think it's safe to say that Mike Nichols is one of the greatest filmmakers of all time. CARNAL KNOWLEDGE (which I had somehow never seen before) is a sordid, brutally honest, downright depressing tale of two men and their relationship issues throughout life. Like many of Nichols' best, it is driven primarily by scathing dialogue and outstanding performances. Jack Nicholson is at his best as a charismatic misogynist, while Art Garfunkel is more of a romantic -- together they become friends and embark on a journey through empty relationships and affairs that leave them emotionally unsatisfied and unhappy. Candice Bergen and Ann-Margret are scintillating as the two main women in their lives, but this movie is unrelenting towards both sexes with its ravaging, cynical outlook on love, sexand relationships. THE GRADUATE remains my favorite Nichols film (and, indeed, one of my favorite movies of all-time), but CARNAL KNOWLEDGE is a masterpiece in its own right and the creme de la creme of my 2009 Netflix experience!

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Other Noteworthy Titles (in random order):

Anvil: The Story of Anvil. Coraline. Working Girl. Midnight Cowboy. Postcards from the Edge. Harvey. Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? The House of Yes. From Here to Eternity. The Color of Money. Candy. Silkwood. Baghead. Hannah Takes the Stairs. Catch-22. Love Liza. Marley & Me. The Last House on the Left. Biloxi Blues. Valkyrie. The Fall. The Girlfriend Experience.

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And now... my Top 5 WORST Netflix Rentals of 2009!

5. LOL (2006) -- Early in '09, I enjoyed a movie called HANNAH TAKES THE STAIRS (and developed