War Horse

Q: What’s the movie about?

A:  A boy and his horse are separated during World War I, and we follow the horse's journey through the war.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Jeremy Irvine, Peter Mullan, Emily Watson, Niels Arestrup, David Thewlis, Tom Hiddleston, Bnedict Cumberbatch, Celine Buckens, Toby Kebbell, Patrick Kennedy, Leonard Carow, David Kross, Matt Milne, Robert Emms, Eddie Marsan

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A:  Stop!  I can see the little old church ladies now, watching this movie on TV and then telling their grandchildren, "Oh, wasn't that a nice picture?"  They are the only ones who feel that way.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A:  I laughed several times at how ridiculously improbable every other beat in the movie was-- starting with the way the boy acquires the horse.  Any decent screenwriter knows that you can't have more than one coincidence in a script.  This movie is built around them.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A:  Horse lovers might, but I'd like to prevent that by reminding them that horses don't really think like humans do.  That's just a movie device.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A:  I think it's time to give Spielberg the Lifetime Achievement Award, because based on the movies I've seen in the last two nights, he has clearly passed his peak.

Q: How is the Acting?

A:  People regularly have giant reactions to absolutely nothing; reactions that last longer than the final shot in a soap opera scene.  How do I know this style is outdated?  All of the soap operas just got cancelled.

Q: How is the Directing?

A:  It's 2 1/2 hours of melodramatic acting with melodramatic music, shot in exteriors that are lit like they are on a sound stage from the 1950s.  Need I say more?

Q: How is the story/script?

A:  There is one good scene in the entire movie, and I'd seen that one done before too. 

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

A: War Horse Trailer

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Monte Carlo

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: A case of mistaken identity sends a random girl from Texas (Selena Gomez) to Monte Carlo with her two friends (Leighton Meester & Katie Cassidy) in place of an English heiress (Selena Gomez).

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Selena Gomez, Katie Cassidy, Leighton Meester, Luke Bracey, Cory Monteith, Pierre Boulanger, Catherine Tate, Andie MacDowell, Brett Cullen, Christophe Malavoy, Guilio Berruti, Bruno Abraham-Kremer

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Proceed with Caution. On a couch with your girlfriends and a good sense of humor, this experience could be a lot of fun. In a movie theater by yourself it's pretty uninspiring.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: I find it funny that millions of tween-aged Selena Gomez fans are going to leave this movie wishing they might someday have an opportunity to commit identity fraud.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: I find it sad that the little girl in the elevator leaving the movie said that her favorite scene was the one where the heiress was tied up and gagged. Then again, to pull off a successful identity fraud, it usually does become necessary to also get involved in kidnapping, theft, and harassment.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: This award goes to the Tourism Board of Monte Carlo, which clearly comes out the big winner on this one. Yes! I want to go there NOW!

Q: How is the Acting?

A: Katie Cassidy will get your attention-- mostly because you may not have seen her before. Everyone else in the movie doesn't do themselves any favors... or harm.

Q: How is the Directing?

A: Tom Bezucha's directing probably has a lot to do with the award the Tourism Board of Monte Carlo won above. In fact, there were several times that I noticed artistry in composition-- which is pretty rare for a teen bubble gum flick. So, yeah, good job, man!

Q: How is the story/script?

A: Allow me to share with you the set-up of this movie. An English heiress finds herself in Paris, in the same bathroom of the same hotel, as an American girl who looks the same as her. Big coincidence, right? Here's a bigger coincidence: the American girl who looks the same as her is in a bathroom stall at the time, so the heiress never sees her, but the American girl's two friends see the heiress, so they are able to hatch the plan to assume her identity. And that's just the first of many coincidences that this story relies on to exist.

