I find the allure of cinema irresistible.

Going to a movie is one of my favorite things to do. I enjoy every one of them, just some more than others.

There's nothing quite like the big screen with surround sound in a darkened theater. It's an oasis where I can go to sort of escape and forget about everything else for a couple of hours.

A movie theater is one of the few places on the planet now where we actually turn off our cellphones, or at least have the courtesy not to use them during the movie. That respite, alone, is enough to make a theater a sanctuary in present-day life. Sitting in the theater amidst the silence, eating popcorn and engulfed in a riveting story as it plays out on the screen is time well-spent.

That's not to suggest watching a movie on television at home is not a good thing, too. There are obvious advantages and comforts to doing that. But, for me, that experience fades in comparison to seeing a flick at the local movie theater.

When done right, cinema is a dramatic and compelling art form. It draws you in as the story unfolds and the characters are developed.

A great movie will capture your heart or your mind, or both. For me, that would include, among many others, movies such as "Cool Hand Luke," "Butch Cassidy And The Sundance Kid," "One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest," "Midnight Cowboy," "The Way We Were," "Taxi Driver," "Rocky," "Hoosiers" and "Forrest Gump."

Each of us sees a movie through our own lens and our own experiences in life. Movies mean different things to different people. Just because I like a film doesn't mean the person next to me will. We all have varied tastes and interests so any given movie touches each of us in a unique and personal way.

When I've seen a movie I found to be captivating, the way I felt as I was watching it stays with me a long time, sometimes forever. I'm certain I'll never forget the vivid images of the first 30 minutes of "Saving Private Ryan" and how it made me feel and what it made me think.

What we see on the screen isn't real. But talented actors, accomplished directors, brilliant screenplays and skillful cinematography makes it seem real. Cinema is a powerful and moving medium in which to tell stories about people, events, human interaction and life in general.

Remembering a great movie we first saw long ago often harkens us back to memories of where we were in our life at that time. Movies such as "Old Yeller," "Goldfinger," "Easy Rider," "The Graduate," "Patton," "Jaws," and many more take me back to the distant past.

Some movies are like a fine wine; they age well and are classics in any era. Movies such as "Gone With The Wind," "The Wizard Of Oz," "Mr. Smith Goes To Washington," "Casablanca," "On The Waterfront," "The Hustler," "To Kill A Mockingbird," "The Godfather," to name only a few, are just as good now as when they were first released. And so are movies like "The Shawshank Redemption," "Unforgiven," 'The Verdict," "Titanic" and countless others.

Some movies still make me laugh years after seeing them -- movies such as "Airplane," "Blazing Saddles," "Animal House" and "Caddyshack." Unbridled laughter while watching a comedy movie is good for the soul.

I'm not a fan of Hollywood's trend toward blockbuster films that target only one segment of movie-goers. It seems to me good stories and character development are frequently sacrificed to special effects. I will say, however, that 2013 was an exception to this trend. As evidence, I would point to recent movies like "12 Years A Slave," "Dallas Buyers Club," "American Hustle," " Philomena," "Nebraska" and "Inside Llewyn Davis."

A movie can impact the viewer in many ways; it can show us the subtleties of the human condition and depict both the best and worst in people. It can teach us something about history in a memorable way. It can cement a movie scene in our brain that stays forever or indelibly etch in our mind a line of dialogue.

A movie can be a visceral force on our emotions; it can make us laugh or cry, and it can warm our heart or break it. When a great movie ends it makes us think about what we just saw and can lead us to ask ourselves challenging questions after we leave the theater.

Most of all, movies entertain us. In the last analysis, that's really what cinema is all about.

Commentary on 03/20/2014