Bedtime Stories

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: Skeeter Bronson (Adam Sandler) babysits his estranged niece and nephew for a week, and the bedtime stories he tells them start coming true.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Adam Sandler, Keri Russell, Guy Pearce, Russell Brand, Richard Griffiths, Teresa Palmer, Lucy Lawless, Courteney Cox, Jonathan Morgan Heit, Laura Ann Kesling, Jonathan Pryce, Nick Swardson, Allen Covert, Carmen Electra, Rob Schneider, Aisha Tyler

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Proceed with Caution. As far as children's fantasies go, this one is rather pleasant. And it's not boring for adults either, so long as those adults don't require too much edge in their entertainment.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: Welcome to the softer side of Sandler. But don't worry, Adam Sandler light still comes with a fair amount of jokes that hit.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: The drama in the love story is the one place where the tension isn't quite built up enough to summon much-- well, really, any-- emotion.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: Somebody's gonna get slimed! (If you don't know what that means, you're probably older than a Nickelodeon.)

Q: How is the Acting?

A: Nothing too remarkable amongst the human actors, but the computer generated guinea pig with bug eyes is pretty talented.

Q: How is the Directing?

A: With fantasy scenes that range from Greco-Roman Gladiator shows to zero gravity outer space battles, director Adam Shankman gets a chance to show that he can do more with special effects than you'd expect from the director of Bringing Down the House and Cheaper by the Dozen 2. Although the CG shot where the camera POV enters the Roman Colosseum is so vivacious that I almost threw up from the velocity.

Q: How is the story/script?

A: While the bedtime stories told are fantastical, the ways in which they come to life and play out in the real world setting are always very plausible, and that's what makes this film imaginative and clever.

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

A: http://www.moviefone.com/movie/bedtime-stories/29706/trailers

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Defiance

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: : Based on a true story, four Jewish brother escape to the Belarusian forest during World War II, and go on to help 1200 people survive the war there, with them.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Daniel Craig, Liev Schreiber, Jamie Bell, George McKay, Mark Feuerstein, Mia Wasikoska, Mark Margolis, Alexa Davalos

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Stop! Watching these people build a community in the forest, where they must hunt and gather to survive, as they themselves are hunted and gathered by the Nazis, seems like it should be more inspiring than this story’s telling turns out to be. And it clocks in at an audacious 2 hours and 20 minutes because the beginning and the middle have extraneous scenes. Maybe you’d do better to read the book it’s based on.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: Intellectual Jews have been known for their senses of humor since long before Woody Allen came on the scene. Unfortunately, in this film, the intellects are the side characters. Meanwhile, the main brothers couldn’t possibly take themselves more seriously.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: No. And a story like this one should. Had it been told properly, it even would.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: The Golden Globes threw it a bone for the score. But of the 4 World War II movies I’ve seen this month, this one is the least compelling.

Q: How is the Acting?

A: If is often hard to understand what these British and American actors are saying with their fake Polish accents, but thankfully, sometimes they speak in their character’s native tongue, forcing the use of subtitles, which are easier to follow than the supposed English they profess to speak. Their Polish sounds pretty good though. (Disclaimer: they could be speaking Russian for all I know.)

Q: How is the Directing?

A: I truly don’t understand why it has to be so incredibly long. And I’m not giving anything away by telling you that it’s one of those movies that ends with writing on the screen to tell you what happens to everyone after the movie ends… So if you’re going to do that anyway, why not end the movie sooner?

Q: How is the story/script?

A: The characters are boring and two-dimensional, and somehow manage to avoid winning you over, even as they are saving their people from annihilation. And an emotional spine needs to rely on more than just our preexisting knowledge of the horrors of the Holocaust.

