Movie Recommendations

1) "Everything is Illuminated" starring Elijah Wood as a taciturn and serious young man who travels to Ukraine to find the woman who saved his grandmother from the Nazi's. He elicits the help of a man and his grandson who run a company that takes rich Jewish people to find their roots.
Alex is the hip Ukrainian grandson whose broken English is at times very entertaining, calling himself a "premium" dancer who all the women "want to be carnal with". The trio's journey a "very rigid search" through the Ukrainian countryside.


2) "The Big White" starring Robin Williams (in a calm dramatic role), Giovanni Ribisi, Holly Hunter, Allison Lohman (of Matchstick Men fame)
Paul the travel agent (Robin Williams) tries to cash in his missing-and-pressumed-dead brother's life insurance using a body he found. Problem is, hitmen want the body back. It's rated R for language because Holly Hunter's character has a hilarious case of Tourette's.

While these movies are comedies - both very entertaining in their excellent character development and clever wit - they're also both dramas that have tragic elements. A good combination if you have a discerning palate and you're not in the mood for an action-packed blockbuster or screwball comedy.