Every sin leaves a mark.

Starring: Viggo Mortensen, Naomi Watts, Armin Mueller-Stahl, Vincent Cassel, Sinéad Cusack, Jerzy Skolimowski, Donald Sumpter, Josepf Altin

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★★☆ - near perfect

"Forget any of this happened. Stay away from people like me." - Nikolai Luzhin

Why watch this? This is a rock solid, A+ Russian gangster film - a tense crime thriller.

Plot Summary: Anna, a London midwife, discovers a diary belonging to a pregnant teenage girl who dies in childbirth. Her efforts to translate the Russian-language diary and find the baby's family embroil her with a powerful Russian crime family that is involved in human trafficking. Anna finds herself increasingly drawn into a dangerous world of secrets, violence, and shifting loyalties as she tries to protect the baby and uncover the truth.

Focus Features, BBC Films, Astral Media,
Corus Ent., Telefilm Canada, Kudos Pics,
Serendipity Point Films, Scion Films; Pathé Distribution

Lies. Betrayal. Sacrifice. How far will you take it?

Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Damon, Jack Nicholson, Mark Wahlberg, Martin Sheen, Ray Winstone, Vera Farmiga, Alec Baldwin, Anthony Anderson, Kevin Corrigan, James Badge Dale

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★★☆ - near perfect

"You sit there with a mass murderer. A mass murderer. Your heart rate is jacked, and your hand... steady. That's one thing I figured out about myself in prison. My hand does not shake... ever." - Billy Costigan

Why watch this? Four reasons: Scorsese, DiCaprio, Damon and Nicholson.

Plot Summary: In Boston, an undercover police officer infiltrates a ruthless Irish mob crew, while simultaneously, a mole planted by that same mob boss infiltrates the Massachusetts State Police department. Both men rise within their respective organizations, living under immense pressure as they work to identify the "rat" in their midst without having their own cover blown. The tension escalates into a dangerous game of cat and mouse where each must outmaneuver the other to survive in a world filled with corruption and betrayal.
 

Dad's Preview: What a dream match-up: The director, Martin Scorsese, who made mob movies a household name, and the best upcoming Hollywood talent in decades. This film is a mixture of vintage gangster plot lines, sexy young talent, and Jack F'ing Nicholson, who deliciously portrays a Boston crime lord, based on actual mob boss Whitey Bolger. This film wonderfully delivers - it checks all the boxes: Complicated, conflicted characters - check. Awkward love triangle - check. Bloody shootouts - check. It's hard to find anything not to like. It took home four Oscars including Best Picture and Director. We will glance back to this one and say, "Why didn't this amazing cast and crew make more films like this?"

Plan B Ent., Initial Ent. Group, Vertigo Ent.,
Media Asia Films; Warner Bros. Pictures

Everyone Wants The Truth... Until They Find It.

Starring: Casey Affleck, Michelle Monaghan, Morgan Freeman, Ed Harris, John Ashton, Amy Ryan, Amy Madigan, Titus Welliver

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★★☆ - near perfect

"He lied to me. I can't think of one reason big enough for him to lie that's small enough not to matter.”– Patrick Kenzie

Why watch this? A tense story about a missing girl, her screwed-up mother and those who cover things up.

Plot Summary: Two private investigators, Patrick Kenzie and Angela Gennaro, are hired by a distraught aunt to find her missing four-year-old niece in a tough Boston neighborhood. As they delve into the case, they uncover a dark underworld of drug dealers, criminals, and deception surrounding the girl's neglectful mother.
 

Dad's Preview: Ben Affleck's directorial debut is a tight, tough South Boston drama about a child's kidnapping. There are some really strong performances from the entire cast. I will single out Casey Affleck, who shows he can carry a film by himself. Then there's Amy Ryan - she's incredible as the worthless, druggy mother who really doesn't deserve the child she's responsible for. Ed Harris, as usual, gives his role the power and ambiguity that makes him intensely interesting.

The Ladd Company; Miramax

The strangest damned gang you ever heard of. They're young. They're in love. They rob banks.