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

A: http://www.moviefone.com/movie/defiance/30166/trailers

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Last Chance Harvey

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: A divorced man (Dustin Hoffman) goes to London to see his daughter get married, and while he's there he loses his job, and finds out that his daughter wants her step-dad (James Brolin) to give her away. That's when he meets a lonely woman (Emma Thompson), and spends a romantic day with her.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Dustin Hoffman, Emma Thompson, Eileen Atkins, Kathy Bates, James Brolin, Liane Balaban, Richard Schiff, Daniel Lapaine, Bronagh Gallagher, Michael Landes

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Stop! You know how some movies put all the funny parts in the trailer? Well, this one puts all the entertaining, romantic, and remotely interesting parts in the trailer. Watch the trailer, and skip the rest.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: This is one of those movies where most of the comedy is in the awkward pauses where people don't say something. That is often my favorite kind of comedy-- and it's certainly the most highbrow kind. But it didn't work on me here.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: As boring as the movie is, Hoffman's speech to his daughter at her wedding did bring tears to my eyes. So at least they got one thing right.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: The two lead actors are nominated for Golden Globes in the Musical or Comedy category, but this film doesn't even deserve that amount of recognition. Hoffman and Thompson are great, because they're always great, but these roles are nothing of a stretch for either of them, and they should lose points for picking a movie so full of nothingness.

Q: How is the Acting?

A: Every bit of life this film contains comes from the predictably perfect performances of Dustin Hoffman and Emma Thompson. That said, the background performers are for the most part pretty terrible. They look like wanna-be actors who can't beleive they were sharing the frame with the likes of Dustin Hoffman, and the thought playing in their eyes is, "Look! There he is!" I probably shouldn't have been noticing the extras in the first place, and we can blame the director for that... or maybe we can blame the writer for causing me to be so bored that I would pay attention to the people walking by. As a compromise, I'll just blame them both, since it's the same guy anyway.

Q: How is the Directing?

A: Directors are often judged on their taste in material, and in this case, Joel Hopkins proves that he's not to be trusted. If he couldn't get his hands on a stronger project then he should've made the writer develop this script into something that feels like more than a first draft based on a personal experience. Unfortunately, since he is the writer, he thinks his story is already perfect and has no way of seeing that it is completely underdeveloped . Hopefully for him, Harvey's last chance won't also be his.

Q: How is the story/script?

A: There is no conflict between the main characters. He asks if she wants to go on a walk, and she says yes. He asks if he can wait for her outside her class, and she says yes. He asks if she wants to go to a wedding, and she says yes. Because everything is so easy for them, all the romantic-comedy tricks that are supposed to keep them apart and build the tension so we think they might not come together, feel like stupid character choices that no real person would make. Meanwhile, all the parts where they're supposed to be getting to know each other are shown as musical montages of two people walking and talking, where you can't hear what they're saying. In the end we have no idea what it is they admire about each other besides that she's desperately lonely, and he's got nothing else going for him.

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

A: http://www.moviefone.com/movie/last-chance-harvey/30332/trailers

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Marley & Me

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: A couple of newlyweds (Owen Wilson & Jennifer Aniston) buy a puppy who grows up to be completely out of control, and in so being, ends up controlling the lives of his "masters."

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Owen Wilson, Jennifer Aniston, Eric Dane, Alan Arkin, Kathleen Turner, Hayley Bennett, Nathan Gamble, Clarke Peters, Finley Jacobsen, Lucy Merriam

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Proceed with Caution. This movie is a thrill ride for eXtreme dog lovers. It has an unspoken message about taking responsibility for your dog, even when you're dying to give him away to the pound. If you don't relate to that from the bottom of your soul, then this story will not likely resonate with you.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: Don't go expecting an Owen Wilson brand comedy... Or even a Jennifer Aniston brand comedy, for that matter.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: If you are that aforementioned eXtreme dog lover, you will not escape it.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: I'm sure PETA will think of some award to give it. They're always looking to jump on everyone else's publicity bandwagon.

Q: How is the Acting?

A: Owen Wilson gives one of the most convincing dramatic performances of his career. Jennifer Aniston shows an emotional variation that if performed by Kate Winslet would be garnering her award nominations. And I have the rare opportunity to predict that a new star is born: 6-year-old, Lucy Merriam, in only a very small part, is reminiscent of a young Drew Barrymore in both looks and natural on-screen presence.

Q: How is the Directing?

A: They move from Miami to rural Philadelphia, and through all the seasons of the year, and all of it is shot like a travel magazine, making you want to uproot your life and go there immediately. And let's not forget the dog's performance, whose endearing facial expressions and obnoxious physicality are most likely due to good direction of seamless special effects.

Q: How is the story/script?

A: The depiction of marriage and having kids is incredibly realistic. Unfortunately, realism and entertainment value can often be diametrically opposed, especially since the true story of marriage and kids is grueling and exhausting.

