Anthony Hopkins, Emma Thompson, and Helena Bonham Carter star in this drama surrounding two families in different social classes, set in early 20th century England. The pacing is glacial, the cinematography beautiful, and the characters primarily concerned themselves with propriety and politeness. Thompson completely steals the show, earning an Oscar.

Grade: B.

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Charlie Sheen stars as Chris, a new infantry private in the Vietnam War, in this extraordinary Oscar-winning war drama directed by Oliver Stone. With an all-star cast, the acting is brilliant and the story is gritty, realistic, and shows the horrors of this unpopular war with startling accuracy.

Grade: A-.

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Daniel Day-Lewis stars in the autobiography of Christy Brown, an Irish writer who detailed his experience growing up with cerebral palsy and learning to function. A talented cast tells the Oscar-winning story, but the slow pace of the picture made it seem like it was made for TV.

Grade: C+.

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In 2001, the Enron accounting irregularities made national headlines in what turned out to be the largest corporate bankruptcy in American history. This extraordinary documentary shows the history of the company, the way it profited off the California energy crisis, and the way it screwed its own employees and investors.

Grade: A-.

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A rich, sensual family drama centers around young Tita, her domineering and hateful mother, her unrequited love, and her ability to create emotional experiences with food. The pace of the story is glacial at times, the tone is warm and sensual, and the scope is huge, spanning over 40 years.

Grade: B-.

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We follow the exploits and difficulties of the 54th Massachusetts in the American Civil War from the unit’s inception to the heroic attack on Fort Wagner. An exceptional cast bring this magnificent epic to life. Wonderful performances and a reasonably accurate script show us an important part of American history.

Grade: A.

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Buddy DeFranco teams up with the Oscar Peterson Quartet on this beautiful set of tunes that include standards and originals. Most of the songs here are relatively unknown, but it’s still a satisfying and wonderfully listenable outing. Peterson, DeFranco, and guitarist Joe Pass draw consistenly brilliant performances from each other.

Grade: A.

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This unexpectedly smart animated adventure is a visual smorgasbord, full of intricate little details and amazing computer-generated animation. A story that could easily have devolved into silliness maintains a subtle sophistication with effective jokes and hilarious action. Some overdone sappiness lingers too long, but doesn’t ruin a fun flick.

Grade: B+.

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Buddy DeFranco joins forces with jazz accordionist, Gordie Fleming, on this unusual set of songs that mainly features the compositions of producers Rob Adams and Alan Baculis. The songs are interesting, the playing is solid (especially the surprise of uptempo solos on the accordion), and the composition is quite fresh.

Grade: B-.

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John Malkovich makes his directorial debut at the helm of an intriguing political crime drama, centered around a police detective trying to find the center of a terrorist revolutionary cell in Latin America. The superbly intelligent script provides plenty of surprises and the cast brings the story magnificently to life.

Grade: A-.

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