​Broadcast News is a tremendous example of what makes movies and tv shows about the news such an appealing medium for Hollywood. Network, The Paper, Anchorman, NewsRadio, Newsroom, etc. Much of the appeal to me seems that the principal characters (anchors) in real life walk that perfect fine line between normal person and celebrity that Americans love so much. I remember seeing a local Evansville weather guy singing smooth Karaoke at the Fox and Hound in the early 2000s and the college girls were swooning. If he wasn't on tv they'd have been clowning the old bald guy who couldn't sing. 

Broadcast News reflects the "these are real people with real insecurities" angle more than the celebrity angle and crushes it. Holly Hunter, Albert Brooks and William Hurt shine in their roles. For Brooks, when you add this movie to Taxi Driver he might be the all-time best friendzoned actor. William Hurt's biggest flaw is that he isn't handsome enough by modern standards to play the guy getting by with only his sexiness and charisma. Otherwise he nails it. Personally I partly wondered if he wasn't smarter than he let on and played that role enough in order to use the strengths of those around him to propel him farther faster. Holly Hunter was brilliant while playing the perfect producer and only slightly less so playing the bumbling personal life crying out loud in moments by myself lady. 

Best Writer/Director nom for the mediocrities from me for James L Brooks and Best everything else noms for the movie and cast. 

The only thing that kept it from A+ (this is an A) for me was I think they went too far in the polar opposites of Hunter and Brooks being perfect at what they do and completely worthless outside that zone. Brooks' sweating scene looked like it was from Airplane! and Hunter packing an entire box of condoms is a total rookie move.

They say misery loves company.

Mississippi Grind is a road trip story of degenerate gambler Gerry (Ben Mendelsohn) and his good luck charm new friend Curtis (Ryan Reynolds). Mississippi Grind asks a lot out of the 2 leads to carry the film start to finish by putting them on a road trip never spending too long in any stop and they absolutely deliver.  The introduction of Gerry and Curtis is an absolute homerun.  Gerry listening to Joe Navarro’s 200 Poker Tells (6.99 for Kindle at Amazon, use the link below) before walking into a casino where he is obviously a regular, his messy hair, his posture, his sad face - the viewer knows Gerry is a lifelong loser before he speaks a word.  Our first look at Curtis is a cool confident operator.  Reynolds shows through Curtis that he is the best in Hollywood at playing disarmingly charming, entering the poker game as an outsider at a table full of regulars and very quickly wins them over with that charm.  After the tourney at the bar, Gerry tells the barman he placed 3rd and immediately bet the winnings on a basketball game showing his addiction, then tells Curtis he placed 2nd, showing his character. The two of them get wasted and bond over a rainbow, and gambling.  Curtis is Gerry’s lucky charm and Gerry is a buddy for Curtis to hang out with before Machu Picchu time.  

Flame and Citron is a story about a pair of members of the Danish resistance group Holger Danske during World War II.  Flame and Citron are assassins who calmly carry out their missions with little information in regards to their targets only knowing they are Danish informers or collaborators with the Nazi occupation of Denmark.  They purposely do not target German officials despite their desire to do so for fear it will increase the chances of retaliation.  The build up here is a little slow but the noir-ish style of the film directed by Ole Christian Madsen, and the performances of Thure Lindhardt and Mads Mikkelsen as Flame and Citron respectively engage you through the slower setup and lead into scene after scene of excellence as events begin to unfold.