I love watching films, especially when I get so wrapped up in the characters that they seem real to me. Foreign films are fun too--it's great to have a chance to work on language skills while being entertained!

A few suggestions:

Winter 11/12:

The Inside Job (2010)

This chilling documentary directed by Charles Ferguson and narrated by Matt Damon helped me understand some of the folly and deceit that has gone into the banking crisis. By the end of the film I was ready to concede that all politicians have had a heavy hand in the financial mess.

Fall 11:

The Concert (2009)

Radu Mihaileanu's imaginative film shows in comedic fashion how a fallen maestro and his orchestra make a comeback.

Kundun (1997)

Somehow I never managed to see Scorsese's luscious biopic about the Dalai Lama until now, but it was well worth the wait. The film depicts the man's early, tumultuous life in stunning visual detail.

Horrible Bosses (2011)

Jason Bateman, Jason Sudeikis, and Charlie Day make the most horrible bosses a feast of misguided intentions. I laughed until I cried.

Summer 11:

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, The Girl Who Played with Fire, The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest.

I enjoyed these films so much that I went back and started reading the novels, which I could hardly put down. Arden Oplev's films were enticing, atmosphere, compelling, and horrific, all at the same time. Michael Nyqvist and Noomi Rapace were perfect embodiments of Stieg Larsson's characters. I know that the English-language version is looming around the corner, but the originals are very, very good.

 

January 2011 Pick: A Single Man (2009)

Tom Ford's directorial debut is a huge success as Colin Firth shows his ability to get so far inside a character that we are tranfixed and transformed by his performance.

 

December 2010 Pick: The King's Speech

Colin Firth and Geoffrey Rush are convincing, passionate, engaging characters as King George VI and his most important teacher.

 

November 2010 Pick: Home for the Holidays

If you haven't seen (or can't remember) this dramedy directed by Jodie Foster, it's worth another look. Solid performances by the entire cast, including Holly Hunter and Robert Downey Jr. Why DO so many people flock "home" for Thanksgiving?

 

October 2010 Pick: Heartbreaker (L'arnacouer)

We laughed ourselves silly watching Alex do the hard work of breaking up engagements.

 

August 2010 Pick: Knight and Day

It's a silly summer movie, but it was slick and fun. The first airplane scene is a riot. Cruise and Cameron are both winning.

 

July 2010 Pick: An Education

It didn't get an Oscar nomination for nothing. It's completely engrossing. Carey Mullgan and Peter Sarsgaard are both wonderful.

 

June 2010 Pick: Much Ado about Nothing

It's the perfect summer film!

 

May 2010 Pick: Tortilla Soup

At first I resisted this remake of a Chinese film (Eat, Drink, Man, Woman), but it's actually an effective film set in an Hispanic community.

 

April 2010 Pick: The International

Slick thriller with Clive Owens and Naomi Watts. If you've ever been to the Guggenheim in NY, you'll really enjoy one of the key scenes...

 

March 2010 Pick: Up

This cartoon really works for adults too!

 

February Pick: All about Steve

Granted, it's a silly romantic comedy, but I laughed so hard while I was watching it that the people sitting next to me on the plane kept looking over my shoulder. The film is about an obnoxious would-be girlfriend who just can't take no for an answer. Unfortunately, most of us can relate! Bradley Cooper and Sandra Bullock play the main characters in Phil Traill's 2009 effort.

 

January 2010 Pick: Girl with a Pearl Earring

If you admire Vermeer, you won't want to miss out on seeing Peter Webber's 2003 reconstruction of the artist's world. Colin Firth and Scarlett Johansson are well cast as painter and subject.

 

December Pick: Divorzio all'italiana (Divorce, Italian-Style)

This 1961 comedy directed by Pietro Germi stars Marcello Mastroianni as the bored husband who will go to any length to get rid of his boring wife so that he can pursue other goals. The film is a witty commentary on societal rules as well as marital conundrums.

 

November Pick: La dolce vita

Somehow I'd never managed to watch this 1960 Fellini masterpiece. More acessible than his other films, it has indelible images and a scathing portrayal of the paraparazzi that seems scaringly up-to-date.

 

October Pick: The Thin Man

The 1934 take-off on the eponymous Dashiell Hammett novel is a pure joy. William Powell and Mryna Loy did such a convincing job of creating Nick and Nora Charles that five Thin Man films followed.

 

September Pick: Smart People

Noam Murro's overlooked film didn't do wonders at the box office, but the 2008 film is a smart comedy about how family members interact. It also acurately captures the spiteful nature of many university settings.

 

August Pick: Lust, Caution

As usual, Ang Lee creates a stirring film that haunts you long after the credits stop running. This 2007 vehicle is an excellent, uncompromising film that looks at the raw side of human nature.

 

July Pick: Zack and Miri Make a Porno

It's crass, and every other word starts with "F," but Kevin Smith's 2008 film is sweetly hilarious. It includes enjoyable performances by the entire cast.

 

June Pick: Sono pazzo di Iris Blond

This charming 1999 romantic comedy follows the travails of a musician named Romeo who is unlucky in love, especially after he misinterprets the signs after a tarot-card reading.

 

May Pick: The Golden Bowl

This 2000 Ivory-Merchant adaptation of Henry James' eopnymous novel stars Uma Thurman and Jeremy Northam. The two star-crossed lovers need only decide between love and money, but they can't agree on what's best.

 

April Pick: Cats of Rome

This heart-warming 2007 documentary shows how volunteers and friendly citizens band together to help care for Rome's estimated 200,000 homeless cats.

 

March Pick: The Roman Spring of Mrs. Stone

This 2003 adaptation of Tennessee Williams' seamy novel stars Helen Mirren and Olivier Martinez. The back of the DVD cover is right: "This is one trip to Rome you won't want to miss."

 

February Pick: 24, Season Five

In this season's epidoes, Jack has to race the clock to locate cannisters of nerve gas before they're set off in public places. He also has to avenge the death of former president David Palmer. Although I've watched other seasons, this one had me on the edge of my seat all the way through!

 

January Pick: Slumdog Millionaire. This film has dark moments that illustrate the India that's hidden from most guidebooks, but it's also a warm, intricate story told from the point of view of a boy who grew up living on the edge of survival.

 

December Pick:Forgetting Sarah Marshall. It may be crude, but it's hysterically funny, with Jason Segel as a sympathetic ditched loved and Russell Brand as the hellish rival.