Starring: Warren Beatty, Faye Dunaway, Michael J. Pollard, Gene Hackman, Estelle Parsons, Denver Pyle, Dub Taylor, Gene Wilder

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★★★ - perfect

"This here's Miss Bonnie Parker. I'm Clyde Barrow. We rob banks." - Clyde Barrow

Why watch this? To many Southwestern poor folks, the Barrow gangsters were heroes. Texas lawmen saw it differently.

Plot Summary: During the Great Depression, a bored waitress named Bonnie Parker meets ex-con Clyde Barrow and they begin a crime spree across America. As they rob banks and evade law enforcement, their exploits become more violent. The film follows their love story and growing notoriety as they become infamous criminals.

Warner Bros. Pics; Warner Bros.-Seven Arts

The man... and the motion picture that simply do not conform.

Starring: Paul Newman, George Kennedy, J. D. Cannon, Strother Martin, Robert Drivas, Lou Antonio, Jo Van Fleet

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★★★ - perfect

"What we've got here is...failure to communicate." - The Captain

Why watch this? To see the Deep South prison system try to break a trouble-maker.

Plot Summary: Cool Hand Luke, a decorated veteran, is sentenced to a Southern prison for a minor crime where he refuses to conform to the brutal system. His defiance and multiple escape attempts earn him the respect of his fellow prisoners and the ire of the prison Captain and his brutal guards.

Jalem Productions; Warner Bros.-Seven Arts

When "Popeye" cuts loose, anything goes!

Starring: Gene Hackman, Fernando Rey, Roy Scheider, Tony Lo Bianco, Marcel Bozzuffi, Bill Hickman, Ann Rebbot, Harold Gary

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★★★ - perfect

"All right, Popeye's here! Get your hands on your heads, get off the bar, and get on the wall!" - Jimmy "Popeye" Doyle

Why watch this? It remains a pinnacle film in its crime action genre.

Plot Summary: New York City narcotics detectives, Jimmy "Popeye" Doyle and Buddy "Cloudy" Russo are investigating a major heroin smuggling operation spanning from Marseille, France, to New York. Their relentless pursuit of French drug kingpin Alain Charnier, known as "Frog One," leads them through tense stakeouts, dangerous surveillance, and iconic car chases through the streets of New York.

Philip D'Antoni Prod., Schine-Moore Prod.;
20th Century Fox

The Truth Can Be Adjusted

Starring: George Clooney, Tom Wilkinson, Tilda Swinton, Sydney Pollack, Michael O'Keefe, Danielle Skraastad, Wai Chan

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★★★ - perfect

"I'm not the guy you kill. I'm the guy you buy! Are you so f'ing blind that you don't even see what I am? I sold out Arthur for 80 grand. I'm your easiest problem and you're gonna kill me?" - Michael Clayton

Why watch this? This is another solid effort by Clooney. He's a master of understatement.

Plot Summary: Michael Clayton works as a "fixer" at a prestigious New York law firm, essentially cleaning up the messes made by the firm and its wealthy clients. He's called in when one of the firm's senior partners, Arthur Edens, has a breakdown during a multi-billion dollar class-action lawsuit against an agricultural conglomerate called U-North. As Clayton tries to manage the fallout from Edens' erratic behavior, he uncovers corruption and potential criminal wrongdoing surrounding the lawsuit, putting his own life at risk.

Samuels Media, Castle Rock Ent., Mirage Ent.,
Section Eight Prod.; Warner Bros. Pictures

In deadly danger...because they saw too much!

Starring: James Stewart, Grace Kelly, Wendell Corey, Thelma Ritter, Raymond Burr, Judith Evelyn, Frank Cady, Georgine Darcy, Ross Bagdasarian

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★★★ - perfect

"People do a lot of things in private they couldn't possibly explain in public." Lt. Doyle

Why watch this? Nobody did it like Hitchcock. This one drips constant suspense.

Plot Summary: Confined to his apartment with a broken leg, a photographer named L.B. Jeffries spends his days observing his neighbors through his rear window. His casual pastime takes a dark turn when he becomes convinced that one of his neighbors, a traveling salesman named Lars Thorwald, has murdered his wife. Despite skepticism from his girlfriend Lisa and his nurse Stella, Jeffries enlists their help in a perilous amateur investigation.

Patron Incorporated; Paramount Pictures

John Sayles invites you to return to the scene of the crime.

