. Viktor Navorski (Tom Hanks), who is from Krakozhia, an eastern bloc country that overthrown by rebels during his flight, finds that he now holds an invalid passport, leaving him stranded at JFK in New York. Unable to leave, one of his new airport friends, Amelia Warren (Catherine Zeta-Jones), learns the purpose of his visit is to collect an autograph of the jazz tenor saxophonist Benny Golson. His father had discovered the “Great Day in Harlem” photograph in a 1958 newspaper and vowed to collect autographs of all the 57 jazz musicians. He go all but one in 40 years.

Director:  Steven Spielberg Writer:  Andrew Niccol; Sacha Gervasi; Jeff Nathanson Cast:
Tom Hanks -  Viktor Navorski Catherine Zeta-Jones -  Amelia Warren Stanley Tucci -  Frank Dixon Chi McBride -  Joe Mulroy Diego Luna -  Enrique Cruz Barry Shabaka Henley -  Ray Thurman Kumar Pallana -  Gupta Rajan Zoë Saldana -  Officer Torres		Eddie Jones -  Salchak Michael Nouri -  Max Jude Ciccolella -  Karl Iverson Corey Reynolds -  Waylin Guillermo Díaz -  Bobby Alima Rini Bell -  Nadia Stephen Mendel -  First Class Steward Valera Nikolaev -  Milodragovich

I’m a sucker for production design and this movie has some of the best I’ve seen. The portions set in 1937 Los Angeles are remarkable for their style, tone and nuance. I keep popping it back into my DVD player just to enjoy. But I must admit I was taken aback seeing Vincent D’Onofrio as a blonde.

Director:  Josef Rusnak; Chris Roach Writer:  Daniel F. Galouye; Josef Rusnak; Ravel Centeno-Rodriguez Cast:
Craig Bierko -  Douglas Hall/John Ferguson/David Armin Mueller-Stahl -  Hannon Fuller/Grierson Gretchen Mol -  Jane Fuller/Natasha Molinaro Vincent D’Onofrio -  Jason Whitney/Jerry Ashton Dennis Haysbert -  Detective Larry McBain Steven Schub -  Zev Bernstein Jeremy Roberts -  Tom Jones Rif Hutton -  Joe		Leon Rippy -  Jane’s Lawyer Janet MacLachlan -  Ellen Brad Henke -  Cop #1 Burt Bulos -  Bellhop Venessia Valentino -  Concierge Howard S. Miller -  Chauffeur Tia Texada -  Natasha’s Roomate Shiri Appleby -  Bridget Manilla

We all know that war is hell. The deprivation, the firing of guns, the taking of orders, the lack of proper sanitation. All contributes to making it at best uncomfortable. But then sometimes there are those who know how to make it a little less miserable. With two weeks to go before he retires, Major Archie Gates (George Clooney), a decorated Vietnam vet and special forces officer and his two buddies, Troy Barlow (Mark Wahlberg) and Staff Sgt. Chief Elgin (Ice Cube), discover a map retrieved from the butt of an Iraqi soldier which may lead to a Kuwaiti gold stash stolen by Saddam Hussein’s forces. Using the UV setting on his flashlight to discover the location, they decide to follow the trail and take some of it for themselves. You gotta love American technology.

Director:  David O. Russell Writer:  John Ridley; David O. Russell Cast:
George Clooney -  Maj. Archie Gates Mark Wahlberg -  Sfc. Troy Barlow Ice Cube -  SSgt. Chief Elgin Spike Jonze -  Pfc. Conrad Vig Cliff Curtis -  Amir Abdullah Nora Dunn -  Adriana Cruz Jamie Kennedy -  PV2 Walter Wogaman Saïd Taghmaoui -  Capt. Said		Mykelti Williamson -  Col. Horn Holt McCallany -  Capt. Van Meter Judy Greer -  Cathy Daitch Christopher Lohr -  Teebaux Jon Sklaroff -  Paco Liz Stauber -  Debbie Barlow (Troy’s wife) Marsha Horan -  Amir’s wife Alia Shawkat -  Amir’s daughter