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

A: http://www.moviefone.com/movie/marley-and-me/25073/trailers

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Australia

(Guest Review by Russ)

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: A British aristocrat (Nicole Kidman) travels to Australia to deal with a cattle farm that her philandering husband bought, only to get swept up in adventure, romance, war and motherhood. (Not necessarily in that order, or as quickly as it took you to read that sentence).

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Nicole Kidman, Hugh Jackman, Brandon Walters, David Wenham, Bryan Brown

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Proceed with Caution. If you have three hours to kill and aren’t particularly demanding of the rules that epic romances are supposed to adhere to, then you may find parts of this movie entertaining. If that doesn't describe you, you will be bored and probably mad at me for giving this mess a rating as high as "caution." In other words, I hated it, although I recognize that some of you will like it. But at least now I can rest easy knowing that you’ve been warned.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: Think back: have Nicole Kidman and/or Hugh Jackman ever made you laugh in any movies you’ve ever seen them in? If your answer is yes, then they’ll make you laugh here too.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: It will certainly try. Boy will it try. It will try, try, try, try, try... But, no.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: Maybe in Australia... They're desperate over there to see this movie matter.

Q: How is the Acting?

A: Hugh Jackman and Nicole Kidman are both bona fide movie stars and even in roles as underwritten as these, they prove once again why they are. They even manage some chemistry, but not nearly as much as this fiasco of a story needs to work. Which brings us to young Brandon Walters who plays Nullah, the child narrator of this story. Apparently this total amateur was ‘discovered’ after an exhaustive search that forced practically every aboriginal child in Australia to audition for director Baz Luhrmann. He should’ve kept looking cause this kid is terrible and for a role so central to the plot, he pretty much brings the entire massive enterprise crashing down around him. And it’s not like he’s just uneven, he’s bad in every single scene (and he’s in a lot of them). Now maybe it’s unfair of me to be so hard on a 12 year-old, but hey, I didn’t cast him and like they say: if you can’t stand the heat… yeah, well in this case, get out of Australia.

Q: How is the Directing?

A: Look, Strictly Ballroom is one of my all-time favorite movies and few would argue that Baz Luhrmann is a truly visionary director – not only visually but as a storyteller, too. But Australia is pretty much a train-wreck from start to finish, which is clearly unfortunate, but that’s not to say it has zero redeeming qualities. There are some breathtaking sequences here, specifically a sabotaged cattle-drive that sees hundreds of cattle about to stampede right off the edge of a cliff. But while the parts that are stunning are because of the direction, overall it’s a mess, and that's also because of the direction .

Q: How is the story/script?

A: It’s the biggest problem. I felt like I was watching a foreign film with no subtitles for the first 45 minutes and amazingly, I’m told everyone was speaking English (a language I usually understand). After giving up on figuring out the ‘plot setup’ (believe me, you will too after 10 minutes) the movie sort of settles into three distinct parts. Now that would be fine if this were say, a mini-series, or the entire second part wasn’t basically a montage with (bad) voice-over. But unfortunately it isn’t a mini-series, and the second part is a prolonged montage, and while you’re thinking it’s the end of the movie, you’ll soon discover there’s a whole third act to come that has little to do with anything that’s come before it. (Although if you leave at the end of act-two, you might wind up enjoying the movie more.) One could argue that this is simply an epic love-story that is bucking traditional story convention and we should just go along for the ride. Okay, fine, I would accept that argument if most of what I was watching were still compelling or entertaining, but it’s not. I’ve never been to Australia, but I’m convinced that the continent and its people are infinitely more interesting than what’s depicted here.

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

A: http://www.moviefone.com/movie/australia/32859/trailers

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Changeling

(Guest Review by Russ)

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: Set in the late ‘20s in Los Angeles, a single mother (Angelina Jolie) is distraught when her 9 year-old son is abducted from her house. But things turn more bizarre when the police try to reunite her with a boy that she believes is not her son.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Angelina Jolie, John Malkovich, Amy Ryan, Jeffrey Donovan, Colm Feore, Michael Kelly, Jason Butler Harner, Gattlin Griffith