Starring: Chris Cooper, Kris Kristofferson, Matthew McConaughey, Ron Canada, Elizabeth Peña, Joe Morton

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★★★ - perfect

"I remember Charlie Wade came to my father's hardware store once... The man winked at me. I peed my pants." – Ben Wetzel

Why watch this? This Texas mystery centers on a cold-case murder and secret relationships.

Plot Summary: Sheriff Sam Deeds is notified to investigate the discovery of skeletal remains in a Texas border town. The bones belong to a notoriously corrupt sheriff who mysteriously disappeared decades earlier. As Sam delves into the past, he uncovers long-buried secrets involving his own legendary father, the town's former sheriff, Buddy Deeds.

Castle Rock Ent., Columbia Pics, Rio Dulce;
Sony Pictures Classics

It's not like things are black and white.

Starring: Don Cheadle, Sandra Bullock, Matt Dillon, Jennifer Esposito, Brendan Fraser, Terrence Howard, Ludacris, Thandiwe Newton, Michael Peña

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★★☆ - near perfect

"I am angry all the time... and I don't know why." - Jean

Why watch this? I love it when a film says "Let's confront this issue!"

Plot Summary: This drama, set in Los Angeles, explores the interconnected lives of diverse characters facing issues of race, prejudice, and social class. Over a short period, their paths intersect in unexpected ways, leading to confrontations and moments of both hostility and understanding. The film delves into the complexities of human interaction and the hidden prejudices that impact daily life.

Bob Yari Prod., DEJ Prod., Bull's Eye Ent.,
Blackfriars Bridge, Harris Co., Lions Gate Films

Anyone is an enemy for a price.

Starring: Robert De Niro, Jean Reno, Natascha McElhone, Stellan Skarsgård, Sean Bean, Jonathan Pryce

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★★★ - perfect

"Of course I'm afraid! You think I'm reluctant because I'm happy?" - Sam

Why watch this? This may be Frankenheimer's best film. It's smart, well-paced and full of intrigue.

Plot Summary: A group of international mercenaries are hired to steal a mysterious briefcase from heavily armed convoys and then navigate shifting loyalties to deliver it to its rightful owners. The team, comprising ex-military and intelligence operatives from various backgrounds, must work together, despite not entirely trusting each other, to complete the mission.

United Artists, FGM Entertainment;
MGM Dist. Co.

Never stop fighting till the fight is done

Starring: Kevin Costner, Sean Connery, Charles Martin Smith, Andy Garcia, Robert De Niro, Richard Bradford, Jack Kehoe, Billy Drago, Patricia Clarkson

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★★★ - perfect

"You wanna know how to get Capone? They pull a knife, you pull a gun. He sends one of yours to the hospital, you send one of his to the morgue. That's the Chicago way!" – Jim Malone

Why watch this? A great, if romanticized, account of the Elliott Ness story.

Plot Summary: Federal Agent Eliot Ness arrives in Prohibition-era Chicago, determined to bring down the notoriously powerful and corrupt gangster Al Capone. Facing widespread corruption within the city's police force, Ness realizes that traditional methods are insufficient to tackle Capone's illegal empire. He assembles a small team of trustworthy lawmen who are unburdened by fear or bribes to confront the ruthless crime boss and his network of organized crime.

Art Linson; Paramount Pictures

America was born in the streets

Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Daniel Day-Lewis, Cameron Diaz, John C. Reilly, Jim Broadbent, Brendan Gleeson, Liam Neeson

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★★★ - perfect

"When you kill a king, you don't stab him in the dark. You kill him where the entire court can watch him die." - Amsterdam Vallon

Why watch this? Bill the Butcher - damn, what a character.

Plot Summary: In 1862, young Amsterdam Vallon returns to the Five Points district of New York City, seeking revenge against Bill "the Butcher" Cutting, who murdered his father years ago. Amsterdam infiltrates Bill's powerful gang, navigating the volatile and corrupt streets ruled by rival factions and politicians like William "Boss" Tweed. Amidst this simmering tension and personal vendetta, the city itself teeters on the brink of erupting into the historic Civil War Draft Riots.
 

