Movie: Lucky Number Slevin.
Released: 2006.
IMDB rank: 7.8.
IMDB link.
Notes: When Slevin Kelevra visits a friend in New York, what comes after is a complete surprise to him. He gets mugged upon arrival, the friend, Nick, is missing, and thugs show up at Nick’s apartment and mistake him for Nick. Now, he’s being pursued by men working […]

Movie: The Killer.
Released: 1989.
IMDB rank: 7.9.
IMDB link.
Notes: Orginally filmed in Cantonese and Japanese, The Killer is about an assassin (Chow Yun Fat) who wants to retire after one last job. The money from that job will go to help a nightclub singer, Jennie, that he blinded in an early job, and whose state has troubled […]

Movie: 300.
Released: 2006.
IMDB rank: 8.0.
IMDB link.
Notes: In 5th century B.C., King Leonidas (Gerard Butler) and 300 elite guard defend Sparta at Thermopylae (aka the Battle of Thermopylae), in a narrow canyon, from becoming part of the Persian empire under King Xerxes. The movie is based on the graphic novel “300″, by Frank Miller and Lynn […]

Movie: Trainspotting.
Released: 1996.
IMDB rank: 8.1.
IMDB link.
Notes: Anyone with sense knows that drugs are “bad for you.” But for some people, it’s all they have for staying sane. You just never really believe how bad things can get until they actually do. So despite a permeating humor, thanks to the narration and a couple of scenes, […]

Movie: Snatch.
Released: 2000.
IMDB rank: 8.1.
IMDB link.
Notes: Snatch was director Guy Ritchie’s (aka Mr. Madonna) third directorial effort, after 1998’s Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels (elsewhere in this list). Snatch is probably the better known of the two (not to mention 2005’s Revolver), likely due in part to both a growing profile, as well as […]

Movie: American Gangster.
Released: 2007.
IMDB rank: 8.1.
IMDB link.
Notes: Denzel Washington has repeatedly shown the range of his acting abilities. In Training Day, he was a mean, nasty cop who had already crossed the line. So his role as Frank Lucas, a Harlem heroin kingpin in the 1970s (based on a real character), is quite believable. (Though […]

Movie: Hustle & Flow.
Released: 2005.
IMDB rank: 7.5.
IMDB link.
Notes: This Oscar-winning movie takes a look at a Memphis pimp, DJay (Terrence Howard), who wants out of that lifestyle. DJay feels that he’s at a crossroads in his life, and that it’s his last chance to pursue his dream of being a hip-hop emcee. He’s hit bottom […]

Movie: Ocean’s Eleven.
Released: 2001.
IMDB rank: 7.6.
IMDB link.
Notes: Hollywood once had a motto of never glorifying certain types of crime - or so we hear. The original Ocean’s Eleven supposedly changed that. It’s been ages since I saw the original, but the Rat Pack actors in it were very comfortable with each other, and that probably […]

Movie: Braveheart.
Released: 1995.
IMDB rank: 8.3.
IMDB link.
Notes: Braveheart was Mel Gibson’s second directorial effort, succeeding 1993’s The Man Without a Face. Braveheart is Gibson’s interpretation of the 13th Century Scotsman William Wallace, and his efforts to unite his people in order to overthrow the English rule. The movie disposes with a few historical truths, including reports […]

Movie: Sin City.
Released: 2005.
IMDB rank: 8.4.
IMDB link.
Notes: Sin City weaves four stories and multiple characters over several years. The events take place in the immensely corrupt Basin City, aka “Sin” City, blurring the lines between bad and good guys. It’s directed by Frank Miller and Robert Rodriguez, with Quentin Tarantino listed as a “guest” director. […]