Director Robert Zemeckis’ “Flight” embeds a complex character study in the tragic story of a serious airplane accident. This multifaceted approach makes it not only a rich film but also an important one because SouthJet Air pilot Captain Whip Whitaker is an alcoholic, meaning he’s in denial, lying to everyone, including himself.

Just when it seems the buddy cop, drug smuggling caper film has exhausted all worthwhile possibilities, along comes The Guard, one of the best written, funniest, most brilliantly acted and beautifully photographed films in this extensive genre. That's a credit to Brendan Gleeson who stars as Sergeant Gerry Boyle with Don Cheadle as FBI agent Wendell Everett.