Casablanca (1943) - 5 stars

One Sentence Plot Summary: A stoic man with a troubled past operates a popular nightclub in the Morroccan City of Casablanca, a stopping point for many Europeans trying to escape the horrors of WWII...enter the troubled past.

Starring: Humphrey Bogart, Ingrid Bergman, Paul Henreid, Claude Rains, Conrad Veidt, Sydney Greenstreet, Peter Lorre

Best of: Setting, mood, and atmosphere are brilliantly staged. The script effortlessly weaves romance, action and comedy. Humphry Bogart either created a fantastic character or is just a weird guy.

Worst of: So many of the famous lines are now cliches that it is impossible to hear them objectively for the first time.

Notable: The line "Play it again, Sam" never appears in the film. The closest we get is "Play it, Sam" which just doesn't have the same ring.

Mrs. Miniver (1942) - 4 stars

One Sentence Plot Summary: World War II, as viewed from the British homefront.

Starring: Greer Garson, Walter Pidgeon, Teresa Wright, May Whitty

Best of: Several memorable tension-wraught scenes. Strong acting performance by Greer Garson. I enjoyed watching a movie about WWII that was filmed during WWII. Plane crash that holds up better than most special effects from the 90s.

Worst of: The ole two-twin-beds-for-the-married-couple always throws me off.

Notable: The film, released in 1941, was credited with increasing American sympathy to the war effort prior to Pearl Harbor.