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

A: Monte Carlo Trailer

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Potiche

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: An unappreciated trophy housewife (Catherine Deneuve), in the 1970s, has an opportunity to take over her husband’s company, and manages to turn the business around in three weeks, leading to her own and other women’s self-empowerment.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Catherine Deneuve, Gerard Depardieu, Fabrice Luchini, Karin Viard, Judith Godreche, Jeremie Renier

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Proceed with Caution. It’s French-style camp, but the humor doesn’t land.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: Deneuve's attitude about her husband cheating is kind of charming.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: The photographs of how beautiful both Catherine Deneuve and Gerard Depardieu were in their youth, should make anyone on the wrong side of thirty-five cry— because whether we want it or not, this is the direction we’re all headed in.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: Most Happily Dysfunctional Marriage ever portrayed on screen.

Q: How is the Acting?

A: Sorry, I can’t focus on acting when there’s too much collagen in the lips. Is she pouting? Is she exasperated? Is that a smile? No I think it's a pout. But does she mean to pout? Or is it simply the only expression her mouth is capable of?... Oh, who cares.

Q: How is the Directing?

A: There is a ton of blurriness, especially in the first ten minutes. In some ways it helps to make the film feel old— as if the film had been left in someone’s wine cellar since the 1970s. In other ways, the blurriness helps the director seem like he needs to find a cinematographer who knows how to pull focus.

Q: How is the story/script?

A: The story, relationships, and character motivations make virtually no logical sense, but Catherine Deneuve’s character is quite fun, and possibly the only reason to see this movie.

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

A: Potiche Trailer

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Coco Chanel & Igor Stravinsky

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: Did you know that Coco Chanel & Igor Stravinsky were friends with benefits? Well, now you do.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Anna Mouglalis, Mads Mikkelsen, Elena Morozova, Natacha Lindinger, Grigori Manoukov

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Stop! Now that I've told you what it's about, there's really nothing more you're going to learn about it from sitting through the movie. And don't tell me that you want to see it for the Stravinsky music, because if you're that highbrow, then you've probably already got all his tunes on your iPod.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: There is exactly one joke. I liked it.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: It's much more likely to confuse you, as the dynamic between the two of them and his wife is confusing and never gets unconfused. Actually, their dynamic is confusing even before you add in the wife. But hey, that's friends with benefits for ya'. It's never as simple as the name makes it sound.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: It is highly deserving of costume design, set design, and score... that is, if you're allowed to receive an award for copying Chanel's style and Stravinsky's sound.

Q: How is the Acting?

A: Anna Mouglalis is good as Coco Chanel, but her character is a despicable selfish c-word. And Mads Mikkelsen is like the Tom Cruise of Denmark... Only Mads can pull off a mustache. (If you've read my Killers review, you may be noticing that it's mustache week here at Movie Reviews by FAQs.)

Q: How is the Directing?

A: It's so heavy handed, you can practically hear the director meekly squeaking, "Look at me! Look at me!"

Q: How is the story/script?

A: The beginning is slow, the middle is fun because there's a lot of sex, and the end leaves you wanting less. But I did learn one thing from watching this: It's not just men who use their money and power as a front for selfless generosity, when all they're really trying to get is sex.

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

A: http://www.moviefone.com/movie/coco-chanel-and-igor-stravinsky/1435845/trailers

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Killers

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: After marrying the perfect man (Ashton Kutcher), a woman (Katherine Heigl) finds out that he is actually an assassin working for the CIA.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Katherine Heigl, Ashton Kutcher, Tom Selleck, Catherine O'Hara, Katheryn Winnick, Kevin Sussman, Lisa Ann Walters, Casey Wilson, Rob Riggle, Martin Mull, Alex Borstein, Usher Raymond

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Proceed with Caution. If you've seen the trailer, you've seen the film, but it's still really fun to stare at Ashton Kutcher and Katherine Heigl under perfect lighting in picture perfect locations for an hour and a half.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: I have to say, Ashton Kutcher has a moment so awkward and subtle, I almost thought I was watching Michael Cera for a second. Then I realized I was a little turned on, so I knew it couldn't be Cera.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: It makes me sad that I'm so attracted to Ashton Kutcher despite the fact that I am repulsed by his personality on Punk'd, Twitter, and radio interviews. But I guess everybody needs a guilty pleasure.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: Tom Selleck is in it, so it's a gimme for Best Mustache. Unfortunately, that category is like the Emmy Awards, the same people win every year.