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Go! Changeling is based on a true story that has to be filed under the ‘truth is stranger than fiction’ category. It’s a truly bizarre and – for a while at least – incredibly sad story that charts the sickening and horribly corrupt history of the Los Angeles Police Department in the late ‘20s and early ‘30s. But there is a light at the end of this tunnel and centering the story on a strong and determined woman makes for a compelling film with few dull moments.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: Something makes Angelina Jolie’s character laugh at the very beginning, but we’re not privy to what it is. After that, not many smiles are cracked on screen or off.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: I didn’t, but if you’re a mother, or a person with maternal instincts of any kind, you might want to gird yourself for some tears.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: Angelina Jolie’s performance has been nominated for a Golden Globe and SAG Award so far, and since there are rarely enough dynamic parts written for female leads each year to fill the 5 slots in that category, her streak is likely to continue to the Academy Awards.

Q: How is the Acting?

A: Angelina Jolie proves once again why she is a rare, American acting treasure. You will feel her unbearable loss in your gut. And even while playing a strong, independent woman, she never betrays the period her character exists in, being mindful of her ‘place’ in society (when the U.S. was much more of a man’s world) by subverting her strength and fire when the circumstances dictate it. Her character goes to hell and back, and few actresses can take us on that journey the way Jolie can. Surrounding her is a really good cast of familiar and not-so-familiar faces that fit perfectly into the period. And for a film with so many pivotal supporting parts that rely on kids, they found some really good ones here.

Q: How is the Directing?

A: Not only is every performance spot-on, the movie looks amazing as Clint Eastwood depicts late 1920s Los Angeles in all its beautiful period detail. Every car, building, street lamp, coat, hat, even roller-skate is gorgeously featured and anyone who has ever lived in or loved the City of Angels will enjoy seeing it transported back in time with so much precision. Los Angeles is a city with some stunning architecture, and watching Changeling is a great reminder of it. Across the board, it's a step up from Gran Torino.

Q: How is the story/script?

A: In so many ways it plays out as such a straightforward story, that when it’s over you’ll feel like it was easy to see everything that was coming. But that doesn’t take away from how riveting it is while you’re watching, which is why you’ll end up feeling more than satisfied. Screenwriter J. Michael Straczynski not only fictionalizes a sensational and tragic real-life story from the past, he also finds the human, beating heart at its center and brings out the strong, uplifting message at its core. Sure, a lot about Changeling is a downer, but you’ll leave feeling inspired by what a determined person can accomplish in life. And how important it is to always have hope.

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

A: http://www.moviefone.com/search/changeling/trailers

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Yes Man

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: A depressed man (Jim Carrey), who hates life and everything in it, is able to turn things around simply by saying "yes" to offers, instead of "no."

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Jim Carrey, Zooey Deschanel, Bradley Cooper, John Michael Higgins, Rhys Darby, Danny Masterson, Molly Sims, Sean O'Bryan, Fionnula Flanagan, Terrence Stamp, Sasha Alexander, Brent Briscoe, Luiz Guzman, Vivian Bang, Aaron Takahashi

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Go! This inspirational comedy reminds us that when we take life by the cohones, we do a great service, not only to ourselves, but to all those around us. Happiness is contagious. And here's a newspaper article to prove it: Happiness is Contagious, research finds

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: During Zooey Deschanel's musical performance, you may even squeal a little. Especially if you're a girl who's ever been with a guy.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: Tears of joy and positivity... No, not really. You probably won't cry.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: Best lyrics EVER!

Q: How is the Acting?

A: No one in this film is really pushing the limits of their acting tool, here. In fact, pretty much all of them are playing characters we've seen them play in other movies before. Hey, stick to what you're good at, right?

Q: How is the Directing?

A: Peyton Reed always manages to infuse an energy into his films that causes you to leave the theater wanting to dance in the streets.

Q: How is the story/script?

A: The set up and the conclusion are kind of easy, but I love when a script brings back even the most innocuous and seemingly irrelevant moments for a big pay off. And for doing that, I love these writers, and I'm gonna go ahead and say that this is a very well crafted screenplay.

