I had been given The Good German by Joseph Kanon as a gift. Now it isn’t the usual sort of book I read as my gifter knew but she thinks I should broaden my horizons. Being polite, I thought I’d give it 50 pages, work up a blurb for her so it would seem I’d finished it and toss it into the corner with other book gifts of dubious interest. Silly me. I got so hooked on it I didn’t put it down until I’d read it straight through. I was mesmerized and completely taken with the characters, setting and plot.

When I saw that it had been made into a movie, I wondered how much of the magic of the book could be transformed to the screen. Filmed in black and white using a 4×3 format, I thought that might work, sort of like the Pathé News reels I remember watching. George Clooney as Capt. Jake Geismer—sure, as long as he isn’t too much of a smarty-pants, Cate Blanchett as Lena Brandt—sure, she can do just about any role and as long as her German accent isn’t too odd and Tobey Maguire as Corporal Patrick Tully—maybe, maybe not but then I saw him in Sin City and thought he can handle the role of this two-faced sleaze.

Director:  Steven Soderbergh Writer:  Paul Attanasio; Joseph Kanon Cast:
Jack Thompson -  Congressman Breimer John Roeder -  General George Clooney -  Capt. Jacob ‘Jake’ Geismer Tobey Maguire -  Patrick Tully Cate Blanchett -  Lena Brandt Dominic Comperatore -  Levi Dave Power -  Lieutenant Schaeffer Tony Curran -  Danny		Ravil Isyanov -  General Sikorsky J. Paul Boehmer -  British Press Aide Igor Korosec -  Russian Soldier #1 Boris Kievsky -  Russian Soldier #2 Vladimir Kulikov -  Russian Soldier #3 Yevgeniy Narovlyanskiy -  Russian Soldier #4 Aleksandr Sountsov -  Russian Soldier #5 Beau Bridges -  Colonel Muller

I was chatting with a neighbour and her daughter the other day. Mostly about the snow melting and how much fun rubber boots are since it is tough to get abstract with a two-year-old. She knows my first name, where I live and sorta makes a sentence once every three tries. A few days later, I was being visited by a friend when there was a knock on the back door. It was my neighbour with her daughter who apparently wanted to talk to me some more even though I must look 60 feet tall to her. She got a few sentences out before she turned shy and decided to go home. When I turned to my visiting friend, she had teared up. That’s the way Gloria (Sharon Stone) feels when she finds out that Nicky Nuñez (Jean-Luke Figueroa), orphaned when his family is murdered, doesn’t have anyone in the world to care for him or to raise him. She figures she can give it a go much to the chagrin of her family and circle of friends.

Director:  Sidney Lumet; John Cassavetes Writer:  John Cassavetes; Steve Antin Cast:
Sharon Stone -  Gloria Jean-Luke Figueroa -  Nicky Nuñez Jeremy Northam -  Kevin Cathy Moriarty -  Diane George C. Scott -  Ruby Mike Starr -  Sean Bonnie Bedelia -  Brenda Barry McEvoy -  Terry		Don Billett -  Raymond Jerry Dean -  Mickey Tony DiBenedetto -  Zach Teddy Atlas -  Ian Bobby Cannavale -  Jack Jesus Nunez Sarita Choudhury -  Angela Miriam Colon -  Maria Desiree Casado -  Luz

You’re a handsome British knight. You’ve come back from the Crusades, sullen and despondent over the horrors you’ve witnessed. All you want to do is settle down. A local king offers you a plot of land in return for a small favour. His beautiful daughter, Luma (Piper Perabo) has recently disappeared and he’d like you to find her. Reluctantly, you agree. Unfortunately, you come across a dragon’s egg. Intent on destroying this potential monster, you lash out with your sword only to wake up with the princess hovering over you with a club ready to clobber you again. Turns out she wants to hatch it as the dragon may be the last of its kind. The simple rescue has become not so simple, some bad guys show up and want to kidnap the princess and you wonder how things got so out of control. Such is George’s (James Purefoy) story.

Director:  Tom Reeve; Shaun O’Riordan Writer:  Michael Burks; Tom Reeve Cast:
James Purefoy -  George Piper Perabo -  Princess Luma Patrick Swayze -  Garth Michael Clarke Duncan -  Tarik Bill Treacher -  Elmendorf Jean-Pierre Castaldi -  Father Bernard Rollo Weeks -  Wryn Paul Freeman -  Sir Robert		Stefan Jürgens -  Bulchar Stefan Weinert -  Mercenary #1 Phil McKee -  McNally Caroline Carver -  Sister Angela Simon Callow -  King Edgar Joan Plowright -  Mother Superior Carl Chase -  Aard Jamie Treacher -  Captain D’Arcy

What price are you willing to pay when you do what you think is the right thing and everyone else thinks is the wrong thing? Would you take a little girl away from the people who will offer her a loving and loved life? Patrick Kenzie (Casey Affleck) would. Would you tell the police about the child and take the chance that the love of your life will hate you forever? Patrick Kenzie would and Angie Gennaro (Michelle Monaghan) does. Would you let your client skip payment to you if you send her husband to jail and return her niece to her drug mule party girl of a sister? Patrick Kenzie would. Would you babysit for the child while the newly reunited mom goes on a date with some guy who thought she was cute on TV while beseeching the kidnappers to return her daughter? Patrick Kenzie would rather than hide the truth from the world.

Director:  Ben Affleck Writer:  Ben Affleck; Aaron Stockard; Dennis Lehane Cast:
Casey Affleck -  Patrick Kenzie Michelle Monaghan -  Angie Gennaro Morgan Freeman -  Capt. Jack Doyle Ed Harris -  Det. Remy Bressant John Ashton -  Detective Nick Poole Amy Ryan -  Helene McCready Amy Madigan -  Bea McCready Titus Welliver -  Lionel McCready		Michael K. Williams -  Devin Edi Gathegi -  Cheese Mark Margolis -  Leon Trett Madeline O’Brien -  Amanda McCready Slaine -  Bubba Rogowski Trudi Goodman -  Roberta Trett Matthew Maher -  Corwin Earle Jill Quigg -  Dottie