Traitor

Rating: PG-13

Movie Release Date: August 21, 2008

DVD Release Date: December 16, 2008

Plot 411: Samir Horn is a devout Muslim who straddles the line between patriot and terrorist in his participation in the jihad.

Review: Another great performance by Don Cheadle! Cheadle is Samir, a half American, half Sudanese man who is caught by FBI agents while trying to sell explosives to a terrorist group in Yemen. Despite intial misgivings from the Islamic group, especially by Omar (Said Taghmaoui) who believes he's a traitor, he is soon welcomed and becomes an essential part of their jihad. Samir, Omar and the other men escape the prison and begin to initiate their plans. FBI agents Clayton (Guy Pearce) and Archer (Max McDonough) quickly uncover all the intel they can and call a meeting of the minds in order to find Samir. The lines between right and wrong are severely crossed, especially when human lives are taken. This movie is a good example of the choices people must make in the service of what they believe to be the betterment of mankind. Sometimes these sacrifices are personal and one must live with his choices even though all intentions were honorable. It also highlighted the ingenuity of terrorists and how they are able to infiltrate everyday society. Their motivations and commitments are just as serious as the U.S. government's and the lengths they go to in order to complete their missions are simply incredible. The juxtaposition of both sides make it clear that the two forces are similar in many ways. Also in this movie is Jeff Daniels.

Watch It: Because even though it's entertaining, this movie is out there to make you think.

Skip It: If you're too busy flag waving to see the more serious issues involved in this conflict.

Blood Work

Rating: R

Movie Release Date: August 9, 2002

DVD Release Date: December 27, 2002

Plot 411: A heart transplant recipient investigates the circumstances in which his donor was killed.

Review: Clint Eastwood stars as FBI agent Terry McCaleb, who has a heart attack while chasing a suspect down an alley. Two years later, he receives a transplant and is recovering well when his donor's sister visits him on his boat. Graciella (Wanda de Jesus) implores McCaleb to help her get answers about her sister's death. As McCaleb digs deeper into the case, he ruffles the feathers of local law enforcement officers, played by Paul Rodriguez and Dylan Walsh. He also gets a hand from a former colleague, played by Tina Lifford. Anjelica Houston makes a couple of brief appearances as McCaleb's heart doctor and Jeff Daniels is his neighbor. This movie seemed like every other run-of-the-mill cop thriller and wasn't enhanced in any way by Eastwood's star credentials. I didn't realize it was only made in 2002. Instead, I thought it was one of Eastwood's earlier works. This, I suppose, is due in part to the lackluster production quality and special effects. It could've been an '80s classic rather than a turn-of-the-century effort. The pacing was also less than perfect, which made the movie drag for me.

Watch It: To see old Clint in action just like the good old days.

Skip It: Because the requisite love scene was totally unnecessary and came out of no where, in my opinion.

Away We Go

Rating: R

Movie Release Date: June 5, 2009

DVD Release Date: September 29, 2009

Plot 411: One couple's cross-country journey in search of home.

Review: Burt (John Krasinski) and Verona (Maya Rudolph) are soon-to-be parents searching for a place to start over and raise their family. On their journey, they visit friends and family across the US in hopes of finding the perfect location. As they travel, they encounter a diverse selection of parenting styles, child-rearing issues and potential marital problems. This is a sweet road movie about a couple who is ready for the next big stage in life. They begin by looking toward others for advice about how their lives should be. They wonder if they're screw ups. However, as they go along they grow as a couple and realize that nothing matters besides their family. There's no need to conpare notes with anyone because each family's goals are different. There are some great performances from supporting actors, like Catherine O'Hara, Jeff Daniels, Jim Gaffigan, Maggie Gyllenhaal and Chris Messina. But the best supporting role was performed by Allison Janey.

Watch It: For the very cool music by Alexi Murdoch.

Skip It: If you're not into indie romantic comedies because I'd say this is a pretty good representation of that genre.

The Lookout

Rating: R

Movie Release Date: March 30, 2007

DVD Release Date: August 14, 2007

Plot 411: A man just trying to get his life together after suffering a head injury is recruited for a bank heist.

Review: This was a complex story about the choices (many of which are bad) we make in life and how the affect our future. On his prom night, Chris Pratt (Joeseph Gordon-Levitt) makes the seriously bad decision to drive without his headlights on and gets into an accident that kills two of his friends and injures another. Chris also suffers serious head injuries that still affect him four years later. Just trying to live like everyone else, he has a job as a janior at a bank. Internally, Chris struggles to get a grip on things. This is difficult when he has moderate memory loss, a hindrance in some of his motor skills and just finds it hard to make it from one moment to the next. When Gary (Matthew Goode) approaches him with a quick fix to get his life together and be normal once again, he makes another bad decision. One thing leads to another and Chris is in one of the worst situations of his life. Gordon-Levitt's performance is powerful because of its subtlety. He doesn't overact Chris' struggles, but the audience is clearly aware that there are many challenges in his life. He doesn't make the character pitiful and in fact shows us just how determined Chris can be. Jeff Daniels plays Lewis, Chris' roommate and friend who is blind. Both characters rely on each other but also understand each other's strengths and failures. Isla Fisher also has a small part as Chris' love interest. This was a really good character-driven script that allowed the actors to really emote.

Watch It: For a close look at one person's struggle in life and how he decides to deal with it.

Skip It: If you're looking for an Ocean's Eleven-like heist film.