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

A: http://www.moviefone.com/search/yes%20man/trailers

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The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

(Guest Review by Russ)

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: A fantastical tale about the life of Benjamin Button (Brad Pitt) who is born in the body of an 80 year-old man and ages backwards.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Brad Pitt, Cate Blanchett, Julia Ormond, Tilda Swinton, Taraji Henson, Mahershalalhashbaz Ali, Jason Flemyng, Elias Koteas, Elle Fanning, Jared Harris, Edith Ivey

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Go! It’s a big, rich sprawling Hollywood movie with big Hollywood movie stars that connects nicely to themes of aging, but mainly to life. It all could have been a sappy, sentimental mess, but fortunately it’s a mostly grounded and engrossing journey about one man’s unusual life and how we all connect to the same base things in life no matter our circumstances. It reinforces how in many ways, we are the sum of all the people we meet throughout our lives, and how we become defined by those experiences and by how those people view us.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: There are a few ‘smiling on the inside’ moments, but it’s not a yuk-fest.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: Very likely. This movie covers a lot of tear-jerking ground, so be prepared.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: It’s already nominated for 5 Golden Globes including Best Picture, and it won the National Board of Review for Best Director and Best Screenplay, so it's not hard to predict that multiple Oscar nominations are in its future.

Q: How is the Acting?

A: Our standards are high for actors like Brad Pitt, Cate Blanchett and Tilda Swinton and none of them disappoint. Pitt is astonishingly effective early in the film when his make-up applied 70 year-old face is put on the body of some other actor. He conveys so much with both his voice and eyes that you will completely forget you’re watching some of the most amazing visual-effects ever put on film. And then when you realize he’s portraying the mental age of 10 as a 70 year-old, your head might explode. It’s a heartbreaking and funny performance and Pitt has rarely been better. Since the film is something of a travelogue, it’s filled with many talented actors in smaller parts, but it all adds up to a great cast and amazing work by all.

Q: How is the Directing?

A: David Fincher has segued from serial killers (Se7en, Zodiac) into uncharted territory (for him) wonderfully. His visual style and attention to detail serve a story like this – one that spans decades – perfectly. Nothing is flashy, but it all has a rich sense of setting and his directing never gets in the way of Benjamin’s story. His staging of a WW-II event involving a tugboat and submarine is simply stunning.

Q: How is the story/script?

A: Screenwriter Eric Roth also adapted Forest Gump and in a structural sense there are some similarities here, but ultimately Benjamin Button is a very different movie. This film isn’t very plot-driven but Benjamin’s life holds a lot of surprises that keep it entertaining and for the most part it never really drags, even at 2.5 hours.

Q: Is there anything else worth mentioning about the movie?

A: For a story that spans so much time (80 years) and uses the premise of a character aging backwards, it would be hard for the make-up effects to not be one of the film’s stars. It’s a brilliant fusion of practically applied make-up and visual effects, and it’s all seamless. Half the fun is seeing this man age (backwards and forwards), and the other half is seeing the other characters' reactions to Benjamin as he grows younger through the years. Every time Daisy (Cate Blanchett) puts a hand to her mouth in astonishment when seeing him after a few years away, you will too.

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

A: http://www.moviefone.com/search/the%20curious%20case%20of%20benjamin%20button/trailers

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Seven Pounds

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: After killing 7 people in a car accident, Ben Thomas (Will Smith), decides to find 7 deserving people whose lives he can save.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Will Smith, Rosario Dawson, Woody Harrelson, Michael Ealy, Barry Pepper, Elpidia Carrillo, Robinne Lee, Joe Nunes, Bill Smitrovich, Tim Kelleher, Gina Hecht, Judyann Elder, Madison Pettis, Fiona Hale

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Go! Much like practicing yoga, the process of doing it isn't all that enjoyable, but you feel really good once it's over.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: About as much as yoga does.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: Yoga can be very cathartic.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: I'm inventing the Eleanor Rigby Award, and giving out the first annual one to this movie because none of the characters in it seem to have any friends. Ahhh, look at all the lonely people. But that's L.A. for ya'. People would rather be totally alone than have to get in their cars and drive anywhere.

Q: How is the Acting?

A: The acting is fine, but Will Smith's character lies and sneaks around so much that he starts to come off like a sociopath. Which in turn makes it hard to understand why Rosario Dawson is so into him. Maybe because she doesn't have any friends.

Q: How is the Directing?

A: There are a surprising number of shots that aren't in focus, and I can't think of any artistic reason for that to be the case, so I don't think it was a choice. Also in the beginning of the film the lighting is often too dark or too bright, causing your pupils difficulty adjusting. And in my case, even causing my eyelids to have to close a little bit.

Q: How is the story/script?

