Good movies make good stocking stuffers

I like good films, and that pays off handsomely during Christmas because people know they can get me a movie on DVD if they can't think of anything else.

I got The Departed and Walk the Line this year, which I really appreciate. I saw both films when they originally ran in theaters, but I hadn't seen either since.

For those who can't recall, Walk the Line is the biography of Johnny Cash. I liked the film for many reasons, but especially because they did not try to whitewash the problems he had (drug addiction, legal problems, etc.). Too often, films like these focus too much on the good and the result is an unbalanced view of a person's life. Cash had problems like we all do.

The Departed was the film for which director Martin Scorsese won his long awaited Oscar. It is about organized crime in Boston, and it is not for the faint of heart. It also boasts a big name cast: Jack Nicholson, Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Damon, Mark Wahlberg, and others.

Both films are worth checking out.