4 out of 5

Tonight we watched Lucky (2010):

An entertaining and candid look at the seduction of the lottery, and what hitting the jackpot does to both the winners themselves and the people around them.

I've never played the lottery or gambled at a casino or placed a bet on a sporting event...not that I have a strong moral opposition to things like that (if I chose to gamble in moderation, I would probably think about it in about the same way that I do spending money on any other form of entertainment), it's just not something that has interested me.  At one point the film points out that Americans spend $7 billion per year on movies, $16 billion on sporting events, $24 billion on books, and $62 billion on lottery tickets.  I would not have guessed that.  There were some real characters that the documentary profiled.  I'm sure "normal" people win the lottery too, but the folks depicted in Lucky were strange.

I give it 4 out of 5.

A few weeks back the family went to see Toy Story 3 (2010,G) in 3D.  From ScreenIt!:

Various toys, which come to life whenever humans aren't around, must contend with the repercussions of ending up at a daycare facility when their owner heads off to college.

We enjoyed it.  I give it 4 out of 5.

During Spring Break we watched The Hangover (2009,R).  From ScreenIt!:

When a groom-to-be ends up missing after a wild night in Vegas, his two best friends and future brother-in-law try to find him by piecing together what occurred since none of them can remember anything.

It's clever and funny and Zach Galifianakis steals scene after scene.

I give it 4 out of 5.

I recently watched The Band's Visit (2007,PG-13).  From Wikipedia:

The Alexandria Ceremonial Police Orchestra, consisting of eight men, arrive in Israel from Egypt. They have been booked by an Arab cultural center in Petah Tiqva, but through a miscommunication, the band takes a bus to Bet Hatikva, a fictional town in the middle of the Negev Desert. There is no transportation out of the city that day, and there are no hotels for them to spend the night in. The band members dine at a small restaurant where the owner, Dina invites them to stay the night at her apartment, at her friends' apartment, and in the restaurant. That night challenges all of the characters.

I enjoyed this one...it's comfortable pace and understated humor.

I give it 4 out of 5.

I recently watched American Gangster (2007,R).  From ScreenIt!:

An honest to a fault cop tries to catch a Harlem drug lord who's directly importing and selling heroin, thus becoming a legend in his own right.

It was weird because I found myself pulling for the murderous drug dealer rather than the honest cop.  Such is the magic of Denzel.  I liked the film. 

I give it 4 out of 5.