American Sniper

A common theme in Clint Eastwood films is sacrifice. The characters sacrifice a piece of themselves with the choices they make. Yes, war is hell. And snipers kill people by hiding 1,000 yards away. But they're protecting other soldiers. Would killing be more acceptable from 10 feet away? These questions are tough enough, but not for the artist formerly known as Dirty Harry. What if a 10 year old is the enemy and about to kill 5 soldiers? Whose life do you spare? More importantly, can you live with that choice?

Selma

A reflection of the Civil Rights movement is provided early on: strong, courageous, and--surprisingly--calculated. When Dr. King and his activists enter a government building in Selma, Alabama, he is almost immediately recognized & assaulted. The activists unanimously agree: We're in the right place. Like firemen running into a burning building, they saw the inherent danger, but did it anyway. They also knew that public displays of brutality would only strengthen their movement. Mass beatings & cold-blooded murder of men, women, & children call to mind scenes from Schindler's List. And it all happened just 50 years ago.  

Imitation Game

Innovators rarely get the credit they deserve. Innovators that fall under the female-minority-gay heading, well...their legacy becomes a footnote. Alan Turing's story is even more complicated because of his affiliation with MI6. Like the CIA, they can keep a secret--especially one they're ashamed of. Turing designed the first computer and used it to decode Nazi messages for the British. Cheers! But, he was gay...in the 1940s. Bollocks. He ends up being persecuted (grotesquely) by the government he helped to save. Like Japanese internment camps, it's not something countries want to remember, even 70 years later.