Dad's Preview: I'll put this Martin Scorsese film up against all his others, including Taxi Driver (1976) and Goodfellas (1990). This has a story that is rich and so historically well performed. It takes place in 1863 New York City, in the slums of the Five Points. There two rival gangs (one Catholic, the other Protestant) have been at each other's throats for years. There are stellar performances from Daniel Day-Lewis, Leonardo DiCaprio, and Cameron Diaz, but it's Scorsese rich direction that stars in this historical gem.

Touchstone Pictures, Alberto Grimaldi
Productions; Miramax Films

There Are No Clean Getaways

Starring: Tommy Lee Jones, Javier Bardem, Josh Brolin, Woody Harrelson, Kelly Macdonald, Garret Dillahunt, Tess Harper, Barry Corbin, Beth Grant

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★★★ - perfect

DML Top 50 #16 - Dad's Full (Spoiler) Review and Deep Dive of No Country For Old Men

"If the rule you followed brought you to this, of what use was the rule?" - Anton Chigurh

Why watch this? This tour de force examines the dangers surrounding the Mexican drug world.

Plot Summary: While hunting in the West Texas desert, Llewelyn Moss stumbles upon the aftermath of a drug deal gone wrong and finds a briefcase containing millions of dollars, which he takes. His decision sets in motion a violent chase with a ruthless and enigmatic killer, Anton Chigurh, pursuing Moss and the money across the landscape. Meanwhile, a jaded, tired Sheriff Ed Tom Bell investigates the mounting casualties, grappling with the escalating violence and the unsettling nature of the criminals involved.

Paramount Vantage, Scott Rudin Prod.,
Mike Zoss Prod.; Miramax Films
 

Genres Action-Crime, Action-Thriller, Crime-Cops, Crime-Crooks, Crime-Drama, Crime-Thriller, Crime-Thriller-NeoNoir, Mystery-Thriller; Neo-Western, Western-Drama

A big city cop. A small country boy. They have nothing in common ...but a murder.

Starring: Harrison Ford, Kelly McGillis, Lukas Haas, Jan Rubeš, Danny Glover, Josef Sommer, Alexander Godunov, Brent Jennings, Patti LuPone

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★★★ - perfect

"No, no hospital... gunshot wound, they have to file a report. And if they file a report, they find me. And if they find me, they find the boy." – John Book

Why watch this? It is a brilliant film juxtaposing the peaceful Amish culture against urban violence.

Plot Summary: When a young Amish boy witnesses a murder in Philadelphia, a detective goes undercover in the boy's rural Amish community to protect him from the killers. The detective must navigate the unfamiliar world of the Amish while trying to identify and avoid the dangerous individuals responsible for the crime. The film explores the stark contrast between the detective's violent world and the peaceful, traditional Amish lifestyle.

Edward S. Feldman Prod.; Paramount Pics

No One Gets Away Clean

Starring: Don Cheadle, Michael Douglas, Benicio Del Toro, Luis Guzmán, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Erika Chistensen, Jacob Vargas, Miguel Ferrer, Tomas Milian, Amy Irving, Topher Grace, Albert Finney, James Brolin, Benjamin Bratt

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★★★ - perfect

"If there is a war on drugs, then many of our family members are the enemy. And I don't know how you wage war on your own family." – Robert Wakefield, U.S. Drug Tsar

Why watch this? It drives home that drugs are here, and the war is in our homes.

Plot Summary: This is a multi-narrative exploration of the illegal drug trade, from various perspectives including law enforcement, politicians, traffickers, and users. One storyline follows a judge appointed as the US drug czar, grappling with his new role while discovering his daughter's drug addiction. A second thread focuses on two DEA agents tracking drug distribution across the US-Mexico border, leading to the arrest of a major trafficker. The third narrative delves into the complex world of a jailed drug lord's wife who tries to navigate and maintain the family business.

Bedford Falls Prod., Laura Bickford Prod.,
Initial Ent. Group; USA Films

For justice. For loyalty. For friendship.

Starring: Tommy Lee Jones, Barry Pepper, Dwight Yoakam, January Jones, Julio Cesar Cedillo, Melissa Leo, Levon Helm, Mel Rodriguez

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★★★ - perfect

"You try to run away again, and I'll kill you. I guess you know that by now." - Pete Perkins

Why watch this? A memorable Texas border tale about murder, penance and retribution.