A: It starts out really slow and confusing (especially if you don't know what it's about), but soon builds to a bittersweet, yet inspiring tale of romance and redemption. Does it have a million holes? Sure it does. But if you go along with the good feelings it imparts, you might not care.

Q: Is there anything else worth mentioning about the movie?

A: The score combines melodrama with a lullaby, which rocks you to sleep. Probably not the best choice, since I doubt the filmmakers want the audience sleeping. This is yet another similarity with yoga, because sometimes I find it hard to stay awake when I'm lying in Savasana,  too.

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

A: http://www.moviefone.com/search/seven%20pounds/trailers

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The Reader

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: A 15-year-old boy (David Kross) falls in love with an older woman (Kate Winslet) in 1958, only to find out later that she was a Nazi war criminal.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Kate Winslet, Ralph Fiennes, David Kross, Lena Olin, Jeanette Hain, Vijessna Ferkic, Bruno Ganz, Karoline Herfurth, Volker Bruch, Hannah Herzsprung, Burgahart Klaussner

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Go! It starts out sexy and taboo, and goes on to become an emotionally conflicting demonstration of the fine line between being guilty of a heinous crime and just following orders. Its major flaw becomes pretty clear from reading the above noted descriptions of the film-- which is that it feels a little like two separate movies. But if you can get past that, and focus on how the two parts tie together, you will find an interesting examination of how difficult it became to be a guilt-free German after World War II... especially by association.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: There is one joke and it's at Lady Chatterley's expense.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: Between the emotions tied to the pain of first love's heartbreak, the life-long damage that baggage can cause, and the realization that those who took part in the atrocities of the Holocaust could be the very people you know and love, there's bound to be something that gets to you.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: It's not the best movie of the year, but this is the kind of historical drama that tends to win Academy Awards. Add to that the death of two of its highly regarded, high profile producers, Sydney Pollack and Anthony Minghella, (making this movie the last for both of them), and suddenly this film's chances of winning become unsurmountable... That is, if it hadn't been for the very public, very petty battle that went down between (still living) producers Scott Rudin and Harvey Weinstein, which led to Rudin taking his name off the project, and turned an angry mob of Harvey-haters even less willing to let him win anything for anything.

Personally, I think that giving posthumous courtesy awards should be illegal. The dead will never know they got it, and the living will always know they're losers. What good comes of that?

Q: How is the Acting?

A: Kate Winslet gives the most transformative performance of her illustrious career. But rumor has it, she's going to campaign harder for her role in Revolutionary Road, because her husband, Sam Mendes, directed that one. I hope for her sake that she doesn't get nominated for an Oscar for Revolutionary Road, because not putting all her eggs in the husbandless basket would be a huge mistake. This is the role she could win for.

Q: How is the Directing?

A: The look and feel of the film is perfect, but the pace drags a bit at times. Thankfully, Stephen Daldry can always blame Harvey Weinstein for that, since he's the one who rushed him out of post-production, to make the Awards season deadline, which, coincidentally, is why Scott Rudin allegedly took his name off the film in the first place.

Q: How is the story/script?

A: The two part structure gives away that it's based on a novel, and makes this an unconventional narrative for a movie. But with the clear use of flashbacks and time jumps, the writer, David Hare, manages to make it work. Except for the last scene, which would have been better served had it been the first scene instead. Considering it sets the story in motion, I would bet money that there was a time when the last scene of this movie was the first scene.

Q: Is there anything else worth mentioning about the movie?

A: Warning: There is full-frontal 15-year-old male nudity. And I'm not sure if you can go to jail for looking at that.

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

A: http://www.moviefone.com/movie/the-reader/30943/trailers

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Valkyrie

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: The true story of a group of high level German politicians and military men who attempt a coup on Hitler's life and regime during World War II.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Tom Cruise, Kenneth Branagh, Bill Nighy, Tom Sizemore, Eddie Izzard, Terence Stamp, Carice van Houten, Thomas Kretschmann, Christian Berkel, Kevin McNally, Tom Hollander, David Bamber, Halina Reijn

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Go! It's Tom Cruise presents: History for Dummies! And let's face it, there's no better way to learn history than in a dark theater with a bucket of popcorn and a dramatic score pounding through your bones and pushing you to the edge of your seat.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: Unfortunately, he doesn't talk about Scientology or how much he loves Katie Holmes at any point, so the movie is basically humorless. Thankfully, if you need a good laugh at Tom Cruise's expense that stuff is all up on YouTube.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: Not really, but it's always inspiring to see resistance forces rising up and committing high treason in order to do the right thing, in a society filled with sheep following orders. There was a time when people were willing to die for what they believed in. So maybe you'd die a little bit sooner? But at least you'd go down knowing that your life had purpose and meaning.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: As entertaining as it is, it's got one major thing going against it, when it comes to award recognition... It's entertaining.

