Sean Penn is Mr. Serious. I don’t know if he has laughed on camera since We’re No Angels with Robert DeNiro. Of course I’m referring to Penn’s body of work post-Fast Times at Ridgemont High. His above-average talent stood out in movies as early as 1981, in Taps. I think it’s time we all forgive him for the Madonna period, which resulted in Shanghai Surprise. Only two years after that debacle, he was back in prime form opposite Robert Duvall in Colors. Penn was a busy man in the 90′s, and his best from that decade includes Carlito’s Way (for the hair alone!), Dead Man Walking (he should have won the Oscar), and The Game (an underrated thriller co-starring Michael Douglas). I am also drawn to Penn’s recent films, where he is displaying more vulnerability and raw emotion (Mystic River and 21 Grams).

A movie with Oscar potential and strong buzz, slated for release this December, that I am adding to my must-see list is Brokeback Mountain. Based on an award-winning short story by Annie Proulx (she also wrote The Shipping News) and directed by Ang Lee (who helmed 2 in my top 10 – The Ice Storm and Sense & Sensibility), Brokeback stars Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal as two cowboys who share a secret romance. I have no idea whether Middle America is ready for this, even if the concept is cushioned by two very straight and aesthetically pleasing actors, but I will be standing in line on opening night. 

Andrew Niccol is probably not a household name. He wrote and directed Gattaca, an underrated sci-fi film recognized more as the movie where Uma and Ethan fell in love onscreen and off.  He also penned The Truman Show (one of my favorites) and The Terminal (I haven’t seen this yet).

I am intrigued by the upcoming Lord of War, starring Nicolas Cage, which Niccol also wrote and directed. At least from the trailer preview, it doesn’t appear to have the same futuristic feel as Gattaca and Truman. Besides, I prefer tragic and/or neurotic Cage in Leaving Las Vegas and Adaptation to action hero fluff like Con Air.

While watching the Highland Games today, surrounded by plaid kilts and haggis, I realized that So I Married an Axe Murderer is actually a damn funny movie. Directed by Thomas Schlamme (Christine Lahti’s husband), this quirky comedy features one of Mike Myers’ most subdued performances. If that is even physically plausible. One of my favorite SNL phrases of all time was a Myers specialty: ”If it’s not Scottish, it SUCKS!”

I am hesitant to see The Constant Gardener because the last theatrical adaptation of a John LeCarre book, The Tailor of Panama, was a tad misogynistic. I was quite disappointed to see Jamie Lee Curtis in a retread of her atrocious role from True Lies.

Films opening soon that I am looking forward to include Cameron Crowe’s Elizabethtown (starring a non-heroic Orlando Bloom with an American accent), Capote (Philip Seymour Hoffman in yet another transformational role), and Good Night, and Good Luck (about Edward R. Murrow and Senator Joseph McCarthy, directed by George Clooney).

Current releases I need to see before they disappear from theaters are Hustle & Flow (Terrence Howard is a huge star on the rise - see him in Crash as well), Murderball (about quad rugby players), Junebug (an indie with good buzz) and The Aristocrats (one very dirty joke, as told by over 100 comedians.

I have a small secret. I still enjoy movies aimed at the 12-22 year old demographic. 10 Things I Hate About You rocked, and Saved was pretty damn funny. Mandy Moore was surprisingly good, as she is in Entourage this season. Lindsay Lohan needs to eat a few sandwiches, but she ruled in Mean Girls and Freaky Friday. The jury is still out on Hilary Duff as an actress, and don’t get me started on the Olsen twins. As a younger lass, Red Dawn scared me but you can’t go wrong with the lethal combination of C. Thomas Howell, Charlie Sheen, Jennifer Grey and Patrick Swayze (that’s right – Baby and Johnny onscreen three years prior to Dirty Dancing!). Speaking of C. Thomas Howell, how great is The Outsiders? Starring the youthful Matt Dillon, Ralph Macchio, Rob Lowe, Emilio Estevez, Tom Cruise, and Diane Lane, Francis Ford Coppola directed this adaptation of S.E. Hinton’s book (she also wrote two other Matt Dillon vehicles – Rumble Fish and Tex). Moving on in the 80′s, Howard Deutch directed a few of my favorites, including Some Kind of Wonderful and Pretty in Pink. Of course before Pretty in Pink, Molly Ringwald gave us two classic performances in Sixteen Candles and The Breakfast Club. We can’t mention Ringwald without also giving a shout out to Andrew McCarthy, who disappeared for a while after starring in St. Elmo’s Fire, Less Than Zero and Mannequin, only to reemerge with quality films like Weekend at Bernies.

There are a few select actresses who are good in every movie, no matter the genre, size of the role, or box-office success. Two that come to mind are Laura Linney and Julianne Moore. I will never forget watching Robert Altman’s Short Cuts for the first time, startled by the sight of Moore lecturing her onscreen husband, wearing nothing but his button-down shirt. Trust me when I tell you that the scene is not gratuitous, but it is revealing.  It is hard to believe that Moore is 45 and has already appeared in 50 films, delivering above-average performances in most. Her talent is evident and admirable, and her work encompasses a wide range of cinema. When I think about Moore in films like Safe, Boogie Nights, Magnolia, Far From Heaven, and The Hours, I have no doubt that there is an Oscar in her near future. Laura Linney first garnered my attention in Tales of the City back in 1993. It was her turn as Jim Carrey’s wife in The Truman Show that made me a fan for life, and the deal was sealed with You Can Count On Me. Linney seems to alternate between mainstream movies and independent film, but I find her to be compelling in every role. Recent favorites include Mystic River, where she ate up the scenery with none other than Sean Penn, P.S. (a quiet gem) and Kinsey.