Plot Summary: When an undocumented Mexican ranch worker is mistakenly killed and improperly buried, his friend, a Texas ranch foreman named Pete Perkins, remembers his promise to bury him in his hometown. Taking matters into his own hands, Pete kidnaps the border patrol agent responsible for the death and exhumes the body. With his captive and the deceased tied to a mule, Pete embarks on a long, arduous journey across the border to fulfill his vow.

EuropaCorp, Javalina Film Company;
Sony Pictures Classics

An offer you can't refuse.

Starring: Marlon Brando, Al Pacino, James Caan, Richard Castellano, Robert Duvall, Sterling Hayden, John Marley, Richard Conte, Diane Keaton

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★★★ - perfect

"I'm gonna make him an offer he can't refuse. Okay? I want you to leave it all to me." - Don Corleone

Why watch this? This is ground-zero for the films about the Italian mobsters.

Plot Summary: The story follows the powerful Corleone crime family in the post-WWII era, led by the aging patriarch, Don Vito Corleone. His youngest son, Michael, initially seeks to avoid the family business and live a legitimate life after serving in the war. However, a series of challenging events and shifting alliances force Michael to confront his family's legacy and his own destiny within the criminal underworld.

Alfran Productions; Paramount Pictures

Sicily 1912. Little Italy, New York 1915. Las Vegas 1958. Cuba 1959. Washington 1962.
Miami 1972. The rise and fall of the Corleone empire.

Starring: Al Pacino, Robert De Niro, Robert Duvall, Diane Keaton, John Cazale, Talia Shire, Lee Strasberg, G. D. Spradlin, Richard Bright

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★★★ - perfect

"My father taught me many things here - he taught me in this room. He taught me: Keep your friends close, but your enemies closer." – Michael Corleone

Why watch this? This film gives us Don's origin story, and Michael's bloody rise to power.

Plot Summary: There are two interwoven narratives: one follows Michael Corleone in the late 1950s as he expands his family's criminal enterprise, and the other depicts his father Vito's youth and rise to power in New York City in the early 20th century. The film explores the themes of power, loyalty, and betrayal within the context of organized crime and the Corleone family. Both Vito and Michael navigate a dangerous world where they are forced to make difficult decisions that impact their families and the people around them.

The Coppola Company; Paramount Pictures

Why So Serious?

Starring: Christian Bale, Heath Ledger, Michael Caine, Gary Oldman, Aaron Eckhart, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Morgan Freeman, Eric Roberts

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★★★ - perfect

DML Top 50 #20 - Dad's Full (Spoiler) Review and Deep Dive of The Dark Knight

"Some men aren't looking for anything logical, like money. They can't be bought, bullied, reasoned, or negotiated with. Some men just want to watch the world burn." – Alfred

Why watch this? This Nolan effort set a new, grittier standard for comic book films.

Plot Summary: Following the events of Batman Begins (2005), the emergence of a criminal mastermind known as the Joker throws Gotham City into a state of chaos and anarchy. Batman, along with Lieutenant Jim Gordon and District Attorney Harvey Dent, try to combat the escalating threat, but the Joker's unpredictable nature challenges their methods and forces Batman to confront his own beliefs. The film explores the fine line between hero and vigilante as Batman faces his most personal and challenging struggle yet.

Legendary Pictures, Syncopy;
Warner Bros. Pictures

a homespun murder story

Starring: Frances McDormand, William H. Macy, Steve Buscemi, Harve Presnell, Peter Stormare

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★★★ - perfect

DML Top 50 #12 - Dad's Full (Spoiler) Review and Deep Dive of Fargo

"Sir, you have no call to get snippy with me. I'm just doing my job here." - Marge Gunderson

Why watch this? Brutal violence. Quirky characters. As only the Coen brothers can.

Plot Summary: Desperate for money, a Minnesota car salesman hires two men to kidnap his wife, intending to extort a ransom from her wealthy father. The seemingly foolproof scheme quickly unravels as events take a violent turn, leading to multiple deaths. A pregnant police chief in Brainerd, Minnesota, launches a tenacious investigation to uncover the truth behind the escalating crimes.

Working Title Films; Gramercy Pictures