Q: How is the Acting?

A: Take Tom Cruise's performance from any other action thriller where he plays a ballsy hero who will stop at nothing to see that justice is served, and cut and paste it here. He never seems to get tired of that same old performance, and apparently neither do we.

Q: How is the Directing?

A: The pace and the music keep the story suspenseful, making it not just a war movie, but also a political thriller that actually is thrilling.

Q: How is the story/script?

A: For such a complicated political plot, the writers manage to keep it as clear and simple as they can. You still need a military school degree to catch all the nuances of this intricate plan to make the army eat its own tail, but it's a good introduction to how clever they had to be to get as far as they did.

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

A: [http://www.moviefone.com/search/valkyrie/trailers

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Revolutionary Road

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: A couple (Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet) are smitten by each other in the first scene. Cut to the part where they're married and fighting and grasping at straws to keep the dream alive.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Kate Winslet, Leonardo DiCaprio, Kathy Bates, Kathryn Hahn, David Harbour, Michael Shannon, Zoe Kazan, Dylan Baker, Jay O. Sanders, Richard Easton, Max Casella, Max Baker

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Proceed with Caution. This movie makes the point that marriage is a hopeless, desperate prison, in which people get locked so securely by the traditional entrapments of life's occurrences, that-- much like the vows say-- the only way out may well be death.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: Only if you're a confirmed bachelor or bachelorette. And even then, it's not the movie that will make you laugh, so much as all the idiots out there who were dumb enough to get married.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: No, but it might make you wish you were watching Titanic... And if you do that you might cry.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: The hype is there, but the feeling that this film will become a classic is not. Still, I wouldn't count out the score, which is good despite the fact that it's reminiscent of the score this director and composer turned in for American Beauty.

Q: How is the Acting?

A: I liked them better in Titanic, when they had the decency to die before getting a chance to get married and ruin all the romance.

Q: How is the Directing?

A: Sam Mendes consistently makes movies with poetic visuals and well though out composition. This is no exception.

Q: How is the story/script?

A: I haven't read the book it's based on, but I can tell from seeing the movie that the book is much more powerful. Maybe pick that up first, to get the full effect.

Q: Is there anything else worth mentioning about the movie?

A: Since I wrote this last night, Leonardo, Kate, and the movie itself have been nominated for Golden Globes. If any of them beat out the much stronger performances in their respective categories it would be a travesty.

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

A: http://www.moviefone.com/search/revolutionary%20road/trailers

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Waltz with Bashir

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: Waltz with Bashir is an animated documentary with subtitles about trying to remember being a soldier in the first Israeli-Lebanon war of the early 80s... Have I sold you on it yet?

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: The writer-director, Ari Folman, and a bunch of his friends, therapists, and battle-mates.

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Proceed with Caution. If you weren't scared off by the parts of the description that mention animation, documentary, subtitles, war, Israel, or Lebanon, then you are probably into highbrow, art movies about serious matters that make you think about what they're trying to say instead of just telling you, and you should absolutely see this movie because you will think it's a masterpiece.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: Has Beirut ever been funny?

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: Only if you cry at trivial little things like genocide.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: It won almost all of the Israeli Academy Awards, so it follows that it is Israel's official submission for the foreign language category at the Oscars.

Q: How is the Acting?

A: I was given a program at my screening, which included a director's bio that describes how he went off to travel the world for a year, and after two weeks, he realized he hated traveling, so he settled down in Southeast Asia and spent the rest of the year writing letters to his friends pretending to be in all the different places he was supposed to have gone. His point was that his ability to use his imagination to fabricate these letters was what lead him to decide to become a filmmaker. My point is that I don't buy that this is a documentary. I think the use of animation is the perfect cover-up for the fact that this story and these characters are in part or in whole totally made up. Now that that's been cleared up, I can tell you that the acting is fine.

