2 Best Movies to Watch by Jon Sklaroff

Staff & contributors
David O. Russel (Silver Linings Playbook, American Hustle) is one of those directors who the more you dig into his past, the more you are rewarded. I Heart Huckabees is a great example of this, as is The Fighter (both are must-watch if you haven't seen them). But it is Three Kings that truly presented him as someone who can give great substance to big-budget movies. It stars George Clooney, Mark Wahlberg, Ice Cube, and even director Spike Jonze (Her, Adaptation), in other words, a festival of talent at its peak. And it follows three soldiers who want use the end of the Gulf War as an opportunity to get rich. Their journey through a devastated and uncertain Iraq is a thrilling one, as Three Kings is action-packed. But the purpose of this movie lies somewhere between political satire around American interventionism and social criticism of the main characters. However, none of that stands in the way of this movie being an entertaining and exhilarating movie.

Genre: Action, Comedy, War

Actor: Ali Afshar, Alia Shawkat, Brian Bosworth, Cliff Curtis, David O. Russell, Doug Jones, Dylan Brown, George Clooney, Holt McCallany, Ice Cube, Jamie Kennedy, Jim Gaffigan, Jon Sklaroff, Judy Greer, Liz Stauber, Mark Wahlberg, Mykelti Williamson, Nora Dunn, Rick Shuster, SaÁ¯d Taghmaoui, Saïd Taghmaoui, Sayed Badreya, Spike Jonze

Director: David O. Russell

Rating: R

, 2017

Expect both heavy emotional punches and great comedic moments in this engaging comedy-drama. Boosted by amazing writing, the characters are easy to relate to but remain interesting throughout the movie, with many ideas and layers to them. Jenny Slate and Chris Evans are both great as a very gifted child and her uncle who find themselves at the center of a custody battle. The plot may be a little unusual but it offers a great vehicle to explore the dynamics between a caring uncle, a gifted child, and an obsessive mother.

Genre: Comedy, Drama, Family

Actor: Aidan McKenna Bateman, Ashley L. Thomas, Brody Rose, Candace B. Harris, Chris Evans, Crystal Freyermuth, Danielle Deadwyler, David Cordell, Desmond Phillips, Elizabeth Marvel, Glenn Plummer, Gordon Danniels, Jack Landry, Jenny Slate, Joe Chrest, John Finn, John M. Jackson, Jon Sklaroff, Jona Xiao, Jordan Ellenberg, Julie Ann Emery, Karleigh Chase, Keir O'Donnell, Kelly Collins Lintz, Lindsay Duncan, Maia Moss-Fife, Marc Webb, Mckenna Grace, Michael Kendall Kaplan, Octavia Spencer, Teresa L. Graves, Walt Elder, Will Buie Jr.

Director: Marc Webb

Rating: PG-13