Q: How is the Acting?

A: Katherine Heigl's character has a wonderful kind of quirk I'd never quite seen before. It was obviously the writing, but I still think she gets credit for pulling off some of the more difficult moments... Like finding out your husband is an assassin and going right along with it when he tells you to shoot someone in the head, despite the fact that you've never held a gun before. And Catherine O'Hara is the new Jane Lynch.

Q: How is the Directing?

A: Somehow this film's look reminded me of a colored version of a 1940s movie. Maybe it was Katherine Heigl's hair. Or maybe the lighting. Or maybe it's that Robert Luketic directed Legally Blonde, and therefore he can do no wrong in my eyes.

Q: How is the story/script?

A: Despite the cute dialogue and the fun tone, there's something about the story that doesn't push it over the top into "this is a great movie" territory. Maybe because the love affair happens so easily. Or maybe because she doesn't find out he's a killer until half way through the film. Or maybe because there isn't even that much tension when she does. Sure, she freaks out for a second, but you never get to doubt that her love will overcome her anger and fear. Yes, that's it! At all junctures, what's missing is tension. Except for the part where everyone everywhere is trying to kill them, that's sort of stressful.

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

A: http://www.moviefone.com/movie/killers/36838/trailers

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A Prophet (un prophète)

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: A young Arab man (Tahar Rahim) goes to prison, where he is forced to kill or be killed. Before he knows it, he is rising through the ranks in a gang of Corsican natives who hate Arabs.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Tahar Rahim, Niels Arestrup, Adel Bencherif, Hichem Yacoubi, Reda Kateb, Jean-Philippe Ricci, Jean-Emmanuel Pagni, Leila Bekhti, Slimane Dazi, Rabah Loucif, Frederic Graziani

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Go! Navigating politics is never easy, but navigating prison politics is so hard, you'd have to be some kind of prophet to do it. This film plays out like a season of Survivor, where if you get caught lying and manipulating, you get your flame snuffed out-- but literally.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: More than you'd expect from a film filled with blood and murder. But for me the funniest bit was a conversation about conjugating the French subjonctif plus-que-parfait, which reminded me of the time I spent in French school asking the teachers why, if nobody used it anymore, I (along with every other French child in the world) was required to learn it? It would be like Americans having to learn old English... or new English, for that matter.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: If you didn't want to go to prison before seeing this, then after seeing this film, you really won't want to go there. You might even get scared right into passing your GED.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: All of them. Here's a condensed list of the ones it's already won: BAFTA, Cesar, National Board of Review USA, European Film Awards, Cannes... And this weekend we'll see if it adds Spirit Award and Oscar to the list. I think it will.

Q: How is the Acting?

A: There were actors in this film? I didn't recognize any of them.

Q: How is the Directing?

A: The movie is way too long, but there is a lot of information to get out, and certainly some moments when you notice how interestingly that information is gotten out.

Q: How is the story/script?

A: Intricate, intense, original, and with an Arab protagonist, who is not a good guy, but only doing bad things because he has to. He is also smarter than anyone else in the room, and more honest, so you never stop feeling for him, despite the fact that he's not usually doing anything that commendable.

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

A: As a native French speaker, I wondered if it would be confusing to mono-linguists watching subtitles where the Corsicans often speak their language, and the Arabs often speak their language, and there is no differentiation on screen for those who don't know that they're no longer speaking French-- which is relevant because it means certain people in the room can no longer understand what is being said. And what is being said could potentially at any time be, "Kill that guy."

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

A: http://www.moviefone.com/movie/a-prophet-un-prophete/38552/trailers

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Coco Before Chanel (Coco Avant Chanel)

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: The life of Coco Chanel (Audrey Tautou) up until the point when she became famous fashion designer Coco Chanel.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Audrey Tautou, Benoit Poelvoorde, Alessandro Nivola, Marie Gillain, Emmanuelle Devos

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Stop! This is a beautifully shot, well made film with good acting, and beautiful settings, that isn’t even that boring… and yet I can’t think of a single person I would recommend it to.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: There’s some wit, but you have to be a fast reader of subtitles to catch most of it.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: I heard a lady in the elevator, afterward, saying she cried, but she looked like a manic-depressive.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: Costumes… why not?

