THE PASSION OF THE CHRIST [2004]

The Passion Of The Christ is director Mel Gibson's ruthlessly violent depiction of the hours leading up to Jesus Christ's crucifixion.
Jim Caviezel does a wonderful job as JC with a demanding and strong presence, which coincidentally while filming he was struck by lightning and came down with a horrible case of hypothermia.  All the performances are top notch, the sets, costumes and photography are beautiful as is John Debney's music but the graphic brutality leaves me feeling cold.  Gibson portrays the guards as dim-witted and barbaric in such an exaggerated way I couldn't help but feel they'd be more suiting to Monty Python's Life Of Brian.  Highly controversial subject matter and anti-Semitics aside, it's still a well-made film that may or may not come with some sort of message.

3½ scary ass devil children out of 5

THE THIN RED LINE [1998]

Director Terrence Malick's adaptation of James Jones' WWII novel The Thin Red Line loosely follows the savage Battle Of Mt. Austen in the Pacific Theater.
It explores the beauty of life, earth and love and completely contrasts that with insanity, destruction and unexplainable hatred.  It shifts between startling beauty and frenzied ugliness through it's stunning photography, wonderful acting, thoughtful monologues and what I'd consider some of the best work composer Hans Zimmer has ever written.  It doesn't serve the viewer a standard story like Saving Private Ryan did the same year but instead asks the audience to search their hearts for the emotional core of the narrative.

5 flickering flames out of 5