James Gandolfini & "The Mexican"

 When James Gandolfini comes to mind, I rarely think of Tony Soprano. Instead, I flash on Winston, the gay hit man he played in director Gore Verbinski's "The Mexican" (2001). It's an astonishingly rich performance. As written by J.H. Wyman, Gandolfini has a series of long, philosophy-filled talks with Julia Roberts, who I'd wager counts these scenes among the best moments of her career. Gandolfini deserved an Oscar nom and some critics prizes, but the movie was trashed, by critics and audiences alike (we were still hating on Brad Pitt then, and had recently turned on Roberts). No matter. The work lives on which is the singular glory of cinema. When I come upon it, I'll always watch this movie, if only for scenes like THIS. (Chuck Wilson)