I always try to tell a story in the cinematic way, through a succession of shots and bits of film in between

It was a "short week" of movie watching due to meetings and other obligations. This bunch was not my usual lineup, but good. Lots to see here.

Primal Fear (1996) - "An altar boy is accused of murdering a priest, and the truth is buried several layers deep."
I watched it because: I was looking for something Edward Norton-y to watch and this came up as a suggestion in my library's database.
story: 3.5/5
visuals: 4/5--filmed partially on location in Chicago, many of the shots made me homesick for the flatland
acting: 3/5--standouts: Frances McDormand (Dr. Molly Arrington) and Steven Bauer (Pinero). On the other hand, Laura Linney was scenery-chewing obvious and plodding as assistant state's attorney Janet Venable.
intangibles: 3/5--a very fine ending makes it well worth watching
Academy Award nominee: Best Actor--Edward Norton
overall: 3.375/5

Romeo + Juliet (1996) - "Shakespeare's famous play is updated to the hip modern suburb of Verona still retaining its original dialogue."
I watched it because: I'm on a Leonardo DiCaprio kick lately, and wanted to see if this film falls on the side of Strictly Ballroom (wonderful) or Moulin Rouge! (dreadful) in Baz Luhrmann's "Red Curtain Trilogy." [I borrowed it from the library.]
story: 4/5--it's f'ing Shakespeare, after all
visuals: 4.5/5--beautifully, almost distractingly gorgeously, shot
acting: 3.5/5--standout: Pete Postlethwaite (Father Laurence), John Leguizamo (Tybalt) and Miriam Margolyes (The Nurse)
intangibles: 3/5--the cadence of the film is odd; the original language in combination with the modern action is a hard sell. I liked it more than I thought I would, but didn't love it.
Academy Award nominee: Best Art Direction--Set Decoration
overall: 3.75/5

The Falcon and the Snowman (1985) - "The true story of a disillusioned military contractor employee and his drug pusher childhood friend who became walk-in spies for the Soviet Union."
I watched it because: I love Timothy Hutton's movies (and I also happen to think that he's extraordinarily gorgeous) and have been slowly working through his backlist.
story: 3.5/5--true story, but super complicated and strange
visuals: 3/5--this film is sadly dated from the visual perspective
acting: 3.5/5--standouts: besides Hutton, Dorian Harewood (Gene) is really good, and David Suchet (Alex) is creepy as all get-out.
intangibles: 4/5--Sean Penn and Hutton were 25 years old here. They were doing great work, challenging and controversial, 35 years ago. If that doesn't make this worth watching, you're probably not a movie fan.
overall: 3.5/5

History of the World: Part I (1981) - "Mel Brooks brings his one-of-a-kind comic touch to the history of mankind covering events from the Old Testament to the French Revolution in a series of episodic comedy vignettes."
I watched it because: I've seen it before, but it was during college and I was clearly too out of it to recall anything except the most broad strokes. There is a lot here to take in.
story: 2/5--believe me when I say that there is no story here
visuals: 3/5--not what this is all about
acting: 4.5/5--it's not "acting" per se, but outstandingly funny and a real showpiece for the cast. Standouts: Madeline Kahn (Empress Nympho) is the absolute best, and Gregory Hines (Josephus) shows off his many talents. Harvey Korman's Count de Monet ("dee MonAY! dee MonAY!") is a classic.
intangibles: 5/5--like Young Frankenstein and Blazing Saddles, this is a genius script, displaying brilliant comics and actors doing fantastic work. It may not be high cinema, but it's absolutely worth seeing.
overall: 3.625/5

Patriots Day (2016) - "The story of the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing and the aftermath, which includes the city-wide manhunt to find the terrorists responsible."
I watched it because: I like Mark Wahlberg, and it came recommended on my Amazon feed. I had no idea what it was about until starting to watch it.
story: 4/5--this is difficult to answer. (See "overall" for more.)
visuals: 5/5
acting: 4/5--standouts: besides Wahlberg (as Tommy Saunders), John Goodman was extraordinary as Commissioner Ed Davis, and Jake Picking (Officer Sean Collier) stole every scene he was in.
intangibles: 5/5--sad, moving, compelling. Incredibly beautiful and horrifying.
overall: 4.5/5--Like Schindler's List and Triumph of the Will, this is a movie that everyone should see, but perhaps no one should want to see. Extraordinarily hard to watch, but important. If you love someone who is a runner, or who lives in Boston, or who works in law enforcement, this will chill you to the bone.

The Big Easy (1986) - "A corrupt lieutenant in the homicide division is threatened by the righteous DA while trying to solve a string of mysterious murders."
I watched it because: I've seen it before (maybe when it first came out?) And definitely when I was first dating he whom I would later marry.
story: 4/5
visuals: 3/5--a little dated, but the whole New Orleans vibe is still pretty compelling
acting: 2.5/5--this isn't a movie about thespian skill. It's about cheesy as Hell accents, Dennis Quaid looking like an anatomy text (holy ... wow), and some of the most realistic and incendiary onscreen sex that's ever been filmed.
intangibles: 3/5--there's just something about this movie. Greater than the sum of its parts.
overall: 3.125/5

[the title quotation is by Alfred Hitchcock]