Jules Dassin directed some great films; Brute Force, The Naked City, Night And The City, Rififi. Novel and screenplay by A.I. (Buzz) Bezzerides. Lee J. Cobb & Richard Conte tussle in the market district of San Francisco. Realistic noir style with romance featuring the struggles of long haul truckers.

Official Site: http://www.criterion.com/films/939-thieves-highway

There are several excellent art documentaries out; Exit Through the Gift Shop (Banksy), Jean-Michel Basquiat: The Radiant Child, The Art Of The Steal. A welcome addition to this group is a rough but effective profile of brilliant, prolific, egomaniac, Con Artist Mark Kostabi.

Official Site: http://www.conartistthemovie.com/

Staten Island resident documentary filmmakers reveal the story of a serial killer and the young children he prayed upon. Horrifying footage of Willowbrook Institution which "housed" the young rejects of the surrounding boroughs. Creepy combo of fact and urban legend.

Official Site: http://cropseylegend.com/

Liana Liberatois gives a stellar performance as a fourteen year-old who falls victim to an internet pedaphiliac. Clive Owen (and the rest of her family) suffers beautifully in this well-crafted drama.

Official Site: http://www.trustmovie2011.com/

Routine yet engaging adaptation of a Michael Connelly novel. Matthew McConaughey's well cast in this role as an L.A. criminal defense attorney with a southern drawl. The characters are interesting, the tension builds and ultimately pays-off despite the egregious camera zooms.

Official Site: http://www.thelincolnlawyermovie.com/
Netflix: http://movies.netflix.com/Movie/The_Lincoln_Lawyer/70167077?trkid=496624

Nicholas Ray's film noir starts as a gritty police procedural and evolves out of the darkness into  the end of the film noir era. Tough characters, hard boiled dialogue, and great performances by Robert Ryan and Ida Lupino. Short, tight, moving.

Netflix: http://movies.netflix.com/Movie/On_Dangerous_Ground/70050322?trkid=496624
TCM: http://www.tcm.com/this-month/article/374114|70957/On-Dangerous-Ground.html

Worth seeing for the locations alone, hard to discuss without revealing the ending. See it.

Official Site: http://www.ifcfilms.com/films/the-housemaid
Netflix: http://movies.netflix.com/Movie/The_Housemaid/70139521?trkid=496624

American New Wave drama starring Jack Nicholson, Bruce Dern, Ellen Burstyn, Scatman Crothers, photographed by László Kóvács, directed by Bob Rafelson set in Atlantic City. What I love about this and '70s films in general; long takes with one camera which allow the actor to act, and the viewer to relax and become engaged with the characters who drive the story. The need for constant editing, narration and explanation of what's going on is absent. I could deliver a long feminist analysis, but that's another blog: just enjoy Jack, Bruce, Ellen & Atlantic City!

Netflix: http://movies.netflix.com/Movie/The_King_of_Marvin_Gardens/672598?trkid=496624

Under-appreciated, satisfying actioner starring bad ass mofo Jason Statham and junior bad ass mofo and more Ben Foster. Short in length, action packed, violent, Louisiana locations: what more could one hope for?

Official Site: http://www.themechanicmovie.com/
Netflix: http://movies.netflix.com/Movie/The_Mechanic/70136075?trkid=496624

La Haine, or in English, Hate, is the most Hollywood style French film about French culture that I've ever seen. Vincent Cassel establishes himself in his film debut as a BadAssMofo. The film is technically strong, the characters engrossing, but the overall theme is so brutally bleak, it's hard to take... Spike Lee & Martin Scorsese fans will enjoy.

Official Site: http://www.criterion.com/films/216-la-haine
Netflix: http://movies.netflix.com/Movie/La_Haine/70007071?trkid=496624#height2187