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Whoa! What a beautiful and sometimes sad story about a man whose love for his fellow man and his country are interwoven into a masterpiece of life. Jeff Key has done more to increase the prestige of the USMC than any poster or recruiter could ever do. Jeff shoots from the hip with no apologies. He is straightforward and leaves no doubt of his sincerity. He does a wonderful job of introducing us to members of his family and those folks who he regards as friends - both in his civilian life and members of the Marine Corps with whom he served. Here is a dedicated individual who just happens to be gay and does not let that interrupt his eagerness to serve and protect us. In the scenes of his interacting with the children of Iraq one soon learns of his honesty and willingness to offer them hope. We see war as it has not been shown to us before. Oh,yes, there is death and mayhem but there is also, in his mind at least, a reason of why he is there. I would urge every American to invest 90 minutes and absorb the various messages of Jeff Key's "Semper Fi". Thank you, Jeff. And God bless you.

While off to a slow start, "A Slipping Down Life" eases into a intelligent story of how a relationship between a man and a woman soon becomes an experience worth telling. There is depth and insight into the character of Evie (Lili Taylor) and Drumstring Casey (Guy Pearce). They are both strong people in their own different ways. Evie approaches her relationship with Drum in a passionate and caring way. To convince him of her love she does something which most people would find childish and infantile. But no matter. To Evie she has professed her love for Drum in a way no other woman has.

The movie takes us through the ups and downs of a relationship and the many influences and events that, if successfully handled, must ensure that the bond between two people will never be injured.

Lili Taylor has given us a performance that will not soon be forgotten and Guy Pearce has added a dimension to his character which is a very viable indication of the wonderful actor he is.