Q: How is the Acting?

A: Perfectly good acting portraying perfectly unlikable characters.

Q: How is the Directing?

A: The opening shot is a little nauseating, but the rest is quite pleasant to look at.

Q: How is the story/script?

A: I’m still trying to figure out the deeper correlation between Chanel’s upbringing in an Orphanage, and her success as a fashion designer. I can see how the outfits they wore as children inspired some of her cuts, as well as her desire to introduce the color black to high class women’s wear, but I’m still not totally sure why anyone liked her, listened to her, or gave her a chance.

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

A: http://www.moviefone.com/movie/coco-before-chanel/37886/trailers

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Imagine That

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: A financial adviser (Eddie Murphy), who is estranged from his young daughter (Yara Shahidi), finds out that her security blanket can take him to a magical world that can predict the stock market. Get it? It's a securities blanket.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Eddie Murphy, Yara Shahidi, Thomas Haden Church, Ronny Cox, Martin Sheen, Bobbe'e J. Thompson, Nicole Ari Parker, James Patrick Stuart, DeRay Davis, Vanessa Williams, Timm Sharp, Talen Ruth Riley, Stephen Root

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Proceed with Caution. It's very cute, but if you don't have a family to bring, you'll find yourself wondering why you're there.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: There are some laughs. And a couple of them aren't even totally immature.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: Maybe if you're on your period... Yes, some girls get it when they're still young enough to be in the demographic for this movie! And don't say, "Eiw," it's a fact of life, it's where babies come from, and you should have a little more compassion for those poor young girls who are already having to deal with it, even though they're only 9 or 10 years old.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: Most Adorable Disney Movie to come out of Nickelodeon this year.

Q: How is the Acting?

A: Yara Shahidi has a mug you could look at for hours. She is beautiful from all angles, in all hairdos, and in all emotions-- each of which she plays like a real child, but without any of the bad acting that usually comes with having to let a child play the part. It's amazing to think that she's never done a movie before.

Q: How is the Directing?

A: Run of the mill, but inoffensive.

Q: How is the story/script?

A: I can't help but wonder whose idea it was to make a children's movie so heavily centered around stock trading. It's hard to imagine that even if there were an imaginary world in which 3 invisible Princesses and a Queen can communicate with a little girl through her blanky, that they would talk to her about which companies' values were going to rise or plummet on the market, the next day. While it's a good device to help the little girl relate better to her dad, kids don't want to see a movie about that, and imaginary royalty certainly wouldn't care about it either.

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

A: http://www.moviefone.com/movie/imagine-that/28965/trailers

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Tell No One

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: Eight years after his wife was brutally murdered, Dr. Alexandre Beck (Francois Cluzet) is still being accused of having killed and beaten her, but he has reason to believe that she is still alive.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Francois Cluzet, Marie-Josee Croze, Andre Dussollier, Kristin Scott Thomas, Marina Hands, Francois Berleand, Nathalie Baye, Jean Rochefort, Gilles Lellouche, Philippe Lefebvre, Florence Thomassin, Olivier Marchal, Guillaume Canet

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Go! This French thriller has enough intrigue, twists and turns to make American filmmakers jealous.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: Only briefly, when Dr. Beck discovers thug life.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: No, but it could force you to use your rusty old brain and have to think a little bit.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: It was nominated for 9 Cesar Awards, which is the French equivalent of the Oscars. It won four.

Q: How is the Acting?

A: The director, Guillaume Canet, started out as an actor, which is evidenced by the distinctively defined characters and the consistently convincing performances.

Q: How is the Directing?

A: At times the hand-held camera work in the chase scenes can be a little heavy handed, but those moments are balanced out by the simple beauty and raw emotion in the look of the rest of the film.

Q: How is the story/script?

A: You're gonna need to pay attention. There's a lot going on, and it's all interconnected. You can try to figure it out, but you won't.

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