The Monuments Men

It’s 1944. World War II is winding down, the Nazis are on the run, and a small group of American specialists (George Clooney, Matt Damon, John Goodman, Bill Murray, and others) are tasked with finding and salvaging priceless art that the Nazis are hiding or destroying. Working in pairs, the group follows various leads as the preservation of culture, history and man’s accomplishments becomes more and more remote. Read More>>>

Braveheart

To fight for one’s freedom is a noble thing and William Wallace is just the man to lead the Scottish commoners into war against the tyranny of the ruthless King Longshanks.  Read More>>>

The Patriot

Benjamin Martin wants to safeguard his family but the American Revolution is escalating, dredging up ghosts from the past and pushing him into a war he is reluctant to participate in.  Read More>>>

Defiance

This film starring Daniel Craig and Liev Shreiber is the story based off the book which was based off the true story of the Bielski brothers who led a growing group of Jews from Nazi occupied Eastern Europe to safety among the trees of the Belarussian forest during WWII.

 With over 1,000 survivors to feed and lead, the four brothers meet plenty of adversity as they struggle in their defiance against annihilation.  Read More>>>

Enemy at the Gates

During World War ll at the battle over Stalingrad a Russian sniper, who has earned recent popularity from his many ‘kills’, finds himself in a sniper-duel with an equally talented German sniper of superior rank.  Read More>>>

Joyeux Nöel

Not Your Typical Holiday Classic

It’s 1914 and the German army is facing off on the western front against the Scottish and French armies.  Entrenched, the battle wages on between the three countries until Christmas Eve when they call a truce for the evening which carries over to Christmas Day and in some ways beyond.

Saving Private Ryan

 An Epic World War II Film - Spielberg Style

Captain John Miller (Tom Hanks) is part of the landing force at Normandy, France - Omaha Beach on D-Day, June 6th, 1944 with the mission to wrest Europe from the clutches of Nazi Germany. After just having experienced the most harrowing combat experience of their lives, Miller and his squad of seven hand-picked men embark on a mission at the request of the Army, to bring Private James Ryan back, so he can go home to his grieving mother who has just learned she has lost three of her four sons to the war.

There Be Dragons

Two boyhood friends in Spain have a falling out, one choosing a life of service in the Catholic Church, the other a life of fighting and intrigue. Their lives, though separate, continue to intersect as Spain plunges into a bloody civil war and the morals, courage, and loyalty of each are tested.

War Horse

Okay, truth be told, I’m not a horse guy. Seabiscuit, Secretariat, Spirit Stallion of the Cimarron — they’re all pretty interchangeable to me. A horse is a horse (of course), but War Horse stands tall above them all. War Horse is a sprawling story of life on a farm and life during World War I, with the eponymous horse being the glue that holds all these stories together. The movie begins with young Albert (Jeremy Irvine) raising a thoroughbred horse to plow his family’s farm. When war breaks out, the horse is sold to the military as an officer’s personal mount.

The Expendables

A high-octane group of mercenaries led by Barney Ross (Sylvester Stallone) is hired by Mr. Church (Bruce Willis) to take out a despot on a South American island. Ross and sidekick Lee Christmas (Jason Stratham) investigate the island first, and find a web of military force, American funding, drugs, and the general’s daughter who helps Ross and Christmas so her island can be peaceful once again. Will Barney Ross return with his crew and save the island from its evil influences? Odds are yes, with Barney leaving rubble in his wake.

Brothers

Captain Sam Cahill (Tobey Maguire) is a good marine, a good father, and a good brother. When news comes that he is killed in action in Afghanistan, his ex-con brother, Tommy (Jake Gyllenhaal) cleans up his act and steps in to support Sam’s wife, Grace (Natalie Portman), and her two young daughters. Grace, Tommy, and the kids grow closer together until shocking news arrives: Sam is still alive.

ClearPlay In Action!

ClearPlay filters around 30 F words, an assortment of other profanities, and some scenes of violence, mostly stemming from Sam’s ordeal in Afghanistan. Some of the family conflict and captivity scenes may disturb younger viewers.

Should I Bother With Brothers?…

This is a satisfying drama that benefits from a fine group of actors. Tobey Maguire in particular deserves kudos for his portrayal as a changed, hurt man after returning from the horrors of captivity. Brothers highlights the destructive effects war and adversity can have on soldiers and their families while also showing the healing and redemptive power that service and brotherhood can provide. Recommended.

Brian Fuller— ClearPlay Brother from Another Mother

Rated R for language and some disturbing violent content.; 104 min; Directed By Jim Sheridan

The Men Who Stare At Goats

While waiting to be embedded in Iraq, Journalist Bob Wilton (Ewan McGregor) meets up with Lyn Cassady, an operative for the New Earth Army. As Wilton joins Cassady for a secret mission into Iraq, Cassady shares his story about the New Earth Army’s genesis, and its founder, Bill Django (Jeff Bridges). The NEA was composed of psychic spies who used mind control, not to win wars but to keep them from happening. The army’s credo is filled with New Age philosophy mixed with supernatural powers. Supposedly based on actual characters.

ClearPlay In Action!

Men Who Stare at Goats received an R-rating principally for language and nudity. The ClearPlayed version removes a few long shots of men’s backsides and a couple of brief instances of nude hot tubbers. ClearPlay also cleans up about 60 instances of language that mostly come in bunches, often during war scenes. Some violent situations and an implied infidelity could be disturbing for younger viewers.

Can I take my eyes off of Goats?…

This movie is packed with interesting ideas and very funny moments, but they never really come together. The principal actors are obviously having fun with the material, so I give it a mild recommendation for Clooney and Bridges fans.

Marty Nabhan— ClearPlay Goat Herder

Rated R for language, some drug content and brief nudity.; 94 min; Directed By Grant Heslov