Q: How is the Directing?

A: The animation is captivating from the first frame to the last.

Q: How is the story/script?

A: Another way in which the writer covers up the fact that this story is (allegedly-- according to me) invented and fabricated, is by starting the movie out with a fascinating tid-bit about how the human memory works. One of the characters explains how when the mind can't remember something, it fills in the rest with whatever fits into the parts it remembers. This is then used to justify the fact that all the first person accounts of what supposedly happened in the various battles, 20 years ago, could also be in part or in whole totally made up. That said, the way in which this film examines the faultiness of memory is what I found most intriguing about it.

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

A: http://www.moviefone.com/search/waltz%20with%20bashir/trailers

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The Boy in the Striped Pajamas

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: When an SS Commander gets a promotion to go run a concentration camp, his 8-year-old son is so starved for companionship, that he secretly forms a friendship with an imprisoned Jewish boy, through an electric fence.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Vera Farmiga, David Thewlis, Asa Butterfield, Jack Scanlon, Amber Beattie, Rupert Friend, Cara Horgan, Richard Johnson, David Hayman, Sheila Hancock

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Proceed with Caution. This is certainly a powerful movie-- how could it not be? It's about the Holocaust-- but it's not for those who need their conclusions tied up in a pretty pink ribbon.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: This movie is for very serious audiences, so don't laugh too loud, lest you offend someone.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: It doesn't deliberately pull on your heart-strings and bang you over the head with emotions and music like a Hollywood movie would, but if you fill in the unspoken thoughts and feelings in your head, you might still cry, because it is pretty sad.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: You have to admit the title is great! What a cute little way of describing a small child who is put in a prison camp to starve, perform hard labor, and die for no good reason.

Q: How is the Acting?

A: Vera Farmiga is in her usual top form, and looking more stunning than usual, I might add. And the little boys, Asa Butterfield and Jack Scanlon, take their time with the moments and dialogue, to really think about what they're saying, as if they weren't acting at all.

Q: How is the Directing?

A: The film is beautifully shot, as the tones of the lighting shift from warm to cold, following their move from their happy life in Berlin, to the countryside, where their neighbors are concentration camp prisoners, and their lives becomes increasingly more and more grim.

Q: How is the story/script?

A: The story is appropriately understated as it depicts how even the people closest to the top SS Commanders had virtually no idea how badly the Jews were being treated in the camps, and how they, too, could be adversely affected by the atrocities surrounding them.

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Gran Torino

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: After his wife dies, Walt Kowalski (Clint Eastwood) is totally alone, with only his memories of the Korean War to keep him warm. Now he sits on his porch, disdainfully watching his all-White neighborhood get taken over by Asians, until one day, he intervenes in one of his neighbor's conflicts and ends up getting caught up in their personal lives.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Clint Eastwood, Bee Vang, Ahney Her, Christopher Carley, Doua Moua, Geraldine Hughes, Brian Haley, John Carroll Lynch, Brian Howe, Chee Thao

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Proceed with Caution. At first the film is slow and boring, and you can take a nap. Then it gets really funny, in an inside-humor kind of way, and then it gets really dramatic, building to a moment which is not nearly as important as they hoped it would be. And that's followed up with an ending that's predictable. I enjoyed it. Mostly for the funny parts.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: If Clint Eastwood tried to have Will Ferrell's career, this is what it would look like.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: The dog has something of a tear-jerking moment. But in order to be susceptible to it, you have to be the kind of person who can't handle puppy-dog eyes.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: It's Clint Eastwood, so it's guaranteed to be nominated.

Q: How is the Acting?

A: Clint Eastwood huffs and he puffs and he over-acts the house down. Everyone else in the film is much worse.

Q: How is the Directing?

A: It reminded me of the work of a really promising first time independent filmmaker. Not necessarily a compliment to a man who's directed 29 films and won 2 Oscars for it. Warner Brothers might consider averting its eyes in shame, too.

Q: How is the story/script?

A: Tonally it's all over the place. Thematically, it feels like a vanity project in which Clint Eastwood can revisit his Dirty Harry character in a "Where Are They Now" kind of way. And the story itself? It's there...

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

A: http://www.moviefone.com/movie/gran-torino/33336/trailers

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