Boogie Man: The Lee Atwater Story

A case can be made that Lee Atwater was the greatest single influence on American politics in the last 40 years. He was instrumental in the elections of Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush. Karl Rove and George W. Bush were his protégés. It is universally acknowledged that he wrote the modern Republican playbook. This is a fascinating portrait of a man who was gifted, funny and charming, and also tortured and driven.

Three and a half stars.

Rating: Not Rated

RocknRolla

Guy Ritchie’s movie is about some very hard cases from the London and Russian underworlds who are all trying to cheat on each other, and about a “femme fatale” accountant who’s cooking more than the books. It’s a circular con job. Tom Wilkinson stars as a gangster who controls large parts of London and gets in deep trouble with a Russian Mafioso as the same stolen money seems to circulate forever one step ahead of everyone. With Gerard Butler and Thandie Newton.

Three stars.

Rating: Rated R for pervasive language, violence, drug use and brief sexuality.